Ethics and Culture Cast

Jennifer Newsome Martin is an associate professor in the Program of Liberal Studies with a joint appointment in the Department of Theology, and, as of July 2024, the director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. We chat about her first semester in the director's chair, our recently-concluded Fall Conference on the Catholic Imagination, and preview some exciting new initiatives at the de Nicola Center. Special Guest: Jenny Martin.

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture presented the 2024 Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal—the nation's most important award for heroes of the pro-life movement—to Dr. Elvira Parravicini, founding director of the Neonatal Comfort Care Program and professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center. She established the Neonatal Comfort Care Program (NCCP) in 2008 to address the complex medical and non-medical needs of infants affected by life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Today, the NCCP connects families with medical professionals, speech pathologists, lactation consultants, child life specialists, psychologists, and chaplains who work together to provide comfort, support, and specialized medical care for babies and their families in a compassionate environment. Special Guest: Elvira Parravicini.

The growing population and vibrant faith of African Catholics have engendered a long-expressed hope that the future of the Church is in Africa. Based on a model of solidarity and mutual enrichment between the Church in Africa and the Church in the United States, Church Life Africa (CLA), a strategic initiative at the University of Notre Dame, takes this hope seriously and calls for an intentional investment in its promise. Special Guests: Fr. Joachim Ozonze, Fr. Ken Amadi, and Fr. William Orbih.

Natalie MacMaster married Donnell Leahy in 2002, who came to prominence as the lead fiddle player for The Leahy Family. Together the pair have released two albums together. The first, One, was released in 2015. The pair released a traditional Christmas album, A Celtic Family Christmas, the year after. Natalie and Donnell have toured the world together and even feature their seven music-loving children in their performances. Special Guests: Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster.

Fr. Fred Jenga, C.S.C. is president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, originally established by Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. to promote family prayer for peace. Today, HCFM is an international organization of ministries including Family Rosary, the Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life, the Catholic Mom blog, and Family Theater Productions. Special Guest: Fr. Fred Jenga, C.S.C..

Randall B. Smith returns to the studio to discuss his book, "From Here to Eternity: Reflections on Death, Immortality, and the Resurrection of the Body." We chat about how the incarnation of Jesus instituted a radical new way of understanding the universal experience of death. Special Guest: Randall Smith.

Gary Anderson is interested in all dimensions of Biblical studies. His specialization is in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, but because of his interest in the history of interpretation, he also works in Second Temple Judaism and early Christian sources. Special Guest: Gary Anderson.

Michael J. New, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Social Research at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Dartmouth College, Dr. New received a master's degree in statistics and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University in 2002. He researches and writes about the social science of pro-life issues, and gives presentations on both the positive impact of pro-life laws and the gains in public support for the pro-life position. He is a frequent blogger on National Review Online "The Corner". Special Guest: Michael New.

Micheal Flaherty is a film and podcast producer who has been involved in bringing beloved books to the big screen including the Chronicles of Narnia, The Giver, Charlotte's Web, and Holes, as well as docudramas and documentaries like Amazing Grace and Waiting for Superman. Special Guest: Micheal Flaherty.

In this episode, we chat with Archbishop Anthony Fisher, the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia. We chat about how he discerned his vocation as a Dominican friar, how his training as an ethicist helped him in his pastoral responsibilites in the face of the global pandemic, and where he sees signs of hope for the future of the Church in the modern world. Special Guest: Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP.

In this episode, we chat with Aimee Murphy, founder of Rehumanize International, a human rights organization dedicated to creating a culture of peace and life. We discuss her new book, Rehumanize: A Vision to Secure Human Rights for All, and explore the principles of the Consistent Life Ethic. Special Guest: Aimee Murphy.

Sofia Carozza is a graduate student in neuroscience currently residing in the United Kingdom. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2019. She co-hosts The Pilgrim Soul podcast. Special Guest: Sofia Carozza.

Leonard J. DeLorenzo, Ph.D. (https://www.leonardjdelorenzo.com/about), is the director of undergraduate studies at the McGrath Institute for Church Life where he also serves as academic director for Notre Dame Vision, directs the Sullivan Family Saints Initiative, and hosts the popular radio show and podcast Church Life Today. He holds a concurrent teaching appointment in the Department of Theology. Special Guest: Leonard J. DeLorenzo.

