The Open Door: Recent Episodes
WCAT Radio
The Open Door with Dr. Jim Hanink and Friends
Some history of the show: The Open Door, the longest running of the WCAT Radio shows, was established in October, 2016, by Lt. Colonel Albert E. Hughes (USAF Retired) holds an MS in Systems Management (with distinction) from the Air Force Institute of Technology, an MM in Pastoral Ministry from Seattle University (Jesuit). He is certified in Spiritual Direction by the Monastery of the Risen Christ in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is an accomplished retreat master and Catholic evangelist. A convert at mid-life from agnostic rationalism, he has taught scripture and conducted period retreats in parishes in Seattle, WA, Santa Maria, CA, and Corpus Christi, TX, for 25 years. Following Al's departure from the program, Jim Hanink and Matthew Bartko became the show hosts and continue the dialogue.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Andrew Sorokowski talk with Matthew Vander Vennet about the Sacra Doctrina project.
1. What is the Sacra Doctrina project?
2. What do you see in the current practice of theology that needs correction or enhancement?
3. On your website you speak of "speculative theology" as the foundation for theology. In current usage speculative generally means making good guesses or musing about something. Is that what you mean by "speculative theology"?
4. How is good theology related to good philosophy? How is St. Thomas important for both these sciences?
5. One of the issues in current theological discussion involves the question of whether historical and cultural particularities ought to be the starting point for theology or whether we can know certain universals from which we can then deduce other facts, even though we must still take account of historical and cultural facts. Can you comment on this, and on how differing approaches to this question have affected Catholic intellectual life since the Council?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Christopher Zehnder talk with Virginia Arbery about Nationalism.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Jared Staudt, editor of The American Catholic Land Movement (June 10, 2026)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Richard Spinello, a professor at Boston College, on the relationship between philosophy and theology, particularly within the Catholic tradition.
Spinello emphasized the importance of philosophy in theological education, highlighting the need for a solid philosophical foundation, especially in ethics and metaphysics. The conversation also touched on the decline of Thomism in modern academia and the influence of modern philosophy on theology, particularly the challenges posed by relativism and postmodernism. The panelists agreed on the necessity of a metaphysical dimension in Catholic philosophy and the need for a revival of Thomistic studies.
For more on this point, see Spinello's Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła)
This book unfolds the intersecting life stories of four important Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, namely, Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla, and examines the salient themes of their respective philosophies. Exploring the lives of these four individuals will unlock for the reader the nature of Catholic philosophy, which always aspires to a higher wisdom and the discovery of the hidden harmony of the universe. The spiritual itinerary of these faithful scholars is part of a larger story, therefore, of the intimate relationship between faith and reason that is at the heart of Catholic intellectual life.
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/fourcatholicphilosophers/
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski talk with Fr. Richard O Connor on Dialectics.
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski interview Fr. Richard O Connor on his book Pastoral Lessons: A Study in Pastoral Theology, Theory and Practice (April 8, 2026).
This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the priestly vocation in light of Christ’s threefold office as King, Prophet, and Priest. Drawing from Scripture, Vatican II, the Catechism, and the writings of St. John Paul II, O Connor blends theology with lived parish experience. This guide equips seminarians, clergy, and lay leaders to shepherd, teach, and sanctify God’s people with wisdom and pastoral charity.
Pastoral Lessons: A Study in Pastoral Theology, Theory and Practice by Fr. Richard O Connor | En Route Books and Media
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview David Lyons, Director of the Office of Catholic Advocacy and Social Doctrine for the Columbus diocese.
This article https://catholictimescolumbus.org/local/human-life-and-the-social-order-the-work-of-the-office-of-catholic-advocacy-social-doctrine/ highlights some of his work. The panel focuses on efforts to combat what he calls industrial gambling, corporate domination of the housing market and "data centers' binges on public utilities like electricity and water."
- What exactly does the Church's just war teaching entail? For governments and for citizens, whether in the military or not? What might be relevant here from the conventions or treaties enacted since the 19th century which are examples of positive law but also efforts to specify what's obligated by natural law?
- Fr. Stratmann writes that "If we consider the conditions which justify a war from the standard of Catholic morality we find that war is almost an impossibility. Defence or restoration of justice are the only justifications for war." p. 63.
- Fr Stratmann writes, "It is, to begin with, almost impossible to decide who is the original aggressor - whether it is the side which declares war, or that which issues the ultimatum or that which has necessitated the ultimatum" p. 44. And elsewhere he writes of the difficulty of knowing where to place blame, given the old grudges and injustices which occur between countries. In light of this, what can we say about the justice of any war?
- Does the level of military technology affect just war theory, e.g., can we say that any particular means of waging war is or can be legitimate simply because it is in common use? I am thinking of aerial bombing, which seems to be usually or always wrong, except perhaps when used against a purely military target such as a fleet of enemy warships. Can we make a good argument that a just war is no long impossible given the kinds of armaments employed today?
- Is this teaching really practical? Does it hamper the actions of governments in protecting their nations? Do government leaders have the right to embrace the idea of Death but not Sin, when that means death for their citizens as well?
- Does a single nation have the authority or right to act as a police force throughout the world, especially given our proclivity to favor our own interests and pretend that we are acting on behalf of international law or morality?
- What concretely could a nation, inspired by Christian principles, do to further the cause of peace? Or the Church?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Fr. Jacek Norkowski and Stephen Blendell on Homeopathy.
Some questions asked:
1. What is homeopathy? What is its history?
2. How does it differ from allopathic medicine? What are the philosophical bases of both systems? Why might a Catholic prefer homeopathy because of the Thomistic philosophical and theological traditions? How do both homeopathy and allopathy presuppose a certain understanding of human nature? Is homeopathy more congruent with a Thomistic understanding than with a Cartesian understanding of how a living organism functions?
3. Do we know how homeopathy works? What do we say to critics who claim it is merely a placebo or that it has never been validated by proper scientific testing?
4. Why are some Catholics suspicious of homeopathy?
5. In Europe, what is the situation with homeopathy? Is it accepted in most of the national health plans of EU nations? What do you see as its future? What are the barriers to its increased acceptance? In particular, how do allopathic practitioners view homeopathy? In the U.S. I've noticed a slight increase in allopaths who are willing to take it seriously.
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Paul List on his book co-authored with Ali Ghaffari entitled Mount Doom: The Prophecy of Tolkien Revealed.
J.R.R. Tolkien stated that he wrote his mythology to be enjoyed by readers - and yet, that was only the beginning. But are there more to Tolkien's words beyond the "fairy tale?"
For decades, interpreters have guessed at the underlying messages contained within Tolkien's mythology. Yet until now, no one has pulled together a comprehensive interpretation of the deeper, hidden messages within the greatest mythological tales ever told.
In 'Mount Doom, ' Paul List and Ali Ghaffari show how Tolkien began with the most significant true myth, the Creation story from the book of Genesis, adapted it to the creation of an individual human being, brought in a prophecy about the greatest threat to humanity - idolatry and slavery as a result of over-reliance on digital machinery and artificial intelligence.
Tolkien's mythology is his warning to humanity and his hope for the revival of Western civilization. This complete reinterpretation of the Lord of the Rings mythology will forever change how the world understands J.R.R. Tolkien and his life's work.
https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Doom-Prophecy-Tolkien-Revealed/dp/1956267735
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder hold a panel discussion on why people leave the Church.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Dr. Virginia Arbery & George Hawley on a book co-edited by Pieter Vree and Thomas Storck entitled Catholics and the American Polity: Approaches & Contestations.
"Anti-Catholicism is one of the distinguishing marks of American history. Today, as the Church's institutional influence wanes, anti-Catholicism is once again surging. Yet Catholics mustn't retreat from civic engagement, for the Catechism says that 'intervening directly' in the 'political structuring and organization of social life' is our 'vocation.' How are we to accomplish this? Three theories have gained prominence: integralism, regime change, and the 'Benedict Option.' In this book, twenty-five thinkers grapple with the questions of whether Catholics have a 'place at the table' of American public life and how we might fulfill our vocation vis-à-vis the structuring and organization of the same." -PIETER VREE
"What is America-a nation, a proposition, an experiment? And if a proposition or an experiment, how does America relate to the Church's own robust tradition of political thought? Is it something that a Catholic can or ought to make his peace with? This timely collection of essays highlights a range of opinion, from enthusiastic acceptance of a propositional Americanism to an equally strong rejection of such. Catholics who have not closely examined the philosophical or theological roots of American tradition or the implications of our own Church's thought, will find in this volume more than one helpful starting point for their own pondering on what it means to be both Catholic and American in the twenty-first century." -THOMAS STORCK
Contributors Virginia L. Arbey - Casey Chalk - Will Hoyt - George Hawley - Kan Ito - A. James McAdamsPreston R. Simpson - Mark Barrett - Charles A. Coulombe - Christopher BeitingKarl Keating - Gracjan Kraszewski - Jude Russo - Marek Jan Chodakiewicz - Christopher ZehnderJohn M. Grondelski - James G. Hanink - Edmund Waldstein, O.Cist. - Thomas Storck - Edwin DygaRobert McTeigue, S.J. - Jason M. Morgan - Thaddeus Kozinski - John C. Médaille - Al Kresta
https://www.amazon.com/Catholics-American-Polity-Approaches-Contestations/dp/1998492583/
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Felix Corley on his book Catholicos and Commissar: The Armenian Church under the Soviet Regime (October29, 2025)
Part of a two-volume set, this volume explores the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church under Soviet rule. Initially flourishing across the Russian Empire, the Church briefly enjoyed greater religious freedom after the February 1917 revolution. However, the Bolshevik regime imposed severe restrictions after October 1917: churches were seized, clergy were taxed and jailed, religious education was banned, and international ties were severed. By 1938, Stalin's purges had devastated the Church, culminating in the murder of Catholicos Khoren and the closure of almost all churches.
Despite this, a partial revival occurred after World War II. In 1945, Stalin permitted the election of a new Church leader, Catholicos Gevorg, who supported Soviet territorial claims and repatriation efforts. Although minimal, the Church's presence in the South Caucasus and southern Russia was gradually restored.
The book is based on extensive archival research, memoirs, and interviews, offering a vivid account of how the Church and its followers struggled to maintain faith under an oppressive regime.
Volume 2 continues the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Soviet Union, focusing on the leadership of Catholicos Vazgen I, who served from 1955 until 1994-the longest tenure of any religious leader in the USSR. Chosen by the KGB after a lack of suitable Soviet-based candidates, Vazgen publicly supported the Soviet regime but worked quietly to strengthen the Church's presence at home and abroad. The Church's seminary at Echmiadzin grew, and diaspora ties were cautiously encouraged, though most parishes remained isolated.
Despite the appearance of normalcy, the Church operated under heavy restrictions. Major decisions were often made by the state, and KGB agents were placed among the clergy. The harsh anti-religious campaigns of the Khrushchev era forced the closure of many churches. After Khrushchev's fall, restrictions eased somewhat, but the Church remained passive, neither resisting nor expanding.
Major change came under Gorbachev's reforms in the late 1980s. Long-suppressed Armenian national aspirations, especially around Nagorno-Karabakh, erupted, followed by the 1988 earthquake. The Church responded with new community efforts. Though initially cautious about independence, Catholicos Vazgen eventually played a key role in legitimising the new Armenian state and reaffirming the Church's place as its official religion.
Like Volume One, this book draws from extensive archival research, memoirs, and interviews to tell the story of how the Armenian Church and its followers navigated Soviet repression and shifting political landscapes.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Matteo Mazzariol on Distributism (October 8, 2025)
For a copy of the flyer for the 1st international course on distributism, see https://wcatradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1st-International-Course-on-Distributism.pdf
WCAT TV is an en air wing of En Route Books and Media working with WCAT Radio to share the joys of the Catholic faith. To support the station, please visit our Patreon account at https://www.patreon.com/wcatradio
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Christopher Zehnder speak with Fr. Maxim Morariu, a prominent Romanian Orthodox theologian, cleric, scholar, and cultural figure, holding multiple doctorates and actively contributing to theological research, literature, and pastoral work in Romania and the diaspora.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Christopher Zehnder interview Karl Schmude, President of the Australian Chesterton Society.
Among the questions they ask are the following:
1. Australia is I think the most recent major country of European culture to be established, i.e., in the late 18th century, after a century and more of secularization in Europe, and then for a time was treated as a British prison colony. In what ways does this make Australia different from other parts of the Western cultural world? Is it proper to speak of an Australian tradition given that it was settled at the end of the European Enlightenment?
2. Has the significant numbers of immigrants - as you noted, from Italy, Malta, Poland, Lebanon, affected the originally British character of Australian culture? And has the more recent immigration affected this? In particular, has there been significant immigration from countries without any Christian cultural tradition and if so, what effect has this had?
3. I have read about the Campion Society of the 1930s, and I was very impressed by their attempt to develop Catholic intellectual, social and cultural life - an effort that I don't know had any equivalent elsewhere. Yet in the end it was not successful? Why was that?
4. One gets the impression of an increasing hostile secularist culture in Australia, e.g., the conviction of Cardinal Pell for a crime that seemingly he could not possibly have actually committed, or the Conversion Practices Ban Acts of 2024. Can you comment on such trends and the response of Catholics or other Christians. (In the U.S. Evangelical Protestants still form a powerful political and cultural bloc. Is this the case in Australia?)
5. Can you tell us something about Campion College and why it was founded? Does it attempt to carry on the work originally begun by the Campion Society in the 1930s?
6. In addition to Campion College, there are several other Catholic higher educational institutions, are there not? How would you describe these? Are any of them authentically Catholic?
7. In what ways is the task of both retaining Catholics and evangelizing different in Australia from other parts of the Catholic world?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski interview Dann Aungst on his Facilitator Guide entitled Winning the Battle for Sexual Purity, designed to run small groups utilizing the Winning the Battle book by Road to Purity.
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-battle-sexual-purity-Facilitator/dp/B0F5NQQB4F/
Questions asked:
- Can you tell our viewers and listeners what is the basic thesis of your book, Winning the Battle?
- Holy Scripture provides more than sufficient evidence that men have lusted toward women since recorded history. In the past this was seen solely as a moral problem. Granted that lust when consented to is a mortal sin and to be avoided by the usual means of avoiding sin, why do you see psychological factors as looming so large in considerations of this sin?
- Do you think that in the past the psychological aspect, i.e. addiction, has not been recognized or emphasized enough?
- When counseling those addicted to pornography do you emphasize the moral or the psychological aspects more?
- What psychological or spiritual approach do you take?
- I once read a distinction between pornography use as something when, for whatever reason, a man is unable to have access to a real woman, versus pornography use as a preferred substitute for a real woman. Do you think that that the latter is more common today than in the past? If so, what do you see as the reasons for that?
- The reported increase in pornography addiction is roughly in tandem with the reported "male crisis" of boys and young men who feel disoriented, demoralized, and unsure of their social roles. This, in turn, is allegedly a byproduct of contemporary feminism, with many women taking on dominant male roles in work and family.
- Do you think these three developments are connected? If so, does your approach to porn addiction take the "male crisis" and modern feminism into account?
- Supposedly one positive result of feminism has been that it is no longer socially acceptable for men to regard women as "objects" of lust; rather, they should see them as fellow human beings whom they should treat with respect, friendship and love. But given the (unintended?) effects of feminism on men, do you see this as paradoxical?
- Your book is evidently addressed to committed Catholics, who are open to a religious approach to the problem of pornography addiction. But many Catholics today would regard this as a problem that the Church is not qualified to deal with, because it is led by celibate men with insufficient experience and understanding of sex; instead, they would consult with secular psychologists. How would you respond to this objection?
- For people addicted to pornography, can you give us a couple of examples in the book's daily action plan that people can do today to help stop the habit?
- How does your book, Winning the Battle help any addiction habit, whether it be alcoholism, sexual impurity, or drugs, fall away on its own?
- Where can people go to purchase Winning the Battle, along with Holy Hours, and other helpful prayerful resources
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Neal Flesher about his book Modern Chains: The Invisible Shackles of Economic Slavery.
Modern Chains examines a truth we have been conditioned to ignore: our financial system functions as a silent mechanism of enslavement. Drawing on centuries of history, philosophy, and moral reasoning, author Neal Flesher reveals how our fiat monetary order corrodes human dignity and fractures communities. This book delivers a powerful appeal to moral clarity. By exposing the architecture of fractional reserve banking, revealing the invalid logic of debt-based money, demolishing the justifications for “acceptable” inflation, and unveiling the soul-siphoning nature of usury, Flesher maps out the moral imperative to resist with logical rigor and resounding rhetorical force. Yet Modern Chains does not dwell in gloom. It presents practical tools for liberation in the form of a revolutionary monetary alternative: one requiring no trust in political promises or corporate benevolence. If you have ever sensed something deeply wrong beneath everyday economic life, this book’s philosophical depth and practical guidance may be your key to shaking off those invisible chains.
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/modernchains/
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Matthew Tsakanikas on his book A Catechesis on Deification, Transfiguration & the Luminous Mysteries.
This book is a catechetical exploration of Christian deification, deeply rooted in the theological insights of Saint Athanasius and other Church Fathers. The work connects the mysteries of the Rosary with the transformative grace offered through Christ, focusing particularly on the Luminous Mysteries as a lens for understanding humanity’s participation in the divine life. Central to the book is the concept of deification, described as the process by which humans become “partakers in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
Dr. Matthew A. Tsakanikas emphasizes that deification does not imply losing one’s humanity but rather elevating it through grace, living in God’s will, and growing in love and virtue. Drawing on biblical passages, he demonstrates how the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ make this elevation possible.
The book revisits key moments in salvation history, such as the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed the glory of divine light to his disciples, and the Eucharist’s institution, portraying these events as glimpses of the divine kingdom. Tsakanikas also explores discipleship in Mary, the Rosary’s role in cultivating divine intimacy, and the unity of Scripture’s Old and New Testaments.
Through theological reflection and practical devotion, Tsakanikas invites readers to embrace their divine calling, entering into Christ’s transformative love.
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/deification/
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski interview Carlo Lancellotti, author of Touchstone article entitled "America vs. Europe: Two Roads to Totalitarianism" (June 4, 2025)
Questions asked:
-
In your article you argue that although Europe was ahead of the US in terms of "overt" secularization, American "cultural de-Christianization" actually preceded Europe's. Could you explain for our listeners and viewers what you mean by these two types of secularization?
-
If this understanding is correct, does it argue a rather superficial view on the part of American Christians as to what it means to have a Christianized society or nation? That Americans have long regarded themselves as religious merely on the basis of certain limited areas of external behavior while our intellectual and cultural life has been dominated by "a scientistic, utilitarian, individualistic, and materialistic worldview"?
-
It is a commonplace that American society has been individualistic. Would you say that this is both a cause and a result of the fact that Americans have a very weak concept of culture and the effect of culture on individual persons, and that hence we have viewed religion as simply a private affair? And if that related to the variety of religious groups in the U.S. and its generally Protestant cultural tone?
-
You refer to a discussion in the 1990s between Fr. Richard John Neuhaus and David L. Schindler, in which the former called for a revival of a "Puritan-Lockean synthesis" in the US, while the latter argued that the American "dualism" of faith versus reason had led to a separation of religion from knowledge, and thus to secularization. Would you say that Schindler's view has been vindicated by events since the 1990s?
-
You cite the Italian philosopher Augusto Del Noce regarding scientism and "politicism," and the relation between secularism and totalitarianism. Could you comment on Del Noce's views on these topics and generally on his importance for understanding modernity?
-
When thinking about "politicism," do we need to distinguish between modern and classical understandings of what we mean by the political? For example, you wrote "I believe we must call totalitarian any worldview that affirms the supremacy of politics above all aspects of social life and absorbs into politics all other forms of culture, like education, science, religion, art, and so on." Now in his Ethics (Bk. I, 2) Aristotle wrote, "If, then, there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake...clearly this must be the good and the chief good.... It would seem to belong to the most authoritative art and that which is most truly the master art. And politics appears to be of this nature; for it is this that ordains which of the sciences should be studied in a state, and which each class of citizens should learn and up to what point they should learn them; and we see even the most highly esteemed of capacities to fall under this, e.g. strategy, economics, rhetoric..." So are moderns and Aristotle speaking about the same thing? Or is there a hidden totalitarianism in Aristotle?
-
You end on a somewhat positive note, arguing that secular modernity is destroying the very institutions upon which is depends, and yet is unable to preserve, and that Christians can feel this void by "showing them in concrete ways (in education, at work, in the family, even in politics) that faith not only connects us with God, but also makes us able to address more intelligently the human needs we have in common with everybody." As far as you can see, have we begun to do anything effective along these lines? Do you have any specific ideas of how we might implement such a proposal?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder discuss religion in the United States. (May 14, 2025)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Christopher Reilly on his book AI and Sin: How Today’s Technology Motivates Evil. (April 2, 2025)
Artificial intelligence technology (AI) motivates persons’ engagement in sin. With this startling argument drawn from Catholic theology and technological insight, Christopher M. Reilly, Th.D. takes on both critics and proponents of AI who see it as essentially a neutral tool that can be used with good or bad intentions. More specifically, Reilly demonstrates that AI strongly encourages the vice of instrumental rationality, which in turn leads the developers, producers, and users of AI and its machines toward acedia, one of the “seven deadly sins.” The third section of the book offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of the many moral problems caused by AI. It concludes with recommendations for overcoming the 21st century scourge of AI-induced acedia.
AI and Sin: How Today’s Technology Motivates Evil by Dr. Christopher Reilly | En Route Books and Media
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski Discuss Politics (March 12, 2025)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Hyrum Lewis on the Left/Right Binary.
1. Can you explain the thesis of your book? Why do you speak of the Left and Right as being a myth?
2. How did you come to see through the Left/Right binary?
3. Given some of the obvious counter-examples to the prevailing narrative, why is it so established and powerful? Intellectual laziness? Vested interests? cf. p. 64ff.
4. Is part of the problem the fact that political scientists, by and large, do not see themselves as concerned with ideas as such, but with political behavior and data as raw material for scientific analysis, much like chemists studying the reactions of chemical elements?
5. Are you familiar with the Nolan chart? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Chart Do you see that as much of an improvement?
6. If we are to make use of any kind of political typologies, how do we deal with the fact that people can hold similar or identical views on the same issue but for very different reasons? Cf. pp. 63, 88ff.
7. Does it make sense, in your opinion, to speak more in terms of broad philosophic-political movements and perhaps with those movements we could speak of left or right? E.g., socialism, fascism, classical liberalism, etc.
As American politics descends into a battle of anger and hostility between two groups called "left" and "right," people increasingly ask: What is the essential difference between these two ideological groups? In The Myth of Left and Right, Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis provide the surprising answer: nothing. As the authors argue, there is no enduring philosophy, disposition, or essence uniting the various positions associated with the liberal and conservative ideologies of today. Far from being an eternal dividing line of American politics, the political spectrum came to the United States in the 1920s and, since then, left and right have evolved in so many unpredictable and even contradictory ways that there is currently nothing other than tribal loyalty holding together the many disparate positions that fly under the banners of "liberal" and "conservative." Powerfully argued and cutting against the grain of most scholarship on polarization in America, this book shows why the idea that the political spectrum measures deeply held worldviews is the central political myth of our time and a major cause of the confusion and vitriol that characterize public discourse.
https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Left-Right-Verlan-Lewis/dp/0197680623
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder speak with Gideon Lazar, the Coordinator of the St. Basil Institute.
They ask the following questions:
1. You are the coordinator of the St Basil Institute which your website describes as "A think tank dedicated to the renewal of theological discourse on the doctrine of creation within the Catholic Church." Could you comment on both what you mean by the theology of creation and why it is important? https://stbasilinstitute.org
2. You speak of your effort "to revive the Catholic Church’s perennial teachings on creation." How and why have these teachings been obscured?
3. The entire thrust of modern Western culture seems to be concentrated on what man can manufacture and not on what God has provided through his work of creation. Lately this seems to be reaching its logical end with transhumanism, the rapid development of AI, and the erosion of the two natural human sexes via technology. What are the trends in Western culture that have fostered this kind of thinking? What hope do we have of resisting these things?
4. The trajectory over at least the last century has seen the abandonment of rural life and small farms. In many places the countryside has become simply an abode for factory farms with as few workers as possible. Obviously that has implications for rural parishes, schools, businesses, etc. Has the neglect of the Church's teaching on creation contributed to this situation?
5. What are the practical implications of creation theology for topics such as organic farming, food quality, natural medicine, and care of the environment in general?
6. When speaking of the theology of creation, at least in the U.S. one immediately thinks of debates about creationism and evolution. Does your theological work have any reference to those debates?
7. What projects or activities are you planning and how can interested viewers take part in these?
In this episode of The Open Door, Thomas Storck and Christopher Zehnder interview Vicente Hargous, attorney, Professor of Constitutional Law in the Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile, and editor of the online review, Suroeste. https://revistasuroeste.cl/
- On your website you write regarding Hispanic America that, "It is not difficult to find our land on maps, where we are, but to understand what we are and what we are called to be in the history of the world is not so easy."
In a 2002 article, two Chilean professors, a philosopher and an anthropologist, set forth four possible cultural self-identities which have been advanced by Latin Americans: the indigenist, the hispanic, an identification with the Western world in general and the thesis of "mestizage cultural" or a fusion of indigenist with Spanish or Western identities. Could you comment on any of these points?
- You also speak on your website of the various ideas and trends which are affecting the entire world, but especially the West. You mention among others environmentalism, feminism, indigenism, esoteric currents.
Given that both Europe and North America are affected by these ideas, do they affect Latin America in any particular ways?
-
In North America we read much about the inroads of Protestantism in South and Central America and Mexico. Is this another example of North American cultural imperialism or does it speak to any weaknesses of the Catholic Church, either historical or contemporary? Does the Catholic Church play a role today in setting the cultural agenda in Hispanic America?
-
How has Hispanic American culture changed in the last 50 years? Culturally speaking, can it defend itself against trends originating in North America or Europe?
-
Your review, Suroeste, is connected with the organization Comunidad y Justicia, which works to promote human rights in Chile. What is the connection between the review and the organization? How does your Catholic commitment inspire both? https://comunidadyjusticia.cl/
-
As a continent originally nearly entirely Catholic, is there any realistic hope of restoring the Church's cultural and religious role?
-
How does the overwhelming influence, political and economic, of the United States affect the cultural situation of Latin America?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Christopher Villiers on his book Versing the Mystery: Poems (December 11, 2024)
This collection of poems verses the mystery of God and Creation. Exploring the stories and characters of Scripture, Classical history and myth, the reader confronts the glory of God and is plunged into the depths of the human condition. This work deals with the sacred and the profane, the sublime and the ridiculous. Twenty-first century readers are confronted by their own needs and greeds reflected in the foundations of western civilisation. There are also more directly personal poems, of love, hate, success and failure, rooted in the life of a rhyming sinner inhabiting an English village near the sea. And if none of that appeals to you, then at least there are also owls campaigning for political office.
Versing the Mystery
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Andrew Sorokowski interview JonMarc Grodi of the Coming Home Network.
Some of the questions asked include the following:
1. What is the Coming Home Network and how did it begin?
2. How successful has it been? Do you have statistics on home many non-Catholics you've helped bring into the Church?
3. What are the chief obstacles in your experience that prevent Protestants, and perhaps especially Protestant ministers, from considering the claims of the Church?
4. Have these obstacles changed in any important way during the existence of the CHN?
5. Most Protestant clergy have some theological or biblical formation that can be helpful in pointing them toward the Catholic Church? But what about Protestant laymen? How can they be reached best if they've never even thought about these matters, e.g., about where we get the Bible or why it is authoritative?
6. What is the best way for Catholics to engage their friends and neighbors who belong to other Christian bodies with the claims of the Catholic Church?
7. Given that many in the Catholic Church no longer promote evangelization and conversion of non-Catholic Christians, has the CHN run into criticism from Catholics regarding your apostolate?
In this episode, the panelists of The Open Door talk with Matthew Tsakanikas on Christian Zionism and its Theological Distortions (October 30, 2024)
- What is Zionism, and what specifically, is religious or Christian Zionism?
-
Why is it a theological error? How does it misread the Bible, particularly passages such as Romans 11:29?
-
What are its origins?
-
Does it have much presence outside the U.S.? If not, why do you think so?5. What effects has it had on American politics, especially American foreign policy?
-
Can one make a sharp distinction between political and religious Zionism, at least with regard to their geographical claims? For example, with regard to an assertion of the right of Jews to move to Palestine and, at least to some extent, the displacement of the Arab inhabitants in the early part of the 20th century, did not the two forms of Zionism pretty much operate in the same way?
- What is the correct way for Catholics to think about the Church and the Jewish people and is there any role they may still play in salvation history?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the multi-faceted issue of immigration. How can we better understand the new waves of immigrants, whether in the United States or Europe? What does the Church teach about the ethical issues that come into play? How can we assess the politics of immigration? What role should our parishes play and how might we best respond at a personal level? Our special and welcome guest is Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz. He is a professor of political science and Catholic social thought at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw as well as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Christianity—World—Politics. From 2008-2012 he served as Secretary General of the Commission of Bishops of the European Community COMECE. Mazurkiewicz recently authored Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective (En Route Books, 2024). Among the questions we’ll ask are the following.
