The Sower

The Ciceronian Society
  • 4.3 (4)
  • PHILOSOPHY
The Sower

The Sower is a Podcast of the Ciceronian Society. The Ciceronian Society exists to equip and encourage Christian scholars to serve the church as a center of cultural and civic renewal. Through our events, publications, and podcasts we provide the space and opportunities that Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox scholars need for professional growth and intellectual discipleship. Since 2012, we have been building a network of friends with a love for our core themes - tradition, place, and ‘things divine’ - and with a genuine commitment to the church and the life of the mind. To learn more about our society, our conferences, and the peer-reviewed journal, Pietas, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

  1. EPISODE 43 - Carl Richard on the American Founders and the Presidents’ Classical and Christian Inheritance

    6D AGO

    EPISODE 43 - Carl Richard on the American Founders and the Presidents’ Classical and Christian Inheritance

    Josh Bowman talks with Dr. Carl Richard, Professor of History at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Dr. Richard has spent decades recovering the impact of the ancient Greeks and Romans on the American Founders and on American history generally. He has also turned to the influence of the Bible and Christianity on America’s founding, and now to the history of the Presidency. We begin by talking about the classics, including Cicero, before turning to his more recent books on the Bible’s impact, including his newest volume, So Help Us God: American Presidents and the Bible (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025). https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/so-help-us-god-9798881806330/ Carl’s Books: The Founders and the Classics: Greece, Rome, and the American Enlightenment (Harvard, 1994) Twelve Greeks and Romans Who Changed the World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003) The Battle for the American Mind: A Brief History of a Nation's Thought (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004) Greeks and Romans Bearing Gifts: How the Ancients Inspired the Founding Fathers (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008) The Golden Age of the Classics in America: Greece, Rome, and the Antebellum United States (Harvard, 2009) Why We're All Romans: The Roman Contribution to the Western World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010) When the United States Invaded Russia: Woodrow Wilson's Siberian Disaster (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013) The Founders and the Bible (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) He has also contributed a host of essays to edited volumes, including two books published by Oxford University Press. The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/ 0:00 Introduction 2:30 Inspiration 4:13 Golden Age 7:47 Arguments For and Against the Classics 20:04 Familiarity and Peculiarity 25:53 Cicero 32:06 The Founders and the Bible 44:11 Prayer 49:59 The Future 56:26 Opportunities Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction(00:02:30) - Inspiration(00:04:13) - Golden Age(00:07:47) - Arguments For and Against the Classics(00:20:04) - Familiarity and Peculiarity(00:25:53) - Cicero(00:32:06) - The Founders and the Bible(00:44:11) - Prayer(00:49:59) - The Future(00:56:26) - Opportunities

    1h 5m
  2. EPISODE 42 - Jack Ferguson and the American Founding's Debt to Cicero

    JUL 6

    EPISODE 42 - Jack Ferguson and the American Founding's Debt to Cicero

    Josh Bowman talks with legal scholar Jack Ferguson about his recent article exploring Cicero’s impact on the American Founders. We discuss natural law, republicanism, executive power, and more. Jack’s article is “The Ciceronian Origins of American Law and Constitutionalism” from The Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, which can be found here: https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jlpp/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/2025/03/Ferguson-Ciceronian-Origins.pdf  The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.  To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/ 0:00 Why Care About Cicero? 10:00 Part 1 - Cicero's Influence 16:21 Part 2 - Law of Nature & Law of Nations 19:47 Common Law 23:09 Judicial Review 27:45 Part 3 - Republicanism 32:58 Personal Character 36:42 Part 4- Executive Authority 42:57 Cicero's Authority with the Founders Chapters (00:00:00) - Why Care About Cicero?(00:10:00) - Part 1 - Cicero's Influence(00:16:21) - Part 2 - Law of Nature & Law of Nations(00:19:47) - Common Law(00:23:09) - Judicial Review(00:27:45) - Part 3- Republicanism(00:32:58) - Personal Character(00:36:42) - Part 4 - Executive Authority(00:42:57) - Cicero's Authority with the Founders

    51 min
  3. EPISODE 41 - Matthew Chambers and the Immortal Soul in Christian Doctrine

    JUN 29

    EPISODE 41 - Matthew Chambers and the Immortal Soul in Christian Doctrine

    This episode concludes a series interviewing our first ever cohort of conference fellows. Josh Bowman talks with Matthew Chambers, a Nisbet Fellow, who teaches humanities at ECPI University in Virginia Beach and who is also entering his dissertation phase as a PhD Candidate in Humanities at Faulkner University. We discuss the relationship between the teachings of the early church and that of the Ancient Greeks, especially Plato and the idea of an immortal soul.  Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/ To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/ 0:00 Introduction 2:38 Plato and Immortality 12:01 Incarnation 19:15 Imago Dei 30:25 Stakes 41:02 Unique Cuisine Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction(00:02:38) - Plato and Immortality(00:12:01) - Incarnation(00:19:15) - Imago Dei(00:30:25) - Stakes(00:41:02) - Unique Cuisine

    45 min
  4. EPISODE 9 - Glenn Moots and Christian Nationalism (2023)

    JUN 22

    EPISODE 9 - Glenn Moots and Christian Nationalism (2023)

    James Patterson joins Dr. Glenn Moots for a conversation on Christian Nationalism. (This 2025 episode combines 2 episodes previously published in 2023.) Glenn Moots is a prolific writer and teacher from Northwood University in Michigan. Learn more about Glenn Moots here: https://www.northwood.edu/directory/faculty/glenn-moots/  Glenn’s adapted talk from the National Conservative conference, which he references, can be found here: https://lawliberty.org/american-separationism/

