What comes after the endless critiques of postmodernism?

Williams College professor Dr. Jason Ananda Josephson Storm joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the trajectory of the human sciences and chart a course for the future of academic theory.

Dr. Storm, the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Religion and Chair of Science and Technology Studies, unpacks his book, Metamodernism: The Future of Theory. Together they discuss how scholars can move past deconstruction and begin building again.

In this conversation they explore:

🔷 Why starting with critique is necessary but terminating in critique fails to move conversations forward.
🔷 How academic disciplines systematically dismantled their own core categories like art, religion, and society.
🔷 The frustrating cycle of scholarly "turns" that repeat past mistakes without interdisciplinary awareness.
🔷 Reclaiming the liberal arts as a practical guide for living a life worth having lived.
🔷 The shift from academic destruction to compassionate philosophy after the birth of his daughter.
🔷 Critical virtue ethics and the importance of struggling together to build a better world despite pervasive suffering.

This is a conversation for anyone exhausted by constant skepticism who wants to find constructive ways to engage with society and scholarship.

Make sure to check out Dr. Storm's book: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/022678665X

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
5:00 Beyond Postmodernism
10:00 Humanities, Jobs, and Lives Worth Having Lived
15:00 Teaching “The Meaning of Life” and Guiding Students Toward Flourishing
20:00 Epistemic Communities, Self-Deception, and Critical Virtue Ethics
30:23 How Categories Like “Art,” “Religion,” and “Society” Fall Apart
38:38 What Metamodernism Tries to Build
44:11 Academic Incentives, Jargon, and Trying to Do No-Bullshit Philosophy
53:05 The Impact of Fatherhood
1:02:07 Critical Virtue Ethics

What do Hegel and Heidegger have to do with the struggles faced by liberalism today?

Duke political philosopher Dr. Michael Allen Gillespie joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the philosophical foundations of modern history and the crisis we're living through now.

Dr. Gillespie, Professor of Political Science at Duke University, revisits his landmark book, Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History, to examine what these two towering figures reveal about the trajectory of Western civilization.

In this conversation they explore:

• Why Fukuyama's "end of history" never arrived and what replaced it
• Hegel's master-slave dialectic and what it tells us about how consciousness drives history
• Heidegger's warning: the "forgetfulness of Being" as the root of modern nihilism
• What it means to ask for the ground of history and why that question remains urgent
• The tension between human freedom and natural causation at the heart of modernity
• Heidegger's destruction of Western metaphysics and what he was trying to clear space for
• Why Heidegger may have misread Plato, and what we lose because of it

This is a conversation for anyone who suspects something has gone deeply wrong in the modern world and wants to understand why.

Make sure to check out Dr. Gillespie's book: Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226293777/

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

Can beauty actually reveal God? Oxford theologian Dr. Mark McInroy joins host PJ Wehry to explore Hans Urs von Balthasar's radical claim that beauty is not decoration, but the very structure of divine revelation.

Dr. McInroy, Associate Professor of Contemporary and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford, unpacks his book Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor, a guide to one of the most important (and most difficult) Catholic thinkers of the 20th century.

In this conversation they discuss:

• What Balthasar means by "spiritual senses"
• How beauty functions as a transcendental property of being itself
• Why God's self-disclosure in Christ is fundamentally sensory, not merely rational
• The concept of "splendor"
• Why beauty, truth, and goodness are inseparable
• How perceiving divine beauty is available to all Christians, not just mystics

If you've ever felt that a great work of art, a piece of music, or a moment in nature pointed toward something beyond itself, Balthasar has a theology for that experience.

Make sure to check out Dr. McInroy's book: Balthasar on the Spiritual Senses: Perceiving Splendor 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199689008

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. Yuval Avnur, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Institute at Scripps College. They dive into Dr. Avnur's new book, Why Read Pascal Today?, and explore why Blaise Pascal remains one of the most vital voices in the philosophy of religion.

Dr. Avnur challenges the traditional understanding of Pascal's Wager. Rather than a cold, calculated bet designed to force belief, Avnur explains that Pascal viewed human nature fundamentally as a "heart with a belief-forming mechanism attached to it."

Together, PJ and Dr. Avnur discuss:

• Pascal’s Augustinian roots and his skepticism toward "pure reason"
• Why the condition of our hearts dictates the evidence we are willing to see
• The "crisis of desire": Why endless distraction leaves us unsatisfied

What does a 17th-century philosopher have to say about our modern lives? Dr. Avnur breaks down why we can have every comfort at our fingertips yet remain entirely empty, and how a "Pascalian" approach can help us engage with one another more humanely—seeking to understand the heart rather than just winning the argument.

