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. 31m ago

    461 - Rachel Wilson - Feminism Is the Political Arm of Witchcraft

    In this conversation with Rachel Wilson, we discuss the strange inversion at the heart of modern feminism, its occult and anti-Christian roots, and the way it has turned women against motherhood, marriage, the family, and even the feminine itself. We also look at abortion, witchcraft, gender, the destruction of womanhood, and the vision of marriage as a path of sacrifice, love, and mutual self-giving. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/DKliIG90YDw Follow Rachel Wilson’s work: X: https://x.com/Rach4Patriarchy  Substack: https://rwilson.substack.com/  Get her book, Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women’s Liberation: https://www.amazon.com/Occult-Feminism-Secret-History-Liberation/dp/B09NGXZKHB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachel.wilson 📢 Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  🔓 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/

    1h 5m

  2. 5d ago

    460 - Dn. Seraphim Rohlin - Universal History: The Origin of the Nephilim

    In this conversation with Deacon Seraphim Rohlin, we continue our exploration of Genesis through the Syrian tradition, looking especially at Seth (Adam and Eve’s son after Cain and Abel), the Nephilim, and the fall of the sons of God. What begins as a discussion of the descendants of Seth becomes a way of understanding the descent from the holy mountain, the corruption of Cain’s line, and the strange traditions around giants, demons, music, desire, and the second fall before the flood. YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/3D2bRWrbKUU Episode 1 of this series: https://youtu.be/f--wBUEAxjY?si=cJE6aczhbDx13AoI Fr. Stephen De Young talking about Nephilim with Tucker Carlson: https://youtu.be/5x9vR5sKHFI?si=nBh9exyV3jkGYtWs 📕 Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ 📢 Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  Books (outside of the Bible) mentioned: The Cave of Treasures The Book of the Bee Book of Enoch Book of Adam Kebra Nagast Jubilees 🔓 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/

    1h 15m

  3. Jun 24

    459 - The Future Belongs to Humans (Ottawa talk)

    This is a talk I presented at Chesterton Academy of Ottawa earlier this year.  YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ETaRAauDxS0 Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 00:51 - Intro music 01:05 - Chesterton Academy introduction 03:28 - Jonathan begins: art, AI, education, and the Pope’s encyclical 05:53 - Why AI is not human intelligence 08:18 - AI lacks embodied understanding 10:47 - Money, efficiency, power, and the values behind AI 13:07 - The Moloch trap and the AI arms race 15:32 - AI’s impact on work and education 17:01 - The anti-human vision of technocracy 18:40 - What education is really for 21:05 - Why learn art in the age of AI? 23:50 - Little Red Riding Hood promotion 24:46 - Remember, celebrate, and create 25:57 - Remembering our stories and traditions 29:36 - Celebrate what is good 33:16 - Create in service of remembrance and celebration 37:11 - Sincerity after irony and cynicism 39:32 - Fairy tales, icons, and Christian visual language 42:58 - Graphic novels, saints, and medieval storytelling 44:28 - The challenge and opportunity of our time 46:27 - Q: Is pessimism about AI justified? 48:32 - Q: How can remembrance, celebration, and creation be transmitted practically in schools and families? 53:23 - Q: Should schools return to oral exams and oral presentations because of AI? 55:52 - Q: How much can we participate in or use AI without falling into the trap? 58:31 - Q: What does cave art reveal about the relationship between man and art? Is art the signature of man? 01:03:02 - Q: What is the difference between inventing something new and creating? 01:07:20 - Q: Do strict rules in art stifle creativity? Why do people say beauty is subjective? 01:10:04 - Q: How can we recover a true remembrance of the Middle Ages rather than seeing them as dark or backward? 01:14:55 - Q: What is the difference between reading traditional stories and watching movies for entertainment? 01:19:02 - Q: Why was beauty dismissed from art, and why is our built environment so ugly? 01:21:07 - Q: What is your favorite piece of art in your home? 01:23:28 - Q: Can AI be used as a Socratic interlocutor in education? 01:26:36 - Q: What is the value of teaching classical languages like Latin and ancient Greek? 01:27:45 - Q: How should young artists balance pursuing art with the need to make money? 01:30:50 - Q: What is the importance of boredom, rest, silence, and imagination? 01:33:15 - Q: Is re-enchantment, post-irony, and sincerity possible in an intentional way? 01:37:08 - Q: How can different traditions unite against AI without losing their distinctiveness? 01:41:39 - Q: How do we discern beauty in imperfect work, especially in a performative society focused on excellence? 01:44:02 - Q: Where do you think AI is going, especially in education and culture? 🔓 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/

