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PODCAST

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan

Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a

arts books

All Episodes

01:06:18

Intro to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen and Dr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/04/21

For the first time since 2023, Ascend is reposting an episode--our introduction to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen (6.25.2024) in anticipation of our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY of the Odyssey starting next week!We start BOOK ONE OF THE ODYSSEY next week!Check us out on X, Facebook, Instagram, and more!In this special introduction to Homer’s Odyssey, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by three distinguished guests: Dr. Patrick Deneen (Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame and author of Why

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35:49

The Spiritual Harm of Lying

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/04/14

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick explores one of the most striking features of Dante’s Inferno: why the poet places liars, flatterers, and the treacherous in the lowest circles of Hell — deeper than murderers, tyrants, suicides, and even blasphemers.Check out our new INSTAGRAM page!Visit THE ASCENT, our sister publication on Substack.We are reading the Odyssey over 12 weeks!Why does Dante rank fraud and treachery as worse sins than violence? What is the spiritual

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42:55

Discover the Hidden Meaning of Narnia's Endless Winter

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/04/07

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick takes a popular article from The Ascent, a top 100 substack in faith and spirituality, and does a deep dive on CS Lewis, Dante, and the problem of evil (theodicy). Check out THE ASCENT - a top 100 Substack on Christianity spirituality.Check out "The Hidden Meaning of Narnia's Endless Winter" Substack article.Check out the NEW Instagram page for Ascend.In this fascinating episode Deacon Garlick explores one of C.S. Lewis’s most striking

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01:29:46

Purgatorio: Beatrice (Cantos 32-33) with Joshua...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/03/31

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison discusses the last two cantos of the Purgatorio (32-33) with Joshua Charles of Eternal Christendom and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School. We are reading the ODYSSEY NEXT! Check out our 12-week schedule.See our collection of written guides to the great books!Check out Joshua Charles' Eternal Christendom.Check out Holy Family Classical School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.They explore the symbolic significance of Beatrice's role in guiding

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01:38:22

Purgatorio: The Earthly Paradise (Cantos 28-31) with...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/03/24

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Michael West discuss the top of Mount Purgatory: The Earthly Paradise (Cantos 28-31). Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Purgatorio.Check Ascend out on X, Facebook, Youtube, and More!They explore the serene, uncultivated garden where Dante encounters the mysterious Matilda picking flowers, the two rivers (Lethe, which erases the memory of sin, and Eunoe, which restores the memory of good deeds), and the elaborate apocalyptic

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01:35:59

Purgatorio: Gluttony and Lust (Cantos 23-27) with Fr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/03/17

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Fr. Patrick Biscoe, OP, discuss gluttony and lust in Dante's Purgatorio, Cantos 23-27.Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information.Check out our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES for the great books.Check out the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers.Check out Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP, at Godsplaining Podcast.In this episode of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Dominican friar Fr. Patrick Briscoe,

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01:56:02

Purgatorio: Acedia and Avarice (Cantos 18-22) with...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/03/10

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Sarah Berry of the University of Dallas discuss Acedia, Avarice, and part of Gluttony in Cantos 18-22 of the Purgatorio.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information!Check out our GUIDE to the Purgatorio!Dr. Sarah Berry joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to explore Cantos 18–22, covering the terrace of sloth (acedia) and the transition into avarice and prodigality. In Canto 18, Virgil delivers a pivotal discourse on love as the

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01:32:33

Purgatorio: Envy and Wrath (Cantos 13-17) with Dr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/03/03

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson of Pepperdine University discuss cantos 13-17 of Dante's Purgatorio--the purging of envy and wrath. Check out our 51 question and answer guide (35 pages!) to the Purgatorio. Check out our YOUTUBE page which has our episodes in playlists!Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to discuss Cantos 13–17, covering the terraces of envy (Canto 13) and wrath (Cantos 14–17), with a strong focus on

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02:28:27

Purgatorio: Ante-Purgatory and the Terrace on Pride...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/02/24

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick and Mr. Luke Heintschel, headmaster of Coeur du Christ Academy, discuss the rest of ante-purgatory and then the first terrace--the purging of pride.Check out our GUIDE: 51 QUESTIONS ON THE PURGATORIO.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information.The conversation explores the transition from Ante-Purgatory into the proper mountain of Purgatory and the first terrace dedicated to purging the sin of pride. Garlick describes this section as

