Ted Benna has been called the "Father of the 401k." But now, he says that he created a monster. He intended for the 401 (k) to help turn spenders into savers, but it has become full of hidden fees and salary reductions that only enrich the financial industry rather than savers. In this podcast, Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam interview Ted Benna for his story of the 401 (k). Essays by New Polity on Money "Should Christians Invest in the Stock Market?"

“Replies to Mr. Horn's Objections"

"Render to God"

"Should Men Retire?"

James Donald Forbes McCann returns for a special episode of Good Money. He has more questions for Jacob Imam and Marc Barnes: Why do Americans use cash? What's the marital debt? Why should people sell their stocks? Check out James's show: https://youtube.com/@jamesdonaldforbesmccann?feature=shared Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! https://newpolity.com/magazine Join the conversation on our discord: https://discord.gg/bNJ2uE7as6

Marc and Maria continue their conversation on Humanae Vitae; specifically on the desire to control the body and its reproduction through abortion. They discuss how abortion not only plays the function of the killing of innocent children, but reshapes the experience of the body as such. This episode is part 2 of a conversation on the Control of the Body.

----- READINGS Contraception, Abortion Episode (I-II) Donum Vitae: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html (All hail the parchment background) Humanae Vitae: https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html (All mourn the loss of the parchment background)

Thomas Aquinas says "cruelty" is a vice proper to tyrants. In this episode, Andrew and Marc argue that this infliction of pain is necessary, if the tyrant is going to make up for the motivating power he loses when he chooses to rule for private gain rather than the common good.

In this episode, Andrew and Marc describe bureaucracy as a necessary tool in tyranny's toolkit, and try to remind everyone that they are, in fact, a special little snowflake.

Following New Polity's Good Money podcast, this brand new series explores Good Politics. How? By contrasting it with Really Bad Politics—tyranny. In this episode, Andrew Jones and Marc Barnes describe and dissect our tyrannical social order, its technological mechanisms, its structural nature, and the Catholic alternative—a politics of peace.

Nick Plato interviews Andrew Willard Jones about his conversion (from nihilism) to Catholicism, about how he entered Catholic politics, about his family, and gets his hot takes on America. Get to know Dr. Jones in this stopgap podcast.

Andrew Willard Jones and Alex Plato redefine politics and discuss power and how it should be used in the ideal Christian society.

Many people are discussing intentional Christian communities, but rarely consider the role of money within them. Most uses of money function to degrade or undermine Christian community. In this penultimate episode, Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss how money should be used—to build the Christian communities we so desire.

Plus, join us for our live season finale Q&A Tuesday, July 27 at 2pm EST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99wvYrrUNrQ

Real Estate seems like a safe, local way to invest that meets Thomas' three requirements. Right, Jacob? We've gotten this question a number of times, so Jacob Imam and Marc Barnes are sharing their responses with the world.

St. Thomas says there are six tell-tale signs that your city is obsessed with money. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam diagnose how deep the problem goes.

What if customs—and not corporations—decided the price? Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam tackle Just Price, Price Mechanisms, Tipping, and Farmers Markets, among other things.

Read, hear, and support more great content at newpolity.com

There is a systemic, not an incidental, problem with Bitcoin. Join Marc and Jacob to learn how that problem is playing out.

Maria and Marc read Humanae Vitae, the Catholic Church's decisive rejection of contraception, as a text which prophesies and makes sense out of the meaninglessness we ascribe to our male and female bodies today.

