What We Can't Not Talk About: Recent Episodes
Austin Institute
Join Austin Institute Associate Director of Academic Programs Dr. Marianna Orlandi and Executive Director Dr. Kevin E. Stuart as they discuss topics that are relevant for the family and for society at large with prominent scholars and leaders in their fields. We promise that you’ll learn something and enjoy the conversations!
A brilliant author, Ida Friederike Görres went the majority of her life without the recognition her writings deserved. Daughter of a German Diplomat of the Habsburg Empire and of a Japanese woman who withheld motherly love, Ida Görres wrote on matters spanning from the beauty and fruits of marriage to the lives of Saints, and on deep challenges facing the Church in the 60s and 70s: challenges that persist, aggravated, to this day. Along the way, she developed a friendship with the man who later became Pope Benedict XVI. He gave the eulogy at her funeral in 1971.
Dr. Jennifer Bryson spent years translating her works, including The Church in the Flesh (2023) and Bread Grows in Winter (2025), helping modern English-speaking audiences rediscover this long-lost author. Her latest translation, What Binds Marriage Forever (2026), brings to life Görres' writings on the importance of marriage in a time in which it is increasingly seen as something purely optional, not permanent, and solely a matter of feelings. In this episode, Dr. Orlandi leads a discussion on this latest book, today's misleading perception of marriage, and its effects on society and culture at large.
Links & Resources
Dr. Jennifer Bryson: https://www.jenniferbryson.net/
Dr. Orlandi’s Review of What Binds Marriage Forever: https://iwasnttold.substack.com/p/unbreakable-the-nature-of-marriage?r=4je44n
Austin Institute: https://www.austin-institute.org/
What Binds Marriage Forever by Ida Görres, translated by Dr. Jennifer Bryson: https://www.cuapress.org/9780813240398/what-binds-marriage-forever/
The modern script for women seems to contemplate exclusively two options: either the feminist and childless virago, or the homemaker and mother of as many children as possible. While neither path may be “wrong”, and while we won’t tell anyone how to live their lives! - a real problem may lie in the way both conservatives and progressives understand women more broadly. As important as motherhood may be, does women’s generative nature “define” them? Are children a woman’s “job”? If so, for how long? Even more radically, to what extent are men and women “different”?
Biology provides some answers without a doubt. It is only with the help of lady philosophy, however, that both men and women can appreciate what to do with their differences and how to understand their common human nature. In this episode, we discuss these issues with Dr. Angela Knobel, professor of Philosophy at the University of Dallas. Dr. Knobel’s forthcoming book deals precisely with these questions, and with the unexplored territory of Aristotle and Aquinas' ethical naturalism applied to motherhood. Links & Resources Dr. Angela Knobel: https://udallas.edu/academics/programs/philosophy/faculty/knobel-angela.php Dr. Knobel’s Book, Aquinas and the Infused Moral Virtues (2021): https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268201104/aquinas-and-the-infused-moral-virtues/ The University of Dallas: https://udallas.edu/ Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture: https://www.austin-institute.org The Austin Institute: https://www.austin-institute.org/
As we approach the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the question of what defines an American remains at large. Is it tied to our shared civic history, or is there something more? Why should students still read the classics, from Socrates to Nathaniel Hawthorne, and how are ancient ideas still relevant in a postmodern society? And, why found a new University when thousands already exist, much less in a city that already has a world-class University?
Dr. Jacob Wolf joins Dr. Orlandi to discuss why we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the American Cultural Canon, the educational void filled by the University of Austin, and the specifically “American” brand of Individualism.
Happy Birthday, America!
Links & Resources:
Dr. Jacob Wolf: https://uaustin.org/people/jacob-wolf/
The University of Austin: https://uaustin.org/
Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture: https://www.austin-institute.org
In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, Dr. Kristin Collier of the University of Michigan joins us to discuss a side of medicine often forgotten—considering the doctors and patients as both body and soul—and the implications this has on the field of medicine. Dr. Collier also discusses the rise of physician-assisted suicide in the West, and how this changes the relationship between doctor and patient.
In this episode, we present the "Healing Romance, Resurrecting Marriage" conference, which took place on April 25th, 2026 at the Thompson Conference Center in Austin, Texas.The purpose of the conference was to shed light on the anthropology that lies at the basis of our current understanding of relationships, romance, and marriage. While the institution of marriage continues to be praised by some and opposed by others, very few people are attentively looking at the way young people, both men and women, understand themselves before entering a romantic relationship. With a series of talks, Q&A sessions, and a final panel, our excellent invited speakers addressed some of the positive and negative myths about romantic relationships, family life, and marriage, while uncovering the real struggles and the true benefits that come from the institution, both for the couple and for society at large.
Today, people of Christian faith are exceedingly rare in Japan. By no means, however, is the religion without history in the nation. Join us for this in-person episode with Dr. Lauren Spohn, as we discuss the story of the Catholic samurai and daimyō Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, among other prominent developments in the story of Christianity in Japan. Listen as we discuss Dr. Spohn’s work on the upcoming EWTN documentary on this very subject, reflecting on what the Catholic faith in all places and all times can teach us here and now.
Abortion, pornography, euthanasia: at the height of our technological development, most of the Western world seems unable to find purpose and meaning. Unable to overcome challenges and natural limits, we prefer altering nature—or at least we try. While politicians address issues like “sex work” and gender transitions, hordes of regular people waste time gambling and forgo marriage, childbearing, and all that truly matters in life. Some blame it all on a “disenchanted” world. Our returning guest, Professor and author Carl Trueman, suggests an even simpler and more radical answer which he explores in his latest book: we desecrated ourselves. The solution, however, is equally radical.Tune in for more!You can order (or pre-order) “The Desecration of Man” here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/729796/the-desecration-of-man-by-carl-r-trueman/
Receiving a degree from an Ivy League institution has historically implied a level of educational prowess and prestige—but is that still the case today? In this episode, we sit down with Adam Kissel, Rachel Alexander Cambre, and Madison Marino Doan to discuss their research on the eight Ivy League universities and how their general education curricula have shifted over the years—and not for the better. When a student today can receive a world-renowned degree by learning about Cardi B where their contemporaries a century ago might have been learning about Shakespeare or Aristotle, what does Ivy League status truly amount to in the modern world, and how easy is it to slack one’s way to the illusion of education?
Women on the pill, female CEOs, women abhorring becoming mothers: is this all that feminism has to preach? What if—as author, spouse, and mother Leah Libresco Sargeant argues in her most recent book—real feminism starts by acknowledging how radically different men and women are? And how radically interdependent? Far from suggesting a “trad wife” model—one that thinks that all solutions should be found in 1952—Leah helps us rediscover our nature, rethink some of our policies, and embrace our dependence.
In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, host Dr. Marianna Orlandi welcomes Professor Matthew Franck of the Witherspoon Institute for a thought-provoking conversation on the importance of reading. Professor Franck shares personal experiences that shaped his life through books and reflects on how reading has formed his mind, character, and vocation.He explores how books shape the moral imagination, cultivate patience, and sustain the habits necessary for a free and thoughtful society. In an age of constant distraction, this conversation makes a simple but powerful case: reading is not optional—it is essential.