1. Fr. Piotr, could you tell us how you came to your work on the topic of migration?
2. How would you compare current migration to Europe with migration to the United States?
3. What is national sovereignty and what is its foundation? What are the limits of sovereignty?
4. Is there a right to emigrate? A right not to emigrate?
5. What happens to property rights in times of grave necessity?
6. How do you understand multiculturalism? Is it an ideology?
7. On what basis can we evaluate the practices of a given culture?
8. Here in the United States we often speak of a “culture of death.” Might not the first concern of many cultures be the need for repentance?
9. Should Poland respond to migration from Africa and the Middle East in the same way that it is responding to refugees from Ukraine?
10. What might it mean with regard to immigration to be neither right nor left but simply Catholic? What might be some promising political approaches to migration?
Mass migration is a serious challenge in both America and Europe. Hence the question of the ethical limits of hospitality. The answer must consider not only the needs of migrants, but also the ability of the host country to integrate migrants. This depends not only on the size of the migration, but also on its homogeneity. For example, a peculiarity of the current migration to Europe is the strong dominance of Muslims, which is changing its religious demographics and, consequently, European culture.
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/twotowers/
This week on The Open Door (August 7th) we will explore the thought of Servant of God Romano Guardini, a widely influential theologian whom both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis deeply admired. So did Flannery O’Connor! Guardini is often thought of as a unifying figure in the Church. Our welcome guest is Christine Myers Miller. She is a graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in Washington, DC, and is the Director of Adult Faith Formation, Marriage & Family Life at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Tulsa. Dr. Myers Miller researched Romano Guardini for her doctoral thesis, studying the topic of Christian responsibility for the world. She has published essays in the Catechetical Review, Humanum online review, and in the important theological journal Communio. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following.1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Have you always been an Okie? 2. What was it like to study at the John Paul II Institute? How does the Institute reflect the vision of St. John Paul II? 3. What are your responsibilities as Director of Adult Faith Formation and Marriage & Family Life at your parish? 4. Could you introduce us to Romano Guardini? A time-line would help. And how did he survive World War II? 5. In these “interesting times” there’s deep disagreement on just what it is to be a human being. What does this mean in terms of how we can best address ethical questions? 6. On your view, crisis can be an occasion of growth. How might this come about with regard to scandals in the Church? 7. Romano Guardini saw the apparent contradiction between faith and science as one of the main sources of crisis in his time, and it surely remains one for us. How might we effectively respond to it? 8. How might Guardini advise us to manage AI technology? 9. You have written that “faith needs culture to survive” and warned that “a faith without culture is a dying thing.” What would a Catholic culture look like today? 10. Might it involve a distinctive Catholic political presence?
On this episode of The Open Door (July 24), panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the Catholic traditionalist movement. Our special focus will be “independent” traditionalists. How do they differ from other traditionalists? What leads them to “LeFebvreism”? What can we learn from the ongoing debate about the movement’s role in the Church? Our welcome guest is Andrew Mioni. He is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a B.A. in English. As a contributor to Faith in Crisis (Wipf and Stock, 2024), he explores the roots of what some see as a crisis of faith in Catholicism. Mioni is the author of Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism (En Route Books, 2024).
- For clarification: What is the difference between the SSPX, the Society of St. Pius X initiated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and the FSSP, the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter?
- How do you understand the word “ideology”?
- Who are the sedevacantists?
- How has George Weigel, a St. John Paul II scholar and frequent contributor to First Things, helped you to put the traditionalist movement in a broader context?
- Richard John Neuhaus, once a Lutheran, thought that the chief complaints of the Reformation had been answered. You ask the “independents” what would count as the crisis in Catholicism being resolved. What sort of an answer should we expect?
- Why do you think that “To be deep in history is to cease to be traditionalist”?
- Just what is modernism? How is it linked to a certain view of reason?
- To what do you attribute a crisis of faith dating back well before Vatican II?
- What is the authority of the ordinary magisterium of the Church? Does Vatican II express that authority?
- Could you explain the “functionalist” approach to spirituality and the liturgy?
- How have the lessons you learned in authoring your book carried over into your own parish life?
- What’s your next book project?
Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism by Andrew Mioni | En Route Books and Media
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Valerie Niemeyer, and Christopher Zehnder discuss Catholic social thought and economics. That means taking a long, hard look at capitalism in practice and the dominance of corporations. We’ll explore the nature of usury and what’s at issue in a fair wage. We’ll consider the State as a political community and the family as the cornerstone of social justice. We’ll talk about personal responsibility as the foundation of a just social order. Our welcome guests are Thomas Storck, the editor of Money, Markets, and Morals (En Route Books, 2024) and its Australian contributors Dr. Donald Boland and Dr. Garrick Small, as well as the American distributist thinkers John Médaille and David Cooney. Among the questions we’ll address to this panel are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!
1. Is Catholic social teaching a dimension of moral theology?
2. How should we define capitalism? How can it become a threat to justice?
3. What is the origin of the modern corporation? Is there any way to challenge its power?
4. Can you compare and contrast for us, say, the Bank of America, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, a publicly owned bank or a credit union? What dangers does the former pose?
5. Just what is usury? Why is it wrong? Can you give examples of usurious practices
6. What is the distinction between a market wage and a fair wage? Where does a minimum wage guarantee fit in?
7. What is the basis of ownership? Do we own our bodies and our lives?
8. Should we think of the State as the political community of the highest degree?
9. Does the current economic order recognize the family as the first unit of a just society? What would a “family politics” look like?
10. In what ways might we practice personal responsibility in today’s profoundly complex economic order? Is personal responsibility compatible with stock ownership?
In this episode of The Open Door (June 26), panelists Jim Hanink, Christopher Zehnder, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the role of spiritual direction. Just what is it? What is the ministry of the spiritual director? Our special and welcome guest is Msgr. Patrick Gaalaas. He is a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Msgr. Gaalaas retired from parish work in 2022 at the age of 75. But “retirement” has led to “redirection.” He has worked as a spiritual director at Conception Seminary College in Missouri for the past two years. (Full disclosure: Monsignor has known Jim Hanink from the time they were fellow college seminarians at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas.) Msgr. Gaalaas spent his final four years in the seminary at the American College at the University of Louvain in Belgium. There he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology and a master’s degree in Moral and Religious Sciences. Among the questions we’ll be asking are the following.
- You moved from parish work to a Benedictine Abbey. Is there a distinctive Benedictine spirituality?
- Spiritual direction pairs a spiritual director with a person interested in direction. But how does the average Catholic, if there is such a creature, know whether to seek spiritual direction?
- What’s the difference between spiritual direction and psychological counselling?
- How does one go about finding a spiritual director? What might one expect if one Google searched “spiritual direction near me”?
- How does one become a spiritual director? Who can become a spiritual director?
- Is a personal calling from God requisite for being a spiritual director?
- Do spiritual directors ordinarily have diocesan recognition?
- What sort of direction do spiritual directors themselves have?
- Might we say that the Holy Spirit is at the center of spiritual direction?
- What are some signs that spiritual direction is going well? Or is not going well?
This week on The Open Door (June 12) we complete our series on education. Our focus is developing Catholic textbooks that give history its deepest perspective. Our welcome guest is Christopher Zehnder, M.A. He is the General Editor for the Catholic Textbook Project. A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, he has worked as a graphic artist, journalist, school headmaster, and teacher of history, literature, theology, and mathematics. Mr. Zehnder has been affiliated with the Catholic Textbook Project since its founding in 2000. He has authored several of its textbooks, edited and contributed chapters to others, and made art selections for many of them. He is a novelist as well! A member of the American Solidarity Party, Christopher is on the town council of Hartford, Ohio. With his wife Katherine and their family, he has made his residence there since escaping Southern California.
The following are among the questions we asked him:
1. How did you come to be an educator?
2. Why does it matter how we define education?
3. What led to your interest in history?
4. You write historical fiction. Is there any way to get beyond writing stories about history?
5. Can you sketch for us the history of education in the United States? What has led to the resurgence of interest in classical education?
6. How did the Catholic Textbook Project come about? What does it bring to the table in today’s educational milieu?
7. What do you make of “critical race theory”?
8. How can Catholic educators teach the truth about the uglier dimensions of history?
9. How can Catholic educators help form students into citizens who embody both charity and solidarity?
10. Are you writing a new textbook? How about another novel?
In this episode of The Open Door (May 29, 2024), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer talk about the work of State Catholic Conference Directors. Our focus will be on the role that they can play in developing Catholic education. Our welcome guest is Tom Venzor. He has served as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference since 2016. Prior to this, he served as the Associate Director for Pro-Life & Family for the Nebraska Catholic Conference. Before joining the NCC, Tom worked as a legislative aide in the State Legislature, as well as in various capacities throughout several other legislative sessions. Tom earned his undergraduate degree in political science, philosophy, and religious studies from Doane College in Crete, his master’s degree in philosophy from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and his law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln. Tom and his wife, Makayla, have four children at home: Monica, Claire, Anthony, and Julia. And they have a little one in heaven: Thérèse.
1. Let’s start with an encouraging breakthrough and then move to context. The Nebraska Legislature recently passed school choice legislation! Could you tell us some of the particulars of this legislation? What led to this victory?
2. People of goodwill want public schools to be adequately funded in their service to students, especially the most vulnerable. Could you help us to understand how school choice does NOT undercut support for public school teachers and students?
3. What’s involved in serving as the Director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference? And what are some of your current projects? Are any of them related to education?
4. Catholicism has a rich tradition of promoting the liberal arts. Is there a way that the Nebraska Catholic Conference can contribute to that tradition?
5. How does the Catholic Conference work in conjunction with the bishops of Nebraska?
6. In what ways does the Conference seek the collaboration of the laity? Are they tuned in to your work?
7. What sort of press has the Conference had in past years?
8. How does the Conference forge bonds with particular legislators? And how does it engage with legislative opponents?
9. What organizational or advocacy mistakes have you made, and what have you learned from them?
10. True or false: Catholic Social Teaching can build bridges with “wokeism”?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer continue our discussion of education. We’ll focus on preparing, and supporting, Catholic school teachers. Our welcome guest is Deacon Omar Gutiérrez, the President and Executive Director of the Evangelium Institute. An expert on Catholic Social Teaching, he has been published in many print and online periodicals, has authored several books on the subject, and has a podcast series on Discerning Hearts. Most importantly, Dcn. Gutiérrez is happily married to Miriam, and they are very blessed by their five children.
- Could you tell us about your background and work in the area of Catholic Social Teaching? How did you come to teach and write about this topic that we here at the Open Door care so much about?
- How did the Evangelium Institute come to be, and what are the services it provides?
- Hillaire Belloc claims that "The faith is not taught. It is inhabited and breathed in." What's wrong about this claim? What's right?
- Can you share some stories that illustrate the impact Evangelium Institute has been making?
- What are the greatest challenges that Catholic school administrators and teachers face? What are some good ways to support them?
- Religion is often seen as a matter of private feeling. But Catholicism has a rich intellectual tradition. Is this tradition at work in Catholic education as you have experienced it?
- How do Catholic Social Teaching principles, such as solidarity, subsidiarity, economic democracy, and others, apply to the realm of education? Does the Evangelium Institute incorporate them into the formation you provide?
- We’ve heard it said that the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum of Saints. We’ve all had occasion to be disappointed, if not scandalized, by poor leadership in the Church and in Catholic schools. Do you have any suggestions, based on your experiences, for how to respond or NOT respond to such situations?
- How can folks support the good work the Evangelium Institute is doing in the realm of Catholic education?
- Any last thoughts for us before we close with the Gospel for today?
Here at The Open Door, we are turning our attention to education for the next few episodes. This week (May 1) we will consider the growing trend of homeschooling. Our special guest is Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur. She is a lifelong Catholic who has been homeschooling her three children, two of whom are grown, for 17 years. In a welcome effort to provide both information and inspiration for homeschool families, she has managed, for over a decade, the Today's Catholic Homeschooling Website. From there folks can access her Homeschooling Resource Guide for free, along with a variety of helpful articles and book reviews. She herself has written a number of books, including The Crash Course Guide to Catholic Homeschooling. Patrice is a Member of the Catholic Writers' Guild and Catholic Library Association. She has a Master's Degree in Applied Theology and 20 years of experience working for the New Evangelization. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please don’t hesitate to ask your own!
- Perhaps we should begin by defining our terms. What is homeschooling? Simply doing school at home? What makes it "official"?
- We are pretty sure homeschooling is on the rise, but do you have any stats that might help us understand the reality by the numbers?
- What are the reasons people most often choose to homeschool, in your experience?
- What are some common misconceptions about homeschooling?
- No doubt some criticisms of some homeschoolers are on the mark. Do any examples come to mind?
- Some families feel called to homeschool throughout high school, often with the support of local or online educational services to one degree or another. As more and more kids have become homeschool graduates, are there any notable, established outcomes we are seeing that reflect the positive potential of this educational path?
- We’ve all heard about teacher burnout. Is there homeschooling burnout? If so, what are the causes...and remedies?
- Homeschooling parents come from many backgrounds. Are there some conversations across different backgrounds that you think might be productive but perhaps do not yet see?
- Parents are the first educators of their children, and children are not the mere creatures of the State. Doesn’t it follow that the State’s role in education should be carefully limited?
- Any other food for thought you'd like to offer for our listeners?
On this episode of The Open Door (April 17th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss medical ethics. Our focus will be the debate about the criteria for brain death. Our special guest is John A. Di Camillo, PhD, BeL. He is an Ethicist and the Personal Consultations Director at The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC). He manages its 24/7 free ethics consultation service as well as the Personal Consultations Fellows and Interns Program. He applies Catholic moral theology to science and medicine through research, writing, speaking, mentoring, and fielding hundreds of ethics questions every year. His areas of focus include cooperation with evil, sexual orientation and gender identity, reproductive technologies, and pregnancy complications. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own.
- What is Catholics United on Brain Death and Organ Donation about? What were the goals of writing it and seeking endorsements for it?
- Why is there no moral certainty of death when following the American Academy of Neurology guidelines for a determination of brain death?
- What is ongoing hypothalamic function? Is it compatible with brain death? What would be the effect of improved clinical guidelines that require cessation of hypothalamic function?
- Should patients expect that the existing American Academy of Neurology guidelines—or something even less rigorous—will be applied in practice? Is there a reasonable expectation that the existing guidelines will be improved in the near future?
- Does a person considering organ donation have good reason to expect that he or she will be truly dead at the time of vital organ procurement?
- Given that we must presume life until death is certain, and given the lack of moral certainty of death whenever the current brain death criteria are used, can we still assume that a majority of vital organ donors are deceased at the time of organ harvesting?
- Is it wise, at this time, to decline organ donor status at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) upon first receiving a driver’s license? To revoke organ donor status through the appropriate channel in one’s state?
- Should we advocate for the right of patients and health care professionals to conscientiously object to the use of the current brain death criteria for a determination of death?
- How can we best highlight the Church’s teaching on the need for moral certainty of death as a condition for vital organ procurement?
- What do you hope will happen next, now that Catholics United has been published?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the politics of the presidency and vice presidency. November, and with it the national election, is not so far off. The Biden vs. Trump rematch is officially scheduled. Here at The Open Door we want to think outside the duopoly’s binary box. That means checking in on the candidates of the American Solidarity Party. Our returning and welcome guest is Mr. Peter Sonski. A New England native, Peter and his wife have nine adult children. He has a Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree from The Catholic University of America. His professional experience is in journalism, public relations, and business administration. Peter is concluding his second term as an elected member of Connecticut’s Regional School District 17 board of education. He’ll have lots to tell us about his presidential campaign. Among the questions we will ask are the following.
1. What does it mean to you to be “pro-life” as a candidate for the President of the United States?
2. How has your experience in local politics informed your approach to this campaign?
3. They say behind every good man is an even better woman. How has your wife made you a stronger man and better candidate?
4. How does your running mate, Lauren Onak, bring strength to your campaign?
5. Has your campaign experience changed your perspective on what it means to be a citizen?
6. Have you any new insights into “the system” of politics in America?
7. Which of your stances as a candidate are you finding the most support for? The most push-back against?
8. Any thoughts on Christian Democracy and how it may or may not be finding a place in American politics?
9. How has your faith life been impacted by this adventure, if it’s not too personal a question?
10. How can folks support your campaign in an effort to bring light to the darkness of our political reality in America?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Valerie Niemeyer interview Karina Fabian, the president of The Catholic Writers Guild. (March 20, 2024)
We discuss all things literary. For a start, was Walker Percy, as a naysayer claimed, the last Catholic novelist? We don’t think so. And what’s the range of the “literary”? It includes, of course, non-fiction. It welcomes poets and dramatists. But what about bloggers and podcasters? Just how ecumenical should we be? Our welcome guest is Karina Fabian. She is the new president of the Catholic Writers Guild, an association committed to the development of Catholic arts and letters. The following are among the questions we’ll be asking her.
1. Karina, if we may, could you fill us in about the history of the Catholic Writers Guild
2. How did you—a self-described geek, teacher, humorist, and Miata driver—come to be involved in the Guild?
3. How does the Guild help authors and readers? Book stores and publishers?
4. What is your advice for aspiring writers who have not yet published any of their work?
5. The Guild is serious about core Catholic values. In what ways does it promote these values?
6. What makes a book distinctively Catholic? Did Graham Greene and Flannery O’Connor write distinctively Catholic novels and short stories?
7. Has the internet helped or harmed our literary capacities? Can we sit still long enough to read and write serious literature?
8. Who are some little known contemporary Catholic writers that we ought to become familiar with?
9. Can you tell us a bit about some of the publishers that your members have worked with?
10. Writers, so they say, (mostly) stay in and write. What are you working on these days? And is it true that you hate zombies?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss four giants of 20th century Catholic thought: Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla (St. John Paul II). Our welcome guest is Prof. Rick Spinello. He teaches at Boston College and St. John’s Seminary in Boston. The author of numerous scholarly articles on ethics, Spinello has written or edited many books including The Encyclicals of John Paul II: An Introduction and Commentary and The Splendor of Marriage: John Paul II’s Vision of Love, Marriage, Family, and the Culture of Life. Among the questions we’ll be asking him are the following.
1. Rick, how did you end up authoring a book on four Catholic philosophers?
2. Your book combines biography with hard philosophical questions. Why did you write it?
3. Would the average Catholic layperson, if there is such a person, want to read this book?
4. What’s it like to write a book about four saintly figures who were also intellectual giants?
5. Why did you pick these four? Why not other Catholic “giants” of the last century?
6. Is there such a thing as Catholic philosophy? Why has this been such a contested issue?
7. What does this diverse group, Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla have in common?
8. Three of these philosophers are converts to Catholicism. How would you compare their conversion experiences?
9. Why are their philosophies important for the Church? What’s their message for us today?
10. Of the four, who was your favorite?
Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła)
This book unfolds the intersecting life stories of four important Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, namely, Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla, and examines the salient themes of their respective philosophies. Exploring the lives of these four individuals will unlock for the reader the nature of Catholic philosophy, which always aspires to a higher wisdom and the discovery of the hidden harmony of the universe. The spiritual itinerary of these faithful scholars is part of a larger story, therefore, of the intimate relationship between faith and reason that is at the heart of Catholic intellectual life.
Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła) | En Route Books and Media
In this episode of The Open Door (Monday, March 4th) we’ll discuss the role of tradition in forming Catholic teaching. Some argue that Pope Francis overlooks the normative role of tradition. Others argue that some papal critics, as well as critics of Vatican Council II, misunderstand the dynamic nature of tradition itself. We’ll discuss, too, the development of doctrine and what it means. Our guest is the Portugal-based Pedro Gabriel. Dr. Gabriel is one of the co-founders of the apologetics website “Where Peter Is.” He is also a medical oncologist. He recently authored Heresy Disguised as Tradition (En Route, 2023). The following are among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest others!1. What counts as “tradition”? Does a simple appeal to the social sciences answer this question? (25) 2. What is a radical traditionalist? Is there such a thing as “hyperpapalism”? 3. What is the scope of the teaching that Catholics are “to be united in mind and heart” with the Holy Father? Does it extend to matters of diplomacy? To philosophical orientation? 4. How are we to know the mind of the pope, especially when it is changing? 5. Should we assume that Pope Francis is as attuned to the Catholicism of Africa as he is to the Catholicism of Europe and the Americas? 6. To what extent is culture normative? 7. Would you assess Pope Francis’s restrictions on the Latin Mass as “harsh”? (17) 8. “Subjective culpability” can become a “mitigating circumstance” in moral assessment of an act involving grave matter. In such cases how are we to provide sound moral guidance? 9. Could you explain for us the concept of “complexio oppositorum”? Is it compatible with the principle of non-contradiction? 10. Has synodality come to terms with fundamental theological disagreements?
In this episode of The Open Door (February 7th, 2024), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Valerie Niemeyer continue to discuss two unmentionables: Religion and Politics! Our welcome guest is Jeff Culbreath, a married father of six residing in the obscure suburbs of Sacramento. He works in the apparel industry, drives his busy kids around, and tries to be a low-maintenance husband to his hard-working wife. He enjoys writing on various topics and has maintained several blogs over the years. Please feel free to suggest others!
1. By way of introduction, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
2. You’ve been influenced by, among others, Russell Kirk, Wendell Berry, and Neil Postman. In what ways?
3. How did you come to be a Roman Catholic?
4. What led you to the Republican Party and, in recent years, away from it?
5. Can we have good government without good people?
6. Can public policy help people be good? If not, why not? If yes, can you give examples?
7. The preamble to the American Solidarity Party (ASP) platform states, “we acknowledge the state should be pluralistic.” What does that mean? How do pluralism and solidarity impact each other?
8. What is “the gift economy”? How does it relate to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? Why is it important? What can be done to improve it?
9. The ASP platform addresses “marriage and family” issues in detail, but doesn’t have much to say about extended families. How can public policy strengthen extended families?
10. How do you reconcile belief in an “ownership society”, that is, Distributism, with the huge economies of scale that we all depend upon in a modern economy? We can’t all be owners, can we? BONUS: Do you plan on running for public office?
This week on The Open Door (January 24th) we virtually visit Norway. What’s going on with Christian Democracy there and in nearby Sweden? What sources do our Scandinavian friends draw on to build a creative alternative to politics as usual? What sources do we in the US share with them? Our welcome and special guest is Eilev Hegstad. He is working on a PhD with the title "The role of ethics committees and moral experts in democracy". Hegstad has a master's degree in political science from the University of Oslo. His professional interests are the role of knowledge and expertise in politics, ethics committees, democratic theory, and political ideologies. He has done research at Oxford University. In 2023, the book "Kristendemokrati" which he edited came out. We’ll be asking him the following questions.
1. How did Christian Democracy come to the Nordic countries?
2. In what ways has its development been distinctive?
3. The core principles of Christian Democratic thought include subsidiarity, solidarity, social market economy, and popularism. Could you explain them to us?
4. Could you please introduce us to some of the major Scandinavian proponents of Christian Democracy?
5. There’s an old line that an expert is someone from 20 miles away. But surely there’s more involved than that. What’s required to be, say, a moral expert?
6. There’s another old line that dismisses a poorly written document as the work of a committee. What’s the task of an ethics committee and how can we tell if it’s achieved?
7. Democracy is not without its puzzles. When if ever is pure democracy feasible?
8. What do you make of the Anscombe Paradox, namely that in a majority of instances the majority might be in the minority?
9. Does political authority rest on convention, contract, consent, or something other than these?
10. A bonus question: Do you think that Magnus Carlsen’s chess brilliance would lend itself to political analysis? After all, Gary Kasparov might serve as his mentor!
In this episode of The Open Door (January 10), panelists Jim Hanink and Valerie Niemeyer talk about what’s involved in running for the Senate of the United States. What motivates a candidate to do so? What are the technical requirements? How much money does it take to mount a campaign? Need serious Christians apply for the job? Our special and welcome guest is Mark Ruzon. Yes, he is a candidate for the Senate! He is also the Chair of the California State Committee of the American Solidarity Party. Mark is a Senior Software Engineer with Google. He and his family live in Mountain View, California. The questions we will ask him include the following. Feel free to ask your own!
1. Why did you decide to run for the U.S. Senate?
2. Just what’s involved in getting your name on the ballot here in California?
3. Is it true that only millionaires or their friends can campaign for the Senate?
4. What does it mean to say that everyone, regardless of birth status, income, or behavior has an inherent value and dignity? And what is your basis for affirming this claim?
5. As Senator, how would you advocate for more widespread economic opportunity and ownership?
6. You believe that families are the fundamental unit of society. What does this mean in terms of specific policies? What is the proper role for government in a family’s child-rearing decisions?
7. Your goal is a medical system that covers family members from prenatal care to hospice. How could California achieve such a goal?
8. California is facing a housing crisis. What factors have brought it about? What steps do you propose for dealing with this crisis?
9. Critics claim that our immigration system is broken. What measures do you propose for a truly humane immigration system?
10. What role should the United States play in contributing to peaceful international relations?
In this episode of The Open Door (December 13th), panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss the progress of the American Solidarity Party and the current presidential and vice presidential campaign of Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak. Our special and welcome guest is Marcos Lopez, the Chair of the American Solidarity Party. A first generation Cuban-American, he is a husband and a father of two and lives in Tampa, Florida. Lopez holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Florida. He works in marketing and spends most of his free time with his family. He’s also involved with the music ministry at his parish.
1. Is it true that the fastest growing political party in the United States is the American Solidarity Party? If so, what accounts for its growth?
2. What initially brought you to the American Solidarity Party?
3. Conventional opinion says that votes for third party candidates are wasted votes. What’s your answer to this charge?
4. How did you come to be the Chair of the Party?
5. What sort of week to week challenges does the Party’s National Committee currently face?
6. Can you tell us about Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak, the Party’s candidates for president and vice president of the United States?
7. What is the process for getting on the ballot? How is the Party faring in doing so?
8. Is there a way to use marketing skills to expand and develop political debate?
9. Can the Party attract nationally known figures like Dan Lipinski or Robert George? Can it attract six figure donations?
10. When will you be running for office in Florida?
This week on The Open Door (November 29th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer continue their discussion of the art of translation, Eastern Catholicism, and the relation between Thomism and Ressourcement theology with special and returning guest Professor Matthew Minerd. He is a Ruthenian Catholic, raised Roman Catholic in a mixed American-Slavic and Appalachian cultural context in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Matthew is a husband and father, a seminary professor, and a translator.
1. Has your work as a translator triggered new questions for you about biblical translations? Are there any translations that you think are especially helpful?
2. You are an Eastern Catholic and teach in an Eastern Catholic seminary. What do Western Catholics especially need to know about Eastern Catholic spirituality?
3. After Vatican II there were major changes in the Roman liturgy. Some now prefer what Benedict XVI presented as the Extraordinary Rite; others have embraced the liturgy of Eastern Catholicism. How have Eastern Catholics reacted to the liturgical changes in the West?
4. What are some distinctive theological influences in Eastern Catholicism?
5. Has Eastern Catholicism experienced special difficulties in addressing the relation between Church and State?
6. Some speak of Jacques Maritain as the single most influential Thomist of the last century. Was he open to Ressourcement theology?
7. You have a leadership role in the American Maritain Association. Where do you see the spirit of Jacques and Raïssa Maritain active today?
8. Maritain was deeply engaged in the politics of his time. Does Thomism offer a foundation for constructive politics?
9. What’s your view of the American Solidarity Party?
10. Could you tell us a bit about your current projects?
This week on The Open Door (November 15th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the art of translation, Eastern Catholicism, and the relation between Thomism and Ressourcement theology. Our special guest is Professor Matthew Minerd. He is a Ruthenian Catholic, raised Roman Catholic in a mixed American-Slavic and Appalachian cultural context in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Minerd is a husband and father, a seminary professor, and a translator.
1. You have become, in recent years, a distinguished translator. How did this come about?
2. Some say that to translate is to betray: Traduttore, traditore! It’s a provocative charge, but could it be that where there is smoke there is fire?
3. Is the art of translating a kind of interpretation? Does it involve compromises
4. You are an Eastern Catholic and teach in an Eastern Catholic seminary, Ss. Cyril and Methodius. What do Western Catholics especially need to know about the Eastern Catholic heritage? How does it serve the Universal Church?
5. Do you have any distinctive challenges in presenting Thomism to Eastern Catholics?
6. How are you working to resolve the tension between Thomism and the Ressourcement of the Nouvelle Théologie?
7. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange has been dubbed “the sacred monster of Thomism.” Your recent translations of his books areThomistic Common Sense: The Philosophy of Being and the Development of Doctrine, The Order of Things: The Realism of the Principle of Finality, Philosophizing in Faith, Essays on the Beginning and End of Wisdom, and The Sense of Mystery: Clarity and Obscurity in the Intellectual Life. What is your own assessment of Garrigou-Lagrange?
8. Some speak of Jacques Maritain as the single most influential Thomist of the last century. You are active in the American Maritain Association. Where do you see the spirit of Maritain active today?
9. Maritain was deeply engaged in the politics of his time. Does Thomism offer a foundation for constructive politics?
10. What are some of your current projects?
This week on The Open Door (November 1st), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss India, religious freedom, and Thomism. Our distinguished and welcome guest is Prof. Timothy Samuel Shah of the University of Dallas. By training and personal passion, he is a scholar of politics and political philosophy, specializing in religion and global politics, religious freedom, and the history of moral and political theory. With his wife, Rebecca Shah, he is based in Bangalore, India. With Rebecca, he has established several initiatives in partnership with the University of Dallas, including a Jacques and Raïssa Maritain Program on Catholicism, Public Life and World Affairs. Under the auspices of the Maritain Program, Prof. Shah coordinates a monthly online Thomistic Study Circle, which involves numerous expert and amateur Thomists from around the world, and which seeks to re-enliven an appreciation of the Angelic Doctor’s timeless teaching and relevance, especially for public affairs. Most recently, he and Rebecca established a Program for Indo-American Understanding and Friendship at the Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas. The program, among other things, seeks to promote deep dialogue and genuine understanding between Hinduism and Catholic Christianity. In addition to serving as a Distinguished Research Scholar in the Politics Department at the University of Dallas, Shah also serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Center for Shared Civilizational Values, an organization he founded with senior leaders of the world’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia, in order to strengthen and preserve a rules-based international order founded upon respect for the equal rights and dignity of every human being.
- Prof. Shah, Tim if we may, how can Americans better understand India, now the most populous nation in the world?
- What might Mahatma Gandhi think of India today?
- Commentators are calling attention to the political and military implications of the developing relations between India and the United States. Can you explain for us something of what’s at stake?
- India’s Supreme Court recently declined to recognize same sex marriage, insisting that it was a matter for the legislature. What factors went into this decision?
- How did you come to have a special interest in religious freedom? What are some of the key challenges to religious freedom today?
- Could you tell us about how you came to the University of Dallas? How is it a distinctive institution?
- At the yearly conference of the American Maritain Association you presented a paper warning of the “siren song” of Catholic integralism. Why are you critical of this phenomenon?
- It has been said that everyone is born either a Platonist or an Aristotelian. But you are a keen Thomist. How did this happen? Were you, perhaps, trying to combine the best of Plato and of Aristotle?
- Is there a Catholic-Hindu dialogue in India? Is there a Catholic-Muslim dialogue in India?
- Pope Francis has said that we are already in the midst of World War III. What do you think he meant? Do you agree with him?
This week on The Open Door (October 18), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer dig deeper into arguments for and against the existence of God. These arguments matter greatly, and we think they have a necessary place in Christian evangelization. Is Christianity true? We confess that it is! But if God doesn’t exist, then it is not. Our welcome and returning guest is Patrick Flynn. He’s the author of the new book The Best Argument for God (Sophia Institute Press, 2023). A writer, podcaster, and speaker, Flynn lives in Wisconsin with his wife, five children, and a Saint Bernard. He is the host of Philosophy for the People.
1. We’ve discussed the problem of evil. Do naturalists face what we might term “the problem of good”? How might a naturalist account for the good that people do?
2. Is there a naturalist strategy for explaining the beauty we find in human creativity? In the natural world itself?
3. Could it be that in the end one simply chooses to believe or not to believe?
4. Pope Francis recently wrote an Apostolic Letter on Blaise Pascal. The Letter makes no reference, though, to Pascal’s Wager. How would you evaluate it?
5. What is a worldview? Does everyone have a worldview? Can one change one’s world view on rational grounds?
6. How does scientism differ from science?
7. Is there only one universe? If so, does it show any signs of being “fine-tuned”?
8. What is the principle of sufficient reason?
9. How might one challenge the principle of sufficient reason?
10. Does the principle of sufficient reason support the existence of God? If so, how?
This week on The Open Door (October 4th), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss arguments for and against the existence of God. We think that these arguments matter, and we want to think hard about them. After all, we want to know whether Christianity is true, and if God doesn’t exist then it isn’t! Our welcome guest is Patrick Flynn. He’s the author of the new book The Best Argument for God (Sophia Institute Press, 2023). A writer, podcaster, and speaker, Flynn lives in Wisconsin with his wife, five children, and a Saint Bernard. He is the host of Philosophy for the People.
Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to ask your own!
1. Does Athens have anything to do with Jerusalem? What did Justin Martyr think?
2. When does a reason constitute an argument? When does an argument constitute a proof?
3. Does an experience of the presence of God take the place of an argument for God’s existence?
4. Just what is classical theism?
5. Are there any challenging arguments against the existence of God?
6. What is naturalism? Is it scientific?
7. How do you understand the concept of a worldview?
8. How does scientism differ from science?
9. Does the principle of sufficient reason support the reality of God?
10. Is there only one universe? If so, does it show any signs of being “fine-tuned”?
This week (September 20th ) on The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer will discuss religious freedom. Our special guests are Andrew Kubick and Nathaniel Hurd, both of the Religious Freedom Institute.
Kubick is Deputy Director, National Center for Religious Freedom Education, and a Research Fellow in Bioethics and Medical Conscience. He has a Ph.D. in Bioethics from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He has published in The Catholic Journal on Religious Freedom and Health Care, Dignitas, Ethics & Medics, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Public Discourse, and St. John Paul II Journal of Bioethics. Nathaniel Hurd is Director of the North America Action Team and Senior Fellow for Public Policy for the Religious Freedom Institute. He holds a Masters of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Hurd worked as Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In addition to advising Senators and Representatives, he directed hearings, monitored elections in Europe, and represented the United States with the United Nations and World Bank. He has spent time overseas with many survivors of violence who were forced to flee from their homes.
The questions for our visitors include the following. Feel free to suggest others!
1. What led to your interest in, and professional commitment to, religious freedom?
2. Why should governments have a special regard for religious freedom? Isn’t it sufficient to secure civil liberties?
3. Do you have a working definition of religion?
4. Do you recognize a right not to profess a religion?
5. Many see religion as a private affair and are willing to recognize it as such. Does religion, properly understood, have a public dimension? If so, what follows?
6. How is it that religion often becomes entangled with nationalism?
7. Should Christians advocate for the religious freedom of Muslims? Of Buddhists?
8. A noted liberal scholar, the late John Rawls, contends that treating one’s faith as the overarching good of one’s life is a form of fanaticism. Indeed, he identifies St. Ignatius Loyola as a fanatic. How would you respond to Rawls?
9. In today’s world, is the secular state a political safe haven for religious freedom?
10. What are the prospects for religious freedom in Pakistan, Nigeria, and China?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss how to best respond to people who are devalued due to intellectual or physical impairment, mental disorders, age, and poverty. Our welcome guest is Jo Massarelli. She leads Social Role Valorization workshops both in the United States and internationally. She has also evaluated dozens of human service programs for schools, hospices, prisons, and homeless shelters. Massarelli and her husband Marc Tumeinski are members of a voluntary community responding the needs of the homeless in Worcester, Massachusetts.
1. Valerie Niemeyer was blessed to meet Jo and her husband, Marc Tumeinski, in Omaha after the interview with Marc on The Open Door. Henry, Valerie's 18 year old, joined her and met a few of Jo's colleagues. Could you tell us about that weekend event? Why did it happen in my home city of Omaha?
2. Can you tell us more about Wolf Wolfensburger? How did he influence you?
3. What is the status of the social role valorization movement here and abroad?
4. What are the goals of the International Social Role Valorization Association? How might folks support its work?
5. You are part of a local Catholic Worker community. What can you tell us about it?
6. What connections do you see between Wolf Wolfensburger and Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement?
7. Do folks in the social role valorization movement and the Catholic Worker movement face similar challenges?
8. What patterns contribute to greater or lesser "success" within the two movements? And how would you define "success" in these contexts?
9. Tell us about your conference this summer. And what's on the agenda for next summer's conference?
10. Any last thoughts, invitations, or reading suggestions for our audience?
In this episode of The Open Door , without special fuss, and certainly without making a scene, we’ll explore the life and times of the man behind the scenes. Our welcome guest is our producer and, indeed, the producer of the full range of WCAT Radio & Television programs. The President of En Route Books and Media, the peripatetic Sebastian Mahfood, OP, Ph.D., will join us! Though his heart is in East Texas, St. Louis is the launching pad of his projects and peregrinations. He lives there with his wife, Dr. Stephanie Mahfood, and their children, Alexander and Eva Ruth. Among the questions we’ll be asking are the following.
1. Dr. Mahfood, Sebastian, could you tell us about your roots and introduce us to your family?
2. How did you become a lay Dominican and what does it mean for you?
3. Back in the day, and our audience should hear it directly, you wrestled professionally. Were you, even then, a voice from the periphery?
4. Turning away from the distractions of youth, you left the ring for the groves of academe. Your tenure at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Holy Apostles College & Seminary was rich: teacher, administrator, and pioneer developer of on-line academic programs. Could you share with us the highlights of your career?
5. You’ve authored half a dozen books of special interest. To name a few: Catholic Realism, The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy and Missionary Priests in the Homeland: Our Call to Receive. Could you explain their themes to our audience?
6. The Open Door, we understand, is your longest running WCAT Radio program. How did it start? What is its future?
7. You are not one to let the grass grow under your feet. Could you tell us about your travels, especially in Africa and Europe?
8. Before your retirement, what was the nature of your work as a professor of interdisciplinary and intercultural studies?
9. How does the Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology feature in your professional life?
10. What's next for your publishing house and radio station?
Some links:
https://www.enroutebooksandmedia.com
https://www.wcatradio.com
https://www.faithscience.org
In this episode of The Open Door , panelists Jim Hanink and Valierie Niemeyer interview Lauren Onak, the new vice presidential candidate of the American Solidarity Party. Lauren was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She studied English Literature at Barnard College of Columbia University and received a Masters in Adolescent Education from Hunter College. Onak is a stay at home mom to three young children and lives in the Boston suburbs. She teaches natural family planning and is active in several community organizations. Among the questions we’ll be asking are the following. Please feel free to ask your own!
1. Lauren, can you share some of your back story with us? Back before you joined the American Solidarity Party?
2. Tell us about your discernment process when invited to represent the American Solidarity Party as vice presidential candidate alongside Peter Sonski. Why did you say yes to such a weighty commitment?
3. The American Solidarity Party believes strongly in the principle of subsidiarity, a principle that reflects the social teaching of the Catholic Church. How do you explain subsidiarity to folks who aren’t familiar with it?
4. How do strong communities relate to this principle of subsidiarity?
5. We also affirm the importance of solidarity, and living it out both personally and collectively. Can you give us some examples of what solidarity looks like or could look like from the personal to the national and even international level?
6. Dorothy Day, the co-founder of The Catholic Worker Movement, once said that we don’t want to trade one poverty for a worse poverty. What do you think that she meant?
7. At one point Day also said that more than ever she believed we need to foster personal responsibility. How can we balance that with concrete expressions of personal and collective solidarity?
8. How does the evangelical counsel of a personal and even communal commitment to voluntary poverty relate to this dynamic?
9. As a stay-at-home mother, how have you sought to strengthen the communities in which you live? What are your hopes for the future in that regard?
10. What’s it like so far on the campaign trail?
In this episode of The Open Door (July 26th), panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes talk about children’s literature, writing for a popular audience, and Lady Philosophy. Our guest is Susanna Spencer. She has a Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Spencer is both a writer and the content and theological editor for Blessed is She. In addition, she co-authored the children's book, Rise Up: Shining in Virtue. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her philosophy professor husband and four children. You’ll find her online at her National Catholic Register author page.
The following are among the questions we’ll be asking.
- What led you to study theology at Franciscan University? And how did you find the experience?
- Could you introduce us to Blessed is She? How does being both a writer and editor work?
- You’ve just published, with Blessed is She, your first book, Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew. How did it come about?
- Have you used your co-authored children’s book, Rise Up: Shining in Virtue, with your own children? How does St. Thomas Aquinas inspire this book?
- Let’s go from the particular to the general! What is your favorite literature for children? And how do you form your children in the Western tradition through literature?
- As a frequent book reviewer, what are some of your favorite books and who are your favorite authors?
- What’s it like to live with Lady Philosophy”? Just who is she? And can Athens have anything to do with Jerusalem?
- You are hard at work on a book about virtue ethics. What are the key themes that you are exploring?
- You’ve noted that you write for a popular audience. Might we say that Scripture is written for a popular audience? And did Shakespeare write for a popular audience?
- Let’s close with a bonus question. Are there way more mosquitoes in Minnesota than out-of-staters suppose?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss “the prosperity Gospel” as the tip of an unholy alliance between individualism in theology and philosophy and capitalism in economics. This alliance reaches into the larger culture, including education, science, and the arts. We have a welcome and returning guest, Thomas Storck, to help us. He’s the author of several books, most recently The Prosperity Gospel: How Greed and Bad Philosophy Distorted Christ's Teachings (TAN, 2023). Arouca Press published a revised edition of his Foundations of a Catholic Political Order last year. In addition, he recently translated and wrote a new forward for Louis Cardinal Billot’s Liberalism: A Critique of Its Basic Principles and Various Forms (Arouca Press, 2019). Storck is a prolific contributor to the New Oxford Review. And, to top it off, he’s associated with the American Solidarity Party. We’ll be asking the following questions. Please feel free to suggest your own!
1. Just what is “the prosperity Gospel,” and who are some of its current proponents
2. You note that some central elements in our culture give rise to the prosperity Gospel. Just how do you define “culture”?
3. What is a bourgeois culture? A consumerist culture?
4. You draw on the work of Max Weber. Why is Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism of special significance?
5. What happens to a culture that loses sight of teleology?6
6. Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his opinion in the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey: “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” What does this declaration imply?
7. Why do you claim that technology is not neutral?
8. Fewer and fewer students major in the humanities. What are the social consequences of this steep decline?
9. Is there room in art for expressive individualism?
10. What’s your next book?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer explore the relation between faith and science from the perspective of philosophy, especially Thomism. Our welcome guest is Prof. Paul Julienne. He is a groundbreaking quantum physics researcher long affiliated with the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland. He was recently elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences for his exceptional original research. Julienne helped establish the science of ultracold matter, which investigates atoms and molecules near absolute zero. Among the questions we’ll ask our guest are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!
- Let’s start with some philosophy. As an Anglican, how did you come to be a Thomist?
- How do you understand the nature of knowledge? And what is truth?
- Let’s continue with some science. Could you first tell us something about the kind of science you do?
- Given that today’s science depends on advanced mathematics, and given that many people live on the verge of innumeracy, can we expect the general population to have even a working understanding of, say, physics and chemistry?
- Just what counts as a scientific explanation?
- What is the difference between efficient and final causation? Is there any place for the latter in science?
- Do scientists presuppose the intelligibility of nature? Is a belief in God’s activity in the natural world at odds with that presupposition?
- Scientists have research programs. How has a research program shaped your own work?
- Does Christianity offer believers anything comparable to a research program?
- Are there any science related jokes that you would like to share with us?
This week on The Open Door (June 14 th ), panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Valerie Niemeyer discuss the ongoing pro-life struggle. There’s much to consider. We’ll explore the role of nonviolent direct action. In addition, we’ll tackle the question of the personhood of the pre-born human being. Of late, Pope Francis has commented on this question. Our special guest is Monica Migliorino Miller. She has recently been released from jail; her “crime” was taking part in a Red Rose Rescue. Miller holds graduate degrees in Theology from Loyola University and Marquette University and teaches theology at SacredHeart Major Seminary in Detroit. She is the author of The Theology of the Passion of the Christ (Alba House), The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church (Emmaus Road), and Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars (St. Benedict Press). Miller’s article “It’s Time the Church Declared the Personhood of the Unborn” appears in the May issue of the New Oxford Review.
- Could you tell us about the Red Rose Rescue that landed you in jail?
- Does today’s widespread acceptance of abortion express what Hannah Arendt famously called “the banality of evil”?
- What is your message for people who are thinking about joining a rescue action?
- Pope Francis affirms that the unborn baby is a human being but seems hesitant about
acknowledging that he or she is a person. Why? - Just what is ensoulment?
- Could you comment on Boethius’s definition of a person as an individual substance of a rational kind?
- You note Vatican II’s teaching that abortion, among other grave wrongs, “violates the
integrity of the human person.” Has this language been forgotten? - St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, teaches that “to kill a human being,”
as abortion does, “in whom the image of God is present, is a particularly serious sin.” He
teaches as well that “Disregard for the right to life, precisely because it leads to the
killing of the person whom society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the possibility of achieving the common good.” Is this teaching sufficiently authoritative to establish the personhood of the unborn? - Isn’t every human being a person?
- What steps might we take to urge that the Church dogmatically recognize the personhood of the unborn human being?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss racial reparations. Our special and returning guest is Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He specializes in religion and global politics with a focus on reconciliation, the political behavior of religious actors, and Christian political theology. His books include Revolutions in Sovereignty (Princeton, 2001), Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation (Oxford, 2012), and Religious Freedom in Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World (Oxford, 2019). Most recently he has authored an essay titled “A Christian Case for Racial Reparations.” (An abstract is posted below.) Among the questions we’ll be asking are the following:
- Is racism in America both like and unlike original sin?
- What does it mean for a nation, rather than a person, to apologize for a wrong
action? Might a refusal to apologize constitute a structure of sin? - What does it mean for one nation to forgive another nation?
- Can you give us a working definition of “reparations”?
- On your view, an historical injustice violates the natural law. What if a nation
does not recognize the natural law? Might it still have a basis for reparations? - What do you mean by the expression “a standing wound of injustice”? How can
we best respond to such a wound? - Can we say, without racial prejudice, that some cultures are in some respects
superior to others? Here one might think of the unique contribution of classical
Greek philosophy to Christian theology. - Should we believe that injustice’s greatest damage is to the wrongdoer? If this
view is true, what reason do we have to also punish the wrongdoer? - You write that “Justice in the Bible…is understood best through the words sedeq
(or its feminine equivalent, sedeqah) in Hebrew and dikaiosune in Greek, which
translate to comprehensive right relationship.” Is this important in discussing
reparations? - Can you spell out why you think that “It is entirely plausible to attribute vast
inequalities in wealth, position, and opportunity faced by African-Americans
today to historical injustices faced within the past two generations”? - Should the principle of subsidiarity play a role in making reparations?
- What are some specific forms that reparations might take?
- What might be some specific forms of forgiveness?
- Can we appeal to the concept of covenant in a secularized society?
Abstract: National healing for the persistent wounds of racism, America’s original sin,
can be advanced through a national apology, reparations and forgiveness. The frequent
practice of apologies and reparations around the world in the past generation provide
precedent for such measures. Christianity’s teaching of reconciliation and accompanying
notions of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and atonement provide a strong moral basis for
these measures and resonate with the rationales through which the United States’s
greatest champions of civil rights and equality have fought against racism and slavery.
Because racism and slavery were supported with the sanction of the state, in the name
of the collective body, measures of repair may now be performed by the state, in the
name of the collective body. Questions of who pays, who receives, and what form
reparations take are important ones and can be answered adequately. Through
collective apology, reparations, and forgiveness, the United States would enact and
renew its national covenant, acting in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick
Douglass, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Next up on The Open Door (May 10th), we discuss a theology of disability and its philosophical commitments. How is it that we can best see and serve disabled persons? What lessons can they, in turn, teach us? Our welcome guest is Dr. Marc Tumeinski of Anna Maria College and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. His doctoral research brought together in ecumenical dialogue the writings of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and John Howard Yoder. Among the questions we will ask are the following.
- Dr. Tumeinski, Marc, if we may, could you please tell us a bit about Anna Maria College and its mission?
- How did you come to your special focus on disabilities?
- You collaborate closely with your wife, Jo Massarelli. Do her interests and skills complement your own?
- Can you explain “Social Role Valorization”? And would you introduce us to the SRV Journal?
- What connections do you see between peacemaking, the Church, and Christians with impairments?
- You have put forward an ethical analysis of the use of physical and mechanical restraints in care of disabled people. Could you describe current practices in the use of restraints and the reforms you propose?
- Drawing on St. John of Damascus, St. Thomas Aquinas explains our being made in God’s image with reference to our capacities for reason and free choice. What does his account mean in case of people with severe disabilities?
- The theologian Pia Matthews contends that Patristic resources emphasize the discerning, rather than the defining, of persons. What do you think of this emphasis?
- A significant number of homeless people suffer from both severe mental illness and long term drug addiction. What guidelines would you propose for responding to homeless persons with this “dual diagnosis”?
- How can the Church serve, to use Joseph Ratzinger’s phrase, as a creative minority?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Joe-Valerie Miemeyer interview Peter Sonski concerning his candidacy for the American Solidarity Party’s 2024 Presidential Nomination (April 26, 2023)
This week on The Open Door (April 26) we advance our discussion of politics, America’s daunting needs, and the dynamics of the American Solidarity Party. Our welcome guest is Peter Sonski, a candidate for the Party’s 2024 presidential nomination. (Trump gets indicted, Biden dithers, but we move forward!) Mr. Sonski, a New England native, is married and has nine adult children. He has a Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree from The Catholic University of America. His professional experience is in journalism, public relations, and business administration. Peter is concluding his second term as an elected member of Connecticut’s Regional School District 17 board of education. The following are among the questions we’ll ask Mr.Sonski.
- Peter, you’ve been both a Democrat and a Republican. What led you to the American Solidarity Party?
- What does it mean for your faith to inform your public policy views, especially on life and social justice issues?
- In Connecticut there has been a concerted effort to legalize assisted suicide. How have you worked to affirm the good of life in order to block that effort?
- What concrete initiatives do you support in order to address the needs of families?
- You are on record as supporting a broad ownership economy. Just what does this mean and how would you help bring it about?
- What hurdles does the American Solidarity Party find in gaining ballot access?
- In your efforts to grow the Party in size and influence, how can you simultaneously avoid academic flights of fancy and the dumbing down of contemporary political discourse?
- St. John Paul II has had a strong influence on your political vision. Could you spell out some of the lessons you have learned from him?
- If you are the Party’s presidential nominee, what will count for you as running a successful campaign in 2024?
- Where do you see the American Solidarity Party a decade from now?
This week on The Open Door (April 11) we discuss journalism and politics, bringing a Christian perspective to the Public Square, and the American Solidarity Party's presidential primary race. Our welcome guest is Chicago's Mike Vick, a candidate for the ASP's presidential nomination.
Our questions will include the following.
1. Mike, could you please tell us about your educational and professional background?
2. You are currently writing for Chicago's The Civic Update. What are the goals of this distinctive publication?
3. You work closely with Pastor Chris Butler. How does he bring his political ministry to Christian congregations in Chicago?
4. You've been politically active for several years. How would you describe your political philosophy and how has it developed?
5. How did you come across the American Solidarity Party and what work have you done with the Party since joining?
6. Pundits often describe America as a nation at war with itself. Are they correct? In any case, what are some main factors that have led to our current deep divisions?
7. Can third parties gain more significant traction as we move toward the 2024 elections?
8. Is there a way for political discourse to be both incisive and civil, both honest and healing?
9. What might it mean to restore the classical virtue of civic friendship?
10. Political activism takes a toll. Could you tell us a bit about your personal sources of renewal?
This week on The Open Door (March 22, 2023), panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss the Christians in Need Foundation (CINF). Its mission is to preserve ancient Christian traditions so that they may continue to inform the communities to which they belong, especially in the Middle East and Caucasus. Its special focus is the Armenians in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh that lies within Azerbaijan. CINF also fosters ethical analysis for the young here at home. Without the capacity for ethical reasoning, we in the United States will not be able to understand the challenges that our fellow Christians face internationally. Our special guest is Rita Mahdessian. She is a member of CINF’s Board of Directors.
Mahdessian has a background in legal practice and business. She holds an L.L.B. (Hons) from the University of Reading Berkshire, UK and an M.A. in Business Law from the City of London University. She works closely with CINF cofounder Siobhan Nash-Marshall and Stephanie Havens, its CEO. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to add your own!
- Rita, if we may, could you first tell us a bit about yourself? How does a lawyer in Glendale, California become an advocate for Christian communities in Armenia?
- What led to the birth of the Christians in Need Foundation and how has it developed?
- The Armenian author Antonia Arslan is the President of CINF. Could you help our audience understand her cultural importance?
- How would you describe the current political standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan? Is there any way to get beyond the current impasse?
- CINF has initiated a wide range of projects in Artsakh, including a fashion show. Could you highlight some of these programs?
- In following events in the Middle East and the Caucasus, we need to do more than “keep the players” straight. What are some of the main legal and ethical issues that we should be thinking about in those regions?
- CINF believes that ethical reasoning should be part of today’s high school curriculum. How does its debate events contribute to realizing this objective?
- You have argued that the deliberate denial of genocide is a form of aggression that ought to be regarded as a contribution to genocidal violence in its own right. Why do you take this to be true? Can you give us an example of such aggression?
- Given the history of the Armenian genocide and the diaspora of the Armenian people, what concrete steps can Christians to love their historical and political enemies?
- Where do you see CINF ten years from now? Where do you see your own role in its mission?
WCAT TV is an en air wing of En Route Books and Media working with WCAT Radio to share the joys of the Catholic faith. To support the station, please visit our Patreon account at https://www.patreon.com/wcatradio
Next up on The Open Door (March 1st) we discuss the life and legacy of Brother Andrew, the co-founder with St. Mother Teresa of the Missionaries of Charity Brothers. Our welcome and special guest is Carmel Duca, MC. He is the author of Redeemed by Beauty: The Life of Brother Andrew (St Pauls, Mumbai, 2022). Br. Carmel was born in Malta in 1965. After graduating from the University of Malta, he joined the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1990. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following.
- Br. Carmel, just to get us started, what led you personally to join the Missionaries of Charity?
- Why did you write Redeemed by Beauty? And how long did it take to do so? Did you anticipate the amount of research required?
- Br. Andrew was an Australian Jesuit priest. How did he come to be involved in the work of Mother Teresa?
- How was Br. Andrew able to draw many young men, often from backgrounds very different from his own, into a fledgling and sometimes daunting religious order?
- Can you tell us about Br. Andrew’s shattering experience in Vietnam?
- What are some of the factors that led to Br. Andrew leaving the order that he helped to found? And how is it that he nonetheless continued to live in the MC spirit?
- What ministries do the Missionary Brothers pursue today?
- You are currently working with the mentally challenged and the mentally ill in Peru, a country which is now experiencing dangerous political unrest. What can you tell us about your work?
- Like Br. Andrew, you continue to preach Christ and Him crucified in a Church that struggles with its own disunity. What resources do you draw on in order to remain faithful to your vocation?
- How will you celebrate Easter this year?
Redeemed by Beauty is, in Brother Andrew’s own words, the story of “an unfaithful man used by God.” It is the biography of Ian Travers-Ball who felt called to share his life with the poor. After joining the Jesuit order, as an ordained priest in India, he moved on to co-found – together with Mother Teresa of Calcutta – the Missionaries of Charity Brothers.
This book follows Andrew on this path from gambler to troubadour to sannyasi. It is the human struggle for wholeness and holiness through helplessness, powerlessness, fragility and woundedness. Andrew’s hallmark and uniqueness would be his closeness to and identification with the hidden and suffering people. It is the inner journey of a soul in need of redemption. Together with God, Our Lady and the Church, the poor were the main agents of grace in Brother Andrew’s life. Andrew – always the mystic – could experience beauty amidst the suffering and the misery of the poor, and in the ordinariness of his own life.
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/redeemedbybeauty/
This week on The Open Door (February 15) we discuss the phenomenon of boredom. We’re especially interested in its effects on education. Our special guest is Kevin Hood Gary, a professor of education at Valparaiso University. He is co-founder of the North American Association for Philosophy of Education. The Association provides a forum for scholars working at the intersection of philosophy and educational theory. Prof. Gary is the author of Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life (Cambridge, 2022).
Among the questions we will ask are the following.
- Prof. Gary, Kevin if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to Valparaiso?
- Just what counts as boredom, and why is it a problem for teachers and students?
- Might the experience of boredom in fact serve to prepare students for the boredom of the workplace?
- Are there strategies for dealing with boredom that don’t really work very well?
- Is there a connection between boredom and despair?
- How does Kierkegaard address boredom?
- Does leisure, rightly engaged in, offer a cure for boredom?
- What’s the difference between “time off” and leisure?
- Any thoughts on G.K. Chesterton’s surmise?
“Children have abounding vitality, because they’re in spirit fierce and free, and therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “do it again!” and the grown-up person does it again until they’re nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exalt in monotony, but perhaps God is strong enough to exalt in monotony. It’s possible that God says every morning “do it again” to the sun and every evening “do it again” to the moon. It may not be…necessity that makes all the daisies alike. It may be that God makes every daisy separately and has never gotten tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy for we have sinned and grown old and our Father is younger than we.” - What’s your next project?
Boredom is an enduring problem. In response, schools often do one or both of the following: first, they endorse what novelist Walker Percy describes as a 'boredom avoidance scheme,' adopting new initiative after new initiative in the hope that boredom can be outrun altogether, or second, they compel students to accept boring situations as an inevitable part of life. Both strategies avoid serious reflection on this universal and troubling state of mind. In this book, Gary argues that schools should educate students on how to engage with boredom productively. Rather than being conditioned to avoid or blame boredom on something or someone else, students need to be given tools for dealing with their boredom. These tools provide them with internal resources that equip them to find worthwhile activities and practices to transform boredom into a more productive state of mind. This book addresses the ways students might gain these skills.
Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life: Gary, Kevin Hood: 9781108839983: Amazon.com: Books
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes talk with Dr. Thomas Sheahen and Dr. Thomas Storck on Everywhen: God, Symmetry, and Time (February 8, 2023)
Have you been told that science and religion are incompatible? Do you think you have to give one up to be consistent?You don’t. In this book, MIT-trained physicist Thomas Sheahen explains how you can:
* trust in God more readily, by realizing that God is not limited by space and time
* expand your human thinking and step up to a higher plane of understanding
* realize that religion and science are complementary paths to knowledge–not opposed
* understand that God thought up the laws of nature and uses them in creation.
