The Sower

EPISODE 82 - Pittsboro NC, with Madeleine Austin & Matthew Young

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale interviews Madeleine Austin and Matthew Young about the value of place and their home of Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Madeleine Austin lives in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. When Madeleine is not playing her banjo, she works as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. She also received the Ciceronian Society's 2025 Batchelder Award for the Study of Place, for which she was interviewed on Episode 60 of The Sower.

Matthew Young lives on a small farm in Chatham County, North Carolina, with his wife Camille and their four children. He is an assistant professor of political theory at Elon University, where he teaches courses spanning the history of political thought and constitutional law. His writing focuses on the difficulties of toleration and civil discourse. His book manuscript draws on seventeenth century sources to show that toleration is dependent on hope. He holds degrees in political science from Berea College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Christopher Anadale is podcast editor for the Ciceronian Society and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His runs a philosophy YouTube channel.

Mentioned in this Episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsboro,_North_Carolina

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 81 - Marco Andreacchio on Shakespeare and Dante

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale interviews scholar Marco Andreacchio about Shakespeare as a philosophical poet.

Marco Antonio Andreacchio was awarded a doctorate from the University of IIlinois for his interpretation of Sino-Japanese philosophical classics in dialogue with Western counterparts and a doctorate from Cambridge University for his work on Dante’s Platonic interpretation of religious authority. He has taught at various higher education institutions and published systematically on problems of a political-philosophical nature. His monographs include Medieval Teachers of Freedom and two recent works on Shakespeare—The Passion of Reason (focusing on Hamlet and Midsummer Night's Dream), and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Dante's Spirit. He is currently completing studies of various other Shakespearean plays rediscovered as Platonic Dialogues articulated in light of the rise of a modern world.

Christopher Anadale is podcast editor for the Ciceronian Society and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His philosophy YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/christopheranadale

Romeo and Juliet Book: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Juliet-Anglo-Italian-Renaissance-Studies/dp/104124617X

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 80 - C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy (2026 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Responses to modernism in the three Ransom novels (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength).

Plenary panel from the 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, March 12, 2026. Featuring presentations by Joshua Bowman, Joshua Herring, Sean Hadley, Madeleine Austin, and Scott Postma.

0:00 Episode Intro
1:40 Bowman
9:25 Herring
29:28 Hadley
43:45 Austin
59:30 Postma
1:22:20 Q & A

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Intro
(00:01:40) - Bowman
(00:09:25) - Herring
(00:29:28) - Hadley
(00:43:45) - Austin
(00:59:30) - Postma
(01:22:20) - Q & A

EPISODE 79 - Coming Soon: Fall 2026 Symposium in Holland, Michigan

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman shares information about the Ciceronian Society's inaugural Fall Symposium, October 11-13, 2026 in Holland, Michigan. He also looks back at our Omaha Conference (March 2026) and forward to our March 2027 Conference in Virginia Beach.

Josh Bowman is Executive Director of the Ciceronian Society.

Chris Anadale is podcast editor for the Ciceronian Society, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Mentioned in this Episode: Josh on the coming apostolic age, https://youtu.be/_9CDayRazTU

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 78 - Thomas Carlyle, Forgotten Conservative (Part 2)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Life and works of the Scottish man of letters Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).

Ethan Alexander-Davey teaches political science at Campbell University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ciceronian Society. He is co-editor, with Richard Avramenko, of Aristocratic Souls in Democratic Times and Aristocratic Voices: Forgotten Arguments about Virtue, Authority and Inequality both published by Lexington/Bloomsbury.

Scott Irving read modern history at Oxford University. He is author of "Vico and the Aristocratic Origin of Political Order” published in the edited volume Aristocratic Voices.

Texts discussed in this podcast:

The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle https://www.ucpress.edu/series/the-norman-and-charlotte-strouse-edition-of-the-writings-of-thomas-carlyle

Essays on Politics and Society https://www.ucpress.edu/books/essays-on-politics-and-society/hardcover

Other works by Carlyle Carlyle’s Latter-Day Pamphlets, which awaits a modern critical edition: https://dn721807.ca.archive.org/0/items/latterdaypamphle00carlrich/latterdaypamphle00carlrich.pdf

Other books referenced

Charles Frederick Harrold, Carlyle and German Thought https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.01171/page/285/mode/2up

Cicero, De re publica, De legibus https://archive.org/details/cicero-in-28-volumes.-vol.-16-loeb-213/mode/2up

Gertrude Himmelfarb, The De-moralization of Society https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/80256/the-de-moralization-of-society-by-gertrude-himmelfarb/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 77 - Thomas Carlyle, Forgotten Conservative (Part 1)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Life and works of the Scottish man of letters Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).

Scott Irving read modern history at Oxford University. He is author of "Vico and the Aristocratic Origin of Political Order” published in the edited volume Aristocratic Voices.

Texts discussed in this podcast:

The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle https://www.ucpress.edu/series/the-norman-and-charlotte-strouse-edition-of-the-writings-of-thomas-carlyle

Essays on Politics and Society https://www.ucpress.edu/books/essays-on-politics-and-society/hardcover

Other works by Carlyle

Carlyle’s Latter-Day Pamphlets, which awaits a modern critical edition: https://dn721807.ca.archive.org/0/items/latterdaypamphle00carlrich/latterdaypamphle00carlrich.pdf

Other books referenced

Charles Frederick Harrold, Carlyle and German Thought https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.01171/page/285/mode/2up

Cicero, De re publica, De legibus https://archive.org/details/cicero-in-28-volumes.-vol.-16-loeb-213/mode/2up

Gertrude Himmelfarb, The De-moralization of Society https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/80256/the-de-moralization-of-society-by-gertrude-himmelfarb/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 76 - Plant City Florida, with Jeff Bristol

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale interviews Florida lawyer Jeff Bristol about his home in Plant City.

Jeffrey Bristol is an independent scholar and a lawyer who has been a regular at Ciceronian Society conferences. His popular writings range from policy and military essays to cultural criticism, with a focus on general anthropological theory and legal and political philosophy as applied to American life. His degrees include an AA in Persian-Farsi from the Defense Language Institute; a BA in History/Anthropology/Languages from the now-defunct Marlboro College; an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago; a JD from the University of Michigan Law School and a PhD in Anthropology from Boston University. His website is https://www.jeffreybristol.com/

-----

Mentioned in this Episode:

Strawberry Festival. https://flstrawberryfestival.com/

Henry B. Plant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_B._Plant

Gio Fucarino. https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2023/03/24/who-is-gio-fucarino-or-john-ring-jr-tampa-player-with-hidden-past/

Ashley Moody. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Moody

W. Lloyd Warner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Lloyd_Warner

See also:
Baumgartner, M.P., The Moral Order of a Suburb. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. (especially this one)
Gorer G., The American People: A Study in National Character, New York, Norton, 1948.
Potter D., "Individuality and Conformity." in M. McGiffert, ed., The Character of Americans, Homewood: Dorsey Press, 1964.

-----

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 75 - John Wilsey on Love of God, Country, and History

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with John Wilsey about his new book, God and Country: Upholding Faith, History, and National Identity (B&H Academic Press, 2026). We discuss historiography, why history matters for Christians, the importance of virtue for historical thinking, and what it means to have a “rightly ordered patriotism.”

John Wilsey is Professor of Church History and Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Church History and Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. For a lengthier bio, visit: https://www.sbts.edu/faculty/john-d-wilsey/

View the book here: https://bhacademic.bhpublishinggroup.com/product/god-and-country-3/#flipbook-sampler/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Check out our other podcast, Cicero On Duties, publishing weekly throughout 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

EPISODE 74 - Brooke Barbier on Hancock, Beer, and the Revolution

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman welcomes 2026 Herbert J. Storing Prize Nominee Dr. Brooke Barbier.

Brooke is a public historian who received her PhD in American history from Boston College, researching Boston’s social and cultural life during and after the American Revolution. In 2013 she founded Ye Olde Tavern Tours, which offers tours of Boston’s historic sites and taverns (beer is included!). She is the author of King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father and Boston in the American Revolution: A Town Versus an Empire. Her newest book, Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution, will be released in June 2026 and is now available for pre-order. She is originally from San Diego, CA and has lived in Boston for many years.

Herbert J. Storing Prize: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/storing-award/

Nominations for 2027 Prize due by September 1, 2026

Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution (pre-order): https://www.amazon.com/Cocked-Boozy-Intoxicating-American-Revolution/dp/1641606991

King Hancock: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674271777

Ye Olde Tavern Tours: https://www.yeoldetaverntours.com/

Brooke’s personal website: https://www.brooke-barbier.com/

======

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 73 - The Church and Therapeutic Culture with Albert Norton

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman welcomes Albert Norton back to the show. Bert is a practicing attorney and author of several books on the tension between religion and postmodernism. Today, we specifically consider how understanding this tension might inform the life of modern churches and intellectual discipleship.

His most recent book is The Discovered Self, concerning what he regards as a dangerous inward turn to the therapeutic worldview. We previously discussed his 2023 book, The Mountain and the River: Genesis, Postmodernism, and the Machine, in Episode 40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXdva8y7ghs&list=PL1B7f66VCvfZnkwh_UjXjhXEg5P8dUq0q&index=32

Our conversation addresses themes of postmodernism, universals and particulars, ideology, totalitarianism, fascism, epistemology, Christian intellectuals in the church, and much more.

Bert’s substack, “Sir Toast” - https://albertnorton.substack.com/

The Mountain and the River - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-River-Genesis-Postmodernism-Machine/dp/1943003815?ref_=ast_author_dp

The Discovered Self - https://www.amazon.com/Discovered-Self-Identity-Therapeutic-Age-ebook/dp/B0F1V4LL7B?ref_=ast_author_dp

Check out Bert’s reflections on the 2025 Ciceronian Society conference here: https://albertnorton.substack.com/p/the-ciceronian-society

======

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 72 - Philip Rieff: Cultural Conflict, Religion & the Self (2025 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000

This special episode is an excerpt from a panel at our 2025 annual conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel title was "Philip Rieff: Cultural Conflict, Religion and the Self." After a prayer and brief introduction, we hear the following speakers.