In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, host Dr. Marianna Orlandi welcomes Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead— The Catholic Institute Fellow and author of Infertile but Fruitful—for a deep and honest conversation about the cross of infertility in marriage. Snead speaks openly about the burdens infertile couples face: the grief, the search for answers, the strain on hope, and the temptation toward despair. She shares how faith anchors couples in this trial, how to confront regret and remedies, and how God can bring real fruitfulness even when the story does not end in pregnancy. Rooted in her own lived experience, Snead offers compassionate, practical, and theologically grounded advice for couples walking this painful path—reminding us that the Incarnation reveals the meaning of every human longing and every unfulfilled desire.
A merely instinctual conservatism, exemplified by Hume, that lacks robust metaphysical and spiritual foundations, proves in the long run incapable of sustaining the institutions that built the West." In this episode, Dr. Orlandi sits with Dr. Zubia, Assistant Professor of Humanities at the Hamilton School for Classic and Civic Education at the University of Florida, to discuss what may be the true origin of the right's current political mess. While many want to "go back" to a better past, with healthier institutions and wholesome lives, most of us have also "done away" with the morality that sustained it all. The mission is thus bound to fail. By tuning in, you will learn more about Hume, about marriage as a case study, and about the importance of the liberal arts in the era of artificial intelligence.
Can Artificial Intelligence replace the human person? Is it benevolent and beneficial, or is it a threat to humanity? In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, Carlo Martinucci joins us to explore these pressing questions. An Italian software engineer who has spent the past year studying Artificial Intelligence, Martinucci offers both technical insight and philosophical reflection on the promises and perils of this rapidly evolving field.Hosted by the Austin Institute, this conversation is hopefully the first of a series: AI is reshaping reality, and true moral agents cannot just "sit and watch". Tune in to learn more about the nature and consequences of this revolutionary technology.
Meet Professor Brian Bird, Attorney, and Associate Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia, as he and Dr. Marianna Orlandi sit down to discuss the impending dangers of euthanasia and assisted suicide policies in North America, particularly in Canada. In this episode, Brian Bird gives us a brief history of Canada’s euthanasia policy evolution and catches us up on the dangerous path that seems to be unfolding in Canada. Together, Professor Brian Bird and Dr. Orlandi talk about what this will mean for the country and society as a whole for both patients and doctors.
Dr. Abigail Favale, writer and professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, joins Dr. Marianna Orlandi to discuss the ways in which women’s dignity is actually being subverted by modern gender politics. Dr. Favale explains the detrimental effects of the pill and contraception, the modern rejection of traditional female values, the struggles of femininity on social media, and the ironic adoption of the “masculine bias”. Together Dr. Favale and Dr. Orlandi take on modern feminist theories with a critical lens to find what needs to be done to create a culture that values and dignifies true femininity.
Read more from Dr. Favale in her latest book “Genesis of Gender”.
Home (abigailfavale.wixsite.com) The Genesis of Gender (ignatius.com) About (cultivatingcatholicfeminism.com) The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, by Louise Perry | Tertulia Amazon.com: Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy: 9780190673611: Regnerus, Mark: Books
To kick off Fidelity Month, Clinician and Consultant, Dr. William Bellet speaks to us about why fidelity matters, now, more than ever. In this episode Dr. Orlandi and Dr. Bellet discusses how infidelity has lost its shame, how couples can protect themselves, and the impacts and influences of society on infidelity in our modern age. Dr. William Bellet is a clinical and consulting psychiatrist dedicated to building and fostering healthy families. Dr. Bellet specializes in personal and marital counseling as well as consulting for family owned and operated enterprises.
Learn more about Fidelity Month at Fidelity Month - Fidelity Month, Social Movement (https://fidelitymonth.com/)
Who was Augusto Del Noce and why are so many people reading his books and talking about his philosophy today? Join us to find out!
In this episode, Dr. Marianna Orlandi discusses the thoughts of this brilliant Italian philosopher with Professor Carlo Lancellotti, a scholar who has been translating Del Noce’s works in English —- while teaching mathematics and physics at the College of Staten Island & City University of New York!
English YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/ihr-sn5dtyQ
Italian YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/l2QCKC8OaiU
Augusto del Noce on the "New Totalitarianism" by Carlo Lancellotti: https://www.communio-icr.com/files/44.2_Lancellotti.pdf
The Religious Sense by Luigi Giussani: https://www.amazon.com/Religious-Sense-Luigi-Giussani/dp/0773516263/ref=asc_df_0773516263/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312154644197&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13004758799616701499&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028280&hvtargid=pla-320418201577&psc=1
Michael Hanby: https://www.johnpaulii.edu/academics/faculty/michael-hanby/
David L Schindler: https://www.johnpaulii.edu/academics/faculty/david-l-schindler/
Rémi Brague: https://www.remibrague.com/biography/
Taking the Soviet Union as a case study, economist Dr. Clara E. Piano analyzed the way in which an autocrat will deal with the family. Will it support divorce and abortion, or will it enact pro-family and pro-life laws? Tune in to find out: the answers will surprise you!
Dr. Clara E. Piano's website: https://www.clara-elizabeth.com
Dr. Clara E. Piano's work: https://www.clara-elizabeth.com/projects
Let’s begin at the end...
The first episode of this new season is an engaging and provocative conversation on one of the most serious events of our human life: its natural end.
Join in to listen to Dr. Marianna Orlandi and Lydia Lydia Dugdale, MD, MAR (ethics), author of “The Lost Art of Dying”.
Link to our guest's book: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Dying-Reviving-Forgotten/dp/0062932632.
More on Ars Moriendi: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ars-moriendi
Dr. Marianna Orlandi and Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Melissa Moschella discuss parental rights, school choice, critical race theory, and the meaning of education in today’s world.
Melissa Moschella is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, where her research and teaching focus on natural law, bioethics and the moral and political status of the family and Fellow of the Austin Institute. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received her Ph.D. in Political Philosophy from Princeton University. Her book, To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education and Children’s Autonomy was published in 2016 by Cambridge University Press. Dr. Moschella speaks and writes on a variety of contemporary issues, such as brain death, end-of-life ethics, parental rights, marriage, gender, reproductive technologies, and conscience rights. Her articles have been published in scholarly journals as well as popular media outlets, including Bioethics, The Journal of Medical Ethics, The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, The American Journal of Jurisprudence, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, and The Public Discourse.
Critical Race Theory, Public Schools, and Parental Rights https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2022/03/79866/
Chesterton and the Meaning of Education https://www.ncregister.com/blog/chesterton-and-meaning-of-education
How did the world arrive at its current, disorienting state of identity politics, and how we respond? Historian Carl R. Trueman shows how influences ranging from traditional institutions to technology and pornography moved modern culture toward an era of “expressive individualism.” Investigating philosophies from the Romantics, Nietzsche, Marx, Wilde, Freud, and the New Left, he outlines the history of Western thought to the distinctly sexual direction of present-day identity politics and explains the modern implications of these ideas on religion, free speech, and personal identity.
