

Young Heretics
Spencer Klavan
The classical education you never knew you were missing. Join scholar and writer Spencer Klavan on a tour through the great works of the West. In a world gone mad, we're not alone: the great men and women who went before us have wisdom to guide us. With their help, we can recover truth, beauty, and the stuff that matters.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 5, 2024 • 34min
Satan at the Center of the Sun (Special Episode)
Over on Substack, I’ve been gradually creating an audiobook reading of Milton’s epic poem of mankind’s fall, Paradise Lost. It’s one of the greatest works of English literature, well…ever. So this Friday, I thought I’d do something a little different: this is a free sample of the audiobook so you can get a feel for the poem and see whether you’d like to sign up to hear the rest. So here’s Paradise Lost Book 3, read aloud by yours truly. Sign up to hear the rest: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com/p/paradise-lost Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Pick up my book, How to Save the West: https://a.co/d/9S57cfh Subscribe to Story Time for Grownups with Faith Moore: https://t.co/Qfg3guKS7F

12 snips
Jan 2, 2024 • 1h 6min
Leap Year Vibes
Everything is completely insane, so, in other words, it’s business as usual. Everyone seems to feel certain that we’re in for a year of madness, and it’s hard to disagree. But it’s also hard to remember that human life is always madness, playing out against the backdrop of the stars. That’s what the calendar itself represents. So on this first episode of the year, I’ll talk a bit about the history of leap years and the wisdom I want to seek with you in 2024. Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Sign up to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com/ Pick up my book, How to Save the West: https://a.co/d/9S57cfh

17 snips
Dec 26, 2023 • 1h
Wise Men from the East
Discussion on the connections between Christmas, martyrdom, and Epiphany, exploring the spiritual depth of historical events in scripture. Reflecting on the martyrdom of St. Stephen and the Magi celebration, highlighting the transcendence of God over physical temples. Exploring the symbolism and significance of the Wise Men from the East, and the movement of religious ideas from East to West.

5 snips
Dec 22, 2023 • 47min
Interview: Inez Stepman, Bane of the Academy
Academia delenda est...et tunc recolenda. "The academy must be destroyed...and then rebuilt." Today's guest, Inez Stepman, is a thoughtful obsesrver of the American education system and an insightful exponent of hard-nosed practical action plans to revive the country's academic health. We discuss the great American tradition of local, homegrown classical education and the role it will play in our uncertain future. Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Subscribe to Inez's podcast, High Noon: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-noon/id1557719559 Check out Inez's other work via the Independent Women's Forum: https://www.iwf.org/people/inez-feltscher-stepman/

40 snips
Dec 19, 2023 • 1h 2min
Slay a Demon, Hang a Stocking: A Young Heretics Christmas Special
It's that time of the year again: time for some very online doofus to point out that Christmas falls around the same date as the Saturanalia, as if no one figured this out until Reddit was invented. In fact, the date of Christmas is carefully posed against the date of Easter so that the whole liturgical year can emerge out of the "signs and markers" laid down in the heavens from the creation of the world. Chew on that, reddit bros! It's a very Young Heretics Christmas. Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Sign up to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com/ Pick up my book, How to Save the West: https://a.co/d/9S57cfh

Dec 15, 2023 • 40min
Interview: Paul VanderKlay, Very Online Pastor
How do you do church in the digital age? Is there such a thing as an atheist? To what extent are our crazy times really unprecedented, and to what extent are they nothing the Church hasn't seen before? These are some of the questions I tackle with my friend Paul VanderKlay, a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, a close observer of Jordan Peterson's rise to fame and the young men who find meaning in his work, and a rather unwitting YouTube sensation. Subscribe to Paul's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/paulvanderklay Check out his website: https://paulvanderklay.me/about-2/ Connect with our friends at the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/

20 snips
Dec 12, 2023 • 1h 20min
It's All Right, It's All True, It All Happened
Is Christmas just a rebranded pagan holiday? Or does the rabbit hole go somewhat deeper? After last week's foray into hermeneutics, this week I take a closer look at the history of Christian allegory, and why this particular form of reading became so important to the early church--and why it's still essential for understanding the meaning of Christmas (and everything else). Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Sign up to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com/ Pick up my book, How to Save the West: https://a.co/d/9S57cfh

11 snips
Dec 8, 2023 • 52min
Interview: Stephen C. Meyer, Wizard of Sciences Natural and Divine
Ph.D. in philosophy of science, Stephen C. Meyer, explores the relevance of his book 'The Return of the God Hypothesis' in the face of recent events. He discusses major scientific discoveries challenging materialism, explores the historical context of the science vs. religion debate, and delves into the role of the James Webb telescope in confirming the Big Bang theory. The chapter also highlights the parallels between scientific resistance and advocacy for a creative mind.

24 snips
Dec 5, 2023 • 1h 1min
Like, Literally.
This podcast explores the distinction between literal and allegorical reading, delving into the philosophical issues in art and science. It discusses the importance of classical languages in biblical hermeneutics and examines different interpretations of biblical texts. The debate on literalism and interpretation is explored, along with defending Christianity across denominations. The speaker also offers insights into metaphysical claims in ancient texts and promotes their book.

Dec 1, 2023 • 34min
Interview: Faith Moore, Christmas Elf
Faith Moore is BACK to kick off the Christmas season with a moving meditation on faith, loss, and the meaning of the nativity. We discuss how the characters in her new novel took shape, why Christmas always comes associated with a certain nostalgic melancholy, and what to eat for breakfast on Christmas morning. Plus some embarassing (maybe?) stories about when we were kids. Check out our sponsor, the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/youngheretics/ Pre-order faith's book, Christmas Karol: https://a.co/d/9IDMq9C Find faith on Twitter @FaithKMoore