The Commonweal Podcast

Even as political leaders gather in Glasgow to discuss global solutions to climate change, why is it that the most basic facts of climate science still aren’t being taught in classrooms here at home? On this episode, Commonweal assistant managing editor Isa Simon speaks with Katie Worth, an investigative reporter and author of the forthcoming book Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America. The problem, as Worth sees it, is that climate change is too often framed as a “debate” rather than an established fact. Her reporting tells the story of how financial and political interests got us here, and what we can do to change it.

The murder of eleven Jews at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue three years ago in October 2018 was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history. On this episode, journalist Mark Oppenheimer, author of the new book Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and The Soul of a Neighborhood, joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi for a wide-ranging discussion of the aftermath of that event. Oppenheimer focuses not on the shooting and the gunman, but rather on the century-old currents of Judaism in Pittsburgh, the variety of religious beliefs and practices visible after the attack, and the resilience of Squirrel Hill. For further reading: - ‘Death at the Tree of Life,’ Wesley Hill - ‘From Trotsky to Soros,’ James J. Sheehan - ‘The Author and the Expert,’ Tzvi Novick

Six weeks after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, can we really say that America is no longer a country at war? On this episode, we’re featuring two reflections—one political, the other philosophical—on America’s “forever war.” Longtime Commonweal contributor and historian Andrew J. Bacevich explains the little-understood Carter Doctrine, and why it needs to go, while fiction writer and Marine Corps veteran Phil Klay asks whether war can ever be considered “humane.” Both are in conversation with Commonweal senior editor Matt Boudway. For further reading - “The Forever War Continues,” Andrew J. Bacevich - “Sops to Humanity,” Phil Klay - “An Unwinnable War,” The Editors

Our modern food system and its reliance on industrial farming practices has caused considerable harm in rural communities, breaking up family farms and scarring the environment. That’s a shame, argues journalist Gracy Olmstead, because the legacy of these small farms, and the communities they nurture, could help make life in America fairer and more meaningful. On this episode, Olmstead joins Commonweal managing editor Katie Daniels for a wide-ranging discussion of her recent book, Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of Places We’ve Left Behind. For further reading · Yours, Mine, or Ours, by Gracy Olmstead · How Progressives Can Win in Rural America, by Luke Mayville · Seams of Resentment, by Danny R. Kuhn

This July, Pope Francis largely rescinded permission for priests to celebrate the so-called “Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite, also known as the Tridentine Mass. The move generated considerable controversy, especially among Catholics in the United States. On this episode, longtime Commonweal contributing writer Rita Ferrone draws on her extensive knowledge of liturgical history to explain the logic—and in her view, the wisdom—of Francis’s decision. For further reading: · “A Living Catholic Tradition,” by Rita Ferrone · “The Limits of ‘Traditionis Custodes,’” by Massimo Faggioli · “The Liturgy Wars,” by Paul Baumann

For National Book Award winner Alice McDermott, being a writer is a lot like being a believer. You get used to uncertainty, and become comfortable living in the dark. On this episode McDermott, a frequent Commonweal contributor, shares a career’s worth of insights on the art of fiction with managing editor Katie Daniels. She also recounts the moment when she realized she would be a writer, and discusses what a lifetime of working with words has taught her. For further reading: · Things, Alice McDermott · Confessions of a Reluctant Catholic, Alice McDermott · Nothing to be Done, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly

Commonweal editor-at-large Molly Wilson O’Reilly addresses the U.S. bishops’ misguided approach to President Biden and communion, their missteps in responding to the presidency of Donald Trump, and missed opportunities in ministering to American Catholics during the pandemic. For further reading: · The Real Threat to American Catholicism, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly · Pastors, not Prophets, The Editors · There Ought to Be a Law, Matthew Boudway

Both priest and poet have one vocation: to love. Few know that as well as Spencer Reece—an accomplished poet, former chaplain to the Episcopal Bishop of Madrid, and now the leader of a diverse parish in Queens, NY. In conversation with Commonweal contributing writer Anthony Domestico, in this episode Reece speaks about his new memoir, The Secret Gospel of Mark. For further reading: · Celebration & Lamentation, Anthony Domestico · Uncommon Prayers, Spencer Reece

