Explore every episode of the podcast Glad You Asked
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #86: Natalia Imperatori-Lee - Was Mary an apostle? | 17 Dec 2025 | 00:47:52 | |
Catholics are accustomed to thinking of the term apostle as referring exclusively to men: the Twelve who followed Jesus and were with him at the Last Supper, as well as the Apostle Paul. But the church also considers Mary Magdalene an apostle—the "apostle to the apostles," to be precise. So clearly, being an apostle isn't something only men can do. In this third and final installment of Glad You Asked's three-part season finale on Mary, the hosts talk with theologian Natalia Imperatori-Lee about whether Mary the Mother of Jesus was an apostle. Imperatori-Lee's scholarship focuses on ecclesiology, feminist theologies, and Latino/a theologies. She has written in both academic and popular publications, on topics ranging from the church's mistreatment of women scholars, to the perils of complementarity, to Mariology. Her most recent book, Women and the Church: From Devil's Gateway to Discipleship (Paulist Press), is an overview of feminist theology, for the undergraduate classroom. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Imperatori-Lee's work, in these links. Women and the Church: From Devil's Gateway to Discipleship, by Natalia Imperatori-Lee Bearers of an "Idle Tale": Women's Authority in a Creditability Economy, by Natalia Imperatori-Lee "Mary, Mary, quite contrary," by Elizabeth Johnson "Mary Magdalene knew she was an apostle. Why don't we?" by Alice Camille "Two historians track down Jesus' women disciples," a U.S. Catholic interview "Finding leadership roles for women in the church," by Bryan Cones The Beginnings of the Church, by F. J. Cwiekowski Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #85: Kat Armas - Was Mary a revolutionary? | 12 Dec 2025 | 00:55:35 | |
Mary's "Magnificat" is pretty revolutionary. It isn't praising God for abstract blessings, but for real material events, all of which have to do with radical social justice. And this makes sense, given the world Mary lived in. She was a young Jewish woman, likely from a poor family, in a nation that was occupied by the Roman Empire. Since she was not a citizen, she lacked various protections and rights. Her son Jesus would eventually be executed by that Empire, on suspicion of revolution—and his execution would be in the brutal form of crucifixion, since he didn't enjoy the protection of citizenship. We know there were revolutionary groups in first-century Roman-occupied Palestine. And we know Jesus was executed because the imperial regime viewed him as a revolutionary. What would Mary have thought about those groups? Does her Magnificat indicate that she favored them? Can we call Mary a revolutionary? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the second in a three-part season finale looking at Mary as a figure of liberation, the hosts talk with theologian Kat Armas about Marian devotion in relation to movements of revolution and reform. Armas has a dual Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is the author of Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World (Brazos Press, and Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength (Brazos Press), as well as numerous articles, including in the National Catholic Reporter, Plough Magazine, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, and Sojornours.
Learn more about this topic, and read some of Armas' work, in these links: Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World, by Kat Armas Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength, by Kat Armas "In Scripture and Trump's America, some people mistakenly want a king," by Kat Armas "Mary, Mary, quite contrary," by Elizabeth Johnson "How Liberation Theology Illuminates Advent in the Bible," a U.S. Catholic interview Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
"Divine revelation leads to revolution," by Alice Camille | |||
| #76: Leo Guardado - What happened to the Catholic tradition of sanctuary? | 10 Oct 2025 | 00:53:06 | |
The tradition of churches as places of refuge for those in fear of the law goes back centuries. It figures in several popular stories set in the Middle Ages, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both the novel and the Disney film), and the legend of the outlaw Robin Hood. In the nineteenth century, in the United States, enslaved people sometimes took refuge in churches. Later, in the twentieth century, people escaping the draft occasionally did so as well. The tradition has endured into the twentieth century, with immigrants and refugees in the United States turning to churches for sanctuary. In fact, in 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent their officers a memo, telling them to avoid arresting people in "sensitive locations" such as churches, schools, and hospitals. Now, however, the role of churches as sanctuaries has become uncertain, as the current administration has stripped churches and schools of those immigration enforcement protections. On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with theologian Leo Guardado about the origin and significance of the sanctuary church tradition, the legal status of sanctuary churches, and whether the magisterium of the Catholic Church officially supports this longstanding tradition. Guardado has a personal connection to this topic, as he escaped the civil war in El Salvador as a child. He has worked ecumenically in the borderlands in defense of migrant communities, and is the author of numerous articles and two books, including Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement (Orbis Books) You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Guarddado's work, in these links. Church as Sanctuary: Reconstructing Refuge in an Age of Forced Displacement, by Leo Guardado (Orbis Books) "Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others," by BIll Chappell "4 steps to becoming a Catholic sanctuary church," by Melissa Walker "What the Birth of the Sanctuary Movement Teaches Us Today," by Kyle Paoletta "Social Justice — Catholic Churches and Hospitals as Sanctuaries and Places of Refuge," by Brian Kane, PhD Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #75: Jack Downey - Does the church support civil disobedience? | 03 Oct 2025 | 00:49:23 | |
Catholics have frequently taken a stand against civil authorities, even breaking the law, to remain true to their faith. The early martyrs refused to worship the Roman gods and were murdered for it. Saints have stood up against oppressive authorities, helped the innocent escape unjust laws, and held onto their faith even when it was illegal. Catholics were murdered for opposing the Nazi regime, and persecuted for their work in civil rights. Many Catholics who grew up with stories of these heroes of faith and justice took away the implicit lesson: Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means breaking the law. If these stories count as instances of civil disobedience, does that mean civil disobedience has a place in the Catholic tradition? Does the official magisterium of the church have any teachings supporting–or critiquing–civil disobedience? What is civil disobedience, anyway? To answer these questions, the Glad You Asked hosts talked to Jack Downey, a scholar of civil disobedience who is also the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies and a professor of religion and classics at the University of Rochester. Downey's scholarship focuses on contemporary justice movements, liberation theology, religious history, and contemplative traditions. He is the author of The Bread of the Strong, a study of contemplative influences on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Downey's work, in these links. "We are all called to protest, says this civil rights lawyer," A U.S. Catholic interview "Holy disobedience," by Jim Forest "Traditional Disobedience: Renewing the Legacy of Catholic Activism," by John Gehring "The Unlikely Catholic Activist Who Believed in Civil Disobedience 'Animated by Love'," by John Loughery "A Metaphor for the Planet," by Jack Downey The Bread of the Strong: Lacouturisme and the Folly of the Cross, 1910-1985, by Jack Downey (Fordham University Press, 2015) Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| Coming Soon: Season 7 of Glad You Asked | 26 Sep 2025 | 00:01:24 | |
Over the past 75 episodes, the Glad You Asked podcast has addressed dozens of your top questions about Catholic history, scripture, and theology. The hosts have posed questions like: Do dogs go to heaven? Was Jesus a refugee? And should Catholics use AI? And dozens of teachers, theologians, activists, and scholars have joined the show to share their expertise on these and other most-searched queries about Catholicism. On October 3, 2025, Glad You Asked is coming back with even more answers to all your burning questions. Questions to look forward to in the upcoming season include: Should Catholics read their horoscopes? Can Catholics be anarchists? And what does the church teach about civil disobedience? And the season will close with a special three-part season finale about Mary, the Mother of God. Sign up for updates at USCatholic.org/gyapodcast. Or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Glad You Asked is sponsored by the USA-Canada province of the Claretian Missionaries, a congregation that tends to the religious and pastoral needs of vulnerable communities. To find out more and get involved please visit www.claretians.org.