First, Michael Harding of Montgomery College, with "Rieff’s Use of Nietzsche in Deathworks."

Second, William Batchelder of Waynesburg University, on "The Impossibility of Charisma in the Modern Context."

Third, Ethan Alexander-Davey of Campbell University, with "The Role of Elites in Formation and Deformation."

Fourth, Albert Norton, independent scholar, on "Identity in the Therapeutic Age."

Following the fourth speaker is a 13 minute question and answer period.

Mr. Norton was interviewed in Episode 40 of The Sower, and Drs. Harding and Batchelder most recently appeared in Episode 69, an introduction to the work of Philip Rieff. Dr. Alexander-Davey is an occasional host of The Sower. Dr. Anadale's YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristopherAnadale

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider attending our March 2026 annual conference, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/.

0:00 Episode Introduction (Anadale)
2:17 Panel Introduction (Batchelder)
5:38 Nietzsche (Harding)
31:52 Charisma (Batchelder)
50:34 Elites (Alexander-Davey)
1:05:02 Identity (Norton)
1:19:01 Q&A

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Introduction (Anadale)
(00:02:17) - Panel Introduction (Batchelder)
(00:05:38) - Nietzsche (Harding)
(00:31:52) - Charisma (Batchelder)
(00:50:34) - Elites (Alexander-Davey)
(01:05:02) - Identity (Norton)
(01:19:01) - Q&A

EPISODE 71 - Lev Tikhomirov: From Revolutionary to Monarchist

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Еthan Alexander-Davey and Glenn Cronin discuss the life and work of Lev Tikhomirov, who, in his mid thirties, abandoned revolutionary terrorism to become one of the most prominent defenders of the Russian Monarchy and Orthodox Christianity. The conversation focuses on Dr. Cronin’s recent book The Enduring Enigma of Lev Tikhomirov, which surveys the writer’s major works on revolutionary ideology, monarchical government, and the theological roots of the horrors of the 20th century.

Books (in English) mentioned in the podcast:

Works by Glenn Cronin

The Enduring Enigma of Lev Tikhomirov, https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501783449/the-enduring-enigma-of-lev-tikhomirov/#bookTabs=1

Disenchanted Wanderer:The Apocalyptic Vision of Konstantin Leontiev, https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501760181/disenchanted-wanderer/

Works (in English translation) by Lev Tikhomirov

Why I Ceased to be a Revolutionary | Beginnings and Ends, trans. by K. Benois, https://www.amazon.com/Why-Ceased-Revolutionary-Beginnings-Ends/dp/B08LNJKZ96/

That’s it so far. If anyone would like to pay Dr. Cronin or Dr. Alexander-Davey a lot of money to translate Tikhomirov’s major works on monarchy and history, please reach out.

Other books mentioned:

Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution, https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781466805781/fatalpurity/

Thomas Hobbes, Behemoth: Or the Long Parliament, https://archive.org/details/cu31924028063893/page/n156/mode/2up

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon: A brief view and survey of the dangerous and pernicious errors to church and state, in Mr. Hobbes's book, entitled Leviathan, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A33236.0001.001/1:5?rgn=div1&view=fulltext

History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, https://archive.org/details/historyofrebelli01clar/page/n19/mode/2up

Herbert Spencer, Man versus the State, chapter 2, “The Coming Slavery”, https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/spencer-the-man-versus-the-state-1885-ed

EPISODE 70 - Wayne Braudrick on Pastoring and Place

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Dr. Wayne Braudrick, lead pastor at Frisco Bible Church in Frisco, Texas and member of the Ciceronian Society. We discuss intellectual discipleship, the life of the mind among evangelical Christians, preaching, the importance of place for pastors and Bible study, and much more.

Frisco Bible Church: https://friscobiblechurch.snappages.site/

Josh’s article on Intellectual Discipleship: https://circeinstitute.org/blog/intellectual-discipleship

======

Check out our new video podcast, reading through Cicero's On Duties: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 69 - Introduction to Philip Rieff

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

An introduction to the life and work of Philip Rieff (1922-2006), with Bill Batchelder, Michael Harding, and Chris Anadale, contributors to the 2005 volume The Philosophy of Phillip Rieff (Bloomsbury Academic).

Dr. William Batchelder is professor of history and honors program director at Waynesburg University, in southwest Pennsylvania.

Dr. Michael Harding is professor of philosophy and chair of humanities at Montgomery College, in Maryland.

Dr. Christopher Anadale is associate professor of philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University, in Maryland.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

Freud: The Mind of the Moralist - Philip Rieff, Third Edition with Epilogue "One Step Further" https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Mind-Moralist-Philip-Rieff/dp/0226716392?s=books

Susan Sontag Was Not the Sole Author of Freud: The Mind of the Moralist, by Kevin Slack and William Batchelder https://voegelinview.com/susan-sontag-was-not-the-sole-author-of-freud-the-mind-of-the-moralist/

The Triumph of the Therapeutic - Philip Rieff, with an introduction by Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Therapeutic-Background-Essential-Conservative/dp/1932236805?s=books

The Feeling Intellect - Philip Rieff, Edited and with an Introduction by Jonathan Imber https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Intellect-Selected-Writings/dp/0226716422?s=books

My Life Among the Deathworks - Philip Rieff, Edited and with an Introduction by James Davison Hunter https://www.amazon.com/Life-Among-Deathworks-Illustrations-Aesthetics/dp/0813925169?s=books

Crisis of the Officer Class - Philip Rieff, Edited by with an Introduction by Alan Woolfolk https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Order-Social-Officer-Sensibility/dp/0813926769/134-9327847-2012820

Charisma: The Gift of Grace and How It Has Been Taken from Us - Philip Rieff, with a Forward by Daniel Frank and Aaron Manson https://www.amazon.com/Charisma-Gift-Grace-Been-Taken/dp/0375424520?s=books

Ars Vitae - Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn https://www.amazon.com/Ars-Vitae-Inwardness-Return-Ancient/dp/0268108900?s=books

Sociology and the Sacred - Ton Zondervan https://www.amazon.com/Sociology-Sacred-Introduction-Philip-Culture/dp/0802080189?s=books

The Anthem Companion to Philip Rieff - Edited by Jonathan Imber https://www.amazon.com/Anthem-Companion-Phillip-Companions-Sociology/dp/178308152X?s=books

The Philosophy of Philip Rieff - Edited by Michael Harding and William Batchelder https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-of-philip-rieff-9781350424586/

Dune: The Perfect Deathwork - William Batchelder https://modernagejournal.com/dune-the-perfect-deathwork/242023/

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Carl Trueman https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism/dp/1433556332?s=books

EPISODE 68 - Jesus the Tekton (2025 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

This special episode is an excerpt from a plenary panel at our 2025 annual conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel title was "Jesus the Tekton: Restoring Common Arts Education," and two of the four speakers' remarks are included here.

The first speaker is Fr. Mark Perkins of St. Dunstan's Academy. After an opening prayer and introductory remarks, he presents his paper, "Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge."

He is followed by Thomas Fickley, also of St. Dunstan's Academy, presenting on "A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship."

Both men were interviewed in Episode 27 of The Sower, which you can listen to for details about St. Dunstan's.

https://stdunstansacademy.org/

https://youtu.be/1YoLbDSz71Q?si=c6yiKXex2pVRcJI5

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider attending our March 2026 annual conference, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/.

0:00 Episode Introduction (Anadale)
2:03 Panel Introduction (Perkins)
10:57 Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge (Perkins)
28:15 A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship (Fickley)
44:49 Closing Remarks (Bowman)

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Introduction
(00:02:03) - Panel Introduction (Perkins)
(00:10:57) - Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge (Perkins)
(00:28:15) - A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship (Fickley)
(00:44:49) - Closing Remarks (Bowman)

EPISODE 67 - Galloway Woodworks

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale interviews Caleb Galloway, an Anglican woodworker and stained glass artist in Marietta, Georgia. We discuss how he got started, prospects for GenZ young men, and his upcoming project building roadside shrines.

To follow Caleb: https://x.com/Gallo_Woodworks

Orthodox Masonry: https://x.com/orthodoxmason

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society, sign up for our newsletter, or make your tax-deductible donation, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 66 - William Spears, Stoicism, and the Military

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Commander William Spears, who serves as a submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. He is also a scholar, writing on topics of leadership and military ethics. He is the author of the recently released book, Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy (Casemate, 2025), which examines the morality of war and military service through the lens of Stoic philosophy. And that book is our topic today! We discuss the importance of the stoics, virtue, Cicero, Seneca, and more.

Link to the book: https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781636246239/stoicism-as-a-warrior-philosophy/

https://williamcspears.com/

======

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and TO make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 65 - Michael Langer and Faithful Presence

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Rev. Michael Langer, founder and president of Faithful Presence. As explained on its website, “Faithful Presence is a ministry in our nation's capital, equipping servants and leaders to flourish as they participate in Christ’s mission of making all things new through offering intentional spiritual, emotional, relational, vocational, ideological, cultural, and evangelical discipleship.” We discuss the nature of whole-life discipleship, its importance for Christians in the “public square,” and much more.

To learn more, visit: https://faithful-presence.org/about

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 64 - Paul Gutacker and Brazos Fellows

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Paul Gutacker, Executive Director of Brazos Fellows, based in Waco, Texas. Brazos Fellows is an annual program that welcomes a small cohort of emerging adults to commit to a common Rule of Life, embrace a rhythm of prayer, study, work, Sabbath, and community, all rooted in the life and worship of a local parish, Christ Church Waco (ACNA).