For more, order Dr. Truman's book, "Strange New World" https://www.crossway.org/books/strange-new-world-tpb/
Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute Mark Regnerus discusses the science behind current issues around gender identity, such as affirmative care and the rise of gender dysphoria among youth. Especially in the United States, medical research has been affected by external political pressure and predetermined conclusions. Dr. Regnerus challenges what so much of culture is telling us to believe and encourages us to talk about these issues.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW1vetSl1rc
In this episode, we interview April Readlinger, Executive Director of CanaVox, on a recent article published in Public Discourse about the inclusion of gender ideology in K-12 public education in New Jersey. Mrs. Readlinger here discusses some of the troubles regarding the legislation that introduced this issue into the state’s public school curriculum and specifically explores the challenges it presents for teachers and parents alike in the instruction of their children. We hope that you find this podcast timely and useful when thinking about the education of your own children and the state of American public education in general.
Warsaw, Poland, May 18th, 2022: On the day that would have marked Karol Wojtyła's 102nd birthday and in the context of the international conference on John Paul II’s Natural Law Legacy & International Human Rights organized by Ave Maria School of Law, Dr. Marianna Orlandi delivered a talk focused on a play that the young Karol Wojtyła wrote long before becoming a Pope: "The Jeweler’s Shop."
Tune in for some interesting insights and reflections on our age of no-fault divorce, on the beauty and true meaning of marriage, and on the way forward.
Ave Maria Law website on the event: https://www.avemarialaw.edu/john-paul-iis-natural-law-legacy-international-human-rights/
YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/yAdX97aiKm0
Purchase the play via Ignatius Press: https://ignatius.com/the-jewelers-shop-jshh/
In this podcast, Dr. James Poulos discusses technology, media, and alternatives to the current technocratic-political order by a union between branding, patriotism, and an alternative theological vision, all the while exploring the link between modern gnosticism and transhumanism.
Dr. James Poulos is the Executive Editor of The American Mind, the Claremont Institute's online publication devoted to driving the conversation about the ideas and principles that drive American political life.
Dr. Poulos graduated from Duke University with distinction in Political Science and received his Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University. The author of The Art of Being Free (St. Martin's Press, 2017), a study of Tocqueville's Democracy in America, he is also the contributing editor of American Affairs and a fellow at the Center for the Study of Digital Life.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx_rQAkV_s0
Dr. Poulos's latest book: https://humanforever.us/
In today’s world, we talk of time as a possession. It is a commodity that can be gained, spent, or lost. But before the invention of the clock, people understood time as God’s time, something too big to own or use. Days, lunar cycles, and seasons marked the turning of a cosmos; they reflected a sometimes scary and mysterious universe whose time we inhabit rather than control.
In a moment, the pandemic grounded to a halt the daily hum of our ordered sense of time. And even though much of daily life returned to normal, a sense of uncertainty hung over us like a cloud, or like a broken clock. Forces, in some cases too mysterious to name, are reducing certainties. These forces bring to a halt many of the myths that previously sustained our collective life.
Organic farmer, Steven Hebbard, believes that good farming, like many traditional crafts, can reorient us to a larger sense of time: something we can humbly receive, embody, and even celebrate. Uncertain times demand a new orientation, or perhaps a very old one.
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16
This episode was recorded in the fall of 2021.
Moving into a home a few blocks from one of Austin's most notorious intersections, Steven discovered a thriving community centered around a garden. Where the scene might have communicated hopelessness, on trips to his neighborhood community garden, Steven found a passion tending both the local culture and agriculture. After an internship up the road at the Austin's landmark, Boggy Creek Farm, Steven decided to take his new found knowledge of neighborliness and farming to create a program that actively knit the two together. In 2009 he founded Genesis Gardens, a program within Mobile Loaves & Fishes Inc. dedicated to providing meaningful work, a stable paycheck, and food for the largest community for the homeless in the country. He has since built a career farming with communities in poverty. He is a passionate advocate of local, organic, and dignified work, and continues to study the way agriculture and urban life can work together to create a humane and thriving environment for all people.
In this episode, Dr. Mark Regnerus, Professor of Sociology at UT Austin and Senior Fellow and founder of the Austin Institute, joins us to discuss a recent study he carried out concerning the approval and disapproval of medical-surgical interventions to treat gender dysphoria by Americans. The study uncovered some interesting information on links between the number of children one has, religiosity, and political alignment and one’s attitude toward these sorts of procedures related to gender transition. Dr. Regnerus also discusses here the legality of hormone treatment and the philosophical underpinnings of the problem of transgenderism. We hope you join us to find out more about this pressing and timely cultural issue.
In this episode, Alvino-Mario Fantini, Editor-in-Chief of "The European Conservative," joins us to discuss his quarterly journal which features news articles and reviews concerning the state of Europe and European conservatism, as well as essays on philosophy and the arts. Mr. Fantini here explores the status of the European conservative movement, his philosophy of conservatism as non-ideological, his background, and his influences in developing The European Conservative. We hope you join us in learning more about conservatism in Europe and invite you to look into "The European Conservative" as a source of news concerning what’s occurring now on the continent.
The European Conservative: https://europeanconservative.com/
Conservatism today, whether animated by concern for lost political greatness or by dismay over the evisceration of traditional morality, has grown skeptical of the case for personal liberty and for market freedom. Individual liberty is condemned on account of the excesses of radical autonomy, the free market on account of corrupt practices of wealthy corporations. Drawing on insights from leading figures in the liberal tradition, Professor James Stoner will argue that a balanced account of human happiness and the common good includes ample room for personal freedom and free enterprise, in the context of moral law and political right.
Professor James R. Stoner, Jr., is the Hermann Moyse, Jr., Professor and Director of the Eric Voegelin Institute in the Department of Political Science at LSU. He is the author of Common-Law Liberty: Rethinking American Constitutionalism (Kansas, 2003) and Common Law and Liberal Theory: Coke, Hobbes, and the Origins of American Constitutionalism (Kansas, 1992), as well as a number of articles and essays. In 2009 he was named a Senior Fellow of the Witherspoon Institute of Princeton, New Jersey; he has co-edited three books published by Witherspoon, The Thriving Society: On the Social Conditions of Human Flourishing (with Harold James, 2015), The Social Costs of Pornography: A Collection of Papers (with Donna M. Hughes, 2010), and Rethinking Business Management: Examining the Foundations of Business Education (with Samuel Gregg, 2008). He was the 2010 recipient of the Honors College Sternberg Professorship at LSU. He is a senior fellow of the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture. Dr. Stoner has taught at LSU since 1988, chaired the Department of Political Science from 2007 to 2013, and served as Acting Dean of the Honors College in fall 2010. He was a member of the National Council on the Humanities from 2002 to 2006. In 2002-03 he was a visiting fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, where he returned in the 2013-14 academic year as Garwood Visiting Professor in the fall and Visiting Fellow in the spring. He has teaching and research interests in political theory, English common law, and American constitutionalism.