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02:09:31

Purgatorio: Ante-Purgatory Cantos 1-5 with Dr. Donald...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/02/17

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo, the Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, discuss the Ante-Purgatory, the foot of Mount Purgatory (Cantos 1-5).Check out our guide on Dante's Purgatorio (out soon!)Visit Dr. Jason Baxter's website and use "Ascend" in the promo code for 20% off his Purgatorio audiobook.Thanks for the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College for their support!The conversation with Dr. Prudlo and

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01:03:23

Introduction to Dante's Purgatorio with Dr. Jason Baxter

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/02/10

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dr. Jason Baxter and Dcn. Harrison Garlick come together to introduce Dante's Purgatorio and Dr. Baxter's new translation!We are reading Dante's Purgatorio for Lent. Join us!Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule!Check out our LIBRARY of written guides to the great books!DISCOUNT: Check out Dr. Jason Baxter's website and enter "Ascend" to receive **20%** off the Purgatorio audiobook read by Dr. Baxter!Check out Dr. Baxter's Substack article

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01:41:23

Q&A on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Dr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/02/03

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

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01:35:50

Platonic Thought in St. Thomas Aquinas with Dr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/01/27

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo explore the intricate relationship between Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas, examining how Aquinas's thought is influenced by Platonic philosophy while also being rooted in Aristotle. We are reading the PURGATORIO for Lent!Check out our LIBRARY OF GUIDES TO THE GREAT BOOKS.See Dr. Prudlo's books on St. Thomas, administration, and more!They discuss the nuances of Aquinas' understanding of universals, the nature of

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54:36

Plato's Influence on St. Boethius with Dr. Thomas Ward

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/01/20

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

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01:26:50

Plato and St. Augustine with Dr. Chad Pecknold

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/01/13

How did Plato influence St. Augustine? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Chad Pecknold of the Catholic University of America discuss Plato's influence on St. Augustine.Check out our account on X for daily postings on the great books!Check out our library of written guides to the great books!Check out FIRE ON THE ALTAR by Dr. Chad Pecknold.The discussion begins with the historical evolution of Platonism—from the original Academy of Socrates and Plato, through

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01:29:29

Why Christians Should Read the Pagans with Alec...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2026/01/06

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

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01:52:30

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Fitt 4 with Chivalry...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2025/12/30

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast concludes their Christmas reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Fitt 4, exploring Gawain’s restored armor, journey to the eerie Green Chapel, the three axe swings, Bertilak’s revelations, Morgan le Fay’s role, and the court’s final response.Visit our WEBSITE for our reading schedule and more!Check out our 50 QUESTION AND ANSWER GUIDE to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.The discussion wrestles with Gawain’s girdle lapse, the degree of his fault, the

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02:09:28

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Fitts 2 and 3 with...

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2025/12/23

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Tiffany Schubert of Wyoming Catholic College, George of the Chivalry Guild, and Banished Kent discuss Fitts 2 and 3 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule!Check out our 50 QUESTION-AND-ANSWER GUIDE to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.Be sure to visit our sister publication, THE ASCENT, for Christian spirituality.Episode SummaryThe panel continues the Christmas reading of Sir Gawain

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01:54:53

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Fitt 1 with Dr....

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2025/12/16

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Fitt 1 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Justin Jackson of Hillsdale College, Chivalry Guild, and Banished Kent.Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule.Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to Sir Gawain and the Greek Knight (posted soon!).Episode SummaryThe panel dives into the 14th-century Middle English masterpiece Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, exploring its mysterious single-manuscript survival,

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02:01:26

Plato and Education: The Teacher as a Lover of the Soul

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast ·

2025/12/09

Today on Ascend, we discuss Plato, education, the role of the teacher, eros, beauty, and much more drawing from the dialogues First Alcibiades and the Meno. Returning to the podcast, we have Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Dr. Brett Larson, and Thomas Lackey.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule.Visit our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES to help you read the great books. What does it mean to teach like Plato? In this rich, wide-ranging conversation the panel explores lessons on

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