Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive into Books 17–19 of Homer’s Odyssey, where the disguised king returns to Ithaca as a beggar.Check out our WRITTEN Q&A GUIDE TO THE ODYSSEY.Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack: The Porch and the Altar.The conversation explores iconic moments like Odysseus’s heartbreaking reunion with his loyal dog Argos, the tense first dialogue with Penelope that raises fascinating questions about what she truly knows or suspects, and the escalating violations of xenia by the suitors. Listeners will appreciate the rich analysis of loyalty as the ultimate standard, Odysseus’s hard-won maturation in temperance and piety, and striking contrasts between faithful servants like Eumaeus and disloyal figures like Melanthius.Homer emerges here as both poet and philosopher, using these scenes to probe justice, the nature of heroism, the city at peace, and the interplay of fate and human choice.With Athena guiding events and the tension building toward the suitors’ doom, Deacon and Dr. Grabowski illuminate how Odysseus’ trials have prepared him not just for revenge, but for restoring order.Whether you’re new to the epic or a longtime reader, this episode offers fresh insights that make the ancient story feel urgently relevant. Don’t miss it—subscribe and join the community as the Odyssey study continues toward its dramatic climax!Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Odyssey Study04:30 The Role of Penelope and Theoclymenus07:14 Contrasting Characters: Eumaeus and Melanthius10:28 Odysseus' Growth and Maturation13:11 The Loyalty of Argos16:26 The Test of Guest Friendship19:10 The Fate of the Suitors22:22 The Beggar Fight and Its Implications24:43 Odysseus' Reflection on His Journey27:21 The Irony of Antinous30:45 Penelope's Anticipation and the Build-Up to Reunion33:28 Odysseus' Moral Self-Awareness36:37 Conclusion and Themes of Justice42:10 The Philosopher Beggar and the Blindness of the Suitors44:49 The Nature of Law and Lawlessness47:33 Penelope's Cleverness and the Suitors' Downfall52:09 Telemachus' Growth and the Stability of Society57:19 The Reunion of Odysseus and Penelope01:01:40 The Test of Loyalty and the Nature of Guest Friendship01:06:23 The Subtlety of Odysseus and Penelope's Intuition01:12:19 The Significance of Names and Identity01:19:33 The Tension of Recognition and the Test of the SuitorsKeywords: Odyssey Books 17-19, Homer Odyssey summary, Odysseus as beggar, reunion with Argos, Penelope and Odysseus dialogue, what Penelope knows, xenia guest friendship, loyalty in the Odyssey, Argos the dog, Melanthius goat herder, Eumaeus swineherd, Theoclymenus prophecy, suitors fate, Odysseus maturation, temperance and piety, Homer philosopher, city at peace, Athena disguise, beggar fight Book 18, bow of Odysseus, scar of Odysseus, Great Books Podcast, Ascend podcast Odyssey, Frank Grabowski Homer, classical education Odyssey, Western literature analysis.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Justin Jackson host a Q&A on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. They explore major themes such as the role of femininity, the moral dilemmas faced by Gawain, and the significance of the girdle. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule!Check out our episodes on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and our study guide!Visit Professor Jackson's awesome SUBSTACK.The conversation highlights Gawain's character development, the tension between chivalric ideals and Christian morality, and the Green Knight's role as a tempter. Through a detailed analysis, they uncover the layers of meaning within the poem, emphasizing the intentional tension crafted by the poet.Join our Patreon page to be able to submit questions in the future!Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests03:13 Teaching 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'06:34 The Role of Women in the Poem12:27 The Tension Between Pagan and Christian Elements21:57 Gawain's Moral Dilemmas and Compartmentalization28:05 The Confession Scene and Its Implications37:02 Confession and Contrition40:56 The Green Knight's Dual Role51:58 Chivalry, Cowardice, and the Girdle01:02:50 Symbolism of Colors in Gawain01:07:31 The Intensity of the Green Knight01:08:36 Gawain's Confrontation and Internal Conflict01:11:29 The Symbolism of the Green Girdle01:17:24 The Ending: Bliss and Blunder01:26:19 Final Thoughts on Gawain's JourneyKeywordsSir Gawain, Green Knight, themes, femininity, chivalry, morality, confession, literature, medieval, analysis, Sir Gawain, Green Knight, chivalry, medieval literature, symbolism, courtly love, Morgan Le