Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey: What If the Hero Is Lying? with Jessica Hooten Wilson

The Odyssey Isn’t About Monsters. It’s About Trust.

Before Christopher Nolan brings The Odyssey to the big screen, Curtis Chang and Jessica Hooten Wilson revisit Homer’s ancient epic to ask what the story is really about: monsters, homecoming, and the search for truth among intentional lies. They explore why reading The Odyssey still matters in the age of film and AI, how Odysseus forces us to ask who we can trust, and what Christians can learn from Greek myths and pagan gods about the one true God revealed in Scripture.

03:53 – Reading the Homer vs. Watching Matt Damon

05:38 – When to Read the Book First?

11:06 – How “The Odyssey” Changes with the Reader

13:32 – Did A Woman Really Write The Odyssey?

16:50 – What Is The Unreliable Narrator?

23:23 – The Psychological Impact of an Unreliable Narrator

31:27 – A Christian Approach to Greek Mythology

34:37 – Understanding The Greco-Roman Culture of Jesus

41:36 – The Irreplaceable Human Elements of Teaching Literature in the Age of AI

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Mentioned in This Episode:

• Homer’s The Odyssey (Stanley Lombardo’s translation)
• Homer’s The Iliad
• Nadya Williams’s Christians Reading the Classics
• Yann Martel’s Son of Nobody
• Yann Martel’s Life of Pi
• Edith Hamilton’s Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes 
• Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology
• Natalie Haynes’s Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths 
• Christopher Nolan’s Memento (trailer)
• David Fincher’s Fight Club (trailer)
• An Introduction to 1 and 2 Samuel (The story of King David)

More From Jessica Hooten Wilson:

• Jessica Hooten Wilson’s website
• Explore Jessica’s books HERE
• Read articles and Essay by Jessica HERE

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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.