Podcast
The Symbolic World
Hosted by Jonathan Pageau · EN
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.
50episodes
Episodes
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443 - Kale Zelden - There’s Still Time to Read the Great Books
Apr 101:04:35Tap to summarizeKale Zelden is a literature teacher and writer and in this video he joins me to discuss reading, the "Great books", and what it means to recover the reading tradition in a modern context. We talk about how to encounter old texts, what reading can contribute to our lives, and how to approach authors like Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare without reducing them to modern assumptions. We also explore the limits of the novel, modernism, postmodernism, irony, and the essential rediscovery of the epic.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/9zps7RIov44Kale’s Substack, The Underneath: https://kalezelden.substack.com/Join us at the Symbolic World Summit | May 14-16 | Ohio | Keynote speakers: Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, Kale Zelden, Annie Crawford, and Heather PollingtonBuy your tickets: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ Learn more about Pavel Shchelin's phenomenal course on Plutarch, Live now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-historyTIMESTAMPS00:00 - Coming up01:07 - Intro music01:32 - Introduction02:09 - The state of education07:30 - First of all10:47 - The power of analogy13:11 - Select your curriculum21:05 - What is canon?33:24 - What are we moving towards39:20 - Allegory43:47 - What is modernism?47:50 - Great books program53:24 - What is the epic?BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS DISCUSSION:00:04:45 Augustine — Confessions — Spiritual autobiography, early Christian thought Plato — Dialogues — Philosophy of truth, justice, knowledge Aristotle — (various works) — Ethics, logic, metaphysics Church Fathers — (various writings) — Foundations of Christian theology00:06:20 Anne Rice — (novels) — Modern popular fiction Shakespeare — (general works) — Foundational drama Beowulf — Anonymous — Old English epic poem00:06:49 Plato — Dialogues — Rediscovered philosophical texts00:07:32 Shakespeare — Hamlet — Tragedy of revenge and doubt Dante — Divine Comedy — Vision of Hell, Purgatory, Heaven Chaucer — Canterbury Tales — Medieval storytelling Mary Shelley — Frankenstein — Creation and responsibility Milton — Paradise Lost — Epic of the Fall00:13:55 Kerouac — On the Road — Modern freedom and experience Camus — (e.g. The Stranger) — Existential philosophy00:14:31 Homer — Iliad, Odyssey — Foundational epics Plato — Apology, Republic — Justice and philosophy Shakespeare —Romeo and Juliet — Tragic loveJulius Caesar — Politics and betrayalMacbeth — Ambition and guiltA Midsummer Night’s Dream — Comedy and illusionKing Lear — Suffering and authorityHamlet — Existential tragedyThe Tempest — Reconciliation00:16:21 Dostoevsky — Crime and Punishment — Guilt and redemption Dostoevsky — The Brothers Karamazov — Faith and morality00:21:31 Voyage of St. Brendan — Medieval Christian voyage Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius — Apocalyptic text The Golden Legend — Jacobus de Voragine — Saints’ lives00:21:58 Cervantes — Don Quixote — Satire of chivalry, early novel00:22:51 Jane Austen — Pride and Prejudice — Social psychology00:23:59 Milton — Paradise Lost — (revisited, epic psychology)00:26:11 Faulkner — (novels) — Fragmented modern storytelling00:33:41 C.S. Lewis — On Stories — Defense of story over psychology C.S. Lewis — Abolition of Man — Critique of modern values C.S. Lewis — Miracles — Defense of the supernatural00:37:05 Sondheim — Into the Woods — Modern fairy tale deconstruction00:38:55 Rabelais — Gargantua and Pantagruel — Satirical, playful text00:44:06 Melville — Moby-Dick — Epic-scale novel Hemingway — The Sun Also Rises — Modern disillusionment00:49:42 Ovid — Metamorphoses — Mythic transformations00:46:13 (thinkers mentioned) Lyotard — Postmodern philosophy Derrida — Deconstruction Heidegger — Phenomenology00:53:14 Virgil — Aeneid — Roman epic Bible — (Moses narrative) — Epic of calling and suffering🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
Transcribe →442 - "Historical Accuracy" Can Miss the Point
Mar 2600:14:45Tap to summarizeWe often assume that being “historically accurate” means getting closer to the truth, but that’s not always the case. In this video, I explore how modern, mechanical thinking can actually invert meaning, using the example of Christ’s crucifixion. What matters most is not just the mechanical details of how something could have happened, but what it means and its actual implications.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HXsbK_k8vn4SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others.Date: May 14-16Place: Broadview Heights, OHDon't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/=====NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel ShchelinThe problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.Presenter: Pavel ShchelinDuration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history=====🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