Everywhen | En Route Books and Media
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss the ongoing tragedy of clerical sexual abuse. They examine its contributing factors and its consequences. Our special and welcome guests are Jane F. Adolphe and Robert Fastiggi. They are co-editors of Clerical Sexual Misconduct: An Interdisciplinary Analysis. Adolphe is Professor of Law at Ave Maria School of Law, in Naples, Florida, and former expert of the Holy See, Secretariat of State, Section for Relations with States. Dr. Fastiggi is Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. He is a corresponding member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International. Among the questions we will ask are the following.
Profs. Adolphe and Fastiggi, Jane and Robert if we may, could you please tell us how you came to be co-editors of this important book on clerical sexual abuse?
-
What kind of reception has the book received, especially at Ave Maria University and Sacred Heart Seminary?
-
How do you assess the chief contributing factors leading to the tragedy of clerical sexual abuse?
-
To what extent are those factors still at work?
-
Could you outline for us the range of consequences of the tragedy of abuse?
-
How successful have the Church’s efforts been in preventing further abuse?
-
To what extent has the media addressed the Church’s work in combatting abuse?
-
To what extent do recent projects of synodality address clerical sexual abuse?
-
How can Catholics, in light of what the Church has suffered, effectively challenge the hypersexualizing of Western culture?
-
Where is your own ongoing scholarship taking you these days?
On this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink discusses with Dr. George Mychaskiw and Rene Trabanino the ambitious plans for a greatly needed new Catholic Medical School. The Mission of the St. Padre Pio College of Osteopathic Medicine is to treat the sick, relieve suffering, and in doing so announce the Good News. Dr. Mychaskiw is the College’s founding president and chief executive officer. The questions we’ll be asking him include the following.
1. Dr. Mychaskiw, George if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be involved in the founding of a new Catholic Medical School?
2. What is the history and distinctive character of osteopathic medicine? What sort of structure comes into play in teaching osteopathic medicine?
3. How will St. Padre Pio College be connected with Benedictine College of Kansas? How will Benedictine benefit from this affiliation?
4. How will this new medical school reflect its Catholic identity?
5. Can you give us a primer on the logistics of launching a new medical college? When do you hope to begin admitting students?
6. What sort of special hurdles does a faithful Catholic face in securing a medical education?
7. Questions of conscience often arise in the practice of medicine. Just how do you understand conscience? What, on your view, are the rights of conscience?
8. How should Catholics evaluate and respond to the current gender ideology?
9. Can Catholics make a compelling case against euthanasia in the public forum without exploring the positive, and even redemptive, role of suffering?
10. How can our audience help in the formation of St. Padre Pio College?
Welcome to The Open Door. Coming next, Wednesday (12/14), we discuss theology, history, and politics. Our welcome guest is Alan Fimister, Assistant Professor of Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He read Modern History at Oxford University and took his PhD at the University of Aberdeen, writing on the influence of Thomistic political theory on early European integration. Dr. Fimister has taught Theology, History, Catholic Social Teaching, Church History and Patrology in Austria, Britain and the United States. He is the author of Robert Schuman: Neo-Scholastic Humanism and the Reunification of Europe and co-author, with Thomas Crean, OP, of Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy. Among the questions we’ll be asking are the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
- Dr. Fimister, Alan, if we may, could you begin by telling us a bit about yourself? As an Englishman how have you come to hold court, as it were, at a Connecticut College?
- How is Holy Apostles distinctive? Is it living up to its mission?
- You teach history. Henry Ford said that it was “bunk.” Others say that it’s written by the victors. Newman saw it as a field for the illative sense. How objective can you be?
- You write and speak about politics. Has it become war by a different means?
- You’ve written about integralism. Just what is it? Why is it receiving so much attention?
- Can you describe, or even imagine, a world in which people were all Catholics?
- Do you do theology on your knees?
- Is contemporary theology open to the ministrations of Dame Philosophy?
- Can the American Solidarity Party, given its commitment to solidarity, subsidiarity, and distributism, make its voice heard over the dismal din of American politics?
- Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
This week (November 23rd) on The Open Door we will introduce and explore the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988), widely considered one of the most significant theologians of the century. His major multi-volume theological works are The Glory of the Lord, Theo-Drama and Theo-Logic. Our welcome guest is the psychologist, Richard Clements. He is the author of The Meaning of the World Is Love: Selected Texts from Hans Urs von Balthasar with Commentary (Ignatius, 2022). Dr. Larry Chapp, an earlier guest of ours, calls the book "an absolute breath of fresh air and a bracing reminder of the true genius of Balthasar as both a theologian and a master of the spiritual life. The topics are varied and yet deeply united, since Clements deftly arranges them in order to draw out Balthasar's deep Trinitarian underpinnings. And the commentaries by Clements are insightful and often illuminating in surprising ways."
To purchase the book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-World-Love-Balthasar-Commentary/dp/1621643514
Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!
-
Richard, could you begin by telling us a bit about yourself? How does a psychologist come to write about a master theologian?
-
Could you give us a brief overview of von Balthasar’s life?
-
What impact has Balthasar had on the Catholic Church?
-
Literature, art, and music help shape his vision. What are some examples of how this works?
-
How, for von Balthasar, is the gift of self the path of love?
-
What role do the true and the good and the beautiful play in his thought? Would he agree, as some suggest, that they are the faces of being?
-
Is integral human fulfillment possible for the skeptic?
-
How would von Balthasar respond to the charge that the doctrine of hell is incompatible with the Christian’s vocation to love?
-
Does von Balthasar’s relation to Adrienne von Speyer strike you as problematic?
-
Balthasar was incredibly prolific. Which of his books would you recommend to someone just starting to read his work?
Today (November 9th) on The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss an extraordinary murder mystery! Virgil Gheorghiu’s La Condottiera is the tale of a heinous crime set amid the terrible suffering of the Romanian people under Communism. Gheorghiu’s language is starkly poetic as he charts the circles of a modern hell. With her translation of this powerful work, Inez Fitzgerald Storck truly contributes to world literature. Two special guests will join her to offer us a “mini seminar.” Iuliu-Marius Morariu, a Romanian Orthodox priest, holds a PhD in Orthodox Theology from Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania (2019) and a PhD in Social Sciences from Rome’s Angelicum Pontifical University (2021). Thierry Gillyboeuf is Gheorghiu’s literary executor and the author Virgil Gheorghiu, l'écrivain calomnié. In 2014 the French Minister of Culture named Gillyboeuf a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in honor of his literary achievements.
Among the questions we will ask our guests are the following.
-
Could you tell us about Virgil Gheorghiu's multifaceted life, especially its early influences?
-
Gheorghiu was deeply attached to Romania, yet left when the Soviets occupied it in 1944. What were the consequences of his self-imposed exile?
-
What led Gheorghiu to become a priest of the Romanian Orthodox Church?
-
What were the various genres encompassed by Gheorghiu's literary work?
-
What type of novels did he write?
-
Can you situate La Condottiera among them? What are its main themes?
-
What character or characters does Gheorghiu show most sympathy for in the novel?
-
What are Gheorghiu's stances towards communism and capitalism in the novel? Are they present in his other work?
-
What makes La Condottiera profoundly religious? How does he integrate its Marian dimension into the novel’s narrative?
-
What was Gheorghiu like as a human being? What does have to say to us today?
In this episode of The Open Door, Professor Callum Scott on being a Catholic Philosopher in South Africa (November 2, 2022)
This week (November 2nd) on The Open Door we’ll discuss Thomism and…South Africa! Context counts, so we’ll also be talking about Catholicism in South Africa. We’re looking forward to our first virtual visit to this beautiful and fascinating country. Our welcome and special guest is Prof. Callum Scott. He teaches in the Department of Philosophy & Practical and Systematic Theology at the University of South Africa. Scott is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Pretoria.
Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please don’t hesitate to suggest others!
- Prof. Scott, Callum if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
- How did you come to be a philosopher? You have a special interest in the philosophy of science. What led you to Thomism?
- You’ve recently returned from a major international Thomistic conference. Were you able to share a distinctive African perspective?
- Can you tell us about higher education in South Africa?
- How fares the Catholic Church in South Africa? Is there a synod in progress?
- How would you compare the Catholics of South Africa with the Catholics of Nigeria?
- Is the Dutch Reformed tradition still playing an active role in your country? Are its representatives open to a Catholic and Reformed dialogue?
- Political corruption, it seems, knows no borders. Can politically active Catholics challenge corruption in your country?
- Does Thomism have distinctive resources to offer contemporary politics?
- Where do you see yourself a decade from now?
This week on The Open Door (Oct. 19th) we explore two crises in higher education. The first is affordability for students. The second is federal interference in colleges and universities. But crises call for thoughtful responses. One such response is the development of Great Books colleges. Our special guest is Thomas M. Ward, a professor of philosophy at Baylor University. He is also the author of Divine Ideas (Cambridge, 2020) and John Duns Scotus on Parts, Wholes, and Hylomorphism (Brill, 2014). His most recent book is Ordered by Love: An Introduction to Duns Scotus (Angelico, 2022). Among the questions we’ll ask Professor Ward are the following. As always, we encourage you to suggest others.
- Prof. Ward, Tom if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
- What led you to philosophy and, in due time, to Baylor University?
- What are the key factors that make higher education so expensive?
- Can you identify for us some of the pros and cons of President Biden’s debt forgiveness program? Is it equitable?
- How does an increasing federal subsidy of higher education pave the way to increasing federal control of what is taught? Why should both religious and secular institutions be alert to this connection?
- What is the Academic Freedom Alliance?
- Some mission-oriented institutions refuse federal aid and remain both free of government interference and simultaneously affordable. How have they managed to do so?
- How can families help resolve the crises caused by federal financing of higher education?
- How can students help resolve these same crises?
- Where do you see yourself, as a reformer and scholar, a decade from now?
This week (October 5th) on The Open Door we discuss parish management in light of the
Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition. Our welcome guest is Michael Brinda,
successful entrepreneur and author of Parish Management and Operations: The Buck
Stops Here (En Route Books and Media, 2021). He founded New Horizons Computer
Learning Centers in 1982 and franchised New Horizons around the world. After selling
his company in 1994, Brinda turned to studying, prison ministry, and then teaching at
Holy Apostles College and Seminary. Today he is especially active in prison ministry.
Michael and his wife, Kathy, are proud parents and grandparents.
Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to add your own.
Prof. Brinda may be reached at mikebrinda5@gmail.com.
- How did you come to have the calling to move from being an entrepreneur and teaching
computer skills to teaching parish management? Were you “knocked off a horse” or
was the transition more gradual? (Note: this is a miraculous story that I will compress.) - What is parish management and operations? Is the concept of “parish management”
misunderstood? - What is your book’s intended audience? Does it include bishops, pastors, and
parishioners alike? - Do our Catholic seminaries teach parish management today?
- Do you find seminary Rectors are willing to add parish management and operations to
their curriculum? - Are seminarians receptive to learning the principles of parish management?
- What should be the top priorities of good parish management? Can you share any
particular examples with us? - The concept of a via negativa--- essentially the study of what not to do, crops up in
theology and philosophy. What ought parish management not involve? Could you give
us some prime examples? - How did you come to be involved in prison ministry?
- What is the general attitude of inmates towards religion and God?
- Do you have another book in the making?
Esta semana en THE OPEN DOOR (21 de septiembre) discutimos sobre la formación sacerdotal. Nuestra bienvenida e invitado especial Monseñor Felipe de Jesús Estévez, Obispo Emérito de la Diócesis de St. Augustine, Florida. Es el coautor con el obispo Andrew H. Cozzens del libro Esposos Espirituales – Padres Espirituales: Formación de Sacerdotes en el Siglo Veintiuno. (En Route Books and Media, 2022). ¡Nuestra entrevista será en español!
Entre las preguntas que haremos están las siguientes. Por favor siéntase libre de agregar la suya
-
¿Podría contarnos, Monseñor, un poco cómo llegó a discernir su vocación? ¿Qué clase de formación tuvo en el seminario?
-
¿Cuáles son las directrices básicas de la Iglesia para la formación sacerdotal? ¿Dónde se proponen?
-
Ud es coautor de un libro ambicioso. ¿Qué te llevó a emprender este proyecto?
-
Muchos colaboradores han contribuido a este proyecto. ¿Podrías contarnos cómo fueron seleccionados? ¿Cuáles son algunos de los temas principales que han explorado?
-
¿Qué es exactamente la madurez afectiva? ¿Cómo pueden ayudar los líderes de seminario, es decir, los “formadores” a ese desarrollo en sus alumnos?
-
¿La dirección espiritual incorpora psicología? Si es así, ¿qué tipo de psicología es más útil?
-
¿Qué tan bien pueden los formadores del seminario evaluar si un seminarista es capaz de ejercer el sacerdocio?¿O guardar el celibato?
-
¿Es la vida célibe, bien entendida, una entrega de uno mismo?
-
¿Pueden ser complementarios el celibato sacerdotal y la vida conyugal, o son dos vocaciones diferentes?
-
Hacer votos, y vivirlos, presupone una cierta comprensión de lo que es ser una persona. ¿Cómo podemos educar para esa comprensión?
This week (Sept. 12th) on The Open Door we discuss politics and…Texas, the Lone Star State. Our welcome and special guest is Jacqueline Abernathy. She’s the gubernatorial candidate of the American Solidarity Party in the November Texas election. Abernathy is a wife, mother, and grant specialist from San Antonio. She earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from the University of North Texas. An accomplished advocate, Abernathy played a key role in the passage of HB 3074, a bill that prevents medical professionals from removing feeding tubes from patients without their consent. Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please don’t hesitate to suggest others!
-
Dr. Abernathy, how can our faith inform and direct civic action?
-
What are the dangers of conflating politics and religion?
-
How did you come to join the American Solidarity Party?
-
The ASP speaks of being “pro-life for the whole of life.” What does that mean?
-
Does the Party lean towards capitalism or socialism or neither?
-
What is an “ownership economy”? Does distributism come into play here?
-
Can we promote the common good while upholding religious freedom for all?
-
What’s wrong with Beto O’Rourke and Greg Abbott, the “big name” front runners in the gubernatorial race?
-
Can we expect “the duopoly” to reflect an uncompromising ethics of the common good?
-
What in your view will count as an “all things considered” campaign success?
This week (August 24th, 2022) on The Open Door we discuss marriage and the family. Our welcome guest is Perry J. Cahall of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He is the Academic Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Historical Theology. Dean Cahall is the author of Living the Mystery of Marriage: Building Your Sacramental Life Together (Hillenbrand Books, 2020), a book whose primary audience is engaged and newly married couples, and The Mystery of Marriage: A Theology of the Body and the Sacrament (Hillenbrand Books, 2016), a book written for use in seminaries and universities.
Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
-
Perry, if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
-
What is the history and mission of the Pontifical College Josephinum?
-
How did you come to teach at the Josephinum and become a Dean?
-
What led you to write about marriage?
-
Is marriage a social construct? If not, just what is marriage?
-
Is “homosexual marriage” a contradiction in terms?
-
What explains the sharp decline in Catholic marriages over recent years? Is marriage fundamentally less attractive in Western culture?
-
Why do the media present at most a token number of happily married people with children?
-
How is marriage a call to holiness?
-
Just what is responsible parenthood?
-
Can marriage and celibacy be complementary?
-
What counts as “family politics”? How might a political party foster family politics?
For Dr. Cahall's book, see https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mystery-Marriage-Building-Sacramental/dp/159525045X/
This unique book will assist those called to marriage to live out the wonderful, beautiful, and challenging mystery of married love by presenting a theology, spirituality, and morality of marriage at a widely accessible level. Dr. Perry Cahall encourages both engaged and married couples to understand the real nature and purpose of marriage as God has created it. He includes insightful Self-Discovery discussion questions to help couples process presented information. Questions That Might Be on Your Mind will also engage the reader through the real world issues couples confront today. This will also be a useful resource for priests, deacons or lay ministers engaged in marriage preparation; diocesan offices of marriage and family life; Pre-Cana instructors, and leaders of sponsoring couples programs. This book will also provide seminarians and those preparing for the permanent deaconate a foundation of the Church s teaching as well as an introduction to Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
Welcome to The Open Door! This week (Aug. 10) we move, virtually, to Australia. We’re heading to Perth, the capital of West Australia. We’ll discuss theology and philosophy in the context of Catholic life there. Our welcome guest is Frank Calneggia. He’s the author of Assertion and Refutation (En Route Books and Media, 2022). In it he challenges another Australian thinker, the theologian Tracey Rowland. On what grounds? Her understanding of natural law, a subject dear to our Thomist hearts. Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own.
-
Frank, if we may, could you first tell us a bit about yourself?
-
How fares the Church in Australia today? What kind of leader is Archbishop Anthony Fisher, Cardinal George Pell's successor?
-
What’s the philosophical climate in Catholic educational institutions? Can you give us more background on John Finnis and Peter Singer, two well known Australian philosophers.
-
How did you come to lock horns, as it were, with Tracey Rowland? What are some of the chief claims in her influential essay “Natural Law: From Neo Thomism to Nuptial Mysticism” (Communio: Fall, 2008)?
-
Can we understand natural law apart from Catholic theology?
-
Does St. Paul appeal to natural law in his Epistle to the Romans?
-
Just what is natural theology?
-
Following St. Thomas Aquinas, the guiding principle of your book is “The study of philosophy does not consist in knowing what others have thought but to know the truth of things.” Why is this principle controversial in our “interesting times”?
-
Pilate asks Jesus “What is truth”? How would St. Thomas answer this question?
-
You are a keen student of papal encyclicals. The American Solidarity Party is sometimes called “the party that reads the encyclicals.” If there were such a party in Australia how might it challenge status quo politics in your country?
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/assertions-and-refutations/
Welcome to The Open Door! This week (Wednesday, July 27th) we return to a discussion of the American Solidarity Party, our political home. We’ve been called “the Party that reads the encyclicals.” We surely strive to read the signs of the times. Already the 2022 elections are close at hand. Can 2024 be far behind? Joining us will be Patrick Harris. He’s just finished his term as the Chair of our National Committee. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following.
- Patrick, if we may, could you begin by telling us a bit about your background and your young family?
- Some say that the Party is top-heavy with academics. Is it a fair charge?
- Reviewing your experiences as Chair, what successes do you see? What challenges?
- How can the Party make new friends and influence elections?
- What do you make of the conundrum that the Party will never succeed unless it uses the methods of the major parties but if, by doing so, it succeeds then it will lose its soul?
- The Party is in the great tradition of Christian Democracy. Does it also have links with contemporary third parties abroad? What about England’s Social Democrat Party?
- The Party is resolutely pro-life for the whole of life. But how can it make its distinctive economic policies better known and understood?
- What distinctive family friendly policies do you advocate?
- Do politics and theology mix?
- What books are you reading?
In this episode of "The Open Door," panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss Catholic liberal arts education, contemporary Thomism, and the role of the papacy. Our welcome guest is Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, a prolific author who has written widely about each. He holds degrees from Thomas Aquinas College and The Catholic University of America. In addition, he served as Admissions Director at Wyoming Catholic College and taught there for several years. Now he is a major presence in traditional Catholic circles as a speaker, essayist, and blogger at OnePeterFive. Here are some questions we’ll ask him. Feel free to suggest your own!
1. Dr. Kwasniewski, as an undergraduate you spent a year at Georgetown and then left for Thomas Aquinas College in California. Why? What did you find at TAC? Is it staying true to its course?
2. New and smaller Catholic colleges are increasingly appreciated. What’s happening at Wyoming Catholic?
3. You’ve brought anew the message of liberal arts education to Poland. How can that kind of education serve a nation that has suffered so much?
4. People don’t associate Thomism with the primacy of love and the experience of ecstasy. But your scholarly work links St. Thomas to both. What is their significance for the Common Doctor?
5. Many people have heard of Notre Dame’s Ralph McInerny. Even the New York Times gave him a fulsome obituary. But far too few know about the legacy of Fr. Lawrence Dewan, OP. What was he like as a teacher and scholar?
6. Development is not distortion. John Henry Newman deeply appreciated the lessons of history. How did they lead him to his view of the development of doctrine?
7. Your latest book, in two volumes, is The Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism. What is “hyperpapalism,” and how is it related to ultramontanism? It is widely known that the pope is a Catholic. Is he also a hyperpapalist?
8. Has Francis overstepped his office in his rejection of capital punishment? Is incorporating his position in the Catechism of the Catholic Church an example of hyperpapalism?
9. What is it to stand in loyal opposition to elements of Francis’s exercise of the Petrine ministry?
10. Last question: can politics and theology converge? Consider the new American Solidarity Party!
Welcome to The Open Door! This Wednesday (June 29) we discuss Catholicism and politics. In doing so, we’ll also explore the current debate about integralism and post-liberalism. It’s a tall order, but we have a welcome and returning guest, Thomas Storck, to help us. He’s the author of several books, including a new edition of his Foundations of a Catholic Political Order (Arouca Press, 2022). In addition, he recently translated and wrote a new forward for Louis Cardinal Billot’s Liberalism: A Critique of Its Basic Principles and Various Forms (Arouca Press, 2019). Storck is also a prolific writer and reviewer. And, to top it off, he’s an authority on distributism, as befits a member of the American Solidarity Party. We’ll be asking the following questions. Please feel free to suggest your own!
-
We’d best get started with some working definitions. Could you tell us just what “liberalism” is? And how about post-liberalism and integralism?
-
Do our governmental leaders have a duty to help make us better people? Is such a duty possible in a society that is sharply at odds about the nature of the good?
-
Do they have a duty to put society under the reign of Jesus Christ? What does the feast of Christ the King celebrate?
-
How can there be such a duty in a post-Christian society?5. Is it enough for the State to recognize the instrumental value of religion? Is this what George Washington advocated in the famous passage from his Farewell Address where he speaks of the necessity of religion and morality for public welfare?
-
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board informs us that
“Freedom is our core value,” and adds that “We reject overreaching moves by public authorities to control the culture or private mores. Citizens’ right to privacy, to decide for themselves how best to lead their lives, is fundamental. It is in keeping with our Western roots to champion individual autonomy and the freedom of conscience.”
Is this true for both American conservatives and American liberals?
What is your response?
-
How are we to understand civil society? Does individualism undermine it?
-
Just what is distributism and how does it relate to Catholic Social Teaching?
-
Does Catholic Social Teaching provide us with the resources to move beyond both capitalism and socialism?
-
What projects are you working on now? What books are you reading?
This week on The Open Door, Catholic panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss with Dr. Andrew Cummings teaching philosophy at the oldest seminary in the West, Mt. Angel Seminary, Oregon. And, of course, we’ll explore what’s being taught, from the classics to the contemporary. Our special guest is Prof. Andrew Cummings. He received his PhD from the University of Leuven, Belgium. His research centers on topics in philosophical theology, metaphysics, and the history of ideas. It comes alive in articles like “Don Quixote Meets Mr. Gradgrind: A Neglected Proof for Immortality” (Logos), and it brings us into the quest for dialogue with our cultured (or not) critics. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to add your own!
Prof. Cummings, Andrew if we may, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
How did you come to teach and Mt. Angel Seminary? And how does the Benedictine Tradition shape your institution?
You wrote a book (Thinking God) with your father. What was that like? Were there “philosophical differences” between the authors?
Joe Friday, of Dragnet fame, was fond of saying “Just the facts, Ma’am.”
But aren’t facts value laden? And aren’t some values themselves facts?
Are we metaphysical animals?
Metaphysical or not, animals die. What do you make of Karol Wojtyla’s observation, in his Person and Community, that the immanent good of our actions endure? He writes that “Not only do the traces of it that have remained in human culture themselves defy death, for they live on and re-enliven ever new men and women, but they also seem to call for the immortality—and perhaps even testify to the personal immortality—of the human being.”
The American Solidarity Party, increasingly known in Catholic circles, presents itself as in the tradition of Christian Democracy. Its leaders make use of natural law arguments that emphasize the common good. Is such an enterprise quixotic or prophetic? Or is it simply “right reason in acting”?
Was Martin Luther King, Jr., ill-advised to appeal to natural law reasoning in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail”? Was Dorothy Day ill-advised to speak about sacrificial love in the public square?
What is at stake in the virtue of civic friendship?
Can you tell us about some of your current projects?
Western Philosophy has been a 2500-year conversation attempting to understand the reality which lies beyond the changing physical appearances of the world. This perennial metaphysical discussion provided the West with a framework for its beliefs, politics, morality, and common values. In the 20th century, this conversation was rejected in favor of new Materialist ideologies like Methodological Naturalism, Nazism, Nihilism, Communism, and Transhumanism. The success of these experiments in ideology hinge, though, on one central problem: Can man really be shaped into the image of his own making, or will his metaphysical identity always make a return?
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/dramaofmetaphysics/
This week (June 8th) on The Open Door we’ll join a 2500-year young conversation. Its participants want to better understand that which is. Are material things the whole of reality? And, if so, can we get past how they appear to us? Or are there minds as well as matter? And what are we to make of ourselves? At the end of the day, and sometimes at its beginning, our politics, art, and ethics converge in what we take reality to be. Our special guest is Stephen Alexander Beach, the author of The Drama of Metaphysics: An Exploration into the Psychological Power of Worldviews (En Route Books and Media, 2022). Among the questions we will ask are the following. Please feel free to ask your own!
-
Stephen, if we may, could you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background?
-
What drew you into the drama of metaphysics?
-
Just what is a worldview? Does everyone have a worldview?
-
How does metaphysics give rise to a worldview?
-
Could you explain methodological naturalism? Who are some of its proponents?
-
Is nihilism more of an attitude than a systematic philosophy?
-
What is transhumanism? Who proposes it and why?
-
In focusing on the psychological power of worldviews, do we move away from metaphysics and into experimental psychology?
-
St. John Paul II saw a constructive interplay between metaphysics and theology. How is this at work with respect to the Biblical teaching that we are made in God’s image and likeness?
-
What new projects are you pursuing?
This week on The Open Door, panelist Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder talk about homelessness. It’s a multifaceted human tragedy. But it does not defy solution. Our welcome guest is Ted Hayes, a veteran crusader for homeless people. He just recently hosted a group of California political candidates at an encampment in Venice, California. Ted is plain-spoken and a friend of philosophers! So we’ll have lots to learn from him. Among the questions we’ll ask him are the following. Please feel free to add to our list!
-
Mr. Hayes, Ted if we may, you are well known in Los Angeles. But could you begin by introducing yourself to our larger audience?
-
How did your long advocacy for the homeless begin?
-
In light of your experience, what responses to homelessness don’t work? And why don’t they work?
-
Are there any current interventions that have shown promise?
-
What are you yourself doing in Venice?
-
Lately you have been speaking of the need for federal intervention. Why is that? Do you anticipate success? And if successful, do you foresee any unwelcome side effects?
-
How does the California housing shortage contribute to homelessness?
-
What role does mental illness play?
-
Meth kills. So does fentanyl. Is there a way to fight the manufacturers and distributors of these poisons?
-
The American Solidarity Party is prolife for the whole of life. Do you have any advice for us on how we can honor our commitment?
This week on The Open Door (May 4th), we discuss retirement and redirection and making one’s heart sing! Our welcome and returning guest is Mrs. Leslie Shaw Klinger, OP. Leslie is a life-professed member of the Blessed Fra Angelico Chapter of Lay Dominicans, has retired from one career as a government civil servant where she held a variety of Administrative positions and is about to retire as the Assistant to the Faith Formation Director of a large Catholic parish in the Central Valley of California. A lover of Scotties, the SF Giants, Golden State Warriors, and a Forty-Niner Faithful since 1955, Leslie has a unique perspective on retirement and Faith. As always, please feel free to suggest others!
-
Leslie, if we may, you have now retired twice. What’s the difference this time? Will it “stick”?
-
Some argue (for example, an 83 year old pastor we know) that retirement isn’t a Biblical concept. How would you answer him?
-
Be honest: are you “busier” now than you were before you retired?
-
Some people say that they have redirected rather than retired. Are you one of them?
-
Could you tell us about some of your main activities these days?
-
What does it mean to be a lay Dominican?
-
Your work mentoring men and women struggling with sobriety has made you a very early riser. What’s involved in your service?
-
Are you still a political activist?
-
Care to put in a plug for the American Solidarity Party?
-
We’re betting that you are familiar with Charles Lamb’s classic “The Superannuated Man.” Suppose AARP wanted you to review it. What points would you make?
Today on The Open Door (April 20) we discuss power! Our welcome and returning guest is Ed Rushman, from Anaheim, California. Ed directs the enterprise IT efforts of leading companies, most recently securing them against ransomware attacks. He is a long time religious educator who prepares young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation. And Confirmation is the sacrament of courage! So it’s no surprise that Rushman is also an indefatigable and independent political reformer. He’s running for Congress!
1.There are many types of power, are there not? Examples help! Help us sort out the power of:
a. coercion
b. reward
c. authority
d. knowledge
e. experience
f. respect
g. association
- We often frame things in terms of power. How does this dynamic bear on the following?
a. self-image
b. interactions with others
c. authority figures
- Sometimes we fear acquiring power. How does power connect with the following?
a. responsibility
b. corruption
c. arrogance
-
How should we deal with the loss of power?
-
What are some key themes in the wise use of power? Explain how it can be:
a. organic
b. used to serve
c. exercised gracefully
- In what context does Christianity understand power?
Welcome to The Open Door! In this program, we discuss integrating the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality and the practice of therapy. Our welcome guest is Michael Gasparro. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional clinical counselor in the State of California. He previously worked for four years at the Breakthrough Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, Jr. and now operates his own therapy practice providing professional therapy services.
In addition, Michael has been a guest on Relevant Radio, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), and Sirius/XM's the Catholic Channel. He also worked for several years as a religious educator in the role of Confirmation Coordinator, preparing young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation at parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
-
Michael, you’ve moved from the world of music to the practice of therapy. Can you tell us a bit about this development?
-
Just what is the Breakthrough Clinic?
-
Catholic teaching on sexuality is widely misunderstood and often maligned. Why do you suppose that this is so?
-
How is Catholic teaching on sexuality grounded in an anthropology of the human person?
-
What do you see as the key insights of St. John Paul II’s theology of the body?
-
How do good friends and mentors contribute to psychological healing?
-
Some of your clients are Muslims. How did this come about and what have you learned in working with them?
-
What are some of the strengths and some of the weaknesses you see in youngsters preparing for Confirmation?
-
How does mental illness come into play in our homeless crisis?
-
Can you tell us about your research interests?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder explore the philosophical and artistic legacy of St. John Paul II. Our welcome guest is Dr. Michael J. Healy. He recently authored A Primer in the Philosophy of John Paul II—In His Own Words (En Route Books and Media, 2021). Healy has served as Dean of the Faculty at Franciscan University of Steubenville and interim president of Ave Maria College. As a full professor of philosophy at Franciscan University, he specializes in philosophy of the person, ethics, existentialism, and philosophy of religion. He has a special love for Kierkegaard, von Hildebrand, and Wojtyla interpreted in light of the philosophia perennis. We’ll be asking Dr. Healy the following questions. Feel free to suggest your own.
Dr. Healy, Michael if we may, could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to Franciscan University?
You wrote your book with your students in mind. How would you describe the academic dimension of your school?
In your Primer you point out the distinctly Polish framework of St. John Paul II. Could you explain that framework?
Ukraine, like Poland, is at the intersection of West and East. Both are Slavic countries. How did John Paul II understand the Slavic heritage?
What is the context for John Paul II work as a dramatist? How does he present the primacy, as it were, of the word?
What is Thomistic Personalism? Who are some of its contemporary proponents?
In light of what we might call the turn to the subject, what is the difference between subjectivity and subjectivism?
How does Carmelite spirituality affect John Paul II’s theological writing?
Are there any distinctive intellectual links between Dietrich von Hildebrand and John Paul II?
What’s your next project?
For more on Dr. Healy's work on the philosophy of John Paul II, see https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/primer/
Dr. Healy's book seeks to aid students in comprehending the Holy Father’s thought, Dr. Healy provides close-to-the-text summary interpretations of Saint John Paul II’s major philosophical works, condensing the essence of his philosophical teachings on the person and act, love, and sexuality.
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes explore a dynamic pro-life group, the Healthcare Advocacy and Leadership Organization (HALO). Our welcome guest is its executive director, Anne O’Meara. In our view, she and her collaborators are indeed heroes. They are front line workers who repeatedly challenge today’s “throw-away” society. We asked her the following questions. (March 9, 2022)
-
Anne, if we may, could you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you come to be the director of HALO?
-
How did HALO itself come about? Why a new advocacy organization in health care? Please share your Mission Statement.
-
What are the chief ethical issues that you address?
-
What practices and policies do you advocate for the sick and those nearing the end of their lives?
-
What sort of questions do you respond to most often?
-
Can you share some particular stories of your work in patient advocacy?
-
What gives you the strength to challenge the culture of death?
-
Are there resources that you can offer individuals and groups who would like to collaborate with you?
-
Are you an ecumenical organization?
-
How do you recruit and guide patient advocates?
In this episode of the Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the Supreme Court of the United States and promising challenges to abortion in Texas and Mississippi. Then we will turn to the pressing issues of “designer babies,” criteria for brain death, and hospital consolidation. Our welcome guests are Professor of Law Teresa Collett and Associate Professor of Philosophy Mary Hayden Lemmons, both of the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). Prof. Collett has been invited to visit Chile this spring as a Fulbright Specialist by the Universidad de los Andes in Santiago. Her visit coincides with Chile’s landmark convention to rewrite its constitution. Prof. Lemmons, a returning guest, is the President of the University Faculty for Life.
-
Prof. Collett, Teresa if we may, you have submitted three briefs to SCOTUS related to the Texas and Mississippi cases. Could you please outline your arguments in these briefs. We’ll ask you questions along the way!
-
Prof. Lemmons, Mary if we may, we have a shortlist of relatively new prolife issues. Could you sketch each of them in turn?
a. Let’s begin with gene splicing and the broad acceptance of in vitro fertilization. How are they driving interest into research of “designer babies”?
b. What’s happening with changing criteria for brain death, and what do they mean for people with severe brain injuries?
c. How is hospital consolidation threatening the authenticity of faith-based health care?
-
Are there ways that prolife advocates can reclaim the moral imagination that has been weakened by the mass media?
-
Do you see any promising realignments in prolife politics? What about Democrats for Life and the American Solidarity Party?
-
What information can you share about the 2022 UFFL annual conference?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss dignity, its Christian roots, and whether secular liberalism can sustain it. Our special guest and returning guest is Nathaniel Peters. He is Contributing Editor of Public Discourse and Director of the Morningside Institute. Among the questions we will ask him are the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
-
How do you define “human dignity”?
-
You argue that Friedrich Nietzsche, unlike secular liberalism, offers at least a coherent alternative to the Christian view of dignity. How do you reach this conclusion?
-
Did classical Western civilization have a concept of human dignity?
-
How does the Christian understanding of dignity emerge from the Old Testament?
-
Is there a link between the Christian understanding of dignity and Kant’s Enlightenment view of dignity?
-
You cite St. Gregory of Nyssa as the first to articulate the incompatibility of Christianity with slavery. How does he do so?
-
You cite the Byzantine emperor Theodosius, perhaps influenced by St. Basil, as first showing the incompatibility of Christianity with prostitution. What sort of argument does he make?
-
Why was it left to Christians to invent shelters and hospitals for the poor?
-
What reception has Christianity received from the Dalit caste?
-
Alasdair MacIntyre has recently contended that dignity is a possibly dangerous concept. What do you make of his claim?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Dr. Mary Lemmons, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, about the University Faculty for Life, a multidisciplinary association of scholars speaking out for human life, located online at https://www.uffl.org/
Some questions:
1) Professor Lemmons, Mary if we may, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and what led you into pro-life work
2) How did the University Faculty for Life (UFFL) come to be
3) Rev. Joseph W. Koterski, S.J., who died this past August, was a longtime leader of the UFFL. What sort of person was he
4) Could you tell us about Life and Learning, the annual proceedings of the UFFL
5) What challenges has the UFFL faced?
6) How fares contemporary pro-life scholarship? Which philosophers are particularly helpful in dealing with life issues?
7) Are there any life issues that are newly pressing in the 21st century
8) What are some of the main factors that you see coming into play in the Mississippi case now before the United States Supreme Court? What have we learned from Texas?
9) What information can you share about the 2022 UFFL annual conference?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss A Manifesto of the New Traditionalism. It’s unique! Written from a Catholic Worker perspective, the Manifesto presents an integrated, dynamic for the redirection of the Catholic Church. Our welcome and returning guest is Larry S. Chapp. With Sean Domencic (another guest of ours) and Marc Barnes, he authored this statement of dynamic orthodoxy. Dr. Chapp currently owns and manages, with his wife Carrie, the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Scientific Naturalism and its Challenge to the Christian Faith (T & T Clark, 2011). Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!
“Traditionalism” is, for many, either a battle cry or a bête noir. How did you come to organize your manifesto around this controversial theme?
On your view, what are the characteristics of a wrong-headed traditionalism?
Were Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin traditionalists? Was Jacques Maritain?
With regard to Vatican II, you reject “the rupturists on both the right and the left.” Can you give us examples of each?
You also criticize both the progressive and conservative forms of bourgeois individualism. Who, in an American context, are the bourgeoisie?
What is the ressourcement of Catholicism which you praise? Who have been its leaders?
Could you identify some of “the new pagan religions” of our era? What gives rise to them?
Is it fair to say that you are Thomists?
Could you explain what you mean by “the Theology of the Common Good” and its relation to personalism?
What is the link, in your view, between natural law and the preferential option for the poor?
You contend that “The necessary Liturgical Renewal was begun, betrayed, and left unaccomplished.” How, then, should we proceed at this point?
How has your Manifesto been received?
This week, we explore concrete and person to person ways of serving low income people and the homeless. Our guest is Mary Agnes Erlandson. She directs St. Margaret's Center, a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. The Center provides help to about 10,000 unduplicated individuals annually. Over the past 34 years, people with multiple needs have come to the Center for food, shelter, legal, medical, employment, housing, and education services. Erlandson counts on teams of volunteers ranging from active seniors to college students, as well as her small and dedicated staff. We’ll be asking the following questions. As always, feel free to add your own.
-
Mary Agnes, if we may, you are a native Angeleno. Could you tell us a bit about growing up here?
-
You crossed paths with St. John Paul II during his visit to Ecuador in 1985. What memories do you have of that event?
-
How did you come to be the director of St. Margaret Center? Could you manage the job without being bilingual?
-
Over the past few decades in Los Angeles, you’ve witnessed so much—and now the Covid pandemic. What impact have these changes had on you and St. Margaret’s?
-
What factors have led the Center to offer everything from showers for the homeless to medical services, ESL classes, a food pantry, diaper distribution, utility bill relief, and many more?
-
Let’s talk money. How is St. Margaret’s funded?
-
Let’s talk giving. How did this year’s Christmas party go?
-
Your work depends on volunteers. Where do they come from and what do they do?
-
If you could have a heart to heart conversation with our current crop of political leaders, what would you tell them?
-
The best exegesis shows that retirement is not a Biblical concept. So where do you see yourself ten years from now?
The Open Door (December 15th) we discuss evangelizing young people. Statistics suggest that many of them will join the ranks of the “Nones” and profess no religious identification. Some commentators take the view that the “Nones” are prone to replace religion with politics. Our welcome and returning guest is Ed Rushman of Anaheim, California. He is a consultant who directs the enterprise IT efforts of leading companies, most recently securing them against ransomware attacks. Ed is a long-time religious educator who prepares young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation. And Confirmation is the sacrament of courage! So, it’s no surprise that Rushman is also an independent and indefatigable political reformer. He’s run for Congress twice. The smart money says he’ll do it again. Among the questions we’ll discuss are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own.
- Could you begin, Ed, by telling us a bit about yourself?
- How did you come to preparing young people for Confirmation?
- Just what’s involved in your work? What did you do in your last few classes?
- You like to tell your students stories. What are some of your favorites?
- Do students sometimes miss the point of a story? If so, what do you do?
- How is faith related to politics? Do your students see the connection between the two?
- Could you tell us about your own political credo?
- You live in a critical congressional district. What does that mean for an independent?
- What do you make of the American Solidarity Party?
- Why have you asked us to reflect on the last stanza of Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach? (Please see below.)
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Welcome to The Open Door! This week (December 1) we discuss the direction of the Catholic Church, especially in the United States, and the currents of thought—and action—that shape that direction. Our welcome guest is Larry S. Chapp. He taught theology for two decades at De Sales University. Currently he owns and manages, with his wife Carrie, the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Scientific Naturalism and its Challenge to the Christian Faith (T & T Clark, 2011). Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest your own!
You’ve just recovered from COVID. Could you tell us about the experience and the lessons that it brings?
From university professor to managing a farm? Why and how did this come about?
Dorothy Day was a student of Catholic intellectuals like Jacques Maritain and Emmanuel Mounier. Who are the mentors of today’s Catholic Worker movement?
How does Vatican Council II continue to shape American Catholicism?
You underscore the pivotal importance of Gaudium et spes, n. 22. “The truth is that only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light.” Why is this so?
Now comes a tall order! You distinguished, following D.C. Schindler, four responses to political modernity: Whig Thomism, a modus vivendi prudentialism, integralism, and the prophetic/eschatological stance. Could you navigate us through these positions?
Quo vadis? You’ve written that this question is the most pressing one we face today. St. Junipero Serra’s reply is Siempre adelante, con juicio. Do any particular examples or applications come to mind?
Welcome to The Open Door! (November 17th) Today we discuss theology, bioethics, and evangelizing the culture. We’ll also explore how it can be necessary to challenge one’s academic alma mater. Our welcome guest is Samantha Stephenson. She holds three degrees from Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles). She has hosted the podcast Brave New Us: Bioethics in the Light of the Catholic Faith and blogs at Mama Prays. Her book, Reclaiming Motherhood: Faith and Bioethics in a Culture of Confusion is forthcoming from OSV Press. Stephenson is the mother of three young children. Describing herself as “a stay-at-home, write-from-home, coffee guzzling bookworm and a poor but devoted gardener,” she adds, “my training is in the boot camp of motherhood, and my heart is in praying and writing about all of it.” Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please feel free to suggest others.
-
Samantha, if we may, you recently moved from Southern California to Idaho. Have you experienced any culture shock?
-
Could you tell us about your podcast? You’ve had an initial first-rate season. Can we expect another?
-
At your blog Mama Prays you explore a wide range of topics. Is motherhood a vocation that opens one up to the world in a unique way?
-
We’re looking forward to the publication of your first book. How have you structured it and what have you learned in writing it?
-
You make reference to a “culture of confusion.” Does this confusion extend to the core question of what it is to be a human being?
-
Can a secularized society make any sense of the inescapable reality of suffering?
-
You recently challenged your alma mater, Loyola Marymount University, in a way that led to nationwide controversy. A student organization, Women in Politics, sponsored an on-campus fund raiser for Planned Parenthood, the abortion giant. Can you explain just what happened and why?
-
How has the University responded to your criticism?
-
Why is academic freedom important and why does it have limits?
-
Let’s look to the future: what new projects do you have in mind?
This week on The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss teaching, writing, and the evangelization of culture. Our welcome and returning guest is Patrick Tomassi. He teaches junior high and high school math and science at Trinity Academy in Portland, Oregon. He even takes students backpacking around the Pacific Northwest! Tomassi’s work has appeared in Public Discourse, America, and Plough Quarterly. He is also a contributing editor at Veritas Journal and helps organize the annual New York Encounter. He is a member of Communion and Liberation, founded by the late Msgr. Luigi Giussani. Our questions include the following.
First, a quick update: When last we spoke with you, Portland’s ongoing protests were much in the news. What’s going on there now?
Could you tell us a bit about Trinity Academy?
Suppose a parent asks “How come kids in Singapore do so well in math and kids in this country struggle with innumeracy”? How would you reply?
Do Americans know enough science to appreciate its role in political and educational debates?
You are preparing for the annual New York Encounter. What’s the genesis of this event and what will the conference be like this year?
Just what is Communion and Liberation and how does it function in the United States?
To what extent is Communion and Liberation compatible with the Benedict Option?
Are both movements at odds with ordinary parish life?
How can socially engaged Catholics navigate between major party machine politics and utopian fantasies?
Is there such a thing as Catholic politics?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss political philosophy. We’ll introduce the work of the late John Rawls and offer a critical examination of his legacy. Their special and welcome guest is Christopher Wolfe. Prof. Wolfe is Distinguished Research Scholar at the University of Dallas and Emeritus Professor at Marquette University. He is the author of The Rise of Modern Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, and Natural Law Liberalism.
The following are among the questions we’ll ask.
- Just who was John Rawls and why is he important?
- Why was Rawls critical of the then-dominant utilitarianism when he wrote A Theory of Justice?
- What is the difference between a comprehensive theory of justice and a limited political conception of it?
- Could you state and explain Rawls’s two principles of justice?
- How does Rawls make use of his “original position” thought experiment?
- Could you explain his concept of public reason?
- Why does Rawls reject the “Perfectionism” of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ignatius of Loyola?
- As a natural law thinker, what alternative to political liberalism do you suggest?
- How attuned are Catholic intellectuals to Rawls’s challenges to a Christian worldview?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Christopher Zehnder engage Akampurira Medard, LIFE Runners Chapter Leader of Kabale, Uganda (October 13, 2021)
This week on The Open Door we discuss a young missionary order, seminary education, and
spiritual theology. Plus, we do so with a shared foundation in metaphysics. Our welcome and
special guest is Fr. Charles Carpenter, M.A.P. Fr. Carpenter hails from Hawthorne, California,
and this Christmas was the first he’s celebrated in the United States in 50 years! He has a
doctorate from Rome’s Gregorian University. He celebrates both the joys of philosophy and the
virtue of eutrapelia. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following:
- Could you please tell us a bit about how you came to discern your vocation?
- The founder of your order, Fr. Aloysius Ellucaria, was a remarkable man. Can you
explain his charism? - You’ve authored a book on St. Bonaventure. What led you to do so?
- As a seminary teacher, you have helped form young men for missionary work. Why do
missionaries need a philosophical as well as a theological education? - Why is metaphysics a special passion of yours?
- Play, and playfulness, have a prominent place in Christian life. Why is that so?
- What can you tell us about the musical heritage of the people of Mexico?
- Word on the street is that you’ve only read Tolstoy’s War and Peace twice! Would you
recommend that those of us who suffer from cultural distractions read it at least once? - What can we do to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life?
- Where do you see your order in ten years’ time?
https://misionerosdefatima.com/about-us/
Welcome to The Open Door! Jim Hanink here again, even though our producer, Sebastian
Mahfood, is again in Italy. Today, we have an opportunity to learn about a remarkable initiative
for vulnerable people, especially children, in Uganda. The Site for Community Services
Programme (SCOSP) integrates education, health care, and human rights advocacy. Our special
and welcome guest is Michael Sabiiti. Our questions include the following.
- Mr. Sabiiti (Michael, if I may), as its founder, you have lived the history of your organization. How did it begin?
- What is the legal status of an approved Non-Governmental Agency (NGO)?
- SCOSP has a distinctive outreach program to serve albino children. Could you please explain for us the position of albino people in Uganda?
- How has COVID-19 impacted your work?
- What has your experience been with refugees from the strife in Congo?
- What financial resources can you draw on? Have your “gofund.me” efforts been fruitful?
- In addition to your service commitment, you help organize safaris. What does this involve, and why are safaris important for Uganda?
- Catholic priests from Uganda have served in my home parish in Inglewood, California. What is the role of the Catholic Church in Uganda?
- Have you ever visited the United States?
- Where do you see SCOSP in ten years’ time?
Welcome to The Open Door! Could it be true that Look Space blocks Catholic devotional posts? This week (September 15th) we explore such provocative, yet evidence-based, conjectures. Our special mystery guest (SMG) is an artist and evangelist. We’ll be talking about devotional posts and what some of our Puritan forefathers would have banned in Boston. Our SMG is also an accomplished iconographer at risk to the wrath of today’s iconoclasts. The questions we will explore include the following.
- In hope of opening a (philosophical) can of worms, what counts as censorship? Is there good censorship as well as bad censorship?
- Why would a powerful international communication network “block” Catholic devotional posts?
- How extensive can “blockage” become?
- Are there any methods, apart from calling a plumber, to eliminate such blockage?
- What does it mean to “sign” an icon?
- How is an icon at once incarnational and transcendent?
- What gave rise to the iconoclasts? Are they still in our midst?
- True or false? You, our SMG, are a prayer warrior.
- How does a mendicant iconographer pay the rent?
- Speaking of acronyms, does your work have an AMDG dimension?
This week (Sept. 7) we discuss Tradistae, a new development inspired by the Catholic Worker tradition. Our special and welcome guest is Sean Domencic. He is the director and co-founder of Tradistae. Domencic has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching, economics, and politics. He and his wife Monica recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary! They live at Holy Family Catholic Worker in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We'll be asking the following questions.
- Sean, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
- How did Tradistae come about? How does it integrate theory and practice?
- What is the Catholic Social Action network?
- Tradistae has its own Easy Essay List. What will we find there?
- How are we to understand the distinction between fusionism and integralism?
- You've said that any friend of the American Solidarity Party is a friend of yours. Why this warm embrace?
- How would you compare Tradistae with the vision of the New York Catholic Worker or the Houston Catholic Worker?
- How can you connect with parishes?
- Do you have volunteers?
- Where do you see Tradistae ten years from now?
This week, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder return to a theme central to the Christian life: evangelization. Our special and welcome guest is Jessica Murdoch, Ph.D. She is an Associate Professor of Systematic/Constructive Theology at Villanova University. Murdoch is a wife and mother who is active in parish ministry. We will ask her the following questions. As always, we invite you to suggest others!
-
Prof. Murdoch, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
-
What were some of your initial steps in becoming an academic theologian?
-
You were a student at Fordham. How would you compare Fordham and Villanova?
-
How does philosophy contribute to theology?
-
When is theology pastoral?
-
What does it mean to do theology on one’s knees?
-
How did you come to be active in pastoral outreach?
-
What are some of the strengths and weaknesses in American Catholicism today?
-
Karl Barth suggested that preachers should have the Bible in one hand and the day’s paper in the other hand. Was he on to something?
-
Fast forward to 2031! What do you see yourself doing?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss some political provocations. We’ll tell you why we’re provoked and what we think. Please don’t hesitate to tell us what’s on your mind!
- An old Jesuit, a priest of blessed memory, once observed that “we pretty much get the political leaders we deserve.” If that’s true, shouldn’t we blame ourselves more than we do? If it’s false, well, who should we blame? Or is it, despite appearances, a happy fact that not much is rotten in Denmark after all?
- St. Augustine writes that:
If the people have a sense of moderation and responsibility, and are most careful guardians of the commonweal, it is right to enact a law allowing such a people to choose their own magistrates…But if, as time goes on, the same people become so corrupt as to sell their votes, and entrust the government to scoundrels and criminals, then the right to appoint their public officials is rightly forfeit to such a people and the choice devolves to a few good men. (De Lib. Arb. i.6)
Is Augustine correct? And, if he is, where are we to find these “few good men”? - A commentator on California politics, noting that Governor Newsom has mountains of money from special interests, says that it won't hurt him because everyone knows that all politicians are on the take. Is the commentator right?
- And speaking of money, since most of the money is spent on mindless ads, why does anyone give politicians money in the first place? Hmmm. If it’s money that makes the wheels go round, and it turns out to be our money, do we get the leaders we deserve? If so, what should we do? (August 25, 2021)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Christopher Zehnder talk with Eric Anton, a writer on military matters for the American Commons, about Afghanistan from the perspective of the American Solidarity Party. (August 17, 2021)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss a pro-life amendment to the US Constitution. (August 11, 2021)
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss with Dr. Rene Trabanino what it means to be a consistently pro-life physician in California. We’ll also explore what it’s like to serve immigrants, the poor, and the under-insured. Last but not least we’ll consider what it’s like to discover the American Solidarity Party! Among the questions we asked are the following:
-
Dr. Trabanino, Rene if I may, could you share with us a bit about your background and about your family?
-
We read of the grave problems that Guatemala now faces. Can you give us some insight into what is happening there now?
-
What has been your experience working with immigrants?
-
You have patients who are poor and under-insured. How does this affect them and you as their physician?
-
What are some of the challenges you experience as a pro-life physician?
-
How can pro-life physicians work together to challenge the established disorder?
-
You have ties to the California Catholic Conference and the Los Angeles Archdiocese Office of Life, Justice, and Peace. Can you explain their respective missions?
-
How did you discover the American Solidarity Party?
-
Can the ASP gain ground in California? If so, by what means?
-
Fast forward: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
This week (July 28) on The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss Pope Francis’s Traditionis Custodes and its import for what Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI termed “The Extraordinary Rite.” Our welcome and returning guest is Fr. Donald Kloster. We are familiar with his role in preparing the Traditional Latin Mass National Survey. Among the questions we will consider are the following. As always, you are invited to suggest your own.
-
Just what does Pope Francis’s Traditionis Custodes say? What restrictions does it enjoin?
-
How authoritative is Traditionis Custodes? Might it simply be replaced by another papal motu proprio?
-
Pope Francis finds that the implementation of the Extraordinary Rite has led divisiveness. Do you see evidence of this problem?
-
Good trees bear good fruit. What do you see as the good fruit of the Traditional Latin Mass? Has it contributed to growth within the Church?
-
What have been some of the more significant responses to Francis’s motu proprio? What does Canon 87 say?
-
Need it be that the Extraordinary Rite reduces the active participation of the laity?
-
For the sake of comparison, does the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom work against the active participation of the laity.
-
Does Traditionis Custodes affect your own ministry?
-
There has been discussion of prudent and pastoral dialogue with regard to Traditionis Custodes. Could you sketch for us how such dialogue might develop?
-
Fast forward to 2030. How fares the Traditional Latin Mass?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Christopher Zehnder discuss dialogue and debate among Christians as well as the presence of Christians in the public sphere. Our special guest is the prolific commentator, Casey Chalk. He’s a respected and frequent contributor to journals of opinion. Among the questions we plan to ask him are the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
- Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
- How did you come to launch The Grumpy Millennial Blog?
- You have two books coming out. Could you tell us about them?
- How can the Catholic Church best make its voice heard in the public square?
- What is the current state of the Catholic-Evangelical dialogue?
- In what ways does an understanding of St. Paul contribute to the Catholic-Evangelical dialogue?
- Do the terms “liberal” and “conservative” help us make sense of either politics or theology?
- What is the relation between philosophy and theology?
- Do you have favorite journals that you would advise us to read?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder speak with guest Tony Guidotti on how an international vision and a commitment to life, justice, and peace translate into a leadership role in the American Solidarity Party. Tony holds a Masters of Global Affairs degree from the University of Notre Dame. Guidotti has worked with Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor. He’s the interim Executive Director of the American Solidarity Party. We’ll be asking him the following questions. Feel free to suggest your own!
Tony, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?
What led to your interest in global affairs?
You’ve worked in Bangladesh, Uganda, and Honduras. What lessons have you learned through these experiences?
How did you discover the American Solidarity Party (ASP), and why did you become a member of it?
What are your goals as the party’s interim Executive Director?
Just a few weeks ago the ASP held its annual convention. How did you help lay the foundation for it and was the event a success?
At this point, what do you see as the ASP’s main strengths?
What are the major challenges that the party faces?
Do theology and politics mix?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
This week (June 30th) on The Open Door we discuss reparations in the United States, specifically at the local level, and (yes!) living in Japan. Our special guest, Jason Morgan, PhD (Japanese history), studies legal and political history and philosophy. He recently penned an intriguing essay on reparations for Public Discourse, and he is a frequent contributor to the New Oxford Review and other journals of opinion. Morgan’s most recent books are Law and Society in Imperial Japan (Cambria, 2020) and Information Regimes in Cold War East Asia (Routledge, 2020). We’ll be discussing the following questions.
-
Dr. Morgan (Jason, if we may), could you please tell us a bit about your background and, especially, how you came to live in Japan?
-
You recently contributed an essay to Public Discourse on reparations for racial injustice in the US. Living in Japan, what led you to address this issue?
-
Is injustice ever private?
-
What is the distinction between commutative and distributive justice?
-
Can reparations at the national level be effective?
-
How has Evanston, Illinois, set out to make local reparations? How has Georgetown University attempted to do so?
-
Could you explain the concept of political subsidiarity? Is it akin to federalism?
-
Does the Constitution require that justice be individualized?
-
In what ways does everyday life in Japan differ from everyday life in the United States?
-
How fares the Catholic Church in today’s Japan?
Literature, in the light of beauty and form, with James Matthew Wilson, Professor of Humanities and the Founding Director of the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of St. Thomas (Houston). Among his many books is The Vision of the Soul: Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in the Western Tradition (Catholic University of America Press, 2017) and The Strangeness of the Good (Angelico, 2020). Here are some questions we’ll be asking. Feel free to suggest others! (June 23, 2021)
-
Prof. Wilson, could you first tell us a bit about your background and your family?
-
How did the new Master of Fine Arts Program at St. Thomas (Houston) come about?
-
What sort of students are you looking for? Who should apply?
-
This year we celebrate the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death. Can there ever be another poet to rival his stature?
-
What can we learn from Dante in these chaotic times?
-
It’s been said that you write in “the high humanist Christian tradition.” Can the dominant secular culture allow this tradition to survive and even develop?
-
What themes do you explore in your new book of poems, The Strangeness of the Good? Perhaps you could share a few of these poems with us now.
-
Plato long ago warned us about the tension between poetry and philosophy. Do you see such a tension? Can it be constructive?
-
How is it that you have recently returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Athens of the Midwest? Are you still unpacking?
-
What do you see yourself doing a decade from now?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder speak with Rebecca Ginsburg on prison abolition.
- Isn’t it true that prisons keep us safe?
- How do you imagine abolition working? Would we wait until we had a new system to put into place, and simply replace all the prisons?
- One of the main objections that many people have to incarceration is its disproportionate impact on racial minorities and poor people. What makes you think that any other response to wrongdoing wouldn’t have the same, very serious weaknesses?
- It might be desirable to incarcerate fewer individuals who have been convicted of non-violent offenses, but don’t we need prisons to lock up those who have convicted serious harms such as murder?
- Is your opposition to mass incarceration (i.e. the hyper-racialized, frequently corrupted industry that governs in most states), or to prisons themselves? If we could “fix” prisons, would you support that?
- What about Norwegian prisons? Are they a possible model? (e.g. more comfortable surroundings, trained and educated correctional officers, no solitary)
- What about all the people that are currently employed or supported by our system of imprisonment?
- Abolitionists often talk about creating societies in which harm doesn’t happen because communities are better resourced with schools, mental health services, parks, maternal health care, substance abuse clinics, etc. However, it seems utopian to believe that we (or anybody) can create a society without crime or violence. Your response?
- Do you also support abolishing the police?
- Angela Davis is often quoted as saying, “prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.” Could you explain what you understand her to mean by that?
