300: 300

300: 300

Author: A.J. Hanenburg, Graeme Donaldson, and Thomas Magbee April 7, 2026 Duration: 59:06
COME BACK WITH YOUR SHIELD OR ON IT

Three friends, A.J. Hanenburg, Graeme Donaldson, and Thomas Magbee, gather for the kind of wide-ranging conversation that happens after a good book or a shared idea. Their Classical Stuff You Should Know podcast is built on the belief that the ancient world isn't a sealed relic but a living conversation that touches everything from art and literature to the deeper questions of faith and philosophy. You’ll hear them explore mythology, history, and classical texts, but always through a lens that feels immediate and accessible. They connect these enduring ideas to the categories that shape our lives, whether that's education, creative arts, or personal spirituality. The tone is less like a lecture and more like joining a discussion among knowledgeable pals who genuinely enjoy unpacking these topics together. This approach makes the podcast a resource for teachers looking for engaging angles and for anyone simply curious about how ancient thoughts on Christianity, ethics, and storytelling still resonate. Each episode feels like an invitation to pull up a chair and think along with them, finding richness in the classical tradition that goes far beyond dusty textbooks.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Classical Stuff You Should Know
Podcast Episodes
291: J.R.R. Tolkien's "Letters from Father Christmas" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:19
Apparently Tolkien is a fabulous illustrator. Who knew? I've seriously looked up prints, and they are weirdly hard to find . . . but enchanting. Oh, this episode is about Christmas. Merry Christmas!
288: Macbeth Inverted [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:30
In this episode, Graeme talks us through a framework in which we can experience Macbeth (you know, that Scottish play). Turns out that when you kill a Scottish king, everything goes topsy turvy.
286: Prince Darling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:36
Faeries. Stay away from them or you'll have your finger pricked all to heck.
285: The Democratic Man: Plato's Republic Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:38
In this episode, Graeme discusses the degradation of man as a reflection of the degradation of the state suggested in Plato's Republic, Book VIII. Apparently true freedom is bloodshed.
284: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:24
In this (far too long) episode, we play a quiz show with a cake as a prize. Because really, that's what every war is about: cake.
283: Beauty and the Beast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:14
Thomas continues his series on children's books with the (an?) original Beauty and the Beast tale. It's pretty lovely. Is it bad if I want to be Thomas's kid?
282: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:40
In this episode, we discuss Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility," along with a bunch of doofy males. I mean we discuss them, we don't podcast with them.