Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
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 disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights.
Is this for first-time readers?
YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join.
Will any resources be available?
YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week).
Go pick up a copy of the Iliad!
We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 83 minutes
- Episodes
- 98
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Plato's Apology Part I with Fr. Justin Brophy, OP
In this episode of Ascend, The Great Books Podcast, host Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Justin Brophy, a Dominican friar and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College, …
Aquinas and the Euthyphro Dilemma with Dr. Donald Prudlo
How would a Christian answer the Euthyphro dilemma? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Donald Prudlo, the Warren Professor of Catholic Studies at the Uni…
The Euthyphro by Plato Part II with Dr. Joey Spencer and Friends
In this episode of the Ascend the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and guests delve into the complexities of Plato's Euthyphro, exploring themes of piety, morality, and the divine - inclu…
The Euthyphro by Plato Part I with Dr. Joey Spencer and Friends
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Joey Spencer to discuss the first part of Plato’s Euthyphro—a dialogue on piety.
Dr…
Teaching Plato's First Alcibiades with Dr. Daniel Shields
In this episode of the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Daniel Shields discuss the significance of Plato's First Alcibiades, particularly in the context of its use at Wyoming Cath…
First Alcibiades by Plato Part Two with Alec Bianco and Athenian Stranger
KNOW THYSELF. Today, we have the second part of the excellent conversation on First Alcibiades with Dcn. Garlick, Alec Bianco, and Athenian Stranger. The conversation starts at 124(b)!
First Alcibiade…
First Alcibiades by Plato Part One with Alec Bianco and Athenian Stranger
PLATO IS PHILOSOPHY - and there is no better place to start with Plato than First Alcibiades. Today, we are discussing First Alcibiades with Alec Bianco of the Circe Institute and with the Athenian S…
The Life of Alcibiades by Plutarch with Alex from Cost of Glory
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are continuing our study of Plato by diving into the Life of Alcibiades by Plutarch with Alex from the Cost of Glory podcast.
Visit thegreatbookspodcast.co…
Plato 101: An Introduction with Friends
WE ARE STARTING PLATO! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast we are launching into our studies on Plato. We are kicking off with a roundtable of friends—a lawyer, two Phds, and an independent scho…
NEW BOOK: The Transhumanist Temptation with Grayson Quay
In this episode of the Ascend to the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick welcomes back Grayson Quay to discuss his new book, 'The Transhumanist Temptation.'
The conversation delves into the i…
Homer and the Greek Plays: A Roundtable with Friends
Today on Ascend the Greek Books Podcast, we wrap up our exploration of the Greek plays with a lively roundtable discussion. Our panel of friends delves into the key themes of the tragic plays, includ…
The Frogs by Aristophanes with Tsh Oxenreider
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Tsh Oxenreider to discuss The Frogs by Aristophanes. The play tells the comedic story of Dionysus deciding all the new tragic poets are terr…
The Clouds by Aristophanes with Dr. Zina Hitz
In this episode, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Chancellor and General Counsel of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, welcomes Dr. Zena Hitz, a tutor at St. John’s College and founder of the Catherine Proje…
Madness and Piety: A Discussion on The Bacchae Part II
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we plunge into the second part of Euripides’ The Bacchae—a harrowing yet gripping Greek tragedy that leads us deeper into the mystery of Dionysian eros.
We’l…
Madness and Piety: A Discussion on The Bacchae Part I
Madness, piety, gore, and reason! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the always insightful Dr. Frank Grabowski delve into the first part of Euripides’ The Baccha…
Cursed by the Gods: Oedipus at Colonus Part Two
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone discuss the second and final part of Oedipus at Colonus—wherein Sophocles brings the horrific tale of Oedipus to a beautiful, …
Cursed by the Gods: Oedipus at Colonus Part One
In this episode of Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and returning guest Eli Stone dive into the first half of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus, the third play in the Theban cycle …
Know Thyself: A Discussion on Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Aristotle said Oedipus the King was the best tragedy. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Eli Stone and our friend Josiah to discuss Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) by Sophocles - the second…
The Dark Sign of the Gods: Antigone by Sophocles Part II
Does Antigone hold strong until the end? Is Antigone the hero? Today, Dcn. Garlick is joined again by David Niles and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the second part of Sophocles' Antigone.
Check out …
The Dark Sign of the Gods: Antigone by Sophocles Part I
Antigone is the "dark sign from the gods." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. David Niles of the Catholic Man Show and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the Greek tragedy "Antigone" by Sophoc…