The Symbolic World
Jonathan Pageau
Outreach Signals
Publishing Details
Contact & Outreach
About This Podcast
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Social Media
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
455 - Disclosure Day: The Last Boomer Propaganda Movie
I went to see Spielberg’s Disclosure Day and found myself watching a strange, late-stage piece of boomer propaganda about aliens, media, religion, and who we are supposed to trust. Here are my…
454 - The Enemy Who Pretends to Be Your Friend
We often think of enemies as those who attack us openly, but fairy tales also warn us about another kind of enemy: the one who comes close, pretends to be our friend, and destroys from within. I also…
453 - Seraphim Hamilton - Isaiah: The Fifth Gospel
I’m joined again by Seraphim Hamilton to discuss his upcoming Symbolic World course on Isaiah, beginning June 15th. We talk about why Isaiah is central for understanding Christ in the Old Testament,…
452 - Hillsdale talk - Mythological Thinking: The Crossroads of Psychology and Theology
This is a talk I did at Hillsdale College in March 2026. In this talk, I explore mythological thinking as a way of understanding how facts become meaningful. Facts do not present themselves to us…
451 - Universal History: What Really Happened in Eden - Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin
A telling of the events in Genesis that you might never have heard before.In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I return to Genesis through the Syriac tradition, especially…
450 - An Exploration of Modern Dysfunction: What Pluribus is Actually About
In this video, I look at the symbolism of the recent TV show, Pluribus. There's a lot of speculation about whether it's an allegory for AI, the internet, totalitarianism, or resisting tyranny. But I…
449 - Decapitation Symbolism: The Glory of Losing Your Head
In this video, I explore the symbolism of decapitation in the Bible and Christian tradition. Beginning with Joseph’s interpretation of the baker and cupbearer in Genesis, we trace a pattern of…
448 - Fr. Josiah Trenham - How to Integrate Faith, Family, and Nation
I sat down with Fr. Josiah Trenham to talk about something that’s becoming harder to ignore: how to properly order your loyalties.We discussed the tension between faith, nation, family, and personal…
447 - Annie Crawford - The Cosmic Alchemy of That Hideous Strength
In this conversation with Annie Crawford, we explore the role of alchemy in C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. While alchemy is often dismissed as occult or irrelevant, Lewis uses its symbolism in a…
446 - Universal History: How Kabbalah Shaped America: the Land of the End
This is the final episode of our Universal History series on the American Religion. Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I look at the religious ideas behind the American project, especially the influence of…
445 - Understanding the Icons of Holy Week
This is a repost of a past video where I discussed the icons of Holy Week in the Orthodox Church and how they relate to each other as a unified symbolic pattern. Have a blessed Pascha.YouTube…
444 - "FATHER": A symbolic analysis of Kanye West’s song and music video
With the release of Ye’s new album, Bully, many have asked about the music video for the song called “Father.” While the video is surreal and AI generated, it is not without meaning or structure. If…
443 - Kale Zelden - There’s Still Time to Read the Great Books
Kale 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…
442 - "Historical Accuracy" Can Miss the Point
We 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…
441 - Mary Harrington - Technology, AI, and Cultural Memory
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 online culture, and the growing difficulty of…
440 - Dr. Zachary Porcu - Journey to Reality: De-Secularize Your Life
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 explaining true Christian thinking to modern people. We…
439 - Pavel Shchelin - Plutarch: Symbolism of History with Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin
This 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,…
438 - Universal History: The American Religion: Making Way for Mormonism
Magical 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…
437 - Making Space for the Resurrection of Art (Makers and Mystics)
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 reveals about our cultural moment. We talk about the…
436 - Reflections on the Void: negativity and difference in the Bible and contemporary thinking
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 the earth is described as “empty and void,” we are…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Symbolic World has published 453 episodes since May 2018, covering topics in Education, Religion & Spirituality.
The Symbolic World is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 54m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Symbolic World, including email and social media links.
Similar Podcasts
Know Your Aura with Mystic Michaela
Mystic Michaela - Wave Podcast Network
328 episodes
Sounds Like A Cult
Studio71
221 episodes
Dear Future Wifey
Laterras R. Whitfield
295 episodes
The Kevin Miller Podcast
Kevin Miller | YAP Media
1,684 episodes
The Spiritual Perspective
Light Watkins
385 episodes
Seasoned Dialogue with Lisa-Marie
Lisa Marie
124 episodes