The Dionysius Circle Podcast
The Dionysius Circle Podcast focuses on Christian Platonism and the broader Platonic tradition. It examines the integration of Platonism within Christian philosophy and theology, along with Plato himself and later schools of Platonism. The podcast also explores how Platonism developed in Jewish and Islamic thought. Additionally, it maintains an ongoing interest in philosophical Platonism, both ancient and contemporary.
Episodes
Kevin Clarke on St. Maximus the Confessor: One Christ, Two Wills
Kevin Clarke of Sacred Heart Seminary joins Sam Bennett and Dominic Cassella to discuss St. Maximus the Confessor’s Opuscula and Dispute with Pyrrhus. Clarke’s new translation and introduction is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Opuscula-Dispute-Pyrrhus-Theological-Polemical/dp/0813240824We talk about why Maximus defended two wills and two activities in Christ, why his opponents thought this
Max Rohstock on Dionysius and the Origin of Evil
Max Rohstock argues that, for Dionysius, evil arises when human freedom turns away from the Good itself and becomes fixed on finite goods (wealth, power, pleasure) as though they were ultimate. Yet the Good never ceases to sustain us or call us back. In that sense, even our return to the Good begins from a grace that is already present.
Andreas Bergman: Why Baptism Is Necessary in St. Maximus the Confessor
In this episode, we talk about a puzzle in St. Maximus the Confessor. First, Maximus holds that every human being already participates in Christ: Christ is the source, ordering principle, and final end of human nature. Second, Maximus says that the virtues are, in some sense, natural to us, and that the virtues lead to deification So why do we need baptism at all? Why does Maximus hold that baptis
Mark Blitz on Aristotle's Political Philosophy
Political philosopher Mark Blitz joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Aristotle’s Political Philosophy. We consider Aristotle’s account of the link between political life and human happiness, the regime as a way of life, the place of virtue in liberal democracy, and the tensions between politics, philosophy, and religion. Patrick Jones joins me for the conversation.
The Function Argument in Aristotle's Ethics with Jakub Jirsa
In this episode, Sam Bennett speaks with philosopher Jakub Jirsa about his new Bloomsbury book, The Function Argument in Aristotle’s Ethics. They discuss Aristotle’s famous function argument, what it means to ask whether human beings have a distinctive function, and how this question shapes Aristotle’s account of virtue, happiness, and the human good.
Aristotle's Argument Against Plato's Form of the Good - with Michele Pecorari
In this episode, I speak with Michele Pecorari about one of Aristotle’s arguments against Plato’s Form of the Good in Nicomachean Ethics 1.6. Aristotle notes that we call many different kinds of things good: God is good, as a substance; virtue is good, as a quality; the right amount is good, as a quantity; and the right time is good, as a time. We discuss why Aristotle thinks this creates a proble
Gyula Klima on Ockham, Nominalism, and the Via Moderna
Gyula Klima discusses the medieval problem of universals, focusing on the divide between the via antiqua and the via moderna. The conversation centers especially on William of Ockham’s break with the older realist tradition, drawing on Klima’s article “What is Wrong with Nominalism?” (Divinitas, 2, 2025). Klima argues that the deepest shift is not simply metaphysical, but semantic: a new account o
Karsten Harries on Nicholas of Cusa, Modernity, and Nihilism
Karsten Harries, emeritus Yale professor of philosophy, joins Dr. Sam Bennett for a conversation on Nicholas of Cusa’s On Learned Ignorance, the limits of reason, modern science, nihilism, Kant, Heidegger, beauty, and transcendence in human life.
How Do We Know Essences? Aristotle's Answer with Christopher Hauser
In this episode, philosopher Christopher Hauser of the University of Scranton joins Dr. Sam Bennett to discuss Aristotle’s epistemology, specifically his theory of essence and how we come to know essences. We begin by clarifying what Aristotle means by essence, including the distinction between individuals and kinds, and between essential features and merely necessary properties. The conversation
Piero Boitani on the Timaeus, Beauty, and Poetic Thought
In this episode, Dr Sam Bennett speaks with the Italian literary critic and poet Piero Boitani about his recent book Timaeus in Paradise: Metaphors and Beauty from Plato to Dante and Beyond, alongside his long poetic work Plato’s Poem. We begin with the remarkable story behind these works, including the unexpected emergence of poetic inspiration late in Piero's life. From there, the conversation t
Plato vs. Aristotle: A Fundamental Divide? With Dr. Rares Marinescu
In this episode, Sam Bennett speaks with Dr. Rareș Ilie Marinescu about the depth of the disagreement between Plato and Aristotle. Rareș is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Classics at the University of Toronto and the author of Proclus on Aristotle on Plato: A Case Study on Motion. Do Plato and Aristotle merely disagree at the surface level, or do they diverge at the level of first principles? Is motion
Against Aristotelian Universals: Two Arguments from Damiano Costa
This episode is a discussion with philosopher Damiano Costa about his paper “An Argument Against Aristotelian Universals.” Costa examines the Aristotelian view that universals really exist, yet depend for their existence on being exemplified by particular things, and he explains why he thinks this position cannot be sustained.The discussion focuses on two arguments against Aristotelian universals.
