The Commonweal Podcast

In September 1988, Cardinal Edmund Szoka, the archbishop of Detroit, announced via a closed-circuit television broadcast that the archdiocese would close dozens of inner-city parishes in Detroit within a year. Churches on the city's predominantly Black east side would be disproportionately affected.  The announcement triggered an immediate outcry: parishioners met at Sacred Heart, Detroit's Black Catholic “mother church,” and held vigils outside locked churches; the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance became the organizing hub of resistance; protestors marched up and down Woodward Avenue; and a few local residents planted mums outside the cardinal's residence, one for each parish the archdiocese eventually closed.  In the second episode of "The City and the Cross," host and Commonweal Centennial Fellow Aaron Robertson chronicles the community organizers who coordinated these efforts, a journalist who covered the story, the Catholic priests caught between their vows of obedience and their commitment to Black parishioners, and the prominent Black Catholic leader—a former Black Panther—who had to deliver the news of the parish closures to the communities he faithfully tried to serve. Featured Voices: Walter Hurley, Cardinal Szoka's chief of staff, who oversaw the implementation of the closures; Patricia Montemurri, a Detroit Free Press reporter who covered the Catholic Church in Detroit for decades; Father Norm Thomas, the Lebanese American pastor of Sacred Heart Church and a co-founder of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance (DCPA), who became the public face of the fight against the closures (archival); Cathey DeSantis, a former nun who became one of the lead organizers of the DCPA; Eric Blount, a Sacred Heart parishioner and minister who became an outspoken public voice against the archdiocese's plan Frances May, a Black laywoman who co-led the Alliance for Detroit Churches and directly challenged Cardinal Szoka's authority (archival); Wyatt Jones III, whose father Wyatt Jones Jr. delivered the news of the closures to the communities he had devoted his life to serving; Michelle McKinney and her mother Jackie Mahome, who watched St. Agnes—the church where Jackie had built pioneering Black history programs—be merged out of existence.

What can I know? What must I do? What may I hope? These questions, originally formulated by philosopher Immanuel Kant, are some of the most essential ones that we ask. Attempting to answer them can take a lifetime, if we can answer them at all. On this episode, we're featuring an interview with Christopher Beha, the novelist and former editor of Harper's Magazine whose new book, Why I Am Not an Atheist: The Confessions of a Skeptical Believer, offers an account of how he has grappled with these same questions.  Beha grew up Catholic, but became a committed atheist in college after his twin brother was nearly killed in a car accident, and he himself was diagnosed with a serious illness.  Beha's journey through rival forms of atheism—scientific materialism and romantic idealism—and the experience of falling in love ultimately led him back to Catholicism. Here, shares why he believes Catholicism offers a complete and coherent picture of reality. For further reading:  Costica Bradatan on the emotional history of atheism Rand Richards Cooper speaks with Beha about his novels George Scialabba on the romantic poets

In the first episode of Commonweal's new podcast series, The City and the Cross, host and inaugural Centennial Fellow Aaron Robertson traces the origins and flowering of Black Catholic Detroit throughout the twentieth century—from the era of Jim Crow, when Black Catholics were regularly excluded from white parishes, through the 1960s and 1970s, when the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council coincided with the civil-rights and Black Power movements.  Robertson speaks with the musicians who transformed Catholic liturgy by bringing gospel into the sanctuary, the parishioners who built Black Catholic communities from scratch, and the activists who compelled the local Church to recognize Black leadership.  For more information about the episode, click here. To learn more about Commonweal's Centennial Fellowship, click here.

In Commonweal's first narrative podcast series, inaugural Centennial Fellow Aaron Robertson chronicles the rise, erosion, and defiant survival of Black Catholic Detroit—a community that led its own spiritual renaissance in the 1960s and 1970s only to watch the institutional Church fail to sustain it over subsequent decades.  The three-part series premieres Wednesday, June 10.

