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PODCAST

Chasing Leviathan

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Every episode is a dialogue, a journey into the depths of a

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

57:48

Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/03/17

Can beauty actually reveal God? Oxford theologian Dr. Mark McInroy joins host PJ Wehry to explore Hans Urs von Balthasar's radical claim that beauty is not decoration, but the very structure of divine revelation.Dr. McInroy, Associate Professor of Contemporary and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford, unpacks his book Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor, a guide to one of the most important (and most difficult) Catholic thinkers of the 20th century.In this

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57:12

Why Read Pascal Today? | Dr. Yuval Avnur

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/03/10

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. Yuval Avnur, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Institute at Scripps College. They dive into Dr. Avnur's new book, Why Read Pascal Today?, and explore why Blaise Pascal remains one of the most vital voices in the philosophy of religion.Dr. Avnur challenges the traditional understanding of Pascal's Wager. Rather than a cold, calculated bet designed to force belief, Avnur explains that Pascal viewed

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57:54

The Door of No Return: Being-As-Black | Dr. Michael...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/03/03

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Michael Sawyer, Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. They dive deep into the philosophy behind Dr. Sawyer's latest book, The Door of No Return: Being as Black.Dr. Sawyer challenges traditional academic boundaries, arguing that Black aesthetic practices—from the novels of Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison to the musical performances of Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin—are profound

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52:27

God on Trial: Testing for the Divine with Dr. Paul Moser

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/02/24

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Paul Moser to discuss his book, God on Trial: Testing for the Divine. They explore why traditional philosophical arguments often fail to reveal the true nature of God and why the search for the divine requires a shift from intellectual spectacle to moral participation. Dr. Moser challenges the "spectator" approach to theology, arguing that God is not interested in satisfying human curiosity with miraculous signs or undeniable logic

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57:50

Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions,...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/02/17

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Barbara Rosenwein to discuss her book, Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700, and the decade-long research process required to bridge the traditional academic silos of the medieval and early modern periods.Dr. Rosenwein introduces her concept of "emotional communities," explaining how groups throughout history, much like modern political parties, have maintained distinct norms and values regarding what is felt

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61:59

Hegel & Republicanism: Non-Domination, Economics, &...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/02/10

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined once again by political theorist Dr. Chris Yeomans to discuss his recent work on republicanism, political participation, and the legacy of Hegel. The conversation centers on why republicanism has reemerged as a serious framework for political thought and how Yeomans traces its development from contemporary neo-republican theory back through nineteenth century labor republicanism and into the classical civic tradition rooted in

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56:12

Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/02/03

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Eric Jacobsen, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, to discuss his book Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens. Together they explore how modern life, shaped by smartphones, automobiles, and screen-mediated environments, quietly reshapes our relationships, our neighborhoods, and our sense of belonging. Rather than treating loneliness as only a personal or psychological

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48:36

Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/01/27

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined by philosopher Dr. Adebayo Oluwayomi, assistant professor of philosophy at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, to discuss his book Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge, Discourse, and Africana Philosophy.The conversation examines how philosophical canons are formed, who is recognized as a knower, and how Black thinkers have often been treated as secondary or optional within Western philosophy. Dr. Oluwayomi argues that

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56:48

Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Dike in...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/01/20

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Kalliopi Nikolopoulou discuss the intersection of ancient tragedy, justice, and cosmology. Drawing from Dr. Nikolopoulou’s book Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Decay in Aeschylus' Oresteia, the conversation explores how the relationship between nature and justice has been severed by modern political thought. Together, they examine Aeschylus’ Oresteia—the only fully surviving trilogy of Greek tragedy—to trace the move from tribal

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55:53

Marginality: Solidarity and the Fight for Social...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/01/13

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Jin Park explore the idea of marginality and why it matters for understanding power, identity, and social change. Their conversation is grounded in Dr. Park’s book, Marginality: Solidarity, and the Fight for Social Change, which brings together philosophy, Buddhist thought, ethics, and lived experience to examine how societies organize themselves around centers and margins—and what that means for those who live at the edges.Dr. Park reflects

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57:07

A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2026/01/06

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Harris Bechtol discuss the death of the other—and why Western philosophy has largely failed to take it seriously. Drawing from Bechtol’s book A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the Other, the conversation explores how grief, mourning, and loss are not merely private emotions but world-altering events that rupture time, memory, and meaning itself.Together, they examine Martin Heidegger’s famous claim that when someone dies we are

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58:14

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christian Humanism with Dr....

