Like the early philosophers and theologians before us, we are seeking to nourish our souls, discover the truth, and live in the world, but not of it. Welcome to the Magnus Podcast where John Johnson and Larissa Bianco hope to connect contemporary thinkers to conversations from the catacombs in the classical, Christian tradition before us. The Magnus Podcast is a production of the Albertus Magnus Institute, Inc. Dedicated to the promotion of another sort of learning, the Albertus Magnus Institute seeks to invite all into the truth, ”Omnes ad Veritatem.”
Episodes
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
If beauty awakens the Divine, what does it mean for a culture when it is deficient in beauty? How do we return beauty to its proper place in the quadrivium? How do we restore beauty to a culture void of wonder?
In this episode, John and Larissa discuss beauty (and the lack) in education with Dr. Shannon Valenzuela.
Shannon K. Valenzuela, Ph.D., is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Humanities and English at the University of Dallas. She received her B.A. in English and Classics from the University of Dallas, and her Ph.D. in literature from the University of Notre Dame, where she specialized in the medieval period. She is an award-winning screenwriter and a novelist, and she is the writer, director, and narrator of the limited television series The Quest, which is produced by the University of Dallas and distributed by EWTN.
Please give to the Albertus Magnus Institute. Only with your help can we keep education as free as it is freeing.
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
“Our will is always for our own good, but we do not always see what that is; the people is never corrupted, but it is often deceived.” Jean Jacques Rousseau
True…or false?
Listen to John interview Dr. Emily B. Finley, author of the newly released book, “The Ideology of Democratism," in which Finley posits that the west has been deceived into a false understanding of democracy that is far removed the true meaning of the word. This enchanting, imaginative “democracy,” has its roots in Enlightenment thinkers, specifically Rousseau and The Social Contract.
So what does this mean for America? What does this mean for democracy? Listen now and learn more.
The Albertus Magnus Institute seeks to make a freeing education accessible to all. Please give to our annual fundraiser: The Great Campaign.
Give more. Learn more. https://magnusinstitute.org
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
The Magnus Fellowship continues!
Enjoy this glimpse into week one of Senior Fellow, Dr. Hudson's course, “George Bernanos: The Man and His Work.” This is much more than a sneak peak; it’s our longest glimpse yet as Dr. Hudson goes deep into the life of one of the most prominent French novelists of the 20th century.
Find out here how you can watch the rest of this course and access all archived courses- over 40 hours of exceptional classes with some of the top educators in liberal learning.
Join the Magnus Fellowship for an education that is as free as it is freeing.
Don't forget that we are in the thick of our annual fundraiser- The Great Campaign. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support the Magnus Fellowship and the Fellows and courses therein.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
This week we turn three years old!
This episode of the Magnus Podcast honors the Feast Day of our namesake, St. Albert the Great, celebrates our third birthday, and launches the Great Campaign.
Please consider joining the Magnus Fellowship and/or giving to the Great Campaign today! With your help, we can continue to liberate the Liberate Arts.
Thursday Nov 10, 2022
Thursday Nov 10, 2022
Revisit The Waste Land with us.
Once again, we are offering you a glimpse into the Magnus Fellowship; this time with Senior Fellow, Dr. Freeh’s class, “The Waste Land Revisited: T.S. Eliot’s Diagnosis of Modernity.”
Find out how you can catch the rest of this course AND access all archived courses- over 40 hours of exceptional classes with some of the top educators in liberal learning.
Join the Magnus Fellowship for an education that is as free as it is freeing.
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Enjoy this sneak peak into the Fellowship - week one of Senior Fellow, Dr. Esolen’s course, In the Beginning Was the Word: Poetry and Christology in the Gospel of John.
Find out how you can catch the rest of this course AND access all archived courses- over 40 hours of exceptional discussions and lectures with some of the top educators in liberal learning.
Join the Magnus Fellowship for an education that is as free as it is freeing.
Thursday Oct 27, 2022
Thursday Oct 27, 2022
What is metaphysics? Is it philosophy or science? Is it witchcraft or wizardry? Is it inalterable or constantly changing? Why has it been reinterpreted and misunderstood in today’s culture? How do we return metaphysics to its proper place in the order of knowing and learning?
Dr. David Arias is a professor of philosophy at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE. Prior to coming to Nebraska, Dr. Arias taught philosophy, theology, natural science, mathematics, literature, and various other subjects for eleven years at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA. Dr. Arias has published in both scholarly and popular venues. His main areas of scholarly interest are natural philosophy and metaphysics.He is happily married to Jennaya Arias and together they are the blessed parents of fourteen children.
Dr. Arias will be teaching his fourth course for the Magnus Fellowship this coming spring! You can find snippets of his past courses, Metaphysics I, Metaphysics II, and Philosophy of Nature, on earlier episodes of the Magnus Podcast. Donors giving just $25/month have access to ALL archived courses.
Subscribe to the emails and/or become a fellow, donor, or both here.
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
"Humankind, full of all creative possibilities, is God's work. Humankind alone is called to assist God. Humankind is called to co-create."
-Hildegard Von Bingen
This week's episode features Dr. Matthew Smith - the founder and president of the new Hildegard College. Named for Hildegard Von Bingen, Hildegard College was founded to create both exceptional thinkers and extraordinary creators; at Hildegard College the desire is that all students become polymaths. Learn now how they're setting out to accomplish this goal.
The college is currently accepting applications for its inaugural freshman class. Learn more @ Hildegard.college
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
The modern understanding of mathematics is disenchanting and fragmented. Dr. Andrew Seeley is here to talk about mathematics within the ancient understanding of the quadrivium and the greater context of the human person.
Dr. Andrew Seeley is a Tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in California, Director of the Arts of Liberty Project at University of Dallas, Executive Director of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, and on the Board of Directors for the Albertus Magnus Institute. A 1987 graduate of Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Seeley received his Licentiate from the Pontifical Institute in Medieval Studies (Toronto) and a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto (1995). His dissertation was a study in St. Thomas’s teaching about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is also on the National Policy Advisory Board for the Catholic High School Honor Roll, Wyoming Catholic College’s Catholic Scholars Advisory Board, and a number of Catholic liberal arts schools around the country.
https://artsofliberty.udallas.edu
https://catholicliberaleducation.org
Find out how you can watch his Euclid course in the Magnus Fellowship https://magnusinstitute.org/courses/a-tour-of-euclids-elements/
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
What is the difference between a wanderer and a wayfarer? What does it mean to have hope? How do we live the proper journey of wayfarer?
In this episode, John and Larissa talk with Chelsea Niemiec about the virtue of hope and the journey of a wayfarer.
Chelsea is the Director of College Partnerships at The Classic Learning Test and a University of Dallas graduate student studying Classical Education. She recently founded the Catholic Education Invitation.
Follow her on instagram @ classicallychels
Learn more about the The Catholic Education Invitation.
To learn more about The Classic Learning Test email her @ cniemiec@cltexam.com
You can read her essay "The Hope in Being a Wayfarer" by joining the Fellowship Courtyard (It's like a facebook page for fellows). Apply to the fellowship, join the courtyard, and read her paper- it's quick, easy, and free!
Courses begin this week in the Magnus Fellowship and its not too late to enroll! Apply today!