Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
Harrison Garlick and Adam MinihanWelcome to Ascend! We are a weekly Great Books podcast hosted by Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan. What are the Great Books? The Great Books are the most impactful texts that have shaped Western civilization. They include ancients like Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Dante, and St. Thomas Aquinas, and also moderns like Machiavelli, Locke, and Nietzsche. We will explore the Great Books with th... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 137 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ArtsSelf-ImprovementEducationBooks | |||
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Latest Episodes
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by returning mentor Dr. Frank Grabowski—Third Order Franciscan, diaconate candidate, and Dean of Faculty at Holy Family Classical School—and Latin teacher Jack Drury for a ri... more
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Dr. Alex Petkas (host of the Cost of Glory) for a rich discussion of Odyssey Books 13 and 14.
Check out all our resources on the great books!
Ch... more
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick discusses Books 11-12 of the Odyssey with Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Luke Heintschel, the Academic Headmaster of Coeur du Christ Academy.
Check out Ascend's LIBRARY of written guides a... more
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the Dr. Gregory McBrayer discuss Books 9-10 of the Odyssey--the first half of Odysseus telling his own story and covering such famous narratives as the lotus eaters, the cyclops, and... more
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- 10/10 Recommend
I desired to begin my journey through Homer's Iliad and Odyssey but I didn't know where to go. I stumbled across this podcast and I am so grateful I did. I'm only a few episodes in and I find this podcast so insightful. They make The Iliad approachable while still digging into deep themes and history.
Apple Podcasts5Taryn L. Davidson
United States8 months ago - Loving it as a STEM guy
This podcast made ancient texts unexpectedly addictive. Now I understand why they been read for hundreds of years.
Apple Podcasts5Sylvan OdysseyUnited States10 months ago - Great Idea - Co-Host (Adam) is Unlistenable
The only reason this doesn’t go any lower is because i love the idea of this podcast and want to support at all cost
But Adam is atrocious and hard to suffer through, in order to get Deacon’s insight & discussion points
Apple Podcasts3showboat_goodmanUnited Statesa year ago - Awesome podcast
This is such a fantastic podcast! It has been a please to journey through The Iliad with Harrison and Adam. Both hosts provide a wealth of insight
Apple Podcasts5PjoordzUnited Statesa year ago - Great Podcast and Guests
Decided to mix some of the great books into my reading list last year and knew it would be beneficial to do so with a podcast to guide me. So glad I found this one! The hosts are a great example of the intellectual revival we should be having thanks to the internet and podcasting. I was pleasantly surprised that they’re involved Catholics as well.
Apple Podcasts5MtdillnUnited Statesa year ago
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Apple Podcasts | #174 | United States/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #110 |  India/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #147 |  Ireland/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #208 |  South Africa/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #212 | India/Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #216 |  Brazil/Arts/Books |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ascend
What is Ascend about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A thoughtful, education-forward series exploring foundational Western texts through close reading and Catholic intellectual tradition. The show grounds conversations in the Great Books—Homer, Dante, Augustine, and others—favoring accessible discussion for first-time readers while gradually delving into deeper themes like virtue, leadership, and the human search for meaning. Episodes pair scholarly context with practical pedagogy, often featuring humanities professors, theologians, and classical educators as guests. A notable strength is its blend of accessible teaching style with rigorous analysis, making timeless works approachable for curious listeners who want to read along and learn how these texts shape modern thought.
What stands out... more
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How many listeners does Ascend get?
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What are the audience demographics for Ascend?
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How many subscribers and views does Ascend have?
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Which podcasts are similar to Ascend?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Ascend:
1. The Thomistic Institute
2. Pints With Aquinas
3. First Things Podcast
4. The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
5. Godsplaining
How many episodes of Ascend are there?
Ascend launched 2 years ago and published 137 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Ascend?
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What guests have appeared on Ascend?
Recent guests on Ascend include:
1. Luke Heintschel
2. Dr. Gregory McBrayer
3. Dr. Glenn Arbery
4. Pavlos Papadopoulos
5. Frank Grabowski
6. Patrick Deneen
7. Chad Pecknold
8. Richard Meloche
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.