Media
Weaponized Compassion
In this video I discuss the aspect of Antichrist that is weaponized compassion. I use the examples of Judas in Scripture and the 2016 film called ‘Silence’ as stark demonstrations of this pattern, that can help us to recognize it in our world today.
The Body of a City & How Authority Works
This video is a repost from a discussion I had with Sam Glenn, whose YouTube channel is dedicated to exploring philosophy. We discuss the symbolic reality of the bodies and agency of cities as principalities. Viewers might find it complementary to last my discussion with John Vervaeke, linked below. Sam and I also talk about how authority ideally functions, and modernity’s relationship to authority, hierarchy and technology. Enjoy.
The Divine Comedy: Love in Heaven and in Hell (Kintore College talk + Q&A)
Kintore College invited me to give a talk on love as the driving force of human existence as part of their Philosophy and Literature program. Since many found it useful I decided to repost it on my channel, also including the Q&A section at the end.
December 2021 Q&A
– The Symbolic World website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
– Merch: http://www.thesymbolicworld.store
– My brother’s book on symbolism – Language of Creation (Matthieu Pageau): https://www.amazon.com/Language-Creat…
How Christmas Reorganizes the Gods
We look at how Christmas changes the functions and orientation of the heavenly beings, both in the gospel story and in the way we celebrate Christmas in the Nativity Troparion.
The Search for the Holy Grail | pt.2 | with Richard Rohlin
This is the second part of my Universal History exploration of the Holy Grail with Richard Rohlin. In our previous episode we gave background context for understanding the meaning of the Grail and how it’s part of the story of the West. In this episode we discuss the story of Perceval in the Arthurian Legends.
Articles
The Human Person as the Pattern of “Is” and “Could Be”
No poem or painting could ever capture the fullness of what it means to be the variable, entangled, conscious, powerful, powerless, material,...
Zombies and the Eucharist
Jonathan and JP explain how the zombie is a symbol of the materialism and nihilism of our society. Further, they explain how the Eucharist is the solution to the zombie problem.
A Logos Runs Through It: Heraclitus Reveals A Symbolic Framework for Psychological Identity
The presocratic philosophers recognized the world is diverse, dynamic, and that human beings were prone to illusions. At the same time, they at...
The Mandalorian, the Nativity, and the Seed of Hope
The arrival of a mysterious green child a long time ago in a galaxy far far away has a surprising correlation to the events surrounding the advent of a child born in Bethlehem 2,000 years in the past…
The Symbol of Faith(fulness)
This article will analyse the symbol of faith (the “symbol of Nicea”). The intent is to show that faith is not about a passive epistemological naivety, but rather the ground of knowledge actuated through a (communal) relation to God and active participation (faithfulness).
The Green Knight and the Paradigm of De-souled Symbolism
In my last article, I presented the symbol of Joan of Arc as an antidote to the increasingly prevalent phenomenon of symbolic inversion, the...
The Real Is Returning: Why Is Symbolism So Popular Today?
Look and make it according to the pattern, that was shewn thee in the mount.
Arrival & Exodus: the Sci-Fi Film’s Hidden Framework
The 2016 film, Arrival, by Director Denis Villeneuve, is subtly structured by the Exodus Journey. Louise is like Moses leading the twelve nations of humanity out of bondage…
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About
Jonathan Pageau
Professional Icon Carver
Jonathan Pageau is a professional artist, writer and public speaker, giving workshops and conferences all around North America. He teaches carving, speaks on art, but mostly explores symbolic structures that underlie our experience of the world.
Through his YouTube channel and podcast, The Symbolic World, he also furthers the conversation on symbolism, meaning and patterns in everything from movies, to icons, to social trends.
Articles on the The Symbolic World are contributed by several writers engaged with Jonathan in the exploration of Symbolism across all fields.
To see the Jonathan’s art, please visit his carving website, his Patreon Art page or follow him on social media.