Podcasts about Thomas Merton

Meld je nu aan voor ons live-event op vrijdag 21 november in Utrecht, via centre-erasme.nl/eventNatuur en klimaat zijn thema's waarbij je vooral moeizame blikken krijgt. Want het gaat natuurlijk snel over wat allemaal niet goed gaat – en dat is helaas veel. Opwarming van de aarde, afname biodiversiteit, het verdwijnen van landschappen. En het wordt snel technisch en beschouwend: CO2-uitstoot, toxische stoffen, planetaire grenzen. Als we niet uitkijken wordt de natuur niet meer dan technisch studieobject. “Mijn haren rijzen te berge en de ogen van mijn ziel zijn wijd open, ik ben aanwezig, zonder het te beseffen, in dit onuitsprekelijke paradijs, en ik neem dit geheim waar, dit wijd open geheim dat er voor iedereen is, gratis, en niemand schenkt er aandacht aan.” Thomas Merton werd na een bewogen leven vol seks en drank, in 1941 monnik in de Amerikaanse staat Kentucky. In 1948 verscheen zijn autobiografie De Louteringsberg, dat een wereldwijde bestseller werd. Tot aan zijn dood eind jaren 60, sprak hij zich uit over thema's als atoombewapening, de economische uitbuiting van het mondiale zuiden, rassendiscriminatie. In deze aflevering van de Podcast Filosofie kijken we naar de natuur, door de bril van Thomas Merton Dat doen we in samenwerking met het Titus Brandsma Instituut en stichting Socires. Naar aanleiding van de intellectuele biografie van Titus Brandsma, geschreven door Inigo Bocken. In deze aflevering ontvangt Allard Amelink, samen met Willem de Witte, Kick Bras, emeritus predikant en als onderzoeker gelieerd aan het Titus Brandsma Instituut te Nijmegen. En hij is schrijver van Onuitsprekelijk Paradijs. Over de groene spiritualiteit van Thomas Merton. 

"…books contain words only. And yet there is something else which gives value to the books. Not the words only, nor the thought in the words, but something else within the thought, swinging it in a certain direction that words cannot apprehend." — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 82 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

In this sermon we continue our series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from the Psalms and Luke's gospel alongside of some words from Isaac the Syrian. I play with the idea that the gospel calls us not so much to hang on but to let go, with the help of Richard Rohr, Thomas Merton, Viktor Frankl, and a song by a band called Switchfoot. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words. 

Meet the leader of the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport, currently serving thousands of individuals and families each year through their soup kitchen, food pantry, and supportive community programs. Find out how your help might just be just a PBJ away!

Today, our For the People partners at Impact Fairfield County will join us touting their Fall Kick-off November 5th for members and those who want to be - along with inviting qualifying nonprofits to apply for their current round of grants. Learn how this collective giving organization is empowering women of Fairfield County in local philanthropy - and what a difference those contributions are making in our own neighborhoods. Then we'll connect with the leader of the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport. Listen and learn how this vital organization is addressing food insecurity, homelessness and highlighting innovative ways Bridgeport area neighbors are helping one another. And we'll wrap with the second segment in our Domestic Violence Awareness Month series featuring The Center for Empowerment & Education, bringing prevention education and front line response and support to thousands across central western Connecticut.

“For emptiness, stillness, tranquility, tastelessness, silence, and non-action are the root of all things.”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 81   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

What's the difference between creative tension that births new possibilities and destructive polarization that tears everything apart? Recorded during the Libra full moon, this conversation examines how the same dualistic forces that allow the universe to express itself, positive and negative poles creating illumination, can become weapons when we forget we're part of a unified field. The discussion begins with a fundamental principle: the One expresses itself through dual aspects, like spirit and matter forming a continuum. Think of a light bulb, it requires both positive and negative poles to create illumination. That tension between opposites isn't a problem to solve, it Is the creative mechanism of existence itself. The challenge comes when we identify with only one pole and see the other as enemy, rather than partner. Using the metaphor of America as a bird with two wings, this conversation examines what happens when each wing thinks it IS the whole bird and tries to damage the other, which sees that the bird crashes and burns. Perhaps most relevant for our current political and social climate, the episode addresses how we've become addicted to hatred and violence, feeding the very polarization that's tearing communities and families apart. Drawing from Mother Teresa, Buddha, and Thomas Merton, the discussion explores how our thoughts literally emit energetic and chemical pollutants into the collective field. When enough people project hatred, it precipitates like rain—we create what's described as a "reign of hatred" that poisons the very ocean in which we all swim. The conversation offers a way forward through Libra's spiritual motto: "I choose the way that leads between the two great lines of force." This isn't about compromising principles or finding a mushy middle ground, but about walking what's called the "razor's edge path" and living with such integrity that there's no deviation between your inner truth and outer actions. It's an invitation to examine your own relationship with polarity and asking, "Are you using the creative tension of opposing forces to build something greater, or have you become so identified with one side that you've forgotten we're all fragments trying to find our way home to the One?" Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