The life and thought of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) exerted a profound impact on the history of American religion and social activism. The subject of a new PBS documentary, Spiritual Audacity, Heschel offered prophetic insights into the nature of God, the meaning of justice, and the necessity of Jewish-Christian dialogue. On this episode, we discuss the rabbi’s legacy with two guests: Martin Doblmeier, who directed the film, and Professor Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Heschel’s daughter. For further reading: • ‘Getting Past Supersessionism,’ The Editors • ‘The Call of Transcendence,’ Mary C. Boys • ‘Enough Bromides,’ Thomas Albert Howard

Three months into the Biden presidency, with pandemic restrictions at last beginning to ease, author and New Yorker contributor Paul Elie joins us to talk about the state of American Catholicism today. In conversation with editor Dominic Preziosi, Elie addresses Joe Biden’s political strategy, the Church’s stance on LGBT unions and women’s ordination, and the legacy of the abuse crisis. He also highlights the enduring resilience of lay Catholics, who continue to live out their faith in changing and challenging circumstances. For further reading: - Is the Vatican Finally Ready to Get Serious About Women in the Church? - The Vatican’s Giant Step Backward on Same-Sex Unions - Can Joe Biden Save American Catholicism from the Far Right?

Though often invisible, Islamophobia is still alive in the United States today, from bullying in schools to political scapegoating to violence at houses of worship. On this episode, we speak with Jordan Denari Duffner, a doctoral student at Georgetown University and author of the new book Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination. Talking with contributing writer Paul Moses, Denari Duffner explains how Islam nourishes her own faith, and calls on Christians to become better acquainted with their Muslim neighbors. For further reading: · ‘Enough Bromides,’ Thomas Albert Howard · ‘In the Steps of Father Abraham,’ Paul Moses · ‘No One is a Stranger,’ Jordan Denari Duffner

Nearly one hundred days into Joe Biden’s presidency, the new administration is rethinking American foreign policy on a number of fronts—including relations with Iran. On this episode, assistant editor Regina Munch speaks with John Ghazvinian, Executive Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present. Ghazvinian explains that while most Americans are used to thinking of Iran as an adversary, that hasn’t always been the case. A deeper knowledge of the rich history between the two countries would go a long way toward improving diplomatic relations today. For further reading: - The Paradox of Deterrence, Bernard G. Prusak - A Better Way, The Editors - Christian Iran, Christopher Thornton

Kirstin Valdez Quade’s debut novel The Five Wounds tells the story of a year in the life of a Mexican-American family, chronicling their struggles as they confront teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and addiction. On this episode, Valdez Quade speaks with Commonweal managing editor Katie Daniels about the value of vulnerability, the religious history of the American southwest, and the importance of empathy in fiction. For further reading: · Hope for Suffering Souls, Valerie Sayers · To Look Closely Is to Love, Kirstin Valdez Quade · Writing into Uncertainty, Dominic Preziosi PS: “The problem in life is that we need so many epiphanies—one is not enough.”—Kirstin Valdez Quade

Ep. 54 – ‘Tell Me Your Story’ Maria Hinojosa’s nearly thirty-year career as a journalist includes reporting for PBS, CNN, and NPR, as well as anchoring and producing the Peabody Award–winning radio program Latino USA. She’s also the founder of Futuro Media, an independent nonprofit that provides a platform for people often overlooked by mainstream journalism. On this episode, Hinojosa speaks with assistant editor Regina Munch about her career in media, her recent memoir, Once I Was You, and her work informing readers and listeners about the changing cultural and political landscape in America. For further reading: · Refounding Chicago, Milton Javier Bravo · No Longer Peripheral, César J. Baldelomar · Welcoming the Stranger, The Editors

Can we “converse” with God? Why can prayer be so difficult, sometimes even impossible? And is there a right way to do it? On this episode Fr. James Martin, author of a new book on prayer, shares his thoughts on these questions, but he also takes on a bigger one: why do humans pray at all? For further reading: · Spring Cleaning, Katherine Lucky · Perpetual Lent, Claudia Avila Cosnahan · Lenten Reflections, a collection

At the start of spring training, with opening day a little more than a month away, it’s time to talk about baseball. On this episode, theologian Carmen Nanko-Fernández, whose work focuses on the surprising connections between religion, politics, and popular culture, helps us do just that. Baseball, Nanko-Fernández explains, is much more than a game. That’s especially true along the U.S.-Mexico border, where sports, race, immigration, labor, and politics are all intertwined. For further reading: · Béisbol, Baseball, & ‘Bad Hombres,’ Carmen Nanko-Fernández · Quit Trying to ‘Fix’ Baseball, Gregory K. Hillis · More than Cricket, Rand Richards Cooper

