The Classical Mind
Conversations on the Great Books. New episodes on the first Tuesday of every month. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.theclassicalmind.com?utm_medium=podcast">www.theclassicalmind.com</a>
BONUS EPISODE: An Introduction to The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
10 Feb 2026
This bonus episode of The Classical Mind serves as “front matter” to prepare listeners for a three-month reading marathon of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Join Wesley and Junius as they
Lilith
20 Jan 2026
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson explore George MacDonald’s 1895 fantasy novel, Lilith. The discussion navigates the tension between MacDonald’s
Medieval Exegesis
6 Jan 2026
In this episode of The Classical Mind, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson dive deep into the fascinating, complex topic of Medieval Exegesis—”specifically how the medievals read
Our Top Reads of 2025
30 Dec 2025
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 share their personal Top 5 favorite books read this
Bill Budd, Sailor
2 Dec 2025
In this episode of The Classical Mind, Junius and Wesley dive deep into Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor — a haunting naval novella exploring innocence, evil, law, mutiny, and biblical
The Classical Mind Goes to the Movies: Frankenstein (2025)
13 Nov 2025
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 whether this one succeeds. From Mary Shelley’s
The Proslogion by St. Anselm
28 Oct 2025
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 enduring and debated arguments in the history of
The Taming of the Shrew
14 Oct 2025
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 play’s strange structure—from the unclosed frame
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
27 Aug 2025
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 you might think) with Mary Shelley’s
Bonus Episode: Season 4 and a Life Well Read
21 Aug 2025
The Classical Mind has officially reached 2,000 subscribers! To celebrate, Junius and Wesley unveil the Season 4 reading list! The method of selection is a little different this year to accommodate
The Aeneid by Virgil
25 Jul 2025
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 flight from Troy, his doomed romance with Dido, his
Peter Pan
24 Jun 2025
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 adaptations, and how these adaptations differ from
The Federalist Papers
9 Jun 2025
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 Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to argue for
The Journey of the Mind to God by Bonaventure (A Crossover Episode with the Sacramentalists Podcast)
18 Mar 2025
In this special crossover episode of The Sacramentalists Podcast and The Classical Mind Podcast, we dive deep into St. Bonaventure’s The Journey of the Mind to God—a spiritual and philosophical
Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy with Jesse Hake
4 Mar 2025
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 fragmentation of American culture, the tension
The Castle of Otranto
28 Jan 2025
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 novel and a cornerstone of literary history. They
The Communist Manifesto
21 Dec 2024
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' contraversial work, The Communist Manifesto.
Phaedo with Dr. John Mark Reynolds
12 Nov 2024
Join the Classical Mind podcast for a captivating exploration of Plato's Phaedo, featuring insightful commentary from Dr. John Mark Reynolds. This episode delves into the profound dialogue where
Go Tell It on the Mountain with Dr. Anika Prather
28 Oct 2024
In this episode, Junius and Wesley discuss James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain with Dr. Anika Prather (https://drprather.com/about-2/), the Assistant Professor of Education and Elementary
Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
30 Sep 2024
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. Wesley’s least favorite work. In this
The Classical Mind Season 3 Draft
3 Sep 2024
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 this episode, Junius and Wesley discuss the themes
Intention by G.E.M. Anscombe
19 Aug 2024
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. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker engage in
Confessions by Saint Augustine
18 Jun 2024
Delve into the depths of Saint Augustine's Confessions on the Classical Mind podcast. Explore themes of sin, redemption,and the journey towards spiritual enlightenment in this timeless autobiography.
The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott
21 May 2024
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, its influence on Romanticism, and the enduring
Emma by Jane Austen
16 Apr 2024
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 intricate web of social dynamics, witty dialogue, and
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
5 Mar 2024
Dive into the depths of ambition and despair with Classical Mind Podcast as hosts Junius Johnson and Wesley Walker unravel the timeless tale of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. Explore the
Monsters in Literature with Kristen Rudd
26 Feb 2024
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 for adults on the topic. You can find out more at
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
19 Feb 2024
“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 interred with their bones; So let it be with
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
16 Jan 2024
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? What is virtue and how do we acquire it? Why do
Troilus and Criseyde
5 Dec 2023
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 frivolous affair or is something else going on?
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
14 Nov 2023
What are human beings like outside of the constraints of social conventions? How do we work out the tension between state sovereignty and individual freedom? What place does religion have in society?
Euthyphro
3 Oct 2023
In this episode, Dr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker explore the philosophical questions surrounding the nature of piety, ethics, and the divine. Join us for an enlightening discussion that
Oedipus Rex and Poetics
5 Sep 2023
On today's episode, Junius and Wesley discuss the timeless world of Greek tragedy! They explore the profound themes and dramatic elements of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Aristotle's Poetics. Gain
The Brothers Karamazov
8 Aug 2023
On this episode, Junius and Wesley discuss Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel Brothers Karamazov. Endnotes * Junius: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky * Wesley: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
Season 2 Draft
1 Aug 2023
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 $5 is that you can access the video of the draft
The Iliad
11 Jul 2023
Today we discuss The Iliad by Homer. End Notes: -Hesiod,
Robinson Crusoe with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior
6 Jun 2023
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 Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and
Utilitarianism by J.S. Mill
5 May 2023
Today, we’re discussing Utilitarianism by J.S. Mill. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory which emphasizes the maximizing of pleasure and the minimizing of pain. End Notes:The Dark KnightEnder’s
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
11 Apr 2023
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, the difficulty in reading about difficult
Macbeth
14 Mar 2023
In this episode, we discuss Macbeth, a work of Shakespeare’s that Jared had never read. Topic include: political propaganda, the problem of evil characters, Wicked and Darth Vader, the Great
Beowulf
14 Feb 2023
Jared and Wesley discuss Beowulf, and Jared is eventually converted.Check out the podcast and newsletter: theclassicalmind.com You can also check out our reading list for the coming year. Just look
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
3 Jan 2023
In this episode, Wesley and Jared discuss Boethius’ ‘Consolation of Philosophy.’ Topics include parallels between this work and the Book of Job, the nature of Fortune and happiness, and the
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Dr. Anika Prather
6 Dec 2022
This month, Wesley is joined by Dr. Anika Prather to discuss the autobiography of Frederick Douglass. They discuss the relevance of the classics to Douglass and to other Black Americans, the ways in
'The Intellectual Life' by A.G. Sertillanges
1 Nov 2022
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 be in the academy? These are the sorts of
The Apology by Plato
4 Oct 2022
Plato is one of the towering figures in the world of philosophy. Alfred North Whitehead infamously called all of Western philosophy a series of footnotes to Plato. In this episode, we discuss
What is the Canon?
6 Sep 2022
→ Support us on Substack For $5 per month, you get access to bonus episodes and discussion thread, plus you get to help us choose future books for the show. www.theclassicalmind.com → Read along
Introducing The Classical Mind
13 Aug 2022
If you want to join us on this journey, find us on Substack (theclassicalmind.com) or wherever you get podcasts.Season 1 Reading List (https://www.theclassicalmind.com/p/season-1-reading-list)