- What might public safety public policy informed by abolition values look like?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Sebastian Mahfood about his life, vocation, and work. (June 4, 2021)
On this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss the missionary spirit and how it expresses our faith. Mary Kloska will join us as our special and welcome guest. She presents an overview of her multifaceted work on her website, marykloskafiat.com (May 30, 2021)
We will ask our guest the following questions. Please don’t hesitate to suggest others.
-
Mary (if we may), could you please tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from? Where did you go to school?
-
What led you to work in the missions?
-
How has time living as a consecrated hermit connected with your missionary efforts?
-
You are in contact with persecuted Christians. What might our listeners and viewers do to help Christians in countries like Pakistan and Nigeria?
-
Are there reliable ways of getting accurate reporting on what is happening to Christians in Pakistan and Nigeria?
-
Do you see any way for Pope Francis to visit Pakistan or Nigeria?
-
You are also an author. Could you tell us about your books in Urdu and Polish and Spanish?
-
How did you come to be an iconographer? How do you go about making an icon?
-
What do you do when you are exhausted, as surely you must sometimes be?
-
Finally, what do you see yourself doing five years from now?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss Philosophical Mentorship with Owen Anderson, Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Arizona State University (May 19, 2021)
Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder of The Open Door reflect on the Diaconate, from New Testament times to our own day, with special and returning guest Deacon Michael L. Russo, a deacon of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnston, Pennsylvania. He's also the author of The Via Dolorosa: A Forensic and Spiritual Treatise on the Salvific Work of Jesus Christ (Zulon Press, 2013).
- Deacon Russo, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?
- How did you come to discern a vocation to the Diaconate?
- What sort of special preparation do deacons have?
- What are the New Testament roots of the Diaconate?
- How did the transitional Diaconate come to be in its present form?
- In what ways do you serve your parish and diocese?
- How have you integrated your business background into your service?
- You have been able to connect your parish with a priest in Nigeria and a young Christian in Pakistan. How did you do so and how have parishioners reacted?
- Let's turn to your award-winning book: The Via Dolorosa. What led you to write it, and what are some of its main themes?
- Do you have any special research interests that you are pursuing?
This week (Thursday, May 6) on The Open Door we explore the multi-faceted legacy of Asian Americans. In recent months, as we know, they have increasingly become the targets of hate crimes. A range of other issues also come to mind: international study abroad programs, charges of intellectual espionage, and the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Our special and welcome guest is the distinguished logician Professor Gary Mar of SUNY at Stony Brook.
The following are among the questions that we asked him.
- Prof. Mar, Gary if I might, could you tell us a bit about your background? You are from California, are you not?
- You are an activist as well as an academic. Why have you become both and what led you to conjoin the two?
- Are you personally familiar with any hate crimes against Asians?
- There is a widespread perception of Asian Americans as "the model minority." Is this perception a misperception? What problems does it foster?
- How has your own university-recognized Asian American students and faculty? What support have friends of the university provided?
- Until the past few years, a great many Asian students have come to study in the United States. What has given rise to this phenomenon?
- Some Chinese academics, it seems, have engaged in intellectual espionage in the country. What prompts them to do so?
- As a visitor to China, you made contact with Chinese Christians. Could you tell us about that experience?
- What do you know about how Christians are faring in China today?
- Are there universal human rights? If so, what is their foundation?
- Chances are that, for you, "retirement" will lead to even more opportunities to "speak the truth." What's ahead, Prof. Mar?
This week (Wednesday, April 28), on The Open Door, we discuss Politics and Christianity. Our special and welcome guest is Rodolfo Casadei, a prestigious intellectual, writer, and journalist from Milan, Italy. He recently authored a best-seller Roberto Formigoni, Una Storia Popolare (Edizioni Cantagalli, 2021).Roberto Formigoni: the first interview about a renowned political leader from the region of Lombardia. He writes for the Newspaper Tempi. Among the questions we will ask him are the following.
-
Could you give us a primer on the roots of Christian Democracy in Italy?
-
What relations do the Christian Democrats of Italy have with the Christian Democrat parties in other countries?
-
Has the movement Communion and Liberation drawn on some intellectual background of Christian Democracy? What was the Movimento popolare? Were you involved in that movement?
-
Pope Francis urges us to engage in political action despite the presence of corruption. How can Christian Democrats fight corruption in politics?
-
Many people have given up on political action. How can Christian Democrats show them a way to make a difference in the political sector?
-
What are the possibilities for civic friendship in today's political world? Is there any possibility of building "bridges" among different ideologies?
-
Who, in your estimation, are the true political leaders in contemporary Europe? (April 28, 2021)
To order a copy of Steve Mamanella's book _Providential_, see https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/providential/
This week (Wednesday, April 21) on The Open Door we move from philosophy and politics to what, even in such domains, guides our lives. We’ll be talking about providence. Our special and welcome guest is Steve Mamanella, author of the memoir Providential (En Route Books and Media, 2021). He led the communication departments of the Diocese of Peoria and the Archdiocese of St. Louis and is now a communications consultant. Steve is married and has two sons. Among the questions we will ask him are the following.
-
St. John Henry Newman, in his Grammar of Assent, wrote that “What Scripture especially illustrates from its first page to its last, is God’s Providence; and that is nearly the only doctrine held with a real assent by the mass of religious Englishmen.” Just what is providence?
-
Let’s be clear: how does providence differ from fate, from luck, and from coincidence?
-
Does God’s providence constrict or enhance our freedom?
-
Can you sketch for us a few providential events in your life?
-
What are some providential events in the lives of people you know?
-
Is providence intermittent or is it constant?
-
How does prayer affect God’s providence?
-
Ancestry.com is immensely popular today. Is it mere curiosity that fuels this popularity or is there something more?
-
On a personal level, is there a link between discerning one’s vocation and being open to the workings of providence?
-
On a societal level, is there a link between reading “the signs of the times” and being alert to the workings of providence?
Imran Mushtaq, of Pakistan, and Deacon Michael Russo, of Pennsylvania join Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder concerning Christian life in Pakistan.
-
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
-
What is daily life like in your village?
-
We understand that Christians in Pakistan face many obstacles. Could you explain them for us?
-
Do Pakistani courts deal fairly with cases of attacks on Christians?
-
What role does the law against blasphemy play in Pakistan?
-
Have you ever had any helpful discussions with Muslim neighbors? With Muslims you knew in school?
-
Recently Pope Francis has engaged Muslims in what seems to be fruitful dialogue. Are there any initiatives for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Pakistan?
-
Are there any initiatives for Muslim-Hindu dialogue in Pakistan?
-
How do the people of Pakistan see the threat of terrorism?
-
What can Christians in the West do to help the Christians of Pakistan?
Welcome to The Open Door! This week we talk politics with a decided emphasis on the experience of a member of the American Solidarity serving on a midwestern town council and the California gubernatorial campaign of another member. No special guests, just our regular panel!
Among the questions we'll consider are the following. Please feel free to suggest others.
- What is political subsidiarity?
- Context counts! How does subsidiarity come into play in Hartford, Ohio? And how does it come into play in California?
- Does subsidiarity encourage what's now called "localism"?
- How can we encourage interest in local government?
- Does subsidiarity rule out governmental centralization?
- What is political solidarity? What might be some examples of it?
- There's a distinction between "flag-wavers" and patriots. What is it?
- If a member of the American Solidarity Party finds a seat on his Town Council how does he keep that seat?
- Barring God's direct intervention, no member of the American Solidarity Party will find employment as the Governor of California. Why, then, should the host of The Open Door campaign for the job?
- What does one learn, even in early days, about such a campaign?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder engage American Translator Daniel Fitzpatrick in his work on the Help Dante Help Italy Project (March 31, 2021)
For more about the project, see http://www.helpdantehelpitaly.com
In this episode of The Open Door, Dr. Jim Hanink and Dr. Mario Ramos-Reyes speak with Dr. Stacy Trasancos and Dr. Catherine Pakaluk on Conscience and the Vaccine. (March 25, 2021)
This week (March 17) on The Open Door we discuss the peril, promise, and possibility of secularism. Our special guest is Nathaniel Peters. He is Contributing Editor of Public Discourse and Director of the Morningside Institute.
-
Could you begin by telling us a bit about your background
-
We’re regular readers of Public Discourse. How did it come about? Where is it headed?
-
During the lead-up to the presidential election, our colleague Charlie Camosy made the case for the American Solidarity Party in Public Discourse. How did this come about, and how was it received?
-
Could you sketch for us your recent criticism of Scott Hahn and Brandon McGinley’s new book It Is Right and Just?
-
To its credit, Public Discourse welcomed Hahn and McGinley’s reply to your criticism. Have the three of you have found common ground? What disagreements remain?
-
How has the thinking of St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI helped shaped your recent exchange, perhaps on both sides?
-
Can anyone blame Ambrose Bierce’s dismissal of conservatives as those who are enamored of old evils and liberals as those who want to introduce new evils? And were he here, might he dismiss progressives as intent on going somewhere chiefly by supplanting argument with memes?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss Catholic journalism, the relation of culture and politics, and how to integrate lighting a candle whilst cursing the darkness. Our special guest is Pieter Vree, Editor of the New Oxford Review. Raised in Berkeley, California, Vree is a longtime observer of “Berserkely.” Pieter and his wife, Rosario, are the parents of six children. We plan to ask him the following questions. One caveat: he admits to not having found a way to get the printer’s ink off his hands.
-
Could you sketch for us the history of the New Oxford Review?
-
The columnist Ted Rall recently observed that surviving print publications have a “commitment to detailed long-form journalism…they carry words, lots and lots of them, occasionally punctuated by hand drawn illustrations.” Do you agree?
-
Are you worried about online censorship?
-
Is anti-Catholicism a worsening phenomenon?
-
You’ve written that of late too many Catholic bishops “have preferred the easy role of the king’s good servants to the more demanding one of spiritual leaders.” What events did you have in mind?
-
Given the New Oxford Review’s fierce independence, how does it manage to pay the bills?
-
William F. Buckley, whom your father knew, once told an irate subscriber to “Cancel your own G-d d---n subscription.” What do irate subscribers complain most about? How do you address their complaints?
-
St. Teresa of Calcutta said that the more we work the more we should pray. How does prayer animate you and your staff?
-
How can public discourse be civil without becoming banal?
-
What words of advice do you have for would be contributors?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss philosophy, the family, and politics with Mark Spencer. He’s an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). He and his wife Susanna are the parents of four children. He writes on the nature of the human person, beauty, and natural theology. Prof. Spencer’s first book, The Irreducibility of the Human Person: A Catholic Synthesis, is forthcoming from The Catholic University of America Press.
Could you begin by telling us a bit about your students?
Some wag has said that “Philosophy bakes no bread” (assorted “yahoos” have said worse). Why are your students taking philosophy courses?
Teaching and scholarship go together! What do you bring from your first book to the courses you teach?
What does it mean to be a phenomenological Thomist?
Solzhenitsyn, following Dostoyevsky, believed that beauty will save the world. What do you make of this claim?
You draw on the work of Dietrich von Hildebrand, a political exile. How did he come to flee his country?
Philosophy and politics go together, as Plato taught. How did you discover the American Solidarity Party?
Do you see the American Solidarity Party as expressing Catholic Social Teaching?
Some say that the American Solidarity Party is too intellectual and too Catholic to gain traction in our “interesting times.” What’s your reaction to this charge?
Why did you resume cross-country skiing after 20 years? Is there a link between your doing so and your concoction of the perfect martini?
The Open Door discusses euthanasia advocacy and the ethical and legal questions it raises. Richard Stith is our special and returning guest. He is a Senior Research Professor of Law at Valparaiso University. Prof. Stith serves on the board of the Consistent Life Network, an organization that combats abortion, euthanasia, war, the death penalty, racism, and poverty.
- Some argue that there should be a right to assisted suicide and euthanasia. What would be the basis of such a right?
- You have suggested that a kind of "constructionist dehumanization" is a factor contributing to the current push for assisted suicide and euthanasia. Could you please explain this dynamic?
- What dangers come with this kind of advocacy?
- How does our understanding of suffering help shape our policy on assisted suicide and euthanasia?
- Again, what dangers come into play here?
- Personal autonomy is at the core of contemporary society. Is our demand for choice, seemingly for its own sake, another major factor in the push for assisted suicide and euthanasia?
- If so, what dangers come with this demand?
- Why are disability groups skeptical about the drive for assisted suicide and euthanasia?
- Are there new pressures that the elderly and sick and disabled face with the coming of legal assisted suicide and euthanasia?
- What legal strategies are open to us in challenging demands for euthanasia and assisted suicide?
This week on The Open Door we discuss ethical excellence. Why do some achieve it while others fail? Our special guest is Heidi M. Giebel, professor of philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. She is the author of Ethical Excellence: Philosophers, Psychologists, and Real-Life Exemplars Show Us How to Achieve It (The Catholic University of America Press, 2021.)
-
Some people overcome great hardships and do good things; others have seemingly wonderful childhoods and then do evil things. How can we understand these reversals?
-
How do the virtues lead to moral excellence and, indeed, to an excellent life overall?
-
What sort of direction do the ancient Socratic and Confucian traditions bring to moral education today?
-
How does the empirical research of psychologists give us guidance?
-
In everyday life we speak of traits like “willpower,” “grit,” “stick-to-it-iveness,” and “having a heart.” Should they be dismissed as folk-psychology, or are they touchstones for constructive theory-building?
-
Of late we have heard a great deal about healthcare workers and first-responders as COVID heroes. What do moral heroes offer us in terms of our own striving for ethical excellence?
-
Your account of moral excellence draws on both relevant stories and interviews that you have carried out. How does the biographical contribute to building moral excellence?
-
As the mother of a large family, have you been able to make use of the lessons of your research in daily life?
-
As a Christian, you believe that however mightily we strive for moral excellence we cannot succeed without “amazing grace.” Do today’s “thought leaders,” whether in or out of the academy, have any appreciation of our dependency on God’s gracious gifts?
-
Could you tell us a bit about your next project?
The Open Door discusses ethical and legal questions at the beginning and end of human life. We find an inspiration to do so in the visual arts. Richard Stith is our special and returning guest. He is a Senior Research Professor of Law at Valparaiso University. Prof. Stith serves on the board of the Consistent Life Network, an organization that combats abortion, euthanasia, war, the death penalty, racism, and poverty.
Let’s begin with a short video that offers the perspective of an artist, your wife Rosemarie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9lPGQgc2XE&%3Bt=3s
In our ongoing work to defend the lives of the preborn, can we argue that abortion violates their right to life without favoring the criminal punishment of abortion, even of abortionists? How has Germany addressed this question?
You contend that “the polarization of our public debate over embryo-destructive research may be due, to a large extent, not to different valuations of individual human life but to different conceptions of the process of gestation, with one group treating the process as a making or construction and the other treating it as a development.” How are these two models of reproduction incompatible? How do they shape the debate over the treatment of embryos and the debate over abortion?
Some argue that there is a right to assisted suicide and euthanasia. What would be the basis of such a right? What do you see as the dangers of the legal recognition of such a right?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss family life in the context of our chaotic times. Their special guest is Valerie Niemeyer, an American Solidarity Party leader from Nebraska. She is the mother of six and a homeschooler. She also has a longstanding interest in social justice.
Our questions for her include the following.
-
A bit of background, please! You visited Paraguay when you were 17. How did that experience lead to your being active in the American Solidarity Party?
-
How does Catholic social teaching address family life?
-
It often seems that “social justice warriors” overlook the family’s role as the first unit of a just society. Why this apparent neglect?
-
Should we focus on teaching children their rights or, rather, on teaching them their duties? And how does sharing come into play?
-
What are some distinctive virtues of family life? How do we teach—and learn—them?
-
Friction comes with family life; it comes with the job and with school, as well. What do you mean by “fruitful fiction”?
-
We hear a lot about “cancel culture.” How do you understand this phenomenon? What are some of its implications in teaching our children about their heritage?
-
“Wealth” is relative; absolute poverty is not. What is spiritual poverty, and what does it require of both the affluent and the economically struggling?
-
A trending yard sign tells us that “there’s no place for hate” and that “love=love.” Most of us are against hate, and no one denies a statement of the form “x=x.” Is there room, though, for “benign neglect” or indifference?
-
What steps can the American Solidarity Party take to show its commitment to strong families?
This week on The Open Door, we discuss ethical questions that arise at the beginning and end of human life. We will do so in the context of human rights and the law. Our discussion will lead us to explore some implications of being “pro-life for the whole of life.” Our special guest is Richard Stith. He is a Senior Research Professor of Law at Valparaiso University. (January 27, 2021)
Questions on this episode:
Many of your publications are in Spanish. How did this come about?
Just what is a human right? What are the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary appeals to human rights?
Let’s go from the general to the specific. Can we argue that abortion violates the right to life of the preborn without favoring the criminal punishment of abortion, even of abortionists? How has Germany addressed this question?
You write that “The attitude and act called ‘respect’ brings forth much more adequately than ‘value’ the distinctively individual priority of persons, allowing our common humanity to be a reason for each person’s separate significance.” Could you further explain the significance of this distinction?
You contend that “the polarization of our public debate over embryo-destructive research may be due, to a large extent, not to different valuations of individual human life but to different conceptions of the process of gestation, with one group treating the process as a making or construction and the other treating it as a development.” How are these two models of reproduction incompatible? How do they shape the debate over the treatment of embryos and the debate over abortion?
This week on The Open Door we discuss ethical concerns about the new COVID-19 vaccines. We welcome two special guests. Stacy Trasancos, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of St. Philip Institute in Tyler, Texas. Melissa Moschella is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. She is also a visiting scholar at the Heritage Foundation's Simon Center for American Studies Both have recently written on ethics and the new vaccines.
- The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a note on the morality of using some anti-COVID-19 vaccines. Could each of you comment on its principles?
a. “[I]n cases where cells from aborted fetuses are employed to create cell lines for use in scientific research, ‘there exist differing degrees of responsibility’ of cooperation in evil.
b. “[W]hen ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available…it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.”
c. “The fundamental reason for considering the use of these vaccines morally licit is that the kind of cooperation in evil (passive material cooperation) in the procured abortion from which these cell lines originate is, on the part of those making use of the resulting vaccines, remote. The moral duty to avoid such passive material cooperation is not obligatory if there is a grave danger, such as the otherwise uncontainable spread of a serious pathological agent—in this case, the pandemic spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.”
d. “T]he licit use of such vaccines does not and should not in any way imply that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted fetuses. Both pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies are therefore encouraged to produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not create problems of conscience for either health care providers or the people to be vaccinated.”
e. “[The] vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary. In any case, from the ethical point of view, the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good. In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed. Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.”
-
Do the secular media and political leaders understand and acknowledge the qualifications built into the CDF principles?
-
To what extent do the Catholic faithful understand these principles?
-
In light of the gravity of the issues involved, might some Catholics as a matter of personal witness decide against taking the current vaccines?
-
Material cooperation in evil is wide-ranging and hard to escape, as Dorothy Day candidly noted. But often such cooperation is less remote than would be the use of the new vaccines. So we might conclude that using the vaccines is surely legitimate. Or might we, alternatively, conclude that we should rethink our ongoing “everyday” material cooperation?
-
Kevin L. Flannery, SJ, recently wrote the well-received Cooperation With Evil: Thomistic Tools of Analysis (The Catholic University of America Press, 2019). He urges caution in using the distinction between formal and material cooperation and argues that “More reliable tools in the analysis of cooperation can be found in… Thomas Aquinas’s moral theory.” What thoughts do you have on the formal vs. material distinction?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder engage Paul Fahey on his piece: the Anti-Pelagian Queen's Gambit, a critique of Josh Herring's article. (January 15, 2021)
The Open Door (our second podcast this week) takes another, and sharply different, look at Netflix’s surprise hit series, The Queen’s Gambit. Our special guest is Paul Fahey, co-founder of Where Peter Is. In addition, he is a director of religious education, a speaker, and retreat leader. His website is Rejoice and Be Glad. The questions we will discuss include the following.
-
Could you recount for us the storyline of The Queen’s Gambit?
-
You praised the series for being “anti-Pelagian.” Just what does this mean and why did you appreciate it?
-
You wrote an article that was critical of Josh Herring’s (who we recently had on our show) analysis of the series. How does your analysis of the film differ from his?
-
Why do you think the anthropology Josh Herring proposes in his article is flawed, specifically in light of the teaching of Pope Francis?
-
Grace builds on nature, healing us as it does so. Without grace there is no conversion of heart nor the sacrificing of oneself for others. But don’t they both involve making some hard choices?
-
Do virtues play a role in our making hard choices for the good?
-
Some commentators see the “The Puritans vs. The Rebels” theme as overworked. The formula is familiar. Since we don’t much like the Puritans, the Rebels look appealing. Is this dynamic at work in The Queen’s Gambit?
-
What is expressive individualism? Can it be compatible with the common good?
-
Lest we forget: What about Netflix? What sort of cultural role does it play?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes discuss politics, reconciliation, and the role of the American Solidarity Party. Their special guest is Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He specializes in religion and global politics with a focus on reconciliation, the political behavior of religious actors, and Christian political theology. His books include Revolutions in Sovereignty (Princeton, 2001), Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation (Oxford, 2012), and Religious Freedom in Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World (Oxford, 2019).
-
Let’s start with next week. Out with Trump, in with Biden. What does this change mean for the long term work of building a culture of life?
-
How do you understand politics and the political life?
-
We suffer from the wounds of the past, and racism is a prime example. Can politics help heal these wounds?
-
Some say that all politics is local. Others say that all politics is personal. What’s right and what’s wrong about these claims?
-
Freedom of religion is the first freedom. No doubt, however, there are limits on religious freedom. But why, and on what basis?
-
Does national sovereignty pose both promise and peril?
-
You support the American Solidarity Party. How did this come about?
-
Could you tell us about the concept of solidarity as you understand it?
-
As an educator, what advice do you have for developing a “solidarity curriculum”?
-
Crisis can give birth to creativity. What green shoots, nationally and internationally, do you see?
On this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the surprise popular series The Queen’s Gambit and what it tells us about the corrosive Netflix effect. Our special guest is Josh Herring. His work has appeared on Public Discourse, the Imaginative Conservative, and The Federalist. He is Dean of Students at Thales Academy. Josh has a Master of Divinity degree and is a doctoral candidate at Faulkner University. We ask him the following questions.
Could you tell us a bit about your background?
Thales Academy, your academic home, offers a classical curriculum. What does this mean?
What led you to write about The Queen’s Gambit?
Can you point out the differences between Frank Tevis’s The Queen’s Gambit : A Novel (1983) and Frank Scott’s adaptation?
Does The Queen’s Gambit, if nothing else, succeed as tragedy?
Resolved: Netflix is really just one player in a larger feedback loop designed to perpetuate a damaging message, much like a virus that replicates itself to infect others. What’s your analysis?
Decades ago Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote about “defining deviancy down.” What factors contribute to this broad phenomenon?
Is programmed deviancy likely to be creative?
Personal responsibility presupposes moral agency. What sort of beings could have moral agency?
What’s your next writing project?
WCAT TV is an en air wing of En Route Books and Media working with WCAT Radio to share the joys of the Catholic faith. To support the station, please visit our Patreon account at https://www.patreon.com/wcatradio
In this episode of The Open Door, James Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the ongoing pro-life struggle, including nonviolent direct action. Our special guest is Monica Migliorino Miller, the Director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society. She holds graduate degrees in Theology from Loyola University and Marquette University. She is the author of several books including The Theology of the Passion of the Christ (Alba House) and The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church (Emmaus Road) and Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars (St. Benedict Press). She is now helping lead the efforts of Red Rose Rescue.
We asked Dr. Monica Migliorino Miller the following questions.
Could you tell us what led you to pro-life activism?
How have you been able to sustain your activism over the decades?
What is Red Rose Rescue?
Do you anticipate increasingly severe legal sanctions against pro-life activists in the Biden presidency?
You are a scholar-activist. What should we know about the main themes of your scholarly work?
Were you able to bring your pro-life and pro-woman vision to your students at Madonna University?
Hannah Arendt famously wrote of “the banality of evil.” Is there something akin to it in the widespread acceptance of the ongoing abortion holocaust?
How have you and your husband Edmund been able to harmonize the demanding commitments that you both have with raising a family?
Mother Teresa said that the more we are active the more we should pray. Should activism, like theology, begin on its knees?
Peter Maurin said that “the future will be different if we make the present different.” Any examples?
This week on The Open Door we discuss faith and reason. Our special guests and welcome
friends are John Médaille and Thomas Storck. They have just co-authored a new book,
Theology: Mythos or Logos: A Dialogue on Faith, Reason, and History (Angelico Press, 2020).
We ask them the following questions.
- Can you tell us what led up to this new book?
- What’s the difference between faith and fideism?
- How can we distinguish between reason and rationalism?
- Could you explain the difference between acculturation and cultural relativism?
- Does historical consciousness lead to historicism?
- Newman’s epigraph in his A Grammar of Assent comes from St. Ambrose: Non in dialectica complacuit Deo salvum facere populum suum. Yet the Grammar is a closely argued case for a reasonable faith. What are we to make of this?
- Wittgenstein commented that “[religious] belief as formulated on evidence can only be the last result—in which a number of ways of thinking and acting crystallize and come together,” and then observes “That is partly why you don’t get the form of [religious] controversy where one person is sure of the thing, and the other says: ‘well, possibly.’” What do you make of the view that evidence comes last in religious faith?
- How would you evaluate the following: “[T]he relationship between theology and philosophy is best construed as a circle. Theology’s source and starting-point must always be the word of God revealed in history, while its final goal will be an understanding of that word which increases with each passing generation. Yet, since God’s word is Truth (cf. Jn 17:17), the human search for truth—philosophy, pursued in keeping with its own rules—can only help to understand God’s word better.” (St. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, n. 73)
- Aquinas writes that “[S]acred doctrine is a science, because it proceeds from principles established by the light of a higher science, namely, the science of God and the blessed. Hence, just as the musician accepts on authority the principles taught him by the mathematician, so sacred science is established on principles revealed by God: (ST I, a. 2, respondeo) How would you explain this passage?
- Will you be writing another book together?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder talk with D. Alan Shewmon, M.D., on Brain Death and Actual Death. (December 18, 2020)
This week on The Open Door we discuss “brain death” and the determination of actual death. The topic brings us to the heart of what it is to respect the dignity of the human being. It is particularly timely, since the Uniform Law Commission is currently studying the possibility of revising the 40-year-old Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA). Our special guest is D. Alan Shewmon, M.D. He is Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. We will ask Dr. Shewmon the following questions. As always, feel free to add to the list!
1.Just what is the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA), and how did it come about?
2.Is the brain the “master integrator” of the body from which it would follow that when the brain stops functioning the body dies, that is, “disintegrates”?
3.What inconsistencies do you see between (a) the biological concept of death, (b) the UDDA’s criterion of “irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain,” and (c) the diagnostic protocols now considered as the medical standard?
4.Can you outline particular cases that help shape your thinking about such inconsistencies?
5.Should the UDDA be revised to eliminate its neurological criterion in favor of a circulatory-respiratory criterion of death?
6.How strong is the case for introducing a consciousness or personhood-based criterion concept of death?
7.Do you see problems in thinking of brain death as a purely clinical diagnosis?
8.What motivates the proposal, on the part of some, to eliminate hypothalamic function from the category of “brain function”?
9.Should an apnea test as a part of determining brain death require the consent of a patient’s proxy?
This week on The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, Christopher Zehnder discuss immigration, with a special focus on “the right to stay.” Our welcome guest is John Hittinger, a professor of philosophy at the University of St. Thomas (Houston). Hittinger founded the Pope John Paul II Forum for the Church in the Modern World in 2005. He is the author of four books and has published articles and presented papers on topics including John Locke, Jacques Maritain, military ethics, liberal education, political philosophy, and the thought of John Paul II. We will ask Prof. Hittinger the following questions. Please feel free to add you own!
- You founded the Pope John Paul II Forum for the Church in the Modern World in 2005. Now you are directing the Saint John Paul II Institute. What are you are doing to promote Saint JP2?
- What do you foresee as some of the Forum’s future projects?
- Could you tell us about the Forum’s friends in Poland?
- Your range of interests is broad. What led you to write on immigration?
- Just what is “the right to stay”?
- Could you outline some of the central themes in St. John Paul II’s writing on immigration?
- How does Scripture direct our response to the immigrant and, more broadly, “the other”?
- What are the prospects for authentic dialogue on immigration policies?
- Politics today seems focused on power. Do you see any ways to refocus it on service?
- The Open Door supports the American Solidarity Party (ASP). This year’s presidential contest saw us quadruple our votes! What do you make of this “rivulet of the present” and “wave of the future,” especially its immigration policy?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder speak with Maria Charlotta Maric of the Swedish Christian Democratic Party, who draws Wisdom from Martin Buber (December 4, 2020)
How did you come to join the Christian Democracy Party?
What is involved in your work as an “ombudsman” for the Party
You now teach an ABC Course on Christian Democracy. What gave you the idea for this project? How is it working out?
Are you content to describe yourself as a “politician”? Might there be a better term?
Does the Christian Democratic Party have an “ideology”? Again, might there be a better term?
Values are critical, and so are human rights. Are core values and basic rights self-evident or do they depend on something still more fundamental? If so, what is it?
Is Christian Democracy something of a utopian view? Or is it rather pragmatic? Or still something else?
Politics is often “rough and tumble.” What do you make of Chesterton’s quip that people quarrel because they don’t know how to argue?