How does great fiction work? Which techniques enable readers to lose themselves in plots and connect with characters? On this episode, celebrated novelist and short story writer George Saunders shares the lessons he’s learned from Russian masters like Chekhov and Tolstoy. The best literary works, Saunders tells Commonweal literary editor Anthony Domestico, are much more than something beautiful or entertaining. Like the liturgy, they’re also a way of loving. For further reading: · A Kindly Presence of Mind, Anthony Domestico · A Moralist with an Ear, John Garvey · Near Occasion, Dominic Preziosi

What kind of Catholic is Joe Biden? And what prospects does his presidency hold for the bitterly divided U.S. Church? On this episode, Commonweal associate editor Matt Sitman speaks with contributing writer Massimo Faggioli about his new book, Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States. This political moment, Faggioli argues, is different from any other. With public institutions in decline and democracy’s survival no longer assured, Biden’s challenge—like that of Pope Francis—is to unite a center than may no longer exist. For further reading: · Lots of Politics, Little Legitimacy, Massimo Faggioli · The One Missing Fact, Paul Moses · The New Integralists, Timothy Troutner

Can private corporations provide public goods? Can capitalism contribute to movements for social justice? In her book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, Georgetown history professor Marcia Chatelain notes that big companies like McDonald's historically have failed to deliver the social benefits they’d promised. And as racism and white supremacy remain potent forces in American life—and in the Catholic Church—we should harness our power to care for one another, rather than our power as consumers, to bring real change. For further reading: · Three Cheers for Socialism, David Bentley Hart · Authentically Black, Truly Catholic, Tia Noelle Pratt · Many and One, Vinson Cunningham

In an interview with Commonweal last spring, Pope Francis called on Catholics to meet “this time of great uncertainty” with creativity and grace. On this special end-of-year episode, we’re revisiting four of our favorite conversations with Catholics who’ve inspired us to do just that: - Susan Bigelow Reynolds on changing parish realities - Stephen Hough on accepting his own sexuality - Fr. Bryan Massingale on racism and white supremacy - Ellen Koneck on the spiritual lives of Gen Z We hope you’ll enjoy hearing from them again as much as we have.

Among the things Donald Trump’s presidency will be remembered for is the cruelty of its policies and actions on immigration. While the incoming Biden administration intends to reverse these measures, we should hardly be complacent. The U.S. immigration system is expressly designed to keep people out. On this episode, Commonweal contributing writer Paul Moses speaks with attorney and law professor Michael Kagan, author of The Battle to Stay in America: Immigration’s Hidden Front Line, about the illogic of U.S. immigration law, the need for solidarity, and the prospects for reform. For further reading: - Collateral Damage, by Paul Moses - Trapped at the Border, by Joseph Sorrentino - Progressives Have an Immigration Problem, by Tom Deignan

Sr. Simone Campbell, best known as the executive director of the NETWORK social justice lobby and organizer of the Nuns on the Bus tours, has been involved in political advocacy on behalf of the poor and marginalized for decades. Less familiar, though, are the contemplative practices that ground Sr. Simone’s work—and that she describes in her new book, Hunger for Hope: Prophetic Communities, Contemplation, and the Common Good. Speaking with Commonweal assistant editor Regina Munch, Sr. Simone talks about how the courage to confront our own brokenness can bring about personal and political healing in this fractured moment. For further reading: - Is There a Religious Left? by Kaya Oakes - American Politics and Social Catholicism by E.J. Dionne, Jr. - Griever-in-Chief by Paul Moses & Michael Connor

We all know the story of the “nones,” and the dire statistics about the decline of religious affiliation among young people. But these data hardly tell the whole story. On this episode, managing editor Katie Daniels speaks with Ellen Koneck, herself a former Commonweal staffer and now head writer and editor at Springtide Research Institute. Their new report, The State of Religion and Young People, invites us to think differently about the religious practices and spiritual aspirations of Gen Z. Sure, young people are skeptical of institutions and have lower levels of trust in traditional kinds of authority. But they’re also more open than ever to relationships that offer wisdom and support—and that’s exactly where religious leaders can meet them. For further reading - Further Adrift, Peter Steinfels - Finding Our Way, Ellen Koneck - Under Pressure, John Thornton, Jr.

