Why the Greeks?

Why do we return to Greek literature, ideas, and culture again and again? I ask this as someone who is happily rooted in classical Christian education, which is an education grounded in the Greco-Roman tradition but submitted to a Christian worldview, but everyone who is lives in the Western world is a cultural offspring of …

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The Perilous Appeal of Satan

I have recently begun reading Milton's Paradise Lost, which I previously attempted to read a bit of last summer at the beginning of my journey through the major epic poems. But I rightly say that it was merely an attempt because I found its style to be far too difficult to enjoy. Now after a …

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Despair & the Shepherds

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hQsnQUwVYTtH74JMOwOEQ?si=Psxwla1YQSS_1-75KjIKEw In our previous reading, Christiana and her ever-increasing company of pilgrims added Feeble-mind and Ready-to-Halt as well as Gaius' daughter, Phoebe, as James' wife. They then came to the town of Vanity and stayed in the house of Mnason, finding the town much less hostile to pilgrims that it was during Christian’s time. While …

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Feeble-mind & a Monster

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6m7nHYIIg1udg33QIHo9an?si=AJY5BP62RcOgQlQwdZT0gA When we last left Christiana and her companions, they added another pilgrim to their party, an older man named Honest, and then came upon the house of Gaius, where they were able to stay for over a month. We pick up the story once more with the pilgrims still resting in Gaius' house. Here …

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Honest, Fearing, & Gaius

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3T3r2JrW6N1d8aHT3qV1oF?si=SJFc76HMSluq7RLoyelxRw Having previously ventured through the Valleys of Humiliation and the Shadow of Death and defeated the giant Maul in combat, we continue onward with the pilgrims' journey. Over the course of this stage, they meet a fellow pilgrim named Honest, who recounts for them the pilgrimages of Mr. Fearing and Mr. Self-will. Lastly, they …

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The Valley of Humiliation & the Shadow of Death

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xEdWlU142mqfZIOvqnz1N?si=Jj4PHM4pQB6sMjbgvThP-Q In our previous reading, the pilgrims left the Arbour and passed by the dread of the giant Grim to come to the Porter's Lodge called Beautiful. There they resided for more than a month. In this week's pages, we read of the pilgrims' next stage of their journey, wherein they must pass through the …

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Journey to House Beautiful

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XTwKfa8pgILmqO80d0rXn?si=WpPza3twSkaMtVjuxY7G0A In our previous reading, Christiana and the other pilgrims came to Interpreter's House, where they were given a warm and joyful welcome since Interpreter had already received word that Christian's family had finally become pilgrims themselves. Having shown the travelers a number of lessons, they were ready again to set out. In these pages, …

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Lessons at Interpreter’s House

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7naGqwxhKj7vpyuQBXTEwR?si=bBhf2TqkT7yxzdcInEIttQ In our previous reading, Christiana, her four sons, and Mercy set forth upon their journey and entered through the Wicket-Gate. Though Mercy was fearful of being rejected for not having a received a letter from the King as Christiana had, the Keeper assured her of her acceptance. In our present section, the pilgrims continue …

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Mercy & the Wicket-Gate

https://open.spotify.com/episode/40wWIMlsOcPt21KskeueTm?si=04BxaQ7PTr-g4P2PtZqSGA Last week, we began our journey reading through the second part of the Pilgrim's Progress. There we met Christiana, Christian's wife, as she wrestled with the guilt of having mocked Christian's desire to become a pilgrim. After some visions in the night and a visit from Secret, Christiana resolved to set forth for the …

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Christiana, the City of Destruction, & Mrs. Timorous

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wwxABqLDlMaXmCHnXaHYd?si=Kl5rerI-TpCBcX45J09BtQ As we begin reading Part II, we are greeted again by Bunyan who transmits this story to us as the sharing of his dream, and from the very first paragraph, we discover the subject of this tale: Christian's wife and children that he left behind in the City of Destruction. Yet unlike the First …

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