On this episode, Chris is joined by music-lover, Fr. Tony Klein. They discuss the South Dakota state anthem, singing the Mass, how to discern beauty in music, music’s role in shaping the heart and mind, sacred music, the common music of a people (think Hobbit songs), what’s on Fr. Tony’s playlist these days, and music in family life.
On this episode, Chris hosts Dr. Michael Naughton professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas and author of Getting Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a Fragmented World. They discuss 'leisure'....and no, they're not talking about polyester wide-lapeled suits from the 70's. Drawing from the definition articulated by the 20th century German Thomist Josef Pieper, leisure is "an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to perceive the reality of the world" as it truly is. Mischaracterized as "wasting time," it is fundamentally about being, not doing, in a way that our hearts and minds become more open to the good. At the core of leisure is Sunday, the Lord's Day. In order to get Monday right, Dr. Naughton argues, we must first get Sunday right. The conversation draws on Pieper's famous 1947 book, Leisure, the Basis of Culture.
Chris welcomes back Katie Glenn, Government Affairs Counsel and Americans United for Life, to discuss the recent unprecedented leak of a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health. First reported by news outlet Politico, lead author Justice Samuel Alito and four of his colleagues appear poised to completely and unequivocally overturn Roe v. Wade, which would return abortion to the states as a political issue. Katie and Chris unpack what was in the draft opinion, what it means for the pro-life movement, the sheer significance of leak from the Supreme Court, and the path ahead for pro-life citizens.
Chris welcomes back Dr. Chris Burgwald. First, they discuss Pope Francis's recent invitation to the bishops of the world to join him in consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They then discuss a book they're reading together, After Virtue, by philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre. They specifically dive into the themes of Chapter 12, titled "Aritsotle's Account of the Virtues," using a reading guide authored by Christopher Lutz. They discuss the connections between virtue, law, and community; the virtue of prudence; and Aristotle's view of "friendship" as a foundational virtue for a polis or civil community, prior even to the virtue of justice!