Could rural America become a hotbed of progressive politics? Luke Mayville, co-founder of the grassroots movement Reclaim Idaho and a lecturer of political philosophy at Boise State University’s Honors College, certainly thinks so. His conviction comes from firsthand experience. In 2018, Mayville helped Idaho become the only predominantly rural state in America to approve Medicaid expansion in a statewide referendum. On this episode, he talks with associate editor Matt Sitman about that campaign, arguing that if we want to pass more progressive legislation, we should put our energies into on-the-ground organizing and local persuasion. For further reading · Do Something Big, Luke Mayville · Drinking Alone, Jonathan Malesic · Democracy in America?, The Commonweal Editors

We are at a perilous moment in American history, and public Catholicism must rise to the task. So says E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post columnist and Commonweal contributor. He joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi to discuss why American Catholicism needs to put aside culture-war rhetoric and return to its rich tradition of social thought—characterized by what he calls “radical moderation”—and how such ideas could play out in the upcoming election and beyond. Suggestions for further reading: · Radical, Moderate, and Necessary, E.J. Dionne Jr. · The Faith of Amy Coney Barrett, Matthew Sitman · Canons & the Candidate, Nicholas P. Cafardi

Modern warfare has become an intensely scattered, depersonalized affair. Violence still rages and traumas proliferate, but often remotely, the carnage hidden from public view. So what’s the best way to write about it? How to convey the horror of armed conflict today? Few writers do that as well as Phil Klay, who won the National Book Award for his 2014 short story collection, Redeployment, which is based on his experiences as a marine during the Iraq War. His debut novel, Missionaries, expands those insights through the interlocking stories of four characters living in Colombia, Yemen, and the United States. In conversation with Commonweal critic Anthony Domestico, Klay shares insights into the ways that globalization, capitalism, and technological advances have made warfare both more deadly and less noticeable. A committed Catholic, Klay also discusses the sacramental worldview that undergirds his fiction, in which even death is “charged with the grandeur of God.”

For years, Black churches have worked tirelessly to advance the cause of racial justice in America. In many ways, their white counterparts have done the opposite. White Christians are not simply complicit in racism and white supremacy, argues scholar Robert P. Jones. They’re actually culpable. Without their deliberate consent, white supremacy in America could never have been built. That’s a shocking assertion. But citing historical evidence and contemporary survey data, Jones, in conversation with assistant editor Regina Munch, maps the long road white Christians must travel if they hope to ever atone for their sins.

On August third one year ago, a 21-year-old white man from Allen, Texas, drove across the state to a Wal-Mart in El Paso, alongside the Mexican border, where he shot and killed 23 people and injured 23 others, the majority of them Mexican and Mexican-Americans. The El Paso matanza, or massacre, is considered to be the deadliest anti-Latino attack in U.S. history, and one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. On this two-part episode, we talk with several people from El Paso about that day, about what has transpired in the year that has passed, about how life has and hasn’t changed along the border—politically, culturally, and spiritually. In part two, we’re joined by Dylan Corbett and Marisa Limón Garza of the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, and by Bishop Mark Seitz of the El Paso Diocese. For further reading: Night Will Be No More, Bishop Mark Seitz Confronting White Supremacy, John Gehring Injustice at the Border, a collection of Commonweal pieces Links: The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States Hope Border Institute Black Catholic Theological Symposium

On August third one year ago, a 21-year-old white man from Allen, Texas, drove across the state to a Wal-Mart in El Paso, alongside the Mexican border, where he shot and killed 23 people and injured 23 others, the majority of them Mexican and Mexican-Americans. The El Paso matanza, or massacre, is considered to be the deadliest anti-Latino attack in U.S. history, and one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. On this two-part episode, we talk with several people from El Paso about that day, about what has transpired in the year that has passed, about how life has and hasn’t changed along the border—politically, culturally, and spiritually. In part one, we’re joined by Monsignor Arturo Bañuelas, a priest in the diocese of El Paso, and Professor Neomi DeAnda, the current president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States. Look for part two soon. For further reading: Night Will Be No More, Bishop Mark Seitz Confronting White Supremacy, John Gehring Injustice at the Border, a collection of Commonweal pieces Links: The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States Hope Border Institute Black Catholic Theological Symposium

