Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan

English Arts Books Education History Self-Improvement

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Episodes 136

Avg. Duration 1h 28m

Activity Highly Active

Apple Rating ★ 4.9 (109)

Since Dec 2023

Latest Episode Jun 2026

Outreach Signals

Features Guests

Publishing Details

Schedule

Weekly

Format

Episodic

Consistency

100%

Hosting

feeds.captivate.fm

About This Podcast

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. Reading the Great Books allows us to reclaim our intellect and understand the origin of the ideas that shape our world. We enter a "great conversation" amongst the most learned, intelligent humans in history and benefit from their insights. Is this for first-time readers? YES. Our goal is to host meaningful conversations on the Great Books by working through the texts in chronological order in a slow, attentive manner. Our host Adam Minihan is a first-time reader of Homer. We will start shallow and go deep. All are invited to join. Will any resources be available? YES. We are providing a free 115 Question & Answer Guide to the Iliad written by Deacon Harrison Garlick in addition to our weekly conversations. It will be available on the website (launching next week). Go pick up a copy of the Iliad! We look forward to reading Homer with you in 2024.

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Recent Episodes

The Odyssey Books 13-14 with Dr. Alex Petkas and Dr. Grabowski

Jun 09, 2026 1h 27m

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 Odyssey Books 13 and 14.…

The Odyssey Books 11-12 with Luke Heintschel and Dr. Grabowski

Jun 02, 2026 1h 49m

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 Coeur du Christ…

The Odyssey Books 9-10 with Dr. Gregory McBrayer

May 26, 2026 2h 3m

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 and covering such…

The Odyssey Books 6-8 with Dr. Frank Grabowski

May 19, 2026 1h 48m

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 our our WRITTEN GUIDE…

The Odyssey Book 5 with Dr. Glenn Arbery and Dr. Frank Grabowski

May 12, 2026 1h 48m

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 Grabowski of Holy Family…

The Odyssey Books 2-4 with Dr. Frank Grabowski

May 05, 2026 1h 53m

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 Odyssey.Check us our…

The Odyssey Book 1 with Dr. Papadopoulos and Dr. Grabowski

Apr 28, 2026 1h 33m

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 School to discuss…

Intro to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen and Dr. Chad Pecknold (2024)

Apr 21, 2026 1h 6m

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 Odyssey starting…

The Spiritual Harm of Lying

Apr 14, 2026 35m

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 treacherous in the…

Discover the Hidden Meaning of Narnia's Endless Winter

Apr 07, 2026 42m

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 Lewis, Dante, and the…

Purgatorio: Beatrice (Cantos 32-33) with Joshua Charles and Dr. Frank Grabowski

Mar 31, 2026 1h 29m

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 of Holy Family…

Purgatorio: The Earthly Paradise (Cantos 28-31) with Dr. Michael West

Mar 24, 2026 1h 38m

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 WRITTEN GUIDE to the…

Purgatorio: Gluttony and Lust (Cantos 23-27) with Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP

Mar 17, 2026 1h 35m

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 thegreatbookspodcast.com for more…

Purgatorio: Acedia and Avarice (Cantos 18-22) with Dr. Sarah Berry

Mar 10, 2026 1h 56m

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 the Purgatorio.Visit…

Purgatorio: Envy and Wrath (Cantos 13-17) with Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson

Mar 03, 2026 1h 32m

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 envy and wrath. Check…

Purgatorio: Ante-Purgatory and the Terrace on Pride (Cantos 6-12) with Mr. Luke Heintschel

Feb 24, 2026 2h 28m

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 terrace--the purging of…

Purgatorio: Ante-Purgatory Cantos 1-5 with Dr. Donald Prudlo

Feb 17, 2026 2h 9m

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 Ante-Purgatory, the foot of Mount…

Introduction to Dante's Purgatorio with Dr. Jason Baxter

Feb 10, 2026 1h 3m

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 reading Dante's Purgatorio…

Q&A on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Dr. Justin Jackson

Feb 03, 2026 1h 41m

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 of femininity,…

Platonic Thought in St. Thomas Aquinas with Dr. Donald Prudlo

Jan 27, 2026 1h 35m

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 Aquinas's thought is…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Ascend - The Great Books Podcast have?

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast has published 136 episodes since December 2023, covering topics in Arts, Books.

Is Ascend - The Great Books Podcast still active?

Ascend - The Great Books Podcast is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 1h 28m.