Bo Bonner, senior advisor of mission initiatives and director of the Center for Human Flourishing at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, joins us to chat about his journey to the Catholic faith, how St. John Henry Newman has hounded him throughout his career, and much more. Special Guest: Bo Bonner.

Fr. Harrison returns to the podcast to discuss his book, Mysterion: The Revelatory Power of the Sacramental Worldview (https://paulinestore.com/mysterion-the-revelatory-power-of-sacramental-worldview-qs1005939-198267.html). Special Guest: Fr. Harrison Ayre.

Paul Blaschko is an assistant teaching professor in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He heads up curriculum design and digital pedagogy for the God and the Good Life Program, and has recently been working to develop similar curricula at universities across the nation as part of an initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Blaschko completed an MA in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, a PhD at the University of Notre Dame, and held the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship prior to being appointed to his current position. Special Guest: Paul Blaschko.

Dr. Collier is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and she completed her internal medicine residency and chief medical resident year at the University of Michigan Health System. She is the director of Michigan Medicine's program on Health, Spirituality & Religion. Her special clinical interests include preventative medicine, primary care, depression and heart disease. Special Guest: Kristin Collier, MD.

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame presented the 11th annual Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal to Dr. John T. Bruchalski, MD, founder of Tepeyac OB/GYN, one of the largest pro-life clinics in the nation, at a celebration on April 23, 2022. "Dr. Bruchalski is a shining example of the Church's untiring commitment to directly serving mothers, children, and families," said O. Carter Snead, director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. "His personal conversion story is a compelling example of the power of God's grace to transform hearts, and his visionary work at Tepeyac OB/GYN over the past 27 years is an invitation to each of us to employ our talents in service to building a civilization of life and love." Special Guest: John T. Bruchalski, MD.

Writer, editor, publisher, and teacher, Gregory Wolfe has been called “one of the most incisive and persuasive voices of our generation” (Ron Hansen). Both as a thinker and institution-builder, Wolfe has been a pioneer in the resurgence of interest in the relationship between art and religion—a resurgence that has had widespread impact both on religious communities and the public square. As an advocate for the tradition of Christian Humanism, Wolfe has established a reputation as an independent, non-ideological thinker—at times playing the role of gadfly but ultimately seeking to be a reconciler and peacemaker. Special Guest: Greg Wolfe.

Dan Lipinski is the former US Representative for the 3rd Congressional District in Illinois from 2005 to 2021, a member of the Democratic Party. He was co-chair of the Bi-partisan Congressional Pro-life Caucus. Special Guest: Daniel Lipinski.

Abigail Favale, Ph.D., is a writer, professor, and speaker. She is Dean of the College of Humanities at George Fox University. Raised an evangelical Christian, she converted to the Catholic faith in 2014. Her newest book, The Genesis of Gender, is due to be released by Ignatius Press in May 2022. Special Guest: Abigail Favale.

Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LC is a priest with the Legionaries of Christ ordained in 2013. He is currently writing a doctoral thesis in moral theology through Regina Apostolorum in Rome while living in the diocese of Arlington, Virginia. Since leaving his hometown of Calgary, Canada, he has ministered in various locations throughout the USA and Canada. He is also known for his online writing and social media, @FrMatthewLC across social media. Special Guest: Fr. Matthew Schneider, LC.

Christopher Beha is the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. His latest novel, The Index of Self-Destructive Acts, was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award. He is the editor of Harper's Magazine. Special Guest: Christopher Beha.

A chat with Alex Jones, co-founder and CEO of Hallow (https://hallow.com), the #1 Catholic app for prayer, meditation, music, and sleep. From the introduction to Hallow: "This is the idea behind Hallow: provide a simple, easy-to-use mobile app that helps us foster a relationship with God and the peace of prayer through guided prayer and meditation. Hallow is a simple way to create a daily, personal retreat each morning for you in your home. The idea isn't to invent new ways to pray, but rather to bring to the world the enormously rich pool of contemplative prayer methods that already exist within the Christian faith today." Special Guest: Alex Jones.