Trilhar um caminho que vai da alienação perante Deus até o resgate do "Paraíso Perdido".Thomas Merton vai então usar o "Mito do paraíso perdido" como símbolo da condição espiritual do Ser Humano.  O paraíso perdido não como lugar geográfico do passado, mas como uma realidade interior esquecida. O mito fala da queda da consciência.

Fr. Allen Hoffa joins Patrick to discuss Apologetics: How to Defend the Faith What is apologetics? (13:02) John - Question about the blessed mother. Very detailed in 2 gospels. Where did this detailed info come from? Was it primarily dictated from the Blessed Mother? (22:00) Break 2 Duke - How do we know about the afterlife? Does our soul go to heaven or reincarnated? (27:01) Leslie - My son just left the church after several years after trying to convince son to become Catholic. Joined whatever his girlfriend is with. What do you do with that? How do you bring him back? Ed - Cradle Catholic. Recently finding my faith. Went to Catholic school and now reading scripture and bible and getting back to faith. Watching the Chosen and brother was asking me questions. Asked about Jesus being Jewish and why was he Jewish. Trying to talk to people with kindness and love. (36:36) Break 2 How do you approach apologetics with each group of people? (43:47) Mary Lou - I do apologetics a lot as a hairdresser. I was evangelized into the church 'quietly.' 5 people displayed holy, lovely, reverent attitude toward God. I'd have to ask them to give me more. Someone gave me a copy of a Thomas Merton book, and that was it...it was a conversion. Very happy ever since. Margaret-Mary - Now that I'll be 84 in December, this is the time in my life that I live in a Baptist community in NC. I am very proud of my Catholic faith. I'm professing Catholicism as I reach heaven. I was in religious life for 5 years. Was married and have children. Apologetics scared me. I understand it now and the Holy spirit is guiding me now that I have time to listen to RR and discern my faith.

What am I living for?   “both lost their original nature”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 78   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

Am I approaching life's situations from a place of fear or Love?   “When a hideous man becomes a father And a son is born to him In the middle of the night He trembles and lights a lamp And runs to look in anguish On that child's face To see whom he resembles.”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 77   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