This episode is part 1 of a conversation on the Control of the Body. Subscribe to New Polity magazine: https://newpolity.com/magazine Come to our conference! https://newpolity.com/events READINGS ------------------ Introductory Episode We don’t have any readings for our introduction, but it may be helpful to give Gender, by Ivan Illich, a read, to get hip to a medieval/pre-industrial vision of Gender. Here’s a pdf: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra... Capitalism We are reading Silvia Federici’s “The Accumulation of Labor and the Degradation of Women” in her book “Caliban and the Witch,” which is available in our magazine, Issue 4.4: https://newpolity.com/single-issues/i... But if you are POOR or CHEAP here’s a pdf. The essay in question starts on pg. 60: https://files.libcom.org/files/Caliba... This is also a great time to read Karl Polyani’s “The Great Transformation,” which gives a (non gender specific) account of the transition to liberalism/capitalism in Europe. Here’s a pdf: https://inctpped.ie.ufrj.br/spiderweb... The Loss of the Virgin We are reading Martin Luther condemning virginity, not because he was the only guy to do it, but because (a) he has a flair for exhortations and (b) we had to pick someone. The point is to understand how what had been an unquestioned symbol of perfection in Christendom is now being characterized as a merely individual calling. The only free source for this exhortation in English appears to be this pretty intense website: https://www.godrules.net/library/luth... If you need an example of previous Christian enthusiasm for virginity, try Gregory of Nyssa “On Virginity”: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/290... The Beige World The kids aren’t just bored, they are navigating a society of consumption through the power of efficacious vanity! For a primer on consumerism, we read William Cavanaugh’s “Being Consumed.” https://www.eerdmans.com/978146743829... Then we read Christopher Lasch’s “Culture of Narcissism.” Available wherever books are sold a momentarily at this link: https://thezeitgeistmovement.se/files... Marc mentioned Eberstadt’s “Primal Screams.” Here’s his review: https://humanumreview.com/articles/ma... Contraception, Abortion Episode (I-II) Donum Vitae: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/co... (All hail the parchment background) Humanae Vitae: https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-v... (All mourn the loss of the parchment background) The Problem of Individualism We read the meanest book in the world so you didn’t have to. You will learn very little from Otto Weininger’s effort to destroy the woman and her sign, but here it is if you want to: https://brittlebooks.library.illinois...

Insurance. Good, bad, necessary? Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam share their thoughts.

Jacob Imam and guest Alex Renn take a look at the practicalities, the insecurities, the sacrifices, and the excitement of actually closing a 401k.

Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam have been hinting at this for a while, but they finally come out and tell us why we should be skeptical of our 401k.

Temperance can be applied to money fairly simply: if you spend your money on bad things, you won't have money to spend on good things. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam fill this out a bit and challenge you to reconsider where you're spending your money.

If money is a placeholder (see Two Rules for Money) and you need to know what it holds a place for—does this mean that emergency accounts are wrong? Is "emergency" a sufficient place to be held? How much or how little is prudent/imprudent? Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam, as usual, have an opinion.

We've all been there. You've got so much money you don't know who to give it to. Your local almoner (?) can help. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam celebrate and advocate for a return of almoners.

Money makes you more predictable, less creative, and more controllable. Surprise, surprise, Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam still don't like money. But they give you some ideas on how to use it to become more free, creative, and virtuous.

Help us make more: visit https://www.newpolity.com/donate

Magic obscures cause and effect. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam argue that money functions a bit like magic, at least obscuring the true cause and habituating us to the idea that we can be our own gods.

Many of us think of debts as finite monetary obligations, but that's just a modern re-framing. In this episode Jacob Imam argues that true debts can never be repaid and that gifts are supposed to create true debt—debt that builds a community of love rather than a system of repayment. Marc Barnes is there, too.

It may seem like Good Money is advocating eliminating all wealth. Is being rich sinful? Bad? Jacob Imam and Andrew Jones provide some nuance to the question of being rich.

America is sinking into pagan practices and beliefs. While Americans may not use the same language as the ancient pagans, John Daniel Davidson believes that the central pagan creed is present: there is no truth, everything is permitted. Liberalism had attempted to create neutral spaces, but as those spaces become more fought over, the only rationale can be one's own power. Dr. Andrew Willard Jones and John Daniel Davidson discuss the roots of a pagan worldview, the extent to which America is pagan, and how Christians should approach the pagan political order.

Get his book “Pagan America”.

Don't miss out on great essays. Subscribe to New Polity magazine.

F.I.R.E. = Financial Independence, Retire Early. Work is a sacramental insofar as it was a gift God gave us in the garden, which helps us participate in Him. So ceasing from work is not a good thing, but retiring from certain jobs is. Tune in with Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam to hear the pros and cons of F.I.R.E.

"Investing is good because it allows you to retire without being a burden on your kids." Is this statement true? Listen in to  get Good Money's first take on retirement with Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

The Council of Nicaea laid out the most foundational beliefs of Catholic doctrine: the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father. It was in this same ecumenical council, indeed, the very first ecumenical council, in which usury, lending money at interest, was condemned. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss the Church's teaching then and now.

Nichole Oresme was the first scholastic to write a treatise on the nature of money. And as no Church Father had ever written on the topic, one can say that this is the first treatise on the nature of money in the Church. His understanding of money is different than what we use today, but his insights are still worth a listen. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss.

At the Savior's command and formed by Divine Teaching, we dare to pray: "Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors." Christ refers to a spiritual jubilee—but just because it is spiritual does not mean that it is not also real, monetarily speaking. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam walk through this idea and help you prepare for your own jubilee.

What was the Year of Jubilee and where did it come from? Jacob Imam takes an in-depth look at the Old Testament as well as Babylonian Jubilees to shed light on current discussions of debt forgiveness.