Petra Farrell joined the de Nicola Center in October 2017 as the Culture of Life Programs Manager, overseeing the Vita Institute, the Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal, and serving as the advisor to the Right to Life student club. Having previously served for several years as a volunteer with St. Joseph County (now Michiana) Right to Life, she performed sidewalk counseling as well as organized and emceed the organization's annual fundraising dinners. Special Guest: Petra Farrell.

Kirk Doran is the Henkels Family Collegiate Chair and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. Doran received his B.A. in Physics from Harvard University in 2002, his S.M. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University in 2002, and his Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University in 2008, where his dissertation won Princeton's labor economics dissertation award. Doran's research focuses on issues in labor economics, innovation economics, and international migration, with a particular focus on human capital complementarities. His work has examined the implications of large migrations of top scientists on the productivity and knowledge generation of their peers. Recent work has focused on the role of externalities, collaboration, and geographic distance in knowledge production, the impact of top prizes on the intellectual content of their recipient's work, and the impact of highly skilled immigrants on firms which randomly receive them. Special Guest: Kirk Doran.

Christina Bambrick is Assistant Professor of Political Science specializing in constitutional theory and development. Her research and teaching interests range from American and comparative constitutionalism to republican theory and the history of political thought. Her publications include the articles, "Horizontal Rights: A Republican Vein in Liberal Constitutionalism," in Polity in 2020, and "'Neither Precisely National Nor Precisely Federal': Governmental and Administrative Authority in Tocqueville's Democracy in America," in Publius: The Journal of Federalism in 2018. She is currently writing a book manuscript on the horizontal application of rights to non-state actors in comparative context. Special Guest: Christina Bambrick.

Dr. Brian Mulholland is an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Mathematics Department at Notre Dame and the Director of the ASCEND program, which is the summer online program for the incoming first years. He works primarily in digital resource development and mathematical pedagogy. In the past few years, he helped create both the Summer Online Calculus III and Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations courses. He frequently implements digital materials and alternative teaching practices and plans to further research the impact of these non-traditional teaching methodologies to enhance student learning. Special Guest: Brian Mulholland.

Vicki Thorn, a certified trauma counselor and spiritual director, started Project Rachel while working in the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Since the first training workshop for a small group of attendees in 1984, the ministry has expanded to the majority of dioceses across the United States and more than 25 additional countries around the world. Now overseen by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Project Rachel is a diocesan-based network of specially trained priest confessors, mental health professionals, spiritual directors, medical professionals and others who provide ongoing, one-on-one, confidential post-abortion care. Special Guest: Vicki Thorn.

Joshua Hren is the founder and publisher of Wiseblood Books, author of "How to Read (and Write) Like a Catholic," and cofounder of a new MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas that focuses on the Catholic imagination. He has presented at the de Nicola Center's Fall Conference. Special Guest: Joshua Hren.

O. Carter Snead, the Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, has penned an acclaimed new book, "What It Means to Be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics." In this episode, we chat with Professor Snead about the premises of his book, which is a survey of the understanding of human flourishing that underlies the American legal and policy landscape regarding abortion, assisted reproductive technologies, and end-of-life issues. Special Guest: Carter Snead.

Todd Hartch is the author of four books on Christian history, including the award-winning The Rebirth of Latin American Christianity. In his new book, A Time to Build Anew: How to Find the True, Good, and Beautiful in America (Angelico Press, 2021), he provides models of men and women who have produced works of beauty in challenging circumstances, who have taught truth without fear, who have served the most vulnerable with great joy. A former Protestant campus minister who was received into the Catholic Church in 2010, he has taught Latin American history and World Christianity at Eastern Kentucky University since 2003. Special Guest: Todd Hartch.

In this episode, we chat with David Deavel and Jessica Hooten Wilson, editors of the book "Solzhenitsyn and American Culture: The Russian Soul in the West," a recent volume in our Solzenitsyn book series with the University of Notre Dame Press. We chat about how they each came to encounter the great Russian writer, the importance of his Orthodox faith on his writing, and how the time may be just right for us to be open to an authentic Russian influence on our culture. Special Guests: David P. Deavel and Jessica Hooten Wilson.