This lecture focuses on the concept of holiness, emphasizing its importance in the Christian faith through a detailed examination of 1 Peter 1:13-16 and its historical context. The speaker begins by highlighting the call to holiness, urging the audience to prepare their minds for action and to exercise self-control, underlining that their lives should reflect obedience as “God's obedient children.” The message stresses the need for a transformative mindset that moves away from past behaviors, with the speaker quoting scriptures to reinforce the imperative: “You must be holy because I am holy.”Transitioning from the scriptural foundation, the lecture draws on Thomas Merton's reflections on a conversation with a Hindu man named Brahmachari, who claimed that the impact of Christian missionaries in India was minimal due to a lack of holiness among them. This provocative viewpoint sets the stage for the speaker to explore the broader implications of holiness in Christian life and ministry. The emphasis here is on the urgency to cultivate holiness, paralleling it with church planting, suggesting that while establishing good systems is necessary, the true foundation should be the pursuit of becoming saints—individuals marked by the holiness of God.The discussion is situated within the context of a Core Value series, where spirituality intersects with community identity. The speaker notes recent cultural trends that show a growing interest in depth and authenticity among younger generations, alluding to a shift from mere skillfulness to a deeper pursuit of a "full-fat faith" that prioritizes holiness. The lecture further articulates the challenges faced by early Christians, highlighting the societal pressures of the time and encouraging perseverance in faith to anticipate the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ.As the narrative progresses, the speaker presents a multi-faceted exploration of what holiness means. Drawing connections with the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus, the lecture points out that holiness signifies distinction for a special purpose. The speaker invokes the idea that God's people are called to exhibit different behaviors and mindsets, reminiscent of their unique identity as a reflection of God's character. Illustrative anecdotes underscore the distinction between the mundane and the sacred, asserting that holiness encapsulates a transformative relationship with God, driven by His grace and love rather than human merit.The lecture intricately weaves together historical anecdotes, biblical texts, and personal experiences, illustrating that holiness is not just about external compliance but also internal renovation through the Holy Spirit's influence. The speaker conveys that genuine holiness stems from spending time with Jesus and allowing His life to permeate every aspect of a believer's existence. The idea of cooperation with God in cultivating character is emphasized as a pivotal aspect of the Christian journey.In closing, the speaker challenges the congregation to reflect on their personal experiences and the state of their spiritual growth. The call to holiness is framed as a communal endeavor, encouraging the audience to seek a deeper relationship with God that spills over into their community. The lecture concludes with a poignant prayer for the Spirit's empowerment to facilitate this transformation, reinforcing the theme that a life marked by holiness is what will ultimately serve the good of the city and glorify God. Through comprehensive engagement with scripture and practical applications, the message resonates as a call to action for contemporary believers to embody holiness in all areas of life.

In this episode, I sit with the words of Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, writer, and mystic whose reflections on faith, identity, and community continue to resonate decades after his death. Merton warns against what he calls “the heresy of individualism,” the temptation to define ourselves only by what we're not, to build our lives on separation and judgment. His challenge struck me deeply, because I've lived that temptation:  shrinking myself, building an island of “no,” and cutting myself off from connection. In this conversation, I explore what it means to move off the island, to see others as mirrors, and to rediscover the breath of the Spirit by starting with yes. If this episode meant something to you, I'd love it if you'd take a second to like, subscribe, and leave a review, it really helps more people find the show. If you would like to reach out to me you can drop me a line at clemenzwithaz@gmail.com or drop a DM at the clemenz with a "Z" instagram page.   You can head over to https://gofund.me/7ebb0524 every bit helps. And if you're looking for more reflection, honesty, and spiritual wrestling, check out my Substack: Devotionals for the Deconstructing & Disillusioned, it's a space for people who still have soul, but no longer fit in the boxes they were handed. Thanks for being here.

From St. Peter Claver to Thomas Merton, see how God's love transforms the way we see others.Morning Offering, September 9, 2025Every morning, join Father Brad as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Brad guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Disclaimer: The ads shown before, during, or after this video have no affiliation with Morning Offering and are controlled by YouTubeLet us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)________________

Filmmaker Morgan Atkinson discusses the reason that the writings of Thomas Merton inspired him to convert to Catholicism, why he made a documentary titled “In the Company of Change” about the Ursuline Sisters and his friend Sister Martha Buser, and why the teachings of the Ursuline's founder, St. Angela Merici, are still relevant today.

“…They lived freely together giving and taking, and did not know that they were generous.”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 76   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

“…fall into Unbeginning.”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 75   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

Check out this great show form August 29, 2023 Father Rob Kroll joins Patrick to discuss Contemplation (4:03) What is Prayer? How do the three types of prayer, vocal, meditative and contemplative, connect with each other. (20:02) Rosemary - My mind is either blank many times or I start thinking about things going on in my day and get discouraged. (25:41) Break 1 How can you rest in the Lords presence by blanking your mind. (32:02) Carlos - First time practicing contemplation this morning. Amazed at what he received from the Lord. Glad you're talking about this today. Terri - When I try contemplative prayer, I almost feel like it's offensive to God like not giving it all. (39:13) Break 2 Monica - Has 8 kids. Homeschooled. Very busy and really longing to grow in prayer. It started with sleeping, washing dishes, being with children and coming into union with God. (46:52) Anna - Prayer also begins with what we do before or after prayer. How much time to we spend being stimulated by the world? Resources: Fr. Thomas Merton, Contemplative Prayer https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/351723.Contemplative_Prayer CS Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Malcolm-Chiefly-C-S-Lewis/dp/0156027666 Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M., Prayer Primer https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/prayer-primer-igniting-a-fire-within Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M., Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel—on Prayer​ https://ignatius.com/fire-within-fwp/ Fr. Jacques Philippe, Time for God https://scepterpublishers.org/products/copy-of-time-for-god?srsltid=AfmBOopzvCN9XxB6XBd3ZwdGmgZznUzCbOAdZHvTO-f_wu2_Duyi9qLe&variant=42370443542705 Peter Kreeft, Prayer for Beginners https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/prayer-for-beginners Fr. Thomas Acklin and Fr. Boniface Hicks, Personal prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father's Love https://stpaulcenter.com/product/personal-prayer-a-guide-for-receiving-the-fathers-love/

