Faith & Politics

On this episode, Chris Motz joins Dr. Chris Burgwald for an episode of Ignition to talk about the results from this years election.

On this episode, Chris and Jon discuss some of the take-aways from November 4

Building off the USCCB’s emphasis on abortion as a “preeminent priority” among political issues, on this episode Chris is joined by Life Runner Founder Dr. Pat Castle to talk pro-Life politics.

Dr. Chris Burgwald joins for a discussion of the Holy Father’s reported remarks, followed by a conversation with Norman Woods, executive director of the Family Heritage Alliance.

Dr. Chris Burgwald joins host Chris Motz for a short discussion to help us respond well and find peace in light of the Holy Father’s reported comments on same-sex civil unions.

Chris is joined by Prof. Jon Schaff to discuss the Catholic approach to voting, the Catholic candidate, a refresher on St. Augustine, and the pursuit of a well-formed conscience.

On this episode, Chris is joined by Debbie Pease, President of SD Right to Life. They discuss the statistics in the just-released 2019 Abortion Report from the SD Department of Health, which reveals a positive trend in chemical abortions, the impact of pro-life nuts and bolts legislating — including SD’s Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Christy Alten-Osmera, program director of the adolescent unit at Keystone Treatment Center, and Matt Walz, a policy specialist at Keystone. They discuss South Dakota’s upcoming ballot measures dealing with marijuana, Amendment A and I.M. 26, and discuss the harm marijuana causes to people Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Dr. Chris Burgwald to talk about living well — What is “the Good Life”?  And why should I want it?  What’s it have to do with the American Dream and “the pursuit of happiness”?

On this episode, Chris is joined by Greg Schleppenbach, associate director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the USCCB, to discuss Catholic teaching on the ethical production and use of vaccines developed using aborted fetal cell lines.  While several ethically-concerning COVID vaccines are being developed, there are also numerous Read more…

In this episode, Chris is joined by Prof. Jack Gist, a humanities professor and contributor to Catholic World Report, Crisis, The Imaginative Conservative, New Oxford Review, Academic Questions, and St. Austin Review. They discuss what St. Thomas Aquinas called “disputatio” — a dispute in the healthiest sense of the word, in that Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Dr. Damian Costello, a theological expert in the life of Nicholas Black Elk and vice-postulator of his cause of canonization. For Nicholas Black Elk, vibrant missionary discipleship and love of the rosary, Latin chant, and Sacred Scripture grew organically within his own personal Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Joe Rutten, faculty member in the humanities department at Mount Marty University and Executive Director of the Catholic Men’s Business Fraternity.  Drawing on the Vatican document, “The Vocation of a the Business Leader,” Joe and Chris explore the dignity of work as the Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Teresa Collett, a law professor and director of the Prolife Center at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Professor Collett unpacks the pro-life Louisiana statute at stake in the June Medical decision, which was designed to ensure all women receive high-quality Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined once more by Jason Adkins, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.  They dive into two graduate courses that Jason teaches at St. Paul Seminary, “Politics and the New Evangelization” and “Catholicism and U.S. Politics.”  The conversation ranges from JPII to Alexis de Toqueville, Archbishop Read more…

On this episode, Chris is joined by Susan Safford, Director of Pastoral Ministries/Office of Faith Formation. They discuss the baptismal call of the laity to be on mission in the world, including in — you guessed it — politics.

In Part 2 of 2 of the discussion on St. Augustine’s City of God, Chris and Jon talk about telos (How do you say it, tee-los or tay-los?) and telescopes, the Internal Revenue Code, Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, the temporal order (it’s temporary), and the salvation of Read more…

On this episode, Chris Motz is joined by Erica Smith, one of the lead attorneys in Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue, a recent major decision of the Supreme Court. Erica and Chris discuss the anti-Catholic history of Blaine Amendments, and what the case means for education policy and the Read more…

On this episode, Faith & Politics host Chris Motz is joined by Jason Adkins, Esq., the executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference to discuss Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, a major opinion published by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, described as the Roe v. Wade of transgender ideology.

In this special 4th of July episode of Faith & Politics, host Chris Motz and Fr. Brian Christensen talk about fast planes, Marine vs. Air Force jokes, St. John Paul II kissing Polish soil, loving one’s mother, and the virtue of patriotism.