    1h 3m
  5. EPISODE 40 - Resisting Postmodernism with Albert Norton

    JUN 15

    EPISODE 40 - Resisting Postmodernism with Albert Norton

    Josh Bowman talks with Albert Norton, a practicing attorney and author of several books on the tension between religion and postmodernism. His most recent book is The Discovered Self, just released, concerning what he regards as a dangerous inward turn to the therapeutic worldview.  Our main topic is his 2023 book The Mountain and the River: Genesis, Postmodernism, and the Machine. Our conversation addresses themes of postmodernism, universals and particulars, ideology, totalitarianism, fascism, epistemology, Christian intellectuals in the church, and much more. Bert’s substack, “Sir Toast” - https://albertnorton.substack.com/ The Mountain and the River - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-River-Genesis-Postmodernism-Machine/dp/1943003815?ref_=ast_author_dp The Discovered Self - https://www.amazon.com/Discovered-Self-Identity-Therapeutic-Age-ebook/dp/B0F1V4LL7B?ref_=ast_author_dp Check out Bert’s reflections on the recent Ciceronian Society conference here: https://albertnorton.substack.com/p/the-ciceronian-society Mentioned in this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Bees  The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/  0:00 Introduction 4:00 Postmodernism 9:30 Moralistic Therapeutic Deism 14:02 The Mountain and the River 19:52 Differentiation 24:08 Balance  33:04 The Machine 40:11 Fascism 44:03 Church & Zeitgeist 49:05 Tragic Sense 54:27 Discovered Self 58:13 Emotions 1:02:19 Need for Community Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction(00:04:00) - Postmodernism(00:09:30) - Moralistic Therapeutic Deism(00:14:02) - The Mountain and the River(00:19:52) - Differentiation(00:24:08) - Balance(00:33:04) - The Machine(00:40:11) - Fascism(00:44:03) - Church & Zeitgeist(00:49:05) - Tragic Sense(00:54:27) - Discovered Self(00:58:13) - Emotions(01:02:19) - Need for Community

    1h 9m
  6. EPISODE 39 - Sean Sirks on Math, Metaphysics, and King Lear

    JUN 1

    EPISODE 39 - Sean Sirks on Math, Metaphysics, and King Lear

    This episode continues a series interviewing our first ever cohort of conference fellows. Here, Josh talks with Sean Sirks, a graduate student at Virginia Tech and one of this year’s Nisbet Fellows. We discuss the philosophy of mathematics, numbers, metaphysics, and Shakespeare’s King Lear.  Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. (https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/) To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/   0:00 Introduction 2:36 Philosophy of Math 7:51 The One and the Many 11:00 Cosmology 14:32 King Lear 17:25 Nominalism vs Realism 25:51 Reflections on the Conference   Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction(00:02:36) - Philosophy of Math(00:07:51) - The One and the Many(00:11:00) - Cosmology(00:14:32) - King Lear(00:17:25) - Nominalism vs Realism(00:25:51) - Reflections on the Conference

    27 min
  7. EPISODE 38 - Jenna Robinson, the James G. Martin Center, and Reforming Teacher Education

    MAY 18

    EPISODE 38 - Jenna Robinson, the James G. Martin Center, and Reforming Teacher Education

    Josh Bowman talks with Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. We specifically address the Martin Center’s advocacy for reforming teacher education through public policy at the state level, and especially as it pertains to reading. We also hit on the philosophy of education, indoctrination, pedagogy, and the notion of “place” in the development of teachers.  To read more from the Martin Center, visit: https://jamesgmartin.center/  As noted, the 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/  0:00 Introduction 1:59 What the Martin Center Is 3:04 Blueprint for Reading 7:27 What Rousseau Gets Wrong 14:25 Philosophy of Education 23:18 Scientism, Contextual Knowledge 28:47 Purpose of Education 36:38 Indoctrination vs Education 44:25 Place and Teacher Education 49:45 Next Steps

    54 min
  8. EPISODE 37 - T. Michael Wise on Manifest Destiny and Providence Then and Now

    MAY 4

    EPISODE 37 - T. Michael Wise on Manifest Destiny and Providence Then and Now

    Josh Bowman continues a series interviewing our first ever cohort of Ciceronian Society Conference fellows, talking with Nisbet Fellow T. Michael Wise of Sunbury, Ohio. Michael is a retired licensed funeral director completing his Ph.D at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the Historical & Theological Studies Department under Dr. John D. Wilsey. His research interests are in the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras, particularly in the doctrines of providence and just war theory. Our conversation ranges over these topics, including the idea of Manifest Destiny and its eerie prescience for modern politics. We also discuss the role of scholars in the church. Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/  To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/  0:00 Introduction 6:14 Manifest Destiny 10:26 Popular Support 16:12 Four Kinds of Manifest Destiny 24:17 Role of Intellectuals in the Church 27:29 Funeral Director 30:53 Ciceronian Society Mission

    39 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Sower is a Podcast of the Ciceronian Society. The Ciceronian Society exists to equip and encourage Christian scholars to serve the church as a center of cultural and civic renewal. Through our events, publications, and podcasts we provide the space and opportunities that Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox scholars need for professional growth and intellectual discipleship. Since 2012, we have been building a network of friends with a love for our core themes - tradition, place, and ‘things divine’ - and with a genuine commitment to the church and the life of the mind. To learn more about our society, our conferences, and the peer-reviewed journal, Pietas, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Information

  • Creator
    The Ciceronian Society
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Ciceronian Society
  • Show Website
    The Sower

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