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/12/16

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ talks with Dr. Jens Zimmermann about Christian humanism and what it means to understand humanity through Christ.Their conversation explores the dualism that often divides faith and reason, how Neoplatonism shaped Christian thought, and why Bonhoeffer saw the incarnation as the key to recovering a truly human life. Zimmermann examines the limits of modern science and technology, the tension between individual freedom and the common good, and how

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53:55

The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/12/09

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Rev. Andrea Ferrari—Reformed pastor, theologian, and author of The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology—to explore one of the most neglected yet foundational topics in Christian thought: the nature of the human conscience. From John Calvin’s sensus divinitatis to Thomas Aquinas’ intellectual approach to moral reasoning, Rev. Ferrari uncovers how Scripture, church history, and theological tradition

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62:29

Adorno, Heidegger, and the Politics of Truth with Dr....

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/12/02

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Lambert Zuidervaart discuss his book, Adorno, Heidegger, and the Politics of Truth, tracing how his decades of work on Adorno led to a deep exploration of truth, art, and society. Dr. Zuidervaart explains why Adorno believed art reveals forms of truth that science and philosophy often miss—and how these insights expose what is “untrue” in modern capitalist culture.They unpack Adorno’s critique of Hegel’s idea that “the true is the whole,” his

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56:39

Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/11/25

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. David Bather Woods to explore the remarkable life behind one of history’s most influential—and misunderstood—thinkers: Arthur Schopenhauer.Drawing from his new book, Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist, Dr. Bather Woods reveals how Schopenhauer’s turbulent biography shaped his philosophy, why his ideas resonated so late in life, and how a man famous for pessimism became a surprising

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54:30

Gadamer and the Social Turn in Epistemology with Dr....

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/11/18

Can knowing ever be neutral, or are we always shaped by history and culture? PJ and Dr. Carolyn Culbertson explore how Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics challenges both Enlightenment objectivity and postmodern relativism, showing that understanding itself is an event of truth. Their discussion weaves through Gadamer’s critique of neutrality, the fusion of horizons, and the relevance of feminist and virtue epistemology in rethinking how knowledge, truth, and dialogue emerge through our

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45:12

The Psychology of Parasocial Experiences: Fandom,...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/11/11

In this episode, PJ sits down with Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky-Forster to explore parasocial relationships—the one-sided connections people form with media figures. They discuss how these relationships have evolved since the 1950s, their role in emotional support, and how social media has reshaped the way we connect with content creators.Learn about common misconceptions, the benefits and dangers of parasocial connections, and the psychological and cultural factors that shape them. Dr. Forster

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60:27

The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/11/04

In this episode, Dr. Matthew LaPine joins PJ to discuss The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology—a groundbreaking exploration of how theology and psychology intersect. Drawing from his own experiences with mental health, Dr. LaPine examines how emotions, embodiment, and reason work together in shaping our spiritual lives. He unpacks the historical divide between theology and psychology, the insights of dual process theory, and the role of virtue ethics in cultivating a

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63:09

Plotting Agrarian Futures in the Global Black South...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/10/28

In this episode, Dr. Jarvis McInnis, author of Afterlives of the Plantation, joins PJ to explore the deep cultural, intellectual, and historical legacy of Black life in the American South. Focusing on the Tuskegee Institute and the complex legacy of Booker T. Washington, McInnis reveals how Black communities transformed the plantation’s afterlives into spaces of creativity, education, and empowerment.In this episode, Dr. Jarvis McInnis, author of Afterlives of the Plantation, joins PJ to

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46:13

How the Great Books Changed My Life & Why They Matter...

Chasing Leviathan ·

2025/10/21

Join us as Dr. Roosevelt Montás, author of Rescuing Socrates, explores the transformative power of a liberal education. In this conversation, Montás critiques the current state of American higher education and advocates for a holistic approach that fosters self-reflection, empathy, civic engagement, and character development. He shares insights from his personal journey, highlighting how great literature, philosophy, and dialogue can shape individuals for a meaningful life.Learn why liberal

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