Josh Bowman welcomes Albert Norton back to the show. Bert is a practicing attorney and author of several books on the tension between religion and postmodernism. Today, we specifically consider how understanding this tension might inform the life of modern churches and intellectual discipleship.

His most recent book is The Discovered Self, concerning what he regards as a dangerous inward turn to the therapeutic worldview. We previously discussed his 2023 book, The Mountain and the River: Genesis, Postmodernism, and the Machine, in Episode 40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXdva8y7ghs&list=PL1B7f66VCvfZnkwh_UjXjhXEg5P8dUq0q&index=32

Our conversation addresses themes of postmodernism, universals and particulars, ideology, totalitarianism, fascism, epistemology, Christian intellectuals in the church, and much more.

Bert’s substack, “Sir Toast” - https://albertnorton.substack.com/

The Mountain and the River - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-River-Genesis-Postmodernism-Machine/dp/1943003815?ref_=ast_author_dp

The Discovered Self - https://www.amazon.com/Discovered-Self-Identity-Therapeutic-Age-ebook/dp/B0F1V4LL7B?ref_=ast_author_dp

Check out Bert’s reflections on the 2025 Ciceronian Society conference here: https://albertnorton.substack.com/p/the-ciceronian-society

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The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

This special episode is an excerpt from a panel at our 2025 annual conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel title was "Philip Rieff: Cultural Conflict, Religion and the Self." After a prayer and brief introduction, we hear the following speakers.

First, Michael Harding of Montgomery College, with "Rieff’s Use of Nietzsche in Deathworks."

Second, William Batchelder of Waynesburg University, on "The Impossibility of Charisma in the Modern Context."

Third, Ethan Alexander-Davey of Campbell University, with "The Role of Elites in Formation and Deformation."

Fourth, Albert Norton, independent scholar, on "Identity in the Therapeutic Age."

Following the fourth speaker is a 13 minute question and answer period.

Mr. Norton was interviewed in Episode 40 of The Sower, and Drs. Harding and Batchelder most recently appeared in Episode 69, an introduction to the work of Philip Rieff. Dr. Alexander-Davey is an occasional host of The Sower. Dr. Anadale's YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristopherAnadale

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider attending our March 2026 annual conference, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/.

0:00 Episode Introduction (Anadale)
2:17 Panel Introduction (Batchelder)
5:38 Nietzsche (Harding)
31:52 Charisma (Batchelder)
50:34 Elites (Alexander-Davey)
1:05:02 Identity (Norton)
1:19:01 Q&A

• (00:00:00) - Episode Introduction (Anadale)
• (00:02:17) - Panel Introduction (Batchelder)
• (00:05:38) - Nietzsche (Harding)
• (00:31:52) - Charisma (Batchelder)
• (00:50:34) - Elites (Alexander-Davey)
• (01:05:02) - Identity (Norton)
• (01:19:01) - Q&A

Еthan Alexander-Davey and Glenn Cronin discuss the life and work of Lev Tikhomirov, who, in his mid thirties, abandoned revolutionary terrorism to become one of the most prominent defenders of the Russian Monarchy and Orthodox Christianity. The conversation focuses on Dr. Cronin’s recent book The Enduring Enigma of Lev Tikhomirov, which surveys the writer’s major works on revolutionary ideology, monarchical government, and the theological roots of the horrors of the 20th century.

Books (in English) mentioned in the podcast:

Works by Glenn Cronin

The Enduring Enigma of Lev Tikhomirov, https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501783449/the-enduring-enigma-of-lev-tikhomirov/#bookTabs=1

Disenchanted Wanderer:The Apocalyptic Vision of Konstantin Leontiev, https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501760181/disenchanted-wanderer/

Works (in English translation) by Lev Tikhomirov

Why I Ceased to be a Revolutionary | Beginnings and Ends, trans. by K. Benois, https://www.amazon.com/Why-Ceased-Revolutionary-Beginnings-Ends/dp/B08LNJKZ96/

That’s it so far. If anyone would like to pay Dr. Cronin or Dr. Alexander-Davey a lot of money to translate Tikhomirov’s major works on monarchy and history, please reach out.

Other books mentioned:

Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution, https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781466805781/fatalpurity/

Thomas Hobbes, Behemoth: Or the Long Parliament, https://archive.org/details/cu31924028063893/page/n156/mode/2up

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon: A brief view and survey of the dangerous and pernicious errors to church and state, in Mr. Hobbes's book, entitled Leviathan, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A33236.0001.001/1:5?rgn=div1&view=fulltext

History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, https://archive.org/details/historyofrebelli01clar/page/n19/mode/2up

Herbert Spencer, Man versus the State, chapter 2, “The Coming Slavery”, https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/spencer-the-man-versus-the-state-1885-ed

Josh Bowman chats with Dr. Wayne Braudrick, lead pastor at Frisco Bible Church in Frisco, Texas and member of the Ciceronian Society. We discuss intellectual discipleship, the life of the mind among evangelical Christians, preaching, the importance of place for pastors and Bible study, and much more.

