Welcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with the light of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Why should we read the Great Books? Everyone is a disciple of someone. A person may have never read Locke or Nietzsche, but he or she thinks like them...
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Sep 29, 2026 · 59:30
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are preparing to read Plato’s Republic (we start next week!). Before turning to that long and demanding text, we ask a simple…
Sep 22, 2026 · 1:29:48
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we end Short Story September with “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” by Melville - a seemingly simple tale about men in a…
Sep 15, 2026 · 1:13:21
We have BIG NEWS! We have launched the new Ascend Book Club ! Ascend: The Great Books Podcast has partnered with “The Ascent” here on Substack to transform it into the new Ascend…
Sep 8, 2026 · 59:24
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick is joined by the always wonderful Alberto Fernandez to discuss "Red Shadows," a salvage tale of Solomon Kane by Robert E.…
Sep 1, 2026 · 1:40:14
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick is joined by Dr. Joseph Boyne to discuss Flannery O'Connor's "Enduring Chill" as part of Short Story September. Visit…
Aug 25, 2026 · 1:38:14
Dcn. Harrison Garlick hosts a full house to discuss the short, strange, forgotten dialogue of Plato's Ion, subtitled "On the Iliad." 10 Question Written Guide on Plato's Ion…
Aug 18, 2026 · 1:34:16
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, Dr. Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss the short, strange, and forgotten dialogue of HIppias Minor or…
Aug 11, 2026 · 1:01:57
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Larson, and Dr. Grabowski discuss Plato's Lovers--a strange, short, and somewhat forgotten dialogue seeking the…
Aug 4, 2026 · 1:11:01
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Grabowski discuss a short, strange, and somewhat forgotten Platonic dialogue - The Hipparchus. Check out our 15 Q&A…
Jul 29, 2026 · 1:29:17
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick invites you into a rich, methodical exploration of eros: the primal desire to satiate in beauty and be happy. What if the…
Jul 27, 2026 · 46:48
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick delivers an unapologetically curmudgeonly critique of Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyssey . Check out our…
Jul 21, 2026 · 59:24
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick hosts Dr. Patrick Deneen to discuss his NEW BOOK: The American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals About Our Divided…
Jul 14, 2026 · 2:24:33
Today, we end our 12-week study of the Odyssey with a discussion on Books 23-24 with Dr. Justin Jackson and Dr. Benedict Whalen of Hillsdale College alongside host, Dcn. Harrison…
Jul 7, 2026 · 1:33:45
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick welcomes Dr. Alex Priou to discuss Book 22 of the Odyssey, the Slaughter of the Suitors. Check out our LIBRARY of…
Jun 30, 2026 · 1:25:28
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Books 20 & 21 with Mr. Thomas Lackey and Dr. Frank Grabowski. NEW ARTICLE: Why Should Christians Read Homer? Check out…
Jun 23, 2026 · 1:26:09
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive into Books 17–19 of Homer’s Odyssey, where the disguised king returns to Ithaca as…
Jun 16, 2026 · 1:23:49
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by returning mentor Dr. Frank Grabowski—Third Order Franciscan, diaconate candidate, and Dean of…
Jun 9, 2026 · 1:27:37
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Dr. Alex Petkas (host of the Cost of Glory) for a rich discussion of…
Jun 2, 2026 · 1:49:35
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick discusses Books 11-12 of the Odyssey with Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Luke Heintschel, the Academic Headmaster of…
May 26, 2026 · 2:03:42
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the Dr. Gregory McBrayer discuss Books 9-10 of the Odyssey--the first half of Odysseus telling his own story…
May 19, 2026 · 1:48:47
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discussing Books 6-8 of the Odyssey discussing Odysseus' time with the Phaeacians. Check…
May 12, 2026 · 1:48:18
Odysseus rejects becoming a god... why? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Glenn Arbery of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank…
May 5, 2026 · 1:53:52
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss the famous "Telemachy" or the coming of age story of Telemachus, Books 2-4 of the…
Apr 28, 2026 · 1:33:58
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical…
Apr 21, 2026 · 1:06:18
For the first time since 2023, Ascend is reposting an episode--our introduction to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen (6.25.2024) in anticipation of our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY of the…
