Magnus Podcast: Conversations from the Catacombs of Liberal Education

"Wherever he can find any possibility of doubt, he is going to call it downright false." Up now: Descartes and The Search for Certainty with Fr. Owen Carroll.  Enjoy these lectures given by Fr. Owen Carroll to a small group of retired religious in his private retirement home.  Purchase Fr. Carroll’s book, The Sufferings and Glory of Christ: A Meditation on Holy Week to Ascension today and get 20%...

"We see that Abraham is chosen, Abraham this one man with his clan around him... it’s promised to him that in him all nations, that is, all the rest of humanity... will find their blessedness in him." We now bring you Omnes Gentes, with Fr. Owen Carroll.  Enjoy these lectures given by Fr. Owen Carroll to a small group of retired religious in his private retirement home.  Purchase Fr. Carroll’s boo...

“The Amaryllis has been doing many living acts within itself. Nourishing, growing, flowering itself, in the same way that when I take a sip of water,  am I not very much like the plant nourishing itself?”  We now bring you episode 3, The Amaryllis with Fr. Owen Carroll.    Lecturer Fr. Owen Carroll is one of the foremost experts on Thomas Aquinas and one of the greatest living teachers on the life...

 As Great Lent continues… so do podcasts with Fr. Owen Carroll.  Today’s being “Liturgy, Authority, and Living Scripture.” Lecturer Fr. Owen Carroll is one of the foremost experts on Thomas Aquinas and one of the greatest living teachers on the life of Christ. As St. Bernard of Clairvaux is the last of the patristics, Fr. Carroll is said to be the last medieval schoolman. After praying to remain h...

As the season of Great Lent is upon us, we are offering you a gift that we hope will edify you in this time of preparation. Lecturer Fr. Owen Carroll is one of the foremost experts on Thomas Aquinas and one of the greatest living teachers on the life of Christ. As St. Bernard of Clairvaux is the last of the patristics, Fr. Carroll is said to be the last medieval schoolman. After praying to remain...

In this final episode of season two, meet Eric, a Student Fellow, friend of the Institute, and successful business man who is here to discuss the value of a "useless" degree and the importance of a Liberal Arts education in any endeavor. Stay tuned for season three, and in the meantime, use this break to catch up on any episodes you may have missed.  You can give to the Great Campaign here: https:...

Happy third day of Christmas! Continue this joyous feast by listening to the first half of our recent webinar on On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius.  Dr. David Arias, Dr. Matthew Walz and Mr. Dale Ahlquist joined us for an informative and beautiful conversation on the great text.  You can watch the entire webinar on our YoutubeChannel here! Give to the Great Campaign here.

Please take a listen to this 3 minute announcement from the host of the Magnus Podcast and Executive Director of the Institute, John Johnson.    Merry Christmas to our followers, fellows, and donors alike.   Stay tuned for a Christmas episode.   

If beauty awakens the Divine, what does it mean for a culture when it is deficient in beauty? How do we return beauty to its proper place in the quadrivium? How do we restore beauty to a culture void of wonder? In this episode, John and Larissa discuss beauty (and the lack) in education with Dr. Shannon Valenzuela.   Shannon K. Valenzuela, Ph. D., is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Humanities...

“Our will is always for our own good, but we do not always see what that is; the people is never corrupted, but it is often deceived.” Jean Jacques Rousseau True…or false?  Listen to John interview Dr. Emily B. Finley, author of the newly released book, “The Ideology of Democratism," in which Finley posits that the west has been deceived into a false understanding of democracy that is far removed...

The Magnus Fellowship continues! Enjoy this glimpse into week one of Senior Fellow, Dr. Hudson's course, “George Bernanos: The Man and His Work.” This is much more than a sneak peak; it’s our longest glimpse yet as Dr. Hudson goes deep into the life of one of the most prominent French novelists of the 20th century.  Find out here how you can watch the rest of this course and access all archived co...

This week we turn three years old!  This episode of the Magnus Podcast honors the Feast Day of our namesake, St. Albert the Great, celebrates our third birthday, and launches the Great Campaign. Please consider joining the Magnus Fellowship and/or giving to the Great Campaign today! With your help, we can continue to liberate the Liberate Arts.  

