The Classical Mind

Unlock strategies for teaching Dante’s Purgatorio and Paradiso. Join Wesley Junius for a special member-only episode on Commedia pedagogy. Be sure to check out Joe Carlson’s new translation of The Divine Comedy through Romans Road Press. Thank you for being a paid supporter of The Classical Mind! We hope these pedagogical breakdowns help bring these vita…

In this summer episode of The Classical Mind, hosts Dr. Junius Johnson and Father Wesley Walker welcome back three-time guest Heidi White, co-host of the Close Reads podcast and author of The Divided Soul. Together, the trio dives deep into William Shakespeare’s beloved masterpiece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, analyzing its intricate narrative layers through the compelling lens of duty versus desire.

Welcome to another episode of The Classical Mind, the podcast where we explore the great books of the Western tradition! In this episode, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson are thrilled to welcome a special guest, Dr. Grace Hamman. Dr. Hamman holds a PhD from Duke University, focuses on late medieval poetry and contemplative writing, and hosts the Old Books with Grace podcast.

In this concluding chapter of our journey through Dante’s Commedia, Dr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker are joined by Dr. Jonathan Juilfs to explore the radiant heights of Paradiso. The conversation centers on the idea that the third canticle is not a boring landscape of static perfection, but rather the very “point” of the entire project grounded in the medieval understanding of capacity and divine alignment.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published I Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope I no longer strive to strive towards such things (Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?) Why should I mourn The vanished power of the usual reign?

The winner of the inaugural Battle of the Books is…The Aeneid by Virgil! For posterity’s sake, here is the bracket in its totality. It’s interesting to note that The Aeneid won more convincingly in the finals than it did in the semi-finals against Taming of the Shrew. Thanks to everyone who voted in the tournament! Be sure to tune in next March for a whole new tournament!

It’s been an exciting few weeks here at the Classical Mind as we’ve watched our books from the last year battle it out for grant champion in the inaugural Battle of the Books. Sadly there can only be one winner and that’s what we’re here to decide. The Classical Mind is a reader-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Frankenstein comes into the final round off the biggest victory in the whole tournament, garnering 79% of your votes.

In this episode of The Classical Mind, Dr. Junius Johnson sits down with Buck Holler from the CiRCE Institute to discuss "Tapestry," a new writing and grammar curriculum designed to bridge the gap between early elementary studies and the advanced persuasive essays found in The Lost Tools of Writing.

Round 2 of the Battle of the Books has concluded. No surprises or upsets were had in the second round as all of the heavily-favorited top seeds entered the tournaments rested up from a round one bye. The only outlier was The Journey of the Mind to God by Bonaventure giving George MacDonald’s Lilith a run for its money at 52-48. For a while, it looked as if Bonaventure might make a Cinderella-run, but, as Lilith teaches us, ultimately everything works out.

What happens when the medieval cosmos of Dante Alighieri meets the high-octane world of modern gaming? In this exclusive bonus episode, Fr. Wesley and Dr. Junius trade their books for controllers to explore whether a video game can truly capture the spiritual weight of the Divine Comedy. From a candid critique of past adaptations to a visionary blueprin…