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| #74: Dean Dettloff – What is a Jubilee Year? | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:43:43 | |
In February of 1300, Pope Boniface VIII, in the papal bull Antiquorum Habet Fida Relatio, declared the first-ever Catholic Jubilee Year. Anyone who made a pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, and who repented and confessed, would receive "the fullest and broadest pardon for all sins committed," Boniface proclaimed. One of the thousands of pilgrims who journeyed to Rome that year was the painter Giotto, who created a fresco commemorating the event. Another was the poet Dante Alighieri, who references the Jubilee in his Divine Comedy—ironically, this appears in Canto 18 of Inferno, where he compares the movement of the damned along the eighth circle of hell to the Roman method of traffic control during the Jubilee. The jubilee tradition goes back far further, however, originating in Judaism, before Christianity had even begun. In the Israelite tradition, the jubilee was associated with things like forgiving debts, freeing enslaved people, and other concrete gestures of material justice. In the Catholic tradition, however, the Jubilee focuses not on debt forgiveness but on forgiveness of sins. On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with scholar Dean Dettloff about the origins of the Jubilee Year, its significance in the Catholic tradition, and whether there is any likelihood that the Catholic Jubilee will recover its ancient tradition of concrete liberation. Dettloff is the Research and Advocacy Officer for Development and Peace–Caritas Canada. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he also teaches as sessional faculty. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Dettloff's work, in these links. What Is a Holy Year? "This Jubilee year, be open to the gift of hope," by Alice Camille "Take action against mass incarceration this Jubilee year," by Alessandra Harris "Canada must lead global debt cancellation, like it did 25 years ago," by Dean Detloff "Mourning a Pope We Often Ignored," by Dean Detloff "A May Day Saint," by Dean Detloff Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #73: Bishop John Stowe – What does it mean to be a "pro-life" Catholic? | 06 Jun 2025 | 00:37:08 | |
The earliest documented use of the term pro-life was in a book on parenting and child education. The book, Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing, by A.S. Neil, was published in 1960 and contained the statement that "no pro-life parent or teacher would ever strike a child. No pro-life citizen would tolerate our penal code, our hangings, our punishment of homosexuals." However, that's not how the term is typically used today. In the early 1970s, following Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion activists began using the term pro-life in reference to their opposition to legalized abortion. Even then, many activists thought being pro-life ought to entail a holistic approach to life issues: that people should oppose not only abortion, but also war, the death penalty, income inequality, and racism. This idea that pro-life ought to refer to all life really began to pick up steam in 2016, partially as a response to the mainstream pro-life movement's alliance with far right political leaders. Today, many people who used to identify as pro-life no longer do so. They feel the term has been tarnished. Should "pro-life" mean opposition to abortion, or should it be more inclusive? Has the term been compromised by its association with various political agendas? And how should Catholics respond to this debate? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Bishop John Stowe about what it means to be a pro-life Catholic. Stowe is bishop of the diocese of Lexington, Kentucky and a priest in the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. In keeping with the Franciscan tradition, Stowe has long been a pastoral voice for justice for the poor and for environmental justice. He's also spoken repeatedly for immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Learn more about this topic in these links. "U.S. Catholic readers critique the pro-life movement," by Kathleen Bonnette "As election nears, Catholics reflect on abortion politics," by Cassidy Klein "4 ways progressive pro-lifers can reengage with Democratic leaders," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss "Will the synod listen to women on reproductive issues?" by Ashley Wilson "In debates about reproductive health, listen to Black women," a U.S. Catholic interview "A new way to think about the 'consistent ethic of life'," by Steven P. Millies "It's Time to Move Past the Pro-Life / Pro-Choice Dividing Line," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss "Do restrictive abortion laws actually reduce abortion? A global map offers insights," by Michaeleen Doucleff "The movement against abortion rights is nearing its apex. But it began way before Roe," by Deepa Shivaram Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #72: Dawn Eden Goldstein – What is excommunication? | 30 May 2025 | 00:43:22 | |
Catholic history is full of famous excommunications involving court intrigue and geopolitical conflicts. Henry VIII of England was excommunicated twice: first in a "provisional excommunication," by Pope Clement, then again by Pope Paul III, in 1538. An earlier English monarch, Henry II, also clashed with the church—specifically, with Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. Though Becket never excommunicated Henry, he did excommunicate a number of his supporters. Further back in history, yet another Henry, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, was famously excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII. The emperor ended up walking on foot to Canossa Castle in 1077, and kneeling in the snow doing penance for three days, begging for his excommunication to be lifted. Stories like this might suggest that excommunication was a tool for political leverage, or a weighty and dramatic event that only happened when the Catholic Church wielded massive political power. But excommunications still happen today, and most of them do not involve state leaders. On this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk with canon lawyer Dawn Eden Goldstein about the canonical and theological significance of excommunication. Goldstein is one of the few laywomen in the world to hold both a theology doctorate licensed by the Holy See and a licentiate in canon law. She is also the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. She is also the author of several books, including The Sacred Heart: A Love for All Times (Loyola Press) and Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor (Orbis Books). You can find more information about this topic and read some of Dawn's work in these links. "What is excommunication?" by Michelle Arnold "Excommunication is not the church's equivalent of capital punishment," by Thomas Reese "Vatican excommunicates former nuncio to the US, found guilty of schism," by Carol Glatz "What is canon law?" by Dawn Eden Goldstein The Dawn Patrol
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| #71: Toni Alimi – Did St. Augustine condone slavery? | 23 May 2025 | 00:51:08 | |
St. Augustine of Hippo, the fourth century theologian, philosopher, and doctor of the church, shaped Christian theology in myriad ways. Multiple Christian denominations draw heavily on Augustine's ideas about grace, original sin, free will, and the trinity. And now, with the election of Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian priest is steering the entire global Catholic Church. But one area of Augustine's thought doesn't get addressed as often: his beliefs about slavery. Did Augustine support the institution of slavery? How did he reconcile his beliefs with the gospel's commitment to radical equality? And why, if we want to understand racism in the United States, do we need to go all the way back to a fourth century theologian's theses about politics, society, and the relation of humanity to God? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Toni Alimi about Augustine's ideas about slavery. Alimi is assistant professor in the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University. His research and teaching span ancient Roman philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary ethics and politics, and philosophy of religion. His book, Slaves of God, explores Augustine's arguments slavery and argues that slavery is a central theme in his broader ethics and politics. Learn more about this topic and Alimi's scholarship in these links. Slaves of God: Augustine and Other Romans on Religion and Politics, by Toni Alimi "Augustine was 'wrong about slavery': Book reexamines key figure," by Kate Blackwood "When did the church condemn slavery?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "How the U.S. Catholic Church profited from slavery," A U.S. Catholic interview "What did St. Augustine say about original sin?" by Kathleen Bonnette Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #70: Kori Pacyniak – What can the church learn from trans Catholics? | 16 May 2025 | 00:50:30 | |
Conversations among Catholics about trans people and the church often center on questions of inclusion and belonging in relation to church life and teachings. Can trans people be baptized into the church or partake in other sacraments? Should trans Catholics be allowed to join religious orders? The conversations often proceed as though trans Catholics are fundamentally a problem to be solved. Even when the intention is to be welcoming, making this the primary discussion among Catholics fails to recognize that trans Catholics are already part of our families, communities, workplaces, and parishes. Trans Catholics are already a part of the church. Some theologians and pastoral leaders suggest that shifting the focus of these discussions could lead to a broader understanding of church life. As well as considering what we owe to trans people, we should also consider how trans people enrich the church—how their active participation in church communities might help us deepen our theology and pastoral witness. On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to guest Kori Pacyniak about what the church can learn from trans Catholics. Pacyniak is a queer, nonbinary, and trans Catholic who is a doctoral candidate at the University of California Riverside. They studied religion and Portuguese at Smith College and have a master of divinity from Harvard and a master's degree in theology and trauma from Boston University. Ordained as a priest through Roman Catholic Womenpriests, Pacyniak focuses on creating sacred space and liturgy by and for queer and trans Catholics. Learn more about this topic and read some of Pacyniak's writing in these links. "Gender diversity has always been part of the church," by Emma Cieslik "As a transgender Catholic, I don't see gender diversity as a threat to our faith," by Maxwell Kuzma "Trans and Catholic: A parent's perspective," by Deacon Ray Dever "We cannot abandon trans Catholics," by Father Bryan Massingale "Pope Francis Calls for the Inclusion of Trans People in Catholic Church Practices," by Dallas Knox "God Doesn't Want You to Be Miserable," by Kori Pacyniak "The Women Who Want to Be Priests," by Margaret Talbot Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #69: Don Clemmer – How do they choose a new pope? | 02 May 2025 | 00:38:01 | |
The Catholic Church, albeit not a democratic nation-state, has one of the most long-standing voting traditions in the world. When a pope dies, their successor is chosen by election. However, only a few Catholics—the cardinals of the church—participate. And the Catholic magisterium teaches that even though humans vote, it's the Holy Spirit guiding the process. Even though the pope is the head of state for Vatican City, the election of a new pontiff is supposed to be about God's will for the church, not about the triumph of this or that political faction. The Catholic Church has held many conclaves over the centuries, some contentious. The recent death of Pope Francis provoked widespread media speculation not only about who would succeed him but how the process of choosing a pope works at all. Especially in an era where everything is visible and conducted for an audience, the very secrecy of the conclave—as the voting process is called—adds to the intrigue. On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to guest Don Clemmer about who chooses a pope, how the process works, and some of the traditions associated with the conclave. Clemmer is editor of Connection magazine for the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and coproducer of the Just Politics podcast. He has written extensively for U.S. Catholic, as well as for many other publications, and previously worked in the media relations office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Find out more about this subject, and read some of Clemmer's work, in these links. "How is a pope chosen?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "What happens when a pope dies?" by Amanda Osheim "What is the College of Cardinals?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "What is the origin of the papal smoke?" by David Pitt "The 12 cardinals who might succeed Pope Francis," by Don Clemmer Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #68: Glenn Butner – Was Jesus a refugee? | 25 Apr 2025 | 00:28:08 | |
