The Symbolic World

441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sat down with Mary Harrington about technology and the online world.Mary reflects on her path as a writer, the evolution of on...

440 - Dr. Zachary Porcu - Journey to Reality: De-Secularize Your Life

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation I speak with Dr. Zachary Porcu about his book, Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age, and the challenge of explai...

439 - Pavel Shchelin - Plutarch: Symbolism of History with Dcn. Seraphim Rohin

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This is a conversation between Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and Pavel Shchelin on political theology, power, and Plutarch’s Lives. They explore how ancien...

438 - Universal History: The American Religion: Making Way for Mormonism

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Magical beginnings, secular endings. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I start a discussion about early Mormonism (or r...

437 - Making Space for the Resurrection of Art (Makers and Mystics)

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with Stephen Roach on the Makers and Mystics podcast to explore why our stories feel exhausted — and what that reve...

436 - Reflections on the Void: negativity and difference in the Bible and contemporary thinking

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I try to circle around something that is very difficult to speak about directly — the void.From the opening verses of Genesis, where...

435 - The Song of Creation (Charleston talk)

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this talk at St. Michael’s Church in Charleston, I walk through the seven days of creation as presented in Genesis, exploring creation as a divin...

434 - Immigration and Tolerance: Christians Are Not Called to Be “Nice”

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Many are called. Not all are chosen.There is a widespread idea that Christianity is about being “nice,” endlessly tolerant, and endlessly open. Bu...

433 - Symbolism Happens! The Mandela Effect Is Not a Glitch in the Matrix

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

I explore the Mandela Effect from a symbolic perspective. The Mandela Effect is a psychological phenomenon where a large group of people collectively ...

432 - Yelena Popovic - Moses the Black

25 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

I speak with filmmaker Yelena Popovic, who viewers may recognize as the director of the stunning film of the life of St. Nektarios of Aegina, Man of G...

431 - Joshua Sturgill & Dcn Seraphim Rohlin - The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Ancient people knew the sky the way that we know the highways around our cities."Today's podcast is a bit different. Deacon Seraphim Rohlin is here t...

430 - JP Marceau - The Mythology of Demographic Collapse

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview, I sat down with Jean-Philippe Marceau—author of Post-Reductionist Christianity, our very first theory book at Symbolic World Pres...

429 - Martin Shaw - Longing and Mystery: The Quest for the Holy Grail

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with storyteller and mythologist Martin Shaw to explore the Holy Grail. We talk about desire and longing, failure and...

428 - Why they want you to think Christmas is pagan

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video I discuss the persistence of the idea that Christmas was "stolen" by Christians from the pagans, or that it's secretly still pagan. Merr...

427 - Dr. Iain McGilchrist - Artificial Intelligence, Possession, and Mental Illness

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I speak with British psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author Dr. Iain McGilchrist about intelligence, mental illness, and AI.Or...

426 - Andrew Gould - Monks and Pirates: Two Extremes that Explain the Rest of Us

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation filmed (by Deacon Seraphim Rohlin) in the Florida Keys, I sit down with my friend Andrew Gould to finally revisit a surprising cl...

425 - The Cosmic Dance of Decorating a Christmas Tree

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a repost of a patron video I made several years ago about decorating the Christmas tree as a family. Support us for access to more video like ...

424 - Universal History: The American Religion - with Dcn Seraphim Rohlin

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Americans who think they are Christians, truly are something else; intensely religious, but devout in the American Religion."In this episode of Unive...

423 - Catholic Unscripted - Violence as the New Normal

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a repost of an interview I did a few months ago on the Catholic Unscripted Podcast after the Charlie Kirk assassination. We discuss the topic ...

422 - Why Exaggeration Is Necessary in Storytelling

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Given we're still in the fall season, I watched The Conjuring and it got me thinking about how real events can become exaggerated in story form. In th...

421 - Deacon Seraphim (Richard) Rohlin - Recovering Our Heritage

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’m excited to share this powerful talk by Deacon Seraphim Rohlin, my collaborator at the Symbolic World Press and co-host of the Universal History ...

420 - How Free Will Actually Works

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This was September 2025's patron video that we decided to make public. Thank you to my supporters.I explore the question of free will, drawing on the ...

419 - Trick or Treat: Halloween Symbolism in Little Red Riding Hood

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pre-order Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf now and get a free audiobook read by me, as well as an exclusive Q&A: https://store.thesymbo...

418 - The Symbolism of the Entire Divine Comedy in the First Canto

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I read and reflect on the first canto of Dante’s Divine Comedy — the opening of Inferno. This incredible canto puts the entire poem...

417 - Three Things Christians Must Do to Rebuild Culture (Touchstone talk)

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This talk took place at the 2025 Touchstone conference, Great and Wonderful Days: Rediscovering the Christian Life in a Post-Christian Age. The title ...

416 - Tangled: The Triumph of Self-Realization

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I explore how Disney’s Tangled reimagines the classic Rapunzel story and what these changes reveal about our modern world. Tangled captures a pivota...

415 - Charlie Kirk's Assassination: We have gone beyond the pale

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Huge changes are happening in the political landscape. In this video, I reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and how this moment has deeply af...

414 - Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin (Universal History) - American Folk Magic and Christianity: From the Reformation to Mormonism

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enchantment never truly disappeared from the modern world.In this episode of Universal History Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I explore the world of magic...

413 - Heidi White - The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with author and educator Heidi White to discuss her new book, The Divided Soul. We explore the story of the prodigal ...

412 - The Age of Self-Esteem

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is August's patron video that I decided to make public. In it I explore the modern idea of self-esteem—where it came from, how it shapes our cu...

411 - Dr. Michael Levin & Dr. John Vervaeke - Brave New Biology: Intelligence Trumps DNA

20 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Michael Levin is a professor in the Department of Biology at Tufts University and an associate faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard. He...

410 - Fractals: The World Is Full of Meaning (Midwestuary talk)

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spoken about fractals on my channel for many years. In this talk, I explore the topic directly—showing how fractals are a fundamental structu...

409 - The Strange Symbolism of K-Pop Demon Hunters: Shame, Attention, LGBT, Jung

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I finally watched K-Pop Demon Hunters after so many of you kept asking about it. In this episode, I explore the strange mix of symbolism: demons, idol...

408 - Andrew Gould & Michael Diamant - Architecture: The Most Important Art

30 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation I’m joined by Andrew Gould and Michael Diamant to explore the importance of traditional architecture and city planning. We disc...

407 - Heather Pollington - Rapunzel and the Evil Witch

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

📖 RAPUNZEL AND THE EVIL WITCH IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE: https://rapunzelbook.com/Heather Pollington and I are thrilled to share our brand-new stor...

406 - Symbolism Explained: The Fundamental WWII Duality That Still Haunts Us Today

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I explore the symbolism of World War II through the imagery of the Axis and the Allies. Beyond politics, these symbols reveal a deepe...

405 - Fr. Josiah Trenham - Marriage: The Bedrock of Civilization

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Father Josiah Trenham returns to the podcast for us to talk about the profound meaning and cosmic significance of marriage. We explor...

404 - Fr. Stephen De Young - How to Read Extra-Biblical Texts Like Jubilees (and Why It Matters)

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fr. Stephen De Young returns to the channel to explore how we should approach extra-Biblical literature—looking especially at the Book of Jubilees i...

403 - Why you might want to watch the new Superman movie

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I reflect on the symbolism behind Superman as a figure rooted in American mythology and post-WWII identity. I also discuss the new Sup...

402 - Universal History - Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin - The Spirits Beneath America: Fairies and Founding Fathers

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Universal History, I sit down with Deacon Seraphim (Richard Rohlin) on the 4th of July to explore the topic of fairies and titular ...

401 - Robin Hood: The Original Green Man (Nottingham talk)

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I was invited to give this talk on Robin Hood in Nottingham—just a stone’s throw from Sherwood Forest—on the feast of Pentecost. What began as a...

400 - A Dangerous Movie in the Best Way Possible

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Josh David Jordan about his new movie El Tonto Por Cristo. It’s a black-and-white art film set in a Te...

399 - John Vervaeke - What Is Spirit?

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is spirit? This was one of my most meaningful conversations with John Vervaeke yet. As we prepare for the Midwestuary 2025 conference in Chicago,...

398 - The Time for Orthodox Art is NOW

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this talk at the Orthodox Arts Festival of 2025, I share my vision for a renewal of Orthodox Christian art rooted in meaningful participation and t...

397 - Nicholas Reeves - What Is Music?

31 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with composer and church musician Nicholas Reeves to explore one of the great mysteries: music. Why does music move u...

396 - Seraphim Hamilton - Scripture: The Key to Reality

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I talk with Seraphim Hamilton about how scripture does more than tell a story—it reveals a symbolic pattern that runs through ...

395 - Beauty First: Envisioning a Civilization Worth Restoring (ARC Roundtable)

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is an informal roundtable discussion among friends and artists at the 2025 London ARC Conference that includes myself, Andrew Gould, Aidan Hart, ...

394 - The World War II Consensus is Breaking Down

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Several years ago, I coined the phrase “watch the fool,” because in a world turned upside down, the fool can strangely point to what’s coming an...

393 - Wheels Within Wheels: The Universe as a Symbol

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this excerpt from the second lecture of the Symbolism Masterclass, I take you deeper than ever into one of the most powerful and mysterious pattern...

392 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: Symbols From the Edge of the World

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Richard Rohlin and I continue our discussion of The Voyage of St. Brendan, focusing on some of the stranger episodes in the story. We...

391 - The Controversy over "Christ is King"

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A few weeks ago, a study came out criticizing the use of the phrase "Christ is King"—and it stirred up a lot of strong reactions, including my own. ...

390 - Genesis: Symbolism in the Creation Story

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a talk I did a few years ago for the Jung Society of Montreal. In it I explore the creation story in Genesis not just as myth, but as a fracta...

389 - Joe Allen - Transhumanism and the War Against Humanity

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with Joe Allen to dig into the strange and unsettling territory where transhumanism and politics collide. We explore ...

388 - Mary Harrington - Identity After Postmodernism

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation with Mary Harrington, we explore how identity has evolved from the ancient idea of the soul to the concept of self and today how ...

387 - Severance: When Hierarchy Breaks Down

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I break down the meaning and symbolism in the 2022 show Severance starring Adam Scott. Let me know in the comments on YouTube if you w...

386 - Snow White (2025) Is a Disaster, But...

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is my review of Disney's recent Snow White live-action remake. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gk2koS8Eomg===========With all this attention o...

385 - Peter Leithart - The Bible As a Way of Seeing

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation I interview Peter Leithart, an American author, minister, and theologian, who serves as president of Theopolis Institute for Bibl...

384 - Gregg Hurwitz - Why We Tell Stories (Ralston College)

15 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I recently had the privilege to visit Ralston College where I had a wonderful discussion with Gregg Hurwitz about meaning, art, and the future of cult...

383 - John Vervaeke and Chris Mastropietro - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation with John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro we discuss their collaborative work on the 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis' pr...

382 - The Resurrection of Logos (Reupload)

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The world is changing rapidly, and the transformation we’re witnessing—especially within the Church—has been astonishing. Across America, Orthod...

381 - James Orr - Christianity Beyond Civilization

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I had a wonderful discussion with James Orr. Dr Orr is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Divinity at the University of C...

380 - Alien Intelligence: Stargate, UFOs, AI, Psychedelics

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a repost of the patron video for January 2025. Given the recent announcement about project Stargate I delved into modernity's quest for forbid...

379 - You’re Not That Different From Your Political Opponents

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the past few decades we have heard from the new atheists just how horrible religion is, that religion is responsible for all these terrible things...

378 - Richard Rohlin - Tolkien and Universal History

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Richard Rohlin goes solo to give us an introduction about JRR Tolkien's vision for Universal History. Later this month he will be teac...

377 - Annie Crawford - The Breakthrough of Myth

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, Jonathan Pageau and Annie Crawford delve into C.S. Lewis's work, particularly focusing on 'Till We Have Faces.' They explore the...

376 - Fr. Stephen De Young - St. Paul the Pharisee

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fr. Stephen De Young is back on the podcast to discuss his latest book, St. Paul the Pharisee. St. Paul is at the core of many modern misunderstanding...

375 - Paul Kingsnorth - Western Civilization Is Already Dead

12 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Kingsnorth gave a provocative talk for First Things' Erasmus Lecture of 2024, titled "Against Christian Civilization". In this episode, we discus...

374 - The Role of St. John the Baptist

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of the Feast of Theophany I discuss the role of St. John the Baptist, or St. John the Forerunner, as he's known in the Orthodox traditi...

373 - Matthew Wilkinson - Mystical Bach and the Breakdown of Music

05 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For this interview I have a great discussion with organist, pianist, conductor, arranger, and recording artist Matthew Wilkinson, who also happened to...

372 - Christmas: The Anchor of Reality (Repost)

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a repost of a talk given at St-George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Montreal, originally posted in 2018.The Nativity icon is not only the imag...

371 - The Dark Side of Christmas: The Massacre of the Innocent(s)

21 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I explore a dark narrative aspect of the Christmas story: the Massacre of the Innocents at the hand of King Herod, connecting it to v...

370 - The Restoration of Notre Dame - Did They Get It Right?

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a repost of the November 2024's patron video where I take a closer look into the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris. After a devastating fire ...

369 - Fr Josiah Trenham - Orthodoxy in America

07 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I sat down with Fr. Josiah Trenham, archpriest at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, California, and founder and director of Patristic Nectar Pu...

368 - Symbolism Explained: Tucker Carlson Attacked by a Demon

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A clip has been circulating from the upcoming Christianities movie, hosted by John Heers, of Tucker Carlson recounting a terrifying experience he had ...

367 - Rod Dreher - Living in Wonder

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rod Dreher and I had a great discussion about his latest book, Living in Wonder. We discussed re-enchantment, UFOs, AI, attention, the internet, and m...

