Conservative Conversations with ISI

In this thought-provoking episode, Jeremy Larson, assistant professor of English at Regent University, joins ISI to explore the enduring significance of John Milton and his literary and political contributions. Together, they delve into Paradise Lost and Milton’s engagement with the political and religious upheavals of his time, discussing how these themes resonate in today’s world. The conversation touches on disenchantment and the possibility of re-enchantment through Christianity, highlighting the intersection of faith, literature, and cultural renewal.

Jeremy and the hosts also examine the importance of mythology in understanding and expressing faith, drawing connections between ancient myths and modern belief systems. They explore how narrative forms, both secular and sacred, shape human experience and offer insight into questions of virtue, meaning, and divine purpose.

This episode offers an inspiring blend of literary analysis and theological reflection, perfect for listeners interested in the interplay between storytelling, politics, and spirituality. Tune in to discover how Milton’s legacy continues to inform contemporary conversations on faith and culture.
Read more from Jeremy

In this episode:

• Khalil Habib joins Conservative Conversations in an episode that covers a wide range of great thinkers, including Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Polybius, Livy, Lucretius, Tocqueville, and Edmund Burke
• why republics tend to become empires, and how the Founders used the history of the classical world when thinking about the Constitution
• how Napoleon fits into the story and meaning of the French Revolution

Texts Mentioned:

• Discourses on Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli
• Considerations on the Causes of Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline by Montesquieu
• The History of Rome by Livy
• The Histories by Polybius
• On the Nature of Things by Lucretius
• The Federalist Papers
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
• The Ancien Regime and the French Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville
• The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
• A People’s Tragedy by Orlando Figes
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Discourse on the Arts and Sciences by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• “Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol” by Edmund Burke

Become a part of ISI:

• Become a Member
• Support ISI
• Upcoming ISI Events

In this episode:

• Brad Birzer, professor of history at Hillsdale College, joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Mythic Realms: The Moral Imagination in Literature and Film
• a crash course in all the must-see movies and TV series that teach about justice, charity, and finding one’s place in the moral order
• how the frontier, captured in Western film and movies, represents the possibilities that have embodied the American spirit

Texts Mentioned:

• Mythic Realms: The Moral Imagination in Literature and Film by Brad Birzer
• The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
• Beyond Tenebrae by Brad Birzer
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
• Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• Democracy and Leadership by Irving Babbitt
• Enemies of the Permanent Things by Russell Kirk
• The Batman Trilogy
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• “Friday Night Lights Fight (Revised)” by Peter Lawler
• Stranger Things
• The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
• Watchmen by Alan Moore
• V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
• Tenet
• Interstellar

Become a part of ISI:

• Become a Member
• Support ISI
• Upcoming ISI Events

In this episode:

• Miles Smith joins the podcast to discuss the destruction of American statues and the political endgame that motivates it
• a lesson against civic contempt for average people and a story about the wisdom and erudition of country folk
• a listener question about good books to introduce kids to the “great tradition”

Texts Mentioned:

• Apply for the ISI Honors Conference!
• The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
• The Great Tradition by Richard Gamble
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• Aesop’s Fables by Aesop
• Blessed Charles of Austria by Charles Coulombe
• The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
• The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
• The Beginner’s Bible
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Lee: A Biography by Clifford Dowdey
• King James Bible
• Book of Common Prayer
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
• “What Happens When a Poor State Guts Its Public University” by Michael Powell

Become a part of ISI:

• Become a Member
• Support ISI
• Upcoming ISI Events

In this episode:

• Curt Mills joins the podcast to discuss the political dynamics surrounding the upcoming midterm elections
• how the establishment GOP is navigating the challenges and opportunities of the growing nationalist-populist movement within the party
• Why traditionally Blue states like Oregon, Rhode Island, and Maine could become Red states in the coming years

Texts Mentioned:

• What It Takes: The Way to the White House by Richard Ben Cramer

Become a part of ISI:

• Become a Member
• Support ISI
• Upcoming ISI Events