The Symbolic World
- Episodes
- 493
- Released
- several times a week
- Latest episode
- Nov 9, 2026
About the podcast
Jonathan Pageau looks at symbolism in all its forms, from its source in sacred stories and images to contemporary culture and ultimately how it shapes the world we encounter.
Episodes 493
495 - The Last Documentary: You Can See Everything
I finally got around to watching You Can See Everything, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, made by Nathan Fielder. The film is a brilliant exploration of the limits of representation. Through its many …
Show notes
I finally got around to watching You Can See Everything, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, made by Nathan Fielder. The film is a brilliant exploration of the limits of representation. Through its many layers of documentary filmmaking, acting, and manipulation, the film raises some important questions about our ability to discern representation and relity, why we tell stories, and how symbolism can reveal truths that factual accuracy alone cannot capture. **Warning: Full spoilers ahead.**
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Emp6q4PjKbEBuy Valiant Little Tailor now and get the audiobook with for free: https://talesforonceandever.com/🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
494 - Star Wars Was Always a Boomer Myth
The recent rise of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader memes reveals something interesting about the breakdown of the World War II consensus and the mythology of Star Wars. I look at why people are increasingly …
Show notes
The recent rise of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader memes reveals something interesting about the breakdown of the World War II consensus and the mythology of Star Wars. I look at why people are increasingly sympathetic to the Empire, what this reversal tells us about our changing understanding of authority and power, and the dangers of simply embracing the opposite side of a story that is falling apart.Getting Sith-
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/JMsAbf_FlL8
Pilled on the Boomers, by Upper Canadian Cavalier: https://uppercanadiancavalier.substack.com/p/getting-sith-pilled-on-the-boomers
Get Valiant Little Tailor now: https://talesforonceandever.com
Join me and others on a cruise / pilgrimage to Alaska in 2027: https://www.inspirationtravel.com/event/orthodox-christian-conference-alaska-cruise-2027
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
493 - The Sacrifice of Isaac (Universal History: The Cave of Treasures)
Part 6. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim and I continue our reading of The Cave of Treasures, following the biblical patriarchs from Abraham to Moses. We explore ancient traditions …
Show notes
Part 6. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim and I continue our reading of The Cave of Treasures, following the biblical patriarchs from Abraham to Moses. We explore ancient traditions surrounding the sacrifice of Isaac, the mysterious priesthood of Melchizedek, the founding of Jerusalem, and the strange genealogies that ultimately converge in Christ. We also look at the remarkable tradition that Moses' staff originated in Paradise and eventually became part of Christ's Cross.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/j2RBAhnjRvI
Watch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLegM2eIGv3-I&si=uD375Yi9HcXAt4_j
Buy GodsDog, Monk: https://godsdog.com/
Buy Valiant Little Tailor: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/the-tale-of-the-valiant-little-tailor
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro – The Crucifixion as an eternal event
1:49 Introduction to Universal History: The Cave of Treasures
3:38 The priestly and royal lineage from Adam to Christ
5:43 Abraham destroys his father's idols
8:31 The miraculous birth of Abraham
9:38 Abraham's circumcision by angels
11:11 Melchizedek blesses Abraham with bread and wine
14:02 Hagar, Ishmael, and the symbolism of Egypt
16:43 Abraham and Sarah's family lineage
17:12 Isaac's sacrifice and its connection to Golgotha
18:55 Did Melchizedek tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?
20:01 Abraham sees the Crucifixion of Christ
22:34 Is the Crucifixion an eternal event?
24:20 The incomplete revelation of the Old Testament
26:30 Abraham's vision of Christ's redemption
27:14 The twelve kings who founded Jerusalem
31:43 Who was Melchizedek?
33:28 Jonathan questions the interpretation of Hebrews
35:19 Nimrod and the founding of ancient cities
36:31 Melchizedek's prophecy to Rebekah
37:35 The seven walls of Jericho and Ishmael's legacy
38:41 Isaac's blessing of Jacob over Esau
39:47 Jacob's ladder as an image of the Cross
41:27 The angels of the Nativity on Jacob's ladder
43:03 The Cross as the centre of the Incarnation
44:49 Jacob's altar and the consecration of churches
47:01 Jacob's well as an image of baptism
48:30 Leah and Rachel as the two covenants
48:52 How far can symbolic interpretation go?