To learn more and apply to be a fellow, visit: https://www.brazosfellows.com/

The standard application deadline is March 1.

Applications open on October 1, and the early consideration deadline is December 1.

======

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 63 - Alex Fogleman and Catechesis

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Dr. Alex Fogleman, Associate Dean for Special Programs and Assistant Professor of Theology at Trinity Anglican Seminary, where he oversees the Robert E. Webber Center and the Doctor of Ministry program. He also directs the Catechesis Task Force for the Anglican Church of North America.

He is the author of Knowledge, Faith, and Early Christian Initiation (Cambridge University Press, 2023), and the subject of this episode, Making Disciples: Catechesis in History, Theology, and Practice (Eerdmans, 2025), which received awards of merit from The Gospel Coalition and Christianity Today.

We dive into church history, Christian formation, discipleship, catechesis, place, friendship, and much more.

Buy the book here:
https://www.eerdmans.com/9781467467759/making-disciples/

Robert E. Webber Center
https://tas.edu/webber/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 62 - Christmas Traditions Roundtable

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman is joined by John D. Wilsey, James Patterson, Claire Baker, and Annie Crawford for an entertaining reflection on the seasons of Advent and Christmas. We discuss holiday favorites and how the Ciceronian themes of Tradition, Place, and ‘Things Divine’ come alive this time of year.

If you enjoy conversations like this, please consider registering for our upcoming conference, March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

Merry Christmas!

EPISODE 61 - The Apostolic Age Ahead

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman reflects on where the Ciceronian Society has been in 2025 and where we’re going in 2026. He also offers some commentary on where we as Christians find ourselves socially and culturally, and what that means for institutions like ours.

If you’re grateful for this Podcast and for the work of the Ciceronian Society, please prayerfully consider a year-end gift. There are several ways to give, with more information found here: https://ciceroniansociety.org/donate/

To learn more about the upcoming conference and to register, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/

Link to From Christendom to Apostolic Mission, published by the Univ. of Mary: https://bookstore.umary.edu/MerchDetail?MerchID=1638495&num=0&start=9&end=12&type=1&CategoryName=Books&CatID=29630&Name=Books#.YPb7oRNKhTZ

EPISODE 60 - Love of Place and Sustainable Environmentalism

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale and Bill Batchelder interview Madeleine Austin, winner of the 2025 Batchelder Award for the Study of Place. Her winning paper was titled "An Everyman's Environmentalism: Love of Place as a Virtue."

Madeleine lives in Pittsboro, North Carolina with her husband, Joshua. She is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, where she completed her MA in Political Theory in 2024.

Chris is podcast editor for the Ciceronian Society and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Bill is chairman of the Ciceronian Society and Professor of History at Waynesburg University. The Batchelder Award was established in memory of Bill’s father.

More about the Batchelder Award: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/batchelder-award/

Recent essay by Madeleine: https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2025/08/the-way-from-st-martins-on-the-virtue-of-paths/

0:00 Introduction

1:45 About the Batchelder Award

7:21 Conversation

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:01:45) - About the Batchelder Award
(00:07:21) - Conversation

EPISODE 59 - Orthodox Social Thought

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with the Acton Institute’s Dylan Pahman about his new book, The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought (Ancient Faith Press). We discuss the history of, and possibilities for, Orthodox Christianity in its engagement with questions of social and economic thought.

Buy the book here: https://store.ancientfaith.com/the-kingdom-of-god-and-the-common-good-orthodox-christian-social-thought/

St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute: https://cabasilasinstitute.org/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 58 - Inspirations for Classical Education (2025 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

This special episode is a recording from our 2025 Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel is "Inspirations for Classical Education," and the speakers are:

Stephen McGinley (Mount St. Mary's University & Good Soil Farm) - "Festivity, Education, and Farming"

Gerald Boersma (Ave Maria University) - "A Pagan Paideia and the Contested Ressourcement of the Fathers"

Mary Clare Young (University of Virginia) - "The Virtuous Classroom: Lessons from a Roman Educator"

Mandi Gerth (University of Dallas) - "The Poetic Discipline: Lousie Cowan and the Necessity of Literature in Liberal Education"

If you like this panel, please consider attending our next conference, March 12-14, 2026, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

0:00 Episode Introduction

1:56 Panel Introduction

3:28 McGinley

28:25 Boersma

49:38 Young

1:09:41 Gerth

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Introduction
(00:01:56) - Panel Introduction
(00:03:28) - McGinley
(00:28:25) - Boersma
(00:49:38) - Gerth
(01:09:41) - Young

EPISODE 57 - Winston Brady and The Inferno

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Winston Brady of Thales Press and Thales Academy about his evocative and moving novel, The Inferno (Fidelis Press, 2023). We discuss the nature of sin and repentance, as well as themes of vice, evil, greed, American History, suicide, depression, and Hell. Winston’s story, creatively described in his novel, is a testimony of God’s redeeming love and forgiveness.

** This episode discusses suicide and may contain content that is disturbing to some. Listener discretion is advised. Also, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek immediate help from a professional or from emergency services. For example, dial 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. **

Buy the book here: https://www.fidelispublishing.com/authors/winston-brady

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 56 - Theological Perspectives on the Market (2025 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This special episode is a recording from our 2025 Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel is "Theological Perspectives on the Market," and the speakers are:

John Robinson (James Madison University) - "Scarcity, Isolation, and Dependence: Economic Insight in CS Lewis's The Great Divorce"

Erik Matson (Mercatus Center) - "Economics and Evil"

Paul Radich (Catholic University of America) - "From the Invisible Hand to the Inexorable Hammer: Cosmological Affinity between Adam Smith and Karl Marx"

Dylan Pahman (Acton Institute) - "The Fourth Face of Power: Toward a Pure Theory of Friendship"

If you like this panel, please consider attending our next conference, March 12-14, 2026, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

0:00 Episode Introduction

1:56 Panel Introduction

4:15 Robinson

15:30 Matson

32:47 Radich

47:28 Pahman

1:07:31 Q & A

To find out more about our activities, sign up for our newsletter, or make your tax-deductible gift, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Introduction
(00:01:56) - Panel Introduction
(00:04:15) - Robinson
(00:15:30) - Matson
(00:32:47) - Radich
(00:47:28) - Pahman
(01:07:31) - Q & A

EPISODE 55 - Robert Nisbet's The Social Philosophers

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman leads a discussion on the recently republished 1973 book The Social Philosophers: Community and Conflict in Western Thought (American Philosophical Society Press, 2025) by the American sociologist Robert Nisbet (1913-1996). Joining him are Luke Sheahan of Duquesne University, author of the foreword to this edition, and Paul Mueller of the American Institute for Economic Research.

Nisbet’s book focuses on the historical development of communities that he categorizes as military, political, religious, revolutionary, ecological, and plural. Which community is dominant today? What are communities even for?

To check out the book itself, go to: https://www.amphilsoc.org/publications/social-philosophers-community-and-conflict-western-thought

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 54 - Aristocratic Voices Roundtable (2025 Academy of Philosophy & Letters Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This special episode is a recording of a panel at the June 2025 meeting of the Academy of Philosophy and Letters in College Park, Maryland. We are grateful to the APL for their permission to publish this recording.

The panel is titled "Book Roundtable – Aristocratic Voices: Forgotten Arguments about Virtue, Authority, and Inequality" and the panelists are:

Ethan Alexander-Davey, Campbell University, “Aristocracy and the Forms That Fit”

Matthew T. Cantirino, The University of Dallas, “Henry Adams: Aristocracy in an American?”

Luke C. Sheahan, Duquesne University, “Authority, Hierarchy, and the Social Bond in the Aristocratic Thought of Robert Nisbet”

Michael Federici, Middle Tennessee State University, “Irving Babbitt on Democracy and Leadership”

Michael Harding, Montgomery College, “Against the Tarantulas: Nietzsche on Aristocracy”

To find out more about our activities, sign up for our newsletter, or make your tax-deductible gift, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

To learn more about the APL and their programs, visit https://philosophyandletters.org/

The APL 2025 Conference schedule is here: https://philosophyandletters.org/2025/02/14/2025-conference-schedule/

0:00 Introduction

7:51 Ethan Alexander-Davey, Panel Introduction

20:52 Matthew Cantirino on Henry Adams

37:13 Luke Sheahan on Robert Nisbet

49:35 Michael Federici on Irving Babbit

1:01:09 Michael Harding on Nietzsche's Tarantulas

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:07:51) - Alexander-Davey
(00:20:52) - Cantirino
(00:37:13) - Sheahan
(00:49:35) - Federici
(01:01:09) - Harding

EPISODE 53 - Kevin Lewis Jr. and TakeCharge

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Kevin DeJuan Lewis Jr., the state of Michigan’s director for an organization called TakeCharge. “TakeCharge is committed to supporting the notion that the promise of America is available to everyone regardless of race or social station.” The organization focuses primarily on renewing families, marriages, and faith among Black Americans.

To learn more, visit https://takechargeus.com/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 52 - The Gifts of Christian Humanism (2025 Conference Panel)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This special episode is a recording from our 2025 Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel is "The Gifts of Christian Humanism," and the speakers are:

Chris Armstrong (Anselm House) - "Twentieth Century Christian Humanism and the Retrieval of the Premodern Real"

Darrell Falconburg (Russell Kirk Center) - "Christian Humanism and the Renewal of Education"

Jason Jewell (State University System of Florida) - "Irving Babbitt and the Natural Law"

If you like this panel, please consider attending our next conference, March 12-14, 2026, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

0:00 Introduction
1:34 Biographies & Prayer
4:43 Armstrong
24:52 Falconburg
44:09 Jewell
1:02:52 Q & A

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:01:34) - Biographies & Prayer
(00:04:43) - Armstrong
(00:24:52) - Falconburg
(00:44:09) - Jewell
(01:02:52) - Q & A

EPISODE 51 - Joy Moore and the Mystery of Friendship

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman speaks with Joy Moore, a Nebraska native, mother, and writer now living in South Dakota. She is also an adjunct law professor at the Univ. of South Dakota. This episode focuses on her newest project concerning the topic of friendship.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. We hope you’ll join us! Register here: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 13 - Nate Roberts and the Michigan Academy of Folk Music (2023)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman interviews Nate Roberts, founder of the Michigan Academy of Folk Music (MAFM). (This 2025 episode combines 2 episodes previously published in 2023.)

