The Classical Mind
by Junius Johnson & Wesley Walker
Latest episode
Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod
Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod
About this podcast
Conversations on the Great Books. New episodes on the first Tuesday of every month.
www.theclassicalmind.com
Episodes
The newest 20 of 62 episodes
- Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod · 1 h 26 minFather Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson dive into Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, two deeply foundational texts of ancient Greek literature. While Homer offers sweeping…
- The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien · 1 h 26 minIn this season finale of The Classical Mind, Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson bring their epic journey through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy to a…
- Bonus Episode: The Fall of Arthur with Malcolm Guite · 1 h 23 minDr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker are joined by poet-priest-scholar Malcolm Guite for a deep dive into J.R.R. Tolkien’s unfinished alliterative poem, The Fall of Arthur —…
- The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien · 1 h 10 minThe middle book of a trilogy is always the dark one, and The Two Towers is no exception. Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson return to Middle-earth for the second leg of The…
- The Classical Mind Goes to the Movies: Christopher Nolan's Odyssey · 1 h 2 minWarning: this episode discusses the film in full, spoilers included. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it first and come back. Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson head to…
- Bonus Episode: The Forge of Friendship · 42 minEveryone knows The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Fewer people know the full story of the friendship that helped make both of them possible. In this special…
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien · 1 h 29 minThe Lord of the Rings didn’t just launch a genre — it set the standard every fantasy writer since has been measured against. This month, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson…
- Bonus Episode: Season 5 · 14 minDiscover the official Season 5 reading schedule for The Classical Mind podcast! Join Junius and Wesley as they lay out the next 12-month literary journey through the Western…
- A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare with Heidi White · 1 h 7 minIn this summer episode of The Classical Mind, hosts Dr. Junius Johnson and Father Wesley Walker welcome back three-time guest Heidi White, co-host of the Close Reads podcast and…
- The Importance of Being Earnest with Dr. Grace Hamman · 1 h 8 minWelcome to another episode of The Classical Mind, the podcast where we explore the great books of the Western tradition! In this episode, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr…
- Paradiso with Dr. Jonathan Juilfs · 1 h 24 minIn this concluding chapter of our journey through Dante’s Commedia, Dr. Junius Johnson and Fr. Wesley Walker are joined by Dr. Jonathan Juilfs to explore the radiant heights of…
- Purgatorio with Heidi White · 1 h 23 minIn this episode of The Classical Mind, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson welcome back Heidi White to explore the middle canticle of Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Purgatorio…
- "The Tapestry": A Conversation about a New CiRCE Language Arts/Grammar Curriculum with Buck Holler · 14 minIn this episode of The Classical Mind, Dr. Junius Johnson sits down with Buck Holler from the CiRCE Institute to discuss "Tapestry," a new writing and grammar curriculum designed…
- The Inaugural Classical Mind Battle of the Books · 30 minRound 1: Voting will be open from Monday (3/16) until Monday (3/23) ***Vote Now!*** Round 2: Voting will be open from Monday (3/23) until Saturday (3/30) Round 3: The first…
- Inferno · 1 h 15 minIn this episode, Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson are joined by Dante scholar Catherine Illingworth to navigate the harrowing depths of Dante’s Inferno. The…
- BONUS EPISODE: An Introduction to The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri · 57 minThis 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…
- Lilith · 1 h 23 minIn 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…
- Medieval Exegesis · 1 h 5 minIn 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…
- Our Top Reads of 2025 · 23 minIn 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…
- Billy Budd, Sailor · 1 h 9 minIn 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…
