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    History

    The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

    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.

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    Latest Episodes:
    Medieval Literature II: Maimonides May 29, 2025
    Show notes

    Maimonides arguably was the greatest philosopher of the twelfth century. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will help us unpack his legacy and address the following questions:

    1. Why was Maimonides' codification of Jewish law so monumental? How did his system of codification diverge from the Talmud?
    2. How did Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed help push western philosophy forward?
    3. Why was The Guide to the Perplexed banned by some Jewish rabbis? Why was the ban ultimately lifted?

    Medieval Literature I: Islamic Thinkers May 27, 2025
    Show notes

    The Medieval Islamic world was very advanced in its scholarship and studies, and in some instances surpassed the scholars of Europe. As we survey some of the greatest Islamic thinkers, we'll address the following questions:

    1. When and how did the Islamic philosophical tradition begin?
    2. What made the world of Medieval Islam so conducive to the study of philosophy?
    3. Why is Averroes seen negatively within the Christian philosophical tradition?

    Jews in the Middle Ages: Intellectual Life, Religion, and Persecution May 22, 2025
    Show notes

    Life as a Jew in the Middle Ages was difficult across both Christendom and Islamic lands. To help us unpack the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

    1. How much truth is there to the notion that life for the Jews under Medieval Christendom was bleak?
    2. Why did distinctions between Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions begin developing in this time?
    3. What fueled the many Jewish migrations across Europe? How does the Spanish Inquisition fit into the larger picture of persecution?

    The Classical Christian: Augustine's Life and Legacy May 20, 2025
    Show notes

    When it came to establishing the doctrine of the Catholic Church, there are few quite as important and influential as Augustine. To explore the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

    1. Why are Augustine's reflections on his childhood considered monumental?
    2. According to Augustine, what is the best way for a Christian to protect his soul? How can the Christian achieve immortality?
    3. How does Augustine reimagine history distinct from Herodotus and Thucydides?

    Recommended Reading: Augustine of Hippo. Confessions. Translated by F.J. Sheed. Indiana: Hacket Publishing Company, 2006.

    This episode of The Pillars is generously sponsored by Amanda and Andrew Gold in memory of M.J. and Clare McGillicuddy.


    Medieval Church History: Art, Religion, and Power May 15, 2025
    Show notes

    The disasters of the fourteenth century triggered reactions that involved and impacted the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church. As we work through the topic, we'll explore the following questions:

    1. How did the populace of Europe respond to the disasters of the fourteenth century?
    2. Why did religious reformers begin springing up around this time? How did the Church react to them?
    3. What were the goals of Gothic architecture?

    Death and Dissent: Disasters, Revolts and Wars of the 14th Century May 13, 2025
    Show notes

    The greatness of the thirteenth century will collapse into the disasters of the fourteenth. To explain the how and why of it, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

    1. Why did the price and wage controls not help the economic chaos following the Black Death?
    2. Why were the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries known as the Age of Parliament?
    3. What sparked the Hundred Years' War?

    A Restless Spirit: Medieval Vitality and Crusades May 08, 2025
    Show notes

    The Middle Ages were marked by a contradiction between the stability of settling down and a dynamic spirit that inspired greatness. On today's episode, we'll uncover answers to the following questions:

    1. How did the Creation Mandate inspire Christians to start thinking beyond their horizons?
    2. Why does Medieval art depict figures who are clearly disproportionate? What was Gothic architecture trying to accomplish?
    3. What precipitated the Crusades? How were they a product of the restless Christian spirit?

    Recommended Reading: Urban II, Speech at the Council of Clermont


    Reason and Revelation: Intellectual Life in the Middle Ages May 06, 2025
    Show notes

    The tension between intellectual reason and divine revelation stands at the heart of the Medieval spirit of inquiry. As we explore that tension, we'll unpack the following questions:

    1. Why did universities develop at this time? How were they different than the ancient academies?
    2. How did Christian thinkers begin employing philosophy to develop Christian doctrine?
    3. Why was scholasticism important towards building up intellectual life?

    Medieval Religion: The Rise of Christendom May 01, 2025
    Show notes

    The Middle Ages will see the continued development of the relationship between God and man. On today's episode, Rabbi Rocklin will discuss the following questions:

    1. What role did church and religion play in the day-to-day life of the layman of the Middle Ages?
    2. Why was religion as important for Jews as it was for Christians?
    3. Why was medieval Christian scholarship so focused on theology, and why did the Church come down so hard on what it perceived as heresies?

    Church and State: Politics and Religion in the Middle Ages Apr 29, 2025
    Show notes

    The structures of government in the Middle Ages are quite different from what we have today. On today's episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

    1. What were the various obligations of the different ranks of people in the Middle Ages? How were they obligated to each other?
    2. What role did the king play in Medieval times?
    3. Was it really all bad for Jews in the Middle Ages?

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