For as long as humans have been able to write, they've made maps.  Sometimes maps show paths to the sacred. More often, they depict borders and boundaries, becoming tools of exclusion and control.  Not so for Sandy Rodriguez, a third-generation Chicana artist based in Los Angeles.  Her work, made with traditional indigenous paper and pigments, offers a pointed alternative to the map of the United States of America as we know it. On this episode, Rodriguez speaks with Commonweal's Claudia Avila Cosnahan and Griffin Oleynick. She shows how the land—la tierra insurgente—can rise up and resist the violence carried out by ICE and the Trump administration against our immigrant neighbors.  Plus, Commonweal Senior Correspondent Heidi Schlumpf delivers a roundup of the latest Catholic news.  For further reading: Claudia Avila Cosnahan on the siege of Los Angeles Nicole-Ann Lobo on Chicana artist-activist Yolanda López Alejandro Anreus on the Hispanic Society Museum and Library

As bad as things have gotten for democracy in America, it no longer suffices to simply denounce those in power. Nor is it enough to march, call members of Congress, or vote, important though all of those things are. Instead we have to find new ways of building power—a process that begins with grassroots community organizing. But what exactly does that look like?  On this episode, Commonweal Mission and Partnerships director Claudia Avila Cosnahan is joined by two organizers: Nicholas Hayes-Mota, a public theologian and professor at Santa Clara University, and Michael Okinczyc-Cruz, co-founder of the Chicago-based Coalition for Spiritual and Public Life and the author of a new book on organizing.  Besides explaining the history of organizing in America, and arguing for its necessity, Hayes-Mota and Okinczyc-Cruz share how organizing can also help the Catholic Church advocate for justice and peace throughout the world.   For further reading:  Claudia Avila Cosnahan on the Chavez revelations Heidi Sclumpf on CSPL's Mass outside an ICE facility Joanna Arellano on the spiritual solace of organizing

Catholics have been thinking about vocations for a long time—and not only in terms of becoming a priest or member of a religious order. The Church teaches that every person is called by God to do something particular, to play some unique role in the ongoing creation and salvation of the world.  But what happens when our working lives don't align with our true vocations? What should we do when we find ourselves stuck doing jobs we don't like? Fr. James Martin knows something about that, having spent his teenage summers and most of his twenties doing a variety of odd jobs. It's the subject of his new book, Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest.  On this episode, Fr. Martin joins associate editor Griffin Oleynick to speak about what that work has meant to him, and how he still draws from its lessons in humility and grace. Plus: Heidi Schlumpf reports on the latest developments in American Catholicism, including the Trump administration's conflict with the Vatican, the recent rise in Catholic conversions, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Women's Ordination Conference.  For further reading: Ryan Burge on the “great sort” in American religion Heidi Schlumpf on the Women's Ordination Conference Massimo Faggioli on “cool” Catholicism and new baptisms

Too many of us spend too much time on our phones.  We know by now—through whistleblower reports, congressional hearings, and our daily lived experience—that these devices, neutral in themselves, can and often do cause serious harm.  Can we learn to live without them again? Would we even want to?  On this episode, D. Graham Burnett, a professor of the history of science at Princeton and co-author, with the Friends of Attention, of the new book Attensity: A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement, speaks with associate editor Regina Munch about how we got into this predicament, and where we should go.  Burnett argues that before we can answer questions like those, we first need to understand how major tech firms have used “human fracking” to amass billions of dollars in profit. Resistance, Burnett says, is indeed possible: we can take back our brains, and our lives, but only if we're willing to fight for the human activities and habits of mind that nourish real connections with ourselves and others. For further reading:  Alexander Stern on AI and the crisis of meaning Antonio Spadaro on Pope Leo's critique of Silicon Valley Antón Barba-Kay on how the concept of attention has evolved

When he was missioned to Beirut last fall, Fr. Doug Jones, a recently ordained Jesuit priest, expected to spend his time conducting research and administering sacraments.  But since the beginning of Israel's war with Hezbollah on March 2, Fr. Jones finds himself scanning social media for air strike warnings and handing out towels to migrants and other displaced people living in his parish church.  Israel has been intensifying its attacks on Lebanon for more than one month, and has made no secret of its ambitions to invade and eventually annex the southern part of the country.  Meanwhile more than twelve hundred Lebanese have been killed and one million have been displaced—a growing humanitarian catastrophe with no end in sight.  On this episode, Fr. Jones speaks from Beirut with associate editor Griffin Oleynick about the war in Lebanon, and how he and the Church there have responded.  For further reading:  The editors condemn Trump's war on Iran Joseph Amar on Christianity in the Middle East Zeead Yaghi explains the economic toll of Lebanese sectarianism

Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor chat with Gary Dorrien, professor at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, about the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson and the Black social gospel tradition. They explore Dorrien's own intellectual journey from rural Michigan to the academy, his groundbreaking trilogy on the Black social gospel, Jackson's relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., the Rainbow Coalition presidential campaigns of the 1980s, and what Jackson's career reveals about the enduring ties between the Black church and progressive politics.Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor chat with Jonathan Sheehan, professor of European history at UC Berkeley, about his new book, On the Altar: A History of Sacrifice from the Sacred to the Secular (Princeton University Press). Together, they explore the long, contested history of Christian sacrifice, from the early church and the cult of the martyrs through the Reformation and into the secular modern world—and discuss what the language of sacrifice still offers us today.   Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor chat with reporter Daniel Silliman about his tenure at Christianity Today, his bombshell reporting on Ravi Zacharias, the current state of Evangelicals—and more. Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor discuss Spellbound : How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump with author Molly Worthen, professor of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor introduce the podcast and discuss the book Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular by David Hollinger, the Preston Hotchkis Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Editor Dominic Preziosi updates listeners of The Commonweal Podcast.

A central tenet of the MAGA movement is the Trump administration's "America First" foreign-policy agenda. To fulfill this agenda, it has slashed foreign aid, launched a trade war with the United States' most reliable trading partners, and threatened to abandon NATO and our most trusted allies.  Informed by Trump's transactional approach to international relations, such actions flout the existing liberal world order, which has worked to promote democracy, human rights, free trade, and the freedom of movement since the end of World War II.  They also betray the very idea of a shared humanity, which is profoundly antithetical to Catholic Social Teaching. On this fourth, and final, episode of "The Counterweight," associate editor Griffin Oleynick speaks with Loyola Chicago's Miguel Diaz, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See under President Barack Obama, about the Trump administration's foreign policy, Diaz's experiences as a diplomat, and what the “America First” agenda means for the international community—and for the United States.  Diaz also discusses how Catholic Social Teaching can counter this agenda by championing foreign policies that recognize the existing liberal order, support human rights, and act in service of the common good.    For further reading:  Andrew J. Bachevich on Biden's foreign policy William Pfaff on the limits and dangers of American power abroad The Editors on Pacem in Terris 

A little more than eight months into the second Trump presidency, many Americans today find the United States increasingly unrecognizable: a volatile and inflationary economy, rising political violence, and brazen corruption at all levels of government don't appear to be going away anytime soon. So how did we get here? What lessons can we learn from the histories of other countries, especially ones that experienced radical destabilization and an authoritarian turn? To answer these questions, on this episode we're speaking with Hille Haker, a professor of Catholic Moral Theology at Loyola University Chicago.  A native German, Haker points out how the current situation in the United States evinces disturbing parallels with the rise of Nazism in Germany.  She also details the intellectual developments that have given rise to the new right wing anti-democratic comfort with authoritarianism—and how Catholic Social Teaching can counter it. For further reading:  Eugene McCarraher on the perils of Christian post-liberalism A Commonweal symposium on the work of Patrick Deneen Philip Jeffery on leaving behind the new right

One of the most prominent features of the second Trump administration has been its bluntly racist actions and policymaking.  Recent examples abound, from the suspension of asylum for migrants and refugees, the all-out war on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in federal agencies and higher education, and the ongoing and increasingly militarized efforts at mass deportation, which have terrorized Latino, Haitian, and other communities across the country.   This second episode in our series The Counterweight: Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching in a Time of Crisis features Fr. Bryan Massingale.  He's a professor in Fordham University's theology department and a priest of the archdiocese of Milwaukee. He joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi to examine the ideology that in his view undergirds so many of the Trump administration's actions: white Christian nationalism.  Fr. Massingale's remarks are followed by discussion between him and three other experts, Fordham's Cristina Traina and Loyola Chicago's Miguel Diaz and Hille Haker. 

Since becoming pope, Leo XIV has reminded us that the Catholic Church “offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching.” That tradition is especially salient now, amid the rise of Christian nationalism and of alternative interpretations of Catholicism among some high-profile  politicians in the United States. As we confront the political, social, and spiritual challenges brought on by the second Trump administration, the moment seems right for a clear examination of Catholic social teaching by leading scholarly voices deeply rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, especially its ethics, political philosophy, and theology.  In this special four-episode series, a collaboration between Commonweal and senior members of the theology departments at Fordham University and Loyola University Chicago, we present four conversations, each providing a provocative, informative analysis of key political and social issues rooted in the understanding of Catholic social teaching.  We're calling it ‘The Counterweight: Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching in a Time of Crisis.'  Our participants are Christina Traina and Bryan Massingale of Fordham University, and Hille Haker and Miguel Diaz of Loyola University Chicago. Each episode will have a featured presenter, followed by a conversation among all the participants.  Today's episode, our first, takes up the purpose of government, an especially urgent topic given the radical departure from the principles and conventions of liberal democracy by the Trump administration. Fordham's Christina Traina is here to explain how that departure is also a departure from Catholic social teaching's more expansive and communal understanding of government—not just as a guarantor of rights, but a steward of the common good.

For decades, public support for the death penalty in the United States has been declining. But in recent years, the number of executions has risen sharply—and a majority of Americans still say they support capital punishment. What's needed, argues Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig, is not just a deeper understanding of forgiveness, but the actual practice of mercy. Bruenig has written extensively on the death penalty in a series of articles and essays. On this episode, she reflects on how witnessing executions—some botched, all harrowing—has shaped her thinking about capital punishment. For further reading:  Elizabeth Bruenig's July cover story for The Atlantic  David Bentley Hart on Christianity and the death penalty The Editors on Pope Francis's declaration on capital punishment

It's often remarked that America has become less religious, especially during recent decades. But what if that religiosity hasn't disappeared, but just taken less visible forms? That's exactly what was happening in the arts in 1980s NYC, argues Paul Elie, author of The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s.  As Elie tells it, the era wasn't just marked by the ascendance of the moral majority and the authority of tradition—figures like Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan.  It also featured subtle engagement with spiritual themes by the likes of figures like Leonard Cohen, Andy Warhol, Madonna, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Martin Scorcese, and provides a template for understanding where Catholicism stands today.  For further reading:  An excerpt from Paul Elie's new book Kaya Oakes on why religion must ask better questions Susan Bigelow Reynolds on millennial religious rejection

The swift elevation to the papacy of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—known simply as ‘Bob' among his fellow Augustinian friars—defied pundits' predictions even as it was met with joy by Catholics around the world.  It's impossible to say just how Leo XIV's papacy will unfold, though in his early Masses and remarks the pope has already voiced strong support for the continuation of Francis's project of synodality. Leo's chosen name signals his commitment to the advancement of Catholic social teaching. On this episode, Commonweal contributors Natalia Imperatori-Lee and Mollie Wilson O'Reilly and editor Dominic Preziosi reflect on Pope Leo's first week on the chair of Peter.  For further reading:  The editors on Leo's election Anthony Annett on Pope Leo and AI Stephen Millies on Leo and Chicago's CTU Massimo Faggioli on what Leo's pontificate signals for the U.S. Church

Three theologians—Massimo Faggioli, Susan Bigelow Reynolds, and Terence Sweeney—reflect with Commonweal editors on the pope's legacy. More coverage of the death of Pope Francis: Isabella Simon on Let Us Dream César J. Baldelomar on Laudato Si'  Griffin Oleynick on Evangelii gaudium

Catholics listen to snippets of the Bible read every Sunday, but how many of them actually sit with and ponder the text?  It's long been a truism that Catholics don't actually read the Bible — at least not as much or in the same way as their Protestant brethren. But that doesn't mean Catholics don't encounter it, whether in books, films, plays, or popular culture.  On this episode, Fordham theology professor and frequent Commonweal contributor Michael Peppard, author of the new book How Catholics Encounter the Bible,  joins editor Dominic Preziosi to discuss how, paradoxically, the Bible shapes Catholic lives—just usually not in the shape of a book.  For further reading: Michael Peppard on the Bible and Marian art Christian Wiman on the Bible as poetry Eve Tushnet on the queer Catholic imagination

What should great fiction do for us? That's the question asked by Edwin Frank, editorial director of New York Review Books and author of Stranger than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel.  Good books—and there were many written during the past hundred years—can entertain, just as they can give us pleasure. But great ones have the ‘power to breach,' that is, to upset and provoke us, shattering our illusions about the world.  On this episode, Frank speaks with Commonweal contributor and literary critic Tony Domestic about authors like Dostoevsy, Proust, and Virginia Woolf, among others. For further reading: Fiction by Alice McDermott Mollie Wilson O'Reilly on George Eliot's double life  Tony Domestico's latest books column 

In his first month back in office, Donald Trump has made cruelty toward migrants and refugees central to his agenda, while J. D. Vance has used his flawed understanding of Catholic social teaching to justify the administration's plans for mass deportation.  Their actions and remarks have alarmed many in the Church. On this episode, three guests tell us how and why. Massimo Faggioli, Commonweal contributor and Villanova University professor addresses the challenges for Catholicism in the second Trump era.  Kerry Robinson, the head of Catholic Charities USA, explains the vital work of her organization and who will be most harmed by the freezes in federal funding.  And Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago speaks about why “the protection and advocacy for the dignity of migrants” is the Church's new “preeminent urgency.” For further reading:  Massimo Faggioli on what American regime change means for the Church Griffin Oleynick on Francis's rebuke of J. D. Vance's ethno-nationalism Terence Sweeney on how the bishops may respond to Trump

Fights over federal spending usually follow a predictable pattern, with Republicans attempting to cut entitlement programs as Democrats seek to expand the social safety net.  One thing that's rarely threatened, though, is Social Security, a testament to the political clout of “older people”—formerly known as “senior citizens” in America. How did things get that way?  On this episode, historian James Chappel speaks about his recent book Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age, which details the creation of Social Security as it criticizes the failure of the political left to make its benefits more broadly available.  For further reading:  Peter Quinn on aging, aging, and gratitude Rand Richards Cooper on caring for aging parents James Chappel on material insecurity Charles Morris on the future of social security

For as long as humans beings have existed, we have had a knack for forgetting—not only when memory proves difficult, but when it becomes inconvenient.  We need only look at Donald Trump's pardoning of the January 6 “hostages” for the latest, most egregious example.  Why do humans long to forget? Why do we hide the truth from ourselves? What is the function of memory in democratic societies?  On this episode, senior editor Matt Boudway speaks with Mark Lilla, professor of humanities at Columbia University and author of the new book Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting not to Know. For further reading:  Timothy Snyder on the indignity of voting for Donald Trump  Tomáš Halík on what some in the Church prefer to forget

As you probably know by now, 2024 was a big year for Commonweal, marking one hundred years of continuous publication.  It was also an important one for the podcast, which for five years—and nearly one hundred and fifty episodes—has been bringing you reflective conversations with inspiring writers, thinkers, artists, and political and religious leaders.  On this episode, we're revisiting four of our favorite episodes from the past year: Marilynne Robinson and Christian Wiman on Genesis Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman on the ethics of having children Vinson Cunningham on criticism as a way of life Rabbi Shai Held on Judaism's loving heart. 

What does it mean to “have hope,” especially during challenging times? Is it something we can possess, like a talisman to ward off despair? No, argues Norman Wirzba, distinguished professor of Christian theology at Duke and author of the new book Love's Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis. Instead, “hope” is a verb—an action we have to do. On this episode Wirzba explains how he manages to hope, even in the face of some of our most intractable problems—including war, migration, and the climate crisis. For further reading:  Oscar Romero on politics and Christian love Vincent Miller on Pope Francis's ecological hope Eric Miller on the fiction of Wendell Berry

In the wake of the 2024 election, many are wondering how to make sense of the results—including how a capable, qualified woman could lose to a man like Donald Trump, an adjudicated rapist whose campaign regularly celebrated a version of masculinity that many find offensively misogynistic.  On this episode, Commonweal editor-at-large Mollie Wilson O'Reilly and Natalia Imperatori Lee, professor of religious studies at Manhattan University, reflect on what just happened. They also parse what the second Trump administration might portend for Democrats, the Church, and especially women. It's long past time, they argue, not only for men to confront sexism and misogyny, but to work to articulate healthy versions of masculinity. Trump's election may be a massive setback for feminism—but how the story ends depends on our response. For further reading:  Mollie Wilson O'Reilly ponders Trump's 2016 election Regina Munch on why we can't disengage The editors on why the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh

The invitation-only Catholic prelature known as Opus Dei, founded in Spain in 1927 by the recently canonized priest Josemaría Escrivá, currently counts just around 3,000 members in the United States. Yet its influence, especially among rightwing Catholics who occupy significant posts in Washington, is vast.  On this episode, editor Dominic Preziosi speaks with financial journalist Gareth Gore, author of the new book Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.  Relying on bank records and the testimony of whistleblowers, Gore demystifies the secretive world of Opus Dei, showing how it has recruited powerful individuals and harmed vulnerable ones in its quest for political sway. For further reading:  Daniele Palmer on Opus Dei's ‘ordinary secularity' George Scialabba reviews Opus for The Baffler