Apr 14, 2026 · 35:49
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick explores one of the most striking features of Dante’s Inferno : why the poet places liars, flatterers, and the…
Apr 7, 2026 · 42:55
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick takes a popular article from The Ascent, a top 100 substack in faith and spirituality, and does a deep dive on CS…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1:29:46
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison discusses the last two cantos of the Purgatorio (32-33) with Joshua Charles of Eternal Christendom and Dr. Frank Grabowski…
Mar 24, 2026 · 1:38:22
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Michael West discuss the top of Mount Purgatory: The Earthly Paradise (Cantos 28-31). Check out our…
Mar 17, 2026 · 1:35:59
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Fr. Patrick Biscoe, OP, discuss gluttony and lust in Dante's Purgatorio, Cantos 23-27. Check out…
Mar 10, 2026 · 1:56:02
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Sarah Berry of the University of Dallas discuss Acedia, Avarice, and part of Gluttony in Cantos 18-22 of…
Mar 3, 2026 · 1:32:33
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson of Pepperdine University discuss cantos 13-17 of Dante's Purgatorio --the purging of…
Feb 24, 2026 · 2:28:27
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick and Mr. Luke Heintschel, headmaster of Coeur du Christ Academy , discuss the rest of ante-purgatory and then the first…
Feb 17, 2026 · 2:09:31
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo, the Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, discuss the…
Feb 10, 2026 · 1:03:23
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dr. Jason Baxter and Dcn. Harrison Garlick come together to introduce Dante's Purgatorio and Dr. Baxter's new translation! We are…
Feb 3, 2026 · 1:41:23
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Justin Jackson host a Q&A on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. They explore major themes such as the role…
Jan 27, 2026 · 1:35:50
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo explore the intricate relationship between Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas, examining how…
Jan 20, 2026 · 54:36
In this episode of the Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick engages in a profound discussion with Dr. Thomas Ward from Baylor University about Plato's…
Jan 13, 2026 · 1:26:50
How did Plato influence St. Augustine? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Chad Pecknold of the Catholic University of America discuss Plato's…
Jan 6, 2026 · 1:29:29
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick, along with guests Alec Bianco and Sean Berube, explore St. Basil the Great’s letter To Young Men, on the…
Dec 30, 2025 · 1:52:30
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast concludes their Christmas reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Fitt 4, exploring Gawain’s restored armor, journey to the eerie…
Dec 23, 2025 · 2:09:28
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Tiffany Schubert of Wyoming Catholic College, George of the Chivalry Guild, and Banished Kent discuss Fitts 2…
Dec 16, 2025 · 1:54:53
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Fitt 1 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Justin Jackson of Hillsdale College, Chivalry Guild,…
Dec 9, 2025 · 2:01:26
Today on Ascend, we discuss Plato, education, the role of the teacher, eros, beauty, and much more drawing from the dialogues First Alcibiades and the Meno. Returning to the…
Dec 2, 2025 · 2:21:14
In this episode of Ascend, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Brian Kemple discuss the violent, grotesque southern tale "The Lame Shall Enter First" by Flannery O'Connor. Visit…
Nov 25, 2025 · 1:21:25
In the incredible final act of Plato’s Gorgias (481–527), Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Greg McBrayer (Ashland University, New Thinkery podcast) tackle the longest and most…
Nov 18, 2025 · 2:27:33
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Matthew Bianco of the Circe Institute discuss the second part of Plato's Gorgias --the dialogue between…
Nov 11, 2025 · 2:03:11
"In war and battle, this is the way to do your part." Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by the Athenian Stranger and Johnathan Bi to…
Nov 5, 2025 · 1:41:01
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Daniel Wagner dive into Plato’s Meno as a masterclass in education, contrasting Meno’s stagnant,…
Oct 28, 2025 · 1:29:04
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! In this episode, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Joseph Boyne explore G.K. Chesterton's short story 'The Chief Mourner of Marne,' discussing its themes,…
Oct 21, 2025 · 1:25:48
The Phaedo is a beautiful dialogue! Join Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Christopher Frey, McFarland Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa, as they conclude their…