In the first half of this episode, we talk through Nate and MAFM’s approach to music education and its overlap with classical education, homeschooling, and more. In the second half, we talk about the role of music in discipleship and moral and spiritual formation generally.

https://www.mifolkmusic.com/

Listeners may be interested to hear some of Nate’s recordings. Search for the following albums where you listen to music:

Unadorned and Commonplace by Hayes Griffin & Nate Roberts

Structures by Nate Roberts and Doug Scheuerell

Dendrophilia by Nate Roberts Trio

The Meaning of a Tree by the Field Hymnal

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter and to register for our upcoming conference.

https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 50 - Konstantin Leontiev: The Russian Orthodox Nietzsche

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Ethan Alexander-Davey and Glenn Cronin discuss the penetrating insights of the 19th century Russian Orthodox writer Konstantin Leontiev, an aristocratic voice who has become an important figure in Russian intellectual and political life since 1991, but remains unknown in the West. The conversation focuses on Dr. Cronin’s recent book, Disenchanted Wanderer: The Apocalyptic Vision of Konstantin Leontiev. Leontiev’s political philosophy combines a Nietzschean aestheticism with Orthodox Christian culture, which he called “Byzantinism.”

Works by Glenn Cronin

Disenchanted Wanderer: The Apocalyptic Vision of Konstantin Leontiev

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501760181/disenchanted-wanderer/

The Enduring Enigma of Lev Tikhomirov

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501783456/the-enduring-enigma-of-lev-tikhomirov/#bookTabs=1

Works by Ethan Alexander-Davey

Aristocratic Souls in Democratic Times

https://www.amazon.com/Aristocratic-Souls-Democratic-Political-Theory/dp/1498553265/

Aristocracy and the Καλλίπολις: Konstantin Leontiev and the Politics of ‘Flourishing Complexity'

https://www.academia.edu/44382561/Aristocracy_and_the_%CE%9A%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%82_Konstantin_Leontiev_and_the_Politics_of_Flourishing_Complexity

Konstantin Leontiev in English

Byzantinism and Slavdom

https://www.amazon.com/Byzantinism-Slavdom-Konstantin-Leontiev/dp/B08LNLCLCL/

Lev Tikhomirov in English

Why I Ceased to be a Revolutionary

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Ceased-Revolutionary-Beginnings-Ends/dp/B08LNJKZ96/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
2:09 Who is KL?

6:48 Why read KL?

11:26 Two Stories About KL

17:57 Aestheticism

24:48 Orthodoxy

31:01 Theory of Civilizational Development

36:49 Nationalist, but Against Ethnic Nationalism

41:25 Criticisms of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy

48:45 Augustine's Influence

54:42 Next Book

EPISODE 49 - Paul DeHart on Natural Law, Consent, and the Social Contract

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with his longtime friend and former professor, Paul R. Dehart on his new book, The Social Contract in the Ruins: Natural Law and Government by Consent (Univ. of Missouri, 2024). DeHart is Professor of Political Science at Texas State University.

DeHart argues that modern attempts to root political obligation and morality in contractarian thought on voluntarist terms are self-referentially incoherent as well as a normative failure. What implications might this have for the American Founding and Constitutional thought? Can the classical natural law tradition get along with social contract theory? Is social contract theory worth saving? Does the “consent of the governed” even matter?

We discuss this and much more, giving attention to thinkers such as Aristotle, Cicero, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Althuisus, Richard Hooker, and many others.

Dr. DeHart’s profile at Texas State University https://faculty.txst.edu/profile/1922208

His Books:

The Social Contract in the Ruins: Natural Law and Government by Consent (Univ. of Missouri, 2024) https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826223050/the-social-contract-in-the-ruins/

Uncovering the Constitution's Moral Design (Univ. of Missouri, 2017) https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826221308/uncovering-the-constitutions-moral-design/

Also mentioned:

The Foundations of Modern Political Thought, Vol. 2: The Age of Reformation, by Quentin Skinner

And works by Francis Oakeley, J. Budziszewski, A. John Simmons, Brian Tierney, and others.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
3:38 Social Contract Theory
14:30 SCT vs Natural Law Tradition
24:23 Why It Fails
38:01 American Founding
52:24 Covenantal Realism
1:12:19 How to Handle Disagreements
1:23:18 First Principles
1:26:57 Paucity of Consent

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:03:38) - Social Contract Theory
(00:14:30) - SCT vs Natural Law Tradition
(00:24:23) - Why It Fails
(00:38:01) - American Founding
(00:52:24) - Covenantal Realism
(01:12:19) - How to Handle Disagreements
(01:23:18) - First Principles
(01:26:57) - Paucity of Consent

EPISODE 48 - Aristocratic Voices Then and Now

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman leads a discussion of Aristocratic Voices: Forgotten Arguments about Virtue, Authority, and Inequality (Lexington Books, 2025) co-edited by Richard Avramenko and Ethan Alexander-Davey. Ethan joins us for the talk along with two chapter authors, Luke Sheahan and Michael Harding.

Our conversation covers a lot of ground, considering the thought of W.H. Riehl, Robert Nisbet, and Nietzsche, as well as some discussion of Hegel, Cicero, Tocqueville, Burke, Philip Rieff, the French Revolution and much more.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/aristocratic-voices-9781666933147/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
3:37 Three Implications of Inequality
13:41 Nisbet's Diagnosis
19:42 Bureaucracy as New Elite?
23:07 Nietzsche
36:37 Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl
47:27 Lack of Courage
53:22 Tarantulas, Eternal Recurrence
59:52 Nisbet & Civic Associations
1:08:08 Next Research Steps

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:03:37) - Three Implications of Inequality
(00:13:41) - Nisbet's Diagnosis
(00:19:42) - Bureaucracy as New Elite?
(00:23:07) - Nietzsche
(00:36:37) - Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl
(00:47:27) - Lack of Courage
(00:53:22) - Tarantulas, Eternal Recurrence
(00:59:52) - Nisbet & Civic Associations
(01:08:08) - Next Research Steps

EPISODE 47 - Building Places of Intellectual Community (2025 Conference Roundtable)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This special episode is a recording from our 2025 Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The round table title is "Building Places of Intellectual Community," and the speakers are:

Paul Mueller (American Institute for Economic Research)

Jeff Nelson (The Russell Kirk Center)

Zach Howard (Bethlehem College)

After Q&A, there are remarks by Josh Bowman, Bill Batchelder, and James Patterson (Ciceronian Society).

If you like this panel, please consider attending our next conference, March 12-14, 2026, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-registration/

0:00 Episode Introduction

2:30 Panel Introduction

7:06 Mueller

17:30 Nelson

35:48 Howard

53:35 Q & A

1:22:41 Bowman

1:32:07 Batchelder

1:41:05 Patterson

1:53:07 Song

Links:

https://aier.org/

https://aier.org/people/paul-mueller/

https://bcsmn.edu/

https://bcsmn.edu/profile/zach-howard/

https://kirkcenter.org/

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/batchelder-award/

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/lawler/

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Episode Introduction
(00:02:30) - Roundtable Introduction
(00:07:06) - Mueller
(00:17:30) - Nelson
(00:35:48) - Howard
(00:53:35) - Q & A
(01:22:41) - Bowman
(01:32:07) - Batchelder
(01:41:05) - Patterson
(01:53:07) - Song

EPISODE 46 - Michael C. Maibach and the Herbert J. Storing Prize

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Michael Maibach about his former teacher, Herbert J. Storing, and the book prize now offered in honor of professor Storing. We also discuss Michael’s work overall, and his particular interest in the electoral college.

Mr. Maibach is a native of Illinois where, in 1972, he became the first American elected to public office under 21-years of age in US history while a college student. His 40-year career in international business included working for the Intel Corporation and later as President & CEO of the European-American Business Council. Today he serves on several non-profit Boards, including as an advisor to the Ciceronian Society and as a Trustee and Managing Director of the James Wilson Institute. In addition, he travels around the U.S. giving talks about the Founders’ Constitution and its Electoral College design to students and civic groups for Save Our States. https://saveourstates.com/

To learn more about the Storing Prize and to nominate a recent book on the American Founding Era, go to: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/storing-award/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-cfp/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 45 - The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference & the Menard Family Center for Economic Inquiry

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman shares some information on the upcoming 2026 conference in Omaha, NE before turning to the Menard Family Center for Economic Inquiry at Creighton University. He’s joined by economic scholars Dr. Colin O’Reilly and Dr. Michael D. Thomas.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. Click here to propose a paper and learn more: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2026-conference-cfp/

Nominate a book for the Herbert J. Storing Prize by September 1, 2025: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/storing-award/

Menard Family Center for Economic Inquiry: https://www.creighton.edu/menard-center-for-economic-inquiry

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 About the Ciceronian Society
8:00 The Menard Family Center
11:21 Vocation of a Catholic Economist
15:10 Different Views of Poverty
20:49 Omaha
30:15 Economists at CS
36:11 How to Learn More about MFC & Creighton University

Chapters

(00:00:00) - About the Ciceronian Society
(00:08:00) - The Menard Family Center
(00:11:21) - Vocation of a Catholic Economist
(00:15:10) - Different Views of Poverty
(00:20:49) - Omaha
(00:30:15) - Economists at CS
(00:36:11) - How to Learn More about MFC & Creighton University

EPISODE 44 - Thales Academy, College, and Press with Josh Herring and Winston Brady

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Winston Brady of Thales Press and Thales Academy, along with Josh Herring of Thales College in North Carolina. We discuss the definition, style, future, purpose, and beauty of classical education, along with its relationship to place and the Ciceronian Society generally.

Thales Academy: https://www.thalesacademy.org/
Thales Press: https://www.thalespress.org/
Thales College: https://www.thalescollege.org/

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
1:59 Why Thales
7:27 Founding
10:35 What is Classical Education
18:01 Curriculum & Press
26:22 College & Certificate
33:34 Out of Higher Ed
44:43 Place
55:56 Looking Ahead
1:09:24 Ciceronian Crossover
1:16:59 To Learn More about Thales

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:01:59) - Why Thales
(00:07:27) - Founding
(00:10:35) - What is Classical Education
(00:18:01) - Curriculum & Press
(00:26:22) - College & Certificate
(00:33:34) - Out of Higher Ed
(00:44:43) - Place
(00:55:56) - Looking Ahead
(01:09:24) - Ciceronian Crossover
(01:16:59) - To Learn More about Thales

EPISODE 10 - Harmel Academy, a Catholic Trade School (2023)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with David Michael Phelps, president of Harmel Academy. (This 2025 episode combines 2 episodes previously published in 2023.)

Harmel Academy is a post-secondary Catholic trade school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, pioneering an exciting new strategy for the formation and education of men. To learn more, go to https://www.harmelacademy.org/

Select books mentioned:

A. G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life https://www.cuapress.org/9780813206462/the-intellectual-life/

Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301618/shop-class-as-soulcraft-by-matthew-b-crawford/

Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html

Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World https://svspress.com/for-the-life-of-the-world-new-edition/

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 43 - Carl Richard on the American Founders’ Classical and Christian Inheritance

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Dr. Carl Richard, Professor of History at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Dr. Richard has spent decades recovering the impact of the ancient Greeks and Romans on the American Founders and on American history generally. He has also turned to the influence of the Bible and Christianity on America’s founding, and now to the history of the Presidency.

We begin by talking about the classics, including Cicero, before turning to his more recent books on the Bible’s impact, including his newest volume, So Help Us God: American Presidents and the Bible (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025). https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/so-help-us-god-9798881806330/

Carl’s Books:

The Founders and the Classics: Greece, Rome, and the American Enlightenment (Harvard, 1994)
Twelve Greeks and Romans Who Changed the World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)
The Battle for the American Mind: A Brief History of a Nation's Thought (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004)
Greeks and Romans Bearing Gifts: How the Ancients Inspired the Founding Fathers (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008)
The Golden Age of the Classics in America: Greece, Rome, and the Antebellum United States (Harvard, 2009)
Why We're All Romans: The Roman Contribution to the Western World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010)
When the United States Invaded Russia: Woodrow Wilson's Siberian Disaster (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013)
The Founders and the Bible (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016)

He has also contributed a host of essays to edited volumes, including two books published by Oxford University Press.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
2:30 Inspiration
4:13 Golden Age
7:47 Arguments For and Against the Classics
20:04 Familiarity and Peculiarity
25:53 Cicero
32:06 The Founders and the Bible
44:11 Prayer
49:59 The Future
56:26 Opportunities

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:02:30) - Inspiration
(00:04:13) - Golden Age
(00:07:47) - Arguments For and Against the Classics
(00:20:04) - Familiarity and Peculiarity
(00:25:53) - Cicero
(00:32:06) - The Founders and the Bible
(00:44:11) - Prayer
(00:49:59) - The Future
(00:56:26) - Opportunities

EPISODE 42 - Jack Ferguson and the American Founding's Debt to Cicero

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with legal scholar Jack Ferguson about his recent article exploring Cicero’s impact on the American Founders. We discuss natural law, republicanism, executive power, and more.

Jack’s article is “The Ciceronian Origins of American Law and Constitutionalism” from The Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, which can be found here: https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jlpp/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/2025/03/Ferguson-Ciceronian-Origins.pdf

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Why Care About Cicero?
10:00 Part 1 - Cicero's Influence
16:21 Part 2 - Law of Nature & Law of Nations
19:47 Common Law
23:09 Judicial Review
27:45 Part 3 - Republicanism
32:58 Personal Character
36:42 Part 4- Executive Authority
42:57 Cicero's Authority with the Founders

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Why Care About Cicero?
(00:10:00) - Part 1 - Cicero's Influence
(00:16:21) - Part 2 - Law of Nature & Law of Nations
(00:19:47) - Common Law
(00:23:09) - Judicial Review
(00:27:45) - Part 3- Republicanism
(00:32:58) - Personal Character
(00:36:42) - Part 4 - Executive Authority
(00:42:57) - Cicero's Authority with the Founders

EPISODE 41 - Matthew Chambers and the Immortal Soul in Christian Doctrine

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This episode concludes a series interviewing our first ever cohort of conference fellows. Josh Bowman talks with Matthew Chambers, a Nisbet Fellow, who teaches humanities at ECPI University in Virginia Beach and who is also entering his dissertation phase as a PhD Candidate in Humanities at Faulkner University. We discuss the relationship between the teachings of the early church and that of the Ancient Greeks, especially Plato and the idea of an immortal soul.

Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
2:38 Plato and Immortality
12:01 Incarnation
19:15 Imago Dei
30:25 Stakes
41:02 Unique Cuisine

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:02:38) - Plato and Immortality
(00:12:01) - Incarnation
(00:19:15) - Imago Dei
(00:30:25) - Stakes
(00:41:02) - Unique Cuisine

EPISODE 9 - Glenn Moots and Christian Nationalism (2023)

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

James Patterson joins Dr. Glenn Moots for a conversation on Christian Nationalism. (This 2025 episode combines 2 episodes previously published in 2023.)

Glenn Moots is a prolific writer and teacher from Northwood University in Michigan. Learn more about Glenn Moots here: https://www.northwood.edu/directory/faculty/glenn-moots/

Glenn’s adapted talk from the National Conservative conference, which he references, can be found here: https://lawliberty.org/american-separationism/

EPISODE 40 - Resisting Postmodernism with Albert Norton

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Albert Norton, a practicing attorney and author of several books on the tension between religion and postmodernism. His most recent book is The Discovered Self, just released, concerning what he regards as a dangerous inward turn to the therapeutic worldview.

Our main topic is his 2023 book The Mountain and the River: Genesis, Postmodernism, and the Machine. Our conversation addresses themes of postmodernism, universals and particulars, ideology, totalitarianism, fascism, epistemology, Christian intellectuals in the church, and much more.

Bert’s substack, “Sir Toast” - https://albertnorton.substack.com/

The Mountain and the River - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-River-Genesis-Postmodernism-Machine/dp/1943003815?ref_=ast_author_dp

The Discovered Self - https://www.amazon.com/Discovered-Self-Identity-Therapeutic-Age-ebook/dp/B0F1V4LL7B?ref_=ast_author_dp

Check out Bert’s reflections on the recent Ciceronian Society conference here: https://albertnorton.substack.com/p/the-ciceronian-society

Mentioned in this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Bees

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
4:00 Postmodernism
9:30 Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
14:02 The Mountain and the River
19:52 Differentiation
24:08 Balance
33:04 The Machine
40:11 Fascism
44:03 Church & Zeitgeist
49:05 Tragic Sense
54:27 Discovered Self
58:13 Emotions
1:02:19 Need for Community

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:04:00) - Postmodernism
(00:09:30) - Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
(00:14:02) - The Mountain and the River
(00:19:52) - Differentiation
(00:24:08) - Balance
(00:33:04) - The Machine
(00:40:11) - Fascism
(00:44:03) - Church & Zeitgeist
(00:49:05) - Tragic Sense
(00:54:27) - Discovered Self
(00:58:13) - Emotions
(01:02:19) - Need for Community

EPISODE 39 - Sean Sirks on Math, Metaphysics, and King Lear

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000

This episode continues a series interviewing our first ever cohort of conference fellows. Here, Josh talks with Sean Sirks, a graduate student at Virginia Tech and one of this year’s Nisbet Fellows. We discuss the philosophy of mathematics, numbers, metaphysics, and Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. (https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/)

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

2:36 Philosophy of Math

7:51 The One and the Many

11:00 Cosmology

14:32 King Lear

17:25 Nominalism vs Realism

25:51 Reflections on the Conference

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction
(00:02:36) - Philosophy of Math
(00:07:51) - The One and the Many
(00:11:00) - Cosmology
(00:14:32) - King Lear
(00:17:25) - Nominalism vs Realism
(00:25:51) - Reflections on the Conference

EPISODE 38 - Jenna Robinson, the James G. Martin Center, and Reforming Teacher Education

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 18 May 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. We specifically address the Martin Center’s advocacy for reforming teacher education through public policy at the state level, and especially as it pertains to reading. We also hit on the philosophy of education, indoctrination, pedagogy, and the notion of “place” in the development of teachers.

To read more from the Martin Center, visit: https://jamesgmartin.center/

As noted, the 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Panel and paper proposals are due September 1, 2025.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

1:59 What the Martin Center Is

3:04 Blueprint for Reading

7:27 What Rousseau Gets Wrong

14:25 Philosophy of Education

23:18 Scientism, Contextual Knowledge

28:47 Purpose of Education

36:38 Indoctrination vs Education

44:25 Place and Teacher Education

49:45 Next Steps

EPISODE 37 - T. Michael Wise on Manifest Destiny and Providence Then and Now

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 04 May 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman continues a series interviewing our first ever cohort of Ciceronian Society Conference fellows, talking with Nisbet Fellow T. Michael Wise of Sunbury, Ohio. Michael is a retired licensed funeral director completing his Ph.D at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the Historical & Theological Studies Department under Dr. John D. Wilsey. His research interests are in the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras, particularly in the doctrines of providence and just war theory. Our conversation ranges over these topics, including the idea of Manifest Destiny and its eerie prescience for modern politics. We also discuss the role of scholars in the church.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction
6:14 Manifest Destiny
10:26 Popular Support
16:12 Four Kinds of Manifest Destiny
24:17 Role of Intellectuals in the Church
27:29 Funeral Director
30:53 Ciceronian Society Mission

EPISODE 36 - Human Scale and Urban Renewal with Rachel Ferguson

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Chris Anadale interviews Rachel Ferguson about neighborhood stabilization, human scale, building social & racial trust, and causes for hope in the cities. Dr. Ferguson is director of the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University of Chicago, an Affiliated Scholar at the Acton Institute, and a member of the Ciceronian Society advisory board.

