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The Gutenberg Podcast

by Gil Greco

From Gutenberg College in Eugene, OR, The Gutenberg Podcast explores the great books and ideas that helped to shape Western Culture. Every episode is a conversation between host Gil Greco and one of the College faculty members meant to educate and give listeners a feel for the unique Gutenberg College experience.

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Episodes

  1. The Epistemology of THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

    Chris Swanson joins us to discuss the Gospel of John, its implicit framework about personal knowledge, and why Gutenberg students read it twice.

  2. THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING

    Naomi Rinehold walks us through The Cloud of Unknowing, its complicated authorship, and how its picture mysticism is much more grounded than other forms of mysticism.

  3. Spinoza's ETHICS

    Charley Dewberry elucidates Baruch Spinoza's Ethics, what about it made Cartesian theists nervous, how it tried to end religious conflict, and why it's the groundwork for Continental philosophy.

  4. Thomas Hobbes's LEVIATHAN

    Naomi Rinehold joins to talk about Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, contract theory, the English Civil Wars, and how people can give demagogues sovereignty.

  5. Machiavelli's THE PRINCE

    Charley Dewberry walks us through why Machiavelli might not be Machiavellian, how to be in the world but not of the world, and the hermeneutics of the plausible. [This episode was recorded during the 2025 Spring term of Western Civilization]

  6. Sextus Empiricus' OUTLINES OF SKEPTICISM

    Dr. Brian Julian walks through Sextus Empiricus' Outline of Skepticism, and why skepticism is super common (but not in the way that most people think).

  7. Medieval Catholicism and many Reformations

    Eliot Grasso gives a very brief introduction to the Reformations of the 16th Century, including a discussion of Medieval Catholic metaphysics and the protestations of Matin Luther.

  8. Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD

    Chris Swanson sits down to discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, why a world built on maximizing pleasure could be as awful as World War I, and how suffering is important to human life.

  9. Aristotle's POLITICS

    Naomi Rinehold discusses Aristotle's Politics, how elements of corrupt systems of government can be used to create justice, the limitations of Athenian citizenry, and how the American Constitution typifies some of Aristotle's ideas.

  10. Plato's "Analogy of the Cave"

    Brian Julian discusses Plato's "Analogy of the Cave", the nature of ultimate justice, and why smart people don't know everything.

  11. Alexander the Great and Hellenization

    Charley Dewberry fills in some Western Civilization history by discussion Alexander the Great, Hellenization, and what sort of glory we should be looking for.

  12. Alasdair MacIntyre's AFTER VIRTUE

    Eliot Grasso discusses Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, why ethical and political discourse is so difficult, and how pursuing teleological ethics--as admirable as that might be--differs from Christian Existentialism.

  13. Sartre's "Existentialism is a Humanism"

    Brian Julian joins to discuss Sartre's atheistic existentialism, why reading non-Christians is important, and a surprising proof for God's existence. Long-time listeners will note a new mix for the music in this episode. Eliot Grasso wrote and produced the first version of "The Old Woman and Her...

  14. Tolstoy's ANNA KARENINA

    Chris Swanson returns to the podcast's first novel: Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. This episode also features a crash course on Russian naming conventions, a primer on Kierkegaard's Stages of Life, and a discussion on why all happy families are alike.

  15. Genesis 1-4

    Eliot Grasso returns to discuss Genesis 1-4, why such a short passage is so complex, and some dynamics at work in interpretation.

  16. Aristotle on Justice

    Naomi Rinehold is back to talk about Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics--but this time, it's from a Great Conversation reading, and it's about Justice.

  17. Prehistory and the Bronze Age

    Charley Dewberry starts this new season by discussing prehistory, the Bronze Age, and how surprisingly "advanced" ancient civilization was.

  18. Christian Existentialism

    Chris Swanson wraps up the podcast's second year by talking about Christian Existentialism.

  19. C.S. Lewis's THE ABOLITION OF MAN

    Naomi Rinehold discusses a lecture series delivered by C.S. Lewis, the Old Testament idea of sorcery, and sin mycorrhiza.

  20. Jacques Ellul's PROPAGANDA

    Dr. Eliot Grasso joins the podcast to discuss Jacques Ellul's Propaganda, why the nature of propaganda is so often misunderstood, and how loving our enemies can break the monster's glass spine. Eliot quotes from the following works: Ellul, Jacques. The Technological Society. Translated by John...

  21. Schumacher's SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

    Charley Dewberry discusses E. F. Schumacher's Small is Beautiful, how not to fall off horses, and how we can choose to not serve Mammon when we have interstate highways.

  22. [REISSUED] Kuhn's STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS

    Chris Swanson joins the podcast to discuss Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the difference between paradigms and worldviews, and why the scientific community has less dissent than other academic disciplines. [Producer's Note: I was told I had posted the wrong file Friday...

  23. Kuhn's THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS

    Chris Swanson joins the podcast to discuss Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the difference between paradigms and worldviews, and why the scientific community has less dissent than other academic disciplines.

  24. Lenin's THE STATE AND REVOLUTION

    Eliot Grasso joins the podcast to talk about Vladimir Lenin's The State and Revolution, and the sobering consequences its brand of revolutionary thought had for the 20th Century.

  25. How are things true?

    Brian Julian expounds on the question of how statements can be true, asks whether truth requires verification, and contrasts Correspondence Theory and William James.

  26. WWI Disenchants the West

    Charley Dewberry explains how World War I ended a particularly optimistic view of the Enlightenment, and discusses the sobering reality of man's rebellion against God.

  27. The Long 19th Century

    Charley Dewberry discusses the long 19th Century--from the end of Napoleon to the end of World War I--and the changes and costs of modernism.

  28. Auguste Comte and the Positivist Future

    Chris Swanson sits down to discuss Auguste Comte, Positivism, and the optimistic political thought of the 19th century.

  29. An Introduction to Soren Kierkegaard

    Nancy Scott makes her debut on the podcast, discussing Soren Kierkegaard's authorship, elucidation of Jesus, and opposition to the comforts of Christendom.

  30. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era

    Chris Swanson lays out the consequences of the French Revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon, and the death of Feudalism.

  31. Rousseau's SOCIAL CONTRACT

    Brian Julian joins the podcast to talk about Rousseau's Social Contract, the "General Will", and why sometimes the questions authors are asking are more helpful than their answers.

  32. Road to the Revolutions

    Eliot Grasso stops by to broadly survey the history from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution, all while discussing how institutional failure leads to people looking for alternatives.

  33. Kant’s Epistemological Contribution

    Brian Julian discusses Kant's major contribution to epistemology, where that has lead to in contemporary philosophy, and how we should think about Kant's insights as Christians.

  34. Reading Reid, Reading Reality

    Chris Swanson returns to discuss Thomas Reid, Reid's critique of the "Ideal System", and how Common Sense relates to philosophy.

  35. Hume and the Limits of Understanding

    Naomi Rinehold offers an unconventional way to think about David Hume's Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, along with how to think about the difference between an author's meaning and an author's significance.

  36. Locke and Berkeley

    Charley Dewberry discusses the projects of Locke and Berkeley in preparation for upcoming episodes about David Hume and Thomas Reid.

  37. Descartes Sets the Stage

    Chris Swanson lays out Descartes's project, what Descartes was responding to, and how Descartes has influenced Western Civilization.

  38. Francis Bacon's NOVUM ORGANUM

    Eliot Grasso sits down to talk about Francis Bacon and his most famous work, Novum Organum, and whether Bacon should be remembered as either a villain or a good scientist.

  39. The Science Curriculum

    Charley Dewberry lays out why the Science Curriculum--focused on the Copernican Revolution--is central to the Gutenberg project.

  40. Boccaccio's Decameron

    Naomi Rinehold returns to discuss what Boccaccio's Decameron contributed to the Renaissance and the value of such comedic works during times of crisis.

  41. Genghis Khan

    Charley Dewberry explains how Genghis Khan and the Mongols formed the first economic--instead of political--empire, and how this has affected Western Civilization.

  42. Anselm and Proving God's Existence

    Brian Julian walks us through Anselm's ontological proof of God's existence, some critiques of that proof, and whether proof is even necessary for faith.

  43. A Millennium of Medieval Philosophy

    Eliot Grasso helps digest some key features of Western Medieval Civilization, and its need to harmonize church infrastructure, Greek philosophy, and the teaching of the Bible.

  44. From Republic to Empire

    Chris Swanson discusses Rome's transition from Republic to Empire, what factors contributed to that transition, and how that might be important for understanding our own place in history.

  45. Polybius and the Cycles of Simple Government

    Eliot Grasso returns to talk about Polybius, a Greek historian who wrote about why the Roman republic was politically stable despite the tendency of governments to disintegrate.

  46. The Hellenistic Philosophies

    Naomi is back to talk about stoicism, epicureanism, cynicism, and skepticism. This is a good one folks!

  47. Lucretius and the Big Swerve

    Charley Dewberry joins Gil to talk about therapeutic philosopher Lucretius, atomism, and the scientific method.

  48. Aristotle, Friendship, and the Nicomachean Ethics

    Naomi Rinehold returns to talk about Aristotle's notion of friendship and what it can teach us about our relationships today.

  49. Plato and Socrates

    Brian Julian asks the question, "What was Socrates really up to?"

  50. Greek Theater

    Cidney Swanson explains the origins of theater and its significance in ancient Greek Culture.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

From Gutenberg College in Eugene, OR, The Gutenberg Podcast explores the great books and ideas that helped to shape Western Culture. Every episode is a conversation between host Gil Greco and one of the College faculty members meant to educate and give listeners a feel for the unique Gutenberg College experience.

HOSTED BY

Gil Greco

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Gutenberg Podcast have?

The Gutenberg Podcast currently has 55 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Gutenberg Podcast about?

From Gutenberg College in Eugene, OR, The Gutenberg Podcast explores the great books and ideas that helped to shape Western Culture. Every episode is a conversation between host Gil Greco and one of the College faculty members meant to educate and give listeners a feel for the unique Gutenberg...

How often does The Gutenberg Podcast release new episodes?

The Gutenberg Podcast has 55 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to The Gutenberg Podcast?

You can listen to The Gutenberg Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Gutenberg Podcast?

The Gutenberg Podcast is created and hosted by Gil Greco.
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