According to the gospel of Matthew, shortly after Jesus was born an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee with his family to Egypt, since King Herod was going to try to kill the new baby. They stayed there, according to Christian tradition, until Herod had died and it was safe to return. This incident, popularly known as the "flight to Egypt," has inspired an array of artistic depictions. It has also inspired a popular pro-immigration argument: Christians should welcome those seeking safety in their country, because Jesus, too, was a refugee. The Vatican has even published various documents citing Jesus' refugee status. But was Jesus really a refugee? Would the Holy Family be granted refugee status, according to the laws and definitions of today? On this episode of the podcast, theologian and social ethicist Glenn Butner talks to the hosts about what it means to be a refugee, the significance of the flight to Egypt, whether it is accurate to call Jesus a refugee, and the theological implications of this topic. Butner is an associate professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the author of multiple books on theology and social ethics, including Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity. You can learn more about this topic and Butner's work in these links. Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity, by D. Glenn Butner Jr. Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity | Fortress Press "Was Jesus a refugee?" by Alice Camille Was Jesus a refugee? - U.S. Catholic "Think of the Holy Family fleeing Herod and pray for migrants, pope says," by Cindy Wooden Think of the Holy Family fleeing Herod and pray for migrants, pope says | National Catholic Reporter Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for the 93rd World Day of Migrants And Refugees What is a refugee? Definition and Meaning What is a Refugee? Definition and Meaning | USA for UNHCR Refugees and Asylum Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #84: Julie Hanlon Rubio - Was Mary a feminist? | 05 Dec 2025 | 00:44:32 | |
"Look to Mary as a model of authentic womanhood." That's the message church leaders have directed at generations of Catholic women and girls. Often, latent in this message, is the notion that authentic womanhood means being docile, obedient, submissive, and innocent. So it's no wonder that many people, both inside and outside the church, view feminism and Catholicism as incompatible. There are many different types of feminism but none are known for preaching docility. Nevertheless, Catholic feminists exist. They are scholars, religious sisters, activists, community leaders, workers, and mothers. They make significant contributions to theology, too. Are these women failing to emulate Mary sufficiently? Or, alternatively, are they following Mary's example? What if Mary herself was a feminist? This episode of Glad You Asked is part of a three-part season finale looking at Mary as a figure of liberation. This segment of the series focuses on Mary from the perspective of feminist thought, considering whether the historical Mary was a champion of women's liberation, whether feminists can look to her for inspiration, and whether Marian devotion is compatible with feminist thought. To discuss Mary as a figure of women's liberation, the hosts talked with theologian Julie Hanlon Rubio. Rubio is the Shea-Heusaman Professor of Christian Social Ethics and Associate Dean at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. She is the author or editor of seven books, most recently Can You Be a Catholic and a Feminist (Oxford University Press). She has published in a variety of academic journals as well as popular venues, and serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Review Board. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Rubio's work, in these links. Can You Be a Catholic and a Feminist? by Julie Hanlon Rubio "Why did God choose Mary?" by LaRyssa Herrington "Could Mary have said 'No'?" by Kevin Considine "Why was Mary a virgin?" by Alice Camille "Don't make Mary the feminine face of God," by Elizabeth Johnson "Catholic and feminist: You got a problem with that?" by Megan Sweas "Real biblical womanhood: the defiant women of Hebrew scripture," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss "Was Jesus a feminist?" by Bernadette Raspante Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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| #67: John Farrell - Were Adam and Eve real? | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:34:38 | |
Belief in a literal six-day creation, including a literal Adam and Eve, is more associated with evangelical Christianity than with Catholicism. Most Catholic schools teach evolutionary theory as the best and most reliable account of the origin of life and see no conflict between this and orthodox Catholic faith. At the same time, some Catholics still promote a creationist view on the origins of humanity. What does the Catholic Church have to say about this? Are Catholics obliged to believe that Adam and Eve were real people who talked to God, were tempted by a snake, and got cast out of a garden because they ate a forbidden fruit? If so, how does this fit with everything science has to tell us about evolution? And if the church accepts evolution, how does this affect other core Catholic teachings, especially on original sin? On this episode of the podcast, science writer John Farrell talks about how the Catholic Church has grappled with the challenges posed by evolution over the years, as well as what science has to say on the question of whether Adam and Eve were real. John Farrell is the author of The Day Without Yesterday: Lemaître, Einstein and the Birth of Modern Cosmology (Basic Books, 2005) and The Clock and the Camshaft: And Other Medieval Inventions We Still Can't Live Without (Prometheus Books, 2020). He has contributed to U.S Catholic and many other publications, including Commonweal, Cosmos Magazine, New Scientist, the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, the Boston Globe, Salon, Forbes and the Tablet of London. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Farrell's writing, in these links. "Do Catholics believe in evolution?" by John Switzer "What is original sin?" by Joel Schorn "Benedict's thinking on creation and evolution," by John L. Allen Jr. "Middle ways on evolution," by John Farrell "What would an updated natural law ethic look like?" by John Farrell "The Bible is far more than history. It is legendary." by Alice Camille "Evolution is our fundamental reality," by Ilia Delio Original Sin: Origins, Developments, Contemporary Meanings, by Tatha Wiley Original Selfishness: Original Sin and Evil in the Light of Evolution by Daryl P. Domning and Monika K. Hellwig Lone Survivors: How We Came to Be the Only Humans on Earth, by Chris Stringer Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #66: Gareth Gore – What is Opus Dei? | 11 Apr 2025 | 00:42:05 | |
Nearly a century ago, a Spanish priest named Josemaría Escrivá founded a religious movement intended to summon Christians of all races, ages, and social classes to renew the world, not by separating themselves from it, but by making their everyday lives holy. Today, the group Escriva founded, known as Opus Dei ("Work of God") is a highly respected group with approximately 90,000 members, active in 70 countries. St. Pope John Paul II was an admirer of Escrivá and officially canonized him in 2002. Opus Dei members include priests and religious but also laypeople who work ordinary jobs, have families, and are involved in the life of their parishes. Many of these Opus Dei members are unaware that the organization has been accused of human trafficking and labor exploitation and is the subject of a criminal investigation in Argentina. According to the report that concluded the investigation, people holding different positions within Opus Dei recruited women and girls from low-income families in several South American countries, promised them job training, and placed them in grueling work situations without pay. Opus Dei has also been accused of financial crimes such as fraud and money laundering. Opus Dei leadership denies these allegations, claiming their critics have concocted false charges by taking details out of context. So how do we balance these allegations with the experience of thousands of ordinary Catholics and with Escrivá's vision of an inclusive church? What exactly is Opus Dei and how does it relate to the rest of the church? On this episode of Glad You Asked, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss talk to journalist Gareth Gore about what Opus Dei is, how it functions, and the details of the allegations against the group. Gore is the author of Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church (Simon & Schuster). Based in London, Gore has reported from over 25 countries and covered some of the biggest financial stories in recent years. For more information about this topic, and to read about Gore's book, check out these links. Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church, by Gareth Gore Opus | Book by Gareth Gore | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster "Argentine prosecutors accuse Opus Dei leaders in South America of trafficking and labor exploitation," by Debora Rey "Women in Argentina claim labor exploitation by Opus Dei," by Debora Rey Women in Argentina claim labor exploitation by Opus Dei | AP News "How Opus Dei manipulated its way into power," by John Farrell How Opus Dei manipulated its way into power - U.S. Catholic "In Argentina, Opus Dei 'categorically' denies allegations it's involved in human trafficking," by Junno Arocho Esteves "Peruvian Opus Dei cardinal denies allegations of sexual abuse of minor," by Elise Ann Allen Peruvian Opus Dei cardinal denies allegations of sexual abuse of minor - Catholic Herald "Opus Dei Contests Charges of Malfeasance in Author's New Book," by Ken Oliver-Méndez Opus Dei Contests Charges of Malfeasance in Author's New Book| National Catholic Register "Miracle attributed to Blessed Josemaria is approved" Miracle attributed to Blessed Josemaria is approved - Opus Dei "Split in Vatican on Opus Dei's miracle," by Giles Tremlett Split in Vatican on Opus Dei's miracle | World news | The Guardian Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #65: Christian Matson – Are there still hermits? | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:42:40 | |
Christian history has multiple stories of people who felt called by God to separate themselves from the bustle of society and live alone, often in remote places. In the first centuries of Christianity, the desert fathers and mothers went into the wilderness seeking a simple life of spirituality and prayer. In the Byzantine Empire there were the stylites, or pillar-saints, who lived atop columns and practiced extreme asceticism. Other hermits lived in seclusion within society, sometimes in little cells attached to churches. In the Middle Ages, this practice became more popular, especially among women, some of whom were physically walled up in their cells, with no door or means of exit, representing their death to the world. Known as anchorites or anchoresses (from the ancient Greek ἀναχωρεῖν, meaning "to withdraw"), the most famous of these was the mystic and theologian Julian of Norwich. The tradition of the hermit vocation has deep roots in pre-Christian practices, too. Hebrew scriptures are filled with stories of people fleeing into the desert to escape society and draw closer to God. In the New Testament, both John the Baptist and Jesus follow their example. And other religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sufism, also have traditions associated with the eremitic life. But what about today? What does the life of a Christian hermit look like, in the modern era? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Brother Christian Matson, a professed hermit in the Diocese of Lexington. Brother Christian professes a rule of life that allows him to support himself financially through his work in the arts while he lives a life of contemplation in a private hermitage. You can learn more about the hermit vocation, and about Brother Christian's work, in these links. "What is a hermit?" by John Christman What is a hermit? - U.S. Catholic "How To Be Alone," by Alexander Jusdanis "Medieval anchoresses found spiritual freedom in tiny cells," by Ellyn Sanna Medieval anchoresses found spiritual freedom in tiny cells - U.S. Catholic "Sixty Feet Above: The Difficult Sanctity of Simeon Stylites," by Eric Shuler Sixty Feet Above: The Difficult Sanctity of Simeon Stylites "The Desert Fathers and Mothers" The Desert Fathers and Mothers — Center for Action and Contemplation "Catholic diocesan hermit approved by Kentucky bishop comes out as transgender," by Jack Jenkins "Theater partnership puts depression, suicide prevention under spotlight," by Buddy Forbes Theater partnership puts depression, suicide prevention under spotlight Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #64: Stacy Davis – Who was Jezebel? | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:31:44 | |
The Bible is full of vivid, fascinating characters: heroes and antiheroes, tricksters and villains. One of the most memorable biblical villains is Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab in Kings 1 and 2. Jezebel shows up in multiple stories: persecuting the prophet Elijah, trying to institute the worship of the god Ba'al, conniving to steal a vineyard, and finally dying a gruesome death. She is mentioned in the book of Revelation, too, when the author refers to a woman in the church at Thyatira who "calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to engage in sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols" (Rev. 2:20).
Because she lured her husband to worship a false god, and because she is remembered as wearing makeup and finery, she has come to be associated with ideas about women as dangerous, immoral temptresses. The name "Jezebel" has become a slur for a promiscuous woman who leads men astray, and this slur has been used especially to demean and demonize Black women.
But who was Jezebel really? Was she the sexually promiscuous character these slurs imply, and why does scripture depict her as a super-villain?
On this episode of Glad You Asked, theologian and biblical scholar Stacy Davis talks to the host about the character Jezebel and the history of using her as a weapon against Black women. Davis is a professor of religious studies and Theology at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and the author of Haggai and Malachi in the Wisdom Commentary Series (Liturgical Press). She is an associate editor of The Africana Bible: Reading Israel's Scriptures from Africa and the African Diaspora, as well as for the forthcoming Westminster John Knox Bible.
