The Symbolic World

Jonathan Pageau

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.

  1. HACE 16 H

    443 - Kale Zelden - There’s Still Time to Read the Great Books

    Kale Zelden is a literature teacher and writer and in this video he joins me to discuss reading, the "Great books", and what it means to recover the reading tradition in a modern context. We talk about how to encounter old texts, what reading can contribute to our lives, and how to approach authors like Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare without reducing them to modern assumptions. We also explore the limits of the novel, modernism, postmodernism, irony, and the essential rediscovery of the epic. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/9zps7RIov44 Kale’s Substack, The Underneath: https://kalezelden.substack.com/ Join us at the Symbolic World Summit | May 14-16 | Ohio | Keynote speakers: Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, Kale Zelden, Annie Crawford, and Heather Pollington Buy your tickets: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/  Learn more about Pavel Shchelin's phenomenal course on Plutarch, Live now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Coming up 01:07 - Intro music 01:32 - Introduction 02:09 - The state of education 07:30 - First of all 10:47 - The power of analogy 13:11 - Select your curriculum 21:05 - What is canon? 33:24 - What are we moving towards 39:20 - Allegory 43:47 - What is modernism? 47:50 - Great books program 53:24 - What is the epic? BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS DISCUSSION: 00:04:45  Augustine — Confessions — Spiritual autobiography, early Christian thought  Plato — Dialogues — Philosophy of truth, justice, knowledge  Aristotle — (various works) — Ethics, logic, metaphysics  Church Fathers — (various writings) — Foundations of Christian theology 00:06:20  Anne Rice — (novels) — Modern popular fiction  Shakespeare — (general works) — Foundational drama  Beowulf — Anonymous — Old English epic poem 00:06:49  Plato — Dialogues — Rediscovered philosophical texts 00:07:32  Shakespeare — Hamlet — Tragedy of revenge and doubt  Dante — Divine Comedy — Vision of Hell, Purgatory, Heaven  Chaucer — Canterbury Tales — Medieval storytelling  Mary Shelley — Frankenstein — Creation and responsibility  Milton — Paradise Lost — Epic of the Fall 00:13:55  Kerouac — On the Road — Modern freedom and experience  Camus — (e.g. The Stranger) — Existential philosophy 00:14:31  Homer — Iliad, Odyssey — Foundational epics  Plato — Apology, Republic — Justice and philosophy  Shakespeare — Romeo and Juliet — Tragic love Julius Caesar — Politics and betrayal Macbeth — Ambition and guilt A Midsummer Night’s Dream — Comedy and illusion King Lear — Suffering and authority Hamlet — Existential tragedy The Tempest — Reconciliation 00:16:21  Dostoevsky — Crime and Punishment — Guilt and redemption  Dostoevsky — The Brothers Karamazov — Faith and morality 00:21:31  Voyage of St. Brendan — Medieval Christian voyage  Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius — Apocalyptic text  The Golden Legend — Jacobus de Voragine — Saints’ lives 00:21:58  Cervantes — Don Quixote — Satire of chivalry, early novel 00:22:51  Jane Austen — Pride and Prejudice — Social psychology 00:23:59  Milton — Paradise Lost — (revisited, epic psychology) 00:26:11  Faulkner — (novels) — Fragmented modern storytelling 00:33:41  C.S. Lewis — On Stories — Defense of story over psychology  C.S. Lewis — Abolition of Man — Critique of modern values  C.S. Lewis — Miracles — Defense of the supernatural 00:37:05  Sondheim — Into the Woods — Modern fairy tale deconstruction 00:38:55  Rabelais — Gargantua and Pantagruel — Satirical, playful text 00:44:06  Melville — Moby-Dick — Epic-scale novel  Hemingway — The Sun Also Rises — Modern disillusionment 00:49:42  Ovid — Metamorphoses — Mythic transformations 00:46:13 (thinkers mentioned)  Lyotard — Postmodern philosophy  Derrida — Deconstruction  Heidegger — Phenomenology 00:53:14  Virgil — Aeneid — Roman epic  Bible — (Moses narrative) — Epic of calling and suffering 🔓 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/

    1 h 5 min

  2. HACE 6 DÍAS

    442 - "Historical Accuracy" Can Miss the Point

    We often assume that being “historically accurate” means getting closer to the truth, but that’s not always the case. In this video, I explore how modern, mechanical thinking can actually invert meaning, using the example of Christ’s crucifixion.  What matters most is not just the mechanical details of how something could have happened, but what it means and its actual implications. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HXsbK_k8vn4 SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others. Date: May 14-16 Place: Broadview Heights, OH Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ ===== NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out. Presenter: Pavel Shchelin Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men. Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026. Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout.  Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history ===== 🔓 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   Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/  My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    15 min

