George Weigel: The Importance of Being an Intellectual and a Culture Warrior

The university is uniquely Catholic in its origin, and yet currently, higher level education on elite campuses is a “red-hot mess,” according to George Weigel. In this episode, Andrew Petiprin sits down with George Weigel to discuss academia and the intellectual life, not simply as a theoretical enterprise left for those who dwell in an ivory tower, but as driver of culture and social life. They discuss the role of the Church in academia, the scholarly legacy of Pope St. John Paul II, the importance fighting the culture war, and the troubles facing the Western civilization. These topics are also the focus of Weigel’s most recent book “Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice: Commencement Addresses and University Lectures,” where he tells students that true academic learning is carrying on the great Catholic tradition. Get Your Copy of “Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice”: https://ignatius.com/pomp-circumstance-and-unsolicited-advice-pcap/?searchid=2246581&search_query=pomp+circumstance SUBSCRIBE to our channel and never miss an episode of the Ignatius Press Podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Follow us on social media: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ignatiuspress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignatius_press/ Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction to George Weigel and the Pursuit of the Intellectual Life 3:53 – The Idea of a Catholic University 7:58 – “A Pope from Galilee”: Pope St. John Paul II and his Enduring Legacy 18:39 – Being Catholic Culture Warriors 24:18 – Future of the Church in Europe 32:25 – Catholic Social Doctrine: Getting Back to the Roots 35:46 – Catholic International Relations Theory in 2025 44:44 – St. John Henry Newman, an Intellectual Adventurer 52:00- The Church Alive Music from Pexels, Gregor Quendel. https://www.classicals.de/legal