Links to People, Books, and Organizations mentioned in this episode:

Seth Kaplan, https://sethkaplan.org/
Bob Lupton, https://www.luptoncenter.org/
Toxic Charity, https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Charity-Churches-Charities-Reverse/dp/0062076213
Bob Woodson, https://woodsoncenter.org/about-us/meet-our-founder/
John Perkins, https://johnmperkins.com/
True Charity, https://www.truecharity.us/
Chalmers Center, https://chalmers.org/
The Crisis of Dependency, https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Dependency-Efforts-Poverty-Trapping/dp/162586289X
Jane Jacobs, Eyes on the Street, https://www.npr.org/2016/09/28/495615064/eyes-on-the-street-details-jane-jacobs-efforts-to-put-cities-first
Love the Lou, https://www.lovethelou.com/
Marvin Olasky, https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-American-Compassion-Marvin-Olasky/dp/089526725X
When Helping Hurts, https://www.amazon.com/When-Helping-Hurts-Alleviate-Yourself/dp/0802409989
Becoming Whole, https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Whole-Opposite-Poverty-American/dp/0802401589/
Chris Arnade, https://www.amazon.com/Dignity-Seeking-Respect-Back-America-ebook/dp/B079WNP94J

Rachel Ferguson links:

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society, our events, this Podcast, and our journal Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to: https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

7:40 Scale

13:40 Place

17:56 Philosophy

24:31 Race

31:13 Resources

35:30 Trust

41:14 Hope

EPISODE 35 - Theodore Madrid on John Carroll and the Commercial Republic

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Theodore Madrid, a Ph.D. candidate studying politics at Hillsdale College's Graduate School of Statesmanship. This episode begins a series interviewing our first ever cohort of conference fellows. Theodore is specifically a “Nisbet Fellow,” and our conversation ranges over the work of John Carroll, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, religious liberty, and the role of commercialism and republicanism at the American Founding.

We also both mention, and strongly recommend, this related book: Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America, by Michael D. Breidenbach. (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674247239)

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

7:20 Dissertation on John Carroll

11:59 Research

16:36 Conference

19:46 Nisbet Fellowship

21:37 Paper

28:24 1st point Independence

33:57 2nd point Pluralism

38:33 3rd point Luxury

47:10 4th point Dependence

54:30 Fasting

EPISODE 34 - John Wilsey, Religious Freedom, and Conservatism

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with John D. Wilsey about his new book Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2025) https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802881908/religious-freedom/, which will be released April 24, 2025.

John is Professor of Church History and Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Church History and Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. For a lengthier bio, visit: https://www.sbts.edu/faculty/john-d-wilsey/

We discuss Wilsey’s concept of “aspirational conservatism,” along with questions of religion and politics, nationality, the black conservative tradition, Russell Kirk, Peter Viereck and more.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

2:55 Background for the Book

7:01 Aspirational Conservatism

15:39 Peter Viereck

22:00 Black Conservatism

26:33 Conservatism and Religion

34:00 Conservatism and Nationality

EPISODE 33 - Richard Brookhiser, John Trumbull, and Painting the American Revolution

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with historian Richard Brookhiser, a senior editor of National Review ( https://www.nationalreview.com/ ) and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute ( https://nrinstitute.org/ ). He is a prolific author of many books, mostly on the American Founders and their ideas, and many other articles and essays besides.

We specifically discuss Brookhiser’s new biography of American painter, John Trumbull (1756 - 1843), entitled Glorious Lessons (Yale Univ., 2024) https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300283310/glorious-lessons/

Richard Brookhiser Website: https://richardbrookhiser.com/

Many paintings by John Trumbull are available online at the Yale University Art Gallery: https://artgallery.yale.edu/collection?f%5B0%5D=creator%3AArtist%3A%20John%20Trumbull%20%28American%2C%201756%E2%80%931843%29

Declaration of Independence (painting)

https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/69

Battle of Bunker’s Hill

https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/41

The Resignation of General Washington

https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/124

To learn more about the Herbert J. Storing Book Prize, and to make a nomination, visit:

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/storing-award/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

2:27 Who John Trumbull Was

5:53 Battle of Bunker's Hill

12:44 Spy Arrest

16:08 Jefferson's Wingman

18:26 Declaration of Independence

26:00 Washington's Resignation

35:23 Historical Painting

41:28 Displaced

45:23 Other Opportunities

EPISODE 32 - The Benedictine Book Binder

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Matthew K. Michels OblSB, who is a professional bookbinder and writer, and the owner of Black Cowl Bindery. He is also an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict associated with Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

In addition to talking about the craft of bookbinding, we also discuss the idea of human scale, running a small business, common arts education, the trades, vocation, virtue, localism, Westerns, beer, and more! It's also painfully obvious that you're listening to two Midwesterners.

Check out Black Cowl Bindery at https://www.blackcowlbindery.com/

We mentioned and highly recommend Matthew Crawford’s book, Shop Class as Soulcraft, though we apologize for getting the name wrong. (We said “shop craft” instead): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301618/shop-class-as-soulcraft-by-matthew-b-crawford/

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

1:56 What a Bookbinder Does

5:48 How He Got Started

10:00 Common Arts Education

16:15 Why Tradesmen Should Read

19:36 Glorifying God Through the Trades

25:10 Small Business

34:17 Local Connections

39:31 Westerns and Masculine Virtue

46:55 Where to Learn More

EPISODE 31 - Nick Ellis and Place-Based Education

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Nick Ellis, Founder and CEO of Christian Halls International, whose mission is to “strengthen local communities by offering Christ-centered tutorial-based education that fosters intellectual, spiritual, and vocational formation.”

We discuss the idea of place, place-based education, the classical education movement, the future of universities, and more.

To learn more about this exciting example of educational entrepreneurship, visit https://christianhalls.org/

Dr. Nicholas Ellis of Christian Halls International at TPUSA Faith's The Believers Summit - https://youtu.be/e2gHWgX3-jw?si=yFLIvHN_JWjvmY9v

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

2:10 What Christian Halls Is

20:42 Placeless Academics

27:35 Martial Arts Dojo Model

34:27 Define Place

42:20 Obstacles

47:48 Renewed Telos of Education

53:22 Next Steps

EPISODE 30 - Reading and Translating Fabrice Hadjadj with Josh Kraut

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Joshua Kraut, Associate Professor of French at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Dr. Kraut is currently studying and translating the works of contemporary French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj (b. 1971), who is the topic of this conversation.

Click here for two translated books by Hadjadj:https://ignatius.com/authors/fabrice-hadjadj/

Joshua Kraut's talk for the Saint Benedict Institute on Hadhadj: https://youtu.be/tpF9_JDKJ34?si=oj_w8k1xUpkARyvz

Hadjadj also directs the Philanthropos Institute: https://www.philanthropos.org/

Joshua Kraut’s profile at Hope College: https://hope.edu/directory/people/kraut-josh/index.html

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Introduction

3:03 The French GK Chesterton

7:25 Catholic Conversion

15:20 Sabbath of the Earth

27:05 Relinquishment

34:20 Stewardship

EPISODE 29 - Simon Tarr and the Regent Honors College

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:26:00 +0000

Josh Bowman talks with Simon Tarr, dean of both The Honors College and the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University. We discuss Christian higher education, what an “honors college” is - or could be - and the idea of prestige.

To learn more about the Honors College, visit: https://www.regent.edu/honors-college/

The Regent University Honors College is Tullia Sponsor for the upcoming Ciceronian Society Conference, March 13-15, 2025 in Harrisonburg, VA.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

0:00 Antarctica

4:19 Virtual Reality

7:07 Honors College, What Is It?

13:07 Renewal-Based Model

19:47 Presence of Grace in Education

27:49 Prestige

38:23 Rethinking Higher Education

EPISODE 28 - Good Soil, Good Sowers, and Intellectual Discipleship

The Ciceronian Society — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 12:30:04 +0000

Josh Bowman shares some end of year reflections on where the Ciceronian Society has been, where we’re headed, and why we believe our resilient and growing band of Christian intellectuals is doing something important.

To give to the Ciceronian Society, visit: https://ciceroniansociety.org/donate/

To register for the 2025 Conference, visit: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-registration/

To submit a manuscript to Pietas, go to: https://ciceroniansociety.org/journal/call-for-papers/

“The Watchmen” by Alan Jacobs (Harper’s Magazine, Sept. 2016): https://harpers.org/archive/2016/09/the-watchmen/

EPISODE 27 - St. Dunstan's Academy, an Anglican Boarding School

The Ciceronian Society — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:00:03 +0000

Josh Bowman speaks with the headmaster and founder of St. Dunstan’s Academy, Thomas Fickley, and Fr. Mark Perkins, who serves as their chaplain and assistant headmaster.

St. Dunstan’s Academy is an all-boys boarding school in Virginia built on four main pillars: Christian formation, classical academics, farming, and the skilled trades.