Oct 14, 2025 · 1:25:28
Today on Ascend: the Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Plato's Phaedo , or in ancient times, it had the subtitle of On the Soul . It tells of the death of Socrates and his…
Oct 7, 2025 · 2:06:34
Today, we are introducing Plato's Phaedo , "on the soul," with Alec Bianco of the Circe Institute and with Athenian Stranger . We'll discuss why to read the great books, why we…
Sep 30, 2025 · 1:46:52
In this episode, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos dive into Plato’s Crito , a dialogue set in Socrates’ prison cell as he awaits execution. They explore…
Sep 23, 2025 · 1:54:35
In this episode of the Ascend the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Father Justin Brophy, OP, delve into the second part of Plato's Apology, exploring Socrates'…
Sep 16, 2025 · 1:58:35
In this episode of Ascend, The Great Books Podcast , host Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Justin Brophy, a Dominican friar and Assistant Professor of Political Science…
Sep 9, 2025 · 1:27:31
How would a Christian answer the Euthyphro dilemma? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Donald Prudlo, the Warren Professor of…
Sep 2, 2025 · 1:36:36
In this episode of the Ascend the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and guests delve into the complexities of Plato's Euthyphro, exploring themes of piety, morality,…
Aug 26, 2025 · 1:47:12
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Joey Spencer to discuss the first part of Plato’s Euthyphro—a…
Aug 19, 2025 · 58:58
In this episode of the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Daniel Shields discuss the significance of Plato's First Alcibiades, particularly in the context of…
Aug 12, 2025 · 1:07:25
KNOW THYSELF. Today, we have the second part of the excellent conversation on First Alcibiades with Dcn. Garlick, Alec Bianco, and Athenian Stranger. The conversation starts at…
Aug 5, 2025 · 1:58:10
PLATO IS PHILOSOPHY - and there is no better place to start with Plato than First Alcibiades . Today, we are discussing First Alcibiades with Alec Bianco of the Circe Institute…
Jul 29, 2025 · 1:45:49
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are continuing our study of Plato by diving into the Life of Alcibiades by Plutarch with Alex from the Cost of Glory podcast. Visit…
Jul 22, 2025 · 1:34:30
WE ARE STARTING PLATO! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast we are launching into our studies on Plato. We are kicking off with a roundtable of friends—a lawyer, two Phds,…
Jul 16, 2025 · 1:06:22
In this episode of the Ascend to the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick welcomes back Grayson Quay to discuss his new book, 'The Transhumanist Temptation.' The…
Jul 15, 2025 · 2:25:40
Today on Ascend the Greek Books Podcast, we wrap up our exploration of the Greek plays with a lively roundtable discussion. Our panel of friends delves into the key themes of the…
Jul 8, 2025 · 1:09:42
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Tsh Oxenreider to discuss The Frogs by Aristophanes. The play tells the comedic story of Dionysus deciding all the new…
Jul 1, 2025 · 1:08:52
In this episode, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Chancellor and General Counsel of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, welcomes Dr. Zena Hitz, a tutor at St. John’s College and founder…
Jun 24, 2025 · 1:51:06
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast , we plunge into the second part of Euripides’ The Bacchae —a harrowing yet gripping Greek tragedy that leads us deeper into the mystery…
Jun 17, 2025 · 2:26:55
Madness, piety, gore, and reason! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the always insightful Dr. Frank Grabowski delve into the first part of…
Jun 10, 2025 · 1:49:26
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone discuss the second and final part of Oedipus at Colonus —wherein Sophocles brings the horrific tale of…
Jun 3, 2025 · 2:05:45
In this episode of Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and returning guest Eli Stone dive into the first half of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus , the third…
May 27, 2025 · 2:28:58
Aristotle said Oedipus the King was the best tragedy. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Eli Stone and our friend Josiah to discuss Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) by…
May 20, 2025 · 2:08:13
Does Antigone hold strong until the end? Is Antigone the hero? Today, Dcn. Garlick is joined again by David Niles and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the second part of Sophocles'…
May 13, 2025 · 2:10:19
Antigone is the "dark sign from the gods." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. David Niles of the Catholic Man Show and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the Greek tragedy…
May 6, 2025 · 1:48:54
