It’s the English class you didn't know you missed and the meaningful conversations you didn't know you craved.
Join Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile as they bring thought, reflection and laughter to Harry Potter; not just as novels, but as instructive and inspirational texts that will teach us about our own lives. Relive the magic chapter by chapter as they explore themes such as commitment, revenge and forgiveness.
This podcast creates time in your week to think about life’s big questions. Because reading fiction doesn’t just help us escape the world, it helps us live in it.
51 Min
Oct 26, 2017
Join us next week on October 25th for the official launch of season two of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text! In the meantime, here's a little teaser of our first episode.
In our last episode of season one, we hear from a few more listeners and have a meta-conversation about the podcast itself. Vanessa and Casper also have the opportunity to chat with Professor Stephanie Paulsell, with whom they developed this...
In the final episode of season one, Vanessa and Casper pull out a few key insights from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They finally get around to talking about Harry himself, revisit the kindness of the Weasley twins, and think about...
In the final episode of season one, Vanessa and Casper pull out a few key insights from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They finally get around to talking about Harry himself, revisit the kindness of the Weasley twins, and think about...
**Note: We had some technical difficulties in the studio this week (mainly with Casper’s microphone) so unfortunately the sound of this episode is not up to our usual standard and occasionally distracting. Still, the conversation was fruitful enough...
**Note: We had some technical difficulties in the studio this week (mainly with Casper’s microphone) so unfortunately the sound of this episode is not up to our usual standard and occasionally distracting. Still, the conversation was fruitful enough...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of destiny in chapter sixteen, the penultimate chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss why Neville is excluded from the trio's adventure, where Hermione's strengths and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of destiny in chapter sixteen, the penultimate chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss why Neville is excluded from the trio's adventure, where Hermione's strengths and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of regret in chapter fifteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss the eccentric behavior of centaurs, celebrate Neville's burgeoning bravery, and try to...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of regret in chapter fifteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss the eccentric behavior of centaurs, celebrate Neville's burgeoning bravery, and try to...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of rebellion in chapter fourteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Casper's high school antics, Hagrid's lack of self-care, and whether the ends justify the means when Hermione...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of rebellion in chapter fourteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Casper's high school antics, Hagrid's lack of self-care, and whether the ends justify the means when Hermione...
Vanessa recounts how she came to read literature as sacred and, in Casper’s absence, uses voicemails from the audience as her conversation partners this week. Together, they touch on a new theology of horcruxes, the difficulty of transitions, and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of hope in chapter thirteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Neville's brawl with the Slytherins, the sacred space of quidditch, and whether a rhetoric of hope can...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of hope in chapter thirteen of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Neville's brawl with the Slytherins, the sacred space of quidditch, and whether a rhetoric of hope can...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of white privilege in chapter twelve of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Molly Weasley's continued generosity, explore the topic of invisibility both literally and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of white privilege in chapter twelve of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Molly Weasley's continued generosity, explore the topic of invisibility both literally and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of goals in chapter eleven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Voldemort's questionable judgment in this chapter, whether our intentions are as important as our actions, and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of goals in chapter eleven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Voldemort's questionable judgment in this chapter, whether our intentions are as important as our actions, and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of friendship in chapter ten of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Hermione's confrontation with mortality, give an allegorical reading of Quidditch, and offer a possible redemption for...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of friendship in chapter ten of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Hermione's confrontation with mortality, give an allegorical reading of Quidditch, and offer a possible redemption for...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of betrayal in chapter nine of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss bullying, Brexit, and why Professor mcGonagall might be a worse teacher than you think.
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of betrayal in chapter nine of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss bullying, Brexit, and why Professor mcGonagall might be a worse teacher than you think.
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of promises in chapter eight of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss tropes in bad 80s tv shows, Harry's reaction to his own fame, and Hermione's destiny to smash the...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of promises in chapter eight of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss tropes in bad 80s tv shows, Harry's reaction to his own fame, and Hermione's destiny to smash the...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of vulnerability in chapter seven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss how Harry’s experience with the sorting hat teaches us to reclaim our own narratives after trauma, and extend...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of vulnerability in chapter seven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss how Harry’s experience with the sorting hat teaches us to reclaim our own narratives after trauma, and extend...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of expectations in chapter six of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Harry and Ron's budding friendship, the unusual bravery of Scabbers the rat, and how our bodily practices relate...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of expectations in chapter six of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Harry and Ron's budding friendship, the unusual bravery of Scabbers the rat, and how our bodily practices relate...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of "being a stranger" in chapter five of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss hefty ideas like consumerist culture in the wizarding world, Hagrid's status as an outsider, and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of "being a stranger" in chapter five of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss hefty ideas like consumerist culture in the wizarding world, Hagrid's status as an outsider, and...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of generosity in chapter four of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Casper demonstrates his excellent Hagrid impression and Vanessa addresses whether we can or should empathize with the...
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of generosity in chapter four of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Casper demonstrates his excellent Hagrid impression and Vanessa addresses whether we can or should empathize with the...
