Odysseus rejects becoming a god... why? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Glenn Arbery of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK FIVE of the Odyssey--arguably one of the important passages in the entire Odyssey and in the Western canon. Check out Ascend on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Patreon . Check out our written study guide to the Odyssey ! Odysseus is offered everything a man could desire...
May 12, 2026•1 hr 48 min
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss the famous "Telemachy" or the coming of age story of Telemachus, Books 2-4 of the Odyssey. Check us our on X, Instagram, Facebook, and more ! Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey . In this rich second episode of our 12-week Odyssey series, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive deep into Books 2–4 — the Telemachy — exploring Telemachus’s powerful coming-of-age journey from a fatherle...
May 05, 2026•1 hr 54 min
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK ONE of the Odyssey--one of the greatest texts in the Western canon. Check out our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY OF THE ODYSSEY . Follow Ascend on X, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and more ! Be sure to use our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey ! They explore why the epic opens with “man” (not rage, not a god), the m...
Apr 28, 2026•1 hr 34 min
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 ...
Apr 21, 2026•1 hr 6 min
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 sp...
Apr 14, 2026•36 min
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 s...
Apr 07, 2026•43 min
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 ...
Mar 31, 2026•1 hr 30 min
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 apocalyp...
Mar 24, 2026•1 hr 38 min
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. Patric...
Mar 17, 2026•1 hr 36 min
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 lov...
Mar 10, 2026•1 hr 56 min
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 focu...
Mar 03, 2026•1 hr 33 min
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 sec...
Feb 24, 2026•2 hr 28 min
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. Prudl...
Feb 17, 2026•2 hr 10 min
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 Substac...
Feb 10, 2026•1 hr 3 min
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 d...
Feb 03, 2026•1 hr 41 min
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 natur...
Jan 27, 2026•1 hr 36 min
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...
Jan 20, 2026•55 min
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 l ibrary 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, th...
Jan 13, 2026•1 hr 27 min
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.com Check out our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES to the great books. Drawing on personal testimonies, the trio explains how these pre-Christia...
Jan 06, 2026•1 hr 29 min
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...
Dec 30, 2025•1 hr 53 min
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 Summary The panel continues the Christmas reading of ...
Dec 23, 2025•2 hr 9 min
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 Summary The panel dives into the 14th-century Middle English masterpiece Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , exploring its mysterious single-manuscript survi...
Dec 16, 2025•1 hr 55 min
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 e...
Dec 09, 2025•2 hr 1 min
In this episode of Ascend, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Brian Kemple discuss the violent, grotesque southern tale "The Lame Shall Enter First" by Flannery O'Connor. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our LIBRARY of written guides to the great books. Check out the Lyceum Institute . They explore O'Connor's life, her unique Southern Gothic style, and the themes of faith, suffering, and the grotesque in her writing. The conversation also touches on the mission of ...
Dec 02, 2025•2 hr 21 min
In the incredible final act of Plato’s Gorgias (481–527), Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Greg McBrayer (Ashland University, New Thinkery podcast) tackle the longest and most brutal confrontation: Socrates versus Callicles, the most shameless, most ambitious, and—as Greg insists—nastiest character in all of Plato. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our read schedule! Check out our COLLECTION OF GUIDES to the great books. Go to THE ASCENT to receive two spiritual lessons a week. Callicles storms in...
Nov 25, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Matthew Bianco of the Circe Institute discuss the second part of Plato's Gorgias --the dialogue between Socrates and Polus—Gorgias’ spirited, “colt-like” student who bursts in at 461b accusing his own teacher of being “too ashamed” to admit rhetoric needs no justice, only the power to persuade. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. Visit our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES to the great books. Visit our sister pu...
Nov 18, 2025•2 hr 28 min
"In war and battle, this is the way to do your part." Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by the Athenian Stranger and Johnathan Bi to introduce the Gorgias and discuss the first part: the dialogue of Gorgias and Socrates. What begins as a polite inquiry into the nature of rhetoric erupts into a war for the soul of Athens—and for every reader seeking the good life. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. Visit our COLLECTION OF GUIDES to the...
Nov 11, 2025•2 hr 3 min
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Daniel Wagner dive into Plato’s Meno as a masterclass in education, contrasting Meno’s stagnant, power-seeking sophistry with his slave boy’s humble, rapid learning during the famous geometry demonstration. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. See our COLLECTION OF GUIDES on the great books. Check out our sister publication, THE ASCENT , for spiritual lessons. They explore aporia (perplexity) as a vital p...
Nov 05, 2025•1 hr 41 min
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! In this episode, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Joseph Boyne explore G.K. Chesterton's short story 'The Chief Mourner of Marne,' discussing its themes, characters, and moral implications. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our COLLECTION OF GUIDES TO THE GREAT BOOKS . They delve into the significance of transformative texts in education, the role of Father Brown as a detective, and the interplay between Gothic literature and Halloween motifs. T...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 29 min
The Phaedo is a beautiful dialogue! Join Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Christopher Frey, McFarland Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa, as they conclude their exploration of Plato’s Phaedo , a profound dialogue capturing Socrates’ final hours and his arguments for the soul’s immortality. Reading schedule and more ! Collection of guides on the great books! In this episode, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Frey dive into the second half of the text (72e–118a), unpacking the recollection and a...
Oct 21, 2025•1 hr 26 min