Frisco Bible Church: https://friscobiblechurch.snappages.site/

Josh’s article on Intellectual Discipleship: https://circeinstitute.org/blog/intellectual-discipleship

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Check out our new video podcast, reading through Cicero's On Duties: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B7f66VCvfaF3PYETBIJG4AGMpanUNE3

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

An introduction to the life and work of Philip Rieff (1922-2006), with Bill Batchelder, Michael Harding, and Chris Anadale, contributors to the 2005 volume The Philosophy of Phillip Rieff (Bloomsbury Academic).

Dr. William Batchelder is professor of history and honors program director at Waynesburg University, in southwest Pennsylvania.

Dr. Michael Harding is professor of philosophy and chair of humanities at Montgomery College, in Maryland.

Dr. Christopher Anadale is associate professor of philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University, in Maryland.

The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and to make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Links:

Freud: The Mind of the Moralist - Philip Rieff, Third Edition with Epilogue "One Step Further" https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Mind-Moralist-Philip-Rieff/dp/0226716392?s=books

Susan Sontag Was Not the Sole Author of Freud: The Mind of the Moralist, by Kevin Slack and William Batchelder https://voegelinview.com/susan-sontag-was-not-the-sole-author-of-freud-the-mind-of-the-moralist/

The Triumph of the Therapeutic - Philip Rieff, with an introduction by Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Therapeutic-Background-Essential-Conservative/dp/1932236805?s=books

The Feeling Intellect - Philip Rieff, Edited and with an Introduction by Jonathan Imber https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Intellect-Selected-Writings/dp/0226716422?s=books

My Life Among the Deathworks - Philip Rieff, Edited and with an Introduction by James Davison Hunter https://www.amazon.com/Life-Among-Deathworks-Illustrations-Aesthetics/dp/0813925169?s=books

Crisis of the Officer Class - Philip Rieff, Edited by with an Introduction by Alan Woolfolk https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Order-Social-Officer-Sensibility/dp/0813926769/134-9327847-2012820

Charisma: The Gift of Grace and How It Has Been Taken from Us - Philip Rieff, with a Forward by Daniel Frank and Aaron Manson https://www.amazon.com/Charisma-Gift-Grace-Been-Taken/dp/0375424520?s=books

Ars Vitae - Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn https://www.amazon.com/Ars-Vitae-Inwardness-Return-Ancient/dp/0268108900?s=books

Sociology and the Sacred - Ton Zondervan https://www.amazon.com/Sociology-Sacred-Introduction-Philip-Culture/dp/0802080189?s=books

The Anthem Companion to Philip Rieff - Edited by Jonathan Imber https://www.amazon.com/Anthem-Companion-Phillip-Companions-Sociology/dp/178308152X?s=books

The Philosophy of Philip Rieff - Edited by Michael Harding and William Batchelder https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-of-philip-rieff-9781350424586...

This special episode is an excerpt from a plenary panel at our 2025 annual conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The panel title was "Jesus the Tekton: Restoring Common Arts Education," and two of the four speakers' remarks are included here.

The first speaker is Fr. Mark Perkins of St. Dunstan's Academy. After an opening prayer and introductory remarks, he presents his paper, "Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge."

He is followed by Thomas Fickley, also of St. Dunstan's Academy, presenting on "A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship."

Both men were interviewed in Episode 27 of The Sower, which you can listen to for details about St. Dunstan's.

https://stdunstansacademy.org/

https://youtu.be/1YoLbDSz71Q?si=c6yiKXex2pVRcJI5

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider attending our March 2026 annual conference, in Omaha, Nebraska. For details, go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/.

0:00 Episode Introduction (Anadale)
2:03 Panel Introduction (Perkins)
10:57 Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge (Perkins)
28:15 A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship (Fickley)
44:49 Closing Remarks (Bowman)

• (00:00:00) - Episode Introduction
• (00:02:03) - Panel Introduction (Perkins)
• (00:10:57) - Timber Framing and Poetic Knowledge (Perkins)
• (00:28:15) - A Place for Young Men: Resurrecting Apprenticeship (Fickley)
• (00:44:49) - Closing Remarks (Bowman)

Chris Anadale interviews Caleb Galloway, an Anglican woodworker and stained glass artist in Marietta, Georgia. We discuss how he got started, prospects for GenZ young men, and his upcoming project building roadside shrines.

To follow Caleb: https://x.com/Gallo_Woodworks

Orthodox Masonry: https://x.com/orthodoxmason

To learn more about the Ciceronian Society, sign up for our newsletter, or make your tax-deductible donation, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/

Josh Bowman chats with Commander William Spears, who serves as a submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. He is also a scholar, writing on topics of leadership and military ethics. He is the author of the recently released book, Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy (Casemate, 2025), which examines the morality of war and military service through the lens of Stoic philosophy. And that book is our topic today! We discuss the importance of the stoics, virtue, Cicero, Seneca, and more.

Link to the book: https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781636246239/stoicism-as-a-warrior-philosophy/

https://williamcspears.com/

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The 2026 Ciceronian Society Conference will be held March 12-14 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

To learn more about us, our events, this Podcast, our journal, Pietas, to sign up for our newsletter, and TO make your tax deductible gift, please go to https://ciceroniansociety.org/