
Pagans and Christians, Glory and Piety | Episode LXXI
07/01/24 • 60 min
The things of God belong to a heavenly kingdom. But politics is taken up with what is earthly. Surely, therefore, Christians should keep politics at a distance as much as possible. Right? Even while defending the life of contemplation and retreat from the earthly, Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Bocaccio laud Christian involvement in public life. Petrarch goes so far as to dream of a Julius Caesar reborn in medieval Europe and baptized a Christian, who goes on to conquer Egypt from the Muslims and present her as a gift - this time not to Cleopatra - but to Christ.
James Hankins's Virtue Politics: https://amzn.to/3UiQpp3
Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780199535699
C.S. Lewis's The Four Loves: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780062565396
Calvert Watkins's How to Kill a Dragon: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780195144130
New Humanists episode on Leonardo Bruni: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/14460440-mediocrity-versus-glory-in-the-renaissance-episode-lxii
Sallust's Catilinarian Conspiracy: https://amzn.to/4chKY1C
Henry David Thoreau's Walden: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780460876353
Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780385486804
New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/
Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.
Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
The things of God belong to a heavenly kingdom. But politics is taken up with what is earthly. Surely, therefore, Christians should keep politics at a distance as much as possible. Right? Even while defending the life of contemplation and retreat from the earthly, Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Bocaccio laud Christian involvement in public life. Petrarch goes so far as to dream of a Julius Caesar reborn in medieval Europe and baptized a Christian, who goes on to conquer Egypt from the Muslims and present her as a gift - this time not to Cleopatra - but to Christ.
James Hankins's Virtue Politics: https://amzn.to/3UiQpp3
Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780199535699
C.S. Lewis's The Four Loves: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780062565396
Calvert Watkins's How to Kill a Dragon: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780195144130
New Humanists episode on Leonardo Bruni: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/14460440-mediocrity-versus-glory-in-the-renaissance-episode-lxii
Sallust's Catilinarian Conspiracy: https://amzn.to/4chKY1C
Henry David Thoreau's Walden: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780460876353
Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780385486804
New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/
Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.
Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Previous Episode

Petrarch's Little Dark Age | Episode LXX
Imagine that you are the leading figure in a movement to renew the study and appreciation of classical literature, but you have come to the end of your life and not only has the educational and political situation not improved - it has gotten worse. Such was the vista spread out before Petrarch in his twilight. Jonathan and Ryan read and discuss some of Petrarch's correspondence, recording the meditations of the great humanist as he wrestled with civilizational decline, the possibility of rebirth, and the awareness of how little time he had left.
Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnO
Cicero's Pro Archia Poeta: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780674991743
Tim Griffith's The Case for Classical Languages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquUv7wzAgQ
Ryan Hammill's Saints Versus Statesmen: https://americanreformer.org/2024/04/saints-versus-statesmen/
New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/
Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.
Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Next Episode

How to Learn Like Thomas Aquinas | Episode LXXII
Thomas Aquinas is also known as the "Angelic Doctor," but he was quite capable of coming down from the heavens and getting practical. In two selections from his work included in Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition, we find some of Thomas' advice and outlook for students and teachers, including a discussion of whether teaching is an inherently contemplative or active pursuit.
Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnO
New Humanists episode Education that Makes Aquinas Look Modern, feat. John Peterson: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/12698279-education-that-makes-aquinas-look-modern-feat-john-peterson-episode-xlvi
Pope Leo XIII's Aeterni Patris: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_04081879_aeterni-patris.html
Augustine's De Magistro (The Teacher): https://amzn.to/4cUbVZ4
A.G. Sertillanges's The Intellectual Life: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780813206462
Homer Camp: https://ancientlanguage.com/homer-camp/
Bible Camp: https://ancientlanguage.com/bible-camp/
New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/
Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.
Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/new-humanists-178447/pagans-and-christians-glory-and-piety-episode-lxxi-58650637"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to pagans and christians, glory and piety | episode lxxi on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy