The Open Door

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Christopher Reilly on his book AI and Sin: How Today's Technology Motivates Evil. (April 2, 2025)Artificial intelligence technology (AI) motivates persons' engagement in sin. With this startling argument drawn from Catholic theology and technological insight, Christopher M. Reilly, Th.D. takes on both critics and proponents of AI who see it as essentially a neutral tool that can be used with good or bad intentions. More specifically, Reilly demonstrates that AI strongly encourages the vice of instrumental rationality, which in turn leads the developers, producers, and users of AI and its machines toward acedia, one of the “seven deadly sins.” The third section of the book offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of the many moral problems caused by AI. It concludes with recommendations for overcoming the 21st century scourge of AI-induced acedia.AI and Sin: How Today's Technology Motivates Evil by Dr. Christopher Reilly | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski Discuss Politics (March 12, 2025)

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Hyrum Lewis on the Left/Right Binary. Can you explain the thesis of your book? Why do you speak of the Left and Right as being a myth?How did you come to see through the Left/Right binary? Given some of the obvious counter-examples to the prevailing narrative, why is it so established and powerful? Intellectual laziness? Vested interests?  cf. p. 64ff.Is part of the problem the fact that political scientists, by and large, do not see themselves as concerned with ideas as such, but with political behavior and data as raw material for scientific analysis, much like chemists studying the reactions of chemical elements?Are you familiar with the Nolan chart? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Chart   Do you see that as much of an improvement?If we are to make use of any kind of political typologies, how do we deal with the fact that people can hold similar or identical views on the same issue but for very different reasons? Cf. pp. 63, 88ff.Does it make sense, in your opinion, to speak more in terms of broad philosophic-political movements and perhaps with those movements we could speak of left or right? E.g., socialism, fascism, classical liberalism, etc.As American politics descends into a battle of anger and hostility between two groups called "left" and "right," people increasingly ask: What is the essential difference between these two ideological groups? In The Myth of Left and Right, Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis provide the surprising answer: nothing. As the authors argue, there is no enduring philosophy, disposition, or essence uniting the various positions associated with the liberal and conservative ideologies of today. Far from being an eternal dividing line of American politics, the political spectrum came to the United States in the 1920s and, since then, left and right have evolved in so many unpredictable and even contradictory ways that there is currently nothing other than tribal loyalty holding together the many disparate positions that fly under the banners of "liberal" and "conservative." Powerfully argued and cutting against the grain of most scholarship on polarization in America, this book shows why the idea that the political spectrum measures deeply held worldviews is the central political myth of our time and a major cause of the confusion and vitriol that characterize public discourse.https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Left-Right-Verlan-Lewis/dp/0197680623

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder speak with Gideon Lazar, the Coordinator of the St. Basil Institute.They ask the following questions: You are the coordinator of the St Basil Institute which your website describes as "A think tank dedicated to the renewal of theological discourse on the doctrine of creation within the Catholic Church." Could you comment on both what you mean by the theology of creation and why it is important? https://stbasilinstitute.orgYou speak of your effort "to revive the Catholic Church's perennial teachings on creation." How and why have these teachings been obscured? The entire thrust of modern Western culture seems to be concentrated on what man can manufacture and not on what God has provided through his work of creation. Lately this seems to be reaching its logical end with transhumanism, the rapid development of AI, and the erosion of the two natural human sexes via technology. What are the trends in Western culture that have fostered this kind of thinking? What hope do we have of resisting these things?The trajectory over at least the last century has seen the abandonment of rural life and small farms. In many places the countryside has become simply an abode for factory farms with as few workers as possible. Obviously that has implications for rural parishes, schools, businesses, etc. Has the neglect of the Church's teaching on creation contributed to this situation?What are the practical implications of creation theology for topics such as organic farming, food quality, natural medicine, and care of the environment in general?When speaking of the theology of creation, at least in the U.S. one immediately thinks of debates about creationism and evolution. Does your theological work have any reference to those debates?What projects or activities are you planning and how can interested viewers take part in these?

In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck and Christopher Zehnder interview Vicente Hargous, attorney, Professor of Constitutional Law in the Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile, and editor of the online review, Suroeste. https://revistasuroeste.cl/1. On your website you write regarding Hispanic America that, "It is not difficult to find our land on maps, where we are, but to understand what we are and what we are called to be in the history of the world is not so easy."In a 2002 article, two Chilean professors, a philosopher and an anthropologist, set forth four possible cultural self-identities which have been advanced by Latin Americans: the indigenist, the hispanic, an identification with the Western world in general and the thesis of "mestizage cultural" or a fusion of indigenist with Spanish or Western identities. Could you comment on any of these points?2. You also speak on your website of the various ideas and trends which are affecting the entire world, but especially the West. You mention among others environmentalism, feminism, indigenism, esoteric currents.Given that both Europe and North America are affected by these ideas, do they affect Latin America in any particular ways?3.  In North America we read much about the inroads of Protestantism in South and Central America and Mexico. Is this another example of North American cultural imperialism or does it speak to any weaknesses of the Catholic Church, either historical or contemporary? Does the Catholic Church play a role today in setting the cultural agenda in Hispanic America?4. How has Hispanic American culture changed in the last 50 years? Culturally speaking, can it defend itself against trends originating in North America or Europe?5. Your review, Suroeste, is connected with the organization Comunidad y Justicia, which works to promote human rights in Chile. What is the connection between the review and the organization? How does your Catholic commitment inspire both? https://comunidadyjusticia.cl/6. As a continent originally nearly entirely Catholic, is there any realistic hope of restoring the Church's cultural and religious role?7. How does the overwhelming influence, political and economic, of the United States affect the cultural situation of Latin America?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Christopher Villiers on his book Versing the Mystery: Poems (December 11, 2024)This collection of poems verses the mystery of God and Creation. Exploring the stories and characters of Scripture, Classical history and myth, the reader confronts the glory of God and is plunged into the depths of the human condition. This work deals with the sacred and the profane, the sublime and the ridiculous. Twenty-first century readers are confronted by their own needs and greeds reflected in the foundations of western civilisation. There are also more directly personal poems, of love, hate, success and failure, rooted in the life of a rhyming sinner inhabiting an English village near the sea. And if none of that appeals to you, then at least there are also owls campaigning for political office.Versing the Mystery

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Andrew Sorokowski interview JonMarc Grodi of the Coming Home Network. Some of the questions asked include the following: What is the Coming Home Network and how did it begin?How successful has it been? Do you have statistics on home many non-Catholics you've helped bring into the Church?What are the chief obstacles in your experience that prevent Protestants, and perhaps especially Protestant ministers, from considering the claims of the Church?Have these obstacles changed in any important way during the existence of the CHN?Most Protestant clergy have some theological or biblical formation that can be helpful in pointing them toward the Catholic Church? But what about Protestant laymen? How can they be reached best if they've never even thought about these matters, e.g., about where we get the Bible or why it is authoritative?What is the best way for Catholics to engage their friends and neighbors who belong to other Christian bodies with the claims of the Catholic Church?Given that many in the Catholic Church no longer promote evangelization and conversion of non-Catholic Christians, has the CHN run into criticism from Catholics regarding your apostolate?

In this episode, the panelists of The Open Door talk with Matthew Tsakanikas on Christian Zionism and its Theological Distortions (October 30, 2024)1. What is Zionism, and what specifically, is religious or Christian Zionism? 2.  Why is it a theological error? How does it misread the Bible, particularly passages such as Romans 11:29?3.  What are its origins?4. Does it have much presence outside the U.S.? If not, why do you think so?5.  What effects has it had on American politics, especially American foreign policy? 6.  Can one make a sharp distinction between political and religious Zionism, at least with regard to their geographical claims? For example, with regard to an assertion of the right of Jews to move to Palestine and, at least to some extent, the displacement of the Arab inhabitants in the early part of the 20th century, did not the two forms of Zionism pretty much operate in the same way? 7. What is the correct way for Catholics to think about the Church and the Jewish people and is there any role they may still play in salvation history?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the multi-faceted issue of immigration. How can we better understand the new waves of immigrants, whether in the United States or Europe? What does the Church teach about the ethical issues that come into play? How can we assess the politics of immigration? What role should our parishes play and how might we best respond at a personal level? Our special and welcome guest is Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz. He is a professor of political science and Catholic social thought at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw as well as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Christianity—World—Politics. From 2008-2012 he served as Secretary General of the Commission of Bishops of the European Community COMECE. Mazurkiewicz recently authored Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective (En Route Books, 2024). Among the questions we'll ask are the following.  Fr. Piotr, could you tell us how you came to your work on the topic of migration?How would you compare current migration to Europe with migration to the United States?What is national sovereignty and what is its foundation? What are the limits of sovereignty?Is there a right to emigrate? A right not to emigrate?What happens to property rights in times of grave necessity? How do you understand multiculturalism? Is it an ideology?On what basis can we evaluate the practices of a given culture?Here in the United States we often speak of a “culture of death.” Might not the first concern of many cultures be the need for repentance?Should Poland respond to migration from Africa and the Middle East in the same way that it is responding to refugees from Ukraine?What might it mean with regard to immigration to be neither right nor left but simply Catholic? What might be some promising political approaches to migration?Mass migration is a serious challenge in both America and Europe. Hence the question of the ethical limits of hospitality. The answer must consider not only the needs of migrants, but also the ability of the host country to integrate migrants. This depends not only on the size of the migration, but also on its homogeneity. For example, a peculiarity of the current migration to Europe is the strong dominance of Muslims, which is changing its religious demographics and, consequently, European culture.https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/twotowers/

This week on The Open Door (August 7th) we will explore the thought of Servant of God Romano Guardini, a widely influential theologian whom both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis deeply admired. So did Flannery O'Connor! Guardini is often thought of as a unifying figure in the Church. Our welcome guest is Christine Myers Miller. She is a graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in Washington, DC, and is the Director of Adult Faith Formation, Marriage & Family Life at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Tulsa. Dr. Myers Miller researched Romano Guardini for her doctoral thesis, studying the topic of Christian responsibility for the world. She has published essays in the Catechetical Review, Humanum online review, and in the important theological journal Communio. Among the questions we'll ask are the following. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Have you always been an Okie?What was it like to study at the John Paul II Institute? How does the Institute reflect the vision of St. John Paul II?What are your responsibilities as Director of Adult Faith Formation and Marriage & Family Life at your parish?  Could you introduce us to Romano Guardini? A time-line would help. And how did he survive World War II? In these “interesting times” there's deep disagreement on just what it is to be a human being. What does this mean in terms of how we can best address ethical questions?On your view, crisis can be an occasion of growth. How might this come about with regard to scandals in the Church?Romano Guardini saw the apparent contradiction between faith and science as one of the main sources of crisis in his time, and it surely remains one for us. How might we effectively respond to it?How might Guardini advise us to manage AI technology?You have written that “faith needs culture to survive” and warned that “a faith without culture is a dying thing.” What would a Catholic culture look like today?  Might it involve a distinctive Catholic political presence?

On this episode of The Open Door (July 24), panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the Catholic traditionalist movement. Our special focus will be “independent” traditionalists. How do they differ from other traditionalists? What leads them to “LeFebvreism”? What can we learn from the ongoing debate about the movement's role in the Church? Our welcome guest is Andrew Mioni. He is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a B.A. in English. As a contributor to Faith in Crisis (Wipf and Stock, 2024), he explores the roots of what some see as a crisis of faith in Catholicism. Mioni is the author of Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism (En Route Books, 2024).For clarification: What is the difference between the SSPX, the Society of St. Pius X initiated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and the FSSP, the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter?How do you understand the word “ideology”?Who are the sedevacantists?How has George Weigel, a St. John Paul II scholar and frequent contributor to First Things, helped you to put the traditionalist movement in a broader context?Richard John Neuhaus, once a Lutheran, thought that the chief complaints of the Reformation had been answered. You ask the “independents” what would count as the crisis in Catholicism being resolved. What sort of an answer should we expect?Why do you think that “To be deep in history is to cease to be traditionalist”?Just what is modernism? How is it linked to a certain view of reason?To what do you attribute a crisis of faith dating back well before Vatican II?What is the authority of the ordinary magisterium of the Church? Does Vatican II express that authority?Could you explain the “functionalist” approach to spirituality and the liturgy?How have the lessons you learned in authoring your book carried over into your own parish life?What's your next book project?Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism by Andrew Mioni | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss Catholic social thought and economics. That means taking a long, hard look at capitalism in practice and the dominance of corporations. We'll explore the nature of usury and what's at issue in a fair wage. We'll consider the State as a political community and the family as the cornerstone of social justice. We'll talk about personal responsibility as the foundation of a just social order. Our welcome guests are Thomas Storck, the editor of Money, Markets, and Morals (En Route Books, 2024) and its Australian contributors Dr. Donald Boland and Dr. Garrick Small, as well as the American distributist thinkers John Médaille and David Cooney. Among the questions we'll address to this panel are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!Is Catholic social teaching a dimension of moral theology?How should we define capitalism? How can it become a threat to justice?What is the origin of the modern corporation? Is there any way to challenge its power?Can you compare and contrast for us, say, the Bank of America, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, a publicly owned bank or a credit union? What dangers does the former pose?Just what is usury? Why is it wrong? Can you give examples of usurious practicesWhat is the distinction between a market wage and a fair wage? Where does a minimum wage guarantee fit in?What is the basis of ownership? Do we own our bodies and our lives?Should we think of the State as the political community of the highest degree?Does the current economic order recognize the family as the first unit of a just society? What would a “family politics” look like?In what ways might we practice personal responsibility in today's profoundly complex economic order? Is personal responsibility compatible with stock ownership?

In this episode of The Open Door (June 26),  panelists Jim Hanink, Christopher Zehnder, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the role of spiritual direction. Just what is it? What is the ministry of the spiritual director? Our special and welcome guest is Msgr. Patrick Gaalaas. He is a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Msgr. Gaalaas retired from parish work in 2022 at the age of 75. But “retirement” has led to “redirection.” He has worked as a spiritual director at Conception Seminary College in Missouri for the past two years. (Full disclosure: Monsignor has known Jim Hanink from the time they were fellow college seminarians at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas.) Msgr. Gaalaas spent his final four years in the seminary at the American College at the University of Louvain in Belgium. There he earned a bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology and a master's degree in Moral and Religious Sciences. Among the questions we'll be asking are the following. You moved from parish work to a Benedictine Abbey. Is there a distinctive Benedictine spirituality?Spiritual direction pairs a spiritual director with a person interested in direction. But how does the average Catholic, if there is such a creature, know whether to seek spiritual direction?What's the difference between spiritual direction and psychological counselling?How does one go about finding a spiritual director? What might one expect if one Google searched “spiritual direction near me”?How does one become a spiritual director? Who can become a spiritual director?Is a personal calling from God requisite for being a spiritual director?Do spiritual directors ordinarily have diocesan recognition?What sort of direction do spiritual directors themselves have?Might we say that the Holy Spirit is at the center of spiritual direction?What are some signs that spiritual direction is going well? Or is not going well?

This week on The Open Door (June 12) we complete our series on education. Our focus is developing Catholic textbooks that give history its deepest perspective. Our welcome guest is Christopher Zehnder, M.A. He is the General Editor for the Catholic Textbook Project. A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, he has worked as a graphic artist, journalist, school headmaster, and teacher of history, literature, theology, and mathematics. Mr. Zehnder has been affiliated with the Catholic Textbook Project since its founding in 2000. He has authored several of its textbooks, edited and contributed chapters to others, and made art selections for many of them. He is a novelist as well! A member of the American Solidarity Party, Christopher is on the town council of Hartford, Ohio. With his wife Katherine and their family, he has made his residence there since escaping Southern California.The following are among the questions we asked him:  How did you come to be an educator?Why does it matter how we define education?What led to your interest in history?You write historical fiction. Is there any way to get beyond writing stories about history?Can you sketch for us the history of education in the United States? What has led to the resurgence of interest in classical education?How did the Catholic Textbook Project come about? What does it bring to the table in today's educational milieu?What do you make of “critical race theory”?How can Catholic educators teach the truth about the uglier dimensions of history?How can Catholic educators help form students into citizens who embody both charity and solidarity?Are you writing a new textbook? How about another novel?

In this episode of The Open Door (May 29, 2024), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer talk about the work of State Catholic Conference Directors. Our focus will be on the role that they can play in developing Catholic education. Our welcome guest is Tom Venzor. He has served as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference since 2016. Prior to this, he served as the Associate Director for Pro-Life & Family for the Nebraska Catholic Conference. Before joining the NCC, Tom worked as a legislative aide in the State Legislature, as well as in various capacities throughout several other legislative sessions. Tom earned his undergraduate degree in political science, philosophy, and religious studies from Doane College in Crete, his master's degree in philosophy from Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and his law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln. Tom and his wife, Makayla, have four children at home: Monica, Claire, Anthony, and Julia. And they have a little one in heaven: Thérèse. Let's start with an encouraging breakthrough and then move to context. The Nebraska Legislature recently passed school choice legislation! Could you tell us some of the particulars of this legislation? What led to this victory?People of goodwill want public schools to be adequately funded in their service to students, especially the most vulnerable. Could you help us to understand how school choice does NOT undercut support for public school teachers and students?What's involved in serving as the Director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference? And what are some of your current projects? Are any of them related to education?Catholicism has a rich tradition of promoting the liberal arts. Is there a way that the Nebraska Catholic Conference can contribute to that tradition?How does the Catholic Conference work in conjunction with the bishops of Nebraska?In what ways does the Conference seek the collaboration of the laity? Are they tuned in to your work?What sort of press has the Conference had in past years?How does the Conference forge bonds with particular legislators? And how does it engage with legislative opponents?What organizational or advocacy mistakes have you made, and what have you learned from them?True or false: Catholic Social Teaching can build bridges with “wokeism”?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer continue our discussion of education. We'll focus on preparing, and supporting, Catholic school teachers. Our welcome guest is Deacon Omar Gutiérrez, the President and Executive Director of the Evangelium Institute. An expert on Catholic Social Teaching, he has been published in many print and online periodicals, has authored several books on the subject, and has a podcast series on Discerning Hearts. Most importantly, Dcn. Gutiérrez is happily married to Miriam, and they are very blessed by their five children.Could you tell us about your background and work in the area of Catholic Social Teaching? How did you come to teach and write about this topic that we here at the Open Door care so much about?How did the Evangelium Institute come to be, and what are the services it provides?Hillaire Belloc claims that "The faith is not taught. It is inhabited and breathed in." What's wrong about this claim? What's right?Can you share some stories that illustrate the impact Evangelium Institute has been making?What are the greatest challenges that Catholic school administrators and teachers face? What are some good ways to support them?Religion is often seen as a matter of private feeling. But Catholicism has a rich intellectual tradition. Is this tradition at work in Catholic education as you have experienced it?How do Catholic Social Teaching principles, such as solidarity, subsidiarity, economic democracy, and others, apply to the realm of education? Does the Evangelium Institute incorporate them into the formation you provide?We've heard it said that the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum of Saints. We've all had occasion to be disappointed, if not scandalized, by poor leadership in the Church and in Catholic schools. Do you have any suggestions, based on your experiences, for how to respond or NOT respond to such situations?How can folks support the good work the Evangelium Institute is doing in the realm of Catholic education?Any last thoughts for us before we close with the Gospel for today?

Here at The Open Door, we are turning our attention to education for the next few episodes. This week (May 1) we will consider the growing trend of homeschooling. Our special guest is Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur. She is a lifelong Catholic who has been homeschooling her three children, two of whom are grown, for 17 years. In a welcome effort to provide both information and inspiration for homeschool families, she has managed, for over a decade, the Today's Catholic Homeschooling Website. From there folks can access her Homeschooling Resource Guide for free, along with a variety of helpful articles and book reviews. She herself has written a number of books, including The Crash Course Guide to Catholic Homeschooling. Patrice is a Member of the Catholic Writers' Guild and Catholic Library Association. She has a Master's Degree in Applied Theology and 20 years of experience working for the New Evangelization. Among the questions we'll ask are the following. Please don't hesitate to ask your own!Perhaps we should begin by defining our terms. What is homeschooling? Simply doing school at home? What makes it "official"? We are pretty sure homeschooling is on the rise, but do you have any stats that might help us understand the reality by the numbers? What are the reasons people most often choose to homeschool, in your experience? What are some common misconceptions about homeschooling?No doubt some criticisms of some homeschoolers are on the mark. Do any examples come to mind?Some families feel called to homeschool throughout high school, often with the support of local or online educational services to one degree or another. As more and more kids have become homeschool graduates, are there any notable, established outcomes we are seeing that reflect the positive potential of this educational path?We've all heard about teacher burnout. Is there homeschooling burnout? If so, what are the causes...and remedies?Homeschooling parents come from many backgrounds. Are there some conversations across different backgrounds that you think might be productive but perhaps do not yet see?Parents are the first educators of their children, and children are not the mere creatures of the State. Doesn't it follow that the State's role in education should be carefully limited?Any other food for thought you'd like to offer for our listeners?

On this episode of The Open Door (April 17th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss medical ethics. Our focus will be the debate about the criteria for brain death. Our special guest is John A. Di Camillo, PhD, BeL. He is an Ethicist and the Personal Consultations Director at The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC). He manages its 24/7 free ethics consultation service as well as the Personal Consultations Fellows and Interns Program. He applies Catholic moral theology to science and medicine through research, writing, speaking, mentoring, and fielding hundreds of ethics questions every year. His areas of focus include cooperation with evil, sexual orientation and gender identity, reproductive technologies, and pregnancy complications. Among the questions we'll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own.What is Catholics United on Brain Death and Organ Donation about? What were the goals of writing it and seeking endorsements for it?Why is there no moral certainty of death when following the American Academy of Neurology guidelines for a determination of brain death?What is ongoing hypothalamic function? Is it compatible with brain death? What would be the effect of improved clinical guidelines that require cessation of hypothalamic function?Should patients expect that the existing American Academy of Neurology guidelines—or something even less rigorous—will be applied in practice? Is there a reasonable expectation that the existing guidelines will be improved in the near future?Does a person considering organ donation have good reason to expect that he or she will be truly dead at the time of vital organ procurement?Given that we must presume life until death is certain, and given the lack of moral certainty of death whenever the current brain death criteria are used, can we still assume that a majority of vital organ donors are deceased at the time of organ harvesting?Is it wise, at this time, to decline organ donor status at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) upon first receiving a driver's license? To revoke organ donor status through the appropriate channel in one's state?Should we advocate for the right of patients and health care professionals to conscientiously object to the use of the current brain death criteria for a determination of death?How can we best highlight the Church's teaching on the need for moral certainty of death as a condition for vital organ procurement?What do you hope will happen next, now that Catholics United has been published?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the politics of the presidency and vice presidency. November, and with it the national election, is not so far off. The Biden vs. Trump rematch is officially scheduled. Here at The Open Door we want to think outside the duopoly's binary box. That means checking in on the candidates of the American Solidarity Party. Our returning and welcome guest is Mr. Peter Sonski. A New England native, Peter and his wife have nine adult children. He has a Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree from The Catholic University of America. His professional experience is in journalism, public relations, and business administration. Peter is concluding his second term as an elected member of Connecticut's Regional School District 17 board of education. He'll have lots to tell us about his presidential campaign. Among the questions we will ask are the following. What does it mean to you to be “pro-life” as a candidate for the President of the United States?How has your experience in local politics informed your approach to this campaign?They say behind every good man is an even better woman. How has your wife made you a stronger man and better candidate?How does your running mate, Lauren Onak, bring strength to your campaign?Has your campaign experience changed your perspective on what it means to be a citizen?Have you any new insights into “the system” of politics in America?Which of your stances as a candidate are you finding the most support for? The most push-back against?Any thoughts on Christian Democracy and how it may or may not be finding a place in American politics?How has your faith life been impacted by this adventure, if it's not too personal a question?How can folks support your campaign in an effort to bring light to the darkness of our political reality in America?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Valerie Niemeyer interview Karina Fabian, the president of The Catholic Writers Guild. (March 20, 2024)We discuss all things literary. For a start, was Walker Percy, as a naysayer claimed, the last Catholic novelist? We don't think so. And what's the range of the “literary”? It includes, of course, non-fiction. It welcomes poets and dramatists. But what about bloggers and podcasters? Just how ecumenical should we be? Our welcome guest is Karina Fabian. She is the new president of the Catholic Writers Guild, an association committed to the development of Catholic arts and letters. The following are among the questions we'll be asking her. Karina, if we may, could you fill us in about the history of the Catholic Writers GuildHow did you—a self-described geek, teacher, humorist, and Miata driver—come to be involved in the Guild?How does the Guild help authors and readers? Book stores and publishers?What is your advice for aspiring writers who have not yet published any of their work?The Guild is serious about core Catholic values. In what ways does it promote these values?What makes a book distinctively Catholic? Did Graham Greene and Flannery O'Connor write distinctively Catholic novels and short stories?Has the internet helped or harmed our literary capacities? Can we sit still long enough to read and write serious literature?Who are some little known contemporary Catholic writers that we ought to become familiar with?Can you tell us a bit about some of the publishers that your members have worked with?Writers, so they say, (mostly) stay in and write. What are you working on these days? And is it true that you hate zombies?

On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss four giants of 20th century Catholic thought: Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla (St. John Paul II). Our welcome guest is Prof. Rick Spinello. He teaches at Boston College and St. John's Seminary in Boston. The author of numerous scholarly articles on ethics, Spinello has written or edited many books including The Encyclicals of John Paul II: An Introduction and Commentary and The Splendor of Marriage: John Paul II's Vision of Love, Marriage, Family, and the Culture of Life. Among the questions we'll be asking him are the following. Rick, how did you end up authoring a book on four Catholic philosophers?Your book combines biography with hard philosophical questions. Why did you write it?Would the average Catholic layperson, if there is such a person, want to read this book?What's it like to write a book about four saintly figures who were also intellectual giants?Why did you pick these four? Why not other Catholic “giants” of the last century?Is there such a thing as Catholic philosophy? Why has this been such a contested issue?What does this diverse group, Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla have in common?Three of these philosophers are converts to Catholicism. How would you compare their conversion experiences?Why are their philosophies important for the Church? What's their message for us today?Of the four, who was your favorite?Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła)This book unfolds the intersecting life stories of four important Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, namely, Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla, and examines the salient themes of their respective philosophies. Exploring the lives of these four individuals will unlock for the reader the nature of Catholic philosophy, which always aspires to a higher wisdom and the discovery of the hidden harmony of the universe. The spiritual itinerary of these faithful scholars is part of a larger story, therefore, of the intimate relationship between faith and reason that is at the heart of Catholic intellectual life.Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła) | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of The Open Door (Monday, March 4th) we'll discuss the role of tradition in forming Catholic teaching. Some argue that Pope Francis overlooks the normative role of tradition. Others argue that some papal critics, as well as critics of Vatican Council II, misunderstand the dynamic nature of tradition itself. We'll discuss, too, the development of doctrine and what it means. Our guest is the Portugal-based Pedro Gabriel. Dr. Gabriel is one of the co-founders of the apologetics website “Where Peter Is.” He is also a medical oncologist. He recently authored Heresy Disguised as Tradition (En Route, 2023). The following are among the questions we'll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest others! What counts as “tradition”? Does a simple appeal to the social sciences answer this question? (25)What is a radical traditionalist? Is there such a thing as “hyperpapalism”?What is the scope of the teaching that Catholics are “to be united in mind and heart” with the Holy Father? Does it extend to matters of diplomacy? To philosophical orientation? How are we to know the mind of the pope, especially when it is changing?Should we assume that Pope Francis is as attuned to the Catholicism of Africa as he is to the Catholicism of Europe and the Americas? To what extent is culture normative?Would you assess Pope Francis's restrictions on the Latin Mass as “harsh”? (17)“Subjective culpability” can become a “mitigating circumstance” in moral assessment of an act involving grave matter. In such cases how are we to provide sound moral guidance?Could you explain for us the concept of “complexio oppositorum”? Is it compatible with the principle of non-contradiction? Has synodality come to terms with fundamental theological disagreements?

In this episode of The Open Door (February 7th, 2024), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Valerie Niemeyer continue to discuss two unmentionables: Religion and Politics! Our welcome guest is Jeff Culbreath, a married father of six residing in the obscure suburbs of Sacramento. He works in the apparel industry, drives his busy kids around, and tries to be a low-maintenance husband to his hard-working wife. He enjoys writing on various topics and has maintained several blogs over the years. Please feel free to suggest others!By way of introduction, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?You've been influenced by, among others, Russell Kirk, Wendell Berry, and Neil Postman. In what ways?How did you come to be a Roman Catholic?What led you to the Republican Party and, in recent years, away from it?Can we have good government without good people?Can public policy help people be good? If not, why not? If yes, can you give examples?The preamble to the American Solidarity Party (ASP) platform states, “we acknowledge the state should be pluralistic.” What does that mean? How do pluralism and solidarity impact each other?What is “the gift economy”? How does it relate to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? Why is it important? What can be done to improve it?The ASP platform addresses “marriage and family” issues in detail, but doesn't have much to say about extended families. How can public policy strengthen extended families?How do you reconcile belief in an “ownership society”, that is, Distributism, with the huge economies of scale that we all depend upon in a modern economy? We can't all be owners, can we? BONUS: Do you plan on running for public office?

This week on The Open Door (January 24th) we virtually visit Norway. What's going on with Christian Democracy there and in nearby Sweden? What sources do our Scandinavian friends draw on to build a creative alternative to politics as usual? What sources do we in the US share with them? Our welcome and special guest is Eilev Hegstad. He is working on a PhD with the title "The role of ethics committees and moral experts in democracy". Hegstad has a master's degree in political science from the University of Oslo. His professional interests are the role of knowledge and expertise in politics, ethics committees, democratic theory, and political ideologies. He has done research at Oxford University. In 2023, the book "Kristendemokrati" which he edited came out. We'll be asking him the following questions.How did Christian Democracy come to the Nordic countries?In what ways has its development been distinctive? The core principles of Christian Democratic thought include subsidiarity, solidarity, social market economy, and popularism. Could you explain them to us? Could you please introduce us to some of the major Scandinavian proponents of Christian Democracy? There's an old line that an expert is someone from 20 miles away. But surely there's more involved than that. What's required to be, say, a moral expert? There's another old line that dismisses a poorly written document as the work of a committee. What's the task of an ethics committee and how can we tell if it's achieved?Democracy is not without its puzzles. When if ever is pure democracy feasible?What do you make of the Anscombe Paradox, namely that in a majority of instances the majority might be in the minority? Does political authority rest on convention, contract, consent, or something other than these?A bonus question: Do you think that Magnus Carlsen's chess brilliance would lend itself to political analysis? After all, Gary Kasparov might serve as his mentor!

In this episode of The Open Door (January 10), panelists Jim Hanink and Valerie Niemeyer talk about what's involved in running for the Senate of the United States. What motivates a candidate to do so? What are the technical requirements? How much money does it take to mount a campaign? Need serious Christians apply for the job? Our special and welcome guest is Mark Ruzon. Yes, he is a candidate for the Senate! He is also the Chair of the California State Committee of the American Solidarity Party. Mark is a Senior Software Engineer with Google. He and his family live in Mountain View, California. The questions we will ask him include the following. Feel free to ask your own!Why did you decide to run for the U.S. Senate?Just what's involved in getting your name on the ballot here in California?Is it true that only millionaires or their friends can campaign for the Senate?What does it mean to say that everyone, regardless of birth status, income, or behavior has an inherent value and dignity? And what is your basis for affirming this claim?As Senator, how would you advocate for more widespread economic opportunity and ownership?You believe that families are the fundamental unit of society. What does this mean in terms of specific policies? What is the proper role for government in a family's child-rearing decisions?Your goal is a medical system that covers family members from prenatal care to hospice. How could California achieve such a goal?California is facing a housing crisis. What factors have brought it about? What steps do you propose for dealing with this crisis?Critics claim that our immigration system is broken. What measures do you propose for a truly humane immigration system?What role should the United States play in contributing to peaceful international relations?

In this episode of The Open Door (December 13th), panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss the progress of the American Solidarity Party and the current presidential and vice presidential campaign of Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak. Our special and welcome guest is Marcos Lopez, the Chair of the American Solidarity Party. A first generation Cuban-American, he is a husband and a father of two and lives in Tampa, Florida. Lopez holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of South Florida. He works in marketing and spends most of his free time with his family. He's also involved with the music ministry at his parish.Is it true that the fastest growing political party in the United States is the American Solidarity Party? If so, what accounts for its growth?What initially brought you to the American Solidarity Party?Conventional opinion says that votes for third party candidates are wasted votes. What's your answer to this charge?How did you come to be the Chair of the Party?What sort of week to week challenges does the Party's National Committee currently face?Can you tell us about Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak, the Party's candidates for president and vice president of the United States?What is the process for getting on the ballot? How is the Party faring in doing so?Is there a way to use marketing skills to expand and develop political debate?Can the Party attract nationally known figures like Dan Lipinski or Robert George? Can it attract six figure donations?When will you be running for office in Florida?

This week on The Open Door (November 29th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer continue their discussion of the art of translation, Eastern Catholicism, and the relation between Thomism and Ressourcement theology with special and returning guest Professor Matthew Minerd. He is a Ruthenian Catholic, raised Roman Catholic in a mixed American-Slavic and Appalachian cultural context in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Matthew is a husband and father, a seminary professor, and a translator.Has your work as a translator triggered new questions for you about biblical translations? Are there any translations that you think are especially helpful?You are an Eastern Catholic and teach in an Eastern Catholic seminary. What do Western Catholics especially need to know about Eastern Catholic spirituality?After Vatican II there were major changes in the Roman liturgy. Some now prefer what Benedict XVI presented as the Extraordinary Rite; others have embraced the liturgy of Eastern Catholicism. How have Eastern Catholics reacted to the liturgical changes in the West?What are some distinctive theological influences in Eastern Catholicism?Has Eastern Catholicism experienced special difficulties in addressing the relation between Church and State?Some speak of Jacques Maritain as the single most influential Thomist of the last century. Was he open to Ressourcement theology?You have a leadership role in the American Maritain Association. Where do you see the spirit of Jacques and Raïssa Maritain active today?Maritain was deeply engaged in the politics of his time. Does Thomism offer a foundation for constructive politics?What's your view of the American Solidarity Party?Could you tell us a bit about your current projects?

This week on The Open Door (November 15th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the art of translation, Eastern Catholicism, and the relation between Thomism and Ressourcement theology. Our special guest is Professor Matthew Minerd. He is a Ruthenian Catholic, raised Roman Catholic in a mixed American-Slavic and Appalachian cultural context in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Minerd is a husband and father, a seminary professor, and a translator.You have become, in recent years, a distinguished translator. How did this come about?Some say that to translate is to betray: Traduttore, traditore! It's a provocative charge, but could it be that where there is smoke there is fire?Is the art of translating a kind of interpretation? Does it involve compromisesYou are an Eastern Catholic and teach in an Eastern Catholic seminary, Ss. Cyril and Methodius. What do Western Catholics especially need to know about the Eastern Catholic heritage? How does it serve the Universal Church?Do you have any distinctive challenges in presenting Thomism to Eastern Catholics?How are you working to resolve the tension between Thomism and the Ressourcement of the Nouvelle Théologie?Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange has been dubbed “the sacred monster of Thomism.” Your recent translations of his books are Thomistic Common Sense: The Philosophy of Being and the Development of Doctrine, The Order of Things: The Realism of the Principle of Finality, Philosophizing in Faith, Essays on the Beginning and End of Wisdom, and The Sense of Mystery: Clarity and Obscurity in the Intellectual Life. What is your own assessment of Garrigou-Lagrange?Some speak of Jacques Maritain as the single most influential Thomist of the last century. You are active in the American Maritain Association. Where do you see the spirit of Maritain active today?Maritain was deeply engaged in the politics of his time. Does Thomism offer a foundation for constructive politics?What are some of your current projects?

This week on The Open Door (November 1st), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss India, religious freedom, and Thomism. Our distinguished and welcome guest is Prof. Timothy Samuel Shah of the University of Dallas. By training and personal passion, he is a scholar of politics and political philosophy, specializing in religion and global politics, religious freedom, and the history of moral and political theory. With his wife, Rebecca Shah, he is based in Bangalore, India. With Rebecca, he has established several initiatives in partnership with the University of Dallas, including a Jacques and Raïssa Maritain Program on Catholicism, Public Life and World Affairs. Under the auspices of the Maritain Program, Prof. Shah coordinates a monthly online Thomistic Study Circle, which involves numerous expert and amateur Thomists from around the world, and which seeks to re-enliven an appreciation of the Angelic Doctor's timeless teaching and relevance, especially for public affairs. Most recently, he and Rebecca established a Program for Indo-American Understanding and Friendship at the Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas. The program, among other things, seeks to promote deep dialogue and genuine understanding between Hinduism and Catholic Christianity. In addition to serving as a Distinguished Research Scholar in the Politics Department at the University of Dallas, Shah also serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Center for Shared Civilizational Values, an organization he founded with senior leaders of the world's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia, in order to strengthen and preserve a rules-based international order founded upon respect for the equal rights and dignity of every human being.1. Prof. Shah, Tim if we may, how can Americans better understand India, now the most populous nation in the world?2. What might Mahatma Gandhi think of India today?3. Commentators are calling attention to the political and military implications of the developing relations between India and the United States. Can you explain for us something of what's at stake?4. India's Supreme Court recently declined to recognize same sex marriage, insisting that it was a matter for the legislature. What factors went into this decision?5. How did you come to have a special interest in religious freedom? What are some of the key challenges to religious freedom today?6. Could you tell us about how you came to the University of Dallas? How is it a distinctive institution?7. At the yearly conference of the American Maritain Association you presented a paper warning of the “siren song” of Catholic integralism. Why are you critical of this phenomenon?8. It has been said that everyone is born either a Platonist or an Aristotelian. But you are a keen Thomist. How did this happen? Were you, perhaps, trying to combine the best of Plato and of Aristotle?9. Is there a Catholic-Hindu dialogue in India? Is there a Catholic-Muslim dialogue in India?10. Pope Francis has said that we are already in the midst of World War III. What do you think he meant? Do you agree with him?

This week on The Open Door (October 18), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer dig deeper into arguments for and against the existence of God. These arguments matter greatly, and we think they have a necessary place in Christian evangelization. Is Christianity true? We confess that it is! But if God doesn't exist, then it is not. Our welcome and returning guest is Patrick Flynn. He's the author of the new book The Best Argument for God (Sophia Institute Press, 2023). A writer, podcaster, and speaker, Flynn lives in Wisconsin with his wife, five children, and a Saint Bernard. He is the host of Philosophy for the People. We've discussed the problem of evil. Do naturalists face what we might term “the problem of good”? How might a naturalist account for the good that people do?Is there a naturalist strategy for explaining the beauty we find in human creativity? In the natural world itself?Could it be that in the end one simply chooses to believe or not to believe?Pope Francis recently wrote an Apostolic Letter on Blaise Pascal. The Letter makes no reference, though, to Pascal's Wager. How would you evaluate it?What is a worldview? Does everyone have a worldview? Can one change one's world view on rational grounds?How does scientism differ from science?Is there only one universe? If so, does it show any signs of being “fine-tuned”?What is the principle of sufficient reason?How might one challenge the principle of sufficient reason?Does the principle of sufficient reason support the existence of God? If so, how?

This week on The Open Door (October 4th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss arguments for and against the existence of God. We think that these arguments matter, and we want to think hard about them. After all, we want to know whether Christianity is true, and if God doesn't exist then it isn't! Our welcome guest is Patrick Flynn. He's the author of the new book The Best Argument for God (Sophia Institute Press, 2023). A writer, podcaster, and speaker, Flynn lives in Wisconsin with his wife, five children, and a Saint Bernard. He is the host of Philosophy for the People.Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to ask your own!Does Athens have anything to do with Jerusalem? What did Justin Martyr think?When does a reason constitute an argument? When does an argument constitute a proof?Does an experience of the presence of God take the place of an argument for God's existence?Just what is classical theism?Are there any challenging arguments against the existence of God?What is naturalism? Is it scientific?How do you understand the concept of a worldview?How does scientism differ from science?Does the principle of sufficient reason support the reality of God?Is there only one universe? If so, does it show any signs of being “fine-tuned”?

This week (September 20th ) on The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer will discuss religious freedom. Our special guests are Andrew Kubick and Nathaniel Hurd, both of the Religious Freedom Institute.Kubick is Deputy Director, National Center for Religious Freedom Education, and a Research Fellow in Bioethics and Medical Conscience. He has a Ph.D. in Bioethics from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He has published in The Catholic Journal on Religious Freedom and Health Care, Dignitas, Ethics & Medics, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Public Discourse, and St. John Paul II Journal of Bioethics. Nathaniel Hurd is Director of the North America Action Team and Senior Fellow for Public Policy for the Religious Freedom Institute. He holds a Masters of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Hurd worked as Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In addition to advising Senators and Representatives, he directed hearings, monitored elections in Europe, and represented the United States with the United Nations and World Bank. He has spent time overseas with many survivors of violence who were forced to flee from their homes.The questions for our visitors include the following. Feel free to suggest others!What led to your interest in, and professional commitment to, religious freedom?Why should governments have a special regard for religious freedom? Isn't it sufficient to secure civil liberties?Do you have a working definition of religion?Do you recognize a right not to profess a religion?Many see religion as a private affair and are willing to recognize it as such. Does religion, properly understood, have a public dimension? If so, what follows?How is it that religion often becomes entangled with nationalism?Should Christians advocate for the religious freedom of Muslims? Of Buddhists?A noted liberal scholar, the late John Rawls, contends that treating one's faith as the overarching good of one's life is a form of fanaticism. Indeed, he identifies St. Ignatius Loyola as a fanatic. How would you respond to Rawls?In today's world, is the secular state a political safe haven for religious freedom?What are the prospects for religious freedom in Pakistan, Nigeria, and China?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss how to best respond to people who are devalued due to intellectual or physical impairment, mental disorders, age, and poverty. Our welcome guest is Jo Massarelli. She leads Social Role Valorization workshops both in the United States and internationally. She has also evaluated dozens of human service programs for schools, hospices, prisons, and homeless shelters. Massarelli and her husband Marc Tumeinski are members of a voluntary community responding the needs of the homeless in Worcester, Massachusetts.Valerie Niemeyer was blessed to meet Jo and her husband, Marc Tumeinski, in Omaha after the interview with Marc on The Open Door. Henry, Valerie's 18 year old, joined her and met a few of Jo's colleagues. Could you tell us about that weekend event? Why did it happen in my home city of Omaha?Can you tell us more about Wolf Wolfensburger? How did he influence you?What is the status of the social role valorization movement here and abroad?What are the goals of the International Social Role Valorization Association? How might folks support its work?You are part of a local Catholic Worker community. What can you tell us about it?What connections do you see between Wolf Wolfensburger and Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement?Do folks in the social role valorization movement and the Catholic Worker movement face similar challenges?What patterns contribute to greater or lesser "success" within the two movements? And how would you define "success" in these contexts?Tell us about your conference this summer. And what's on the agenda for next summer's conference?Any last thoughts, invitations, or reading suggestions for our audience?

In this episode of The Open Door , without special fuss, and certainly without making a scene, we'll explore the life and times of the man behind the scenes. Our welcome guest is our producer and, indeed, the producer of the full range of WCAT Radio & Television programs. The President of En Route Books and Media, the peripatetic Sebastian Mahfood, OP, Ph.D., will join us! Though his heart is in East Texas, St. Louis is the launching pad of his projects and peregrinations. He lives there with his wife, Dr. Stephanie Mahfood, and their children, Alexander and Eva Ruth. Among the questions we'll be asking are the following. Dr. Mahfood, Sebastian, could you tell us about your roots and introduce us to your family?How did you become a lay Dominican and what does it mean for you?Back in the day, and our audience should hear it directly, you wrestled professionally. Were you, even then, a voice from the periphery?Turning away from the distractions of youth, you left the ring for the groves of academe. Your tenure at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Holy Apostles College & Seminary was rich: teacher, administrator, and pioneer developer of on-line academic programs. Could you share with us the highlights of your career?You've authored half a dozen books of special interest. To name a few: Catholic Realism, The Narrative Spirituality of Dante's Divine Comedy and Missionary Priests in the Homeland: Our Call to Receive. Could you explain their themes to our audience?The Open Door, we understand, is your longest running WCAT Radio program. How did it start? What is its future?You are not one to let the grass grow under your feet. Could you tell us about your travels, especially in Africa and Europe?Before your retirement, what was the nature of your work as a professor of interdisciplinary and intercultural studies?How does the Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology feature in your professional life?What's next for your publishing house and radio station?Some links: https://www.enroutebooksandmedia.comhttps://www.wcatradio.comhttps://www.faithscience.org

In this episode of The Open Door , panelists Jim Hanink and Valierie Niemeyer interview Lauren Onak, the new vice presidential candidate of the American Solidarity Party. Lauren was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She studied English Literature at Barnard College of Columbia University and received a Masters in Adolescent Education from Hunter College. Onak is a stay at home mom to three young children and lives in the Boston suburbs. She teaches natural family planning and is active in several community organizations. Among the questions we'll be asking are the following. Please feel free to ask your own!Lauren, can you share some of your back story with us? Back before you joined the American Solidarity Party? Tell us about your discernment process when invited to represent the American Solidarity Party as vice presidential candidate alongside Peter Sonski. Why did you say yes to such a weighty commitment?The American Solidarity Party believes strongly in the principle of subsidiarity, a principle that reflects the social teaching of the Catholic Church. How do you explain subsidiarity to folks who aren't familiar with it?How do strong communities relate to this principle of subsidiarity?We also affirm the importance of solidarity, and living it out both personally and collectively. Can you give us some examples of what solidarity looks like or could look like from the personal to the national and even international level?Dorothy Day, the co-founder of The Catholic Worker Movement, once said that we don't want to trade one poverty for a worse poverty. What do you think that she meant? At one point Day also said that more than ever she believed we need to foster personal responsibility. How can we balance that with concrete expressions of personal and collective solidarity?How does the evangelical counsel of a personal and even communal commitment to voluntary poverty relate to this dynamic?As a stay-at-home mother, how have you sought to strengthen the communities in which you live? What are your hopes for the future in that regard?What's it like so far on the campaign trail?

In this episode of The Open Door (July 26th), panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes talk about children's literature, writing for a popular audience, and Lady Philosophy. Our guest is Susanna Spencer. She has a Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Spencer is both a writer and the content and theological editor for Blessed is She. In addition, she co-authored the children's book, Rise Up: Shining in Virtue. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her philosophy professor husband and four children. You'll find her online at her National Catholic Register author page.The following are among the questions we'll be asking. What led you to study theology at Franciscan University? And how did you find the experience?Could you introduce us to Blessed is She? How does being both a writer and editor work?You've just published, with Blessed is She, your first book, Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew. How did it come about?Have you used your co-authored children's book, Rise Up: Shining in Virtue, with your own children? How does St. Thomas Aquinas inspire this book?Let's go from the particular to the general! What is your favorite literature for children? And how do you form your children in the Western tradition through literature?As a frequent book reviewer, what are some of your favorite books and who are your favorite authors?What's it like to live with Lady Philosophy”? Just who is she? And can Athens have anything to do with Jerusalem?You are hard at work on a book about virtue ethics. What are the key themes that you are exploring?You've noted that you write for a popular audience. Might we say that Scripture is written for a popular audience? And did Shakespeare write for a popular audience?Let's close with a bonus question. Are there way more mosquitoes in Minnesota than out-of-staters suppose?

On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss “the prosperity Gospel” as the tip of an unholy alliance between individualism in theology and philosophy and capitalism in economics. This alliance reaches into the larger culture, including education, science, and the arts. We have a welcome and returning guest, Thomas Storck, to help us. He's the author of several books, most recently The Prosperity Gospel: How Greed and Bad Philosophy Distorted Christ's Teachings (TAN, 2023). Arouca Press published a revised edition of his Foundations of a Catholic Political Order last year. In addition, he recently translated and wrote a new forward for Louis Cardinal Billot's Liberalism: A Critique of Its Basic Principles and Various Forms (Arouca Press, 2019). Storck is a prolific contributor to the New Oxford Review. And, to top it off, he's associated with the American Solidarity Party. We'll be asking the following questions. Please feel free to suggest your own!Just what is “the prosperity Gospel,” and who are some of its current proponentsYou note that some central elements in our culture give rise to the prosperity Gospel. Just how do you define “culture”?What is a bourgeois culture? A consumerist culture?You draw on the work of Max Weber. Why is Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism of special significance?What happens to a culture that loses sight of teleology?6Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his opinion in the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey: “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” What does this declaration imply?Why do you claim that technology is not neutral?Fewer and fewer students major in the humanities. What are the social consequences of this steep decline?Is there room in art for expressive individualism?What's your next book?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer explore the relation between faith and science from the perspective of philosophy, especially Thomism. Our welcome guest is Prof. Paul Julienne. He is a groundbreaking quantum physics researcher long affiliated with the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland. He was recently elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences for his exceptional original research. Julienne helped establish the science of ultracold matter, which investigates atoms and molecules near absolute zero. Among the questions we'll ask our guest are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own! Let's start with some philosophy. As an Anglican, how did you come to be a Thomist?How do you understand the nature of knowledge? And what is truth?Let's continue with some science. Could you first tell us something about the kind of science you do?Given that today's science depends on advanced mathematics, and given that many people live on the verge of innumeracy, can we expect the general population to have even a working understanding of, say, physics and chemistry?Just what counts as a scientific explanation?What is the difference between efficient and final causation? Is there any place for the latter in science?Do scientists presuppose the intelligibility of nature? Is a belief in God's activity in the natural world at odds with that presupposition? Scientists have research programs. How has a research program shaped your own work?Does Christianity offer believers anything comparable to a research program?Are there any science related jokes that you would like to share with us?

This week on The Open Door (June 14 th ), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the ongoing pro-life struggle. There's much to consider. We'll explore the role of nonviolent direct action. In addition, we'll tackle the question of the personhood of the pre-born human being. Of late, Pope Francis has commented on this question. Our special guest is Monica Migliorino Miller. She has recently been released from jail; her “crime” was taking part in a Red Rose Rescue. Miller holds graduate degrees in Theology from Loyola University and Marquette University and teaches theology at SacredHeart Major Seminary in Detroit. She is the author of The Theology of the Passion of the Christ (Alba House), The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church (Emmaus Road), and Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars (St. Benedict Press). Miller's article “It's Time the Church Declared the Personhood of the Unborn” appears in the May issue of the New Oxford Review.1. Could you tell us about the Red Rose Rescue that landed you in jail?2. Does today's widespread acceptance of abortion express what Hannah Arendt famously called “the banality of evil”?3. What is your message for people who are thinking about joining a rescue action?4. Pope Francis affirms that the unborn baby is a human being but seems hesitant aboutacknowledging that he or she is a person. Why?5. Just what is ensoulment?6. Could you comment on Boethius's definition of a person as an individual substance of a rational kind?7. You note Vatican II's teaching that abortion, among other grave wrongs, “violates theintegrity of the human person.” Has this language been forgotten?8. St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, teaches that “to kill a human being,”as abortion does, “in whom the image of God is present, is a particularly serious sin.” Heteaches as well that “Disregard for the right to life, precisely because it leads to thekilling of the person whom society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the possibility of achieving the common good.” Is this teaching sufficiently authoritative to establish the personhood of the unborn?9. Isn't every human being a person?10. What steps might we take to urge that the Church dogmatically recognize the personhood of the unborn human being?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss racial reparations. Our special and returning guest is Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He specializes in religion and global politics with a focus on reconciliation, the political behavior of religious actors, and Christian political theology. His books include Revolutions in Sovereignty (Princeton, 2001), Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation (Oxford, 2012), and Religious Freedom in Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World (Oxford, 2019). Most recently he has authored an essay titled “A Christian Case for Racial Reparations.” (An abstract is posted below.) Among the questions we'll be asking are the following:1. Is racism in America both like and unlike original sin?2. What does it mean for a nation, rather than a person, to apologize for a wrongaction? Might a refusal to apologize constitute a structure of sin?3. What does it mean for one nation to forgive another nation?4. Can you give us a working definition of “reparations”?5. On your view, an historical injustice violates the natural law. What if a nationdoes not recognize the natural law? Might it still have a basis for reparations?6. What do you mean by the expression “a standing wound of injustice”? How canwe best respond to such a wound?7. Can we say, without racial prejudice, that some cultures are in some respectssuperior to others? Here one might think of the unique contribution of classicalGreek philosophy to Christian theology.8. Should we believe that injustice's greatest damage is to the wrongdoer? If thisview is true, what reason do we have to also punish the wrongdoer?9. You write that “Justice in the Bible…is understood best through the words sedeq(or its feminine equivalent, sedeqah) in Hebrew and dikaiosune in Greek, whichtranslate to comprehensive right relationship.” Is this important in discussingreparations?10. Can you spell out why you think that “It is entirely plausible to attribute vastinequalities in wealth, position, and opportunity faced by African-Americanstoday to historical injustices faced within the past two generations”?11. Should the principle of subsidiarity play a role in making reparations?12. What are some specific forms that reparations might take?13. What might be some specific forms of forgiveness?14. Can we appeal to the concept of covenant in a secularized society?Abstract: National healing for the persistent wounds of racism, America's original sin,can be advanced through a national apology, reparations and forgiveness. The frequentpractice of apologies and reparations around the world in the past generation provideprecedent for such measures. Christianity's teaching of reconciliation and accompanyingnotions of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and atonement provide a strong moral basis forthese measures and resonate with the rationales through which the United States'sgreatest champions of civil rights and equality have fought against racism and slavery.Because racism and slavery were supported with the sanction of the state, in the nameof the collective body, measures of repair may now be performed by the state, in thename of the collective body. Questions of who pays, who receives, and what formreparations take are important ones and can be answered adequately. Throughcollective apology, reparations, and forgiveness, the United States would enact andrenew its national covenant, acting in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, FrederickDouglass, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Next up on The Open Door (May 10th), we discuss a theology of disability and its philosophical commitments. How is it that we can best see and serve disabled persons? What lessons can they, in turn, teach us? Our welcome guest is Dr. Marc Tumeinski of Anna Maria College and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. His doctoral research brought together in ecumenical dialogue the writings of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and John Howard Yoder. Among the questions we will ask are the following. 1. Dr. Tumeinski, Marc, if we may, could you please tell us a bit about Anna Maria College and its mission?2. How did you come to your special focus on disabilities?3. You collaborate closely with your wife, Jo Massarelli. Do her interests and skills complement your own?4. Can you explain “Social Role Valorization”? And would you introduce us to the SRV Journal?5. What connections do you see between peacemaking, the Church, and Christians with impairments?6. You have put forward an ethical analysis of the use of physical and mechanical restraints in care of disabled people. Could you describe current practices in the use of restraints and the reforms you propose?7. Drawing on St. John of Damascus, St. Thomas Aquinas explains our being made in God's image with reference to our capacities for reason and free choice. What does his account mean in case of people with severe disabilities?8. The theologian Pia Matthews contends that Patristic resources emphasize the discerning, rather than the defining, of persons. What do you think of this emphasis?9. A significant number of homeless people suffer from both severe mental illness and long term drug addiction. What guidelines would you propose for responding to homeless persons with this “dual diagnosis”?10. How can the Church serve, to use Joseph Ratzinger's phrase, as a creative minority?

In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer interview Peter Sonski concerning his candidacy for the American Solidarity Party's 2024 Presidential Nomination (April 26, 2023)This week on The Open Door (April 26) we advance our discussion of politics, America's daunting needs, and the dynamics of the American Solidarity Party. Our welcome guest is Peter Sonski, a candidate for the Party's 2024 presidential nomination. (Trump gets indicted, Biden dithers, but we move forward!) Mr. Sonski, a New England native, is married and has nine adult children. He has a Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree from The Catholic University of America. His professional experience is in journalism, public relations, and business administration. Peter is concluding his second term as an elected member of Connecticut's Regional School District 17 board of education. The following are among the questions we'll ask Mr.Sonski.Peter, you've been both a Democrat and a Republican. What led you to the American Solidarity Party?What does it mean for your faith to inform your public policy views, especially on life and social justice issues?In Connecticut there has been a concerted effort to legalize assisted suicide. How have you worked to affirm the good of life in order to block that effort?What concrete initiatives do you support in order to address the needs of families?You are on record as supporting a broad ownership economy. Just what does this mean and how would you help bring it about?What hurdles does the American Solidarity Party find in gaining ballot access?In your efforts to grow the Party in size and influence, how can you simultaneously avoid academic flights of fancy and the dumbing down of contemporary political discourse?St. John Paul II has had a strong influence on your political vision. Could you spell out some of the lessons you have learned from him?If you are the Party's presidential nominee, what will count for you as running a successful campaign in 2024?Where do you see the American Solidarity Party a decade from now?