Transcribe →441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory
Mar 2000:51:53Tap to summarizeIn 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 online culture, and the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the digital environment. We also touch on memory, embodiment, cancel culture, and politics. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/eeBZuA0S1ZEMary will be speaking at the Symbolic World Summit. The theme of the conference is Retelling the Cosmic Epic, and Mary’s talk will be titled: 'Rebuild the Monasteries'Description:In an age of AI "slop" and flattened culture, how do we understand, and cultivate, what makes us distinctly human? Mary Harrington will argue that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Premodern practices of memory and prayer, once cultivated in Europe's monasteries, can refresh our imaginations and salvage our human cultures in the digital age.Come join us at Woodside Event Center | Broadview Heights, Ohio | May 14-16, 2026Early Bird Pricing – Ends March 26th: Save $50 on both General Admission and VIP ticketsBuy tickets now: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/ =====NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel ShchelinThe problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.Presenter: Pavel ShchelinDuration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.Price: $180 USD - Involved patrons can get a 10% discount. Apply your code at checkout. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history =====Jonathan and Mary's discussion on Socrates in the City: https://youtu.be/nrsjZKPH4WA?si=kaM5zE2Qj-4XCD1KTimestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:07 - Intro music01:32 - Introduction02:14 - Mary's journey09:00 - The meaning of meaning10:46 - The singularity already happened12:53 - Being connected17:28 - The printing press industrial template20:52 - AI22:21 - Using AI25:47 - Internet platforms and politics32:10 - Being anonymous35:37 - Politics37:44 - The end of the printing press39:47 - The end of the industrial era42:46 - Cancel culture46:56 - Treasure houses🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
Transcribe →440 - Dr. Zachary Porcu - Journey to Reality: De-Secularize Your Life
Mar 1201:04:05Tap to summarizeIn this conversation I speak with Dr. Zachary Porcu about his book, Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age, and the challenge of explaining true Christian thinking to modern people. We discuss how modern assumptions about the world make it difficult to understand ideas like sacraments, participation, and the relationship between the spiritual and material. Dr. Porcu explains why he wrote the book and how reframing basic categories—what we mean by God, religion, and reality—is often necessary before theology can make sense.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Qd9xENDzfRo Please review the Symbolic World podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Dr. Zac’s website and book: https://zacharyporcu.com/The Roots of Everything podcast (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@TheRootsofEverythingSubstack: https://zacharyporcu.substack.com/ =====NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel ShchelinThe problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.Presenter: Pavel ShchelinDuration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.Price: $180 USD, get the early bird discount of 15% off if you register by March 18th. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history =====SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others.Date: May 14-16Place: Broadview Heights, OHBuy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 26th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:03 - Intro music01:29 - Introduction03:54 - Jargon05:46 - Matter and spirituality08:49 - Re-enchantment13:10 - What you see22:09 - The moral and physical laws31:01 - Occult converts36:39 - Supernatural experiences40:54 - What do we do?46:46 - Meditation49:47 - On American religion52:16 - The rational and the esoteric🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
Transcribe →439 - Pavel Shchelin - Plutarch: Symbolism of History with Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin
Mar 501:23:39Tap to summarizeThis is a conversation between Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and Pavel Shchelin on political theology, power, and Plutarch’s Lives. They explore how ancient biographies reveal enduring patterns of ambition, authority, and the human passions that shape political history—from Rome to the modern world. Topics include Cicero, rhetoric and power, the fall of the Roman Republic, and why the stories of ancient statesmen still help us understand today’s political landscape.