Fay, color symbolism, moral lessons, literary analysis, great books, philosophy, Catholic, CatholicismTakeawaysThe tension in the poem is intentional and significant.Gawain's character is complex, showcasing both strengths and weaknesses.The role of femininity is prominent and influential in the narrative.The girdle symbolizes Gawain's internal conflict and moral struggles.Gawain's confession scene raises important questions about sincerity and contrition.The Green Knight serves as a tempter, challenging Gawain's virtues.The poem explores the interplay between pagan and Christian ideals.Gawain's journey reflects a maturation of character and understanding.The hunting scenes parallel Gawain's temptations and moral choices.The poet's use of language invites readers to engage deeply with the text. The nick on the neck symbolizes Gawain's failure in chivalry and Christianity.The poet uses precise language to draw parallels between Gawain's actions and the Green Knight's.The kisses exchanged in the poem have both courtly and liturgical significance.Morgan Le Fay's role raises questions about manipulation and temptation in the narrative.Color symbolism in the poem serves multiple interpretations, particularly with green and red.Gawain's cowardice is a central theme, reflecting on self-preservation and honor.The green girdle represents both shame and a form of glory for Gawain.The ending of the poem invites reflection on the nature of mirth and mockery in chivalric culture.The final motto suggests a moral principle about projecting one's faults onto others.The cyclical nature of bliss and blunder is a key takeaway from the poem's conclusion.We start the Purgatorio next week! Join us!

In this episode of the Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick engages in a profound discussion with Dr. Thomas Ward from Baylor University about Plato's influence on St. Boethius. The conversation begins with an exploration of Boethius's life, particularly his role as a Roman statesman and philosopher during a tumultuous time in history. Dr. Ward highlights St. Boethius's seminal work, "The Consolation of Philosophy," written while he awaited execution, and discusses its impact on medieval thought and the liberal arts tradition. The dialogue emphasizes St. Boethius's unique position as a bridge between Roman and medieval philosophy, often referred to as the last of the Romans and the first of the medievals.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule.Want to know more about Plato? Start here with our Plato playlist.And check out Dr. Thomas Ward's website!As the conversation unfolds, the discussion shifts to the Platonic influences on St. Boethius's writings. Dr. Ward explains how Boethius synthesized Platonic and Aristotelian thought, particularly in his understanding of the good and the nature of happiness. The episode delves into the themes of evil as privation, the nature of true happiness, and the philosophical journey from despair to enlightenment that St. Boethius undergoes in his work. The dialogue is rich with references to other philosophical texts, including the works of Plato, and draws parallels between Boethius's ideas and those found in the writings of later thinkers like Dante and Aquinas. Overall, the episode serves as a compelling introduction to Boethius's thought and its enduring relevance in the study of philosophy.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast02:24 Exploring Boethius and His Influence04:16 Who Was Boethius?07:49 Boethius: The Last Roman and First Scholastic10:18 The Liberal Arts and Boethius' Legacy11:36 Teaching Boethius: A Personal Journey14:07 Plato's Influence on Boethius18:50 The Consolation of Philosophy: Setting the Stage24:31 Lady Philosophy: Deconstruction and Reconstruction29:58 The Quest for Self-Knowledge30:51 Fortune and Its Dual Nature31:53 The Good: Bridging Plato and Christianity36:19 Happiness and the Divine Connection40:00 The Paradox of Good and Evil45:11 The Poetic and Philosophical Fusion48:44 Evil as Privation: A Platonic Insight52:08 Boethius: A Synthesis of Philosophical TraditionsTakeawaysBoethius is often called the last of the Romans and the first of the Medievals.His work, "The Consolation of Philosophy," was written while he awaited execution.Boethius synthesized Platonic and Aristotelian thought in his writings.Evil is understood as a privation of good, not a substance in itself.The journey from despair to enlightenment is central to Boethius's philosophy.KeywordsBoethius, Plato, Consolation of Philosophy, medieval philosophy, Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Thomas Ward, liberal arts, happiness, evil as privation, philosophy, Deacon Harrison Garlick, great books