It's no secret that there's a mental health crisis affecting young people in the United States. Rates of anxiety, symptoms of depression, and even suicide attempts have hit record highs.  That's partly what motivated Anna Moreland and Thomas Smith to write The Young Adult Playbook, a kind of “self-help” book intended to help high school and college students think through the deep questions of life, love, and vocation.  On this episode, Moreland and Smith speak with associate editor Regina Munch about their book, explaining how young people can live rich, flourishing, and meaningful lives.  For further reading:  Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko on the good life Regina Munch on the advantages of marriage Brenda Noriega on synodality, young people, and leadership

The Trump campaign has made us all too familiar with the ideology of Christian Nationalism, with its violent rhetoric and racist undertones.  Far less well-known, though, is the tradition of Black Christian Nationalism, a radical social and religious movement founded by Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., in civil-rights-era Detroit. On this episode, associate editor Griffin Oleynick speaks with writer Aaron Robertson, author of The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America.  Blending history and memoir, Robertson's book traces the untold story of Black Christian Nationalism while grappling with a question: what does Utopia look like in black? For further reading:  Tia Noelle Pratt on Black Catholic parishes Shannen Dee Williams on Black nuns in Baltimore Gary Dorrien on the theology of Sen. Raphael Warnock

Corporate boosters of artificial intelligence promise that the technology will vastly improve efficiency in the world of work. But is that actually desirable?  On this episode, associate editor Regina Munch speaks with University of Virginia sociologist Allison Pugh, whose new book The Last Human Job explores the concept of what she calls “connective labor”—interpersonal work that relies on empathy, human contact, and mutual recognition.  In fields like medicine, teaching, and even chaplaincy, such connective labor is increasingly performed by machines. Pugh challenges us to resist this trend, both by deprioritizing efficiency and by returning to authentic human relationships.  For further reading:  Miles Doyle on efforts to regulate AI in congress A symposium on our posthuman future The editors call for a moratorium on AI development

Garth Greenwell's latest novel, Small Rain, is set in a midwestern ICU during the early days of the pandemic, as its unnamed narrator, a writer, experiences a health crisis and lies confined to his bed in excruciating pain.  In long pauses between visits with nurses and doctors, amid the weird dilations of ‘hospital time,' the narrator muses on his suffering and disappointments, but also the nature of art and the ‘adventure' of domestic life. On this episode, Greenwell joins Commonweal contributor Tony Domestico to talk about the novel.   For further reading: A review of Garth Greenwell's Cleanness Another interview with Garth Greenwell

As the fall semester begins, colleges and universities are bracing for fresh controversies over free speech, affordability, and the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence.  On this episode, Tania Tetlow, the first layperson and first woman to serve as the president of Fordham University, joins editor Dominic Preziosi to weigh in on what Catholic colleges and universities can do differently.  If entering students increasingly hail from diverse religious backgrounds—or sometimes no faith background at all—that's an opportunity for “mission,” pursued with openness, inclusivity, and a willingness to be proven wrong.  For further reading:  Nancy Dallavalle on whether Catholic colleges have a future Susan Bigelow Reynolds on public scholarship An interview with former UC Chancellor Nicholas Dirks

Religious disaffiliation, the drifting away of Americans from their churches, isn't a new story. But it's certainly a true one.  And yet it's also not the whole story, as veteran New Yorker journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold argues in her new book, Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church.  Griswold's is a work of ‘immersion journalism,' reported by embedding for four years with a progressive evangelical community in Philadelphia. She stuck with the story even as heated conflicts over race, gender, and power threatened the church's survival.  On this episode, Griswold speaks about the book and the future of American Christianity, with Commonweal associate editor Griffin Oleynick.  For further reading:  Brett Hoover on young Catholics' waning religiosity Kate Lucky on the ‘ex-vangelicals' Julia Marley on the ‘Jesus Freaks'