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyz0LbSp1WU
In this episode, Dr. Susan Yoshihara, President of the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security, joins us to discuss war as it relates to women in the context of her own background as a former Naval officer, the conflict in Ukraine, as well as humanitarian efforts in war. Dr. Yoshihara here also discusses foreign intervention and the nature of just war theory. We invite you to listen to this podcast to consider these matters more deeply and to meditate on the role of women in warfare in the modern world.
As the war in Ukraine is raging on, we are seeing how a nation responds to the roles of its men and women in a time of great crisis. In this episode, UT Professor and AI Senior Fellow Mark Regnerus shares key insights about his latest Public Discourse article, “War Highlights Sex Differences and Family Ties."
“A nation could recover from the loss of scores of men, as the twentieth century’s postwar societies all did. But it has no future without women and children and the moral order of the family and society that these not only represent but constitute. Civilization hinges on women.”
Join us for this timely episode!
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2022/03/80876/
In this episode, J. Budziszewski, Professor of Philosophy and Government at the University of Texas at Austin and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute, joins us to discuss his latest book, How and How Not to Be Happy. Prof. J. Budziszewski reflects here on his motivations for writing the book as well as the following questions: What is the meaning of happiness? Do such things as pleasure, honor, or power constitute happiness? We invite you to join us in listening to this podcast to consider some problems with modern and ancient theories of happiness and to think about what happiness actually might be.
In this episode, Kate Bryan, author of the recent book Living the Feminist Dream, joins us to talk about her book and her project 1 Girl Revolution. Ms. Bryan discusses with us such topics as her background, her interest in the stories of various women in modern society and how they change the world around us, the importance of women in community, the failures of the contemporary secular feminist movement, and beyond. We hope that you enjoy this episode of our podcast and find something to take away and consider concerning the meaning of femininity in the present culture.
1 Girl Revolution website and podcast: https://1girlrevolution.com
"I’m a 32-year-old virgin, and I’m living the feminist dream" article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/09/08/im-a-32-year-old-virgin-and-im-living-the-feminist-dream/
The Girl Inside: Official Documentary: https://1girlrevolution.com/the-girl-inside/
"Living the Feminist Dream" (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Living-Feminist-Dream-Faithful-English/dp/1565485165
Can the Christian ethic of selfless, self-sacrificial Agape be reconciled with the classical eudaemonism of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle? Thomas Aquinas attempted such a reconciliation, agreeing with the Greeks that one’s own happiness (eudaemonia/beatitude) is the ultimate end of all human action, and that self-love (eros) is the foundation of all other loves, while insisting (with the Christian tradition) that we are called to love God above self, and even to love oneself only for God’s sake. I will defend Aquinas’s harmonization against the charge of inconsistency, by distinguishing two ways in which something can be an “ultimate end."
About our Scholar: Professor Robert Koons, University of Texas at Austin Professor Robert Koons specializes in philosophical logic and in the application of logic to long-standing philosophical problems, including metaphysics, philosophy of mind and intentionality, semantics, political philosophy and metaethics, and philosophy of religion. His book Paradoxes of Belief and Strategic Rationality (Cambridge, 1992) received the Aarlt Prize from the Council of Graduate Schools in 1994. He is the author of Realism Regained (OUP, 2000) and the co-editor (with George Bealer) of The Waning of Materialism (OUP, 2010). He is at work with Tim Pickavance on a textbook on metaphysics. He is working on analytic Aristotelianism and social ontology.
In this podcast special, Sohrab Ahmari, best-selling author and editor of the New York Post, discusses his most recent book, "The Unbroken Thread," with Dr. Mark Regnerus, Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute.
Mr. Ahmari and Dr. Regnerus specifically discuss Question Ten of the book: Is Sex a Private Matter? Mr. Ahmari explains the background for the chapter in reading the work of John Cavadini and his attempt to reconcile St Augustine and Andrea Dworkin on the troubling nature of sex, and Dr. Regnerus relates Ahmari’s writing to the problems of “deformed sexual learning” and pornography. We welcome you in joining us for this special and hope it provides some substantial ideas for reflection about the nature of sex and state of the modern sexual culture.
In this podcast special, Sohrab Ahmari, best-selling author and editor of the New York Post, discusses his most recent book, The Unbroken Thread, with Dr. Robert Koons, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute. Mr. Ahmari and Dr. Koons specifically discuss Question Nine of the book: What is Freedom For? Mr. Ahmari explains the background for the chapter in the 1978 Harvard commencement speech given by Alexander Solzhenitsyn concerning the shortcomings of the liberal democratic west, and Dr. Koons poses questions concerning the “eclectic” nature of Ahmari’s book and broader political project. We welcome you in joining us for this special and hope it provides some substantial ideas for reflection about the nature of freedom and the state of western politics.
In this episode, Dr. Brian Willoughby, assistant professor at the School for Family Life at BYU, discusses his recent research conducted with the support of the Wheatley Institute and Austin Institute on the effects of pornography on relationships. Dr. Willoughby details some of the methods and categories used in carrying out this survey, explaining some controversies in modern social science on these topics along the way. In what way exactly does porn harm relationships? Does it make a difference whether it’s used by both partners? We hope that you join us in finding out the answers to these questions and find something useful that you can apply to your own relationships and marriage.
National Couples and Pornography Survey 2021: https://wheatley.byu.edu/National-Couples-and-Pornography-Survey2021/
The Porn Gap How is Pornography Impacting Relationships Between Men and Women Today? https://wheatley.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/The-Porn-Gap-Wheatley-2021.pdf
On Saturday, November 20th, 2021, three scholars and senior fellows of the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture conversed with journalist and author Sohrab Ahmari.
Focusing on three chapters of his most recent book and on the figures of Thomas Aquinas, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Andrea Dworkin, the speakers engaged in conversations about the reasonableness of God, the purpose of human freedom and the meaning of sex.
These videos are broken into three parts. This is part two.
About our Speakers
Sohrab Ahmari is a contributing editor of The American Conservative and a visiting fellow of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at News Corp., as op-ed editor of the New York Post and as a columnist and editor with the Wall Street Journal opinion pages in New York and London.
Dr. J. Budziszewski is a professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. His main area of research is the natural moral law, in which he is best known for his work on moral self-deception. His most recent books include Commentary on Thomas Aquinas’s Treatise on Happiness and Ultimate Purpose (2020), and Commentary on Thomas Aquinas’s Treatise on Divine Law (2021).
In this episode, Dr. Joseph Price, Professor of Economics at BYU and Senior Fellow for the Austin Institute, discusses a recent study he conducted on the benefits of mothers reading to their children. He also discusses difficulties in drawing a line of causation between the activity of mothers reading to their children and the overall benefits for those children later in life. How does this activity change outcomes for children? Does it change the children in any way or is it something else? Does it make your child smarter? We hope that you join us for this podcast to find answers to these questions and perhaps find something that can be applied to your own life and parenting, now or in the future.
"As a young father and a self-proclaimed 'radically assimilated immigrant,' Sohrab Ahmari realized that when it comes to shaping his young son's moral fiber, today's America comes up short." During this talk, journalist and author Sohrab Ahmari will share some of his ideas about the direness of the crisis we currently face and about the ways forward (which might actually require some looking back). Enjoy this conversation!