You can learn more about this topic in these links: "Jezebel from an African-American Perspective," by Stacy Davis "The Jezebel Stereotype," by David Pilgrim The Jezebel Stereotype - Anti-black Imagery - Jim Crow Museum "Who Exactly Was the Original Jezebel?" by Wednesday Martin Who Exactly Was the Original Jezebel? ‹ Literary Hub "Jezebel Isn't Who You Think She Is," by Nyasha Junior Jezebel Isn't Who You Think She Is - Dame Magazine "Naming the 333 women in the Bible," by Alice Camille Naming the 333 women in the Bible - U.S. Catholic
Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #63: Nicholas Hayes-Mota – Are billionaires going to hell? | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:45:29 | |
As of March 2025, Elon Musk, the richest person in the world according to Bloomberg, was valued to be worth 311 billion dollars. To help put this quantity in perspective: In order for the average middle-class person earning around $45,000 a year to earn even $1 billion, they would have to devote all their time to work, while spending nothing, for over 21,000 years—that is, longer than human history. Given the extent of dire need across the world, it seems grossly unethical for anyone to have that kind of money. From a Catholic perspective, we need to take seriously not only concerns rooted in natural law ethics, regarding the flourishing of the person and the common good, but also traditional teachings about the moral obligations around money. Scripture is filled with warnings about the serious, possibly eternal punishments in store for those who hoard wealth at the expense of the poor. Does that mean billionaires are going to hell? On this episode of Glad You Asked, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss talk to moral theologian Nicholas Hayes-Mota about the Catholic Church's teaching on wealth and whether amassing vast amounts of money is a sin. Hayes-Mota is a social ethicist and public theologian whose research interests include the theology of community organizing, Catholic social thought, contemporary virtue ethics, democratic theory, and AI ethics.
Read more about the ethics of wealth inequality: "Pope Francis: Powerful and Rich Risk Going to Hell If They Ignore the Poor," by David Gibson "Why the wealth gap is bad for everyone." A U.S. Catholic interview "Why wealth inequality matters," by Kevin Clarke "The Universal Destination of Goods in St. John Chrysostom," by Antônio Lemos Rerum Novarum (Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor), encyclical of Pope Leo XIII Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples), encyclical of Paul VI Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship), encyclical of Pope Francis
Read more by Nicholas Hayes-Mota: "We need to reclaim the legacy of Christian nonviolence," U.S. Catholic "Principle in Practice: A MacIntyrean Analysis of Community Organizing and the Catholic Social Tradition." Journal of Catholic Social Thought "Partners in Forming the People: Jacques Maritain, Saul Alinsky, and the Project of Personalist Democracy." Journal of Moral Theology "An Accountable Church? Broad-Based Community Organizing and Ecclesial Ethics," Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics
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| #62: Jaime Waters - Who was at the nativity? | 20 Dec 2024 | 00:29:37 | |
In the United States, nativity scenes are part of the ordinary landscape of Christmas—even in secular spaces. You might see a blow-up nativity scene, all in garish colors, in front of a neighborhood store. Or in church, traditional statuary depicting European-looking characters. Some homes and religious organizations feature nativity scenes from around the world, with the holy family in diverse cultural garb. But no matter the aesthetic there are common elements in most nativity scenes: Baby Jesus in the manger, Mary and Joseph close by, a few placid animals, some devout shepherds and magi, with an angel hovering on high. But how accurate are these scenes? Would the Holy Family really have been surrounded by animals? Did shepherds actually show up immediately after Jesus was born? And did Mary worry at all about the safety of putting a newborn infant in an animal's feeding trough? On this episode of the podcast, scholar Jaime Waters talks to the hosts about what the nativity was really like and who was there. Waters is an associate professor of Old Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. She is presently working on a commentary on the book of Jeremiah for the Wisdom Commentary Series from Liturgical Press, and a book on methods of biblical interpretation. She has written multiple articles for America magazine about the intersection of scripture and justice issues. You can learn more about this topic and read some of Waters' writing in these links: "Who was really at the Nativity?" "What are we missing in our depictions of the nativity?" "A nativity collection shows different imaginings of Christmas" "The journey of the magi is long and risky, but it ends with joy" "The loving dynamics in the Holy Family" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #61: AJ Levine - Who was Mary of Nazareth? | 13 Dec 2024 | 00:32:25 | |
Often, Catholics refer to Mary with the various honorifics we have attached to her over the centuries: Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, or Queen of Heaven. When we imagine her, we may think of famous paintings representing her as a queen, crowned and throned, holding baby Jesus. While these titles all highlight important theological truths about Mary, and our religious art helps us venerate her as the most important saint of the church, we may sometimes lose sight of who Mary was historically. Long before the church developed our various doctrinal understandings about her, Mary was a Jewish woman born into a particular family, culture, and political situation. But compared with the vast amount of theological writing on Mary, the historical material we have about her is pretty scant. Who was Mary of Nazareth, really? What was her life like? How did she dress, what did she eat, and what level of education did she have? On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, guest AJ Levine helps us get a clearer picture of the historical Mary, beneath the halo and beyond the holy cards. Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She was the first Jew to teach the New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. She has held office in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Association for Jewish Studies. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (HarperOne) and Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (HarperOne). Her most recent book is Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians (HarperOne). Learn more about this topic, and read some of Levine's writing, in these links. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary," "It is time to free Mary and let God have her own maternal face," "All mothers stand at the cross with Mary," "Why did God choose Mary?" "Witnesses, patrons, faithful disciples: The women at the cross and the tomb," "A Jewish take on Jesus: Amy-Jill Levine talks the gospels." Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #60: Brian Green - Should Catholics use AI? | 06 Dec 2024 | 00:28:48 | |
It's difficult to avoid artificial intelligence these days. When searching on Google or reading product reviews, there's a good chance that you'll be offered the option to read an AI-generated summary. Or maybe an AI tool will offer to write your work email for you. Savvy users are typically able to detect the errors in AI summaries, but even the most cautious and informed person might find it difficult to sort through what's accurate and what isn't. And while an ethical student wouldn't want to entrust their carefully thought out ideas to an AI writing program, it might be a temptation for those less skilled at writing, or less concerned about morals. These are just a few ways AI disrupts our already hectic human lives. There are also questions about AI taking human jobs, AI being used to spread disinformation, AI romantic partners, even AI contract killers. The ethical issues around AI are real. But does this mean AI itself is bad? Are there ethical ways of using it? On this episode of Glad You Asked, guest Brian Green talks to the hosts about what AI is, what the real ethical concerns are, and whether Catholics should use it at all. Green is the director of technology ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. His work focuses on the impact of technology on human life, society, and religion. He has contributed to a number of books on AI and ethics and is the author of Space Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield). He's been a lead contributor on three World Economic Forum case studies on ethical practices at Microsoft, Salesforce, and IBM and has worked with the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education. Learn more about this topic in these links. "How should Christians respond to the challenges of AI?" "AI isn't all doom and gloom, says this theologian" "'Oppenheimer' offers a sober lesson in the era of AI" "Futuristic fiction asks important ethical questions about AI" Journal of Moral Theology, Special Issue on AI Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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| #59: Heidi Schlumpf - Would Thomas Aquinas be a Thomist? | 29 Nov 2024 | 00:23:18 | |
Even 700 years after his death, St. Thomas Aquinas is still one of most influential theologians in the history of the Catholic Church. The Dominican friar, philosopher, and theologian wrote extensively about morals, liturgy, the sacraments, humanity, and the nature of God. He drew on multiple non-Christian and pre-Christian traditions to articulate the relationship between natural reason and revealed truth. Today, Aquinas' ideas remain central to Catholic thought. But not all his ideas have aged well. And this can pose a problem, especially when people treat him as an authority on the level of the magisterium. Some of the ideas from Aquinas that self-described Thomists like to reiterate not only aren't church teaching—they're also incorrect. But would Thomas Aquinas be a Thomist? What would the saint think about popular takes on his ideas today? And why is this academic quibble politically significant? On this episode of Glad You Asked, journalist Heidi Schlumpf, who recently wrote about this topic for U.S. Catholic, joins the hosts to talk about why conservative influencers love Aquinas and why disputes about his thought are relevant for the public square. Schlumpf is a senior correspondent for and former executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter. She previously served as the managing editor of U.S. Catholic and has reported extensively on religion, spirituality, social justice, and women's issues. She is the author of Elizabeth A. Johnson: Questing for God (Liturgical Press). You can read more about this topic and read some of Schlumpf's writing in these links. "Would Thomas Aquinas be a Thomist?" "Why 'trads' seek to root the church's future in the past" "Two very different parishes point to divisions in the church" "J.D. Vance's Catholicism. Theological profile of Trump's heir apparent" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #58: Nicholas Hayes-Mota - What is integralism? | 22 Nov 2024 | 00:37:06 | |
Religious nationalism is on the rise, both in the United States and globally. While this poses multiple challenges to justice work, it also raises theoretical questions for Christians, including the question of how Catholics should understand the relationship between church and political powers. For centuries, when monarchy was the default, Catholics argued about this. Should the pope control the king, or vice versa? Can kings appoint religious institutional leaders? What if a pope excommunicates a monarch? Somewhere along the line, a political idea called integralism developed. Integralism proposes a much closer relationship between political and religious authorities than most Americans are comfortable with. But despite our longstanding embrace of the separation of church and state, this seemingly obscure idea has entered our public discourse, associated with some right-wing influencers and political figures—including Vice President-Elect JD Vance. So what is integralism? Is it the same as nationalism, and does it threaten our constitutional ideas about religious liberty? On this episode of the podcast, scholar Nicholas Hayes-Mota talks to the hosts about what integralism is and how it relates to the current political climate. Hayes-Mota is a social ethicist and public theologian whose research interests include the theology of community organizing, Catholic social thought, contemporary virtue ethics, democratic theory, and AI ethics. He is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences. You can learn more about this topic and read some of Hayes-Mota's work in these links. "What is Catholic integralism?" "The Integralist Argument Is Wrong, Even If You're Catholic" "The strange world of Catholic 'integralism'—and Christian nationalism" "The not-so-Catholic candidacy of J. D. Vance" "Faith at the expense of freedom" "We need to reclaim the legacy of Christian nonviolence" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #83: Eilis McCulloh - Does the church support universal health care? | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:54:18 | |
According to several recent studies of health care systems across the globe, the U.S. health care system lags far behind those in other developed nations. The system is more expensive per person, but also for the nation as a whole. This high cost doesn't translate into good access, high quality, or favorable outcomes. Many in the nation have no insurance at all, and many can't find a primary care provider, or access much beyond basic emergency care. Our very expensive system does not do well at preventing death, either. Skyrocketing insurance costs are likely to make matters worse, leaving more people uninsured, and dying for lack of care. It is likely to create a ripple effect, as high health care costs will increase food insecurity and exacerbate the homelessness crisis. These effects may even touch those who are comfortably well-off, as more care facilities close due to lack of funds. Activists, lobbyists, policy-makers, and analysts have been calling for some form of universal care for Americans for decades, to bring us in line with the less expensive and more equitable systems in other nations. But what should Catholics think about this question? Would universal health care access be in line with Catholic social teaching? What would a truly just health care system look like? To discuss this topic, the hosts of Glad You Asked collaborated with Sister of the Humility of Mary Eilis McCulloh of the Just Politics podcast. In Just Politics, Catholic sisters and their coworkers at the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice discuss pressing political issues from the standpoint of Catholic teaching. McCulloh currently serves as NETWORK's Grassroots Education and Organizing Specialist. You can learn more about this topic in these links: International Comparison of Health Systems How does the quality of the U.S. health system compare to other countries? Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System "Kristen Whitney Daniels on why health care access is a matter of faith and justice," Just Politics "As the inauguration approaches, U.S. health care is on the line," by Kevin Clarke Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #57: Father Paul Keller - Who can baptize a baby? | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:21:10 | |
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). This verse, sometimes called the Great Commission, includes a mandate to perform baptisms. But does that mean Jesus was telling everyone to go out and baptize? In the gospel passage, Jesus is speaking only to the eleven men who were closest to him, sometimes called the apostles. Traditionally, Catholics have believed that those eleven men were the first priests, and that this is why the mandate to baptize was directed at them. But does that mean only priests can perform baptisms? And does it mean that a person who is able to baptize should do so any time they get a chance, even if the person hasn't asked for baptism, doesn't want it, or is too young to make the decision? What about if a person was adamant about rejecting baptism, but is now unconscious, and dying? Should a good Catholic try to get them baptized anyway? On this episode of Glad You Asked, Claretian Father Paul Keller talks to the hosts about the church's rules around baptism: who can baptize, who can be baptized, and what makes a baptism valid. Keller is the provincial superior for the USA-Canada Chapter of the Claretian Missionaries and a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic on issues relating to pastoral ministry, public policy, theology, and ethics. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Keller's writing, in these links. "Baptism, not piety, is what makes us Catholic" "3 things Catholics should remember about baptism" "Why does baptism have to be so wet?" "Should confirmation be for adults only?" "Can a priest withhold communion from a Catholic?" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #56: Christine Valters Paintner - Is it a sin to be hopeless? | 08 Nov 2024 | 00:21:41 | |
In times of difficulty and strife, it's easy to feel hopeless. Sometimes it's personal loss or tragedy, sometimes it's climate catastrophe. Sometimes it's the injustice meted out by authoritarian, extremist regimes. Sometimes it's the weight of depression, anxiety, and trauma. Christian mandates to rejoice and be glad can feel ridiculous, even insulting, to those who see no cause for joy. When the weight of the world's woes gets heavy, simply getting out of bed in the morning can be a chore. Hopelessness may seem like the most logical, realistic response to the state of humanity. But aren't Christians supposed to be hopeful? Technically, hope is a theological virtue. Hope is connected with faith and charity. So some Christians assume that hopelessness must be a sin, or at least a religious failure. It doesn't help that some Catholics try to turn mental health issues into spiritual ones, even going so far as to claim that depression is caused by evil spirits. So, what's the difference between the virtue of hope, having hope for the future, and feeling "in a hopeful mood"? Are Christians required to be hopeful even in dire times? Is it a sin to be hopeless? On this episode of Glad You Asked, Christine Valters Paintner discusses what it means to be hopeful in a world fraught with suffering. Paintner is a Benedictine oblate and the online abbess at abbeyofthearts.com, a virtual monastery integrating contemplative practice and creative expression. She is a poet and the author of more than 20 books on the spiritual life. Her newest book is A Midwinter God: Encountering the Divine in Seasons of Darkness (Ave Maria Press). You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Paintner's writing, in these links: "How your parish can help those suffering from depression" "No one can avoid suffering, but Jesus points a way to healing" "It's OK to despair and swear at God" "Learn to take your troubles to the Black Madonna" "Exile is at the heart of the human experience" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #55: Jim Wallis - What is Christian nationalism? | 01 Nov 2024 | 00:35:04 | |
Historically, nationalism has often turned out to be a bad idea. The most obvious examples of nationalism leading to atrocities include the Nazi regime in Germany and Benito Mussolini's fascist dictatorship in Italy, but today's geopolitical scene involves a variety of problematic nationalistic movements, including in India, Turkey, Brazil, and Hungary.
Even though nationalism frequently leads to violence or even genocide, people keep trying it. Perhaps the logic is something like "As great as MY nation is, maybe this time it will work!"
Here in the United States, nationalism has usually come with a particularly Christian flavor. Aside from the usual concerns associated with nationalism, this pairing of politics and religion poses unique challenges. Does it even make sense to combine a political ideology like nationalism with a religion like Christianity (especially Catholic Christianity, which is all about universality and solidarity across borders)?
On this episode of Glad You Asked, theologian and activist Jim Wallis discusses the nature of Christian nationalism, whether nationalism can ever be truly Christian, and how people of faith should respond to the resurgence of Christian nationalism in the United States today. Wallis is the founder of Sojourners and the author of 12 books, including America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America (Brazos). He is the inaugural chair and founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice.
You can learn more about this topic in these links. "Any religion allied with nationalism is dangerous," by Stephen Schneck "Christian nationalism distorts the faith, says Lexington Bishop John Stowe," by Heidi Schlumpf "How one evangelical leader uses the Bible to expose the 'False White Gospel,'" by John Blake
Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #54: Mathew Sandoval - What is Día de los Muertos? | 25 Oct 2024 | 00:33:40 | |
Every year at Halloween in the United States, amidst the usual vampires, witches, wizards, and superheroes, you may see a few costumes inspired by the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. If you aren't familiar with this tradition, you might wonder about the significance of the floral crowns and beautifully painted skulls. Although the movie Coco recently brought Día de los Muertos into the public eye, Americans who are not of Mexican descent may still be confused about the celebration. Is this just how they do Halloween in Mexico? Or is Día de los Muertos the same as All Souls' Day? On this episode of Glad You Asked, scholar and educator Mathew Sandoval talks about the origin of this colorful and evocative tradition. Sandoval is a cultural historian and performance studies scholar whose research focuses on Día de los Muertos in history and popular culture. He is an associate teaching professor at Barrett the Honors College in Downtown Phoenix, where he teaches interdisciplinary seminars on art, culture, race, history, and activism. He also has a professional career as a performing artist, storyteller, poet, and filmmaker. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Sandoval's writing, in these links: "What is Día de los Muertos? An expert explains the holiday celebrating loved ones who have died" "Is Día de los Muertos the same as All Souls Day?" "How 'La Catrina' became the iconic symbol of Day of the Dead" "8 prayer practices to honor the dead on All Saints and All Souls Days" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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| #53: Meghan Clark - Do Catholics have to vote? | 18 Oct 2024 | 00:34:52 | |
Every presidential election year, Catholics have the same debates: Which candidate is more in line with Catholic teachings? Is it a sin to vote for a certain candidate or support a certain party? What if none of the candidates reflect Catholic teaching? Various voter guides circulate, few of them the same. And inevitably, election season also becomes the season of misinformation, as media personalities and influencers broadcast their own personal opinions under the label of "church teaching." Stories abound of priests or religious leaders telling their congregations that they are obliged to vote a certain way or be in mortal sin. Catholics who take seriously both their faith practice and their obligation to civic engagement may feel overwhelmed, confused, and dispirited in the face of this. Some may wonder whether there's even any point in voting at all. Others may decide not to vote because they dislike the idea of democracy. And still others may stay home simply because of ennui. On this episode of the podcast, theologian and ethicist Meghan Clark discusses the question of whether Catholics have to vote, and how we ought to vote when we do. Clark is a professor of theology at St. John's University in New York and author of The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights (Fortress Press). In 2022, she was the assistant coordinator of the North American Working Group of the "Doing Theology from the Existential Peripheries" Project for the Migrant & Refugees Section of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. She is a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic. Learn more about this topic, and read some of Clark's writing, in these links: "How should Catholics vote? A guide for faithful citizens" "If you care about family values, vote for the common good" "Government for the people needs to be for everyone" "Notre Dame peace scholar advises Catholic voters to use social teaching as guide" Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit https://claretians.org. | |||
| #52: Emma Cieslik - What is a tradwife? | 11 Oct 2024 | 00:31:37 | |
The social media trend of women who define themselves as "tradwives" has been growing for some time. You might be searching for a bread recipe or looking for crafts to do with your children, and suddenly you find yourself watching an Instagram reel featuring a young white woman in vintage 1950s clothing, standing in a beautiful kitchen, and talking about the joy of embracing traditional gender roles, not working outside the home, and submitting to her husband.
The tradwife aesthetic can be appealing, especially in our era of automation and late stage capitalism. And those who are ecologically minded might feel drawn to a lifestyle that looks more natural and simple, where women make their own clothing and prepare food from scratch instead of participating in globalized industrialization. But the tradwife trend isn't just about the aesthetic. Nor are ecological concerns a top priority for most women who call themselves tradwives. So what's the deal with the tradwives? Where did the trend come from, why is it so popular, and how should justice-minded Catholics evaluate it?