366 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The Voyage of St. Brendan

17 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is part of our miniseries of Universal History episodes focused on Ireland. We talk about the voyage of St. Brendan the Navigator, one of...

365 - Fr. Stephen De Young - Friedrich Nietzsche’s Guide to the Bodily Resurrection (Summit 2024)

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This talk by Fr. Stephen DeYoung is from the Symbolic World Summit that took place in Florida on the weekend of February 29th, 2024. All other talks a...

364 - Did the Witches Win? The Hammer of Witches through a Symbolic Lens

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: The following episode discusses difficult subjects and may not be suitable for children.This is a repost of January 2020's patron-only video ...

363 - The Double Symbolism of St. Peter: Shepherd and Satan

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I discuss the double symbolism of St. Peter as described in the Scriptures. This is related to my last video about Lucifer and the issu...

362 - Dr. Martin Shaw - Christian Wonder Tales

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"The soul is not fed entirely by logic, we are fed by images. Ideas are interesting, but when we want to be absolutely poleaxed by wonder it is a stor...

361 - The Real Meaning of Lucifer

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this video I discuss the meaning and symbolism of the title Lucifer, or the Morning Star, drawing on the Old and New Testament. How it is that this...

360 - John Vervaeke - The Cognitive Science of Ritual

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Vervaeke and I discuss the cognitive science of ritual: the many different aspects of ritual and its importance even in the pursuit of reason, am...

359 - John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall - Why Christianity?

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This conversation is in part John Vervaeke's response to my previous video with Jordan Hall (The End of Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnR2...

358 - Jordan Hall - The End of Strategy

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I had a wonderful time talking with Jordan Hall, who has recently converted to Christianity from a secular worldview. We talk about his conversation, ...

357 - What Is a Miracle?

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's video I discuss what a miracle is, looking at different examples but especially at the miracles of Christ. A miracle is not just an ext...

356 - Dr. Nathan Jacobs - Embrace Realism: It's All Mystical!

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Nathan Jacobs is an academic, artist, and filmmaker. In this conversation, we discuss where reason, rationality, and discernment fit into the myst...

355 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The Surprising Irish Origin of Purgatory

17 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Universal History podcast with Richard Rohlin, we discuss the surprising Irish origin of the medieval notion of purgatory, why ...

354 - The Real Reason Behind the Olympic Controversy in Women’s Boxing

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a complement to my previous video where I explained the symbolism of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony (linked below). This time I disc...

353 - Symbolism Explained: The Olympics Opening Ceremony is Worse than You Thought

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I discuss the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony and its drag Dionysian representation of The Last Supper, I discuss why specifically...

352 - Peter Boghossian - What Is Religion?

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, American philosopher and author Peter Boghossian picks my brain about my beliefs, religion, its purpose and truth claims, the or...

351 - Did God Want Adam and Eve to Eat the Fruit?

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After publishing a recent video commenting on Alex O'Connor's conversation with Jordan Peterson regarding Genesis, I decided to make June 2024's patro...

350 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: Ireland, the Remnant

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is the first of a series of Universal History episodes about Ireland! Richard Rohlin discusses a book called The Book of Invasions, which tells o...

349 - Explaining the Fall to Atheists

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this short meditation, I explore the meaning of the Fall in secular terms, and the mistake atheists make in understanding their own placement. Cou...

348 - Seraphim Hamilton - The Symbolism of the Book

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Seraphim Hamilton is an Orthodox theologian who is committed to helping others understand the deep and profound ways that the inspired Scriptures bear...

347 - Stephen Meyer - Where Darwinism Breaks Down

22 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I interview Stephen Meyer about evolution, intelligent design, Darwinianism, the advent of the biological information age, and how it c...

346 - Hidden Symbolism in Christian Architecture

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This video is an in-depth discussion of the biblical and symbolic inspiration for Christian architecture.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/is...

345 - Fairy Tales as the Music of the Spheres

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The best way to purchase our books at the moment is through the GodsDog: Warrior Kickstarter pre-order store: https://godsdog-warrior.backerkit.com/ho...

344 - Do Adam and Eve Die After They Eat the Fruit? - A Comment on Alex O’Connor’s Conversation with JBP

01 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do Adam and Eve die after eating the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Bad in the Garden of Eden? In this video, I comment on a question  @CosmicSke...

343 - Skateboarding and the Divine Chariot

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I cover the symbolism behind skateboarding, surfing, the image of the horse and rider, the chariot, and Ezekiel’s vision.Original You...

342 - Paul Kingsnorth - Becoming Gods Without God

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation with Paul Kingsnorth, we discuss his main takeaways from his Substack series on The Machine, technology, artificial intelligence ...