While we may experience moments of clarity and insight in our spiritual lives, more often we face struggles as we try to shed old habits and find new ways of thinking about God. On this episode, poet Christian Wiman joins us to read and discuss several poems from his new collection, Survival Is a Style. He also shares insights he’s gleaned from his own grappling with faith and doubt, explaining how poetry not only delights us, but helps us become free. For further reading: · ‘Eight Distillations,” Christian Wiman · Issues of Blood, Christian Wiman · Goaded by Doubt, Paul K. Johnston

Classical pianist and composer Stephen Hough is known as one of the world’s greatest musical performers. He’s also a polymathic writer, with a new book called Rough Ideas. It collects two decades’ worth of short, witty, and perceptive essays, on everything from Lou Reed and Thomas Aquinas to bioethics, sacramentality, and the challenges of living as a gay Catholic. He joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi for a discussion about his writing, his art, and his new life during the coronavirus quarantine.

Summer’s here, and we’re reading new books from three writers: Molly McCully Brown, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, and Amy Jo Burns. Their work falls into different genres: memoir, first-person reporting, and fiction. But they’re linked by an abiding interest in God, communal religious practice, and the strangeness of American life at the margins. They speak with managing editor Kate Lucky, who also reflects on her time at Commonweal, a place where she has found not just intellectual and literary fellowship but a true sense of community and of “being known.” For further reading, three Commonweal pieces, all by Kate Lucky: Wonderfully Made The Last Shakers The Feminist Wife

Since the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis nearly two weeks ago, American cities have seen protests over racism and police brutality on an unprecedented scale. On this episode we speak with Fr. Bryan Massingale, author of Racial Justice and the Catholic Church and professor of theology at Fordham University in New York. Racism persists in America and the church, Massingale contends, because racist policies and structures benefit white people—and white people assent to it through a kind of perverse “liturgy.” Massingale also tells us what Americans shocked at Floyd’s death, particularly white bystanders, need now: the virtue of courage, motivated by righteous anger. We must move beyond the mere conviction that racism is wrong, and actually begin dismantling it. For further reading: Police Brutality & Protest, The Editors A Sign of Contradiction, Gregory K. Hillis King & His Mentors, Gary Dorrien

Donald Trump’s election provoked backlash from many people of faith, with religious leaders taking a highly visible role in protesting the administration’s policies. But does the so-called “religious left” really exist? Indeed, argues religion reporter Jack Jenkins. His new book American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country traces the inspiration, dreams, and demands of the clergy and activists that make up this growing “coalition of coalitions.” Jenkins speaks with Commonweal associate editor Matt Sitman about how the religious left differs from the religious right, the growing influence of Rev. William Barber, and what the Democratic party might do to court religious voters in the upcoming 2020 election. For further reading · From Catholic Worker to DSA, Gary Dorrien · Reading Buttigieg, James T. Kloppenberg · Three Cheers for Socialism, David Bentley Hart · American Paganism, David Albertson

Even as New York City shows signs of progress, the toll of the coronavirus crisis over the past two months has been high. Hundreds of thousands have been infected, and more than half of the city’s residents say they know someone who’s died from COVID-19. On this episode, we hear from three different people who’ve been dealing with the impact of the pandemic in New York City: Paul Saunders, a cardiothoracic surgeon in a Brooklyn hospital; Zach Presutti, SJ, founder of a nonprofit serving the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated in the greater New York area; and Fr. Robert Imbelli, a priest living in a retirement community in the Bronx. Together, they offer a portrait of a city under duress—shaken and afflicted, but not without hope. Further reading: Privileged & Vulnerable, Fr. Robert Imbelli Distance, not Desertion, B.D. McClay The Coronavirus: A Collection, The Editors

Held in close quarters in crowded detention facilities, prisoners have been disproportionately harmed by the spread of the novel coronavirus. Now they’re turning to the criminal justice system for help. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has taken the lead in responding. He belongs to a new crop of “progressive DAs” fighting to end mass incarceration in favor of fairness, rehabilitation, and community. In this episode Krasner talks with us about the concrete steps his office has taken so far, and the legal philosophy undergirding them.

