Reclaiming Our Patrimony: Recent Episodes
Michael Twohig and Jude Burkett
Something is wrong in modern life—ever increasing numbers of people are becoming depressed, anxious, and suicidal, our politics are a disaster, the Church is in crisis, and the world is in economic free-fall and cultural turmoil. It is indisputable that there are problems that lie at the heart of our culture. The question, then, is, what exactly are those problems? In this podcast, Reclaiming Our Patrimony, join Michael Twohig and Jude Burkett as they discuss why it is so important for Christians to rediscover our patrimony if we are to solve some of the problems of modernity.
In this first entry in a series dedicated to discussing interesting books, Jude and Michael talk about the life and background of Severinus Boethius, one of the most influential intellectual figures in shaping the thought and imagination of the Christian Middle Ages, and the first book of his classic work The Consolation of Philosophy. What could a 5th century Roman noble and intellectual possibly have to say to a modern audience? If you've ever suffered unjustly at the hands of wicked people, and you wonder why a good God would allow evil to exist in a good world, then Boethius might have something to say to you.
Inspired by a recent New York Times article detailing the recent spate of depictions of cannibalism in cinema and literature, Jude and Michael use the article as a launching pad to discuss what this increase in our culture’s fascination with cannibalism could say about the degradation of our society. This leads into a discussion of historical cannibalism as a primarily ceremonial and religious phenomenon, and a question of utmost significance to Catholics in particular: how is receiving the Eucharist not an act of cannibalism?
In this final episode of this four part series, Jude and Michael discuss various aspects of the Novus Ordo liturgy, keeping in mind the importance of natural signs for fostering ways of thinking and acting (and ultimately believing) and heeding the old maxim Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi (the law of praying is the law of believing is the law of living). By the end of the discussion, the Novus Ordo is clearly shown to be a product of distinctly modern ways of thinking imported into one of the most important activities of the Church.
What was intended to be a brief introduction to the Second Vatican Council ended up being a longer discussion concerning the schemes and scandals that took place in the 1960s, while also tangenting off into all sorts of other random directions.
In part two of this four part series, Michael and Jude begin talking about the main topic of discussion, the Catholic Church and its relationship to modernity. Specifically, they focus on the question of the Church's liturgy: what is liturgy, what are natural signs, symbols, and rituals, and why are all of those things so important?
In the first part of a four-part series, Michael and Jude first discuss the nature of modernity. What is modernity, and what are the fundamental beliefs that your average modern holds? After listing many of the defining features of modernity, they also catalogue many of the problems ubiquitous in modern life. These all beg the questions: what is wrong with modernity, and what are some solutions to these problems?