Can dialogue avoid becoming formulaic and platitudinous?
St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) is one of the six patron saints of Europe, along with St. Edith Stein and Sts. Cyril and Methodius. What might be, or become, the significance of this?
This week on The Open Door we travel to Sweden! The American Solidarity Party draws on the Christian Democracy movement. Our guest this Wednesday is Lennart Sacrédeus. Representing the Sweden's Christian Democrats (KD), he has served as a Member of Parliament in Sweden and as a Member of the European Parliament. Currently he is Speaker/Mayor of the city of Mora. We will pose the following questions to him. As always, we invite you to send your own.
1. Could you tell us about the Swedish Christian Democrats (KD) and what the party stands for? We’d like to know about its history and its membership.
2. Has your party been able to collaborate with other groups of Christian Democrats in Europe?
3. What similarities do you see between your party and the American Solidarity Party?
4. Has the KD learned lessons that you would like to share with us?
5. Does the KD have current projects that we might borrow and develop here?
6. The KD has a special focus on the elderly. How have the elderly in Sweden, especially in care homes, fared during the COVID crisis?
7. What are your goals as Speaker/Mayor of Mora?
8. Christian Democrats, given the long race they must run, need energy! Can you give us a recipe for Blueberry soup?
This week on The Open Door we discuss political extremism and its sources. Our guest is Patrick Tomassi. He teaches math and science at Trinity Academy in Portland, Oregon, and his work has appeared in Public Discourse and America. Tomassi is also a contributing editor at Veritas Journal and helps organize the annual New York Encounter. Of special interest to some listeners: he was off and on homeschooled and belongs to Communion and Liberation, founded by the late Msgr. Luigi Giussani. Our questions include the following. Feel free to send us your own!
-
How did you come to interview people in Portland’s ongoing protests?
-
Did you find many “haters” among them?
-
What shapes their social and political views?
-
How does race come into play?
-
Are Americans increasingly accepting of political violence?
-
Does America really have a legacy of tolerance? What about utopianism?
-
To what extent is the current pandemic exacerbating social unrest?
-
Can you give us examples of real dialogue in today’s upheavals?
-
Why, in your estimation, has homeschooling been historically blinkered?
-
Could you tell us about the focus of Communion and Liberation?
This week on The Open Door we help launch a new book, The Glory of the Cosmos: A Catholic Approach to the Natural World (Arouca Press, 2020.) It’s edited by the distributist thinker Thomas Storck, and our panelist Christopher Zehnder is a contributor. Along with another contributor, the historian Christopher Shannon, they will lead our discussion. Together they will argue that the natural environment is neither a pantheist’s quasi-divinity nor simply raw material for our exploitation. The Cosmos, rather, manifests the glory of its Creator. Please let us know if you have particular questions for us to pursue! We’ll post the podcast in a few days. (November 11, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss, the day after, the November 3rd election. The regular panel (to wit, Hanink and Ramos-Reyes and Zehnder), also known as “The Irregulars,” will consider the following questions. Feel free to suggest others. Remember: we’re card-carrying members of the American Solidarity Party. That is, we would be if the ASP had a budget for such things!
1. Anybody want to ask me who I voted for in the presidential & vice presidential race? I (name) voted for _______________________.
2. Anybody want to ask me why? I (name) did so because _________________________.
3. What state and local races did the panelists find especially important? How did they vote in them and why?
4. Is there such a thing as “the Catholic vote”? If so, how does it vote? If not, why not?
5. Have the Catholic bishops done a good job in helping form consciences in the matter of electoral politics?
6. St. Thomas Aquinas writes that “As to the proper conclusions of practical reason, neither is the truth or rectitude the same for all, nor, where it is the same, is it equally known by all. Thus it is right and true for all to act according reason: and from this principle it follows as a proper conclusion, that goods entrusted to another should be returned to their owner”; but he then observes that “as we descend into further detail” and as “the number of conditions” increases “the greater the number of ways in which the principle may fail…” (ST I-II, q. 94, art. 4 Respondeo) How does this passage relate to political judgement?
7. Archbishop Jose Gomez (Los Angeles) recently wrote that “This country’s founding commitments to equality and human rights have no foundation apart from this belief in a Creator who endows men and women with inalienable rights. That is why the indifference toward religion in American public life and the marginalizing of religious believers is so disturbing.” How might secularists respond, and how might we answer them?
8. Archbishop Gomez also writes that “Our mission as the Church and our duty as Catholics remains bigger than politics. We are here to serve God and bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the coming of his kingdom…. Most important of all, we need to be deliberate and vigilant about passing on this story — our Catholic way of life — to the younger generation.” How deliberate and vigilant have we been? How could we do better?
9. The late, and in some ways great, Joe Hill said: “Don’t mourn for America, organize”! How should the American Solidarity be organizing at this time?
10. Looking ahead, does the refrain that “time is money” have special significance in our organizing work? And what about the adage “your dollar is your best friend”?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder focus on the deadly Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with Prof. Siobhan Nash-Marshall, Professor of Philosophy at Manhattanville College. The Sins of the Fathers is her first book-length treatment of genocide and genocide negationism. After the outbreak of war in Syria, Nash-Marshall and some friends founded CINF, the Christians In Need Foundation, through which they help ancient Christian cultures of the world that are now in peril. Our questions for Prof. Nash-Marshall include the following. Feel free to suggest your own!
1. Could you give us a history lesson? What led to the seemingly intractable conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
2. Reports on the current phase of the conflict say that both sides have attacked targets in a way that endangers civilian non-combatants. Is this true? If so, how has it come about?
3. What countries are supplying the weapons, including drones, in this conflict? What do you make of the report that Azerbaijan has spent billions on arms in recent years?
4. Armenia is a Christian nation, indeed, the first Christian nation. Azerbaijan is largely Muslim. Is the conflict fueled by this religious difference?
5. What position has the United States taken on the increasingly deadly dispute in South Caucasus?
6. A number of Armenians in the diaspora have travelled to Armenia to support the war effort. Is this a mark of bravery or of bravado? Or perhaps a measure of both?
7. It’s said that truth is the first casualty of war. How can our listeners stay informed on developments in the conflict?
8. Would you explain the origin of the Christians In Need Foundation? How is the outbreak of hostilities affecting its work?
9. When did you last visit Armenia and how did you find everyday life there?
10. Will you be writing on this recent and tragic chapter of Armenian history?
She recommends the following links for keeping informed about the Armenian Azerbaijan conflict.
Artsakh Press: [https://artsakhpress.am/eng/]
Araik Harutyunyan, Artsakh President: https://www.facebook.com/ArayikHarutyunian/ and https://twitter.com/Pres_Artsakh]
Artak Beglaryan, Artsakh Ombudsman: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsakhOmbuds and https://twitter.com/Artak_Beglaryan
Siobhan Nash-Marshall: https://theimaginativeconservative.org/author/siobhan-nash-marshall
Armenian News - http://www.PanARMENIAN.net
This week on The Open Door we discuss fresh developments in the American Solidarity Party’s 2020 presidential and vice-presidential campaign. How fares the Brian Carroll/Amar Patel ticket? Our welcome and returning guest is California’s Skylar Covich, a long-serving member of the ASP National Committee. Among the questions that we’ll ask him are the following. As always, please don’t hesitate to send us others.
1. You are a senior statesman, so to speak, in a new and growing political party. When and how did you come to be a member of the American Solidarity Party?
2. Could you compare the ASP’s presence on the ballot in 2016 with its presence today, in 2020?
3. What sort of organizational efforts has the party made in the last year or so?
4. Endorsements help! Who are some public figures that have spoken on the party’s behalf in recent months?
5. Is a guestimate in order? Nationwide, how many votes do you suppose that the Brian Carroll/Amar Patel ticket will win?
6. After November 3rd, and after the votes are counted, what projects will the ASP turn to?
7. Do you see productive coalition building in the year to come? What about Political Action Committees (PACS)?
8. Can we look forward to an uptick in ASP candidates for state and local offices?
9. How can the ASP contribute to intelligent political discourse?
10. You are both a scholar and activist. Can you tell us about the book you would like to write and a book that you would like us to read?
This coming week on The Open Door we discuss Catholic journalism and publishing. We’re keen to explore, as well, the media landscape in a time of cultural confusion. Our welcome guest is Greg Erlandson. In 2016 he became Editor in Chief of Catholic News Service. CNS serves Catholic publications and dioceses throughout the United States and around the world. For 15 years Erlandson was President and Publisher of the Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. He had served first as Editor in Chief at OSV Publishing. In 2014 he was one of six experts appointed by the Council of Cardinals to the Vatican Media Committee to propose reforms for the Vatican’s media operations. He is co-author of Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Working for Reform and Renewal (2010). Among the questions we’ll ask him are the following. Please feel free to suggest others! (October 16, 2020)
- Can you give us an overview of Catholic journalism today, noting some of its highs and lows? What changes have your seen over the past several years?
- How fares Catholic publishing today? What do you see happening in the next decade?
- People first! What it is like for what some call “the ink-stained wretches” in Catholic journalism and publishing?
- Please outline for us Bishop Burbidge’s new pastoral letter on communications.
- What factors come into play in the ever shrinking number of newspapers of every sort?
- Can you tell us about the challenges you see in the digital transformation of much of contemporary culture?
- Is there a contest, both visible and invisible, between the word and the image? Is there a way to integrate them?
- A final question: Who are some of the saints and heroes of Catholic journalism and publishing?
This week on The Open Door James E. Hartley, Professor of Economics at Mount Holyoke College, will be our special guest. Last week we pointed him in the direction of the woodshed. This week he aims to show us the errors of our anti-capitalist ways.
For more on our game and gracious guest, please visit his informative web site, https://jamesehartley.com As always, we welcome comments and questions!
This week on The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss James E. Hartley’s provocative “Revisiting Chesterton and The Mystery of Capital.” This provocation, and we take it to be such, recently appeared in Public Discourse. Our special guest is the author and distributist Tom Storck. He’ll lead us in examining Hartley’s claims that “Allowing capital to move is exactly what generates wealth” and that the champions of localism are in fact “apostles of the status quo.” And where does Chesterton fit? Our hero wrote that “We learn about reformers without knowing what they had to reform, about rebels without a notion of what they rebelled against, of memorials that are not connected with any memory, and restorations of things that had apparently never existed before.” So, then, with respect to the origin of capitalism are we guilty as charged? Or are we, as they say, “being stitched up”? Please join us! (October 2, 2020)
This week The Open Door explores our current cultural convulsions. Dr. Curtis Hancock, long of Rockhurst University, is our welcome returning guest. He has close ties to Poland’s Lublin School of Thomism and is currently the Coordinator of the History of Philosophy Concentration at Holy Apostles College & Seminary. And, yes, he’s been known to write mystery fiction! Among the questions we’ll discuss are the following. Please feel free to add to our list.
- What are some causes of social unrest in America today?
- Is America afflicted with systemic racism?
- What is the significance of Black Lives Matter?
- Given the need for social justice, wouldn’t a Christian philosopher be supportive of Black Lives Matter?
- Has Marxist ideology influenced American society? If so, in what ways?
- American society has traditionally professed to be an open, inclusive, and tolerant society. Is that a justifiable description?
- Many who worry about cultural Marxism blame the education establishment. Is that justifiable?
- As a Christian philosopher, how would you assess the significance of America’s cultural revolution?
- How can Christian personalism and solidarity address America’s cultural revolution?
- Are America’s current cultural disturbances the result of the decline of religion?
- Do the police apply different standards of justice for white and black people in America?
- As a profession, are the police in serious need of reform?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Christopher Zehnder discuss the New Evangelization. Our special guest is Douglas Bushman, S.T.L., Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute (Denver). He serves there as the Pope John Paul II Chair of Theology for the New Evangelization. He is the author of The Theology of Renewal for His Church: The Logic of Vatican II’s Renewal In Paul VI’s Encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, and Its Reception In John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Among the questions we will consider are the following. As always, please feel free to suggest your own questions!
-
You teach a course on the theology of the New Evangelization. Do you work from a definition of New Evangelization?
-
How is the New Evangelization related to the Second Vatican
Council?
-
What is the goal—or what are the goals—of the New Evangelization?
-
What does it mean to evangelize cultures?
-
Who is called to participate in the New Evangelization?
-
What do you see as the intellectual task of the New Evangelization? Is there a role for apologetics?
-
What is parrhesia and how might it come into play in the New Evangelization?
-
Does the New Evangelization bring a distinct vision to the Church’s work for social justice?
-
What sort of successes, and perhaps failures, has the New Evangelization experienced?
-
How does the Augustine Institute prepare lay Catholics for joining in the New Evangelization?
This week on The Open Door we will discuss the vocation of the Christian artist. We will consider, as well, the place of the beautiful in art and life. Our special guest, joining us once again, is the renowned sculptor Timothy Schmalz. He is currently at work on a series of pieces inspired by Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Among the questions we will ask are the following. As always, please feel free to add to our list!
-
You have described yourself as a visual translator of the Bible. Why is such a translation especially critical today?
-
At what stage are you now in the sculpting of figures and scenes from Dante’s epic poem?
-
What have been some of the trials and triumphs in the process so far?
-
Are you pleased with Daniel Fitzpatrick’s ongoing new translation of Dante’s masterpiece?
-
Should we share with our auditors the most recent of Fitzpatrick’s efforts, Purgatorio, Canto 14?
-
This Monday we in the United States celebrated Labor Day. You’ve sculpted a well-received tribute to the miners of Canada. How is it that Christianity honors laborers in a way that would never occur to the sculptors of classical Greek or Rome?
-
One of your works is titled “The Homeless Christ.” Its immediate impact is strikingly different from that of, say, Raphael’s “The Transfiguration.” And yet many Christians would judge both to be works of beauty. How do you understand beauty?
-
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that when we encounter beauty we find it pleasing. He contends, as well, that beauty exhibits integrity, proportion, and clarity. Does Thomas’s account ring true to you?
-
Many Christian thinkers see beauty as a transcendental, that is a dimension of all that is, of the whole of Creation as a participation in the Beauty of the Creator. If this is so, might it be a truth that gives direction to the artist and, indeed, to everyone who seeks the good?
-
One of Dostoevsky’s fictional characters asks whether the world will be saved by beauty. Is there a sense in which we should answer this question in the affirmative?
This week on The Open Door we’ll talk about “just how bad things
are.” We’ll also discuss what to do if “they are really, really bad.”
Our special guest is our friend Joe Shriner, a political activist par
excellence. Joe has joined us before, and he merits our close
attention. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please
don’t hesitate to send us more!
1. Could you recount for us the biblical story of Jonah and
Nineveh?
2. What is the biblical understanding of a prophet?
3. Is there a way to identify false prophets?
4. In what ways is the US like Nineveh?
5. In what ways are Christians like Jonah?
6. Just what is “the chastisement” that some Christians are now
speaking about?
7. Can politics help our country?
8. Will you be voting in November?
9. If you will be voting, who will you vote for?
10. Can your vote really make a difference?
Check out www.NinevehMoment.com and also our YouTube channel at www.AverageJonah.com for more information.
This week on The Open Door we will discuss core ethical considerations. Our special guest, in absentia, is the late and decidedly great Mortimer Adler, who is represented by Elaine Weissman of the Center of the Great Ideas. Adler's short, and perhaps surprising, sermon on The Golden Rule is the context of our discussion. Adler delivered it in 1991 at Christ Church in Aspen, Colorado. We plan on addressing the following questions. Please don’t hesitate to add your own!
-
Just what is The Golden Rule?
-
How does The Golden Rule compare with Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative?
-
Mortimer Adler argues that The Golden Rule does not adequately capture what ethics involves. Why does he claim that, despite its welcome universal scope, it does not have real content?
-
At the heart of ethical reasoning we find two pairs of concepts: right and wrong along with good and evil. Which pair is primary and why?
-
Is there an inescapable conflict between egoism (selfishness) and altruism? How does Plato’s Parable of the Ring of Gyges highlight this conflict?
-
How can an understanding of the cardinal virtues (prudence, temperance, courage, and justice) help us analyze this supposed conflict?
-
Is there a unity of the cardinal virtues? If so, what is its source? If not, how are we to decide which virtue is most important in a given situation?
-
Are specific acts, on careful consideration, unique and so never to be repeated?
-
When all is said and done, is happiness the universal end of human action?
-
What are some political implications of our discussion to this point?
This week on The Open Door we’ll talk about the busy and sometimes polemical intersection of the pastoral and the political. Our special guest, who will help us “stay real,” is Pastor Ken Walters of Summit Christian Fellowship in Big Bear, California. He’s an alumnus of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He also serves as a member of the California State Committee of the American Solidarity Party. We’ll be asking Pastor Walters the following questions and, gentle auditor, you are welcome to add your own.
-
Could you tell us a bit about your studies at Fuller Theological Seminary?
-
You’ve just begun a new pastorate, and in a high place. What challenges do you see?
-
We often hear that it’s better not to discuss politics and religion. Is that good advice?
-
What drew you to the American Solidarity Party?
-
How can the ASP gain traction between now and November 3rd?
-
What sort of growth trajectory do you see for the ASP over, say, the next four years?
-
Often today’s politics centers on generating noise and nastiness. Can politics be intelligent?
-
If you were asked to give a speech on civics, civility, and citizenship what are some points that you would make?
-
Would you consider running for public office?
-
Have you read Don Quixote?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder focus on the trials and triumphs of contemporary education. Our special guest will help us “stay real.” Larry Carstens has taught English at the high school and college levels for thirty years. His observations have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, First Things, and the New Oxford Review. He works in the Los Angeles area, where he lives happily ever after with his wife and children. With them especially in mind, he recently authored Our Forebears in the American Story and World History. Our questions will include the following and, gentle auditors, you are invited to add your own.
-
Were you to write an essay titled “Apologia of an Independent Teacher” (and someone suggested that you do so), what topics and events and personalities might you discuss?
-
Is teaching, for you, a career or a vocation?
-
How is it that you teach at public, rather than Catholic, schools?
-
You are a member of an influential teachers’ union. What’s that been like?
-
In what ways have your students changed over the past three decades?
-
In what ways have your fellow teachers changed over the past three decades?
-
Do you have any experience with homeschoolers or homeschooled children?
-
Rumor has it that you are a devotee of Shakespeare and an appreciator of Churchill. Can you tell us why?
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Christopher Zehnder interview Dr. Randall Smith of the University of St. Thomas (Houston) on the vexed topics of nationalism, statism, and sovereignty--in light of the common good.
Among the questions we'll discuss, and you are free to add to the list, are the following.
- Is nationalism a virtue or a vice?
- How would you distinguish between the nation and the state?
- What is “statism”?
- We sometimes speak of “failed states.” Can such states be resuscitated?
- In what sense is a nation “sovereign”?
- A nation often turns to its traditions. Can you tell us when a tradition is living? Do any examples come to mind?
- How might Socrates and Plato and Aristotle weigh in on the distinctions we are aiming to make?
- Does the contemporary surge of immigration upend our political categories?
- Can we expect to sort out our political confusions without doing some serious political philosophy?
- Where does serious political philosophy get done today?
In this episode of The Open Door, co-hosts Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes interview Lawrence Feingold concerning the Association of Hebrew Catholics.
- Can you please help us understand the significance of Vatican Council II’s Nostra Aetate?
- What is the Scriptural context for speaking of the irrevocable calling of the people of
Israel? - What is the Association of Hebrew Catholics?
- Is there a place in the Association for members who do not have a Jewish background?
- Can you tell us about the distinctive liturgical practices of some Association members?
- Do you foresee a time when there would be a personal ordinariate for Hebrew
Catholics? - How does the Association differ from Messianic Jews?
- What is a Havurah?
- Does the Association directly address the phenomenon of increasing anti-Semitism?
- You are delivering a series of lectures for the Association on the sacramental economy.
Why did you choose this topic? - How might we distinguish between proselytizing and evangelizing? How might Catholics
and Jews best witness to one another? - Could you introduce our listeners to Alphonse Ratisbonne, Edith Stein, Elias Friedman,
and Jean-Marie Lustiger?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos y Reyes interview Fr. Patrick Bergin, a missionary priest from the United States on his way to his first assignment in the Archdiocese of Tabora in Western Tanzania.
1) What was your Peace Corps experience in Tanzania like?
Among the many questions we might consider are the following:
2) How should Christians evaluate the various and sometimes contending forms of environmentalism, especially in light of Laudato si'?
3) How does the multifaceted dynamic of racism operate in Tanzania?
4) What differences, if any, are there with racism in the West?
5) Why is there such deep political instability in Africa?
6) What strains in African thought are especially important for the Universal Church to understand and draw upon?
7) In what ways does Catholicism pose special challenges for the people of Tanzania and Kenya?
In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss Vatican Council II and its legacy. Their special guest is Douglas Bushman, S.T.L., Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute (Denver). He serves there as the Pope John Paul II Chair of Theology for the New Evangelization. He is the author of The Theology of Renewal for His Church: The Logic of Vatican II’s Renewal In Paul VI’s Encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, and Its Reception in John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Among the questions considered are the following.
-
What is a Council in the Church and, above all, what is an Ecumenical Council?
-
The word "aggiornamento" is very often associated with Vatican II. Could you tell us a bit about what it means?
-
Some suggest that the Church did not need Vatican II. Indeed, they point out the rapid decline in the number of religious vocations, attendance at Mass, and the loss of Catholic schools that took place after the Council. What do you think about this line of thought?
-
One often hears that because Vatican II was a pastoral council, its teachings do not have binding authority. Could you address the issue of the magisterial authority of Vatican II?
-
How can we discern the various levels of authority to be found in the conciliar documents?
-
Many people speak of the “spirit” of the Council as a reality different from the “letter” of the Council? Do these two realities exist?
-
Just recently, Archbishop Viganò claimed that at the Second Vatican Council — an ecumenical council of the Church — “hostile forces” promoted “the abdication of the Catholic Church” through a “sensational deception.” He added that “The errors of the post-conciliar period were contained in nuce in the Conciliar Acts,” What is your reaction to these comments?
-
St. John XXIII’s watchwards for the Council were "awareness, renewal, and dialogue." How could such optimism be reconciled with the widespread relativism denounced by Benedict XVI?
-
How does Vatican II help us to realize the universal call to holiness?
-
What is parresia and why is it crucial in the work of evangelization?
This week on The Open Door we will discuss a pair of studies that compare participants in the Novus Ordo Mass with participants in the Traditional Latin Mass. Rev. Donald Kloster, the author of these studies, will be our special guest. He is a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Our questions will include the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
Fr. Kloster, could you please tell us a bit about your educational background?
Do you have any reflections for us on Rome’s questionnaire on the reception of the Extraordinary Form liturgy?
Could you please summarize the results of your Kloster Study (2018)? Did they surprise you?
Given that your Kloster Study (2018) is a pilot project, do you have any methodological hesitations about it?
What results might you expect if questions about the approval of capital punishment and nuclear stockpiling were added to your study?
You refer to the “Sunday privilege” of the Divine Liturgy. Yet quite often the celebrant thanks the congregation for their attendance. In light of the obligation to attend the Sunday liturgy, “privilege” and “thanks” seem puzzling. How are these terms being used?
Your second study, Traditional Latin Mass National Adult 18-39 Survey (2019), begins with some alarming statistics based on Sherry Weddell’s research. Could you please state and comment on those statistics?
Can you tell us about your current and ongoing research?
How will this research be funded?
Do you expect that CARA and the Pew Foundation will broaden their own research in light of your work? (July 10, 2020)
Welcome to The Open Door! This week we’ll discuss matters theological. Our special guest is Prof. Lawrence Feingold. He teaches at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. A prolific author, his most recent book is The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice, and Communion. Prof. Feingold is also an active member of the Association of Hebrew Catholics. Among the questions we’ll ask him are the following. As always, feel free to suggest others.
What are some of the challenges and rewards of teaching theology in a Roman Catholic seminary?
How might we best address the vocation crisis?
Your focus is on systematic theology. Just what is it?
What are some key points of convergence between philosophy and theology?
Who are some of your favorite theologians?
You are a member of the American Maritain Association. Does the work of Jacques Maritain fit into the creative relation between philosophy and theology?
Could you explain the work of the Association of Hebrew Catholics?
I understand you were an artist before studying theology. What role does beauty play in the way you do theology? Should the theology of art and beauty have a place in seminary formation?
Does theology have a voice in the Public Square? If not, why not?
Much discussion in the Public Square now centers on race and gender. How might a theologian contribute to that discussion? How might a theologian constructively criticize it?
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder interview educator Lee Shulman concerning his work and philosophy of life. (June 26, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder focus on the Armenian Genocide and its on-going consequences. Our guest is Siobhan Nash-Marshall, Professor of Philosophy at Manhattanville College and prolific author. The Sins of the Fathers is her first book-length treatment of genocide and genocide negationism. After the breakout of the war in Syria, Nash-Marshall and some friends founded CINF, the Christians In Need Foundation, through which they help ancient Christian cultures of the world that are now in peril. Our questions for Prof. Nash-Marshall include the following. Feel free to suggest your own!
- You are both an academic and an activist. How did this “interesting” predicament come about?
- Can you tell us a bit about your students?
- Is there a future for authentically Catholic higher education in this country?
- Your Godmother, Antonia Arslan, has written powerfully evocative novels about Armenia, the latest of which is Silent Angel. What influence has she had on you?
- Just what counts as a genocide? Is the term sometimes misused, even deliberately?
- A recent and widely used ethics text suggests that the Old Testament account of the Hebrew occupation of the Holy Land points to genocide. How would you evaluate that suggestion?
- Would you explain the origin of the Christians In Need Foundation? What are its current projects?
- How difficult is it for you to travel to Armenia? For Armenians to travel to the United States?
- Can you explain the significance of Glendale, California for Armenians in the diaspora?
- What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, Christopher Zehnder and Skylar Covich interview Annabelle Moseley on her new book Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections. https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/sacredbraille/ (June 5, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss with Dr. Randall B. Smith of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, the limits of distance education. It has been a necessity, at all levels, during the pandemic lock down. We will also contrast it with what many see as the ideal educational setting. We pose the following questions to him.
- Education involves communicating information, and distance learning can be an effective way of doing so. On your view, though, education calls for much more. Can you tell us what else?
- What is your experience in using online educational tools?
- Is it true that most teachers and most students strongly dislike distance learning?
- Should a good teacher aim to share, along with knowledge, a way of life?
- Do most teachers see their work as a career or as a vocation?
- Do most teachers love and enjoy their students?
- Just what is Bloom’s Taxonomy? How does it show the limits of distance learning?
- What do distance learning and introductory classes with 300 students have in common, from the viewpoints of teachers, students, and administrators?
- You write: “All you really need for a first-rate education is first-rate teachers with some interested students and a pile of first-rate books and some basic laboratory equipment. Everything else is increasingly expensive icing on an increasingly less nutritious and insubstantial bit of sponge cake.” Who shares this position? Who disputes it?
- What sort of financial support is needed to support the sort of school you have in mind? How likely are Catholics to provide that support?
Welcome to The Open Door. This week we will be speaking about service and scholarship. We will discuss persistence and prayer. Ray Dennehy is Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus) at the University of San Francisco. He is also a raconteur extraordinaire, and he will be our welcome and special guest. Our questions will include the following. As always, feel free to add you own!
1. Ray, what went wrong–or right? How did you come to be a philosopher?
2. Tell us about your years of teaching at the University of San Francisco. What events stand out for you?
3. Good teaching depends on good scholarship. Can you tell us a bit about your research interests and what they have led to?
4. Philosophy involves dialectic, and dialectic can lead to public debate. You have an amazing track record of debate at the University of California at Berkeley. What did you debate, and with whom?
5. Is there such a thing as Catholic philosophy?
6. You are a past president of the American Maritain Society, a group that has been confused with both American Martians and martini drinkers. Can you set our listeners straight? Please identify Jacques and Raïssa Maritain and tell us why they were and are important.
7. You have just completed a manuscript on prayer. How did you come to write it? What questions do you explore in it?
8. There are rumors that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Could they turn out to be more than rumors?
9. Rumors or not, what can we do this very day to prevent the world from going to hell in a handbasket?
10. What is your next project, and who or what inspires it?
This week on The Open Door we will discuss home schooling. More families are discovering it in these difficult days. For others, of course, it is both the old and the new normal. Pat Carmack, President of the Angelicum Academy, is our special guest. Here is a list of questions that we will ask him.
Please feel free to add your own!
1. Could you please tell us about Angelicum Academy?
2. What is your connection with Holy Apostles College?
3. To whom do you recommend homeschooling?
4. What people are you likely to advise against homeschooling?
5. Elizabeth Bartholet, of Harvard Law School, argues that homeschooling can be dangerous because of parental authoritarianism. How would you meet this objection?
6. The US Supreme Court, in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), ruled that : “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” What political and cultural elements think otherwise?
7. Can you point to upcoming legal cases involving homeschooling?
8. Do people appreciate that homeschooling ordinarily involves a network of activities with other homeschoolers and community colleges?
9. Do you think the current pandemic will, in time, lead more families to try homeschooling?
10. What’s next for the Angelicum Academy?
Welcome to The Open Door! This week our special guest will be Prof. Rebecca Ginsburg, of the University of Illinois. She is director of the Education Justice Project, a college-in-prison program that also offers outreach services to families. Prof. Ginsburg has joined us before, and we’re delighted that she will be with us again. The questions we’ll want to ask her include the following. Please feel free to suggest others!