52:06 Interpreting the larger symbolic patterns
54:26 Leah and Rachel: The active and contemplative lives
56:27 Jacob's descendants and the twelve tribes
58:09 Judah's Canaanite wife and the promised lineage
58:54 The mysterious story of Judah and Tamar
1:02:29 Why The Cave of Treasures leaves out certain biblical stories
1:04:52 The priestly and royal genealogies of Israel
1:07:51 Ruth, Lot, and the preservation of the royal line
1:08:55 Why Christ's genealogy includes so many scandals
1:10:54 The scattered lineages reunited in Christ
1:11:49 Solomon's many wives and his descendants
1:14:39 Moses' life in The Cave of Treasures
1:17:15 The origin of Moses' rod in the Garden of Eden
1:18:07 How Moses' rod passed down to Christ
1:19:59 Moses' rod and the wood of the Crucifixion
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
492 - Nathan Betz - Cosmic Paradise in the Early Church
Nathan Betz is a research fellow at the University of Regensburg. In this conversation, we talk about how the early fathers saw the heavenly Jerusalem not as a mansion in the sky, but as the point of …
Show notes
Nathan Betz is a research fellow at the University of Regensburg. In this conversation, we talk about how the early fathers saw the heavenly Jerusalem not as a mansion in the sky, but as the point of everything. We discuss why the earliest apse mosaics in Rome stack paradise beneath the heavenly city, how churches came to be built after Revelation instead of just the old temple, and why the texts we have today are only small window into a much richer life.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/xTitW-sKcnw
https://www.nathanbetz.com/📖 Get 35% off Nathan's book:Title: City of Gods: The New Jerusalem of John’s Revelation in Early Christianity by Nathan BetzDiscount Code (35%): DGBCONF4 (discount will be applied after clicking “checkout")Purchase Website: https://brill.com/display/title/65150 Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:55 Introducing Nathan Betz3:32 How a library visit became a career5:59 Paradise and the city: the bookends of Scripture7:32 "You will be gods in the city of God"8:22 Not a mansion in the sky9:43 Not just eschatology, but teleology10:12 Apophatic theology and the language of symbol12:33 The heavenly Jerusalem in early church art13:53 Paradise and the city in Roman apse mosaics15:56 The liturgy as the heavenly Jerusalem16:25 Is the church an image of the heavenly Jerusalem?17:14 Origen's Russian nesting dolls18:46 The jeweled cross20:27 The missing creative briefs22:25 How the garden is nested in the city24:03 Methodius's Symposium: from paradise to Zion25:34 Monasteries as little New Jerusalems26:30 Sinai, Ezekiel, and the heavenly pattern29:29 Are churches modeled on the heavenly Jerusalem?31:18 The earliest evidence: Zeno of Verona and Eusebius34:48 Hymns of the heavenly city37:36 Revelation in the East39:18 How the imagery survived without Revelation41:32 Texts are traces, not sources43:56 The life of the church as an eternal instant44:57 How this research shaped Nathan's faith48:18 Why everyone is talking about theosis now52:08 Closing🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
491 - Over The Garden Wall’s Cosmic Symbolism
~ Full spoilers throughout! ~ Last year, several of you pointed me to Over the Garden Wall, Patrick McHale's 2014 Cartoon Network series. It's ten short episodes about two brothers lost in a dark wood on …
Show notes
~ Full spoilers throughout! ~
Last year, several of you pointed me to Over the Garden Wall, Patrick McHale's 2014 Cartoon Network series. It's ten short episodes about two brothers lost in a dark wood on Halloween. It turns out to be one of the most complete explorations of the in-between I've seen in pop culture, closer to the first canto of Dante than you'd expect from a cartoon. In this video I discuss the symbolism in the show.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/VDYYV9xizZs
-------------------------------
GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/
-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
490 - How Idolatry Began (Universal History)
Part 5. In this episode, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I continue the Syriac text of the Cave of Treasures into the fourth age of the world. The text traces the origins of idolatry back to a lack of hope in the …
Show notes
Part 5. In this episode, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I continue the Syriac text of the Cave of Treasures into the fourth age of the world. The text traces the origins of idolatry back to a lack of hope in the resurrection. It tells of a “flood of wind” that buried the idols in mounds, and it puts the origin of sorcery in a child sacrifice to a golden image. We also look at how the text explains Persian fire worship and why it makes Nimrod the same person as Zoroaster. Along the way we talk about the difference between an icon and an idol.
Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/JLLlb-QqLBk
Watch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLegM2eIGv3-I&si=uD375Yi9HcXAt4_j-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------The Book of the Cave of Treasures: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Cave-Treasures-Patriarchs-Crucifixion/dp/1911405659Timestamps: 0:00 Coming up1:26 Intro1:40 Preamble3:42 The Cave of Treasures & the Seven Ages of the World5:30 Tolkien's Middle-earth as Universal History6:11 The Oxford Summit & Tolkien's Grave8:41 King Arthur, Dragon Hill & the Blood Spot12:09 The Fourth Age: Egypt, Sheba, Ophir & India14:43 How Idolatry Began15:17 No Hope of Resurrection: Images on the Grave17:02 The Flood of Wind & the Burial Mounds18:55 Satan Enters the Golden Image21:01 Child Sacrifice, Moloch & Carthage22:41 What's the Difference Between an Icon and an Idol?25:58 Opening the Mouth of the Idol27:25 Idols As a Tool28:38 Same Rituals, Different Direction29:38 Idolatry vs. the Hope of Resurrection30:31 A Mound Full of Devils32:57 Nimrod Worships the Fire from the Earth33:43 Nimrod & the Wisdom of Noah's Son34:47 Abraham the True Astrologer35:10 Divination in the Old Testament: Urim, Thummim & the Ephod37:37 The Fire Priest's Dark Initiation40:34 How Paganism Emerges41:17 The Origins of Astrology42:56 Nimrod Is Zoroaster?44:11 Zoroaster, the Magi & the Star of Christ45:05 Nimrod, Zoroaster & Balaam: The Same Person?48:21 The Legend of Balaam's Talking Donkey49:06 Hidden Monotheism in the Ancient World51:21 Universal History as a Lens on the Present52:12 Why Zoroastrians Don't Bury Their Dead53:29 Armenia's Hayk & the Death of Nimrod🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
489 - Dear Catholics: Let’s Put Renaissance Art Behind Us
This is a patron video we decided to make public. I look at the difference between Renaissance art and the symbolic language of early Christianity, especially through the mosaics of Saint John Lateran. Saint …
Show notes
This is a patron video we decided to make public. I look at the difference between Renaissance art and the symbolic language of early Christianity, especially through the mosaics of Saint John Lateran. Saint John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and the pope’s actual seat as Bishop of Rome.
This episode will be easier to understand on YouTube since it's based on visual art: https://youtu.be/TvsDGsKlIiQ-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
488 - Relics Explained: Why your dead body is still precious
Why do Christians venerate the relics of saints, and how can these objects perform miracles? I explore the biblical and symbolic meaning of relics, from the bones of Elisha to the incorrupt bodies of saints …
Show notes
Why do Christians venerate the relics of saints, and how can these objects perform miracles? I explore the biblical and symbolic meaning of relics, from the bones of Elisha to the incorrupt bodies of saints, and what they reveal about the body, holiness, and the resurrection.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/YnopjkmE6Nk-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
487 - Divine Patterns in The Life of Moses (Archive)
This talk is a repost from the archive. It was given in Feb. 2017 at the Climacus Conference in Louisville Kentucky. Looking at the story of the life of Moses as described by St. Gregory of Nyssa, I use the …
Show notes
This talk is a repost from the archive. It was given in Feb. 2017 at the Climacus Conference in Louisville Kentucky. Looking at the story of the life of Moses as described by St. Gregory of Nyssa, I use the pattern found there to trace a map of the cosmos which can be used to interpret other stories and images.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/hUWZllivScw
This is the second part of a talk. The first part is here: https://youtu.be/S1y-jEYNRNc
The original audio was taken from Ancient Faith Radio: https://www.ancientfaith.com/
-------------------------------
GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/
-------------------------------
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
486 - Encountering God in Stories (Archive)
The patterns in stories appear as their underlying order and also as a mode of human consciousness. We can encounter the Divine Logos in ancient stories and see how these patterns culminate in the story of …
Show notes
The patterns in stories appear as their underlying order and also as a mode of human consciousness. We can encounter the Divine Logos in ancient stories and see how these patterns culminate in the story of Christ.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/S1y-jEYNRNcThis talk is a repost from the archive. It was given in Feb. 2017 at the Climacus Conference in Louisville Kentucky. The original audio was taken from Ancient Faith Radio: https://www.ancientfaith.com/-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 – The world is made of stories01:23 – How the invisible holds the visible together03:49 – What makes something a story?06:15 – Ad starts: God's Dog 307:10 – Ad ends: The universal pattern of stories09:01 – How biblical stories hold the world together10:37 – Moses and the pattern of the Tabernacle13:13 – Christ as the Tabernacle encompassing the universe15:22 – Patterns within patterns18:03 – How the Old Testament points to Christ19:50 – Cain and Abel as patterns of Christ22:13 – The Eucharist reconciles opposing sacrifices24:35 – Christ as the fulfilment of all stories25:47 – The universal pattern of descent into the underworld28:08 – Why similar myths don't disprove Christianity30:33 – The Harrowing of Hades32:50 – How Christ transforms the ancient pattern35:29 – Seeing ancient myths through Christ36:17 – How we encounter God in stories37:51 – The danger of reducing Christ to our preferences38:46 – Letting go of our limited image of Christ40:13 – Encountering divine truth in unexpected places🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