On this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk to Emma Cieslik about the tradwife phenomenon, its origins, and its ideological framework. Cieslik is a religious scholar and museum worker based in Washington, D.C. who studies the intersections of gender, sexuality, and Catholic material cultures. She serves as director for Queer and Catholic: A CLGS Oral History Project.
You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Cieslik's writing, in these links. "Catholic trad wives pose a formidable political and religious force" "The Truth About the Past That 'Tradwives' Want to Revive" "Trad Wives Are Thriving in the Post-Dobbs Era" "I thought I hated feminism. What I actually hated was conservative women's culture" "Gender diversity has always been part of the church"
Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #51: Shannon Kearns - What is queer theology? | 04 Oct 2024 | 00:23:43 | |
To many practicing Catholics, terms like queer theology might seem overly academic or unhelpful. Does queer theology refer to theology done by and for people who are LGBTQ+? Is it focused primarily on arguing for inclusion of queer people and perspectives in the church? Or is it something arcane and academic, along the lines of queer theory? And why should people who don't identify as queer care what it means at all? Some might also be uncomfortable with the idea of breaking theology up into specific groups. If we're all human relating to God, shouldn't plain old theology be good enough for everyone? Why worry about feminist theology, ecotheology, and liberation theology, when one could just talk about God? On the opening episode of the fifth season of Glad You Asked, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss discuss the topic of queer theology with guest Shannon Kearns. Kearns is an ordained priest in the Old Catholic Church and the author of In the Margins: A Transgender Man's Journey With Scripture (Eerdmans). He also has three more books forthcoming, including No One Taught Me How To Be A Man: What A Trans Man's Experience Reveals About Masculinity (Broadleaf Books). Kearns has also written multiple plays, and been awarded for his playwriting and screenwriting, including first place in the ScreenCraft Pitch competition and in the New Hope Film Festival. You can read more of Shannon's writing and check out his podcasts on his website (https://www.shannontlkearns.com/) and learn more about queer theology in the links below: "Toward a theology of a queer God," "We were never meant to survive," "Way of the cross is way of embodiment, something queer Catholics know well," Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit https://claretians.org and https://myclaret.org. | |||
| Introducing Glad You Asked Season 5 | 30 Sep 2024 | 00:02:40 | |
Over the past two years, the Glad You Asked podcast has answered more than 50 of your top questions about Catholic history, scripture, and theology. Things like: Do dogs go to heaven? Do angels really have wings? And did Jesus have to die on the cross? Hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss have spoken with dozens of teachers, theologians, activists, and other experts on these and others of the most-searched for queries about Catholicism. Glad You Asked returns for its fifth season on October 4 with even more answers to your burning questions: What is Catholic nationalism? Should Catholics use AI? What is queer theology? And who can baptize a baby? Tune in this season to hear experts answer these questions and more. Sign up for updates here, or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.
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| #50: Carlos Eire - Did the saints really levitate? | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:36:19 | |
These days, when Catholics talk about someone being a saint, this usually has nothing to do with signs or wonders, but with a life of heroic virtue. Further back in church history, however, stories of the saints are often filled with anecdotes about the miraculous. Some stories tell of miraculous healings or rescues; others tell of saints levitating or flying through the air. "Yes, but those were just legends," people may say—but the Catholic Church does teach that miracles are real, and it still requires evidence of the miraculous as part of the process of canonization. So what are we to make of these older stories of saints levitating or performing miraculous or supernatural feats? Are the faithful required to believe these things happened? On this episode of the podcast, guest Carlos Eire talks about the motif of levitation in Catholic hagiography. Eire is the T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, and a historian of late medieval and early modern Europe. His most recent book, They Flew: A History of the Impossible from Yale University Press, explores miraculous events such as levitation in the era of transition to modernity. He has also written a highly acclaimed memoir about his experience as a child escapee from the Castro regime in Cuba. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Eire's writing, in these links: "Making sense of levitating saints," by Carlos Eire "Historian sets his eyes on levitating saints in book 'They Flew'," by Patrick J. Hayes "Your field guide to flying saints," by Kathleen M. Carroll "Why does the church require miracles for sainthood?" by Heidi Schlumpf Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #49: Renée Roden - What is a Catholic Worker? | 14 Jun 2024 | 00:34:36 | |
As co-founder of both the Catholic Worker newspaper and the movement of the same name, Dorothy Day is probably the most widely-known social justice Catholic in the modern American church. Even if you haven't read Day's writing, you've probably seen some of her more popular quotes reminding Catholics that living the gospel has a socio-political component. You may have read something from the newspaper she helped found, or even visited a Catholic Worker farm. But what does it mean to be a Catholic Worker? What's the nature and structure of the movement, and what does a person have to do, if they want to join up? And does the institutional Catholic Church have any jurisdiction over the movement, the newspaper, or the Catholic Worker communities? On this episode of the podcast, Renée Roden talks about the history of the movement, and what it means to be a Catholic Worker today. Roden is a journalist and Catholic Worker based in Pennsylvania, and a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Roden's writing, in these links. "How the Catholic Worker movement stays grassroots online," by Renée Roden "House work: Catholic Worker houses of today," by Karen Kirkwood "A Catholic worker devotes energy to environmental activism," by Jeannine M. Pitas "Dorothy Day inspires a new meaning of 'saint,'" by Brian Terrell "All in a Day's work: The legacy of Dorothy Day," by Robert Ellsberg Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #82: Lorna Gold - What does the church really teach about climate change? | 21 Nov 2025 | 00:53:57 | |
Recent years have seen increased climate-related natural disasters. In the United States, an inland hurricane brought catastrophic flooding to the mountains of North Carolina. Ash from wildfires in Canada has clouded the air for hundreds of miles. And across the globe, extreme climate catastrophes have destroyed lives and communities. We're seeing wildfires in Australia, crop loss in Brazil, landslides in Italy, and famine-inducing drought in East Africa. And that's just the start of the list. For some, climate disruptions happen on a level that looks apocalyptic, with lives lost and communities decimated. Others might experience the disruptions on a smaller scale. Maybe it's a tomato crop lost to drought, or a new invasive insect disrupting an ecosystem. The signs are everywhere: something is amiss.But not everyone is convinced we need to do anything about it. Care for the Earth is a fundamental part of Catholic moral and social teaching. And recent popes have spoken prophetically on environmental justice, with Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home) offering important developments in this area of doctrine. But some Catholics still think climate change is a hoax, or that it's not connected with human activity. And many who accept climate science don't connect it with their responsibility as people of faith, or are uncertain how it translates into how they're meant to act in the world. On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Lorna Gold about the church's teachings on climate change, and how Catholics ought to respond. Gold is Executive Director of the Laudato Si' Movement, and has also worked as executive director of FaithInvest, and the Policy and Advocacy Manager with the Irish Catholic Agency for International Development, Trócaire. You can read more about this topic, and read some of Gold's work, in these links. Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home) Laudate Deum (On the Climate Crisis) Why Does the Church Care About Global Climate Change Climate Generation: Awakening to our Children's Future, by Lorna Gold "Catholic Church and climate change: Why Catholics care about climate change," by Anna Carolina Gutiérrez "'Enough is enough,' say Global South bishops in climate letter," by Michael Wright "Who is bearing the brunt of climate change?" by Kevin Clarke Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| #48: Alessandra Harris - Did the Catholic Church condone slavery? | 07 Jun 2024 | 00:18:00 | |
When Catholics argue about the more controversial teachings of the church, it's not unusual for someone to try to shut the conversation down by reminding everyone that debate is pointless since the church never changes. If you don't like a specific doctrine, well, too bad, since it's not going anywhere. The Catholic Church is the living repository of revealed truth so it's always been right and isn't going to change—or so the argument goes. So, for instance, when it comes to something gravely evil like slavery, the church must have always opposed this practice—right? But what to do about those passages in scripture, from doctors of the church like Thomas Aquinas, or even from earlier official documents, that seem to support slavery? Did the church actually condone slavery at some earlier point, then change its teaching later? Our guest on today's episode is going to talk about the history of the Catholic Church's stance on slavery. Alessandra Harris is a novelist, essayist, and racial justice advocate. Her fiction books include Blaming the Wind, Everything She Lost, and Last Place Seen (all from Red Adept Publishing). In 2023, she published her first nonfiction book, In the Shadow of Freedom: The Enduring Call for Racial Justice (Orbis Books). Harris has contributed extensively to U.S. Catholic, as well as to Black Catholic Messenger, America Magazine, The Revealer, Grotto Network, Critical Theology Journal, Catholic Worker, and National Catholic Reporter. Learn more about this topic and read some of Harris' writing in these links: "When did the church condemn slavery?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "How the U.S. Catholic Church profited from slavery," a U.S. Catholic interview "The Role of Forgiveness When Confronting Racism," by Alessandra Harris "The death penalty in the US is modern-day lynching," by Alessandra Harris Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #47: Father Ferdinand Okorie - Did Paul write all the epistles? | 31 May 2024 | 00:22:22 | |
The apostle Paul was a busy man. As well as traveling, preaching, arguing, getting imprisoned, and surviving shipwreck, he also wrote a lot of letters. Over half the books in the Christian scriptures are commonly attributed to him, and anyone involved in an argument over matters of Catholic teaching is likely, at some point, to quote Paul. This can make things complicated, since some statements attributed to Paul appear to contradict each other. For instance, one passage from 1 Timothy says that women should not exercise authority over men. But elsewhere Paul commends women deacons and leaders, such as Phoebe and Prisca. This raises all kinds of questions, including questions about the origins of these books. Did Paul really write all the letters in the Bible that have been attributed to him—the letters to the Romans, to the Hebrews, to the people of Corinth, and so on? On this episode of the podcast, guest Ferdinand Okorie, C.M.F. talks about the authorship of the Pauline epistles. Okorie is editor-in-chief of U.S. Catholic, a member of the Claretian Missionaries, and vice president and academic dean at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he is also an assistant professor of New Testament studies. He is the author of Favor and Gratitude. Reading Galatians in Its Greco-Roman Context (Fortress Press, 2020), as well as numerous scholarly articles. You can learn more about Paul, and read some of Okorie's writing, in these links. "What church leaders can learn from St. Paul about race and diversity," by Ferdinand Okorie, C.M.F. "Paul through the eyes of a classicist," a U.S. Catholic interview "What future did Paul see for his letters?" by Joel Schorn "Getting to know Paul," a U.S. Catholic interview "Who decided what books are in the Bible?" by Alice Camille Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #46: Joëlle Rollo-Koster - What is the prophecy of St. Malachy? | 24 May 2024 | 00:38:52 | |
