The Classical Mind
Episodes
"The Tapestry": A Conversation about a New CiRCE Language Arts/Grammar Curriculum with Buck Holler
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Dr. Junius Johnson sits down with Buck Holler from the CiRCE Institute to discuss "Tapestry," a new writing and...
The Inaugural Classical Mind Battle of the Books
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Round 1: Voting will be open from Monday (3/16) until Monday (3/23)Round 2: Voting will be open from Monday (3/23) until Saturday (3/30)Round 3: The f...
Inferno
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson are joined by Dante scholar Catherine Illingworth to navigate the harrowing depths of Dan...
BONUS EPISODE: An Introduction to The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This bonus episode of The Classical Mind serves as “front matter” to prepare listeners for a three-month reading marathon of Dante Alighieri’s D...
Lilith
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson explore George MacDonald’s 1895 fantasy novel, Lilith. The discussio...
Medieval Exegesis
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson dive deep into the fascinating, complex topic of Medieval Exe...
Our Top Reads of 2025
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special year-end bonus episode, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson take a break from their usual Great Books discussion to shar...
Bill Budd, Sailor
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Junius and Wesley dive deep into Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor — a haunting naval novella exploring ...
The Classical Mind Goes to the Movies: Frankenstein (2025)
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Junius and Wesley take on the latest film adaptation of Frankenstein, asking what makes a great adaptation of a classic work — and ...
The Proslogion by St. Anselm
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Father Wesley and Dr. Junius dive deep into St. Anselm’s Proslogion, the short yet monumental work that introduced one of the most ...
The Taming of the Shrew
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, we take on Shakespeare’s most provocative comedy, The Taming of the Shrew. Junius and Wesley dig into the pla...
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s go back to the 19th century and talk about one of the scariest novels we’ve ever read on the Classical Mind (but maybe not for the reasons y...
Bonus Episode: Season 4 and a Life Well Read
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Classical Mind has officially reached 2,000 subscribers! To celebrate, Junius and Wesley unveil the Season 4 reading list! The method of selection...
The Aeneid by Virgil
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, we take on Virgil’s Aeneid. We explore Aeneas’ journey as both refugee and empire-builder, tracing his flig...
Peter Pan
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, we take a deep dive into J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. We explore how Peter Pan has been portrayed in various adap...
The Federalist Papers
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, we dive into a curated selection of The Federalist Papers, the seminal series of essays written by Alexander Ha...
The Journey of the Mind to God by Bonaventure (A Crossover Episode with the Sacramentalists Podcast)
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special crossover episode of The Sacramentalists Podcast and The Classical Mind Podcast, we dive deep into St. Bonaventure’s The Journey of ...
Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy with Jesse Hake
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, we dive into Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins, a satirical yet deeply philosophical novel that explores the f...
The Castle of Otranto
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson dive into Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, the first Gothic n...
The Communist Manifesto
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join hosts Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson in this engaging episode of The Classical Mind as they dive into Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' c...
Phaedo with Dr. John Mark Reynolds
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join the Classical Mind podcast for a captivating exploration of Plato's Phaedo, featuring insightful commentary from Dr. John Mark Reynolds.This epis...
Go Tell It on the Mountain with Dr. Anika Prather
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Junius and Wesley discuss James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain with Dr. Anika Prather, the Assistant Professor of Education a...
Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for the newest episode of the Classical Mind on Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel Thus Spake Zarathustra and find out why this is Fr...
The Classical Mind Season 3 Draft
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Junius Johnson and Wesley Walker for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Classical Mind as they draft the reading list for Season 3! In th...
Intention by G.E.M. Anscombe
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on the Classical Mind podcast as we embark on an intellectual journey into the heart of G.E.M. Anscombe's groundbreaking work, "Intention." Dr...
Confessions by Saint Augustine
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Delve into the depths of Saint Augustine's Confessions on the Classical Mind podcast. Explore themes of sin, redemption,and the journey towards spirit...
The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Delve into the enchanting world of Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake" on the Classical Mind podcast. Explore the epic poem's historical context...
Emma by Jane Austen
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the timeless charm of Jane Austen's beloved comedy of manners Emma (1815) in this episode of the Classical Mind podcast. Delve into the intric...
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the depths of ambition and despair with Classical Mind Podcast as hosts Junius Johnson and Wesley Walker unravel the timeless tale of Christ...
Monsters in Literature with Kristen Rudd
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this special bonus episode, Fr. Wesley sits down with Kristen Rudd to discuss monsters in literature. Kristen will be teaching a class this summer ...
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft in...
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Dr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker as they discuss Artistotle's famous treatise on virtue: The Nicomachean Ethics. How can we be happy? Wha...
Troilus and Criseyde
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer is the tale of love gained and love lost. Heavily impacted by the chivalric codes, is this a story about a fr...
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are human beings like outside of the constraints of social conventions? How do we work out the tension between state sovereignty and individual f...
Euthyphro
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker explore the philosophical questions surrounding the nature of piety, ethics, and the divine....
Oedipus Rex and Poetics
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, Junius and Wesley discuss the timeless world of Greek tragedy! They explore the profound themes and dramatic elements of Oedipus R...
The Brothers Karamazov
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Junius and Wesley discuss Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel Brothers Karamazov. Endnotes* Junius: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevs...
Season 2 Draft
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s special episode, Junius and Wesley select the books that will make up our reading list in season 2. One of the reasons to support us for ...
The Iliad
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss The Iliad by Homer. End Notes: -Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days-Statius, Thebaid-The Blues of Achilles by Joe Goodkin Get full ac...
Robinson Crusoe with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Fr. Wesley Walker sits down to discuss Robinson Crusoe with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior. Dr. Prior's forthcoming book is The Evangelic...
Utilitarianism by J.S. Mill
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re discussing Utilitarianism by J.S. Mill. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory which emphasizes the maximizing of pleasure and the minimiz...
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood is…something. A Catholic novel, a debut novel, a difficult and strange novel. Wesley and Jared discuss Wise Blood...
Macbeth
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss Macbeth, a work of Shakespeare’s that Jared had never read. Topic include: political propaganda, the problem of evil cha...
Beowulf
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jared and Wesley discuss Beowulf, and Jared is eventually converted.Check out the podcast and newsletter: theclassicalmind.comYou can also check out o...
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Wesley and Jared discuss Boethius’ ‘Consolation of Philosophy.’ Topics include parallels between this work and the Book of Job,...
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Dr. Anika Prather
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, Wesley is joined by Dr. Anika Prather to discuss the autobiography of Frederick Douglass. They discuss the relevance of the classics to Do...
'The Intellectual Life' by A.G. Sertillanges
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you be an intellectual? What are the habits and virtues you would need to cultivate? What's the point of intellectual activity? Do you need to...
The Apology by Plato
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Plato is one of the towering figures in the world of philosophy. Alfred North Whitehead infamously called all of Western philosophy a series of footno...
What is the Canon?
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
→ Support us on SubstackFor $5 per month, you get access to bonus episodes and discussion thread, plus you get to help us choose future books for th...
Introducing The Classical Mind
13 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to join us on this journey, find us on Substack (theclassicalmind.com) or wherever you get podcasts.Season 1 Reading ListTwitter: @mindcla...