In this second special episode on the American parish today, we talk with three writers about their concrete proposals for creating more vibrant, hope-filled parish communities. Their suggestions are simple: let more people, including women, preach; reach out to LGBTQ Catholics, and learn from their journeys; and finally, help young families and finally, help parents with restless young children in tow make it through Mass by shortening homilies—no more than five minutes please Plus, the Commonweal staff share thoughts about what our readers most want in parishes: robust social justice ministries, prayerful liturgies, and a sense of home. Related: Teaching & Preaching, Natalia M. Imperatori-Lee Necessary Affirmation, Jason Steidl Just Five Minutes, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly The American Parish, By the Numbers

When it comes to the state of the Catholic parish, we tend to focus on the bad news: declining vocations to the priesthood, dwindling congregation sizes, even parochial mergers and closures. For the people in the pews, it’s easy to feel like the Catholic church today is dying. But that’s not the whole story, and of course as Catholics, we believe in resurrection. On this episode we hear from two of the most knowledgeable, hopeful voices in the American church: Susan Bigelow Reynolds, an expert theologian who studies “lived ecclesiology” at the parochial level, and Fr. Hector Madrigal, pastor of the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual St. Joseph’s Church in Amarillo, Texas. Together they urge us not to be afraid, suggesting that there’s never been a better time than now to begin the ‘heart’ work of power sharing and ecclesial integration. And don’t miss the next episode of the Commonweal Podcast, when we’ll be joined by three leading lay Catholics who tell us what parishes could do to be more welcoming to aspiring preachers, families, and LGBTQ Catholics. Related: Way Stations for a Pilgrim Church, by Susan Bigelow Reynolds Look Who’s Here, by Brett C. Hoover The ‘Heart’ Work, an Interview with Fr. Hector Madrigal The American Parish Today, By the Numbers

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has upended daily life across the globe, with major outbreaks occurring in countries like China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and now the United States. But Hong Kong, an island close to mainland China, has managed to limit the spread of the disease, even as it experiences one of the largest and most sustained mass protest movements in history. In this episode, China expert and social historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom, author of the new book Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, joins us for a discussion about what we can learn from the protests. And our spring intern Emily King, herself a Hong Kong native, gives us a feel for the city and explains what the protests mean for young people today. For further reading: Nicole Ann Lobo, Revolution of Our Times Nicholas Haggerty, What I Saw During the Protests The Editors, Desperate Times

How should we understand the current split between so-called “progressives” and “moderates” in the Democratic Party? In the middle of an uncertain primary campaign, where can they find compromise and unity? Longtime Commonweal columnist and political scientist E.J. Dionne, Jr. joins associate editor Matthew Sitman for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to be a Democrat today. Pointing to Catholic social thought, and in particular the notion of human dignity, Dionne makes the case that there’s a lot both wings of the party can agree on for improving people’s lives. Plus, Phil Klay, winner of the National Book Award for his collection ‘Redeployment’ and co-host of the podcast ‘Manifesto!’ sits down with senior editor Matthew Boudway to talk about the “enfant terrible” of the contemporary French literary scene, Michel Houellebecq.

Though we live in a secular age, we sure seem to like reading about faith. Poet and reporter Eliza Griswold, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for her book ‘Amity and Prosperity’ and author of the new poetry collection ‘If Men, Then,’ explains how both genres have helped her tell stories that transcend her ego. She talks with us about writing poetry, reporting from conflict zones, and what the secular media get wrong about religious belief today. Plus, Dominic Preziosi and Matthew Sitman report on the state of the Democratic Primary so far, offering a few prognostications and underscoring the stakes of the 2020 presidential election.

What do billionaires like Betsy DeVos know about running schools? Absolutely nothing, argues public education expert Diane Ravitch. Since the 1980s, wealthy privatizers have passed themselves off as education “reformers.” But the data reveal that they weaken outcomes for students and thrust public-school teachers into poverty. Thankfully, there’s hope: in her new book Slaying Goliath Ravitch points to the growing resistance: parents, teachers’ unions, and progressive politicians working together to save the public sphere from the wealthy. Plus, the editors discuss Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, a “simple” film that plumbs the depth of Austrian Catholic martyr Franz Jägerstätter’s decision to refuse to sign an oath of loyalty to Adolph Hitler in 1943.