To learn more, visit: https://stdunstansacademy.org/

0:00 Introduction

1:59 St. Dunstan

6:48 Restoration of Innocence

13:48 Goal of a St. Dunstan's Academy Education

21:29 Common Arts

27:46 Day in a Student's Life

32:39 Skepticism

41:50 Fruit vs Outcomes

47:51 Conclusion

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 26 - Nathan Beacom and the Lyceum Movement

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:22:09 +0000

Josh Bowman chats with Nathan Beacom, Founder and Director of the Lyceum Movement, which “hosts social, festive events that explore the big ideas of art, philosophy, history and more.”

To learn more about Nathan’s work, visit https://www.lyceummovement.org/

0:00 Introduction
1:14 What the Lyceum Movement Is
5:04 Origins
10:56 Response/Success
13:13 Six Habits
18:47 Irreconcilable Differences
25:41 Community & Next Steps
32:17 Religious Differences & New Secularity
40:15 Conference

Mentioned in this episode:

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death

Seth Kaplan, Fragile Neighborhoods - https://sethkaplan.org/

Emotionally Healthy Discipleship - https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 25 - Lexington Kentucky, with Alan Cornett

The Ciceronian Society — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Alan Cornett and Chris Anadale discuss roots, bourbon tourism, agriculture, and more. Alan is host of the Cultural Debris Podcast, cofounder of Cultural Debris Excursions, and a former assistant to Russell Kirk. His family has lived in Kentucky since the 18th century.

0:00 Roots
5:17 Economics
11:33 Wet and Dry
16:50 Lexington
21:21 Cincinnati
23:24 Soil and Agriculture
29:55 Kirk and Localism

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society or learn more about our UPCOMING CONFERENCE at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia, March 13-15, 2025, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

https://x.com/alancornett

https://x.com/culturaldebris

https://culturaldebrisexcursions.com/

EPISODE 24 - West Chester PA, with Claire Aguda

The Ciceronian Society — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 16:46:52 +0000

Claire Aguda and Chris Anadale discuss place, church, and her community in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Claire Aguda works at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal. She is currently a PhD student at Faulkner University. She has worked in the conservative intellectual movement for several years. Claire is a longtime friend of the Ciceronian Society, which she describes as the place where "people take their faith seriously, take their work seriously, but they don't take themselves seriously."

0:00 Place, Culture, and Economics

6:25 Inheritance

8:10 Transient Places

11:30 Building Community

14:50 Churches

17:45 West Chester

21:45 Exclusion

27:40 Challenges Facing Localism

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society or learn more about our UPCOMING CONFERENCE at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia, March 13-15, 2025, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

https://www.faulkner.edu/graduate/graduate-degrees/doctor-of-philosophy-in-humanities/

https://kirkcenter.org/scs/

https://www.greaterwestchester.com/lightsupchristmasparade.html

EPISODE 23 - Monroe Michigan, with Josh Bowman

The Ciceronian Society — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman RETURNS to talk about his childhood home of Monroe, on the shore of Lake Erie. Dr. Joshua Bowman is Executive Director of the Ciceronian Society, former host of The Sower, and a father, husband, Michigander and follower of Christ. He is well known to anyone who has attended one of our conferences.

0:00 Monroe

6:10 Not Idealizing Rural Life

11:50 War of 1812

17:30 Present Day Monroe

27:55 Rational Local Pride

34:25 General Custer

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society or learn more about our UPCOMING CONFERENCE at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia, March 13-15, 2025, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-cfp/

Links:

https://www.monroemi.gov/

https://www.michigan.org/city/monroe

https://www.nps.gov/places/river-raisin.htm

EPISODE 22 - Pikeville Kentucky, with Tyler Syck

The Ciceronian Society — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 10:00:04 +0000

Tyler Syck discusses his hometown and the future of Appalachia. Jeffery Tyler Syck is an Assistant Professor of Politics and the founding Director of the Center for Public Service and Outreach at the University of Pikeville in his hometown.

0:00 Pikeville

2:30 Counties

4:55 Returning Home

11:15 Tourists & Settlers

14:00 University

17:55 Future of Appalachia

23:55 Roots

26:55 Mountains

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society or learn more about our UPCOMING CONFERENCE at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia, March 13-15, 2025, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-cfp/

Links:

https://www.upike.edu/

https://www.jtylersyck.com/

EPISODE 21 - A New Chapter for the Ciceronian Society

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:33:34 +0000

In this episode, the Ciceronian Society’s “new” Executive Director, Josh Bowman, discusses the upcoming 2025 conference(s), a new award, and new conference fellowships.

Give to the Ciceronian Society: https://ciceroniansociety.org/donate/

Spring 2025 Conference Website: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/

Conference Call for Papers - Due Sept. 2, 2024: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-cfp/

Pietas Journal Call for Papers: https://ciceroniansociety.org/journal/call-for-papers/

Applications and information for Nisbet and Clergy Fellowships mentioned in the episode will be available by early September.

EPISODE 20 - Wake Forest NC, with Joshua Herring

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:00:02 +0000

Chris Anadale & Josh Herring discuss life in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Dr. Joshua Herring earned his doctorate in Humanities in 2023 from Faulkner University, and also holds an MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches at Thales College and hosts The Optimistic Curmudgeon podcast.

0:00 Wake Forest 2011-2024

4:40 Changes

9:00 Locals vs Newcomers

12:00 Going Away to College

17:55 Local Institutions

22:00 Rootedness

26:40 Becoming a Lifer

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society or learn more about our UPCOMING CONFERENCE at the Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia, March 13-15, 2025, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-cfp/

Links:

The Optimistic Curmudgeon Podcast, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHk_VFjPzMUYu_sAevkid2g

Thales College, https://www.thalescollege.org/

EPISODE 19 - Alaska & Kansas, with Chase & Lori Spears

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 10:00:01 +0000

Chase & Lori Spears describe their lives in Alaska, and now in Lansing, Kansas.

0:00 Alaska

11:38 Becoming Alaska People

15:23 Kansas

20:54 Importance of Place

25:19 Nomadic vs Stability

30:08 Kids Adapting to Kansas

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society, learn more about our March 13-15, 2025 Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia, or join our mailing list, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

https://x.com/DrChaseSpears

https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2025-conference-cfp/

EPISODE 18 - Ennis Montana, with John Wilsey

The Ciceronian Society — Fri, 03 May 2024 10:00:03 +0000

A look at Ennis, a town in southwest Montana, with John Wilsey. Dr. Wilsey teaches church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a research fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute.

0:00 Introduction to Ennis

4:20 Nostalgia

9:38 Poverty

17:20 Ways of Life

21:50 Going Back

28:42 Passing Places to Our Children

One in an occasional series on place, hosted by Christopher Anadale.

To support the Ciceronian Society, learn more about our activities, or join our mailing list, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

https://www.sbts.edu/faculty/john-d-wilsey/

https://www.ennischamber.com/4th-of-july-rodeo-parade

EPISODE 17 - Auburn Alabama, with Allen Mendenhall

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 10:00:01 +0000

First in an occasional series on place: the specific places that structure our lives, and what it means to have (or to lack) a place. Hosted by Christopher Anadale.

This episode, our place is Auburn, Alabama, and our guide is Dr. Allen Mendenhall, Associate Dean and Grady Rosier Professor in the Sorrell College of Business at Troy University.

To support the Ciceronian Society, learn more about our activities, or join our mailing list, please visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

https://twitter.com/allenmendenhall

https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenmendenhall/

https://allenmendenhall.com/

EPISODE 16 - The Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:30:01 +0000

In this Episode, Josh Bowman chats with Trey Dimsdale, Executive Director of the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy (CRCD) and Jordan Ballor, the CRCD’s Director of Research. The CRCD has been a major supporter of the Ciceronian Society for several years, and we're thrilled to be partnering with them for our 2024 Conference in Plano, TX.

The Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy envisions democratic societies which affirm the essential role of religious convictions, peoples, and institutions in cultivating free communities where all people can flourish.

Visit https://crcd.net/ to check out their new "Reading Wheel Review," their Journal of Religion, Culture, and Democracy, as well as their Fellowship Programs.

The CRCD also hosts the Religious Liberty in the States project ( https://religiouslibertyinthestates.com/ ).

Trey and Jordan’s article on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: https://lawliberty.org/christian-contributions-to-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 15 - William Batchelder III and the Study of Place

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 12:30:00 +0000

In this Episode, Josh Bowman and Bill Batchelder discuss the life and legacy of former Ohio House Speaker, William G. Batchelder III, and the Award for the Study of Place named in his memory.

Click here to learn more about this award: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/batchelder-award/

Visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/donate/ to learn about the different ways you can give to the Ciceronian Society.

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter and to register for our upcoming conference, February 29 - March 2, 2024 in Plano, TX. Early Bird Registration ends January 1 and we only have space for 125 attendees! Sign up today! https://ciceroniansociety.org/ Merry Christmas!

EPISODE 14 - The Peter Augustine Lawler Award for Excellence in the Study of ‘Things Divine’

The Ciceronian Society — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:05:03 +0000

In this Episode, Josh Bowman and James Patterson announce the Peter Augustine Lawler Award for Excellence in the Study of ‘Things Divine’ on GivingTuesday 2023.

Click here to learn more about this award: https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/lawler

Visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/donate/ to learn about the different ways you can give to the Ciceronian Society.

CORRECTION: In this episode, James mistakenly referred to UVA's Jim Ceaser as Peter Lawler's dissertation adviser, but that was incorrect. Ceaser was, however, a friend and mentor to Peter.