485 - Why Modernity Loves Prometheus
In this video, I look at the story of Prometheus and why our modern admiration for him leaves out an important part of the myth. I explore his connection to Cain, Lucifer, technology, and the recurring …
Show notes
In this video, I look at the story of Prometheus and why our modern admiration for him leaves out an important part of the myth. I explore his connection to Cain, Lucifer, technology, and the recurring temptation to grasp power as if it were our own.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/zvM1RkJ_D1EGodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
484 - The Saint Who Killed an Emperor
In this episode, I look at the tradition of St. Mercurius: a warrior saint associated with St. Michael, the death of Emperor Julian the Apostate, and dog-headed men.YouTube version …
Show notes
In this episode, I look at the tradition of St. Mercurius: a warrior saint associated with St. Michael, the death of Emperor Julian the Apostate, and dog-headed men.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/_Qp3Xj153Ac
Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://godsdog.com/
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
483 - R.R. Reno - The Return of the Strong Gods
I talk with Rusty Reno about the collapse of the postwar “open society” ideal and the return of people’s need for strong loyalties, meaning, and transcendence. We discuss how we got here after the world wars …
Show notes
I talk with Rusty Reno about the collapse of the postwar “open society” ideal and the return of people’s need for strong loyalties, meaning, and transcendence. We discuss how we got here after the world wars decimated Western civilization: emergent post-war social narratives and identities like nationalism, globalism, politics, “progress”, environmentalism, and transhumanism. Finally we discuss the crisis of masculinity and our ultimate hope in Christ.
Rusty Reno is the editor of First Things, a journal aimed at "advancing a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". He is the editor of the Brazos Theological Commentary on Scripture series and the author of several books, most recently Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism and the Future of the West. For twenty years Reno taught theology at Creighton University.
YouTube version of this interview: https://youtu.be/NwTYsZfU2ak
Rusty’s book, Return of the Strong Gods: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Strong-Gods-Nationalism-Populism/dp/1621578003
Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog
Join Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world
6 weeks, 12 hours
Price: Only $120, and Involved patrons can get 10% off. Apply your discount code at checkout.
Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
482 - The Sword of St. Michael
Why is St. Michael often shown holding a flaming sword? I look at how this image developed, its connection to the expulsion from Paradise, the defeat of the dragon, and the emergent sacred geography known as …
Show notes
Why is St. Michael often shown holding a flaming sword? I look at how this image developed, its connection to the expulsion from Paradise, the defeat of the dragon, and the emergent sacred geography known as the Sword of St. Michael.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/yE68F1pGPmQ
Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog
Join Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world
6 weeks, 12 hours
Price: Only $120, and Involved patrons can get 10% off. Apply your discount code at checkout.
Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
481 - Dr. Diana Pasulka - The New Religion
I finally sit down with Diana Pasulka to talk about UFOs, alien intelligence, AI, psychedelics, transhumanism, and the strange religious framework forming around all of them. We look at how these phenomena …
Show notes
I finally sit down with Diana Pasulka to talk about UFOs, alien intelligence, AI, psychedelics, transhumanism, and the strange religious framework forming around all of them. We look at how these phenomena overlap with older spiritual categories, and why the promise of technological transcendence may be a counterfeit of something Christianity already understands.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/6TqYxG9gxwc
Her books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/D.W.-Pasulka/author/B07NL6KZN5
Join Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world
6 weeks, 12 hours
Price: Only $120, and Involved patrons can get 10% off. Apply your discount code at checkout.
Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20
Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
Timestamps:
00:00 – Coming up
01:58 – Introduction
02:52 – How a Religious Studies Scholar Ended Up Studying UFOs
08:52 – UFOs as Religious and Spiritual Phenomena
13:25 – A Demonological History of the World
14:41 – The Mythology and Narrative of UFOs
16:38 – Why Governments Use UFO Disinformation
20:56 – Technology, Magic, and Non-Human Intelligence
24:22 – Aliens, Demons, and the Modern Image of the “Grey”
27:43 – Psychedelics and Encounters With Other Beings
30:19 – AI as an Alien Intelligence
32:02 – UFOs and the Promise of a New Revelation
34:29 – Spielberg and the Alien as Saviour
38:35 – Arthur C. Clarke, Demons, and Childhood’s End
40:50 – Transhumanism vs. Christian Transfiguration
45:42 – God’s Dog: Monk
46:42 – Aliens as Our Future, “Evolved” Selves
49:06 – How the Alien Narrative Collides With Christianity
52:36 – Project Stargate, Remote Viewing, and Psychic Espionage
56:18 – Why Is the AI Project Also Called “Stargate”?
57:30 – 2001: A Space Odyssey, AI, and UFO Disclosure
01:01:29 – AI Is Feeding on Us
01:03:00 – How Should Christians Respond?