About Our Speakers
Sohrab Ahmari is a contributing editor of The American Conservative and a visiting fellow of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at News Corp., as op-ed editor of the New York Post and as a columnist and editor with the Wall Street Journal opinion pages in New York and London.
His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Spectator, the Times Literary Supplement, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Dissent and America, among many others. His books include From Fire, by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith (Ignatius, 2019) and The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos (Convergent/Random House, 2021).
He has testified before the British Parliament and appears regularly on broadcast media on both sides of the Atlantic, including the BBC, Sky News, France 24, Deutsche Welle, EWTN and Fox News.
Fr. Jonathan Raia was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He came to know Jesus Christ through his parents' faith, and he grew in relationship with the Lord through Catholic school and various opportunities for service and leadership. He was also inspired by the example of holiness he witnessed in the priests at his parish and began to consider the priesthood as a young boy.
His four years as a student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with a B.A. in Plan II (Liberal Arts) and Spanish in 2002, were pivotal for his faith because of the friends he made at the University Catholic Center. The call to the priesthood grew stronger during his years at the UCC, and he entered seminary for the Diocese of Austin upon graduation. He was ordained a priest in 2009 and served for four years as parochial vicar at St. William Parish in Round Rock, then for a year as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University, before beginning as Vocation Director for the Diocese of Austin in July 2014. Six years later, he was named Chaplain/Director of the University Catholic Center.
Fr. Jonathan holds a Master’s degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University, where he also received training in spiritual direction, a ministry that has been an important part of his priesthood. Ministry to college students has been a consistent source of joy for him, and he considers it an honor to return to his alma mater and to take on the mission of bringing Christ to the students of UT.
In this episode, UT Professor of Philosophy Dr. Daniel Bonevac joins us to discuss the contents of a recent seminar he presented at Stumberg Hall on the philosophy of time. He discusses and explains some of the authors he selected for the seminar including Augustine, Boethius, Borges, and McTaggart. An eclectic selection to be sure, but one that makes sense given the implications of time Dr. Bonevac wished to explore for the seminar. Is time real? How does time bear on memory, identity, human freedom, fate, or ethics? These are some of the questions that will be explored here at length, and we hope you find it edifying and even helpful for better understanding the role of time in your own life.
Everyone suffers. For many Catholics, however, deep psychological and emotional pain persists despite our frequent encounter with the sacraments. We're rightfully confused when we do not receive any healing from the touch of our Lord that we find in the Church. Healing seems to evade us. In this talk, we will explore the nature of our emotional and psychological pain, practical steps to address our pain and increase our healing, and daily practices that will allow us to live in the freedom to which Christ has called us.
About Our Scholar Matthew Breuninger is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He received his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Baylor University as well as an M.A. in Theology from Ave Maria University. His research interests lie generally in psychology of religion. In particular he is interested in how churches perceive and address mental illness, God attachment, religious and spiritual struggles, clinical disorders, and implicit and explicit attitudes toward God. His current research includes looking at the relationship between religious/spiritual struggles and well-being in adolescents, the effects of perceived parenting style on religious/spiritual struggles, and comparing the predictive validity of implicit and explicit attitudes toward God on various outcome variables. When not teaching or researching, he enjoys fishing and hiking in the mountains of Pennsylvania with his family.
In this episode, Professor in Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute Mark Regnerus discusses his latest research on the state of the Roman Catholic clergy in the United States. He found that, to the surprise of some, the priesthood in America is becoming increasingly conservative on matters of Church teaching in contrast to previous decades.
In this episode, Dr. Joseph Price, Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute, discusses matches in the marriage market, particularly for women with higher education. He points to the apparent scarcity of potential spouses for these women and describes how this may have come to be. Dr. Price shares his research on this subject and what it could mean for those of us navigating the marriage market.
Mismatches in the Marriage Market research: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335623782_Mismatches_in_the_Marriage_Market
The art of the Faith — i fiori della Fede— in places of the Faith -- nei luoghi della Fede — are visible prayers. They are to be meditated upon in the manner of a ‘lectio divina’, rather a ‘visio divina’, and not as mere “pictures at an exhibition”.
In this talk, Professor Emeritus Norman Farmer will discuss beauty, faith, and the time they both require. Supplementary materials recommend for this conversation include Dietrich von Hildebrand's "Beauty in the Light of Redemption" as well as some familiarity with St. Francis' of Assisi's "The Canticle of Brother Sun."
Norman Farmer is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of English at UT Austin and received his Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. He served as the director of the Humanities Program in the College of Liberal Arts for over a decade, and received many awards over the years, including the UT "Best Professor" Teaching Award, the Thomas Cranfill Teaching Fellowship, The Jean Holloway Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Graduate School Award for Teaching Excellence. He was also a director and teacher for The University of Texas Study in Italy Program at Castiglione Fiorentino, Italy. Through the Center for International Leadership in Washington D.C. he led seminars for executives of American and multinational corporations examining corporate culture, leadership development and corporate as well as individual ethical values.
Professor Byron Johnson joins us for a conversation on a core piece of the human experience that many of us hold dear but has been neglected in studies of criminology and other fields for decades: the influence of religion on human behavior.
In this episode, he covers a brief history of our nation’s understanding of the purpose of prisons, the role of faith-based programs in prisons in making prisoners more “pro-social,” the work of Prison Fellowship International in aiding the rehabilitation of prisoners, why people commit crime and why people follow laws, i.e. don’t commit crime, are both important, and how cancel culture is harming our ability to forgive one another, and the dramatic effects of faith-based programs led by inmates in rehabilitating their fellow inmates such as those in an Angola Prison.
Byron Johnson is a Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute and a Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University. He is a leading authority on the scientific study of religion, the efficacy of faith-based organizations, and criminal justice. Recent publications have examined the impact of faith-based programs on recidivism reduction and prisoner reentry.
Prison Fellowship International: https://pfi.org/
The Prisoner’s Journey: https://pfi.org/what-we-do/hope-for-prisoners/the-prisoners-journey/
Prison Fellowship: https://www.prisonfellowship.org/
This fast-paced talk reviews a number of the puzzles, paradoxes and misconceptions about the family in America, including the myth of soulmate marriage, the myth of the good divorce, and the myth that our deepest divisions are political. In this episode, Dr. Catherine Pakaluk, Professor in the Busch School of Business and founder of the Social Research academic area at Catholic University of America, reviews some of the most important contributions to social science of the family, and place these findings in light of the Catholic faith.
Reading materials: The Marriage-Go-Round: https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Go-Round-State-Marriage-Family-America/dp/0307386384
Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010: https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Apart-State-America-1960-2010/dp/030745343X
Video recording can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXhOvmlvJ3k
In the year 2019, Professor Catherine Pakaluk traveled to ten American regions and talked with women who were raising (or had raised) five or more children, to understand who they are and why they do what they do. In this episode, we talk about these stories. We talk about the normality of being mothers. We talk about the hardships of living as unencumbered selves. Once again, an episode that is worth your time!