EPISODE 13, PART II - Nate Roberts on Music and Discipleship

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 12:00:04 +0000

This is Part 2 of a two-part Podcast where VP Josh Bowman interviews Nate Roberts, founder of the Michigan Academy of Folk Music (MAFM). In this episode, we’ll talk about the role of music in discipleship and moral and spiritual formation generally. https://www.mifolkmusic.com/ In Part 2, we discussed Nate and MAFM’s approach to music education and its overlap with classical education, homeschooling, and more. Listeners may be interested to hear some of Nate’s recordings. Search for the following albums where you listen to music Unadorned and Commonplace by Hayes Griffin & Nate Roberts Structures by Nate Roberts and Doug Scheuerell Dendrophilia by Nate Roberts Trio The Meaning of a Tree by the Field Hymnal If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter and to register for our upcoming conference, February 29 - March 2, 2024 in Plano, TX. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 13, PART I - Nate Roberts and the Michigan Academy of Folk Music

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:15:04 +0000

This is Part 1 of a two-part Podcast where VP Josh Bowman interviews Nate Roberts, founder of the Michigan Academy of Folk Music (MAFM). In this episode, we talk through Nate and MAFM’s approach to music education and its overlap with classical education, homeschooling, and more. https://www.mifolkmusic.com/ In Part 2, we’ll talk about the role of music in discipleship and moral and spiritual formation generally. Listeners may be interested to hear some of Nate’s recordings. Search for the following albums where you listen to music Unadorned and Commonplace by Hayes Griffin & Nate Roberts Structures by Nate Roberts and Doug Scheuerell Dendrophilia by Nate Roberts Trio The Meaning of a Tree by the Field Hymnal If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the topics discussed in this Podcast, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter and to register for our upcoming conference, February 29 - March 2, 2024 in Plano, TX. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 12 - Ryan Holston on Tradition, Gadamer, and Democracy

The Ciceronian Society — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:30:04 +0000

In this episode, VP Josh Bowman interviews professor Ryan Holston on his new book, Tradition and the Deliberative Turn: A Critique of Contemporary Democratic Theory (SUNY Press, 2023) https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/Tradition-and-the-Deliberative-Turn

We address modern notions of democratic theory and deliberation and consider how the work of Hans Georg Gadamer might inspire a revision or even a rejection of key insights by influential democratic theorists. A return to the wisdom of tradition and notions of friendship may offer a more promising ground on which to build a non-ideological and just democracy.

EPISODE 11 - Landon Loftin on Owen Barfield

The Ciceronian Society — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 11:00:03 +0000

VP of the Ciceronian Society, Josh Bowman, talks with Landon Loftin of the Gravitas Prep School ( https://gravitas.sbs.org/ ) , regarding his book co-authored with Max Leyf on Owen Barfield: What Barfield Thought: An Introduction to the Work of Owen Barfield (Cascade Books) https://wipfandstock.com/9781666736762/what-barfield-thought/

Owen Barfield (1898–1997) was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and a member of The Inklings, a group which also included J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams among other literary luminaries. He was a prolific author throughout his long life, and was known as a philosopher of the “evolution of consciousness,” a great reader of S.T. Coleridge, and a central figure sharing the movement called “anthroposophy” with the English-speaking world. Visit his literary estate to learn more: https://www.owenbarfield.org/

If you enjoy learning and writing about any of the Inklings, including Barfield, we encourage you to visit our website to sign-up for our newsletter and to register for our upcoming conference, February 29 - March 2, 2024 in Plano, TX. https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 10, PART I - Harmel Academy, a Catholic Trade School

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:30:01 +0000

VP of the Ciceronian Society, Josh Bowman, talks with David Michael Phelps, president of Harmel Academy. Harmel Academy is a post-secondary, Catholic trade school in Grand Rapids Michigan pioneering an exciting new strategy for the formation and education of men. To learn more, go to https://www.harmelacademy.org/ Select books mentioned: A. G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life https://www.cuapress.org/9780813206462/the-intellectual-life/ Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301618/shop-class-as-soulcraft-by-matthew-b-crawford/ Poe Leo, XIII Rerum Novarum https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World https://svspress.com/for-the-life-of-the-world-new-edition/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you’ve enjoyed this conversation we hope you’ll consider joining us for our 2024 conference in Plano, TX, February 29 - March 2. Panel and paper proposals are due by September 1, 2023 and more information can be found on our website: https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 10, PART II - Harmel Academy, a Catholic Trade School

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:30:01 +0000

EPISODE 9, PART II - Glenn Moots and Christian Nationalism

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:30:02 +0000

Ciceronian Society president James Patterson joins Dr. Glenn Moots for a 2-part conversation on Christianity Nationalism. Glenn Moots is a prolific writer and teacher from Northwood University in Michigan. Learn more about Glenn Moots here: https://www.northwood.edu/directory/faculty/glenn-moots/ Glenn’s adapted talk from the National Conservative conference, which he references, can be found here: https://lawliberty.org/american-separationism/ Join us for our 2024 Conference in Plano, TX, February 24-March 2 Paper and panel proposals due September 1, 2023 https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2024-conference-cfp/

EPISODE 9, PART I - Glenn Moots and Christian Nationalism

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:30:02 +0000

Ciceronian Society president James Patterson joins Dr. Glenn Moots for a 2-part conversation on Christianity Nationalism. Glenn Moots is a prolific writer and teacher from Northwood University in Michigan. Learn more about Glenn Moots here: https://www.northwood.edu/directory/faculty/glenn-moots/ Glenn’s adapted talk from the National Conservative conference, which he references, can be found here: https://lawliberty.org/american-separationism/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Join us for our 2024 Conference in Plano, TX, February 24-March 2 Paper and panel proposals due September 1, 2023 https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/2024-conference-cfp/

EPISODE 8 - Mark David Hall on Christianity and American Liberty

The Ciceronian Society — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:00:04 +0000

Happy Independence Day! Josh Bowman, Vice President of the Ciceronian Society, interviews Mark David Hall on his new book, Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land, which looks at how Christianity advanced freedom and equality for all Americans

To purchase the book, head over to https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637587236?tag=simonsayscom

To learn more about Mark, visit his website at https://www.markdavidhall.org/

To learn about the Ciceronian Society, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 7 - James Matthew Wilson on Poetry and a Unique MFA Program

The Ciceronian Society — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:26:58 +0000

In this episode, Josh Bowman interviews professor and author James Matthew Wilson. We talk about poetry, creative writing, and the unique MFA in creative writing at the University of St. Thomas.

To learn more about James and his writings visit https://www.jamesmatthewwilson.com/

To learn more about the MFA program we discussed, check out: https://www.stthom.edu/Academics/School-of-Arts-and-Sciences/Division-of-Liberal-Studies/Graduate/Master-of-Fine-Arts-in-Creative-Writing

If you enjoy this conversation and would like to meet more people like James, we hope you’ll consider joining us for our 2024 conference in Plano, TX, February 29 - March 2. Panel and paper proposals are due by September 1, 2024 and more information can be found on our website, https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 6 - Kevin Gutzman and The Jeffersonians

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 01 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Josh Bowman, Vice President of the Ciceronian Society, interviews the great historian, Kevin Gutzman, on his new book, The Jeffersonians, which looks at the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.

To learn more about Kevin, visit his website at: http://kevingutzman.com/

To purchase this book, head over to https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250135452/thejeffersonians#:~:text=Kevin%20R.%20C.%20Gutzman's%20The%20Jeffersonians,for%20later%20American%20liberals%20to

For more information about the Ciceronian Society: https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 5 - Joe Wysocki, Belmont Abbey College, and the 2023 Ciceronian Society Conference

The Ciceronian Society — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 13:00:02 +0000

In this special episode of THE SOWER, Vice President Josh Bowman speaks with Dr. Joe Wysocki. Joe is Dean of the Honors College and an Associate Professor of Politics at the site of our upcoming 2023 conference: Belmont Abbey College. Josh and Joe talk about Belmont Abbey, the College, and the location of our 2023 conference.

To learn more about the conference, to register, or to propose a paper, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/

To learn more about Belmont Abbey and Joe’s work, check out https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/

EPISODE 4 - Dennis Durst and the Perils of Human Exceptionalism

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:29:44 +0000

In this episode, Vice President Josh Bowman talks with Dr. Dennis Durst, Associate Professor of Theology at the Keeran School of Bible and Ministry at Kentucky Christian University. We discuss Dennis’ recent book, The Perils of Human Exceptionalism: Elements of a Nineteenth-Century Theological Anthropology, published by Lexington Books. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666900194/The-Perils-of-Human-Exceptionalism-Elements-of-a-Nineteenth-Century-Theological-Anthropology

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society and our upcoming conference, visit us at https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 3 - Brent Waters on Common Callings and Ordinary Virtues

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 17:11:09 +0000

Vice President Josh Bowman chats with Dr. Brent Waters about his new book, COMMON CALLINGS AND ORDINARY VIRTUES (Baker Academic, 2022)

Available now: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/common-callings-and-ordinary-virtues/387170

Brent recently retired from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His primary interests are in the areas of theology and technology, bioethics, economics and ethics, and the ethics of everyday life. The paper he presented at the 2022 Ciceronian Society conference included material from this new book.

Among Dr. Waters' many previous books, check out:

JUST CAPITALISM (WJK, 2016) https://www.wjkbooks.com/Products/0664234305/just-capitalism.aspx

THIS MORTAL FLESH (Brazos, 2009) http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/this-mortal-flesh/289601

THE FAMILY IN CHRISTIAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT (Oxford, 2007) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-family-in-christian-social-and-political-thought-9780199271962?cc=us&lang=en&

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society, visit https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 2 - Black Liberation Through the Marketplace with Rachel Ferguson

The Ciceronian Society — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 00:14:26 +0000

James Patterson chats with Rachel Ferguson about her recent book with Marcus Witcher called BLACK LIBERATION THROUGH THE MARKETPLACE

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Liberation-Through-Marketplace-Heartbreak/dp/1637583443

https://ciceroniansociety.org/

EPISODE 1 - What is the Ciceronian Society?

The Ciceronian Society — Mon, 02 May 2022 19:57:56 +0000

President James Patterson and Vice-President Josh Bowman chat about the history, purposes, themes, and peculiarities of the Ciceronian Society. https://ciceroniansociety.org/