Young Heretics

Explore Aeneas's emotional journey as he grapples with duty and grief over his father's loss in Virgil's epic. The discussion draws parallels between Aeneas and Odysseus, focusing on the human experience within mythological settings. The conversation shifts to modern education's challenges in revitalizing the classics, highlighted by recent events at Cornell University. Language and translation complexities, particularly in biblical texts, are also tackled, emphasizing the nuances and interpretations that shape our understanding of scripture.

My friend Dr. Brian Keating, leading cosmologist and all-around mensch, joins me to discuss one of the most brilliant, complicated, and misunderstood men in all of Western history. No, not Elon Musk. Galileo Galilei! We cover Galileo's daring philosophy of science, his contributions to human knowledge, his devout Catholic faith, and his many, many mistresses and children. Plus: what can believers learn from scientists, and vice versa? It's a terrific conversation and the kind you could really only get on Young Heretics. DEADLINE TOMORROW: check out our Sponsor, The Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/heretics Find Dr. Keating's work at https://briankeating.com Listen to our interview on Into the Impossible: https://open.spotify.com/episode/34zBv8p7SphrsuKsfufsFL Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

It's time to embark on Book III of the Aeneid, and with it a mini-Odyssey. But there's a catch: Odysseus had home waiting for him at the end of all his wanderings. Aeneas has left home behind him, and he can never return. This episode is about why that's so important--for Virgil, for Augustus, for Rome at the dawn of its imperial age, and for America on the verge of its 250th birthday. Plus: my daily routine does not involve rubbing banana peel on my face. But it does involve the liturgy of the hours. 100/10 would recommend! Check out our Sponsor, The Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/heretics Map of Aeneas' wanderings by Simeon Netchev: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16056/the-journey-of-aeneas-from-troy-to-rome/ iBreviary: https://www.ibreviary.org/en/ Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

I'm back from Hungary, where the topic of the day was the future of faith in the West, without which it seems unlikely we'll survive. But are we on the brink of a revival? There are some hopeful signs, and no one better to discuss them with than my guest today. Justin Brierley has been podcasting and writing about the return of religious faith for 20 years. The trends he's been watching all that time are suddenly coming to a remarkable prominence. We talked faith and politics in the U.S. and the U.K., how the church may have let men down, and where this is all going next. Check out our Sponsor, The Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/heretics Visit Justin's website: https://justinbrierley.com Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

This is a podcast about the West, which means Athens and Jerusalem. Without the second part of that equation you don't get the key notion of the "Imago Dei," or mankind's creation in the image of God--and without that, arguably, that you don't get America. Then of course there's the enormous storehouse of political wisdom that makes Israel a bulwark against globalism both ancient and modern. All this makes it hugely distressing that antisemitism--philosophical, virulent, and open hatred of the Jews--has returned to prominence in developed nations. My guest today, Josh Hammer, has written a book explaining the indispensable value of Israel to the West, and to civilization more generally. We had a great conversation about the deep history and immediate future of the West. Check out our Sponsor, The Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/heretics Order Israel and Civilization (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/hKQGliL Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com Listen to Josh's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-josh-hammer-show/id1606834013

Speaking just for myself, I'm still not over Creusa. Aeneas' first wife, the woman who bore the future forefather of Rome's emperors, must stay behind to die in Troy while her family forges on ahead. Today we'll talk about why that has to be, what it says about the tragic cost of destiny for each of us, and how book II of Virgil's epic concludes. Plus: the cast list for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey is out! My reaction to Zendaya as Athena, and a mailbag question about the legacy of Carthage.  Use code HERETICS to get 20% off Field of Greens: fieldofgreens.com Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

Jon Askonas, Assistant Professor of Politics at the Catholic University of America, dives into the tangled relationship between technology and family life. He discusses the implications of AI and automation on human values, emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines in the conservative movement. From cautionary tales of robotic advancements to the importance of reviving ancient texts, Askonas urges thoughtful engagement with tech to enhance our humanity rather than diminish it. It's a thoughtful exploration of our digital age and the future of familial bonds.

When we first met Aeneas, he wished he could have died at Troy. Today, we find out why. By all accounts, the honorable thing to do would have been to go down with the burning citadel of his fathers. But this ain't your daddy's Iliad, and one thing we're learning is that honor and glory don't fetch quite the price they used to. If there's anyone who understands that it's Neoptolemus, AKA Pyrrhus, AKA Achilles' hellspawn, AKA the living wages of Greek decadence. It's not a pretty sight. Plus: what should we make of the Septuagint?  Use code HERETICS to get 20% off Field of Greens: fieldofgreens.com Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

Hey look, it's some Greeks! Bearing gifts! What could possibly go wrong? Today the Trojans will find out the answer to that very question, which will take us (at last!) into the story of that freaking horse. In Virgil's masterful hands it becomes a parable of Greek rhetorical trickery, Odyssean danger, and above all Roman anxiety over just how we should feel about the Greeks. On the one hand, without them, there would be no Aeneid. On the other hand, they're...kinda sus. Plus: why you should read the Aeneid instead of letting Grok do it for you.  Use code HERETICS to get 20% off Field of Greens: fieldofgreens.com Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com

Don't take money...don't take fame...just takes a primordial deity whose powers of creation and destruction supervised the origins of the world, who is now divebombing straight at Dido's heart. What could go wrong? This extremely twisted Valentine's Day special will bring us to the end of The Aeneid, Book 1, which ends in blood-pumping fashion with a moment of extreme sexual tension. In the midst of which, Aeneas will be asked to relive the time his home got obliterated by a ruthless army of bloodthirsty Greeks. Fun! (No actually, it's fun.) Plus: the Drake and Kendrick of the ancient world.  Use code HERETICS to get 20% off Field of Greens: fieldofgreens.com Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com