The Classical Mind

In this episode of The Classical Mind, Fr. Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson explore George MacDonald’s 1895 fantasy novel, Lilith. The discussion navigates the tension between MacDonald’s occasionally “fumbling” literary style and the profound, “mythopoeic” power of his spiritual vision. The episode also touches on MacDonald’s universalist leanings and his belief that even “evil that is good for you” acts as a redemptive force. Ultimately, the episode highlights how Lilith challenges readers to move beyond a dry love of books to a lived experience of the supernatural reality they represent.
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Endnotes:
* Junius: Phantastes by George MacDonald
* Wesley:
Our Next Work: Inferno by Dante Alighieri


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In this episode of The Classical Mind, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson dive deep into the fascinating, complex topic of Medieval Exegesis—”specifically how the medievals read the scriptures.”
Moving beyond single book analysis, this discussion traces the history of Christian exegesis from the Patristic era (Paul, Origen) to the evolution of the foundational Four Senses of Scripture (literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical).
Discover the critical, often-misunderstood meaning of the Literal Sense and learn how this ancient, nuanced method of biblical interpretation offers powerful intellectual tools for solving modern-day false dichotomies.
Endnotes
* Junius: The Mystical Ark by Richard of Saint Victor
* Wesley: The Selected Spiritual Writings of Hugh of Saint Victor


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In this special year-end bonus episode, hosts Father Wesley Walker and Dr. Junius Johnson take a break from their usual Great Books discussion to share their personal Top 5 favorite books read this year—works that fell (mostly) outside of the main Classical Mind reading list.
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Junius
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Phantastes by George MacDonald
The Liberation of Jerusalem by Torquato Tasso
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
Wesley
The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Ronald C. White
Attack Upon Christendom by Soren Kierkegaard
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
Nietzsche is My Brother by Bridget Edman, O.C.D.


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In this episode of The Classical Mind, Junius and Wesley dive deep into Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor — a haunting naval novella exploring innocence, evil, law, mutiny, and biblical symbolism aboard a British warship during the Napoleonic era.
Melville’s final, posthumously published work blends gripping maritime drama with profound moral and theological questions. We unpack what Makes Billy Budd a Great (and Strange) Work, Historical and Naval Context, Biblical Themes, and how memory and myth are related.
Endnotes:
* Junius: Bartleby, the Scrivener
* Wesley: Billy Budd (1962)


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In this episode, Junius and Wesley take on the latest film adaptation of Frankenstein, asking what makes a great adaptation of a classic work — and whether this one succeeds. From Mary Shelley’s 19th-century vision of creation and responsibility to modern cinematic retellings, they explore how filmmakers interpret, distort, and occasionally deepen the original novel’s moral and theological questions. Along the way, they consider what’s lost and what’s gained when literary imagination meets the visual power of film.
Be sure to check out the stage adaptation by A.S. Peterson that Junius speaks about a few times in the episode.


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