A thousand or so years ago, there lived an Irish archbishop named Malachy. And this archbishop supposedly had a series of visions about popes—past, present and future. According to the revelations in these visions, recorded in a document that was supposedly discovered around 1590, there would be only 112 popes between Malachy's time and the day of the final judgment. Today, some people think that the prophecy refers to our times, and that Pope Francis is that 112th pope, cryptically designated in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman." But who was St. Malachy? Did he really have these visions and really record these prophecies? And why are some so fixated on the idea that Malachy's prophecy, also known as the "Prophecy of the Popes," refers to Pope Francis? On this episode of the podcast, guest Joëlle Rollo-Koster talks about the origins and historical context of this prophecy, and whether it's something that Catholics should take seriously. Rollo-Koster is professor of Medieval history at the University of Rhode Island, College of Arts and Sciences. She received her undergraduate degree and master's degree in history from the University of Nice, in France, and later earned her PhD at SUNY Binghamton. She has done extensive scholarly research on the papal city of Avignon. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Rollo-Koster's writing, in these links. "What is the prophecy of St. Malachy?" by Joseph McHugh "What lies beneath all the criticism of Pope Francis?" by Kevin Clarke "10 years after Pope Francis' election, a look back at his papacy," by J. Peter Nixon "Medieval Europe was far from democratic, but that didn't mean tyrants got a free pass," by Joëlle Rollo-Koster Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #45: Damian Costello - Who invented the rosary? | 17 May 2024 | 00:19:52 | |
The rosary is probably the most well-known of all Catholic prayer practices. Many Catholics grew up praying it as part of their family or community devotions. And the physical rosary itself, a string of beads or knots with a crucifix attached and sometimes a medal, is immediately recognizable as a Catholic object. Catholics might carry rosaries, wear them, drape them over statues, or dangle them on their rearview mirrors. In films and television, a rosary immediately signals "Catholic," and popular artists such as Madonna and Lady Gaga have used rosaries in their music videos, to the consternation of some of the pious. But where did the tradition of the rosary, and those prayers associated with it, come from? On this episode of the podcast, guest Damian Costello talks about the origins of the rosary, both the physical item and the prayers Catholics use. Costello is the director of postgraduate studies at NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community and the author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism. He has written extensively about Catholic devotional practices and the intersection of Catholic theology with indigenous spiritual traditions. You can learn more about this topic and read some of Costello's work in these links. "Lakota Catholic tradition gives new meaning to the rosary," by Damian Costello "Can praying a weekly rosary salvage fraying family ties?" by Molly Jo Rose "The blue rosary," by Brian Doyle "Bring back the rosary," by Father Daniel Berrigan "Rosary origins," by Father Johann Roten, S.M. Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #44: Bryan Cones - What's the difference between Episcopalians and Catholics? | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:40 | |
There are certain core beliefs that every Christian denomination shares: the Trinity. The divinity of Jesus. Jesus' death and resurrection. Some Protestants have little in common with Catholics beyond these and a few other core beliefs, but other denominations seem closely related to Catholicism. The Episcopal Church, for instance, has a lot in common with the Catholic Church, in terms of belief and liturgical practice. Both denominations have priests and bishops, and both recognize the sacraments. So what distinguishes the Catholic faith from Episcopal faith? What are the significant differences between these two Christian faith traditions? On this episode of the podcast, guest Bryan Cones discusses the origins of the Episcopal Church, how Episcopal practices differ from Catholic ones, what the two denominations have in common, and how to understand the different traditions within the Episcopal Church. Cones is an Episcopal priest and the pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church in Highland Park, Illinois. He has a doctorate in liturgy and practical theology from Pilgrim Theological College-University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australia and has published seven books and more than a hundred articles on Christian spirituality. He is also a former managing editor at U.S. Catholic. You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Cones' writings, in these links. "How similar are Catholics and Anglicans?" by Bryan Cones "A Catholic picks up the Anglican Book of Common Prayer," by Jeffrey Essmann "How I met your Father: Married Episcopalians becoming Catholic priests," by Katharine Saunders "A more perfect communion," by Bryan Cones | |||
| #43: Jeanette Rodriguez - Do Catholics have to believe in Marian apparitions? | 03 May 2024 | 00:27:13 | |
Some of the most popular and well-known Catholic pilgrimage sites are places where Mary the Mother of Jesus is believed to have appeared to people. Every year, millions travel to Fatima in Portugal and Lourdes in France. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City sees around 20 million pilgrims a year. And the site of the claimed apparitions at Medjugorje, though controversial, still attracts huge numbers of visitors. These, however, are only a few out of hundreds of cases of claimed apparitions. Of these hundreds, some are approved by the church and others aren't. But what does that mean? Are Catholics obliged to believe an approved apparition actually happened, if the church approved it? If there is a message associated with an approved apparition, do Catholics have to assent to it? And, if an apparition is not approved, does that mean Catholics aren't allowed to believe in it? These questions invoke another, larger question: What's the point of Marian apparitions anyway? Why do people flock to these pilgrimage sites? And on the level of popular devotion, what do Marian apparitions have to offer to those seeking meaning or comfort in an uncertain world? On this episode of the podcast, guest Jeanette Rodriguez talks about whether Catholics are obliged to believe in Marian apparitions, the role of these devotions in Catholics' faith lives, and why they continue to be so popular over the ages. Rodriguez is a professor at Seattle University and teaches in both the department of theology and religious studies, and the couples and family therapy program. She serves as director of the Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture and has written on U.S. Hispanic theology, women's spirituality, liberation theology, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. You can read more about this topic in these links. "The gift of Guadalupe," a U.S. Catholic interview "Our Lady of Guadalupe is a missionary of mercy," by Timothy Matovina "A 7-year-old's pilgrimage to Fatima," by Molly Jo Rose "Keeping up appearances," by Mary Catt Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #42: Kathleen Manning - What are indulgences? | 26 Apr 2024 | 00:28:31 | |
Most people who are even a little familiar with church history will recognize the image of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg. While there's no conclusive evidence that he actually did this, we do know that the Augustinian friar succeeded in kicking off the Protestant Reformation by promulgating his then-controversial treatise and that his primary objection was to the practice of selling indulgences. Basically, Luther thought the institutional church was in the business of "selling salvation." But what is an indulgence, really? Is it a "get out of hell free pass," as some seem to think? Did the church really take money in exchange for the promise of forgiveness of sins? How did this practice originate, and how did it deteriorate into something associated with widespread abuse? , Does the Vatican currently have a stance on indulgences, or is this one of those practices that the church changed or discarded over time? On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, hosts talk to guest Kathleen Manning about the concept of indulgences, how the practice developed, the controversies around it, and what Catholics believe today. Manning teaches history at Loyola University Chicago and is a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic's Glad You Asked column. You can read more about this topic in these links. "The Catholic view on indulgences and how they work today," by Myriam Renaud "For Catholics, a Door to Absolution Is Reopened," by Paul Vitello "Can Catholics celebrate the Reformation?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "The surprisingly Catholic Martin Luther," a U.S. Catholic interview Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #41: Angela Zautcke - Was the early church communist? | 19 Apr 2024 | 00:18:21 | |
What do we know about the life of the early Christians in the first few generations after the death of Jesus? While there's a lot of debate about such topics as leadership roles and gender equality, Acts is pretty explicit about a few details: The very first Christians held all things in common. When people joined the community of believers, they would sell their possessions and distribute the proceeds. They made sure everyone's needs were met. Some people reading these passages have concluded that the first Christians practiced an early form of communism. While this notion aligns with other ideas in the Bible, especially Jesus' teachings about giving up one's possessions, it's still a controversial claim—especially since many conservative Christians view communism and socialism as completely antithetical to Christian values. So which is it? Is communism an evil, atheistic ideology? Or is it the best possible way to live out the gospel? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to guest Angela Zautcke about the communal life and values of the early church, how to interpret those Bible passages, and whether we can call the practices of the early church a variety of communism. Zautcke is an advanced doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame. Her fields of scholarship include the gospels, narratology, Second Temple Judaism, and apocalyptic literature. Read more about this topic in these links: "Is social justice the same as socialism?" by Kathy McGourty "Catholics should learn from Marx, not fear him," by Sam Rocha "Do we need more liberation theology?" by Abby Rampone "Can Catholics and socialists build a better future together?" by Fran Quigley Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #40: Matthew Arnold - Do angels really have wings? | 12 Apr 2024 | 00:30:11 | |
