The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind Podcast Por Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education arte de portada

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

De: Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education
Escúchala gratis

Welcome to The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind, a podcast that tells the story of the prophets, philosophers, and poets who created the West. In this podcast, Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin guides listeners through more than 3,000 years of Western history, offering a coherent, civilizational story of how the West came to be—along with a deepened understanding of the challenges it now faces. While many of the texts discussed will be familiar to students of the humanities, Rabbi Rocklin offers a new framework for understanding them—a framework in which the teachings of the Jewish religious tradition play a central role. For, as Rabbi Rocklin explains, Western civilization can only be understood as the product of a transformative and ongoing collision between the great traditions of Jerusalem and Athens—between the religious spirit of the Jews and the philosophical spirit of the Greeks.2024 Espiritualidad Judaísmo Mundial
Episodios
  • Austria, Prussia, and Russia: The Rise of Central and Eastern Europe

    Austria, Prussia, and Russia: The Rise of Central and Eastern Europe
    Dec 17 2025

    While Poland will weaken and will eventually collapse, Austria, Prussia, and Russia will rise as they begin to consolidate power. To help us dive deeper into the topic, we'll address the following questions:

    1. Why were Poland and the surrounding territories particularly conducive for Jewish life to flourish?
    2. Even as European society modernized, why were Prussian aristocrats still drawn to military service?
    3. Why had Russia historically been culturally distinct from western Europe, and why did Peter the Great attempt to westernize Russia?
    Más Menos
    39 m
  • Descartes and Pascal: The Emergence of the French Mind

    Descartes and Pascal: The Emergence of the French Mind
    Dec 10 2025

    The fields of modern mathematics and philosophy owe a great deal to René Descartes and Blaise Pascal. As we learn more about the two thinkers, we'll explore the following questions:

    1. How did Descartes balance the tension between skepticism and certainty in his philosophical writings?
    2. According to Descartes, why is it important to study foreign languages?
    3. Why did Pascal sharply criticize Descartes' approach to reason?

    Recommended Reading: Decartes, René. Discourse on Method.
    Barzun, Jacques. From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life. New York: Harper Perennial, 2001.
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • The Rise of Western Europe II: Revolutionary England and a Rising France

    The Rise of Western Europe II: Revolutionary England and a Rising France
    Dec 3 2025

    While the king in France amasses more power and splendor to himself, the English monarchy undergoes a drastic change. To help us unpack the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

    1. How did the English Bill of Rights establish the strength of the English parliament?
    2. Under the leadership of Louis XIV, how and why did France become the envy of Europe?
    3. How did the War of Spanish Succession threaten to reshape Europe?
    Más Menos
    28 m
Todavía no hay opiniones