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Wo2IkgDT0q4Please review this podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts, it helps us a lot. Links:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5 -Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 NEW COURSE: Plutarch: Symbolism in History with Pavel ShchelinThe problem with history is that you are in it. Plutarch teaches us to read power symbolically—asking "whom does the hero serve?" to predict leadership patterns before they play out.Presenter: Pavel ShchelinDuration: 8 weeks studying the lives of Greeks and Roman Lycurgus, Alcibiades, Lysander, Pompey, Caesar, and Octavian –as living patterns, not dead men.Live classes are on Wednesdays at 4-6pm Eastern Time, starting March 18th through May 6th, 2026.Price: $180 USD, get the early bird discount of 15% off if you register by March 18th. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/plutarch-symbolism-in-history SUMMIT 2026: Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Jonathan Pageau, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, and others.Date: May 14-16Place: Broadview Heights, OHBuy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 12th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:32 - Intro music01:58 - Introduction03:47 - The separation of religion and politics07:44 - Current politics09:20 - How they met10:46 - Why Plutarch?18:46 - If you were pointing a video camera20:20 - Great men24:28 - Plutarch's Lives26:57 - Influence28:40 - Cicero49:18 - Digging his own grave56:58 - Word and will01:05:48 - Cicero's lesson for us01:10:58 - Course info01:16:06 - The point of studying history🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
Transcribe →438 - Universal History: The American Religion: Making Way for Mormonism
Mar 201:22:40Tap to summarizeMagical beginnings, secular endings. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I start a discussion about early Mormonism (or rather, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) within the broader context of American religious history.We look at the enchanted religious world of early America — folk magic, treasure seeking, restorationism, the Melchizedek priesthood — and how these patterns shaped movements like Mormonism. We also reflect on the recurring American impulse to “restore” a lost spiritual authority, and the impulse to, on the other hand, make all things respectably secular.This is episode 4 of our Universal History series on the American religion. Watch it here on YouTube:Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_U0msyBRVpwCI_srzn3tjLEpisode 1: https://youtu.be/htXHJ1WRSAgEpisode 2: https://youtu.be/o9rMy6lde0cEpisode 3: https://youtu.be/0_RKBPaQAykEpisode 4: https://youtu.be/ZopvdgYe-UA===Join us for the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, myself, and others.Date: May 14-16Place: Broadview Heights, OHBuy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale through March 12th. Don't miss out! Hope to see you there: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/===NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua SturgillWhat is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost?🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026.💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount)⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven===Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:01 - Intro music01:27 - The problem with talking about Mormonism06:10 - Context for why to talk about this13:26 - The Bible and magic20:46 - The distinction in magic25:55 - Enchanted practices35:14 - Baptism for the dead36:20 - Melchizedek priesthood38:54 - Defining feature of American religion41:28 - The charismatic narrative42:43 - Hebrews44:46 - Esoteric Enoch45:52 - Secret garments46:45 - The Whitmer family51:24 - Joseph Smith58:56 - Proscribed but practiced01:02:52 - Many religious experiences01:04:54 - The attitude to magic and miracles01:09:24 - Magical beginning, secular end01:16:40 - Long-lasting🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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437 - Making Space for the Resurrection of Art (Makers and Mystics)
Feb 2600:49:33Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, I sit down with Stephen Roach on the Makers and Mystics podcast to explore why our stories feel exhausted — and what that reveals about our cultural moment. We talk about the end of the post–World War II narrative, the collapse of the hero (and even the anti-hero), and how storytelling has drifted. We also discuss fairy tales, monsters, AI, and the future of art.Let me know what you think in the comments and come join us at the Breath and the Clay conference, a creative arts gathering in Winston Salem, NC March 20-22, 2026: http://www.thebreathandtheclay.com/YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/Xbr6XQlspGQ------------------------Another opportunity to come together and meet is the Symbolic World Summit 2026! Speakers include Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dn. Seraphim Rohlin, myself, and others.Date: May 14-16Place: Broadview Heights, OHBuy your tickets now and get $50 off with the early bird sale. Don't miss out: https://symbolicworldsummit.com/Hope to see you there.🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:21 - Intro music01:47 - Introduction03:08 - Narrative exhaustion04:38 - End of the WW2 narrative08:40 - Fairy tales11:09 - Jonathan's retelling13:17 - Art and ideology17:41 - Complexity in religious art21:32 - Trust in the audience24:33 - Participation in art28:27 - Distorted retellings32:30 - Resistance of tyranny35:28 - Identity and form37:16 - Limitation and contemporary art41:34 - AI art44:11 - Human connection45:30 - Making spaceOur website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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436 - Reflections on the Void: negativity and difference in the Bible and contemporary thinking
