The Magnificast

Latest Episodes:

Oops all war Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

This week on the pod, we're talking about the militarization of society, speed, politics, and death. In case you couldn't guess based on that constellation of topics, this episode features one of our favs, Paul Virilio. Throughout the episode, we're primarily referencing Paul Virilio's book Pure War. But we also reference Virilio's The Administration of Death.

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Magnificast classic: Abolition & Marxism Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

Folks, we're once again kind of busy this week and couldn't record an episode. However, given the ongoing protests and police violence in LA, I thought it might be fun to give you this classic ep from 2020 about police abolition and Marxism. Please do not hold us too accountable for anything we said in 2020...unless it's good, then we're accountable.

This week on The Magnificast, Matt & Dean talk about Alex Vitale's book The End of Police and talk about why Christians on the left should care about police abolition. They also discuss Jamal Rich's take on abolition and communism. You can find the article here: https://www.cpusa.org/article/prison-and-police-abolition-reimagining-public-safety-and-liberation/

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong
Outro music by theillogicalspoon
https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues
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Christian tools for conviviality Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

We talk a lot on this show about all of the bad stuff that Christianity contributes to the world. But this week, we're talking about the historical Christian tools and ideas that have contributed something good to the world. Specifically, we're linking together some of overarching themes we find in left-wing expressions of Christianity that have something to contribute to degrowth socialism. We've got Basil the great, St. Francis, Gerard Winstanley, and Thomas Müntzer. You're not going to want to miss this!

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Pope news: Pope Leo Edition May 27, 2025

Show notes

Folks, we've got a new Pope. Pope Leo is here and we're going to tell you about him. In this episode, we cover the midwest pope meme, Rod Dreher's take, the Pope and his past on survivors of sexual abuse, and his emerging takes on AI.

Here are the articles we talked about in this episode.
https://religionnews.com/2025/05/21/theres-an-american-pope-and-hes-just-like-us-at-least-we-really-really-want-him-to-be/
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/05/23/cardinal-czerny-pope-leo-250770
https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/may/documents/20250517-centesimus-annus-pro-pontifice.html
https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-peru-sodalicio-6fcdbb103f78aaeccc58e7b22f81e868
https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/faith-and-deepfakes-pope-leo-xiv-age-ai

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Magnificast classic: The Imperial Mode of Living May 20, 2025

Show notes

We're recouping from all the travel we've done in the last week, so enjoy a classic ep.

A lot of moral questions revolve around doing or not doing something, but what if the biggest moral problems were actually about the very way we live our lives? Driving, smartphones, food production, etc. are all far more political than most people realize. In this episode, we talk through the book The Imperial Mode of Living by Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen.

Get the book here if you want: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3691-the-imperial-mode-of-living

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong
Outro music by theillogicalspoon
https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues
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Conclave 2 May 06, 2025

Show notes

Folks, the conclave kicks off tomorrow and we can barely contain ourselves. This week, we're doing a round up of everything you need to know before we get conclaving.

Here are the articles we referenced
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/conclave-roundup-conclave-begin-less-48-hours
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2025/05/young-people-tell-cardinals-they-want-a-role-in-the-future-church

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2025/05/liberation-theology-old-timers-mourn-francis-and-reflect-on-next-pope
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/disgraced-cardinal-becciu-agrees-obey-francis-wishes-and-leave-conclave
https://archive.is/OXF2i

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Pope news: conclave edition Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Matt and Dean reflect on Pope Francis' life, death, and everything that comes after. Later in the episode we talk about conclave and how to think about some of the reporting on who will be the next Pope.

Read Dean's article on the Conclave in the Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/pope-francis-jorge-bergoglio-dead-obituary/
Also read Dean's article reflecting on the Pope who was too often ignored: https://sojo.net/articles/opinion/mourning-pope-we-often-ignored

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Weaponized anti-christian bias Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

There's a Cheeto in the White House and he's once again doing some devious stuff. Back in February, the President signed an executive order against the weaponization of anti-Christian bias. Listen in for the whole story.

Articles we talked about
https://theconversation.com/claims-of-anti-christian-bias-sound-to-some-voters-like-a-message-about-race-not-just-religion-250729
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/state-report-anti-christian-bias-033535

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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Magnificast classic: Angels, Cyborgs, or Just Guys? W/ Marika Rose Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

We're back with an episode from the vault. Dean is out traveling through the exotic province of Ontario, so this week we're giving you a classic Episode with Marika Rose.

You might remember a few weeks back we talked about Angels from the perspective of a weird book by Michel Serres. Well, we decided we couldn't leave the conversation there. We needed an angel expert. So, this week, we're joined by Marika Rose to talk about angels, cyborgs, and her new book, Theology for the End of the World.

If you're in the UK, you can preorder Marika's book here:
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334060666/theology-for-the-end-of-the-world

You can get it in late July if you're not in the UK.

Also, in the episode, Marika talks about she and her colleagues taking industrial action at the University of Winchester. Support them here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/fightingfund

Muscular Evil Grimace Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

This week, we're talking about degrowth, misunderstandings, and liberation theology.

Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong

Outro music by theillogicalspoon

https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues

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