01:06:26 – AI Cannot Give Us Transcendence
01:08:42 – Recovering the Spiritual Senses
01:10:39 – Isolation Makes Us Vulnerable to Propaganda
01:11:39 – Diana’s Next Book on Christianity
01:13:00 – The Noosphere, the Singularity, and an Apocalyptic Moment
01:17:06 – Christianity Makes Us More Human
01:18:20 – Conclusion
480 - Dr. Zac Porcu - The Pagan Gods Really Exist
Dr. Zac Porcu joins me to discuss his upcoming course on the demonological history of the world, looking at the pagan gods, fallen angels, magic, and technology. We explore what happens when you take seriously …
Show notes
Dr. Zac Porcu joins me to discuss his upcoming course on the demonological history of the world, looking at the pagan gods, fallen angels, magic, and technology. We explore what happens when you take seriously the early Christian claim that the gods were real, but fallen.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/WMKOzuhnib4
Learn more about Dr. Zac: https://zacharyporcu.com/Join Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world 6 weeks, 12 hoursPrice: Only $120, and Involved patrons can get 10% off. Apply your discount code at checkout.Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
479 - The Horror of Getting What You Want - Obsession (2026)
This was July 2026's patron video that we decided to make public. If you want to support us and get extra symbolism videos, subscribe a a paying member to The Symbolic World …
Show notes
This was July 2026's patron video that we decided to make public. If you want to support us and get extra symbolism videos, subscribe a a paying member to The Symbolic World: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribeIn this video, I analyzed the movie Obsession, which was released in May of this year. It had a low budget and was directed by a YouTuber, yet became a massive breakout box office and critical success.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/z09N5ErcoTEJoin Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world 6 weeks, 12 hoursPrice: Only $120, and get 15% off through September 8, 2026 at 11:55PM ET! After the early bird sale, Involved patrons can still get 10% off. (Discounts can't be combined.)Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog============Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
478 - Christian Roy - Technological Madness: The Logic of Domination
Christian Roy and I discuss Jacques Ellul’s theology of technique (technology) and the way modern systems turn power, efficiency, and mediation into ends in themselves. AI brings this crisis into focus …
Show notes
Christian Roy and I discuss Jacques Ellul’s theology of technique (technology) and the way modern systems turn power, efficiency, and mediation into ends in themselves. AI brings this crisis into focus, especially in our speech and relationships, but the deeper question is whether technology still serves a meaningful purpose —or whether we have begun to serve it. We also explore the Christian idea of non-power as a way beyond the logic of domination.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/HH_vCnVDTdo
Christian’s book: Theology and Technique: https://www.amazon.ca/Theology-Technique-Jacques-Ellul/dp/1725259788
Join Dr. Zac Porcu for his course, A Demonological History of the World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/a-demonological-history-of-the-world
6 weeks, 12 hours
Price: Only $120, and get 15% off through September 8, 2026 at 11:55PM ET!
Live classes: Sep 15 - Oct 20
Pre-Order GodsDog: Monk now and/or get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5
-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
477 - Louise Perry - How Progressivism Took Over Our Stories
Louise Perry is a British journalist, author, and host of the Maiden Mother Matriarch Podcast. She’s a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and has been described as a leading reactionary feminist. She …
Show notes
Louise Perry is a British journalist, author, and host of the Maiden Mother Matriarch Podcast. She’s a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and has been described as a leading reactionary feminist. She interviewed me for us to discuss why progressivism became such a powerful cultural force, how the postwar story shaped modern politics and storytelling, and why fairy tales still preserve patterns that our culture has tried to flatten or subvert.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/HVRY6WP4hFA
Her website: https://www.louisemperry.co.uk/
Her X account: https://x.com/Louise_m_perry
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass hosted by Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Pre-order GodsDog 3 and get volumes 1 and 2 on sale! https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
476 - Matt Rhodes - The World Before the Flood Reimagined
In this conversation with artist Matt Rhodes, we explore Dead Gods, his epic comic set in the world before the biblical Flood. We talk about Nephilim, Watchers, ancient patriarchs, dragons, dinosaurs, and what …
Show notes
In this conversation with artist Matt Rhodes, we explore Dead Gods, his epic comic set in the world before the biblical Flood. We talk about Nephilim, Watchers, ancient patriarchs, dragons, dinosaurs, and what civilization might look like when people live for centuries and Noah himself becomes a warrior at the end of the world.