Feb 1900:51:33Tap to summarizeIn 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 the earth is described as “empty and void,” we are confronted with a mystery that runs through Scripture, philosophy, and our own experience. What is the “not that” which underlies being? Why has the modern world become so fascinated with negativity, difference, and alterity? And how do we understand the necessary — yet possibly dangerous — role of emptiness in the structure of reality?YouTube version: https://youtu.be/10DS7IxOVro🎧 Listen to and review The Symbolic World podcast:-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gI8bUwPtT3gkduHqNh6M5-Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-symbolic-world/id1386867488 =============NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua SturgillWhat is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost?🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026.💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount)⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven===============Mentioned:-Symbolism Explained: The Fundamental WWII Duality That Still Haunts Us Today: https://youtu.be/vLpEDlgEleg?si=w45xD3-uGdx2WOo4-The World War II Consensus is Breaking Down: https://youtu.be/MfXxQW77cQA?si=7TnLlu7uq--Fej3D-GodsDog: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/collections/godsdog-My recent video on the Parable of the Wedding Feast: https://youtu.be/YRMlQiNkSpE?si=JF3fy7RdFR8FtxO2Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:03 - Intro music01:28 - Introduction05:22 - The role of the void06:36 - The separation of heaven and earth09:13 - Not that11:18 - Let the earth produce14:32 - Asking questions16:07 - The ancient perspective20:38 - Earth being earth22:15 - The tree of good and bad29:44 - What is sin?32:37 - Examples of sin33:53 - Judging difference35:01 - Postmodern thinking36:07 - Sadism and masochism40:11 - The Mother of God43:51 - Since WW248:08 - Outro🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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435 - The Song of Creation (Charleston talk)
Feb 1201:04:37Tap to summarizeIn 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 divine song: a rhythm of heaven and earth, light and darkness, above and below. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/p2kb9ggwrp0=============NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua SturgillWhat is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost?🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026.💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount)⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven===============Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up00:57 - Intro music01:22 - Introduction05:18 - Day 115:20 - Day 221:53 - Day 333:34 - Day 438:31 - Day 545:51 - Day 6🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive montly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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434 - Immigration and Tolerance: Christians Are Not Called to Be “Nice”
Feb 1200:21:15Tap to summarizeMany are called. Not all are chosen.There is a widespread idea that Christianity is about being “nice,” endlessly tolerant, and endlessly open. But that idea does not survive a careful reading of the Gospel.In this video, I look at the parable of the Wedding Feast and explain why Christ’s invitation to everyone does not mean the acceptance of everything. Using this parable, I explore how compassion can become weaponized, how inclusion without a standard of conformity leads to chaos, and why both churches and nations must have limits if they are to remain what they are. This is not a political argument, but a symbolic and theological one—about how bodies, communities, and kingdoms actually function.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/YRMlQiNkSpE=============NEW COURSE: The Art of Imitating Heaven: Structure and Meaning in Ancient Cosmology By Joshua SturgillWhat is heaven? Where is it? For ancient people, the answer was obvious: simply look up at the night sky. For them, to see the stars and planets was to see the face of the divine. Christianity, too, understood the visible sky as the realm of unfallen creation. What does this belief mean, and why was it lost?🗓 Live classes are on Sundays at 5-6:30pm Eastern Time, starting February 1st through March 8th, 2026.💰 Price: $150 USD (Involved patrons qualify for a 10% discount)⏰ Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-art-of-imitating-heaven===============💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
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