Mother of Eight Takes on France's President: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oqh7bEg_R0
Mom (and researcher) who started #postcardsforMacron is not angry: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/10/19/mom-and-researcher-who-started-postcardsformacron-not-angry
Lecture: Soulmates and Other Myths about the Family in America https://youtu.be/RXhOvmlvJ3k
This special episode is the recording of a table talk that Dr. Kurt Schroder gave for the Austin Institute on September 21st, 2021. Tune in to listen how our board member, a Ph.D. in Physics and a brilliant inventor, helps us uncover our illusions about time and about its scientific measurement. Dr. Schroder will also stimulate personal answers to the question: "What would you do if the time you still had to live was "shorter" than you think?" Is it not?
Here is the video to the Table Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k61ySdbv0Es&t=25s
Marriage, in vitro fertilization, pornography, these are all very hot and very divisive topics. But if we do not address them with our children, someone else will do it for us. Dr. Ana Samuel, Academic Director of CanaVox, and mother of six, explains how the CanaVox network of reading group works, why and how it was founded and what is coming next. Started less than 10 years ago, CanaVox is now present throughout the world, with several groups in Texas, including in Austin. Tune in to learn more!
This episode was recorded at the end of July 2021.
Links: https://canavox.com/who-we-are/
Have you ever wondered how an immortal life would look like? In this episode, we have privilege to discuss some fascinating aspects of this topic with Dr. Rachel Alexander. Based on Dr. Alexander's treatment of "Memory and Mortality in Homer’s Odyssey," soon to be published in the book "Political Theory on Death and Dying," we talked about living in the past, about the passing of time, and about truth seeking. Tune in, enjoy, ... and remember to share!
LINK: https://www.routledge.com/Political-Theory-on-Death-and-Dying/Dolgoy-Hale-Peabody/p/book/9780367437411
We are back with season 2 of our podcast and we are kickstarting it with a special lecture given by Joseph Price, Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute and moderated by Andrew Brown, J.D., Distinguished Senior Fellow of Child and Family Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
In this episode, we explore the rights and responsibilities of parents and the limits of both parental and governmental authority over children. The parent-child relationship is the foundation of civil society. Increasingly, however, government is attempting to exert control over basic child rearing decisions traditionally made by parents.
Watch the lecture: https://youtu.be/0kHNOoI_3I8
Visit Texas Public Policy Foundation: https://www.texaspolicy.com/
Once again, we are happy to host a conversation on the issue of today: online pornography. With the help of Sean Clifford, CEO of Canopy.us, and happy father of four children, we tried to understand what each of us can do to make sure that our kids are not exposed, not even accidentally, to this new and dangerous drug. As our guest tells us, internet is a great resource and we all love our smartphones (and our podcasts!); but the internet is also a very dangerous place. Internet filters are a great and necessary help. By the way, there are filters out there that can help adults too! Listen, share, and consider protecting your loved ones.
Canopy: https://canopy.us/, https://www.covenanteyes.com/?msclkid=7a7c12200cf41fa7d10672dc5f188ce6
DISCOUNT CODE: SAFER at checkout: 15% off + 30 days free with any subscription plan.
Meet Circle: https://meetcircle.com/
What is the role that America can play in defending and promoting the right to life of all children, everywhere in the world? How does its international policy look like today and how did it look like during the former administration? In this episode we recorded a couple weeks back, we have the privilege of hosting a conversation with Valerie Huber, an architect of the Geneva Consensus Declaration (tune in to learn about it!) and former U.S. Special Representative for Global Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Enjoy!
Geneva Consensus https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/geneva-consensus-declaration-english.pdf
As promised, Professor Christopher Kaczor is back on our show to talk about his latest release—published today: "Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life!" Co-authored with Associate Professor Matthew R. Petrusek, the book analyses Peterson’s biblical series on YouTube as well as his bestselling book "12 Rules for Life" and his latest "Beyond Order" from a Christian perspective. In this episode, I get to ask Professor Kaczor a few deeper questions about Genesis, human creativity, and true happiness. Not instead ... but before reading the book, tune in for another great talk!
LINKS:
Book: https://books.wordonfire.org/peterson-book
https://www.amazon.com/Jordan-Peterson-God-Christianity-Meaningful/dp/1943243786/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kaczor+jordan&qid=1627412081&s=books&sr=1-1
Our book club: https://www.austin-institute.org/events/the-good-life-book-club
Koons' episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6USikEhKuXigE2WCXmz886
As promised, Dr. Melissa Moschella came back on our show! This time, we talked about true humility and about the ways in which exercising this virtue would improve all of our social interactions. In an age dominated by constant self-awareness and by an actual cult of the self, humility reminds us that we do not need to be "liked," but to be true to others. Even within marriage, humility is necessary to acknowledge our limits and to grow together, as couples and as individuals. Enjoy... with prudence, courage, temperance and justice, of course!
What happened to Virtue, the Common Good, and Pluralism, Teachings from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: https://www.religiousfreedominstitute.org/rfievents/what-happened-to-virtue-the-common-good-and-pluralism
This episode contains mature content
If there is one thing we absolutely must talk about, that is pornography. We have to talk about it because it affects our children, our friends, our spouses. If you are young, and if you are using it, it will inevitably affect your sexual life (let alone the romantic one). If you are a parent, you need to listen to Dr. Jimmy Myers, Founder and CEO of the Timothy Center, whose experience treating sexual addictions will be an eye-opener for many. Listen, and do talk about this!
Timothy Center: https://www.timothycenter.com/whatwedo
Brain Heart World Documentary: https://brainheartworld.org/screening-type
How Porn Can Harm Consumers' Sex Lives: https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-harm-consumers-sex-lives
How Porn Can Change the Brain: https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-change-the-brain/
Canopy, a digital parenting app that blocks pornography: http://canopy.us
Pornographic Double-Bind by Professor Mark Regnerus https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/11/the-pornographic-double-bind?fbclid=IwAR1sDl_XK39JdSYpMFwz6FID2eYLKJYalzC7z4FUQDoctt1IPexf6g9Lv-s
In this episode, Austin Institute's Senior Fellow, UT Professor of Philosophy Robert Koons, offers a brilliant description of the reasons why modern science does not disprove the existence of God. Last spring, Professor Koons presented these arguments more extensively, in the context of a compact seminar that he led for Austin Institute's attendees. (Be sure to subscribe for the next compact seminars: they are not recorded!) Go to www.austin-institute.org to check out our upcoming events! Enjoy!
Links: Where The Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism, by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Conflict-Really-Lies-Naturalism/dp/0199812098
Science and Theism: Concord, not Conflict*: http://robkoons.net/uploads/1/3/5/2/135276253/science_and_theism.pdf
In this episode, University of Texas Professor and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute Mark Regnerus shows how the family resists all sorts of pandemics, including biological ones. During lockdown and mandatory quarantines, this fundamental unit of society has again proven to be a safe haven for all the subjects involved. Rather than living alone in their one-bedroom apartments, children happily moved back home. Notwithstanding the pressure caused by the pandemic, the majority of married couples reported stronger marital bonds and greater appreciation for their spouses. The family helps, uniquely so.