Matt’s website: https://www.mattrhodesart.com/
His YouTube channel where you can follow the creation process: https://www.youtube.com/@mattrhodesart
Project trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP7ETbjN9yE
Support this project directly: https://www.patreon.com/MattRhodesArt
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass hosted by Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
475 - Jay Dyer - The Elites Are Doing Warfare on the Public
In this conversation with Jay Dyer, we look at predictive programming, propaganda, Hollywood, and the growing role of AI in shaping how we imagine the future. We also discuss technocracy, centralization, and …
Show notes
In this conversation with Jay Dyer, we look at predictive programming, propaganda, Hollywood, and the growing role of AI in shaping how we imagine the future. We also discuss technocracy, centralization, and why the most important response may be much closer to home: rebuilding strong families, parishes, and local communities.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/qdMVVyxEL3k
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass hosted by Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, taking place live this August and September. https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Website: thesymbolicworld.com
Timestamps:
00:00 – Coming up
01:31 – Introduction
03:32 – What Is Predictive Programming?
08:32 – Propaganda, Art, and Soft Power
14:48 – Hollywood and the Intelligence Agencies
18:03 – Preparing the Public for War
22:33 – Hollywood’s Revolutionary Narrative
28:58 – Globalism, Nationalism, and the Nation-State
31:50 – The Power of Invisible Institutions
36:39 – Why Dystopias Can Still Condition Us
43:07 – The Real Temptation of The Matrix
46:11 – Social Engineering Through Entertainment
49:01 – Why Promote Self-Destructive Narratives?
53:39 – Long-Term Planning and the Technocratic Vision
57:55 – Toward a Global Technocratic State
01:01:40 – Has AI Replaced the Old Narratives?
01:05:23 – AI and the Logic of Inevitability
01:10:47 – Technology, Power, and Centralization
01:13:11 – The Christian Alternative: Subsidiarity
01:17:35 – Conclusion
474 - Josh Nadeau - The Return of a Christian Imagination
In this conversation with Josh Nadeau, we talk about art, beauty, symbolism, and the recovery of a Christian imagination. We explore why traditional art still speaks so powerfully, how beauty can reveal …
Show notes
In this conversation with Josh Nadeau, we talk about art, beauty, symbolism, and the recovery of a Christian imagination. We explore why traditional art still speaks so powerfully, how beauty can reveal realities that arguments often cannot, and why the work of artists may matter more than ever in a fragmented world.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/mE1EMCxGuvI
Check out Josh Nadeau’s work:
Sword and Pencil Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swordandpencil/
Every Day Saints Substack: https://substack.com/@everydaysaints
His books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0DNX73MZC
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass hosted by Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, taking place live this August and September. https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Our website: thesymbolicworld.com
473 - Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick - Paradise Is Already Breaking Into the World
Story time with Fr. Andrew! In this episode with Fr. Andrew Damick, we explore the symbolism of paradise through a fairy tale, a Norse saga, and the Christian tradition. We look at how the path to paradise is …
Show notes
Story time with Fr. Andrew! In this episode with Fr. Andrew Damick, we explore the symbolism of paradise through a fairy tale, a Norse saga, and the Christian tradition. We look at how the path to paradise is often revealed through humility, sacrifice, death, and transformation —and how these old stories can help us understand the relationship between heaven and earth.
YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwp36RyLkPQ
Join us this September in Oxford for a Symbolic World Summit (there are literally only 5 or so tickets remaining): https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass hosted by Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, taking place live this August and September. https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
472 - Universal History: The Story Gets Stranger After the Flood
Part 4. Deacon Seraphim and I continue our journey through the strange world surrounding Noah, the Flood, and the ancient traditions that grew up around Genesis. We get into the Ark, Adam, Melchizedek …
Show notes
Part 4. Deacon Seraphim and I continue our journey through the strange world surrounding Noah, the Flood, and the ancient traditions that grew up around Genesis. We get into the Ark, Adam, Melchizedek, sacrifice, priesthood, and a few details I had genuinely never heard before. There’s a lot here that changes the way the story fits into the larger pattern of Scripture.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/-hjCU9Xp3-cJoin us September 24–26, 2026 for a summit, hosted by Symbolic World in St Giles’, Oxford, United Kingdom at Pusey House: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/Register now for the Universal History Masterclass: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass Price: $180 USD (Get 10% off if you're an Involved patron)Course Length: 6 weeks, 12 hoursLive classes are on Wednesdays at 3-5 pm Eastern Time, starting August 5th through September 9th, 2026🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.comOur website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
471 - Martin Shaw - The Odyssey, the Underworld, and Resurrection
I sat down with Martin Shaw to talk about the underworld and the deep pattern of descent and return. He also gave his own fresh perspective on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey movie. We explored what it means to …
Show notes
I sat down with Martin Shaw to talk about the underworld and the deep pattern of descent and return. He also gave his own fresh perspective on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey movie. We explored what it means to come home changed, how these ancient stories illuminate the Bible, and why resurrection is inseparable from the journey through death.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vLHZ-IQzltA
Join us September 24–26, 2026 for a summit, hosted by Symbolic World in St Giles’, Oxford, United Kingdom at Pusey House: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
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Into the Underworld: Tales of Spiritual Initiation in Martin Shaw’s online course that launches in September. It's Martin's most ambitious course yet, venturing into entirely new territory: stories from the Bible and the lives of the Saints.
