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 Project, to discuss Aristophanes’ comedic masterpiece, The Clouds. The episode dives into the play’s biting humor, its critique of Athenian society, and its…

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’ll observe the tragic descent of King Pentheus, the Bacchae as a parasite upon society, and the haunting themes of eros, justice, and…

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 Bacchae—a chilling yet captivating Greek tragedy that explores piety, eros, the nature of the divine, and the fragility of societal order. The guys explore…

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, redemptive end. Deacon and Eli discuss the dramatic zenith of Oedipus’ life, the theme of redemptive suffering, the binding power of love,…

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 by publication order but the second in narrative chronology. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. Check out Patreon page for…