The 2024 Paris Olympics have brought massive investment to the City of Light, including the construction of new housing, sports facilities, and public transportation.  Yet we shouldn't let that obscure a more sinister phenomenon: gentrification, which has rapidly transformed many of the city's former immigrant and working-class strongholds into expensive quarters for the newly affluent.  On this episode, Commonweal senior editor Matt Boudway speaks with journalist Cole Stangler, author of Paris Is Not Dead: Surviving Hypergentrification in the City of Light. Stangler, who lives in France, explains Paris's historical transformation, as well as more recent developments in French politics.  For further reading: Cole Stangler's writing for Commonweal Fran Quigley on social housing Max Holleran on gentrification and the YIMBYs

Alim Braxton, a convicted murderer who admits his guilt, has been incarcerated in North Carolina prison for more than thirty years, spending seven years in solitary confinement and many more on death row. He was once hopeless, but after his conversion to Islam many years ago, he began working for redemption by advocating for prison reform and the exoneration of innocent inmates.  Braxton is also a rapper, and just released his first album, along with a book, Rap and Redemption on Death Row, co-written with UNC Chapel Hill musicologist Mark Katz.  On this special episode, Commonweal's Claudia Avila Cosnahan speaks with both Braxton and Katz about Braxton's spiritual and artistic journey. For further reading:  Dominic Preziosi on Biden's broken death penalty promise David Bentley Hart on Christians and capital punishment Burke Nixon on the Texas prison system

Egalitarianism remains one of the core tenets of most liberals and progressives. But does the idea that everyone ought to be equal in the sphere of political economy also hold true for the realm of culture?  Absolutely not, argues Becca Rothfeld, nonfiction book critic at the Washington Post and author of the debut collection All Things Are Too Small: Essays in Praise of Excess. The modern insistence that all cultural objects are “equal” is actually a symptom of our failure to create a society in which genuine equality is present.  That, Rothfeld insists, is why we need more of everything—more personhood, more sincerity, more critical judgment, and even more chaos. It's the only way to overcome the ascendance of anodyne minimalism that has stifled contemporary culture.  On this episode, Rothfeld joins Commonweal senior editor Matthew Boudway to discuss her book, medieval mysticism, and more.  For further reading:  Costica Bradatan on the theology of Simone Weil Thomas Merton on whether mysticism is normal Matthew Boudway on the agony of Gerard Manley Hopkins

In the past, having kids was simply taken for granted. It was just a thing a person did, like going to college or getting a job. But now, in the face of rising costs and environmental degradation, more and more millennials and zoomers are questioning whether they should become parents at all. On this episode, Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi is joined by Rachel Wiseman and Anastasia Berg, editors at The Point and co-authors of What Are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice.  They explain (and lament) how having kids has become so highly politicized in our culture, and offer suggestions for how to make better decisions about becoming a parent.   For further reading:  Jennifer Banks on reckoning with childbirth Kate Lucky reads to her new baby A symposium on anti-natalism and posthumanism

Can trees ‘hear'? Can flowers ‘see'? Are shrubs ‘intelligent'? A decade ago, these questions might have seemed absurd. But an emerging scientific consensus posits that plants are much more like animals than previously thought.  On this episode, managing editor Isa Simon speaks with Zoë Schlanger, a staff writer and science reporter at The Atlantic and author of The Light Eaters. Schlanger shows how the study of plants—and the wonder their behaviors inspire—can offer a welcome alternative to the despair induced by climate change.   For further reading:  Vincent Miller on plant ‘communities' in old growth forests David Pinault on environmental activism in Cambodia Isa Simon on Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass

One of the misconceptions about Judaism is that the religion is concerned primarily with justice and the law, not love and grace.  That's precisely backward, argues Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean of the Hadar Institute in New York and author of the new book Judaism Is About Love. Jewish theology, spirituality, and ethics emerge as free responses to a generous, loving God. On this episode, Held speaks with associate editor Griffin Oleynick about how recovering this more accurate view of Judaism can help believers and non-believers alike lead richer, fuller, more joyful lives.   For further reading: Why Christians should read Leviticus and Deuteronomy Tzvi Novick on Jewish memory after October 7 An update on Jewish-Christian dialogue

For decades, discussions of poverty and inequality in America have tended to focus on cities. That's understandable—cities are often the places where income disparities are most visible.  But as poverty researchers Kathryn Edin, H. Luke Schaefer, and Timothy Nelson argue in their recent book The Injustice of Place, traditional income-based indicators of poverty can mask the “deep disadvantage” faced by rural communities across the country.  On this episode, they join associate editor Regina Munch to discuss how centuries of resource extraction, racism, and “internal colonization” have blocked the advancement of regions like Appalachia, southern Texas, and the “cotton belt” from sharing in American prosperity.  For further reading: Luke Mayville on how progressives can win in rural America  An interview with poverty expert Matthew Desmond The editors on pandemic-era relief bills

Vinson Cunningham is one of the most dynamic critics working today. Best known as the New Yorker's theater critic and co-host of the weekly podcast Critics at Large, he's also the author of the novel Great Expectations, based on his experience working for the Obama campaign in 2008. On this episode, Cunningham joins Commonweal contributing writer Anthony Domestico for a discussion about criticism—engaging deeply with a work of art on a personal level, and then responding in writing and speech—as a way of life. Along the way, they also touch on the theological dimensions of Great Expectations. Anybody, Cunningham argues, can be a critic. All it takes is curiosity, and the willingness to share your observations with others.  For further reading:  Vinson Cunningham on Pope Francis's Fratelli tutti William Giraldi on criticism as an act of love Paul Baumann reviews Barack Obama's memoir

We're all familiar with the tired stereotype of the “God of the Old Testament,” a capricious creator Who subjects His chosen people to endless cycles of punishment and retribution.  But in her reading of the Book of Genesis, novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson describes a God of gentleness, one wildly in love with creation and humanity. In this special episode of the Commonweal Podcast, moderated by senior editor Matt Boudway, poet and memoirist Christian Wiman joins Robinson for a conversation about the Book of Genesis.  Robinson and Wiman also discuss scripture and theology more generally—especially as the two practice it through fiction and poetry.  For further reading:  Marilynne Robinson on forgiveness in Genesis Christian Wiman on the Bible as poetry Jack Miles on the Bible and translation

The past year or so hasn't been the best one for higher education. Debates over affirmative action, free speech, and affordability, combined with recent cuts to the humanities, have led many to wonder what the future holds.  Here to speak about all of this is Nicholas Dirks, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and author of City of Intellect: The Uses and Abuses of the University.  Dirks argues that we certainly need structural change. Even more important is that colleges and universities return to their core functions: the pursuit of free inquiry, reasoning about fundamental human values, and training future generations of engaged citizens.  For further reading:  Zena Hitz on why we need the humanities Nancy Dallavalle on whether Catholic colleges have a future Our recent editorial on affirmative action and affordability

Recent weeks have seen an intensification of the Republican campaign against Catholic groups that offer assistance to migrants and refugees along the southern border.   Last month, Texas state attorney general Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against Annunciation House, a network of houses of hospitality run by Catholic volunteers in El Paso, Texas. On this special episode, activist Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House, speaks with associate editor Regina Munch about the recent controversy—and why we need comprehensive immigration reform.  For further reading:  Brett Hoover on the inadequacies of migration metaphors An interview with El Paso bishop Mark Seitz Alejandro Nava describes working at a hospitality house in Tucson Susan Bigelow Reynolds attends an Easter Vigil in Matamoros

For many religious people, the pandemic accelerated a decline in institutional allegiance and trust that was already well underway. Many Catholics stopped attending Mass and still haven't returned. One figure who thinks deeply about the contemporary decline in religious practice and affiliation is Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama, host of the weekly podcast Poetry Unbound and author of the new book Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love. On this episode, he joins associate editor Griffin Oleynick for a conservation sparked by this collection of ‘anarchic' prayers. Touching on the Church's difficult relationship with women, LGTBQ people, and abuse victims, Ó Tuama testifies to the peace and freedom made possible by laying down “the burden of belief.” For further reading:  A collection of essays on staying in and leaving the Church Christian Wiman on poetry in the Bible A profile of the poet Fanny Howe

For the first time, a majority of Americans now live in the suburbs—places that have been transformed over the past several decades by boom-and-bust construction cycles and rapid demographic shifts. On this episode, associate editor Regina Munch speaks with journalist Benjamin Herold about his new book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs, which profiles five families in the suburbs of Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  American suburbs were never sustainable, Herold argues. They were built for upwardly mobile white families, who extracted wealth and benefits before moving further out and sticking subsequent generations—often families of color—with the bill.  Now that we've begun reckoning with this painful legacy, Herold invites us to look for seeds of renewal. For further reading:  Bill McKibben explains what's wrong with the ‘burbs Max Holleran on American housing scarcity Diane Ravitch on the fight over public education