  3. 20 MAR

    441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory

    In this conversation, I sat down with Mary Harrington about technology and the online world. Mary reflects on her path as a writer, the evolution of online culture, and the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the digital environment. We also touch on memory, embodiment, cancel culture, and politics.  YouTube version: https://youtu.be/eeBZuA0S1ZE Mary will be speaking at the Symbolic World Summit. The theme of the conference is Retelling the Cosmic Epic, and Mary’s talk will be titled: 'Rebuild the Monasteries' Description: In an age of AI "slop" and flattened culture, how do we understand, and cultivate, what makes us distinctly human? Mary Harrington will argue that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Premodern practices of memory and prayer, once cultivated in Europe's monasteries, can refresh our imaginations and salvage our human cultures in the digital age. Come join us at Woodside Event Center | Broadview Heights, Ohio | May 14-16, 2026 Early Bird Pricing – Ends March 26th: Save $50 on both General Admission and VIP tickets Buy tickets now: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/  ===== NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out. Presenter: Pavel Shchelin Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men. Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026. Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout.  Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history  ===== Jonathan and Mary's discussion on Socrates in the City: https://youtu.be/nrsjZKPH4WA?si=kaM5zE2Qj-4XCD1K Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:07 - Intro music 01:32 - Introduction 02:14 - Mary's journey 09:00 - The meaning of meaning 10:46 - The singularity already happened 12:53 - Being connected 17:28 - The printing press industrial template 20:52 - AI 22:21 - Using AI 25:47 - Internet platforms and politics 32:10 - Being anonymous 35:37 - Politics 37:44 - The end of the printing press 39:47 - The end of the industrial era 42:46 - Cancel culture 46:56 - Treasure houses 🔓 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 Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    52 min

  4. 12 MAR

    440 - Dr. Zachary Porcu - Journey to Reality: De-Secularize Your Life

    In this conversation I speak with Dr. Zachary Porcu about his book, Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age, and the challenge of explaining true Christian thinking to modern people. We discuss how modern assumptions about the world make it difficult to understand ideas like sacraments, participation, and the relationship between the spiritual and material. Dr. Porcu explains why he wrote the book and how reframing basic categories—what we mean by God, religion, and reality—is often necessary before theology can make sense. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Qd9xENDzfRo  Please review the Symbolic World podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts.  Dr. Zac’s website and book: https://zacharyporcu.com/ The Roots of Everything podcast (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@TheRootsofEverything Substack: https://zacharyporcu.substack.com/  ===== NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out. Presenter: Pavel Shchelin Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men. Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026. Price: $180 USD, get the early bird discount of 15% off if you register by March 18th.  Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history  ===== SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others. Date: May 14-16 Place: Broadview Heights, OH Buy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 26th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:03 - Intro music 01:29 - Introduction 03:54 - Jargon 05:46 - Matter and spirituality 08:49 - Re-enchantment 13:10 - What you see 22:09 - The moral and physical laws 31:01 - Occult converts 36:39 - Supernatural experiences 40:54 - What do we do? 46:46 - Meditation 49:47 - On American religion 52:16 - The rational and the esoteric 🔓 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/

    1 h 4 min

  5. 5 MAR

    439 - Pavel Shchelin - Plutarch: Symbolism of History with Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin

    This is a conversation between Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and Pavel Shchelin on political theology, power, and Plutarch’s Lives. They explore how ancient biographies reveal enduring patterns of ambition, authority, and the human passions that shape political history—from Rome to the modern world. Topics include Cicero, rhetoric and power, the fall of the Roman Republic, and why the stories of ancient statesmen still help us understand today’s political landscape. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Wo2IkgDT0q4 Please review this podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts, it helps us a lot. Links: -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5  -Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488  NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel Shchelin The problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out. Presenter: Pavel Shchelin Duration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men. Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026. Price: $180 USD, get the early bird discount of 15% off if you register by March 18th.  Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history  SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others. Date: May 14-16 Place: Broadview Heights, OH Buy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 12th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:32 - Intro music 01:58 - Introduction 03:47 - The separation of religion and politics 07:44 - Current politics 09:20 - How they met 10:46 - Why Plutarch? 18:46 - If you were pointing a video camera 20:20 - Great men 24:28 - Plutarch's Lives 26:57 - Influence 28:40 - Cicero 49:18 - Digging his own grave 56:58 - Word and will 01:05:48 - Cicero's lesson for us 01:10:58 - Course info 01:16:06 - The point of studying history 🔓 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

