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The Symbolic World

The Symbolic World

By: Jonathan Pageau
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 Jonathan Pageau looks at symbolism in all its forms, from its source in sacred stories and images to contemporary culture and ultimately how it shapes the world we encounter.Copyright Jonathan Pageau Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • 406 - Symbolism Explained: The Fundamental WWII Duality That Still Haunts Us Today

    406 - Symbolism Explained: The Fundamental WWII Duality That Still Haunts Us Today
    Aug 19 2025
    In this episode, I explore the symbolism of World War II through the imagery of the Axis and the Allies. Beyond politics, these symbols reveal a deeper story about unity and multiplicity—the tension between the “one” and the “many.” I look at how the propaganda and narratives of that time shaped the post-war consensus we still live in today, and why those stories are now reaching their limits. My hope is to help you see how these patterns influence our culture and why finding balance is so important.

    YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vLpEDlgEleg

    Visit https://www.rapunzelbook.com to pre-order our new fairy tale story, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.

    NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young
    - Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim
    - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours
    - Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025
    - Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.
    - The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase.
    - Price: 180 USD, Involved patrons qualify for 10% discount.

    Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.

    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
    🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • 405 - Fr. Josiah Trenham - Marriage: The Bedrock of Civilization

    405 - Fr. Josiah Trenham - Marriage: The Bedrock of Civilization
    Aug 5 2025
    In this episode, Father Josiah Trenham returns to the podcast for us to talk about the profound meaning and cosmic significance of marriage. We explore why marriage is a crucial civilizational cornerstone rooted in divine order, not only from a Christian perspective, but universally in all flourishing societies. We discuss how it compares to and co-exists with monasticism and the meaning of marriage and the wedding ceremony not just as a gate to self-fulfillment and a joyful experience, but also as self-sacrifice. We also discuss how rediscovering the beauty of marriage can help restore sanity in our fragmented secular world.

    This conversation is also a preview of the upcoming Marriage Conference in Riverside, CA (Oct. 10–12), where I’ll be speaking alongside Father Josiah, Archbishop Cordileone, Dr. Brad Wilcox, and others. Learn more at https://www.themarriageconference.com/

    Subscribe to Fr. Josiah's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PatristicNectarFilms

    —
    NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young

    - Catch the early bird special of 15% off with code: EARLYJUBILEES, valid until 11:59 pm EST (midnight) of August 8th.
    - Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim
    - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours
    - Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025
    - Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.
    - The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase.
    - Price: 180 USD
    Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.

    —
    Timestamps:
    00:00 - Coming up
    01:00 - Intro music
    01:24 - Introduction
    04:01 - Marriage, monasticism, and St. John the Baptist
    09:16 - The symbiosis between monasticism and marriage
    12:32 - Why marriage fails
    16:14 - The fruits of abandoning marriage
    21:37 - Contract
    24:15 - Acknowledge the ideal
    27:53 - The nuclear and extended family
    29:40 - The crowns
    34:23 - A new independent union
    38:03 - Aspects of marriage
    43:19 - Refined love
    45:42 - Pagan monogamy
    50:39 - Marrying young
    55:18 - 50s Housewife vs boss babe
    57:01 - Having children
    01:00:39 - Hopes
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • 404 - Fr. Stephen De Young - How to Read Extra-Biblical Texts Like Jubilees (and Why It Matters)

    404 - Fr. Stephen De Young - How to Read Extra-Biblical Texts Like Jubilees (and Why It Matters)
    Jul 31 2025
    Fr. Stephen De Young returns to the channel to explore how we should approach extra-Biblical literature—looking especially at the Book of Jubilees in anticipation of his upcoming Symbolic World course: Jubilees and the Nephilim. We discuss a different, more ancient way of doing theology—through story, ritual, poetry, and image rather than flat modern academic argument. If you’ve ever wondered how texts like Jubilees, Enoch, or the Lives of Adam and Eve connect to Christian theology, this conversation is for you.

    YouTube version: https://youtu.be/poAELqTQTo0

    NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young
    - Catch the early bird special of 15% off with code: EARLYJUBILEES, valid until 11:59 pm EST (midnight) of August 8th.
    - Price: 180 USD (Discounted to 158 USD)
    - Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim
    - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours
    - Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025
    - Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.
    - The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase.

    Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.

    Timestamps
    00:00 - Coming up
    00:55 - Intro music
    01:20 - Introduction
    02:11 - Jubilees
    05:08 - A different way of doing theology
    15:23 - Why do we have peripheral stories?
    22:34 - The twelfth apostle
    24:16 - Blood libel
    27:09 - Adam's skull
    31:19 - Sacred geography
    34:09 - The sacramental reality
    39:01 - The modern trade
    41:52 - UFOs, psychedelics, and materialism
    44:43 - Reading extra-biblical texts and Jubilees
    47:53 - What can extra-biblical traditions offer us?

    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
    🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
All stars
Most relevant  
genuinely essential listening. pageau and guests navigate the way back from the utter destruction of materialism. symbolism happens!

extraordinary

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