Catherine is a philologist with a particular focus on Augustine of Hippo. She’s both the Leslie Clark Professor in the Humanities and a Professor of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies at Bryn Mawr College. The author of many books, her most recent is Augustine the African. We had an exhilarating afternoon talking about this African who helped frame the West.

The episode was recorded on October 27, 2026, and aired on October 30. Timestamps for the main sections:

* 07:43: How Catherine came to specialize in Augustine

* 24:19: The profound influence of his mother

* 42:56: His conversion to Christianity

* 52:42: The deaths of his mom, son, and best friend in quick succession

* 101:23: His decades preaching and writing in Hippo

For two audio clips — on Augustine’s struggles with sex, and the moment he converted to Christianity — head to our YouTube page.

More topics covered: Catherine growing up mostly in Oxford; her family’s dedication to the classics; the Romans’ Gaza-like destruction of Carthage; the ferocious debating style of Augustine; his struggle to be humble; his emotional openness; his disgust over Roman games and executions; his early interest in Manichaeism; the problem of evil; sex in the Garden of Eden; Augustine’s persistent horniness; his 14-year relationship with a woman he ditched for an arranged marriage; his close bond with his Christian mother who long tried to convert him; the unprecedented nature of his Confessions; Oakeshott’s awe; Augustine on friendship; memory and time; The City of God filled with relentless counter arguments; Wittgenstein and the limits of language; the miracles of everyday life; the homelessness of Jesus and St Francis; and how Rome was falling at the end of Augustine’s life.

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My old friend Chris — the most intelligent, sane, and well-read conservative thinker writing in America today — returns to the Dishcast for his fourth appearance. He’s a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, a contributing editor to the Claremont Review of Books, a contributing writer for the NYT and The Spectator, and a member of the editorial committee of the French quarterly Commentaire.

The episode was recorded on October 14, 2026, and aired on October 23. Timestamps for the main sections:

* 03:57: The Iran debacle and Trump’s broken promise on wars

* 33:11: Gaza and surging antisemitism on the left and right

* 46:01: Germany and the rise of the AfD

* 103:12: The political situation in France and Spain

* 112:03: The state of the right in the UK

* 129:30: What the GOP might look like after Trump is gone

For two audio clips — on the lawfare against right-wing pols in Europe, and whether the Iran War will split Trump’s party — head to our YouTube page.

More topics covered: the CIA cautioning against the Iran War; gas prices and inflation; China “laughing at us”; the Houthis harming global trade; Trump’s fickle moods; protectionism and tariffs; staggering corruption in crypto and other cons; Vought and Miller; Musk’s DOGE demolition; USAID and bias; Rubio’s expansive role; his Athens speech and thymos; Vance and “heritage Americans”; MAGA vs international alliances; Obama opposing the Iraq War; Howard Dean; the war in Gaza; Israel as Goliath; college protests and woke antisemitism; the Groypers and rising antisemitism on the right; the dark talents of Fuentes; the left’s rejection of nationalism; AfD and its origins; lesbian AfD leader Alice Weidel; Merkel and Syrian refugees; the surging popularity of Marine Le Pen; the Vox party in Spain; the fall of Starmer; the Restore and Reform parties; the waning influence of Farage; Count Binface; Kemi’s leadership; and Orwell’s views on Englishness.