Does capitalism make us bad Christians? Eugene McCarraher thinks so. His new book, The Enchantments of Mammon, explains how money came to replace God in the modern era, seducing us with false promises of profit maximization. But he hasn’t given up hope. We can reverse our “misenchantment” and return to real abundance: beloved community in a world charged with the glory of God. Plus, the Commonweal staff gathers for a conversation about “popes on film,” weighing in on The Two Popes, The New Pope, and that infamous pontifical hand-slap.

Proudly LGBT, and proudly Catholic? Many believers are both. In this episode, journalist Michael O’Loughlin joins associate editor Matt Sitman for a behind-the-scenes conversation about his new podcast series “Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS & the Catholic Church,” out now from our friends at America Media. They discuss the urgency of documenting an understudied period of church history, when priests, nuns, and cardinals in cities like New York and San Francisco responded to the AIDS crisis during the 1980s. Plus, assistant editors Regina Munch and Griffin Oleynick preview the new “Comment” section of the January issue, praising the rise of “progressive DAs” and decrying the Trump administration’s recent cuts to food stamps.

What is a home? And what happens when old patterns of life break down? In his new book Savage Gods, British writer and former environmental activist Paul Kingsnorth wrestles with these questions. Contemporary threats to nature, he argues, are indicative of a deeper problem: the crisis of culture and language in the West. He joins Commonweal books columnist Anthony Domestico for a wide-ranging conversation on everything from the writings of Annie Dillard to the practice of Zen Buddhism. Plus, December at Commonweal means one thing: the publication of our annual Christmas Critics feature. The staff joins Dominic to talk about their favorite books this year.

Native Californian (and Catholic writer) Kaya Oakes stopped by our offices a few weeks ago. She spoke with associate editor Matt Sitman about what it’s like to live, think, and write from her perch at the other end of the country. Noting the utopian thrust of California culture, Oakes explains how religion and spirituality continue to lurk beneath the surface of her state’s supposedly laid-back, secular ethos. Plus, Dominic talks with managing editor Kate Lucky about her new feature on the last living Shakers, now online (and forthcoming in the December issue).

Conversion is never neat and tidy. We like to think of “the new life” as a radical break from the past. But in reality the threads of our prior lives—both good and bad—are woven into our present. Few know this as well as Megan Phelps-Roper, author of the new memoir Unfollow, and a former member of the now-infamous Westboro Baptist Church. She talks with us about her formative early years in that community, as well as her faith journey since, in which she’s discovered spiritual freedom and a growing comfort with uncertainty. Plus, Dominic and the Commonweal staff chat about the new Fall Books issue, which features a profile of Catholic poet Fanny Howe.

Political power doesn’t just “happen.” It has to be built. In this episode we speak with Benjamin Francis-Fallon about his new book, The Rise of the Latino Vote. Tracing the decades-long process of organizing among hispanic immigrant communities in the U.S., Francis-Fallon rebuts the myth of Latino voters as the country’s “sleeping giant.” They constitute not a unified political bloc, but a variegated coalition with a diverse array of concrete interests. It’s the grassroots, not the top, that matters. And members of the Commonweal staff speak about what they witnessed last weekend in El Paso, Texas. There, they participated in the Jornada por la Justicia, a national teach-in and binational action against racism and xenophobia, organized by the Catholic Latinx Leadership Coalition and Hope Border Institute.

Is Catholicism compatible with representative democracy? A twentieth-century Italian priest, Don Luigi Sturzo, certainly thought so. As populism threatens democratic norms across the globe, Massimo Faggioli tells us how Sturzo’s anti-fascist Popular Party empowered lay Catholics to respectfully challenge the hierarchical church as they asserted their right to engage meaningfully in public life. Plus, we speak with Dr. Mike Lovell, president of Marquette University in Milwaukee, about the challenges facing Catholic higher education today: shifting demographics and cost structures, a changing curriculum, and addressing trauma and the mental-health needs of students.

In this episode, we speak with Fr. Anthony Andreassi, principal of Regis High School, the historic Jesuit institution in Manhattan. Fr. Andreassi talks about the school's early twentieth century roots before discussing the challenges faced by Catholic educators today: not just soaring costs and falling enrollment, but also dealing with uncomfortable questions about gender, economic privilege, and the increasingly fractious American culture wars. Plus, our own Matt Sitman critiques the duplicitous rhetoric of ‘national conservatism,’ a growing movement among conservative intellectuals to systematize the disruptive politics of the Trump presidency.