The course includes more than 6 hours of recorded teaching from a live workshop, plus a limited number of seats for an intimate series of live lectures and interaction over Zoom. Enrollment will be open for a limited time, and space for live sessions is scarce - sign up for the waitlist at JAWBONESTORIES.COM to get early access to Enrollment. Also, get a special surprise from Martin just for joining the waitlist! https://www.jawbonestories.com/
In this course, Martin will tell and teach on: Joseph, Jacob and Esau, Ruth and Naomi, Blind Tobit, The Voyage of Brendan, St. Patrick's Bell.
=====
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
470 - What Mockery of Masculinity Really Looks Like: Masters of the Universe VS The Odyssey
In this video, I compare The Odyssey and Masters of the Universe to explore two very different visions of masculinity and heroism. While one reduces masculine strength to fantasy, insecurity, and mockery, the …
Show notes
In this video, I compare The Odyssey and Masters of the Universe to explore two very different visions of masculinity and heroism. While one reduces masculine strength to fantasy, insecurity, and mockery, the other confronts its dangers while still moving toward repentance, reconciliation, and the return home. The difference is not simply political. It is the difference between a story that despises the hero and one that seeks to restore him.
Join us September 24–26, 2026 for a summit, hosted by Symbolic World in St Giles’, Oxford, United Kingdom at Pusey House: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Price: $180 USD (Get 10% off if you're an Involved patron)
Course Length: 6 weeks, 12 hours
Live classes are on Wednesdays at 3-5 pm Eastern Time, starting August 5th through September 9th, 2026
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5
-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
469 - Luke Burgis - The One and the Many
It's not hard to find your tribe. The real challenge today is not losing yourself within one. Luke Burgis and I discuss why we struggle as modern people to belong without losing ourselves, how technology …
Show notes
It's not hard to find your tribe. The real challenge today is not losing yourself within one. Luke Burgis and I discuss why we struggle as modern people to belong without losing ourselves, how technology fragments our desires, why family, friendship, and real communion are essential to becoming a person, and also the opposite, that to really connect with others you must be true to yourself.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/bZfRs9TWSIg
Luke's book, The One and the Ninety-Nine: https://www.amazon.com/One-Ninety-Nine-Forging-Identity-Contagion-ebook/dp/B0FLYVP6WD
Join us September 24–26, 2026 for a summit, hosted by Symbolic World in St Giles’, Oxford, United Kingdom at Pusey House: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Price: $180 USD (Get 10% off if you're an Involved patron)
Course Length: 6 weeks, 12 hours
Live classes are on Wednesdays at 3-5 pm Eastern Time, starting August 5th through September 9th, 2026
Timestamps:
00:00 – Coming up
02:38 – Introduction
02:52 – Luke Burgess and The One and the Ninety-Nine
03:19 – The tension between individuality and belonging
04:10 – The lost sheep, the one, and the many
06:30 – Why the modern self has become fragile
08:57 – When celebrating difference turns into isolation
10:50 – Why “selling out” no longer carries the same stigma
12:01 – Differentiation, imitation, and false individuality
12:55 – Choosing a vocation beyond market niches
15:18 – Symbolic World Summit in Oxford
17:31 – How technology reshapes the human person
18:02 – Social media as a source of mimetic desire
20:02 – Why online models become so powerful
20:48 – Technology, distraction, and the loss of strong desire
23:09 – Parasocial relationships and vicarious participation
24:42 – Can religious identity become another performance?
25:22 – Thin religion, online faith, and performative belonging
27:39 – Receiving an identity rather than inventing one
29:22 – Suffering, friction, and the consequences of the Fall
31:56 – Is it acceptable to “fake it until you make it” spiritually?
33:38 – False piety and performative religion
34:51 – The danger of the online “Orthobro”
36:16 – The family as a school of communion
38:32 – Differentiating yourself from your family
40:57 – Homogenization versus communion
41:09 – Teenage rebellion as hostile individuation
42:00 – Rebellion as a substitute rite of passage
43:51 – Why identity must serve something higher
45:43 – The family should not become an isolated unit
47:26 – Does it take a village to raise a child?
48:47 – When political identity is built through opposition
49:34 – Internal family systems and the divided self
52:23 – How algorithms feed fragmented parts of ourselves
53:21 – Monetizing anger and online performance
54:56 – What hope is there for young people?