In this episode, we chat with Michael McGlinn, a filmmaker, musician, and the driving force behind AdoreHimDaily.com, a ministry that promotes Eucharistic Adoration. We chat about the lessons that Michael learned as a player under Coach Lou Holtz as well as the lessons that he has learned in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Special Guest: Michael McGlinn.

In this episode, we chat with Bill Schmitt, the editor of Telling Stories That Matter (https://www.staugustine.net/our-books/books/telling-stories-that-matter/), a volume of collected memoirs and essays by Fr. Marvin O'Connell. We chat about Fr. O'Connell's long tenure in Notre Dame's department of history, how he was tapped to write the biography of Holy Cross Father Edward Sorin, and how his pastoral ministry as a priest related to his scholarly work in the classroom. Special Guest: Bill Schmitt.

In the early 1940s, founder, Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., realized he could reach more families across the United States by using mass media, namely radio. With that realization, Father Peyton became an unlikely media and marketing pioneer. He began his media efforts when he led a Rosary prayer program on a local radio station in Albany, New York. His outreach grew considerably when on Mother’s Day in 1945, he produced a national radio program with Bing Crosby on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the second largest radio network at the time. The program played on Mutual for more than 23 years. Father Peyton and Family Theater Productions continued in radio and moved into films and television. Special Guest: Fr. David L. Guffey, C.S.C..

The subject of the course is Catholic apologetics in the generation of millennials. Studies show that teens and young adults are leaving the Church in large numbers and that the ones who stay do not subscribe to Church teachings. Seeking to “meet them where they are,” the course begins with an examination of contemporary trends in the religious lives of millennials, with a particular focus on Catholics. It proceeds to examine the major reasons why millennials are leaving the Catholic Church and to engage students in arguments for and against the Church’s positions on: the rationality of God, science, sex and marriage, the Church’s role in historical injustices, and politics. In the final portion of the course, the syllabus pivots to a “positive apologetics” look at the case for the Church through beauty and the witness of the saints, modes of engagement that are said to appeal to the millennial generation. The course concludes with the case for the resurrection of Jesus. Special Guests: Daniel Philpott and Jessica Keating.

Fr. John Paul Kimes is an Associate Professor of the Practice at Notre Dame Law School and the Raymond of Peñafort Fellow in Canon Law at the de Nicola Center. After his undergraduate studies at Notre Dame, he studied for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome, where he earned his Licentiate in Canon Law and was ordained in 2000 for the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. He subsequently earned his Doctorate in Canon Law and served for 11 years at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Special Guest: Fr. John Paul Kimes.

Zena Hitz was a scholar in residence at the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture in 2018, where she wrote the bulk of the manuscript that is now published as "Lost In Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life." Special Guest: Zena Hitz.

In this episode, we chat once again with George Weigel, the distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He has written a new book, "The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BJBYHD7/)". We discuss why he wrote the book, who it's for, and how every Christian, not just the Pope, has the responsibility to introduce people to Jesus Christ. Special Guest: George Weigel.

Anja Renkes of the Notre Dame Class of 2020 was a member of the dCEC's Sorin Fellows Program. She studied Theology and Irish Studies, as well as Art, and was a member of the Notre Dame Rowing Team. We chat about her studies, her research project in Ireland visiting and documenting the Holy Wells, and the lessons she learned through her athletic training. Special Guest: Anja Renkes.

Reverend Terrence P. Ehrman, C.S.C. is chaplain to the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. A native of Baltimore, Father Terry joined the Congregation of Holy Cross after earning a B.S. in biology from Notre Dame and an M.S. in biology from Virginia Tech. He was ordained in 2000 and received his Ph.D in theology from the Catholic University of America in 2012. Father Terry teaches the course "Science, Theology, and Creation" to undergraduates. His latest book is Man of God: Lessons to Young Men About Life, Sex, Friendship, Vocation, and Loving with the Heart of Christ (2017). Special Guest: Fr. Terry Ehrman, C.S.C..