    1 h 24 min

  6. 2 MAR

    438 - Universal History: The American Religion: Making Way for Mormonism

    Magical beginnings, secular endings. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I start a discussion about early Mormonism (or rather, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) within the broader context of American religious history. We look at the enchanted religious world of early America — folk magic, treasure seeking, restorationism, the Melchizedek priesthood — and how these patterns shaped movements like Mormonism. We also reflect on the recurring American impulse to “restore” a lost spiritual authority, and the impulse to, on the other hand, make all things respectably secular. This is episode 4 of our Universal History series on the American religion. Watch it here on YouTube: Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_U0msyBRVpwCI_srzn3tjL Episode 1: https://youtu.be/htXHJ1WRSAg Episode 2: https://youtu.be/o9rMy6lde0c Episode 3: https://youtu.be/0_RKBPaQAyk Episode 4: https://youtu.be/ZopvdgYe-UA === Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, myself, and others. Date: May 14-16 Place: Broadview Heights, OH Buy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 12th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ === NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua Sturgill What is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost? 🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026. 💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount) ⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven === Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:01 - Intro music 01:27 - The problem with talking about Mormonism 06:10 - Context for why to talk about this 13:26 - The Bible and magic 20:46 - The distinction in magic 25:55 - Enchanted practices 35:14 - Baptism for the dead 36:20 - Melchizedek priesthood 38:54 - Defining feature of American religion 41:28 - The charismatic narrative 42:43 - Hebrews 44:46 - Esoteric Enoch 45:52 - Secret garments 46:45 - The Whitmer family 51:24 - Joseph Smith 58:56 - Proscribed but practiced 01:02:52 - Many religious experiences 01:04:54 - The attitude to magic and miracles 01:09:24 - Magical beginning, secular end 01:16:40 - Long-lasting 🔓 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/

    1 h 23 min

  7. 26 FEB

    437 - Making Space for the Resurrection of Art (Makers and Mystics)

    In this conversation, I sit down with Stephen Roach on the Makers and Mystics podcast to explore why our stories feel exhausted — and what that reveals about our cultural moment. We talk about the end of the post–World War II narrative, the collapse of the hero (and even the anti-hero), and how storytelling has drifted. We also discuss fairy tales, monsters, AI, and the future of art. Let me know what you think in the comments and come join us at the Breath and the Clay conference, a creative arts gathering in Winston Salem, NC March 20-22, 2026: http://www.thebreathandtheclay.com/ YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/Xbr6XQlspGQ ------------------------ Another opportunity to come together and meet is the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, myself, and others. Date: May 14-16 Place: Broadview Heights, OH Buy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale. Don't miss out: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ Hope to see you there. 🎧 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  🔓 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   Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:21 - Intro music 01:47 - Introduction 03:08 - Narrative exhaustion 04:38 - End of the WW2 narrative 08:40 - Fairy tales 11:09 - Jonathan's retelling 13:17 - Art and ideology 17:41 - Complexity in religious art 21:32 - Trust in the audience 24:33 - Participation in art 28:27 - Distorted retellings 32:30 - Resistance of tyranny 35:28 - Identity and form 37:16 - Limitation and contemporary art 41:34 - AI art 44:11 - Human connection 45:30 - Making space Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/  My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    50 min

  8. 19 FEB

    436 - Reflections on the Void: negativity and difference in the Bible and contemporary thinking

    In this episode I try to circle around something that is very difficult to speak about directly — the void. From the opening verses of Genesis, where the earth is described as “empty and void,” we are confronted with a mystery that runs through Scripture, philosophy, and our own experience. What is the “not that” which underlies being? Why has the modern world become so fascinated with negativity, difference, and alterity? And how do we understand the necessary — yet possibly dangerous — role of emptiness in the structure of reality? YouTube version: https://youtu.be/10DS7IxOVro 🎧 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  ============= NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua Sturgill What is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost? 🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026. 💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount) ⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven =============== Mentioned: -Symbolism Explained: The Fundamental WWII Duality That Still Haunts Us Today: https://youtu.be/vLpEDlgEleg?si=w45xD3-uGdx2WOo4 -The World War II Consensus is Breaking Down: https://youtu.be/MfXxQW77cQA?si=7TnLlu7uq--Fej3D -GodsDog: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog -My recent video on the Parable of the Wedding Feast: https://youtu.be/YRMlQiNkSpE?si=JF3fy7RdFR8FtxO2 Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 01:03 - Intro music 01:28 - Introduction 05:22 - The role of the void 06:36 - The separation of heaven and earth 09:13 - Not that 11:18 - Let the earth produce 14:32 - Asking questions 16:07 - The ancient perspective 20:38 - Earth being earth 22:15 - The tree of good and bad 29:44 - What is sin? 32:37 - Examples of sin 33:53 - Judging difference 35:01 - Postmodern thinking 36:07 - Sadism and masochism 40:11 - The Mother of God 43:51 - Since WW2 48:08 - Outro 🔓 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   Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/  My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    52 min
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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.

Información

  • Creador
    Jonathan Pageau
  • Años de actividad
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodios
    441
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Jonathan Pageau
  • Mostrar sitio web
    The Symbolic World

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