Revisit The Waste Land with us. Once again, we are offering you a glimpse into the Magnus Fellowship; this time with Senior Fellow, Dr. Freeh’s class, “The Waste Land Revisited: T.S. Eliot’s Diagnosis of Modernity.” Find out how you can catch the rest of this course AND access all archived courses- over 40 hours of exceptional classes with some of the top educators in liberal learning.  Join the M...

Enjoy this sneak peak into the Fellowship - week one of Senior Fellow, Dr. Esolen’s course, In the Beginning Was the Word: Poetry and Christology in the Gospel of John.   Find out how you can catch the rest of this course AND access all archived courses- over 40 hours of exceptional discussions and lectures with some of the top educators in liberal learning.   Join the Magnus Fellowship for an edu...

What is metaphysics? Is it philosophy or science? Is it witchcraft or wizardry? Is it inalterable or constantly changing? Why has it been reinterpreted and misunderstood in today’s culture? How do we return metaphysics to its proper place in the order of knowing and learning? Dr. David Arias is a professor of philosophy at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE. Prior to coming to Nebraska,...

"Humankind, full of all creative possibilities, is God's work. Humankind alone is called to assist God. Humankind is called to co-create." -Hildegard Von Bingen This week's episode features Dr. Matthew Smith - the founder and president of the new Hildegard College. Named for Hildegard Von Bingen, Hildegard College was founded to create both exceptional thinkers and extraordinary creators; at Hilde...

     The modern understanding of mathematics is disenchanting and fragmented. Dr. Andrew Seeley is here to talk about mathematics within the ancient understanding of the quadrivium and the greater context of the human person.      Dr. Andrew Seeley is a Tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in California, Director of the Arts of Liberty Project at University of Dallas, Executive Director of the Institut...

What is the difference between a wanderer and a wayfarer? What does it mean to have hope? How do we live the proper journey of wayfarer? In this episode, John and Larissa talk with Chelsea Niemiec about the virtue of hope and the journey of a wayfarer.  Chelsea is the Director of College Partnerships at The Classic Learning Test and a University of Dallas graduate student studying Classical Educat...

Alexander the Great once said, “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”   Ali Ghaffari has dedicated his life to this type of leadership, beginning with playing sports as child to becoming a career Naval Officer as an adult, and most recently, to founding a K-8 Classical school in Pasadena MD. Find out how he now runs a thriving school th...

“Once again Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, That on a wild secluded scene impress Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect The landscape with the quiet of the sky.”   Excerpt from “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” by Williams Wordsworth This past summer, we offered our first round of Summer Symposiums in the Magnus Fellowship; enjoy this excerpt from Helen Freeh’s cour...

"We were born not to sue but to command." - William Shakespeare Dr. Joe Wysocki of the Belmont Abbey College is here to discuss the making of monarchies, kings, statesmen and families through the lens of Shakespeare's Henriad.   Check out the Belmont Abbey Honors College- the newest of our endorsed institutions: https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/academics/honors-college/   Dr. Joseph Wysocki is Dean...

What does it mean to be an integrated human? How do we live well-ordered lives? How does this lead to peace and harmony in both the home and the soul? Brian Fink is husband, father, farmer, and teacher creating an integrated life for himself and his family. In this discussion, he talks about farming goats, homeschooling kids, raising boys, and instilling virtue while demonstrating how can find pea...

Today's guest, Oscar Ortiz, is both a brilliant thinker and incredible achiever who has transformed crumbling schools into sanctuaries for students. Listen as he tells John and Larissa how he plans to continue to bring wonder to students all over America. Oscar has devoted his career to classical education and over the course of ten years has gone from the classroom, to head of school, to Superint...

Season 2 of the Magnus Podcast begins with this very special Three Beers episode with Pavlos Papadopoulos. Listen as John, Larissa, and Pavlos discuss Alexis De Tocqueville's great work, Democracy in America. Pavlos Papadopoulos is Assistant Professor of Humanities at Wyoming Catholic College. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College, Annapolis, as well as an M.A. and Ph. D. in Poli...

We made it to 50 episodes thanks to you and have some huge announcements to make. Join us for a special sit down over 3 Beers with AMI CFO Brian Long who breaks the news - taped on the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas no less! MagnusInstitute.org/Press