Drawing from the research presented in her 2016 book, philosophy professor and Austin Institute senior fellow Dr. Melissa Moschella discusses the status, the nature, and the reasonableness of parental rights. In a world increasingly concerned with individual rights and forgetful of duties, the risk is to forget that children are first and foremost the fruits of spousal love.
Link to her book: https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Children-Belong-Education-Childrens/dp/1316605000
Link to her previous episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5VeVtUjfGJBBIqnRgMKwRq?si=0ca29ed0182146f7
In this episode, Professor Ligia Castaldi, Ave Maria School of Law, discusses her book "Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean" with another attorney, Dr. Marianna Orlandi. Tune in to listen to their conversation on abortion laws, bans, international courts and treaties, and on some common misunderstandings.
Link to Professor Castaldi's book: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268107659/abortion-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/
Previous episode with Professor Castaldi, Abortion Rights in Argentina: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xL6CYLRKNge5birt56ejT?si=20516d994e364d24
This talk focuses on the question of "what" precisely divides people on the abortion issue. What are the real sources of the polarization and lack of dialogue? Is it revival ideas of freedom, of person, of equality, of religion, and the role of the state? In the words of Charles Camosy, “placing oneself on either side of the typical polarizations — pro-life vs. pro-choice, liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican — only serves to further confuse the debate and limits our ability to have fruitful dialogue.”
In this episode, Michael Raia, president and founder of Studio io, tells us more about his work as liturgical design consultant and about his calling to restoring beauty in today's world. Sit down and enjoy your coffee while Mr. Raia and Dr. Orlandi talk about what beauty actually is, and why it is so important in and for our experience of God and of the sacred.
https://www.studioiodesign.com
https://learn.liturgicalinstitute.org/theology-of-beauty
https://www.thewayofbeauty.org/about
Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, was a recent speaker for an event co-sponsored by the Austin Institute and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In this episode, he answers to some of our questions about immigration and family separations, and about the family friendly policies that Latinos (or Hispanics) would like to see, both in the United States and at home. Grab your coffee and tune in!
In this week's episode, renowned Thomist and Philosophy Professor Christopher Kaczor spoke on some of the most complex and fundamental questions of philosophy, theology, and of our daily lives. With his usual clarity, Professor Kaczor answered questions on the existence of evil and on the reasons why, in itself, evil does not disprove the existence of God. Enjoy!
In this episode, our Executive Director, Dr. Kevin Stuart, identifies four main areas of division in today's American politics: geographical sorting, “liberalism”, 1619 vs. 1776, and God. He shares some ideas on how they all came to be and explains how we might all be inadvertently becoming more extreme in what we say and think. This was the content of our recent in-house seminar and we look forward to hosting many more in the years to come. Hence: donate!
What is the nature and meaning of human sexual difference? Is it a stable reality given to us by nature and nature's God for fixed and discernable purposes that pertain to not only body and biology, but also soul and spirit? Is it an evolved (and evolving) trait best explained in terms of its capacity to prolong the survival of megalomaniacal genes? Or is it rather a kind of illusion whose appearance is held in place by social and political forces that seek to maintain their privilege and power?
This talk explores the fundamental presuppositions and positions of three rival theories of human sexual difference: The Thomistic, Evolutionary, and Post-structuralist. Having summarized the conclusions and foundations of each school of thought, it reflects on how often unheeded foundational differences account for much of why we too often talk past each other, seeming to inhabit different worlds, when speaking of sexual difference.
Do you ever wonder what's the purpose of promoting social science research? Do you need to be reminded about the importance of supporting—and donating!—to the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture? If you do, this episode is for you! Our Executive Director, Dr. Kevin Stuart, reports on his recent testimonies at the Texas capitol, where he shared scientific data on why open churches are good for our health, and why forcing female athletes to compete against biological males is (still) scientifically unfair. Tune in, enjoy, and donate!
Links to the videos of him testifying before the Texas Senate and House. Dr. Kevin Stuart's testimonies: SB29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEuhpbc-Eew HB1239: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXPtk9FGiiI
Link to the bills: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB1239/id/2252775 https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB29/2021
Professor Timothy Fortin's Lecture on Rival Theories of Sexual Difference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thk4xdn21Xk
Professor Ken Craycraft and his athlete daughters on the Equality Act: https://open.spotify.com/episode/65zbR6ZKHUYbF9pNX6VjSu?si=vhneUl7SQP6mFClLSS0SVQ
Dr. Kevin Stuart speaking on Religious Liberty and Closing Churches: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IVyzO5eDVyhvjaWkl5prU?si=4IUx2muPQ0--9g1zEFrjpw
Texas Values: https://txvalues.org/about/
In this episode, it is finally Dr. Marianna Orlandi who answers to Dr. Kevin Stuart's questions! Based on a talk she gave last fall at the Austin Institute, our very own Associate Director describes a view of the law that is no mere "science," but an art, a juris-prudential art that we might need to rediscover, everywhere in the world.
In this episode, Dr. Patrick Fagan, founder and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Initiative (MARRI) shares some insights on the importance of fathers and on how their relationship with their children can positively affect their own health. Illustrating the results of some recent studies, our Senior Fellow confirms something we could have guessed all along: time spent in the family benefits us all!
http://marri.us/
In this episode, Dr. Alan Sager shares some insights on the reasons why the U.S. Supreme Court could be a model for us all. Throughout history, Supreme Court Justices have rarely reached unanimous decisions. Yet, while divided on some of the most important issues of our public lives, they were always able to live and to work side-by-side. Who knows, perhaps becoming friends?
You can view Dr. Sager's lecture at the Austin Institute on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8arBt7KI-Ok&t=18s
A Snowstorm in Texas? Seriously? What’s wrong with the climate, if anything, and what can we know about it? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Bonevac, Professor of Philosophy at UT Austin, and an expert on the science and data behind climate change claims, tells us what he thinks about it. Spoiler: we will not give you answers for or against, but a lot of good food for thought!
Links to things mentioned in this podcast:
- https://wattsupwiththat.com/
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/384310.The_Skeptical_Environmentalist
- https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/
With the Equality Act moving forward through the U.S. Senate, we decided to bring on accomplished women athletes Margaret Craycraft Swensen and Olivia Craycraft, daughters of moral theologian Professor Ken Craycraft. They and their father discuss in ways philosophical and personal how the Equality Act would harm women and potentially destroy women sports.
In this episode, our senior fellow and author of "The Future of Christian Marriage," Professor Mark Regnerus, shares some advice on how to react to the constant decline of marriage rates. We need to tell good stories, we need to be each other's "good friends," and we need marriage-friendly subcultures, such as the "environment" that St. John Paul II created around himself when he was still living in Poland.
Tune in!
To purchase Professor Regnerus's book, visit: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Christian-Marriage-Mark-Regnerus/dp/0190064935
In this episode, Austin Institute's Fellow Dr. Ashleen Menchaca-Bagnulo talks about her recent article "Rethinking the Working Class: Toward a Multi-Ethnic Conservative Coalition." She also answers to some of the (very complex) questions regarding the future of conservatism and the roles that Latinos will play. Will they still be socially conservatives? Where are conservatives going when it comes to caring for the working class? Tune in to find out what our scholar has to say!
