As America reaches its 250th year, Dr. Harmon and Mark Brumley consider the importance of civics education and great books programs to bolster the future of the country.

Dr. Thomas Harmon teaches at the University of St. Thomas, and he joins Mark Brumley to talk about the recent endowment given to the university to establish a new initiative aimed at developing good Catholic citizens. This initiative uses the Great Books (including our Constitution) as well as a seminar style of teaching to teach students to ask the right questions and pursue good answers. He and Mark also focus on the potential usefulness and challenges of artificial intelligence and what it means to be a good Catholic in America.

If you are interested in learning more about University of St. Thomas, click this link: www.stthom.edu

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Jon Voight joins the Ignatius Press podcast to discuss what it was like to portray arguably the most influential man of the 20th century—Pope St. John Paul II.

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Jon Voight is a renowned actor, having won an Academy Award and multiple Golden Globe Awards. But what many don’t know is that Pope St. John Paul II handpicked Jon to portray him in an earlier film project. While this original project never panned out, Jon Voight later accepted this role in a different film titled “Pope John Paul II” recounting the life of this great saint.

We are honored to talk to Jon about his portrayal of John Paul II in this film and how this role brought him great peace and joy. Jon beautifully highlights the immense holiness of the pontiff and shares personal stories of meeting Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Dziwisz (JPII’s right hand man). Finally, Jon Voight promotes Pope St. John Paul II as a model particularly for young people as we face Communism and other great evils in our own time. This movie is truly masterfully acted and filmed, and it is one of the best ways to remember Pope St. John Paul II and be inspired by his life in Christ.

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Today we honor Mary and celebrate one of the best works of literature—Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

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March 25th marks the feast of the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. But this date also marks the destruction of the one ring in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” So we were joined by a Tolkien scholar, Joseph Pearce, to talk about the author of this great myth and to explain the significance of this date in Middle Earth.

Joseph and Ben Eriksen discuss the major influences on Tolkien as both a man and the author and uncover many themes within Tolkien’s writings such as hope, eucatastophes, and Catholicism. They also talk about the true meaning of a “myth” which is not a flight from reality, but a flight into reality. Finally, Joseph gives his thoughts on the film adaptations of the “Lord of the Rings,” “the Hobbit,” and other recent film adaptations. For those who love Tolkien, this in-depth conversation of Tolkien’s Middle Earth is one that you will truly enjoy!

Visit Joseph Pearce's Website Here: https://jpearce.co/

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0:00 March 25 The Annunciation in Middle Earth

3:20 Reading The Lord of the Rings in Prison

13:05 Critical Response to The Lord of the Rings in its Day

15:41 Purpose of Myth and Fairy Tales

20:55 Friendship with C.S. Lewis

24:28 Hope, Melancholy, and Longing in Tolkien

30:29 Eucatastrophe and the Consolation of the Happy Ending

36:15 Thoughts on The Lord of the Rings Movies

44:12 Middle Earth and Our Earth

49:47 How to be a Tolkien-Approved Fan of Middle Earth