55:47 – Give young people a name, not a niche
58:05 – Communities we cannot easily abandon
01:00:04 – Choosing deliberately what previous generations inherited naturally
01:02:25 – Friendship, commitment, and cultural renewal
01:04:03 – Final thoughts on individuation and communion
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5
-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
468 - Universal History: Rohlin vs Pageau: The Problems With Nolan’s Odyssey
Deacon Seraphim Rohlin joins me for an emergency Universal History episode to debate Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. We discuss what the film gets right and where it misunderstands the ancient …
Show notes
Deacon Seraphim Rohlin joins me for an emergency Universal History episode to debate Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. We discuss what the film gets right and where it misunderstands the ancient world.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/lKIxTvWNDNw
Join us September 24–26, 2026 for a summit, hosted by Symbolic World in St Giles’, Oxford, United Kingdom at Pusey House: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/
Register now for the Universal History Masterclass: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
Price: $180 USD (Get 10% off if you're an Involved patron)
Course Length: 6 weeks, 12 hours
Live classes are on Wednesdays at 3-5 pm Eastern Time, starting August 5th through September 9th, 2026
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5
-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
467 - Nolan’s The Odyssey Full Breakdown: The Post World War 2 Consensus Movie We Need
Spoiler alert. In this video, I offer a full symbolic breakdown of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, going through the entire film sequence by sequence to examine its use of trickery, guilt, hospitality, memory …
Show notes
Spoiler alert. In this video, I offer a full symbolic breakdown of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, going through the entire film sequence by sequence to examine its use of trickery, guilt, hospitality, memory, and the return of the father. I explain that I think Nolan is deliberately unsettling both the left and the right, and why the story he tells is definitely a contemporary retelling, but ultimately more traditional than many viewers realize – and that’s exactly why it’s needed in our world right now.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ESIzQNfmAo4
Register for Universal History Masterclass during the month of July and get 15% off: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5
-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
466 - Malcolm Guite - Old Stories Know Secrets That We Have Forgotten
Malcolm Guite is a poet and Anglican priest. He is a Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge and lives in Norfolk, England. He lectures widely in England and North America on Theology and Literature. His books …
Show notes
Malcolm Guite is a poet and Anglican priest. He is a Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge and lives in Norfolk, England. He lectures widely in England and North America on Theology and Literature. His books include Sounding the Seasons; Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury 2012). The Singing Bowl; Collected Poems (Canterbury 2013) and Parable and Paradox (Canterbury Press 2016) and Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Hodder 2017) After Prayer (Canterbury Press 2019) and The Word Within the Words (DLT 2021) and Lifting The Veil, Square Halo, 2021.
In 2023 he was awarded the Archbishop Lanfranc Medal for Education and Scholarship by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He is presently working on Merlin’s Isle: an Arthuriad a four volume epic poem on The Arthurian legends
He has a Youtube series called ‘A Spell in the Library’ at https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmGuitespell
YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/E5En6DZTYFk
Galahad and the Holy Grail: https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/merlins-isle
Patrons of The Symbolic World can watch the 30 minute documentary here: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/premium-content/merlins-isle
Subscribe here if you’re not already a patron: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
Register for Universal History Masterclass during the month of July and get 15% off: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/universal-history-masterclass
🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
Timestamps:
00:00 – Coming up
01:29 – Introduction
03:05 – Malcolm Guite’s Calling as Priest and Poet
06:39 – Can the Imagination Be Dangerous?
09:27 – Imagination as the Organ of Meaning
11:58 – Fantasy, Escapism, and Enchantment
15:46 – Why Arthurian Stories Resist Modernization
19:57 – Galahad and the Grail
21:20 – What Arthurian Stories Reveal About Human Brokenness
23:27 – The Scope of Malcolm’s Arthurian Project
26:05 – The Dolorous Stroke and the Origin of the Wasteland
30:54 – “You Live in Just Such a World”
33:20 – The Wasteland as a Pattern of Reality
37:51 – Recovering the Christian Meaning of the Grail
40:44 – Universal History Masterclass
42:42 – Why Malcolm Chose the Ballad Form
44:59 – The Collapse of the Materialist Worldview
49:41 – Remembering Without Falling into Unreason
51:46 – Tradition as Active Remembrance
53:19 – Tradition as the Roots of a Living Tree
54:40 – How Irony Destroys Old Stories
57:56 – Daring to Be Naive Again
58:28 – The Four-Volume Arthurian Series
59:54 – Why the Beauty of the Book Matters
01:01:10 – Chivalry, Masculinity, and the Civilized Warrior
01:02:23 – Fellow Travelers in the Recovery of Meaning
Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
These are the latest 40 of 493 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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