The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J. - America Media

*/ ?>

Latest Episodes:

Anthea Butler on intellectual Catholicism, evangelicalism and why the ‘prosperity gospel’ persists Jul 15, 2025

“Spiritualizing” something usually makes it less concrete, less “real.” Not for Anthea Butler, the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode of “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.,” Anthea shares her journey from Catholicism to Pentecostalism and back to Catholicism, crediting the Catholic Church’s rich intellectual tradition and dedication to working with the poor and marginalized.

They discuss:

- Anthea’s Black Catholic heritage in Louisiana and Texas

- The great, yet relatively unknown, Catholic intellectual tradition

- How evangelical theology seeps into the Catholic Church in the United States

- Spirituality lived through action on behalf of the poor

Link to Father Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/07/15/anthea-butler-james-martin-spiritual-life-251125

Do you have a spiritual question for Father Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Stephen Colbert on meeting the pope, being Catholic and the spirituality of humor Jul 08, 2025

Stephen Colbert joins host Jim Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life”!

Colbert is well-known for his satirical comedy on The Colbert Report and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The conversation dives into:

- The personal tragedy that marked Colbert’s boyhood- losing his father and two brothers in a plane crash – and how his mother’s faith helped shape his spiritual perspective.

- The atheism that plagued his college years and what brought Colbert back to his Catholic faith.

- The interplay between Colbert’s Catholicism and his comedy

Read Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode, or visit this link: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/07/08/stephen-colbert-james-martin-spiritual-life-251084

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Mary Karr: ‘a black belt sinner’ loved by God Jul 01, 2025

“The Spiritual Life” host James Martin, S.J., talks to Mary Karr, author of New York Times best-selling memoirs The Liars' Club, Cherry, and Lit, as well as the Art of Memoir, and five poetry collections, most recently Tropic of Squalor.

Mary Karr shares:

How her son and a humble parish priest impacted her conversion to the Catholic faith
Her experience doing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and coming to know both the depths of her own sinfulness and the abiding love of God
Her encounters of extraordinary grace at Mass, on the subway, and in ordinary life.

Read Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode

Link to Fr. Jim’s book, “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life”

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Pete Buttigieg on Christianity, public life, and the spirituality of fatherhood Jun 24, 2025

Pete Buttigieg – the 19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the 32nd mayor of South Bend, Indiana – joins host James Martin, S.J. on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to talk about his faith journey, including:

A high school Old Testament teacher who shaped Pete’s understanding of a faith that does justice
Pete’s appreciation of the liturgy and subsequent conversion to the Episcopal church
Coming out as gay and coming out as Christian in political life
How becoming a father has deepened Pete’s lived-experience of the triune God.

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Whoopi Goldberg's message for the pope Jun 17, 2025

Host James Martin, S.J., welcomes the multi-award winning actress, Whoopi Goldberg, onto “The Spiritual Life” podcast. This wide-ranging conversation includes:

Whoopi’s Catholic childhood and how her faith has evolved
The influence of Pope John XXIII on her life
What Whoopi shared with Pope Francis about Black Catholics

Watch a video recording of this conversation on ⁠America Media's YouTube channel.⁠

Read Fr. Jim's article on this interview with Whoopi Goldberg

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe on friendship, silence, and struggling with prayer Jun 17, 2025

On the first episode of “The Spiritual Life,” Fr. James Martin, S.J., talks to Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., former Master General of the Dominican Order and a retreat leader for the Synod on Synodality.

Together, they talk about:

Dominican spirituality and prayer
Friendship with God and dialogue in the church
Cardinal Timothy’s spiritual insights from aging and recovering from illness

Watch a video recording of this conversation on America Media's YouTube channel.

Read Fr. Jim's article on this conversation with Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe.

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe’s recent books:

Listening Together: Meditations on Synodality

Surprised by Hope: Further Meditations on Synodality

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe

Coming Soon... Jun 09, 2025

What is prayer and how can we pray? How do I know if God is responding to my prayers? What does it mean to live a spiritual life? “The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.,” focuses on how people experience God in their prayer and their daily lives. The show combines practical wisdom with deep reflections from spiritual masters and well-known seekers, all tracing the mystery of God’s activity in their own lives.