From Hebrew scriptures to contemporary television, from Medieval manuscripts to Victorian greeting cards, angels loom large in the collective imagination of Western culture, and not only for Christians. But the word angel seems to cover a multitude of possible beings. To judge from their many and varied representations, a vision of an angel might involve a giant three-headed winged monster, a chubby winged baby, or maybe an elegant androgynous figure. Given the diverse ways angels have been represented across different eras and traditions, it is difficult to get a sense of what Christians actually believe about angels. Where did the idea of angels originate? Are there really different ranks of angels? What about guardian angels? Or fallen angels? And why are they so frequently depicted with wings? On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss speak with guest Matthew Arnold about angels in the Bible and why our ideas about them are so varied. Arnold has written extensively on the paranormal in the Bible and spent over 10 years investigating the paranormal from a Christian perspective, drawing on his background in both theology and science. He is author of The Invisible Dimension: Spirit-Beings, Ghosts, and the Afterlife (Anamchara Books), and the editor of The Christian Parapsychologist, a publication of The Churches' Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies. Learn more about angels and read some of Arnold's writings in the links below. "Messengers of comfort and courage: The truth about angels," "Fallen Angels and Satan," "Did Angels Marry Human Women?" "Guardian angels are life's traveling companions, pope says," "The Angels," The Invisible Dimension: Spirit-Beings, the Afterlife, and Ghosts, Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #39: Heidi Schlumpf - Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? | 05 Apr 2024 | 00:21:47 | |
Mary Magdalene is probably one of the most recognized saints in the Catholic Church. She's also one of those saints whose true history is obscured behind various stories and legends, from the early church to the modern era. Who was Mary Magdalene? Was she the woman who washed Jesus' feet? Was she the same person as Mary of Bethany? According to multiple popular accounts, Mary Magdalene was a sex worker who converted and followed Jesus. According to a few arcane theories, she even married Jesus. The sex worker theory has been a popular one for centuries. People seem to enjoy stories about women who go from lives of transgression to lives of austere holiness. But is the story true? Where did it come from? And what are its roots—if any—in scripture and tradition? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to guest Heidi Schlumpf about the origins, development, and accuracy of this tradition. Schlumpf is a senior correspondent and former executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter. She previously served as the managing editor of U.S. Catholic. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including CNN Opinion, Sojourners, and Huffington Post. She is the author of Elizabeth A. Johnson: Questing for God (Liturgical Press), and While We Wait: Spiritual & Practical Advice for Those Trying to Adopt (ACTA). You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Schlumpf's writing, in these links. "Who framed Mary Magdalene?" by Heidi Schlumpf. "Nevertheless, Mary Magdalene persisted," by Megan J. Clark. "Mary Magdalene knew she was an apostle. Why don't we?" by Alice Camille. "Pope's recent appointment of women is too little, too late," by Heidi Schlumpf. "Women's ordination, synodality and hope for the future," by Heidi Schlumpf. Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #81: David Swanson - Is there such thing as a just war? | 14 Nov 2025 | 00:58:31 | |
Catholic just war theory is a moral framework for evaluating warfare that dates back to St. Augustine but has its roots in older, pre-Christian ethical systems. Though the theory has been widely embraced not just by Catholic theorists but also by policymakers, it's also been widely criticized. Some Christian pacifists, pointing to Jesus' teachings on nonviolence and the early church's radical rejection of war, argue that the very idea that a war could be just constitutes a betrayal of gospel values. Yet others argue that absolute nonviolence is an impossible ideal, and means putting the vulnerable at the mercy of unjust aggressors. Critics of radical pacifism point to multiple instances of wars waged to stop unjust aggressors, invaders, and assaults against human life and dignity. It's a topic with multiple intersecting moral questions. Is just war theory a sophistical attempt to defend the indefensible, or a viable framework? Should victims of oppression and violence be held to absolute standards of nonviolence, or are they justified in defending themselves? Is pacifism an impossible ideal, or something we can really work for? On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to author and activist David Swanson about just war theory, where it comes from, how it is applied, and whether it is ever possible for a war to be just. Swanson is executive director of World BEYOND War, and campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. He has been awarded the Real Nobel Peace Prize, an alternative award, supported by the Lay Down Your Arms Association, and inspired by the belief that the Nobel Committee has strayed from Alfred Nobel's original vision. He's the recipient of the 2018 Peace Prize from the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation, and has been involved in multiple peace organizations. You can read some of Swanson's work, and learn more about this topic, in these links. "Just War Theory," by Alexander Moseley War Is A Lie, by David Swanson When the World Outlawed War, by David Swanson "We need to reclaim the legacy of Christian nonviolence," by Nicholas Hayes-Mota "What does the church teach about self-defense?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "Record arms spending defies Pope Francis' final warnings," by Kevin Clarke "The Mennonite Catholic who puts pacifism in action," a U.S. Catholic interview Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org. | |||
| Coming Soon: Glad You Asked Season 4 | 25 Mar 2024 | 00:01:55 | |
Some Catholic apologists talk about the church as though it were a kind of data repository, filled with answers to any possible question a person might have. But in reality, Catholic thought is filled with gray areas and open-ended questions. Even when it comes to questions pertaining to faith and morals, the jury—or the magisterium—is still out, on many of them. So what does it mean to understand a topic from a Catholic perspective, if there's no official teaching on it, or if the teaching has developed and even changed extensively over time? The Glad You Asked podcast digs into the questions about Catholicism that don't have easy, obvious answers—or don't have "official" answers at all. In the past three seasons of Glad You Asked, the hosts and their guests tackled such topics as why God chose Mary, whether Catholics should celebrate Passover, and what the Bible says about LGBTQ people. Now the podcast is back for a fourth season, with a new lineup of exciting guests ready to discuss the questions about Catholicism that are easy to ask but not so easy to answer. Season four will launch on April 5. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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| #38: Julia Feder - Did Mary experience labor pains? | 22 Dec 2023 | 00:28:31 | |
When Mary gave birth to Jesus, what was it like? Did she experience the same anxiety, fear, mess, and pain that any woman can expect when preparing for childbirth? Many people might find this question strange. Of course Mary, being fully human, and not God, would share in all the usual feelings and emotions—both pleasant and unpleasant—associated with bringing a baby into the world. Wouldn't she? For centuries of church history, many Catholics would have answered this question with a resounding "no," or at least with a "probably not." This is because of a complex intertwining of beliefs and theories, some associated with theologies of sin, others associated with ideas about women's bodies. Even today, there are many Catholics who are appalled at the idea that Mary experienced pain when she gave birth to baby Jesus. On this final episode of this season of the Glad You Asked podcast, the hosts talk to theologian Julia Feder about the background of this tradition, why it has been so popular among some Catholics, what the church actually teaches, and what's at stake for people trying to assess what they should believe. Feder is the assistant director of the Center for the Study of Spirituality, as well as an associate professor of religious studies and theology at Saint Mary's College, and is the author of Incarnating Grace: A Theology of Healing from Sexual Trauma (Fordham University Press). Learn more about this topic and read some of Feder's writing in the links below. "The Pregnancy of Mary," by Nathan Schneider "There would have been a midwife at the stable," by Christine Schenk "What are we missing in our depictions of the nativity?" by Kelley Nikondeha "Mary, Mary, quite contrary," by Elizabeth Johnson "Reclaiming the virgin martyrs from purity culture," by Julia Feder Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.
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| #37: Joshua Stein - What do Jews believe about Jesus? | 15 Dec 2023 | 00:16:28 | |
Different Christian denominations hold varying views on multiple topics. Over the past two thousand years, these doctrinal differences have often generated conflict, even to the point of religious wars. Despite huge variations in belief on some topics, however, one thing all Christian denominations agree on is that Jesus is the Son of God and the third person of the Trinity. They also believe that Jesus is the Christ—from the Greek chrīstós, a translation from the Hebrew Mašíaḥ, (messiah), meaning "anointed one." But what do the Jewish people think about this? How does Judaism regard the Christian claim that Jesus is also the Hebrew Messiah? And how do practitioners of the Jewish religion, today, regard the historical figure of Jesus in general? On this episode of the podcast, the hosts welcome back guest Joshua Stein, to discuss how Jews regard Jesus. Stein currently holds a postdoctoral fellowship at the Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics. His work focuses on intersections between moral, economic, and political theories and their practical application to social interactions between people and social institutions. You can read more about this topic, and read some of Stein's writing, in these links: "What Do Jews Believe About Jesus?" by My Jewish Learning "Six Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus," by Julius Ciss "Behold! The Jewish Jesus," by Howard Jacobson "Why do we call Jesus the Messiah?" A U.S. Catholic interview "Should Catholics celebrate Passover?" by Joshua Stein Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||
| #36: Jessica Mesman - Why do Catholics venerate relics? | 08 Dec 2023 | 00:12:47 | |
Christian history is full of stories about relics, from the quest of the holy grail to tales about unscrupulous medieval merchants hawking fake relics. Today, the practice of collecting and venerating relics of dead saints or artifacts from the life of Jesus might seem backwards and superstitious to some, disturbing or macabre to others. But the tradition of venerating relics is not simply an oddity on the margins of Catholic faith practice. For centuries, many have derived spiritual enrichment from this practice. And others enjoy it precisely because of its strangeness. But what's the theological and spiritual significance of this tradition? Why do Catholics venerate relics anyway? On this episode of the podcast, guest Jessica Mesman joins the hosts to discuss this ancient practice, some of the controversial history around it, and why Catholics today still collect and revere bits of bone and body parts of deceased holy people. Mesman is an associate editor at the Christian Century and formerly a culture columnist for U.S. Catholic. Her articles have appeared in LitHub, Elle, Vox, America, and Christianity Today, among others. Her first book, Love and Salt: A Spiritual Friendship in Letters (Loyola Press), coauthored with Amy Andrews Alznauer, won the Christopher Award in 2014. Learn more about this topic and read some of Mesman's writing in these links: "Are relics a thing of the past?" by James P. Cahill "To pray with the dead, find God's grace in a family heirloom," by James Breig "8 prayer practices to honor the dead on All Saints and All Souls Days," by the U.S. Catholic editors "Remembering our mortality is a practice worth reviving," by Jessica Mesman "How to time travel at Mass," by Jessica Mesman Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. | |||