You can read Dr. Menchaca-Bagnulo’s article here: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/11/72940/
Philosophy Professor Christopher Kaczor recently published a new and extremely important book on abortion, euthanasia, and other controversies, "Disputes in Bioethics."
In this episode, Dr. Orlandi asks the author to talk about speciesism, children's right to be loved, and the way adults may flourish by being parents.
We hope you enjoy this conversation, and we look forward to having Professor Kaczor as a guest speaker at the Austin Institute later this spring!
You can purchase Professor Kaczor's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Disputes-Bioethics-Abortion-Euthanasia-Controversies/dp/0268108099
https://www.amazon.com/Abortion-Rights-Against-Kate-Greasley-dp-1316621855/dp/1316621855/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=
Recommended reading by Professor Kaczor: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/
Senator Josh Hawley was dropped by his publisher and as an ensuing movement to blacklist him gained momentum, Regnery agreed to publish his next book. Dr. Kevin Stuart talks with Tom Spence, Regnery's president and publisher, about that decision, cancel culture, conservatism, and the changes sweeping American politics.
Visit Regnery to purchase Senator Hawley's book, "The Tyranny of Big Tech": https://www.regnery.com/9781684512393/the-tyranny-of-big-tech/
In this episode, Professor Ligia Castaldi, a legal expert on the international protection of prenatal life, discusses the abortion bill that the Argentinian senate approved in late December 2020 and focuses on some of its most troubling provisions.
Is this new law consistent with international law? Is it consistent with the Argentinian Constitution? Does it really protect and empower women, as its advocates suggested and successfully maintained? Finally, does this kind of legislation represent the future for prenatal life protection in Latin America? Tune in!
You can purchase her book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/abortion-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-ligia-de-jesus-castaldi/1133615479
What can be said about the morality of COVID vaccines, parental rights, power of the state, and our own duties toward “the common good?” In this episode, Austin Institute Fellow Melissa Moschella, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, weighs in on these questions as COVID vaccines are being administered across the country. She begins by addressing the use of cell lines like HEK 293, presumably derived from aborted fetal tissue and used to create some of the COVID vaccines, in no way perpetuates the grave injustice of abortion. Tune in to hear the rest!
You can read more on this topic here: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/01/73511/
You can purchase Dr. Moschella's book "To Whom Do Children Belong?: Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy" here: https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Children-Belong-Education-Childrens/dp/1316605000
At the frontier of the philosophy of science, Aristotle is making a comeback. Dr. Kevin Stuart interviews AI Senior Fellow Dr. Robert C. Koons on what this scientific development is and what it means for those of us who aren't physicists or philosophers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, What it Means to Be Human is one of the best 10 books of 2020. During this episode, Dr. Orlandi discusses some of its main themes with the author, Carter Snead, Professor of Law at Notre Dame and Director of the De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. "Expressive individualism," "moral imagination," "abortion", "assisted suicide,” these are just hints of the content of an extraordinary podcast that deserves going a little longer than usual! Get your coffee and enjoy!
The Wall Street Journal has listed Professor Snead's book as one of the 10 best books of 2020: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-10-best-books-of-2020-11607556369?fbclid=IwAR1Ip7qqc80yAASf3qxCVNb3oZvGamVStJSWi-OyZhLMaBoKncpmH7vBspE
You can purchase his book from Harvard University Press: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987722
In this coffee break, UT Professor and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute J. Budziszewski explains the Thomistic understanding of prudence, explores the imprudence of a world that has lost God, and illuminates us on the relational dimension of justice!
If you would like to read more on this subject, we recommend Professor Budziszewski's "Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Virtue Ethics" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XTSFFVV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i10
The Aristotelian understanding of prudence was at the core of a seminar Dr. Erik Dempsey recently offered for the Austin Institute. In this episode, he will summarize for us some of that content. During this interview, he will also reveal how undergraduate students are far more virtuous than we may think! If the young generation is our hope, there is definitely some!
Well, okay, maybe not everything. But lots of things, from marital equality to happiness at home in a pandemic. Professor Jason Carroll of BYU and the Wheatley Institution joins us to discuss his headline-grabbing research.
Research on Religion in the Home: https://wheatley.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Religion-in-the-Home10.13.20.pdf
We have a bonus episode for y’all!
In addition to our podcast conversation with Dr. Stuart Wolf, M.D., we are releasing Dr. Wolf’s lecture.
Public health is undoubtedly the most prominent and most discussed theme of 2020. Dr. Staurt Wolf Jr., M.D. tells us something more about it, about the role of prudence, and of charity, in making good healthcare decisions ("to wear, or not to wear a mask"), pointing out the centrality of doctor-patient relations.
This episode runs twice as long as a normal episode. So grab your coffee or holiday drink of choice and enjoy.
Recorded on October 12, 2020.
Public health is undoubtedly the most prominent and most discussed theme of 2020. Dr. Staurt Wolf Jr., M.D. tells us something more about it, about the role of prudence, and of charity, in making good healthcare decisions ("to wear, or not to wear a mask"), pointing out the centrality of doctor-patient relations.
This episode was recorded on 9/23/2020
While waiting for his live-online lecture on Nov. 19th, we asked the extra notorious Rev. Thomas Joseph White O.P. to illuminate us on Christians's and on state's duties in pandemic times. A Thomistic and a even Tocqueviliian take on the virus and on prudence for a special episode: one cannot cut Father White short. Enjoy your 2 coffee-breaks with Angelicum's Director and with Dr. Orlandi!
This episode was recorded on September 17, 2020
Very few peole get married nowadays, that's not news. But why is it that even practicing Christians remain single? Professor Mark Regnerus explores this question in its latest book. In this coffee-break, he anticipates some of its most interesting findings with us. Spoiler: marriage is not a social construct. There is a kernel in everyone that wants us to be with someone for the rest of our lives.
You can purchase his book "The Future of Christian Marriage" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Christian-Marriage-Mark-Regnerus/dp/0190064935
In this episode, Dr. Kevin Roberts of the Texas Public Policy Foundation talks with Dr. Kevin Stuart about what it means for an elected official to have a responsibility greater than the scientists do in a time of pandemic. What are the distinct roles and how do they each fulfill them? Anyone who listens will appreciate the difficulty of sitting in The Chair and making The Decisions.
This episode was recorded Sept. 23, 2020
Today's failures of science and crises in politics are attributable, more often than not, to the same source: a lack of prudence. Dr. Kevin E. Stuart explores the meaning of this missing virtue, addresses the main causes of its disappearance and suggests ways to bring it back.
Episode was recorded on on Sept 23rd, 2020
There are many topics of conversation that have come up in 2020 that we can't not talk about--so let's talk about them! Tune-in to our inaugural episode with Austin Institute Executive Director Dr. Kevin Stuart and Associate Director of Curriculum Dr. Marianna Orlandi as they discuss what the Austin Institute is and the role of social science research in supporting thriving human societies. We promise that you’ll learn something about topics of family and culture and why they matter in our turbulent times.