The Authority with Joseph Pearce
Those who control the wellsprings of contemporary American culture often seem intent on drowning us in a deluge of all that is lurid, squalid, and — frequently — impure. Not surprisingly, an ever-increasing number of people seem to be turning their backs on this tawdry tinsel show in pursuit of a culture that — to borrow from the 19th-century social commentator Matthew Arnold — promotes “sweetness and light” by celebrating “the best that has been thought and said.”
Those who control the wellsprings of contemporary American culture often seem intent on drowning us in a deluge of all that is lurid, squalid, and — frequently — impure. Not surprisingly, an ever-increasing number of people seem to be turning their backs on this tawdry tinsel show in pursuit of a culture that — to borrow from the 19th-century social commentator Matthew Arnold — promotes “sweetness and light” by celebrating “the best that has been thought and said.”
To assist such cultural questing, this month’s FAITH magazine podcast recommendation is The Authority with Joseph Pearce. Produced by the venerable Catholic publishers TAN, The Authority seeks to introduce listeners to the men and women behind history’s greatest works of literature.
Launched in 2023, early episodes of The Authority profile writers from the Ancient World such as Virgil, Sophocles, and Homer. More recent editions have analyzed C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Evelyn Waugh. Week by week, Pearce explores the work, life, times, and significance of such authors — and always from a Catholic perspective.
Joseph Pearce is a British-born American writer who serves as the director of book publishing at the Augustine Institute. His presentation style is understandably academic yet always accessible to the uninitiated. Each episode of The Authority lasts about 30-60 minutes.