It's the visible sign of an invisible power. It denotes the limits of a community. It is the lifeblood of a nation. It connects the citizen with the sovereign. Money serves a similar formative role in the nation as the Eucharist does in the Church. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss.

Inheritance is inevitable. We will die without ever figuring out how to take our stuff with us. This makes the rather odd claim, “I will give everything I own away when I die,” seem quite silly, at least to the Church Fathers: “Of course you will!” They reply. Sit down with Marc and Jacob to hear how the fathers suggested we write our wills.

Almsgiving sounds churchy and ambiguous. Surprise: it’s not. It’s the virtue that fulfills the envious man’s perverted dream of being another person; it’s the work of merit that cures our capitalist obsession with merit; it’s the antidote to sin; it’s the hope for both the rich and poor. Listen up and do penance.

The Catholic principle is not, "Give a man a fish." And it is definitely not, "Teach a man to fish." It's not even, "Give a man a fish while you teach him how to fish." The good Catholic economy is summarized in the maxim, "Give a man a fishing pole and teach him to fish with it while you serve him nicely seasoned grilled halibut." Listen in to hear our argument for the gift economy.

Everywhere is beige. The same beige houses, the same big box department stores, even the exact same food is served everywhere all across the country. What has this monotone sameness done to produce our cultural moment - one that seems to glorify diversity on the one hand, but ship it out en masse with the other? Join Marc Barnes and Maria Brandell as they explore our desaturated modern world and why we look to gender for the way out. Come to our Conference! https://newpolity.com/events/2024 Don't miss out on great essays. Subscribe to New Polity magazine. https://newpolity.com/magazine

This past year billionaires increased their wealth by 36%. Despite this incredible gain, 35% of the Forbes 400 (the 400 wealthiest people in the world) gave only 1% of their wealth away. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam play the game "How to Blow A Billion Dollars" to help those with money understand how to usher in a Christian culture.

Magnificence, another money virtue, calls for a truly magnificent end. We're not talking creating another company that you own or big investments. We're talking about using wealth (yes, this one requires serious moolah) to do something that will forever change your city. Let's fix some churches and start some monasteries. Separate yourself from a large amount of money for a great work. You don't need another car.

(And if you're not rolling in the dough, listen to what the wealthy should be doing in case you ever hit a windfall.)

Don't build your wealth without building the virtue of liberality: a habit of giving so as to be an icon, rather than an idol, of God. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss how they each fail at this.

Act now! You don’t need to have a lot of money to practice virtue. And you can’t afford to delay virtue. Featuring Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

Christianity offends the pieties of a money economy by giving two great commandments: Thou Shalt Not Save Wantonly and Thou Shalt Spend Like God. Featuring Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

Jacob Imam and Marc Barnes speak with author Brandon McGinley about his new book, It Is Right and Just, co-authored with Scott Hahn and recently published by Emmaus Road Publishing.

Marc Barnes and Andrew Willard Jones posit Black Friday as a "Sabbath of Liberalism" and apply the ideas in William Cavanaugh's recent New Polity magazine article.

Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss their recent article, The Perversion of the Priesthood.

Andrew Jones says that "the point of politics is virtue. To “do politics” is to engage in making other people virtuous, or it is not politics at all, but an evil or a farce masquerading in its name."

In this podcast, Alex Plato and Jacob discuss virtue—what it is, who has it, and how to get it. In particular, they discuss the Thomistic versus Franciscan notions of pagan virtues to tie it back into Andrew's argument that political orders must be Christian to form men's souls in virtue.

Marc Barnes had a chance to sit down with Patrick Coffin to discuss the Church and the State, the upcoming election, Kanye vs. Trump, abortion, celebrities, and more.

We don't know what to do with consecrated virginity. The only way we can think of it as a disembodied spiritual calling; or as a fairly strange alternative to what is normal, marriage. Marc and Maria describe how Protestantism (and, in particular, Luther) denied the purpose of the virgin. Come to our Conference! https://newpolity.com/events/2024 Don't miss out on great essays. Subscribe to New Polity magazine. https://newpolity.com/magazine

The ancients tried to suppress their consciences, the moderns live by their unformed conscience, in between the two is the Christian conception, which Alex Plato and Jacob Imam discuss.

In which Jacob and Marc discuss how liberalism is founded on a bad reading of the book of Genesis, one that replaces God's abundant gifts to Adam with man-made scarcity.

In which Jacob and Marc join Alex Plato to discuss the crisis at the heart of American culture: the lack of ownership.