How would you respond to the will of a tyrant? Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jared Zimmerer of Benedictine College to discuss Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound - the…
Apr 29, 2025 · 1:29:35
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and Mr. Adam Minihan to discuss how to read the Bible like Jesus, St.…
Apr 22, 2025 · 2:16:27
Lying is a sterile act that impedes the purpose of the intellect. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Sean Berube and Shannon of Catholic Frequency to discuss "Lying as…
Apr 15, 2025 · 1:43:53
The frozen heart of hell. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Evan Amato to discuss the frozen wastes of the 9th Circle of Hell - the damned guilty of treachery (or…
Apr 8, 2025 · 1:56:37
We finish the 8th Circle of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo of the University of Tulsa discuss pits 8-10 of the 8th Circle of Dante's Inferno (Cantos 26-31).…
Apr 1, 2025 · 2:17:55
Seducers, Flatterers, Sorcerers, and more! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Noah Tyler, CFO of the Classic Learning Test, and Gabriel Blanchard, a staff writer for CLT, to…
Mar 25, 2025 · 1:42:51
We enter the circle of violence. This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Thomas Esposito, O. Cist., a Cistercian priest who teaches at the University of Dallas, to…
Mar 18, 2025 · 1:54:22
Today, we finish lower hell. Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jason Baxter of Benedictine College to discuss cantos 6-11 of Dante's Inferno. Check out…
Mar 11, 2025 · 1:39:53
Dante approaches the gates of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey, the Dean of the new Honors College at the University of Tulsa, and Dr. Jessica Hooten…
Mar 4, 2025 · 2:01:16
We are reading the Inferno together! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jeremy Holmes of Wyoming Catholic College to give an introduction to Dante's Inferno and discuss the…
Feb 25, 2025 · 1:45:31
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the end of the Oresteia, the second part of the Eumenides. Check out…
Feb 18, 2025 · 1:27:16
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is once again joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the first part of the Eumenides, the third play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check…
Feb 11, 2025 · 1:02:15
Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Mr. Thomas Lackey, and the Adam Minihan come together to discuss the second part of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Visit…
Feb 4, 2025 · 1:32:09
This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and the Adam Minihan to discuss part one of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out…
Jan 28, 2025 · 1:20:40
We are reading Aeschylus' Oresteia. This week Dcn. Garlick, Adam Minihan, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss part two of Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the second part of the…
Jan 21, 2025 · 1:49:37
Dcn. Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Thomas Lackey are reunited to discuss the first part of Agamemnon, the first play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out…
Jan 14, 2025 · 38:51
Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are reunited to intro Aeschylus, the Father of Greek Tragedy. Aeschylus (b. 525 BC) was a warrior, statesman, and the father of Greek…
Jan 7, 2025 · 2:47:32
Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey come together to discuss Hesiod's Theogony - a poem about the origin of the gods and the cosmos. Key…
Jan 1, 2025 · 35:37
You can read the Greek plays with Ascend! Dcn. Harrison Garlick flies solo this week as he explains why you should read the Greek plays. He discusses how the plays are an…
Dec 31, 2024 · 1:15:06
This week Dcn. Garlick is joined by Alberto Fernandez, a former U.S. diplomat and Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) in Washington, D.C., to…
Dec 24, 2024 · 1:16:57
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, to discuss the Odyssey as the restoration of Catholic Culture and the unique educational…
Dec 17, 2024 · 1:59:05
THE FINAL BOOK! Dcn. Garlick is joined by Adam Minihan, David Niles, Thomas Lackey, and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss Book 24 of the Odyssey: Peace. Check out…
Dec 10, 2024 · 1:02:56
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mrs. Rachel Greb to discuss Book 23 of the Odyssey: The Great Rooted Bed. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources! From our…
Dec 3, 2024 · 1:11:11
Slaughter in the hall! This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Adam Cooper of Wyoming Catholic College to discuss Odysseus' revenge upon the suitors in Book 24. Check…
Nov 26, 2024 · 1:09:01
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by another Catholic deacon, Dcn. Adam Conque to discuss Book 21 of the Odyssey: Odysseus Strings His Bow. Check out more at…
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