Make sure to check out Avnur's book: Why Read Pascal Today? 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009321447/

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Michael Sawyer, Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. They dive deep into the philosophy behind Dr. Sawyer's latest book, The Door of No Return: Being as Black.

Dr. Sawyer challenges traditional academic boundaries, arguing that Black aesthetic practices—from the novels of Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison to the musical performances of Bob Marley and Aretha Franklin—are profound philosophical statements in their own right.

Together, PJ and Dr. Sawyer discuss:
🔷 The limitations of W.E.B. Du Bois's "double consciousness"
🔷 How Hegel's dialectic outlines the anti-black world
🔷 Toni Morrison's vision of a non-dialectical "third world" of sovereign blackness

What does it practically mean to push past the Middle Passage and imagine a world beyond anti-blackness? Dr. Sawyer explains how this speculative philosophy translates to a day-to-day reality where systemic tragedies like the death of Breonna Taylor simply do not happen.

Make sure to check out Sawyer's book: The Door of No Return: Being-As-Black 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439925577
Use the code: 25FNBK at tupress.temple.edu/books/the-door-of-no-return for a 25% discount!

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Paul Moser to discuss his book, God on Trial: Testing for the Divine. They explore why traditional philosophical arguments often fail to reveal the true nature of God and why the search for the divine requires a shift from intellectual spectacle to moral participation.

Dr. Moser challenges the "spectator" approach to theology, arguing that God is not interested in satisfying human curiosity with miraculous signs or undeniable logic. He contends that God’s primary goal is not merely to be believed in, but to be trusted and partnered with, specifically through the "Gethsemane struggle" of aligning human will with divine love. He advocates for a shift from demanding evidence from God to becoming evidence for God through righteous character.

The conversation also covers the crucial difference between "gift-giver" theology and true relational intimacy, the role of the "fruit of the Spirit" as the tangible personality traits of God, and why effective prayer is less about asking for favors and more about becoming a "fellow worker" in God's redemptive plan.

Make sure to check out Moser's book: God on Trial: Testing for the Divine 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DST8MH5Y

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Barbara Rosenwein to discuss her book, Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700, and the decade-long research process required to bridge the traditional academic silos of the medieval and early modern periods.

Dr. Rosenwein introduces her concept of "emotional communities," explaining how groups throughout history, much like modern political parties, have maintained distinct norms and values regarding what is felt and expressed . She challenges the linear view that modern society has reached a "pinnacle" of emotional development , arguing that historians have often "read out" emotions from the past , and advocates for understanding historical figures on their own terms rather than through modern judgment.

The conversation also covers the evolution of friendship from the virtue-based models of Aristotle and Cicero to modern romantic ideals , the shifting biological theories of emotion from the heart to the brain , and why expanding our emotional vocabulary is essential to becoming fully human.

Make sure to check out Rosenwein's book: Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1107097045

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined once again by political theorist Dr. Chris Yeomans to discuss his recent work on republicanism, political participation, and the legacy of Hegel. The conversation centers on why republicanism has reemerged as a serious framework for political thought and how Yeomans traces its development from contemporary neo-republican theory back through nineteenth century labor republicanism and into the classical civic tradition rooted in Aristotle. Rather than treating political philosophy as an abstract exercise, the episode situates these ideas within lived questions of freedom, agency, and civic responsibility.

PJ and Dr. Yeomans explore how modern political discourse often flattens freedom into individual choice or non-interference, while republican traditions emphasize freedom as non-domination and active participation in shared political life. Yeomans explains why Hegel remains a difficult but indispensable figure for understanding these debates, particularly when it comes to the role of institutions, ethical life, and the formation of citizens. The discussion also addresses common misunderstandings of Hegel as either an authoritarian thinker or a simple apologist for the state, offering a more nuanced account of how his philosophy engages republican concerns.

Throughout the episode, the conversation returns to questions of work, labor, and political belonging, especially in the context of modern democracies that struggle with disengagement and polarization. This episode will be especially relevant for listeners interested in political theory, republicanism, Hegel, civic participation, and the philosophical foundations of freedom in contemporary society.

Make sure to check out Yeomans' book: Hegel and Republicanism: Non-Domination, Economics, and Political Participation 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009705334

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud.

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.