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Welcome back to The Invisible College, my series of literature courses for paid subscribers. The introduction to and schedule for the 2025 season is here. The 2024 archive is here. This episode, of which the first 10 minutes are free, is the second in a four-week sequence on the works of John Milton. It concerns Books I through VI of his epic poem Paradise Lost and what I read as its radical rewriting of Christian metaphysics, a spiritual revolution extending far beyond the famously sympathetic portrait of Satan, one that places Milton closer to post-Christian figures like Goethe, Blake, and Joyce than has been generally recognized. Please like, share, comment, and subscribe! The slideshow corresponding to the episode can be downloaded behind the paywall: