In this week’s episode of Universal History, Richard Rohlin and I give an introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy, discussing its historical and political context, Dante’s motivations and his point of view, and why the Comedia is the greatest work of Western literature. Join us for the first course on the Divine Comedy, starting May 8th. Dante’s Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses-pages/dantes-inferno Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/K5R939cIWg4

339 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The Greatest Work of Western Literature

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.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

In this conversation with Paul Kingsnorth, we discuss his main takeaways from his Substack series on The Machine, technology, artificial intelligence and silicon valley, civilization, principalities, the act of creation and desiring to be God, yet also creating the space for our annihilation. We also touch on environmentalism, storytelling, and art, including Tolkien and The Matrix. Enjoy.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/BCIRA9wRkIAHis Substack: https://paulkingsnorth.substack.com/Join me and Richard Rohlin for the Symbolic World course on Dante's Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses-pages/dantes-infernoPrevious conversations with Paul Kingsnorth:- Civilization and Control: https://youtu.be/QetAHfg7w8s?si=mVSI0fOTFiroIwTb - Environmentalism, the Tower of Babbel, and the Disintegration of Culture: https://youtu.be/uqDWGdJJx1Y?si=At5HMZaDohzgAFvmTimestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:01 - Intro music01:26 - Introduction02:11 - What are your main insights?07:19 - Can this serve God?10:53 - Become dependent on tools13:05 - The god of economy14:44 - The short history of progress16:05 - No conspiracy needed19:35 - A desire to supplant us22:12 - Theosis24:27 - Making vs giving birth27:02 - Creation myths28:09 - The environmental narrative35:54 - How has your perception on story changed?39:33 - Changing Paul's writing41:47 - Language and AI in Writing45:32 - The Influence of art53:19 - Tolkien and a simple ending56:54 - New stories

342 - Paul Kingsnorth - Becoming Gods Without God

This is a talk I gave for Ralston College on the Icon of the Last Judgement, exploring Orthodox Christian imagery to understand ontology, theology, and how identity, symbolism, and fractals work in the medieval worldview.Youtube version: https://youtu.be/APFPO4LXFIsRalston College website: https://www.ralston.ac/ Ralston College: Rethinking the Last Judgment: Cosmic Symbolism & the Metaphor for Self-Discovery | @JonathanPageau: https://youtu.be/30nx25GjCYI?si=D0nB-5iLQkycrJlQ ---

341 - The Last Judgement: The Culmination of Christian Symbolism

This talk took place in April 2024 at the Maliotis Cultural Center, hosted by Hellenic College Holy Cross with Dr. Timothy Patitsas. In this talk, I take you through all the icons of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to the Anastasis, the icon of the Resurrection of Christ. Original YouTube video: https://youtu.be/vFW5nYC4CcMHellenic College Holy Cross: https://www.hchc.edu/Originally posted on the Maliotis Cultural Center channel: https://www.youtube.com/@maliotisculturalcenterTimestamps:00:00 - Intro music01:29 - Introduction05:07 - Center intro music05:48 - Jonathan's talk07:52 - Palm Sunday12:49 - Bridegroom Matins16:44 - Washing of the Feet22:46 - The Last Supper24:59 - The Crucifixion32:58 - The Descent from the Cross35:55 - The Anastasis50:23 - Q&A;

340 - The Icons of Holy Week

This is part two of our discussion about the Tower of Babel in the context of Universal History. Richard Rohlin and I recap and continue our discussion on the Book of Jubilees and Pentecost, discussing more in-depth the Feast of First Fruits, and what it means as a structure by which communion between heaven and earth can be facilitated - of unity and multiplicity. The duality of Pentecost explains several strange moments in Scripture and the apocryphal texts, most notably the laws of Noah, the covenant of Abraham, the scandal of Lot, and of course the Tower of Babel itself.Previous episode on the Tower of Babel: https://youtu.be/wj9EK0QAW54?si=ClSLEQzKUaSFjeRl Content mentioned:- Apocrypha: An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature by Fr. Stephen DeYoung: https://store.ancientfaith.com/apocrypha-an-introduction-to-extra-biblical-literature/ - Biblical Symbolism: Uncovering Your Father’s Nakedness - Fr. Stephen De Young: https://youtu.be/GQgOYkzj0ek?si=VbkBfKvm56pHVHRv Sign up to be notified when our course on Dante’s Inferno goes live. Class starts on May 8th. https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/109126/117615160942658931/share —Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up00:41 - Intro music01:05 - Introduction02:37 - The book of Jubilees05:10 - Feasting and sacrifice in the Book of Jubilees08:48 - What is Pentecost11:11 - Laws of Noah17:37 - The double aspect of the Feast of First Fruits20:30 - The scattering of the nations23:32 - The prayers of Noah26:02 - Raphael28:42 - The City of Babel30:15 - The Idolatrous Tower of Babel32:45 - Abraham celebrates Pentecost35:24 - A case of drunkenness?38:45 - The big reveal41:57 - Splitting in half46:01 - Lot’s drunkenness47:03 - There's only one Pentecost50:31 - History56:14 - The spirit descends1:08:13 - This is what Universal History is—

338 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The End of Babel

The Symbolic World

339 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The Greatest Work of Western Literature

Download our free app to listen on your phone