We explore how we can signal dedication to an aim by putting our money where our mouth is—though it’s important to note that merely spending money isn’t enough. We also share listeners' delightfully surprising answers about what they do for fun. Plus we tackle a fascinating Rebel dilemma: having a spirit of resistance against something she actually really does want to do. Resources & links related to this episode: Wheel of Names Puppy Potty Log A Little Happier: How Teachers Changed the Lives of Steve Carrell and Adrienne Kennedy Sign-up for my "5-Things" newsletter here Elizabeth is reading: Full House by Janet Evanovich (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton by Jim Forest (Amazon) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Strange indeed: Nothingness who was not sent, who did not work to find it, had the night-colored Pearl!”  — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 74   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

What do a punk rock lyric and the teachings of Jesus have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, inspired by Frank Turner's raw line from “1933”:  “Be suspicious of simple answers, that shit's for fascists (and maybe teenagers)”.  We dive headfirst into the beauty and challenge of the messy middle. From the “greatest commandment” conversation in the Gospels to the wisdom of mystics like Teresa of Ávila, Thomas Merton, and Richard Rohr, this is an invitation to live in the tension, embrace complexity, and resist the lure of easy answers. If you've ever felt like life, faith, and God are anything but simple, you're in good company. If this episode meant something to you, I'd love it if you'd take a second to like, subscribe, and leave a review, it really helps more people find the show. If you would like to reach out to me you can drop me a line at clemenzwithaz@gmail.com or drop a DM at the clemenz with a "Z" instagram page.   You can head over to https://gofund.me/7ebb0524 every bit helps. And if you're looking for more reflection, honesty, and spiritual wrestling, check out my Substack: Devotionals for the Deconstructing & Disillusioned, it's a space for people who still have soul, but no longer fit in the boxes they were handed. Thanks for being here.

“That which is not, goes his way. That which moves is what he stands on. Great is small for him, long is short for him, and all his distances are near.” — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 73   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

While Scott is on vacation he is sharing meditations from the Living Compass app. Here is a beautiful meditation from Brother David Steindl-Rast. Br. David Steindl-Rast, known around the world as “The Grandfather of Gratitude,” is a Benedictine monk and the pioneer of interfaith dialogue. He worked intimately with other great spiritual teachers like His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Thomas Keating. Gratefulness, he discovered, is the common thread in all religions. The author of more than a dozen books, including Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and You Are Here, Br. David has taught about the grateful life for more than 50 years. Learn more at www.grateful.org You can find the content of the Living Compass app online at https://app.livingcompass.org You download the app for your phone at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/living-compass/id6738334257 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.livingcompass&hl=en    

Author, mystic, monk -- Thomas Merton wrote 70 books, made millions, and never kept a cent. And he had a profound impact on my life. He still does.From Merton: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.– Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude, page 79.

Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity… withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence of God. - Thomas Merton

It's been nearly a year since we asked our subscribers to send us questions for a mailbag episode—which they did, with remarkable thoughtfulness and intelligence, for our 100th episode back in September 2024. A lot has happened since then (to say the least), so we wanted to once again open up the mailbag and find out what was on the minds of Know Your Enemy listeners, who sent too many excellent questions for just one episode—so, if you like what you hear, consider subscribing on Patreon to listen our next bonus episode when we'll answer even more of them.In this round of listener questions, we take up how much Trump has kept his campaign promises, our favorite bourbons, the politics of Judaism, St. Augustine and original sin, novelists (gay and straight), and more!Sources and further reading:Christopher Isherwood, The Berlin Stories (1945)— A Single Man (1964)Don Bachardy, Last Drawings of Christopher Isherwood (1990)Edmund White, City Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960s and '70s (2009)— A Boy's Own Story (1982)— The Beautiful Room is Empty (1988)— The Farewell Symphony (1997)— The Married Man (2000)Walker Percy, Love in the Ruins (1971)— Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book (1983)Henri du Lubac, Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man (1962)Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation (1949)— Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1968)Sam Adler-Bell, "The Father of All Secrets," The Baffler, Dec 2022. — "The Essential John le Carré," NYTimes, Jul 12, 2023.Henry Roth, Call It Sleep, (1930)Javier Marías, A Heart So White, (1995)Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, (2000)Percival Everett, Erasure, (2001)...and don't forget to subscribe to Know Your Enemy on Patreon to listen to all of our bonus episodes!

Dr. Angela Logan - Is your spiritual life too spiritual? If the incarnation of Jesus means anything, it's that we don't become holier by being less human. And the abundant life that Jesus came to share with us is one that involves our whole selves as we heal, grow and learn how to flourish. This series will explore some specific examples of a real world spirituality, shared from the experiences of our teachers who are working these things out in real time in their own lives. Through the use of the Parable of the Sower, along with quotes from Pope Leo XIV, Thomas Merton, and Octavia Butler, Dr. Angela shares how she, and we, can reconnect with our spirituality, and God, through a container garden. What's Happening Join us on Discord! Make sure that your display name is your first+last name and add an “avatar” (profile picture). If you can't see the collective and forum channels, you have not been verified. If you need help, email mariah@southbendcitychurch.com. Check out our volunteer opportunities, ranging from hospitality to communion to Kid's Ministry to safety and everything in between. Support the ongoing work of SBCC by giving to the general fund. South Bend City Church is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Make sure to select the correct fund when giving.

“His glory is in knowing that all things come together in one, and life and death are equal.” — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 71   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

Lectio Divina (“divine reading” in Latin) is a centuries-old tradition of being inspired by reflecting on the text of a scripture. It may also be considered in terms of “reading” creation and what Thomas Merton called the “calligraphy of nature.” Merton (1915-1968) was a Catholic monastic and mystic whose writing impacted vast numbers of Christians by introducing them to a perspective on Eastern traditions they had never been exposed to before. He used his journaling as a portal into prayer, an entryway to clarity of thinking and love for God. He acknowledged times of doubt, fear, and anger and wrote with self-honesty and courage through it all. Merton walked a razor's edge in monastic life as his writings were subject to censorship in the Church. He met Tibetan Buddhist masters, considered Zen, Hindu, and Sufi teachings, and reported his own nondual experience. He wrote about the Vietnam war and had communications with Martin Luther King, Joan Baez, and many other public figures and writers. Merton stayed the course within the Catholic Church, sensing that God had placed him where he was. He was much loved by those resonant with the roots of mystical Christianity and maligned by those who were rigid and felt he had gone outside of the bounds of his faith. His overriding context was that all of life is a play of God. He felt that our desire to go where God wants us to go is praise of God and that “The gate of heaven is everywhere.” Journaling can be a way of communicating with the deep self, our highest self. Prompts were given to those who attended the talk, and some shared their journaling about “what I know and don't know about prayer.” Regina Sara Ryan was the editor of Hohm Press for 35 years. She is a workshop leader, retreat guide, and author of The Woman Awake, Igniting the Inner Life, Praying Dangerously, Only God, and other books.

“If men would stay as they really are, taking or leaving these eight delights would make no difference. But if they will not rest in their right state, the eight delights develop like malignant tumors. — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 71   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

This Sunday's worship service concludes our 4-week summer series, "Prayer for People Who Have Trouble Praying."Prayer isn't easy. But it's possible for everyone of us to learn how to pray. When we spend time with the world's "great" prayers, they teach us what it sounds like for us to faithfully address our God.This Sunday, we explore one of the 20th century monk Thomas Merton's most beloved prayers. The "Merton Prayer" is a full-throated embrace of doubt and uncertainty--which makes the faith it expresses all the more life-giving. Rev. Lewicki, preaching..

What if uncertainty could still lead us to God? Merton's prayer is striking in its vulnerability ("I have no idea where I am going"), yet it also affirms that our desire to please God is enough, even in our ignorance.Questions for Reflection:  1. Did you know much about Thomas Merton before today's sermon? What surprised you about his life and witness?2. Can you think of a time when you were unsure if you were being faithful or obedient to God, but knew in your heart that you were trying to orient your life to God's will and God's ways? What was that like?3. How might God be inviting you to use this prayer (or another one from our series) in your daily faith walk?Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

 This week on Beyond the Sermon, Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans and Mat Hotho share stories of uncertainty, reflection, and the surprising ways God shows up along the way. Inspired by the prayer of Thomas Merton, they talk about letting go of control and learning to trust—even when we don't know where the path leads. Whether you're standing at a crossroads or just looking for space to breathe, this episode invites you to find meaning in the journey, not just the destination.Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

“Now the whole world is not enough reward for the ‘good,' nor enough punishment for the ‘wicked.' … How can they find time to be human?” — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 70   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

Handling Change: Embracing unpredictability through the lens of the welcoming prayerPrayer and Action: Why a true prayer life leads to action, and how activism should drive us back to prayerIdentity and Memory: The myth of hyper-individuality and why our identity is held collectively—by others and by GodResources Recommended:Contemplation in a World of Action by Thomas MertonThe Active Life by Parker PalmerClosing Poem: A meditation on friendship as one of life's most valuable treasures Links For Justin:Order In The Low - NEW Book with Scott EricksonCoaching with JustinOrder In Rest - New Book of PoemsOrder Sacred StridesJustinMcRoberts.comSupport this podcastNEW Single - Let GoNEW Music - Sliver of HopeNEW Music - The Dood and The BirdThe Book - It Is What You Make itHearts and Minds Amazon Barnes and Noble

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are.” — Brené BrownIn this episode of The Wholehearted Series, we explore the foundational guidepost of living a brave, connected life: Cultivating Authenticity by letting go of what people think.Authenticity isn't a personality trait—it's a daily, courageous practice. It requires self-awareness, self-acceptance, and the willingness to disappoint others rather than abandon ourselves.We'll dive into:What happens when we lack self-awareness and self-knowledgeHow our need for belonging can lead to self-abandonmentToxic guilt, false responsibility, and people-pleasingWhy spiritual formation starts with knowing and accepting yourselfHow self-acceptance sets you free from performance and perfectionismThe cultural and church dynamics that can cause us to mask our true selvesMy personal stories of coming back to Australia, navigating cultural differences, and relearning what it means to belong without betraying myselfThis episode weaves in wisdom from saints, mystics, therapists, and theologians—from St. Teresa of Ávila to Thomas Merton and Pete Scazzero—alongside practical insights on how guilt, fear, and inherited expectations shape our identity.We ask deep questions like:Who did I learn I had to be in order to be loved?Where am I still waiting for permission to be who I already am?How do I come back to myself after years of self-abandonment?And we land in this truth: Your true self is the most generous, humble, and powerful version of you. When you live from that place, you stop performing and start becoming.This episode is an invitation to take up your space, tell the truth, and be who God always dreamed you to be.Get your free Wholehearted Living journal prompts. https://calm-sun-843.myflodesk.com/x5yo2oyoyuBook a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.comFollow me on Instagram:@ella.hooper__

In this episode, Breht is joined by Alex Zambito, the voice behind the Instagram account Southern Catholic Worker, for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersections of Christianity and revolutionary struggle. Together, they explore Alex's journey into the Catholic Worker movement, how his Southern roots and spiritual convictions shaped his politics, and what the life and teachings of Jesus Christ - himself a Palestinian born to working people - have to offer a world ravaged by capitalism, empire, and despair. The conversation dives deep into liberation theology, the legacy of figures like John Brown, St. Francis of Assisi, Fanny Lou Hamer, Dorthy Day and Thomas Merton, and the ways theology can inform and animate anti-capitalist resistance. Alex discusses the contradictions between mainstream American Christianity and the gospel's radical call to justice, post-atheism, and the possibilities for a spiritual reawakening amid the decay of late capitalism. ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio: https://revleftradio.com/ Outro Beat Prod. by flip da hood

“The greatest crimes are eventually shown to have been necessary and, in fact, a signal benefit to mankind.” — Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Page 69   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!  

Episode Notes:Legalism vs. Values: Legalism is a rigid, unchanging posture; values evolve with evidence and relationship.Processing Group Hurt: Don't rush past collective wounds; learn to carry them together.Contemplative Prayer: Prayer as receptivity and openness, not productivity.Caring for a Terminally Ill Friend: Let them teach you; honor their humanity without rushing to fix or control.Closing: A reading from Justin's forthcoming book with Scott Erickson. Links For Justin:Order In The Low - NEW Book with Scott EricksonCoaching with JustinOrder In Rest - New Book of PoemsOrder Sacred StridesJustinMcRoberts.comSupport this podcastNEW Single - Let GoNEW Music - Sliver of HopeNEW Music - The Dood and The BirdThe Book - It Is What You Make itHearts and Minds Amazon Barnes and Noble

Associate Pastor Joe Morrow continues a series about the people who have shaped his faith journey and views.  Joe reflects on the writings of mystic and Trappist monk Thomas Merton, focusing on the movement from the mind to the heart and opening ourselves to the mystical, which inspires us to find peace with others, ourselves, and with God.

“Who is there among those called smart, who does not spend his time amassing loot for a bigger robber than himself?” — Thomas Merton, The Way Of Chuang Tzu, Page 67   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

“If only we could see each other [as we really are] There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed… I suppose the big problem would be then that we would fall down and worship each other.” Thomas Merton

 “They put holes in no form, one a day, for seven days. And when they finished the seventh opening, their friend lay dead.”— Thomas Merton, The Way Of Chuang Tzu, Page 66   30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the most current version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. You are welcome to share, post, and distribute this book anywhere that you believe it will be of help. You can also access a free daily Tao Recovery Email, a list of podcasts, and many other recovery resources.   Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast.   A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description.  Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendars   Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your  Google Calendars. It provides a daily thought that is a mix of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendars    Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com   Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comPaul is a writer, an editor, and an old friend. He's a regular contributor to The New Yorker and a senior fellow in Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. He's the author of The Life You Save May Be Your Own and Reinventing Bach, and his new book is The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s.For two clips of our convo — on Martin Scorsese's extraordinary religious films, and the strikingly resilient Catholicism of Andy Warhol — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Paul raised in upstate NY as a child of Vatican II; his great-uncle was the bishop of Burlington who attended the 2nd Council; Thomas Merton and Flannery O'Connor as formative influences; working in publishing with McPhee and Wolfe; Cullen Murphy on the historical Christ; Jesus as tetchy; Czesław Miłosz; Leonard Cohen making it cool to be religious; the row over The Last Temptation of Christ and Scorsese's response with Silence; Bill Donahue the South Park caricature; Bono and U2; The Smiths; The Velvet Underground; Madonna and her Catholic upbringing; “Like A Prayer” and “Papa Don't Preach”; her campaign for condom use; when I accidentally met her at a party; Camille Paglia; Warhol the iconographer; his near-death experience that led to churchgoing; Robert Mapplethorpe; S&M culture in NYC; Andres Serrano's “Piss Christ”; Jesse Helms' crusade against the NEA; Sinead O'Connor's refusal to get an abortion; tearing up the JP II photo on SNL; the sex-abuse crisis; Cardinal O'Connor; the AIDS crisis; ACT-UP's antics at St. Patrick's Cathedral; the AIDS quilt as a cathedral; and Paul's gobsmacking omission of the Pet Shop Boys.Coming up: Edward Luce on the war with Iran, Walter Isaacson on Ben Franklin, Tara Zahra on the revolt against globalization after WWI, Thomas Mallon on the AIDS crisis, and Johann Hari turning the tables to interview me. (NS Lyons indefinitely postponed a pod appearance — and his own substack — because he just accepted an appointment at the State Department; and the Arthur Brooks pod is postponed because of calendar conflicts.) Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Tim Kizer doesn't refer himself as a philosopher, but he is a bit of one. In part two of our interview with Tim, hear him discuss his fondness for Catholic theologian Thomas Merton, why he always looks for the multiple dimensions present in everyone, and how all of us on earth are connected. Give it a listen, it's a good one. 