Steve Barr is professor of physics and director of the Bartol Research Institute at the University of Delaware. He is the president of the Society of Catholic Scientists and author of bestselling books on science and religion such as Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (Notre Dame) and The Believing Scientist (Eerdmans). Special Guest: Steve Barr.

We chat with Therese Cory, an associate professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame and the newest member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas. We talk about reading Aquinas with undergraduates, the cross-cultural conversation around Aristotle's writings, and how the thought of St. Thomas is relevant to modern-day A.I. researchers. Special Guest: Therese Cory.

Dr. Komrad is a psychiatrist on the teaching faculty of Johns Hopkins and Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland and Tulane. He earned his undergraduate degree in molecular biophysics at Yale University, his M.D. degree at Duke Medical School, and trained in internal medicine and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. He was an attending psychiatrist on the Treatment Resistant Psychotic Disorders Unit at Sheppard Pratt Hospital for 15 years, where he continues to train residents in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. In addition to clinical psychiatry, Dr. Komrad is a medical ethicist. He chaired the Ethics Committee and ethics consultation service for the Sheppard Pratt Health System in Maryland for over 25 years. He served on the Ethics Committee of the American Psychiatric Association for 6 years, which oversees ethics and professionalism for psychiatry in the U.S. Recently he has been speaking throughout the U.S. and internationally, also consulting to government policy makers, expressing ethical concerns related to physician assisted suicide and euthanasia, especially concern that these procedures are available to people with mental illness in some countries. He speaks widely about why legalizing these procedures is neither good social policy nor good medical ethics. Special Guest: Mark Komrad, MD.

In this episode, we chat with Villanova University professor and poet James Matthew Wilson. He was with us on campus as part of our 20th Annual Fall Conference on friendship. In our conversation, we talk about the real work of writing poetry, listening to the muse, and why each of us should learn to write a bit of poetry ourselves. Special Guest: James Matthew Wilson.

Our guests were part of a panel discussion at the dCEC's 20th Annual Fall Conference, "I Have Called You Friends." Their panel discussed "digital friendship." Video of the panel session will be posted to the Center's YouTube channel. Special Guests: Fr. Anthony Sciarappa, Fr. Harrison Ayre, and Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP.

J. J. Wright is a composer with roots in jazz and sacred music. He is the director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and his gig list includes recording and performing with Caribbean Jazz Project: Afro Bop Alliance, featuring vibraphonist Dave Samuels. The album was nominated for a GRAMMY for 'Best Latin Jazz Album' and won the Latin GRAMMY in the same category. In addition to Mr. Samuels, J.J. has had the privilege of performing with Billy Hart, Ike Sturm, Nate Wood, Chris Cheek, Zach Harmon, Mark Ferber, Matt Ulery, and Delfeayo Marsalis. Special Guest: J. J. Wright.

Dale Ahlquist is the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of five books about Chesterton, including The Complete Thinker and Common Sense 101. We chat about Chesterton's 1930 visit to Notre Dame, his interdisciplinary approach to writing, and (spoiler alert!) the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday. Special Guest: Dale Ahlquist.

In this episode, we sit down with Arthur Brooks, the former president of the American Enterprise Institute and the author of "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt." We talk about the importance of freedom of speech on college campuses, the role of American Catholics throughout history, and the importance of willing the good of the other as other. Special Guest: Arthur Brooks.

Ernest Morrell is the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education and Director of the Center for Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame. Ernest has recently been named director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) James R. Squire Office for Policy Research in the English Language Arts. He is an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a past president of NCTE, and a co-convener of the African Diaspora International Research Network. From 2015-2019 Ernest has been annually ranked among the top 200 university-based education scholars in the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings published by EdWeek. Ernest is also the recipient of the NCTE Distinguished Service Award, the Kent Williamson Leadership Award from the Conference on English Leadership, and the Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies . His scholarly interests include: literacy studies, the teaching of English, literature for children, critical media pedagogy, youth popular culture, and postcolonial literatures of the African Diaspora. Email Professor Morrell directly to receive a copy of his forthcoming book! Email: emorrel1@nd.edu (mailto: emorrel1@nd.edu) Special Guest: Ernest Morrell.