The Problem of Universals: A Conversation with Gyula Klima
In this episode, Sam Bennett speaks with Gyula Klima about the medieval problem of universals and the philosophical issues that arise when we try to explain how universal cognition of singular things is possible. Klima begins with his intellectual background and then walks through the problem as it develops from Plato’s ideal objects and the challenge posed by the Third Man argument, to Aristotle’
The Nature of Evil: Privation or Corruption? with Christophe de Ray
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Christophe de Ray from Nanyang Technological University about his article “Corruptio Boni: An Alternative to the Privation Theory of Evil,” published in the journal Ratio: An International Journal of Analytic Philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Augustine, Dr. de Ray argues that evil is not the mere absence of a good that ought to obtain, but rather the corruption
Evil as Privation: A Conversation with Pierce Alexander Marks
What kind of thing is evil?If all being is good, where does disorder come from?Can evil have reality without being a substance?In this episode, we talk with philosopher Pierce Marks about his paper “Evil as Privation: Its True Meaning and Import.” We discuss the Platonic roots of the view that evil is a lack of the good, the distinction between “mere” and “depraved” privations, and whether natural
Justification Revisited: Maximus the Confessor and the New Perspective on Paul
In this episode, Dr. Andreas Bergman joins us to discuss his recent open-access article, The Maximian Perspective on Paul: A Reconstruction of the Works of the Law and Maximus the Confessor. We begin by outlining the main features of the Old and New Perspectives on Paul, particularly the contested meaning of the phrase “works of the law” in Pauline theology. From there, we explore how Maximus the
Participation and Righteousness in Paul and Gregory of Nyssa – A Conversation with Dr. Joshua Heavin
In this episode of the Dionysius Circle podcast, I explore with New Testament scholar Dr. Joshua Heavin his recent article on participation in Christ and divine and human righteousness. Drawing from both Paul’s letters and the theology of St. Gregory of Nyssa, we examine how righteousness is not merely a moral property but, at its deepest level, a person — Christ himself. We also unpack Gregory’s
Moses the Hierarch: Theurgy and Sacred Imitation in Dionysius with Dr. Clelia Attanasio
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Clelia Attanasio about her recent work on Pseudo-Dionysius and the distinction between theurgy and hierurgy. We explore how Moses, as the paradigmatic hierurgist, models the human ascent through contemplation and the use of sacred symbols in response to divine action.
Liturgy, Theurgy, and Active Participation with Dr. Kjetil Kringlebotten
In this episode of the Dionysius Circle Podcast, we’re joined by Rev. Dr. Kjetil Kringlebotten, a priest in the Church of Norway and author of Liturgy, Theurgy, and Active Participation. We talk about what it really means to participate in the liturgy, why God’s action is at the heart of worship, and how Christian Platonism can deepen our understanding of the Church’s rituals.
Dr. Stephanos Stephanides on Plato's Phaedo: The Soul's Nature and Indestructibility
In this episode of The Dionysius Circle Podcast, Dr. Sam Bennett speaks with Dr. Stephanos Stephanides, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cyprus specializing in Platonic philosophy, about his article, "Reconsidering the Essential Nature and Indestructibility of the Soul in the Affinity Argument of the Phaedo." The conversation touches on the structure of Plato’s Phaedo, the Affinity A
Exploring the Soul's Nature: A Conversation with Dr. Van Tu on Plato's Phaedo
Sam Bennett interviews Dr. Van Tu, a philosopher specializing in ancient philosophy, about her article, Is the Soul a Form?. The conversation examines whether the Final Argument of Plato’s Phaedo understands the soul as a transcendent form, an immanent form, or a form carrier. They also discuss the possible existence of a transcendent form of the soul within Plato’s metaphysical system, its role i
Dr. Suzanne Obdrzalek on Plato's Spatial Soul: Rethinking Mind-Body Dualism
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Suzanne Obdrzalek to discuss her fascinating interpretation of Plato’s Phaedo. Dr. Obdrzalek argues that Plato attributes spatial characteristics to the soul—such as location, extension, and the ability to causally interact with the body. We also delve into broader implications of this view, including how it sheds light on Plato’s eschatology and challenges con
Plato's Phaedo: Dr. Elizabeth Jelinek on Forms, Causality, and Explanation
In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Jelinek, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Christopher Newport University, shares her insights into Plato’s Phaedo. We discuss her article, “Explanation in the Phaedo: An Argument Against the Metaphysical Interpretation of the Clever Αἰτία,” diving into the relationship between forms, causality, and the relevance of sensible particulars in Platonic though
Dr. David Ebrey on Plato's Phaedo: Immortality, Forms, and the Philosophical Life
In this episode of The Dionysius Circle Podcast, we’re joined by renowned scholar of Plato, David Ebrey. We dive into his latest book on Plato’s Phaedo, exploring Socrates’ radical views on the immortality of the soul, the nature of the forms, and the role of philosophy as preparation for death. David sheds light on the literary structure of the dialogue, its connections to Greek tragedy, and Plat
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