Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and the Adam Minihan to discuss part one of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbooksdpodcast.com for more resources. Check out our Patreon for a written GUIDE to the whole Oresteia. From our guide: The Libation Bearers presents Orestes as both the hero and the victim. The cycle of violence will both...

We are reading Aeschylus' Oresteia. This week Dcn. Garlick, Adam Minihan, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss part two of Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the second part of the first play of the Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more sources. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. I.             Clytemnestra and...

Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Thomas Lackey are reunited to discuss the first part of Agamemnon, the first play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our written guide available to our supporters: The first play of the Oresteia tells of the homecoming of Agamemnon and is predominately animated by revenge. Aeschylus presents us with questions...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are reunited to intro Aeschylus, the Father of Greek Tragedy. Aeschylus (b. 525 BC) was a warrior, statesman, and the father of Greek tragedy. Born into nobility, he grew up in Athens during its pivotal transition from tyranny to democracy. Furthermore, he famously fought in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), defending a nascent Western civilization against Per...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey come together to discuss Hesiod's Theogony - a poem about the origin of the gods and the cosmos. Key conversations: The role of the Muses The four primordial gods - especially Chaos Eros as the generative and binding force of the cosmos Zeus as a bringer of civilization The Prometheus myths Women as the beautiful evil Hesiod is a co...

You can read the Greek plays with Ascend! Dcn. Harrison Garlick flies solo this week as he explains why you should read the Greek plays. He discusses how the plays are an intellectual bridge between Plato and Homer and explains some of the major themes you can expect in their writings: justice, eros, fate, divinity, etc. He'll then introduce each Greek play to be read and why it is worth reading....

This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Alberto Fernandez, a former U.S. diplomat and Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) in Washington, D.C., to discuss "The Tower of the Elephant," one of the best Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard. Deacon and Alberto discuss the life and philosophy of Robert E. Howard along with key elements of the "Tower of the Elephant"...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, to discuss the Odyssey as the restoration of Catholic Culture and the unique educational approach of Wyoming Catholic College. Eastern Catholicism John Senior Odyssey as the restoration of culture President Washut takes on the question: "Why go to a great books college" and gives an excellent answer. They have a...

THE FINAL BOOK! Dcn. Garlick is joined by Adam Minihan, David Niles, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss Book 24 of the Odyssey: Peace. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From our guide: 111.    What happens in book twenty-four?  Hermes leads the souls of the suitors to Hades, to the fields of asphodel, where they meet Achilles and Agame...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mrs. Rachel Greb to discuss Book 23 of the Odyssey: The Great Rooted Bed. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources! From our written guide: 108.    What happens in book twenty-three? The old maid Eurycleia, laughing with delight, runs and tells Penelope that the day she’s dreamed of is here: Odysseus has come home (23.05). “Penelo...

Slaughter in the hall! This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Adam Cooper of Wyoming Catholic College to discuss Odysseus' revenge upon the suitors in Book 24. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information! 103.    What happens in book twenty-two? The time has come. Odysseus stands at the threshold of his home, cries out to Apollo, and lets loose an arrow st...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by another Catholic deacon, Dcn. Adam Conque to discuss Book 21 of the Odyssey: Odysseus Strings His Bow. Check out more at thegreatbookspodcast.com Help support the podcast and get access to guides! From the guide: 100.    What happens in book twenty-one? The time has come for Penelope’s test and the slaughter the suitors (21.05). Penelope bring...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey of the University of Tulsa Honors College to discuss Book 20 of the Odyssey: The Portents Gather. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for guides and more! From the written guide: 97.      What happens in book twenty? After his conversation with Penelope, Odysseus the beggar lays in bed alert to the fact the maidserva...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mary Pat Donoghue, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education at the USCCB, to discuss Book 19 of the Odyssey: Penelope and her guest. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more! From our written guide: 93. What happens in book nineteen? With the suitors retired for the evening to their own houses, Odysseus and Telemachus clear the hall of weapo...

Dr. Jared Zimmerer of Benedictine College returns to the podcast to discuss Book 18 of the Odyssey with Dcn. Garlick and Adam Minihan. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more. From our written guide: 90.      What happens in book eighteen? Another beggar, a man nicknamed Irus, arrives at Odysseus’ palace and begins to harass Odysseus, the beggar in disguise (18.13...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jared Zimmerer to discuss Book 17 of the Odyssey: The Stranger at the Gates. Dr. Jared Zimmerer is the Content Marketing Director and Great Books adjunct professor for Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. The former Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute and the Dean of Pastoral Fellows. He holds a PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University and a m...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by independent scholar and friend of the podcast Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss book 16 of the Odyssey: Father and Son. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our written guide! From the guide: 83.      What happens in book sixteen? Telemachus arrives at the home of the Swineherd and, the Swineherd greets him like a father welcoming “home...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan continue the YEAR WITH HOMER by discussing Book 15 of the Odyssey: The Prince Sets Sail for Home. Check out our guide at thegreatbookspodcast.com . 80.      What happens in book fifteen? Athena goes to Sparta and inspires the young Telemachus to return home quickly (15.10) and advises him on how to avoid the ambush set by the sui...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are joined by Alec Bianco of the Circe Institute to discuss Book Fourteen of the Odyssey: The Loyal Swineherd. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more! From our guide: 77.      What happens in book fourteen? Odysseus, disguised as an old beggar, makes his way to the home of his loyal swineherd, Eumaeus (14.32). Odysseus is we...

In this episode, Deacon Harrison Garlick, along with guests Alan Cornett and Dr. Richard Meloche, delve into the french Dominican A.G. Sertillanges' influential book "The Intellectual Life." They explore the significance of cultivating an intellectual life, the role of courage and discipline, and the importance of community in intellectual pursuits. The conversation emphasizes that everyone, regar...

Dcn. Garlick and Adam Minihan are joined by Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos of Wyoming Catholic College to discuss BOOK THIRTEEN of the Odyssey. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more. From our guide: 73.      What happens in book thirteen? King Alcinous makes good on his promise and sends Odysseus back to Ithaca (13.108). Odysseus sleeps the whole way home (13.91), and...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan discuss Book Twelve of the Odyssey: The Cattle of the Sun. Check out more at thegreatbookspodcast.com . From our guide: 68.      What happens in book twelve? Odysseus and his men return the island of Circe and bury their comrade, Elpenor, who had spoken to Odysseus from the underworld (12.10). Circe tells Odyssey—and Odysseus alo...

Dr. Frank Grabowski and Thomas Lackey return to discuss Book Eleven of the Odyssey with Dcn. Garlick. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources. From the guide: 60.      What happens in book eleven? Odysseus and his men sail to the edge of the world into the endless darkness and the house of death (11.21). Following the ritual Circe prescribed, Odysseus fi...

Dcn. Garlick flies solo to explore the depths of BOOK TEN of the Odyssey: The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources. From the guide: 53.      What happens in book ten?  Odysseus and his men come to the floating island of King Aeolus [1] who Zeus had made the “master of all the winds” (10.24). After hosting them for a mon...

Dcn. Garlick and Adam Minihan discuss BOOK NINE of the Odyssey: Odysseus and the Cyclops. Odysseus finally gives his name and starts to tell his story. Book Nine is one of the most important books in the Odyssey. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. From the guide: 48.      What happens in book nine? The guest of good King Alcinous finally declares...