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick, along with guests Alec Bianco and Sean Berube, explore St. Basil the Great’s letter To Young Men, on the Right Use of Greek Literature, passionately arguing that Christians—especially young men—should actively read pagan classics like Homer, Plato, and Hesiod. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.comCheck out our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES to the great books.Drawing on personal testimonies, the trio explains how these pre-Christian texts strengthened their own faith, trained natural virtue, sharpened Scripture reading, and revealed seeds of the Logos planted by divine providence. Through vivid analogies—leaves preparing fruit, bees gathering honey, and despoiling the Egyptians—they, supported by St. Jerome’s defense, contend that pagan literature is not a threat but a providential gift that grace perfects, forming the soul, evoking wonder, and equipping believers to engage the world with confidence and love.SummaryThe conversation highlights how pagan texts address universal human questions—virtue, meaning, fate, and the divine—preparing the soul for revelation, much as leaves nourish fruit on a branch or mirrors help the immature soul see itself. St. Basil’s analogies are unpacked: pagan literature as a shallow pool for beginners, bees selectively gathering honey from flowers, and the need to discriminate good from harmful elements through the standard of Christ. Examples include Odysseus’s restraint with Nausicaa as a model of natural virtue and Socrates’s near-Christian insights on non-retaliation. The guests stress that grace perfects nature, so training in natural virtue via pagan examples elevates rather than diminishes the supernatural call, challenging modern sloth and low expectations of human potential.Providence is a recurring theme: Hebrew faith and Greek reason converged under Roman order to prepare the world for Christ; parallels in myths (floods, giants, serpents) and the Hellenization of Scripture (Septuagint, New Testament in Greek) show God working through pagan culture. References to Tolkien, Lewis, and Justin Martyr’s logos spermatikos underscore that truth found anywhere belongs to Christians. Music and athletics are explored as parallels—pagan modes and contests can form the soul when approached with discernment, just as Doric tunes sobered revelers in Pythagoras’s story.The discussion shifts to St. Jerome’s Letter 70, defending the use of secular literature against accusations of defiling the Church. Jerome cites Moses educated in Egyptian wisdom, Paul quoting pagan poets, and analogies like despoiling the Egyptians or David wielding Goliath’s sword—Christianity takes the best of pagan thought and conquers paganism with it. His provocative image of shaving the captive woman (Deuteronomy) to make secular wisdom a “matron of the true Israel” illustrates stripping away seductive errors to reveal underlying beauty and truth.Ultimately, the episode frames engagement with pagan literature as an act of love: understanding providence, nurturing what is good, evangelizing by meeting souls where they are, and ascending toward the Logos who permeates all reality. The tone is confident and joyful, rejecting both puritanical fear and uncritical consumption in favor of prudent, Christ-centered discernment.KeywordsChristians read pagans, pagan literature Christians, St Basil pagan literature, St Basil Greek literature, why Christians read Homer, why Christians read Plato, classical education Christianity, great books Christianity, and pagan classics faith. Long-tail keywords to target specific searches are should Christians read pagan literature, why young Christian men read pagans, St Basil address to young men, St Basil on Greek literature, St Jerome pagan literature, despoiling the Egyptians, logos spermatikos, faith and reason harmony, grace perfects nature, reading Homer as Christian, Plato and Christianity, pagan virtue Christian formation, classical literature Catholic, great books Orthodox, and Justin Martyr pagan truth. Keywords focused on Church Fathers and texts encompass St Basil the Great, St Jerome Letter 70, Justin Martyr Christians pagans, and Cappadocian fathers classics. Related topics and authors include Homer Scripture, Plato Scripture, Iliad Christian reading, Odyssey virtue, Greek philosophy faith, Hellenization Christianity, Regensburg address Benedict XVI, and logos eros Christianity. Finally, audience-specific keywords cover young Christian men books, Christian men's formation, Catholic great books, and Orthodox classical education.