The Symbolic World

This conversation is in part John Vervaeke's response to my previous video with Jordan Hall (The End of Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnR2PYtLLnI) where we discussed Jordan's recent conversion to Christianity. John fires up some questions, and we discuss different aspects of sensemaking and religious structures to answer the question: Why Christianity? Original YouTube version: https:/...

I had a wonderful time talking with Jordan Hall, who has recently converted to Christianity from a secular worldview. We talk about his conversation, societal engineering, artificial intelligence, and the fundamental distinction between vertical and horizontal qualities. We also talk about the problem of delusion, how to know what’s real, the meaning of faith and memory, using technology safely, a...

In this week's video I discuss what a miracle is, looking at different examples but especially at the miracles of Christ. A miracle is not just an extraordinary event, rather it's an event that reveals and restores matter to its true identity and meaning. Thank you for your continued support.  My course with Richard Rohlin on Dante's Purgatorio has kicked off and is currently taking place live on...

Dr. Nathan Jacobs is an academic, artist, and filmmaker. In this conversation, we discuss where reason, rationality, and discernment fit into the mystical experience and how the modern world has mistakenly divorced reason and mysticism. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/BlB1EkTaxpg Check out the Nathan Jacobs Podcast:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast  Spotify: https://open...

In this episode of the Universal History podcast with Richard Rohlin, we discuss the surprising Irish origin of the medieval notion of purgatory, why it's understandable that purgatory is part of the medieval experience, its relevance to our lives today, and how Dante presents purgatory in a new, more optimistic way in his Divine Comedy. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/XBdXgwl1VYU Remember to li...

This is a complement to my previous video where I explained the symbolism of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony (linked below). This time I discuss the latest Olympic controversy in the women's boxing division where the gender of boxers was called into question. It's related to the same message of the opening ceremony; I argue that gender ambiguity is being weaponized against the public to c...

In this video, I discuss the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony and its drag Dionysian representation of The Last Supper, I discuss why specifically the images of Dionysus and the Last Supper were used, other elements of the opening, the purpose and meaning of such symbolic demonstrations, and finally, the question of intent. Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/rckBhO23cIA Join me and Ric...

In this conversation, American philosopher and author Peter Boghossian picks my brain about my beliefs, religion, its purpose and truth claims, the origin of the universe, and the meaning of gods or higher beings. We also discuss doubt, the efficacy of prayer, and the effects of meaning. Enjoy! Peter's work: https://linktr.ee/peterboghossian 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗...

After publishing a recent video commenting on Alex O'Connor's conversation with Jordan Peterson regarding Genesis, I decided to make June 2024's patron-only video public. In this video, I delve deeper into another question that came up in the discussion about whether God actually wanted Adam and Eve to eat the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Bad in the Garden of Eden. To answer this question, I...

This is the first of a series of Universal History episodes about Ireland! Richard Rohlin discusses a book called The Book of Invasions, which tells of the origin of Ireland. Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/PBNkmLxUYHk 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau  🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe  📱 SOCIAL...

In this short meditation, I explore the meaning of the Fall in secular terms, and the mistake atheists make in understanding their own placement.  Course on Dante's Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses-pages/dantes-inferno Support us for exclusive content and benefits: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe  📱 SOCIAL MEDIA   Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld  Twitter...

Seraphim Hamilton is an Orthodox theologian who is committed to helping others understand the deep and profound ways that the inspired Scriptures bear witness- in Old and New Testaments- of Jesus Christ as the center and culmination of the human story. He received a Master of Arts in Theology and Classics from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Theology from Duke University. He posts reg...

In this video, I interview Stephen Meyer about evolution, intelligent design, Darwinianism, the advent of the biological information age, and how it changed the debate about the origins of life. We discuss the questions of what life and mind are, and how pattern and mind are part of and participate in creation. A former geophysicist and college professor, Stephen C. Meyer now directs Discovery Ins...

