The Commonweal Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 18 - A Call to Public Life Oct 03, 2019

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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.

Ep. 17 - Back to School Sep 12, 2019

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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.

Ep. 16 - Servants of Memory Aug 22, 2019

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Each day we find ourselves awash in a sea of information. Our social media feeds, newspapers, and cable news bring stories of fresh catastrophe, clouding our memory and our judgment. Fake news might be easy to spot, but where can real wisdom be found?

In this episode, we speak with award-winning author Barry Lopez, whose magisterial new book, Horizon, came out earlier this year. A longtime travel writer, Lopez has spent decades living with indigenous peoples. He issues a cautionary word about the dangers of capitalism and climate change, but also points toward the powers of human cooperation and communion with the divine as authentic sources of hope.

Plus, our staff explains big changes coming to your mailbox: we've redesigned the print magazine, we're excited to tell you all about what you can look forward to in the new sleeker, longer, monthly Commonweal.

Ep. 15 - Leisure & Labor Aug 08, 2019

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Summer's closing days are upon us. As temperatures cool and the days grow shorter, it's also the best time to hit the beach (or a nice shady grove) with a stack of books.

In this episode, Commonweal editors and writers discuss what they've been reading this summer, touching on everything from David Hockney and Robert Caro to Jia Tolentino and Rick Steves.

Plus, we speak with Mexican actress Gabriela Cartol, the star of one of this summer's best films, "The Chambermaid." It’s set entirely in a sleek high-rise hotel, and Cartol’s performance is a revelation, lending emotional poignancy and spiritual warmth to the cold world of capitalist exploitation in modern-day Mexico City.

Ep. 14 - Forget-Me-Not Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

There are some things we'd rather not remember: old wounds, moral lapses, humiliating failures. But there are also things we have a duty to never forget, like historical traumas and present injustices.

Cultural critic Lewis Hyde explores this tension—how the hard work of "forgetting" can pave the way to healing and regeneration, touching on Buddhist philosophy, St. Augustine, and Marcel Proust.

Plus, the editors challenge the US Bishops to stop mincing words and take concrete action on immigration.

Ep. 13 - Action & Contemplation Jul 11, 2019

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We all want change: in our inner lives, in our friendships, in our politics. But what's the best way to get there?

Less, as they say, is often more. In this episode, we introduce a new, leaner format.

The editors weigh in on the crowded 2020 Democratic primary field.

And California-based writer, teacher, and digital artist Jenny Odell explains the merits of doing nothing, arguing that contemplative leisure holds the key to meaningful activity.

Ep. 12 - Crime & Sanctuary Jun 19, 2019

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This month, we delve into courtroom dramas and sanctuary spaces.

Writer Casey Cep explores our growing fascination with true crime, and reveals Harper Lee's struggle with writer's block.

Activist Felix Cepeda roots the sanctuary church movement in the history of Catholic civil disobedience.

Plus, the editors discuss HBO's Chernobyl.

Ep. 11 - Literature & Longing May 15, 2019

Show notes

Novelist Alice McDermott, a self-described “contrarian Catholic,” speaks about her forays into op-ed writing. Pulitzer-prize winning author Paul Harding expatiates on his love of Karl Barth and the literary qualities of the Bible. Mockingbird Ministries’ David Zahl diagnoses our modern spiritual malaise and our foolhardy quest for “enoughness.”

Bonus Extended Segment: Alice Quinn, director of the Poetry Society of America with associate editor Matthew Sitman Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

Alice Quinn is the executive director of the Poetry Society of America, and is on the faculty of the graduate school of Columbia University. She was also the longtime poetry editor of the New Yorker magazine. Here she speaks with our associate editor Matthew Sitman about her work and her life in poetry, including her instrumental role in the beloved program that brought poetry to the New York City subways.

Bonus Extended Segment: Poet and memoirist Carolyn Forche with Garvey writing fellow Nicole-Ann Lobo Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

The poet Carolyn Forche is also an editor, translator and human-rights activist. Her most recent book is What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance. Nicole-Ann Lobo, the Commonweal Garvey Writing Fellow, recently spoke with Carolyn about the memoir, about her experiences during the war in El Salvador, and about what it was like to meet, and receive Communion from, St. Oscar Romero.

You can read Nicole-Ann and Carolyn's full interview here.

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