Mahon McCann

Hello there,
It’s been a while (I’m sorry) but the Plato’s Republic lectures are back!
Before the end of the year we will be getting through the last books 7-10, and if you want to catch up on the lectures so far here is the link:
In this lecture on book 7 we will discuss the following:
* The Digression of books 5-6, including the images of the sun, divided line and the Cave.
* The cave as an image of education — reorienting the soul from shadows and appearances toward reality.
* Tracking the prisoner’s painful ascent from images to objects to intelligible forms and ultimately to the Good as the source of intelligibility.
* The return to the cave, where the enlightened person is mocked and potentially killed, linking this to Socrates’ fate.
* Drawing on John Vervaeke, Karl Jaspers’ Axial Age, and concepts like salience, enkrateia, and sophrosyne, framing the ascent as moral and attentional training.
* Finally, we compare the Cave Allegory to Social Media and The Matrix, comparing the modern and ancient perspectives on transcendance.
00:00 Lecture 700:22 Recap and Digression05:41 Inside the Cave10:51 Climbing to Sunlight12:47 Divided Line Revisited18:31 Source of Intelligibility21:26 Return and Resistance23:50 Axial Age and Two Worlds27:11 How to leave the Cave 33:00 Social Media as the Cave33:46 The Matrix Retells the Cave39:15 Plato vs Matrix on Happiness
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Howiye!
In this podcast, I talk to Dr. Zachary Porcu about his book, Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age. We discuss why the modern secular worldview stops people from understanding ancient faiths, how Dr Zak explains these categories and concepts to his students, and the spiritual and ethical consequences of secularism.
Get the book: https://www.amazon.ie/Journey-Reality-Sacramental-Life-Secular/dp/1955890625Get the course: https://zacharyporcu.substack.com/
Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Journey to Reality02:32 The Need for a Pre-Catechism05:37 Understanding Religion and Worldviews10:55 The Challenge of Changing Categories15:44 Engaging with Cultural Contexts19:16 The Role of the Internet in Faith26:33 The Future of Catechism and Pre-Catechism32:18 Exploring Orthodox Masterclasses34:12 Practical Lifestyle Changes for Spiritual Growth37:14 The Impact of Technology on Attention and Thought40:50 The Dystopian Future of Technology and AI46:49 The Church's Response to Secularization50:17 The Meaning Crisis and Mental Health54:27 The Shallow Nature of Modernity and Hedonism
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Hello!
I’m back with another podcast on the faith in Ireland/signs of renewal. This time I’m speaking with Robert Nugent from the Catholic Man YouTube channel.
In this podcast we discuss the resurgence of faith among young people, the importance of authentic community, and practical steps to renew the Catholic Church in Ireland. We also explore how the Holy Spirit is working silently amidst crises, the role of prayer groups, and innovative ways to foster faith in a modern context.
Key topics include:
* The rising interest in faith among Generation Z and the signs of renewal within the church
* The perceived crisis in the Catholic Church: challenges and signs of hope
* The role of community, prayer groups, and faith in action to foster spiritual growth
* Innovative approaches like faith-based pilgrimage walks and lay-led prayer groups
* The importance of spiritual mentorship, formation, and authentic friendship in faith development
* How Orthodox monastic traditions exemplify community and faith renewal in practice
* The need for modern digital strategies, such as QR codes and online faith formation, to connect with seekers
* The significance of sacramentally driven transformation—understanding theosis and spiritual purity
* Practical steps for integrating faith into everyday life: confession, prayer, humility, and community
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Personal Connections
02:32 The Resurgence of Faith Among Gen Z
07:16 The Role of Community in Faith Formation
11:51 Challenges in Engaging with the Church
11:56 Building Intentional Faith Communities
17:43 Learning from Other Faith Traditions
22:54 Building Community Through Faith
25:42 The Challenge of Faith Formation
27:47 Transformational Faith and Theosis
35:30 The Role of Sacraments in Transformation
41:20 The Importance of Humility in Faith
Best,
Mahon.


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Hey hey, it’s been a while!!
We are back with another explosive podcast conversation with Mr Jordan Bates:
Jordan is the Founder of Council of Kings. He’s a father, husband, co-founder of Apotheosis, men’s leadership coach, and the author of six books. Jordan has been immersed in transformational work for fifteen years and in Men’s Work for the past six years, training with respected leaders and organizations in the space. He is repeatedly humbled and honored to witness the depth, beauty, and power of this work—and to contribute to the formation of the God-led masculine leaders our world truly needs.
Join Jordan’s upcoming ‘Rise of the Kings’ programme (starts April 1st): https://councilofkings.co/rise-of-kings
In this podcast, we discuss the plight of young men in the modern age from unclear gender roles to pornography and technology. Then we discuss how to find your place in the world, the skills and virtues you need and Jordan’s model for becoming the man you could be. Finally, we discuss the ideal man (Christ) and how Jordan’s own journey from cradle Catholic to wandering nomad and back to the faith inspires his men’s work. Check it out 👇
Chapters:
00:00 Meet Jordan Bates
00:26 Why Mens Work
03:57 Modern Male Isolation
08:07 Purpose In A Meta Crisis
11:27 Service Over Introspection
14:07 Missing Rites Of Passage
16:09 Brotherhood And Retreats
19:39 Finding In Person Community
24:30 Christ As North Star
31:14 Hierarchy Of Values
33:30 Attention As Worship
35:14 Ora Turning Life To Prayer
36:41 Leaving Church Finding Mysticism
43:03 Family Life Brings Christ Back
47:00 Dogma Structure And Fire
52:48 Practices For Holy Spirit Experience
54:35 Mini Monasteries And Centering Prayer
59:24 Ritual Without Living Faith
01:02:30 Breaking Materialism With Soul Tech
01:06:51 Final Reflections And Outro


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In this conversation, we explore the connections between the biblical concepts of heaven and earth and Platonic categories of form and matter, discussing how these ideas can be mapped onto contemporary understandings of reality. The dialogue emphasises the importance of symbolic language in conveying deeper truths and the challenges of communicating these concepts in a modern context. We also examine the nature of the soul, the influence of spirits, and the dynamics of agency in relation to higher patterns of existence.Get the "Post-reductionist christianity" book: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/post-reductionist-christianity-a-way-out-of-the-meaning-crisis
Chapters:00:00 Exploring Heaven and Earth: A Comparative Analysis09:47 The Role of Symbolic Language in Theology17:52 Understanding Heaven: Bridging the Secular and the Sacred25:08 Patterns of Influence: The Higher Powers in Culture30:00 The War of Spirits in Technology32:17 Divine and Unholy Spirits: A Duality37:26 The Nature of Good and Evil Spirits41:35 Agency and Patterns: The Human Condition44:06 Understanding the Soul in a Christian Context


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