Mitch Jeserich reads excerpts from the classic writings The Way of Chuang Tzu translated by Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton composed a series of his own versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries B.C., is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu's writings). Indeed it was because of Chuang Tzu and the other Taoist sages that Indian Buddhism was transformed, in China, into the unique vehicle we now call by its Japanese name―Zen.   Excerpts from THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU by Thomas Merton, copyright ©1965 by The Abbey of Gethsemani. Reproduced by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp. The post The Taoist & Christian: The Way of Chuang Tzu appeared first on KPFA.

Writer Nicholas Triolo walks the length of the Rio Côa in central Portugal with a book by Christian mystic Thomas Merton in his pack. For Merton, the living world shimmered with a divine feminine presence, meaning all within it was worthy of our love. Along the winding landscape of the Côa, damaged by agriculture and home to endangered animals, Nicholas witnesses the messy, subversive nature of “rewilding.” And with Merton as his companion on the journey, he begins to feel a wild, relational divinity in the land around him, and a devotion essential to rewilding place and self amid today's crises of despair and destruction.  Read the essay. Photo by Ricardo Ferreira / Courtesy of Rewilding Portugal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It feels assuring to know the answers to the most important questions in life. It takes more humility to admit we might not know where we're going, and at a deeper level, who we even are. Thomas reflects in this episode on the vulnerability of not knowing and shares a poem from Thomas Merton that shows this special kind of faith in action. And now that Thomas is all done with graduate studies, he'll be dedicating more time to his teaching practice and the broader community. Learn more about two of his upcoming offerings: 7-day meditation retreat (September 30th - October 7th) 9-month deep dive in the contemplative life (still accepting applications)  

Is there a Christian response to our divided country?   Host Curtis Chang is joined by David French and Russell Moore to unpack what Trump's agenda and executive actions demand from people of faith. From foreign policy chaos and attacks on democratic institutions to political fatigue and Christian witness, this conversation gets real about the cost of following Jesus in a divided America. Curtis, David, and Russell confront the pull of fear and apathy—and offer a better path rooted in truth, hope, courage, and acts of worship.   Resources mentioned in this episode: New poll: millions of Trump voters regret their choice Here are the top 5 immigration changes from Trump's first 100 days Trump's strange wording illustrates One-sided Ukraine peace plan  David Whyte on Anxiety Thomas Merton's Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander Harvard pledges reforms following internal reports on antisemitism Under pressure from Trump, Columbia plans its next move Transcript of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Explainer Video: Brown v. Board of Eduction II Case Brief Summary  Aurelius Augustine's The City of God: Volume I (pdf) Phil Wickham's What An Awesome God (Organic) Worship with Songs for The After Party More From Russell Moore: Sign up for Russell Moore's weekly newsletter Moore to the Point Listen to The Russell Moore Show (podcast) More From David French: David French's New York Times pieces HERE Follow David French on Threads Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   Sign up: Redeeming Babel Newsletter

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian moral witness feels like another universe — far from the cruel, cramped, suspicious, and selfish world we are living in. What was the Francis era? Where did he come from, and how did he become pope? And what are we losing — besides a pretty good pope — with his passing from the mortal realm? Matt and Sam discuss the passing of Pope Francis and what his papacy meant (to us and to the world), why he scandalized the Catholic right, and why his message feels so necessary and yet so far away. Further Reading: Vinson Cunningham, "Many and One," Commonweal, Dec 14, 2020. Dorothy Fortenberry, "The climate apocalypse is also a religious crisis," Vox, April 12, 2023.Abeer Salman and Oren Liebermann, "The pope called them every night until his final hours. Now, Gaza's Christians cling to the hope he left behind," CNN, April 23, 2025. Matthew Sitman, "No, Pope Francis is Nothing Like Donald Trump," Commonweal, Feb. 26, 2016.— "Pope Francis and Civil Unions: We Need Clarity, Not a Media Blackout," Commonweal, Oct. 27, 2020.Pope Francis, Laudato si' (“On Care for Our Common Home”), May 2015.Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, Oct. 3, 2020.Ross Douthat, "Francis and the End of the Imperial Papacy," New York Times, April 21, 2025....and don't forget to subscribe to Know Your Enemy on Patreon for access to all of our bonus episodes!