    1h 49m

  4. Jun 20

    458 - What's at stake with The Odyssey (2026) by Christopher Nolan

    There’s a lot of expectation and noise around Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie, The Odyssey (2026). For decades after WW2 we were unable to tell many stories about kingship and fatherhood. As we move through the turbulent end of the WW2 consensus, stories like this form part of how we process the return of the father and identity. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/6prGX3wZKI8 Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free. More than our other fairy tales, this one emphasizes the importance of the father’s role in protecting his family from the strange and subversive. https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel 🔓 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/

    20 min

  5. Jun 20

    457 - Backrooms (2026): A Strange Return to Normal

    Backrooms (2026) is a recent horror/thriller film based on a creepypasta —an internet urban legend— that emerged around the time of the Covid lockdowns. A man discovers an infinite, labyrinthine expanse of "backrooms" that becomes increasingly disturbing. In this video, I analyze the symbolism of the film and explore the deeper reasons why it is so popular, outshining major blockbusters with much larger budgets and marketing campaigns. Enjoy. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ZK6NaFsBGaM Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel 🔓 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/

    25 min

  6. Jun 16

    456 - Gavin Ortlund - Who Can Be Saved?

    I had a discussion with Gavin Ortlund about the Orthodox Church's position on salvation outside the church. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/RtC8ENpbOW4 Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and background to the discussion 03:08 Steelmanning each other’s positions 04:12 Gavin summarizes the Orthodox view of salvation 05:37 Jonathan explains salvation as healing and theosis 06:36 Normative and non-normative ways of salvation 08:13 Jonathan summarizes Gavin’s historical argument 10:53 Gavin clarifies his thesis about Orthodoxy, Catholics, and Protestants 16:40 Is the modern Orthodox view a return to earlier tradition? 18:32 Gavin explains why the 9th–19th century period matters 20:20 Disagreement over whether individuals can be declared damned 22:57 Jonathan responds on Orthodox theological boundaries 24:54 Debate over the 9th century and the Photian schism 31:32 The question: Is Gavin a Christian brother? 38:37 The Synod of Jerusalem and Protestant theology 41:36 Jonathan reads from the Synod of Jerusalem 43:56 Gavin responds to Jonathan’s use of an old blog post 46:42 Gavin outlines the Synod’s language about Protestants 49:12 Jonathan argues synods define norms, not individual destinies 52:28 Gavin challenges the “normative” reading of the Synod 55:20 Normative texts, dogmatic authority, and qualifications 58:13 Theophan the Recluse and hope for the non-Orthodox 01:04:16 St. Philaret of Moscow and leaving souls to God’s mercy 01:09:35 Protestant missions in Orthodox lands 01:11:23 Gavin defends Protestant missionary theology 01:13:30 Jonathan critiques Protestant evangelism and denominationalism 01:16:21 The Eucharist, communion, and institutional exclusivism 01:18:16 Gavin explains why he is not Orthodox 01:20:44 Jonathan on Christ’s presence and God’s desire to save all 01:21:59 Are Protestants categorized like Buddhists or Muslims? 01:25:36 Salvation as transformation into the image of Christ 01:28:55 Theophan’s advice: focus on your own salvation 01:30:06 Personal holiness and evangelism 01:32:18 Calvinism, evangelism, and divine decree 01:36:52 Predestination, foreknowledge, and the River of Fire 01:39:59 Closing the theological discussion 01:40:33 Gavin’s apology and reflections on online discourse 01:42:59 A call for patient Protestant-Orthodox dialogue 01:44:12 Jonathan’s closing thanks 🔓 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/

    1h 46m

  7. Jun 11

    455 - Disclosure Day: The Last Boomer Propaganda Movie

    I went to see Spielberg’s Disclosure Day and found myself watching a strange, late-stage piece of boomer propaganda about aliens, media, religion, and who we are supposed to trust. Here are my thoughts on the symbolism of the film. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SBGPLaGfVTc Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/ Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  🔓 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/

    22 min

  8. Jun 9

    454 - The Enemy Who Pretends to Be Your Friend

    We often think of enemies as those who attack us openly, but fairy tales also warn us about another kind of enemy: the one who comes close, pretends to be our friend, and destroys from within. I also discuss how this pattern appears in Scripture, culture, identity, and even technology, and why discernment is so important in our current moment. Buy Little Red Riding Hood now during the month of June and get the audiobook with for free: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/  YouTube version: https://youtu.be/U8VXqPX1-0Q Join Seraphim Hamilton in studying the Book of Isaiah this June. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-fifth-gospel  🔓 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/

    18 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
863 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonathan Pageau
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    459
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Jonathan Pageau
  • Show Website
    The Symbolic World

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