This video is an in-depth discussion of the biblical and symbolic inspiration for Christian architecture. Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/isAMeVKJhlg Support us at http://www.thesymbolicworld.com for more videos like this and please like and share if you find it of value. Related content: Alex O'Connor: The Problem With Secular Architecture - Jonathan Pageau: https://youtu.be/z2Mugv29ih...

The best way to purchase our books at the moment is through the GodsDog: Warrior Kickstarter pre-order store: https://godsdog-warrior.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders/630859 This is a talk I did for the 2024 National Symposium for Classical Education that took place in March 2024, presented by Great Hearts Institute. Our old stories have been remembered, retold, and refined in different guises for t...

Do Adam and Eve die after eating the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Bad in the Garden of Eden? In this video, I comment on a question  @CosmicSkeptic  asked  @JordanBPeterson  in their recent conversation concerning the meaning of death and the Fall in Genesis. Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/cnsUT97VSeA Jordan Peterson's conversation with Alex O'Connor: Navigating Belief, Skepticis...

In this video, I cover the symbolism behind skateboarding, surfing, the image of the horse and rider, the chariot, and Ezekiel’s vision. Original YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stqiG9vtZaQ 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau  🗣 Join The Symbolic World Community for discussions about symbolism: https://thesymbolicworld...

In this conversation with Paul Kingsnorth, we discuss his main takeaways from his Substack series on The Machine, technology, artificial intelligence and silicon valley, civilization, principalities, the act of creation and desiring to be God, yet also creating the space for our annihilation. We also touch on environmentalism, storytelling, and art, including Tolkien and The Matrix. Enjoy. Origina...

This is a talk I gave for Ralston College on the Icon of the Last Judgement, exploring Orthodox Christian imagery to understand ontology, theology, and how identity, symbolism, and fractals work in the medieval worldview. Youtube version: https://youtu.be/APFPO4LXFIs Ralston College website: https://www.ralston.ac/  Ralston College: Rethinking the Last Judgment: Cosmic Symbolism & the Metaphor...

This talk took place in April 2024 at the Maliotis Cultural Center, hosted by Hellenic College Holy Cross with Dr. Timothy Patitsas. In this talk, I take you through all the icons of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to the Anastasis, the icon of the Resurrection of Christ.  Original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/vFW5nYC4CcM Hellenic College Holy Cross: https://www.hchc.edu/ Originally posted on the Ma...

In this week’s episode of Universal History, Richard Rohlin and I give an introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy, discussing its historical and political context, Dante’s motivations and his point of view, and why the Comedia is the greatest work of Western literature.  Join us for the first course on the Divine Comedy, starting May 8th. Dante’s Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses-pag...

This is part two of our discussion about the Tower of Babel in the context of Universal History. Richard Rohlin and I recap and continue our discussion on the Book of Jubilees and Pentecost, discussing more in-depth the Feast of First Fruits, and what it means as a structure by which communion between heaven and earth can be facilitated - of unity and multiplicity. The duality of Pentecost explain...

This video will premiere tomorrow, Saturday, April 13th at 10 am EST. In this short reflection, I will explain the parable of Jesus that’s the most difficult to understand, the Parable of the Penitent Steward, or the Unjust Steward. Recently I teamed up with Jordan Peterson, Daily Wire, and the same panel of the Exodus series, this time to film a series on the Gospels. The discussions pushed me to...

This is my second interview with Timothy Patitsas on the topic of beauty. We also discuss filmmaking, the work of Dr. Iain Mcgilchrist, liturgy, self-sacrifice, and social renewal as part of the fruits of a beautiful life. Timothy G. Patitsas has been the Interim Dean of Hellenic College since January of 2020 and the Assistant Professor of Ethics at Holy Cross since the Fall of 2005. In 2019 he pu...

I had the opportunity to sit down with Justin Brierley to talk about Christian apologetics, the state of public discussions about faith, new converts, the identity crisis, and the rise of the “Christian atheist” with figures like Tom Holland, Jordan Peterson, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali intellectually aligning themselves with Christianity. Justin Brierley is a freelance writer, speaker and broadcaster who...