1. How has the coronavirus impacted the Danville prison and other prisons with which you are familiar?
2. Is there adequate public access to what prison conditions are?
3. What health measures is the Danville prison administration taking?
4. Is there a workable testing procedure in place?
5. Can the Education Justice Project still function?
6. As of last week, in Los Angeles, more than half the inmates at the federal prison at Terminal Island have tested positive for the virus. What options should the prison administration be looking at?
7. Do you see any public safety problems that early prison release or furlough programs might pose? If so, do you have any suggestions about ways to address them?
8. Could you tell us about some of the legal limits and considerations that come into play in responding to the virus’s impact on prisoners?
9. Debates about the allocation of resources and triage protocols have a fresh urgency in a pandemic. Aristotle contended that in matters of justice “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally, according to their relevant differences.” Can we use his standard in today’s debates?
10. What do you take to be the deepest source of human dignity? Does it ground equal human dignity?
Our special guest on tomorrow's podcast is Chris Arnade, the author of Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America. Please let us know what questions you'd like to add to the following list that we've proposed to Mr. Arnade.
1. Would it be right to say that your book, Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America, is about accompanying those that have been left behind and listening to them?
2. How is it that MacDonald’s plays so great a role in your travels?
3. Why are storefront churches so vital to people “in the back row”?
4. What leads to widespread addiction among the people that you met?
5. How does prostitution tend to stem from abuse?
6. Do people “in the front row” and those “in the back row” often differ sharply in how they view family and home?
7. There are many rows on buses. Has your investigation prompted any special insight into the many people in the middle rows?
8. How would you evaluate St. John Paul II’s observation, in his encyclical Faith and Reason, that “the possibility of discovering the real meaning of life is cast into doubt,” and so “many people stumble through life to the very edge of the abyss without knowing where they are going.”
9. Early in your account you introduce a young woman, Takeesha, who in defining herself says she is a “child of God.” How do you understand her words?
10. The lead editorial in Sunday’s L.A. Times rejects medical triage proposals that assign different values to different human beings as “an affront to human dignity.” What do you see as the foundation of that dignity?
Hoping that you will give us a listen!
This week, on April 22, The Open Door discusses the family. St. John Paul II, in Familiaris Consortio, teaches that “families should grow in awareness of being ‘protagonists’ of what is known as ‘family politics’ and assume responsibility for transforming society; otherwise families will be the first victims of the evils that they have done no more than note with indifference.” Strong words!
Peter Mango, whose doctorate in philosophy is from Rome’s Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, will be our special guest. Our questions include the following. Please feel free to add your own!
1. Can you give us a working definition of “familism”? What is the New Familism?
2. How does expressive individualism conflict with familism?
3. Is there a link between income and familism?
4. Is there a link between parenthood and familism?
5. What do you think about Christopher Lasch’s statement that “to see the modern world from the point of view of a parent is to see it in the worst possible light”?
6. What standing does the family have in film and television?
7. Why does historical Marxism criticize the family?
8. Is familism at odds with standard LGBT thinking?
9. What is “filial piety”? Is it a virtue, and if so why?
10. How is the family central in Christian life?
Give us a listen!
1.Give me a general idea of what is the purpose of this book. What is social leadership? Why should we care about it?
2.You mention a series of limitations of modern culture: what are the social problems that they may generate?
3.I see the social problems buy how the culture impacts on them?
4.How is it that a realist epistemology produces positive social outcomes?
5.How can spirituality help us address these problems?
In case Jim asks: what is spirituality?
6.What is a realist phenomenology? How is it linked to spirituality
In case Jim asks, what is the Phenomenological intentionality:
7.What is a realist metaphysics? How does it deepen a contemplative spirituality?
In case Jim asks “What is participation”:
8.So religiosity also promotes social leadership?
9.Can the spirituality you discuss help us deal with suffering?
10.What is the connection between spirituality and discernment?
11.How can social leadership impact on modern socioeconomic sciences?
12.Can you share with us some of the experiential learning exercises of the book?
13.What plans do you have for bringing your project to the attention of the general public?
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder present the thought of Robert Koons, a Thomist, and today's Public Discourse Joint Statement.
(Robert Koons)
1. How does the precautionary principle point in two directions?
2. Why is the common good always of primary importance?
3. Can putting a monetary value on a single life square with the view that every human life
is priceless?
4. The World Health Organization uses “disability-adjusted years of life” as one of its
measures. How does his work?
5. What is the economic model of practical reason?
6. What is the Thomistic model of practical reason?
7. How are we to understand St. Thomas Aquinas’s “order of charity” (Google it!)? What is
its basis?
8. Discuss Robert Koons’s principles of scarcity, certainty, causality, normality, proximity,
and alteration for the worse.
(Public Discourse Statement)
1. Is there a moral difference between an allowed casualty and an intentional killing? If so,
does using the expression “choosing who will live and who will die” tend to ignore that
difference?
2. If all human lives are of equal worth, how is it a matter of common sense to give priority
to health care workers in allocating scarce medical resources?
3. Compare and contrast a public health analysis based on “life-years” with one based
simply on “human lives.”
4. In a pandemic what might count as a supererogatory act of generosity?
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, Christopher Zehnder consider questions on Church, State, and the Virus. The discussion will reference a blog post on today's New Oxford Review Narthex. (Please see post below.) We'll address the following questions. As always, you are free to suggest your own.
No special guests, just us: Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder.
Church, State, and the Virus
1. Quick check: Have you seen any examples of people pretty much ignoring social distancing?
2. How has your local parish or church dealt with the increasing virus-related restrictions?
3. Do you see commercial or financial venues that remain open to the public and which have found ways to carry on business?
4. If you have seen such venues, why do you think that they are deemed “essential” and on that account remain open?
5. What are some reasons that places of worship are deemed “non-essential”?
6. Do public health officials in a secular context have the conceptual tools to decide which institutions are essential and which are not?
7. How persuasive is the argument that in the context of a pandemic public health considerations are paramount and therefore we ought to follow all public health directives as a matter of good citizenship?
8. How would you compare the language and policies of public health officials during the worst of the AIDS crisis and their language and policies in the current pandemic?
9. Is there an integral unity of the basic goods of the person or is it the case that in order to advance some of the goods it is sometimes necessary to undermine others of them?
10. Prudential policies need ongoing review. Why not identify at least one parish church in each deanery that will remain open for prayer? It would be a simple enough matter to limit entry to the church to, say, half a dozen people at a time. It would be simple enough, as well, to make sure that they stay several feet apart. And why not identify at least one parish church in each deanery, one with serviceable cry rooms, that will use its cry rooms to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis? Again, it would be simple enough to do so in a way that kept social distancing.
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder engage Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz concerning his ministry through art. (March 27, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder interview Holy Apostles student Christopher Kuennan, who completed in March, 2020, the defense of his MA thesis entitled "Gadamer’s Relevance for Military Character Development". (March 20, 2020)
Tomorrow we'll visit with Zeb Baccelli. A member of the American Solidarity party, Zeb Baccelli has ongoing and first hand experience with American agriculture. We'll discuss the following questions. Feel free to send us some additional ones!
- Besides the fact that it provides us food, why should be be concerned about agriculture? Do farming practices impact society outside the farm fields? If so, how? In other words, how does how we farm impact the common good?
- One thinker (was it Wendell Berry?) noted that the word "culture" is cognate with "cultivation," and is thus rooted in that most primary sense of cultivation, agriculture. Is this only an accident of history, or is there a fundamental connection here between culture and agriculture?
- We might think that people know what is meant by "organic farming," but that's an assumption that perhaps would be disproved if it were tested. Just what is organic farming? What elements distinguish it from conventional farming?
- Does it really matter all that much whether we farm organically?
- Some would claim that, if we stuck to organic methods, we could not feed the populations we have today -- that the "Green Revolution" was necessary to support the population base we have today. What is your response to that?
- Organic food is often more expensive than what is produced by conventional farming, sometimes considerably more expensive. Is organic eating only for the elite? Or can we conceive of ways to make organic produce and meat more accessible to poorer folks, lower-middle class people with large families, and so forth?
Give us a listen! (March 13, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, Christopher Zehnder serves as guest host for noted distributist Thomas Storck. (March 6, 2020)
This week on The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder explore the trials, tribulations, and even triumphs of running for public office. What should anyone who shares the ideals of the American Solidarity Party expect in today's political contests? Our special guest is Ed Rushman, a candidate in California's 46th congressional district. We'll discuss the following questions, and we invite listeners to suggest others.
-
You've run for office before. What lessons do you bring with you from your first campaign?
-
Could you explain some of the barriers to entering a congressional race?
-
How is Facebook a help and a hindrance?
-
What are the demographics of those whose support you hope to gain?
-
You are competing with a Republican "placeholder candidate." How did this come about?
-
What can you tell us about AB5? About PROact?
-
How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign? If you could double that amount, what would it mean for your efforts?
-
If you win, what's at the top of your agenda?
-
If you lose, what do you hope to have taught voters?
-
Chesterton famously says that if we don't talk about faith or politics we won't have much to say. Do you agree?
Our very welcome and special guest today is Prof. Rebecca Ginsburg. She is the Director of the Education Justice Project, an initiative of the University of Illinois. Our questions for her will include the following.
-
Can you tell us about the Education Justice Project? What does it offer?
-
What do you see as the foundation of justice?
-
There is a longstanding debate about the purpose of criminal punishment Is it retributive, as Kant thought, or a matter of deterrence, as J.S. Mill thought? Or is it perhaps therapeutic? None of these?
-
Catholic thinkers, as well as many others, are now discussing restorative justice. What does that involve?
-
You speak of “the right to read.” Could you explain what you mean?
-
The EJP has been at odds with prison authorities over what books it should make available to prisoners. What’s at stake in this dispute?
-
Would it surprise you to learn that there are now some 600 criminal justice majors at Cal State Pomona? What might account for so many majors? What advice can you offer them and their teachers?
-
A good many Catholics are involved in prison ministry programs. What suggestions might you offer them?
(February 14, 2020)
This week's podcast will be with noted distributist author John Medaille. We'll discuss the following questions. You are cordially invited to send us more. Stay tuned!
The Week in Review: a Distributist Perspective
1. There will always be wars and rumors of war. With them come calls for patriotic participation in them. Is there a distributist perspective on international conflicts?
2. Remember the cry “Throw the bums out”? The presidential impeachment process, however, has never managed to do so. What might a distributist suggest as a mechanism to remove a dangerous president?
3. Brexit has left the battered British eager to move on. Is there a distributist view of the Battle over Brexit?
4. “What we have here is a failure to communicate,” says the villain in the Cool Hand Luke.
In today’s politics, has Twitter exacerbated this failure? Or would a distributist see Twitter as an avenue to expand and potentially enrich political discussion?
5. How might a distributist compare and contrast the Iowa Primary Caucus System with, say, the New Hampshire Primary?
6. Have the mainstream media ever been fair and balanced in matters political? What would it take to bring a distributist voice to the New York Times or NBC?
7. What are your thoughts, as a distributist, about Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s entry into the politics of the Democratic presidential candidates contest?
8. Should we welcome celebrities, in light of their popular appeal, into our political debates? Or are celebrities themselves “commodities” that further distort today’s politics?
9. Just how naked is the Public Square? And why should the question matter to a distributist?
10. Why should a distributist vote in elections that are “constructed” by largely anti-distributist political mechanisms?
1.Introduction to special guest, Jack Quirk!
2.Just what counts as philosophy?
3.Is the US, for the most part, philosophically deficient? If so, what are the consequences for our political and civic life?
4.Why did you decide to launch a Philosophy Facebook group?
5.You are upfront and straightforward about the group’s participation rules. Is this a case of the voice of experience?
6.What sort of responses has the group elicited so far?
7.Do you see the responses generating constructive discussion? Any examples?
8.Has the discussion thus far personally challenged you on any points?
9.Are there any figures in American life today that you would identify as public philosophers?
10.Do you have any suggestions about how the American Solidarity Party can promote a more philosophically informed culture?
On this episode of The Open Door, Catholic philosophers Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes are joined by Christopher Zehnder and Peter Redpath to discuss a public philosophy. (January 24, 2020)
- Just what is public philosophy?
- Were Socrates and Plato public philosophers?
- Were William James and Emmanuel Mounier public philosophers? How about Mortimer
Adler and Jacques Maritain? - Who are some contemporary public philosophers? What about, say, David Brooks, the
NYT columnist? - Are there organized groups that promote public philosophy?
- What difficulties does a public philosopher face today in the United States?
- Some philosophers, like Boethius, have found themselves in jail. Others visit jail in order
to teach philosophy! Can you tell us about your experience teaching philosophy to
prisoners? - Should philosophy have a place in parish religious education programs?
- Can we make a helpful distinction between professional philosophers and philosophical
professionals? - Suppose one would like to be an amateur public philosopher. Could one test the water, as
it were, by writing a letter to the editor or posting on a website?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder engaged Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. (January 17, 2020)
In this episode of The Open Door, show hosts Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss the idea of transgenderism as a social phenomenon. (January 10, 2020)
Welcome to The Open Door! This week we'll tackle the pivotal issue of the relation between nature and grace. Our focus will be how that relation should shape our practice of politics. Of course, we'll ask how the nature/grace relation bears on the American Solidarity Party.
Our particular questions include the following. Your questions, as always, are welcome!
- What is nature?
- What is grace?
- What counts as politics?
- Christian Democracy aims to apply Christian principles to the social order, without reference to Revelation or grace, because these principles are rooted in natural law. How far does this approach take us?
- Should political work strive to teach truth and natural virtue as a way of preparing the way for Revelation and grace?
- Should our politics pragmatically focus on healthcare, a more peaceful world, the sanctity of human life, and economic justice?
- Is our goal, at the political level, a society of well-nourished and well-doctored people living a comfortable life?
- Or is our goal a full-blown Christian party that appeals to reason and the natural law?
- In answering the above questions, should we try to articulate a philosophical starting point?
- In answering the above questions, is it possible simply to ignore philosophy and the articulation of a philosophical starting point?
John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic and political thinker, is a seminal figure in the distributist tradition that the American Solidarity Party carries forward. We are delighted to bring you this lecture, given just two days ago, by Prof. Jim Spates of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Prof. Spates encouraged questions throughout the lecture so it is delightfully interactive. (December 13, 2019)
The Open Door interviews Amar Patel, chairman of the American Solidarity Party. Our questions include:
Could you tell us what drew you to the American Solidarity Party?
What challenges do you face in balancing family, work, and politics?
You have strong “tech” skills. How did you come by them?
How can the American Solidarity Party make the best use of the social media?
What can we learn from other “third party” experiences?
How does the party draw on Christian principles?
What’s the role of money in the coming campaign?
Could you explain what’s involved in getting the Brian Carrol / Amar Patel ticket on the ballot in as many states as possible?
Where do you see the American Solidarity Party at, say, the time of the major party conventions?
Where do you see our party five years from now?
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic evangelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder discuss common sense capitalism. (November 22, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos y Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder continue their talk about the American Solidarity Party's Civil Rights plank. (November 15, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and Christopher Zehnder continue their discussion on the American Solidarity Party plank of Civil Rights and Religious Freedom. (November 8, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos y Reyes, and Christopher Zehnder talk about Civil Rights and Freedom of Religion....from the new Platform. (November 1, 2019)
"The Open Door" returns to its exploration of the life and work of St. John Henry Newman. We'll look to recent reflections on this new saint by Cardinal Muller and the theologian Tracey Rowland.Our special guest is author, educator, and convert Christopher Zehnder.
Questions on our agenda include the following.
1. How does Newman think that we can arrive at certainty in our assent to the historical revelation of God?
2. Why does Newman's theological universalism lead to an ongoing tension between Church and State? Is a national Christianity possible?
3. What would Newman make of the following claims?
a) We all believe in the same God, so the Church's teaching does not matter that much.
b) Religion is a matter of feeling, so the majority of those who share the same sentiments determine which way the Church goes.
c) People who see themselves as spiritually united should be able to celebrate the Eucharist together.
4. How does Newman understand "liberalism" in religion? Why does he champion a dogmatic faith?
5. Why does Newman sees the university as an alma mater?
6. How does Newman describe the ideal of "the gentleman," and why does he see the university's goal as preparing its students to realize that ideal?
7. How might we best describe a "Catholic gentleman"?
8. What sort of education can foster the ideal of a "Catholic gentleman"?
9. Do Catholic universities offer the education that Newman championed?
10. Leo Strauss distinguished between a gentleman and a philosopher. What sort of education is best for the philosopher? (October 25, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic evangelists Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and John Breen engage Christopher Zehnder in discussion concerning Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman. (October 18, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and John Breen engage Brian Talbot on the educational plank of the American Solidarity Party platform. (October 11, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, we look at the foreign policy plank of the American Solidarity Party's new platform. Lots of issues, including the need for decent citizens if there is to be a decent foreign policy and the grave dangers of a nuclear arsenal. Special guest is Jeffrey Stuart who discusses, among other things, his role in shaping the plank and his tour of duty in Afghanistan. (October 4, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes engaged Eric Anton, one of the architects of the American Solidarity Party's economics plank, in a conversation about the meaning of economic justice. (September 27, 2019)
The Open Door welcomes special guest Theodore Rebard, a professor of philosophy from the University of St. Thomas, in Houston. He’ll lead us in a discussion on “Undergraduate Teaching: Promise and Peril.”
Our questions include the following.
Can you share some of your teaching successes?
What made them possible?
What are the main obstacles that you face in teaching?
Can you identify some of their causes?
C.S. Lewis said that the “task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.’ Is that true today?
From the new platform of the American Solidarity Party:
“Education is vital to the formation of the human person and the good of society [and so] the American Solidarity Party advocates for affordable, diverse, and well-rounded educational options” and “public support of both public and private schools, with a preferential option for economically disadvantaged students and an emphasis on making teaching a well-paying occupation.”
Do you agree, disagree, or find yourself “creatively ruminating” about the above? (September 20, 2019)
The Open Door welcomes our favorite political scientist, Dr. Skylar Covich. He’ll give us a firsthand account of the American Solidarity Party’s just completed online convention. We’re looking forward to his analysis of Brain T. Carroll’s developing residential campaign. Skylar will also help us work through the high points of the Solidarity Party’s hotly debated new platform. If you have any questions you would like us to ask Dr. Covich, please let us know!
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Joe Schriner discuss both the use and misuse of rhetoric, especially in politics. Our special guest, once more, will be Joe Shriner. He’s campaigning to be the American Solidarity Party’s 2020 candidate for POTUS.
Among the questions we explore are the following:
(1) How can you--or any public figure--effectively speak to very different audiences and in very different ways?
(2) How can you--or any public figure--tell the truth, and do so without spinning it?
(3) How can you--or any public figure--find forums which encourage frank and honest speech?
(4) St. Thomas Aquinas is fond of saying "whatever is received is received according to the mode (capacity) of the receiver." Is this maxim helpful in addressing items (1) through (3)?
(5) Why are debates in the Lincoln vs. Douglass style no longer feasible?
(6) BONUS! Plato dismisses rhetoric in the Gorgias as a form of...cosmetics. Aristotle, in contrast, sees a constructive role for it. Why the contrasting judgments? (September 6, 2019)
On The Open Door, this Friday, August 30, we’ll discuss distributism. Our special guest is the respected and prolific author Thomas Storck, a member of the American Solidarity Party.
Among the questions we’ll consider are the following.
1. Just what is distributism?
2. Does Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum propose distributism ?
3. How does distributism differ from capitalism?
4. How does it differ from socialism?
5. Has distributism ever been tried?
6. What are some ways that the American Solidarity Party can advance distributist principles?
7. How might individuals act as distributists?
8. What would you put on a reading list for distributists?
The Open Door podcast explores Blessed John Henry Newman's polemical piece on education and the Tamworth Reading Room. Our special guest is Christopher Zehnder, educator and author. He's also an active member of the American Solidarity Party!
Our questions will include the following.
- Who was Lord Brougham? Sir Robert Peel?
- What was the Tamworth Reading Room?
- Sir Robert Peel tells us that a man "in becoming wiser will become better:" he will "rise at once in the scale of intellectual and moral existence, and by being accustomed to such contemplations, he will feel the moral dignity of his nature exalted." Is he correct?
- Is knowledge virtue? Or is Newman right to say that “To know is one thing, to do is another; the two things are altogether distinct.”
- Can virtue be taught? Jeremy Bentham thinks that an uneducated man is ever mistaking his own interest and standing in the way of his own true enjoyments. Is this the case for the educated man as well?
- Is the chief merit of philosophy that while we are thinking of it we will be free of grief, anxiety, passion, ambition, and hatred? Is philosophy as successful in distracting us as, say, whiskey or cannabis? As successful as major league athletics?
- Sir Robert Peel speaks of "this preliminary and fundamental rule, that no works of controversial divinity shall enter into the library,"—of "the institution being open to all persons of all descriptions, without reference to political opinions, or religious creed,"—and of "an edifice in which men of all political opinions and all religious feelings may unite in the furtherance of knowledge, without the asperities of party feeling." Is his aim to promote civility and reduce divisiveness?
- Does Scripture include passages of “controversial divinity”?
- In his An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748), David Hume writes “When we run over libraries…what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.
- Newman writes that “if virtue be a mastery over the mind, if its end be action, if its perfection be inward order, harmony, and peace, we must seek it in graver and holier places than in Libraries and Reading-rooms.” Just what does he have in mind?
(August 23, 2019)
The Open Door explores humanism and Christian humanism. Our special guest, and we are delighted that he is returning, is Dr. Curtis Hancock. He is Coordinator of the Concentration in the History of Philosophy at Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut and taught for 32 years at Rockhurst Jesuit University, Kansas City, Missouri. For over a decade he taught for “Great Books Discussions,” an on-line homeschooling program.
The questions on our agenda include:
1. What, historically, is humanism?
2. Who are some of its great figures?
3. What is the relation between humanism and Western Civilization?
4. What, if any, is the relationship between humanism and democracy?
5. Is our university system teaching about the heritage of humanism?
6. Can historical humanism become Christ-centered humanism?
7. St. John Paul II taught that when we lose sight of God we lose sight of man. Are there indications of just this in such phenomena as Marxism, economism, biocentric equalitarianism, gender ideology, and transhumanism?
8. How do we help young people discern what true humanism is?
In this episode of The Open Door, show hosts Jim Hanink and Mario Reyes-Ramos along with John Breen interview Christopher Zehnder concerning Catholic liberal education. (August 9, 2010)
The Open Door looks to South America. Co-host Mario Ramos-Reyes, returning from his travels to S.A., will help us answer questions that include the following. Feel free, friends, to submit others!
How did you find Paraguay, your homeland? What is the political reality there?
What is the overall situation of democratic regimes in South America?
Some say that there are new signs of a return to authoritarian-populism, for instance, in Argentina. Might that happen, and if it does how might it affect the whole region?
Does the Catholic Church still have cultural and political influence in South America? Does Christian Democracy still have influence?
Latin America faces serious challenges. Environmental changes, inequality, and increasing violence force millions of its people to live inuncertainty. Of all of these challenges, which poses the greatest threat?
How can the US help make Latin American democracy more stable?Can Latin American governments guarantee the rule of law?
What is the situation in Venezuela? In Puerto Rico people succeeded in winning the Governor’s resignation. Can that happen in Venezuela?
Inequality is a painfully visible and historical stigma in Latin America. Do you see a “solution” to this problem?
It is said that Latin America has restrictive and undemocratic laws against “reproductive rights.” Is that true?
Some say that in Argentina, where Pope Francis is widely revered, the Catholic Church’s influence on politics is stronger than in Ireland. Is this true? (August 2, 2019)
This week The Open Door welcomes our friend Prof. Peter Redpath. Joining him will be Prof. Curtis Hancock. He is Coordinator of the Concentration in the History of Philosophy at Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut and taught for 32 years at Rockhurst Jesuit University, Kansas City, Missouri. For over a decade he taught for “Great Books Discussions,” an on-line homeschooling program.
We’ll mostly talk about metaphysics, but politics will be waiting in the wings.
Our questions will include the following.
1. Just what is metaphysics about?
2. We’re only parts of reality, so how can we understand the whole of it?
3. Can we understand anything that reaches beyond our sense experiences?
4. How can we know anything other than what we find in our own consciousness?
5. Why do Thomists distinguish between essence and existence?
6. What is existential Thomism?
7. How can political engagement raise metaphysical questions? What are some examples of the interaction of politics and metaphysics?
8. The American Solidarity Party emphasizes solidarity (!), subsidiarity, and economic democracy. In doing so, what sort of metaphysics comes into play?
Our weekly podcast will be available within a day or two after our discussion.
Why not give us a hearing!
In this episode of The Open Door, Catholic evangelist Jim Hanink interviews Catholic author Rick Akins concerning his upcoming book The Rebirth of Nicodemus, to be published in the summer of 2019 by En Route Books and Media. (July 19, 2019)
This week on The Open Door we explore how a commitment to the common good calls for ecological conversion and a restructuring of our political economy. Our special guests are Frank Morris and Joe Schriner. Both are active members of the American Solidarity Party, as well as “frank and candid” commentators on the established disorder.
We tackle the following questions—and more!
1. Why is the common good central to Catholic Social Teaching?
2. What links the principle of subsidiarity with distributism?
3. How does the principle of solidarity call for the ecological conversion of the economy?
4. Why is consumerism a threat to the common good?
5. How does our fossil fuel political economy endanger the common good?
6. What models can help us replace the fossil fuel political economy?
7. Why is it politically inconvenient to admit the obvious: the Iraq war was largely about oil?
8. Just what is cybernetics and what distinctive threats does it pose?
Please listen in!
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes engaged Brendan Sweetman, philosophy professor at Rockhurst University, on the topic of pluralism.
Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes interview Heather Erb and Steve Bertucci concerning the Great Books.
What is a Great Book and what is Great Books education?
How does this system of education relate to other approaches?
How does the Great Books approach serve the true purposes of education?
How does philosophical anthropology ground the Great Books education?
What are some critiques of this method of education, and can they be answered?
What is distinctive about the Angelicum Academy Great Books Program?
What does the GBP consider to be the proper ends of education?
What is the best time for a student to begin reading/discussing the Great Books?
Is the program open to anyone?
What is the primary benefit to students in the program?
(June 28, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Samantha Delfin discuss the recent Vatican document entitled "'Male and Female He Created Them’: Towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender theory in education." (June 21, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, hosts Jim Hanink and Mario Ramos-Reyes invite Peter Redpath and Heather Erb to discuss the following questions:
- Which Thomists have contributed most to your way of “thinking Thomistically”?
- Just what is philosophical dialectic?
- Which of the following is most satisfactory and why?
Philosophy is: the attempt to justify basic beliefs and the analysis of the concepts in terms of which they are expressed. the science of all things learned through their ultimate causes by natural reason. chiefly a logical system of abstract essences, or ideas, and their impersonal, essential relations. chiefly a cooperative, trans-generational, individual, cultural, and psychological enterprise. - How does the classical virtue of prudence fit in the philosophical enterprise?
- Has today’s dominant culture largely subverted the everyday meaning of “psychology” and “psychological”?
- How is it that thought exists in the soul?
- What is Christian Philosophy?
- How do you understand liberal democracy? What problems does it face?
- Can there be a conservative democracy? What about a natural law liberalism?
- BONUS QUESTION: How would you assess, in broad terms, the platform of the American Solidarity Party?
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christy Yao engage Skylar Covich. Their points of discussion include the following:
This week we will be talking with Skylar Covich about the following:
- Media strategy
- Ballot access strategy
- Local chapter development
- Our place in the presidential campaign generally
- California legislature
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink and friends take on the issues of the day. (May 18, 2018)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christy Yao engage Charles Camosy, associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University.
In this episode of The Open Door, Mario Ramos-Reyes and Christy Yao take on today's hot topics. (May 17, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christy Yao engage Joe Schriner in a second interview concerning his pursuit of the presidential nomination for the American Solidarity Party. (May 10, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, Jim Hanink, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Christy Yao engage Peter Redpath in a conversation about the soul. Their points of discussion include the following:
- What is the soul?
- Where is the soul?
- How do mistakes abut the soul lead to mistakes about the body?
- What makes an institution soul-less?
- How can we make soul-less institutions come alive?
- Are such questions as the above at issue today, in a new fashion, in Poland (and Central Europe)?
(May 3, 2019)
In this episode of The Open Door, show hosts Jim Hanink, Matthew Bartko and Mario Ramos-Reyes engage American Solidarity Party presidential candidate Brian Carroll for a second round of his vision for society. (April 26, 2019)
This week, The Open Door will be joined again by American Solidarity Party candidate Joshua Perkins.
This week we will be talking with American Solidarity Party presidential candidate Joshua Perkins. You can check out his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/joshua.d.perkins
This week we will be talking with American Solidarity Party candidate Brian T. Carroll.
You can check out his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Carroll4Congress/ and his website https://sites.google.com/view/carroll4congressca22/ (April 5, 2019)
This week we will be talking with American Solidarity Party candidate “Average Joe” Schriner.
You can check out his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/voteforjoe2020/ and his website https://www.voteforjoe.com (March 29, 2019)
This week we will be discussing issues regarding access to water. We will discuss:
-History of water crises, especially in the US
-Hetch Hetchy Dam:
http://savethewater.org/2014/08/14/hetch-hetchy-valley-dam/
-Cochabamba Water Wars
https://www.gwp.org/en/learn/KNOWLEDGE_RESOURCES/Case_Studies/Americas--Caribbean/bolivia-the-water-war-to-resist-privatisation-of-water-in-cochabamba-157
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYxspOQcqRg
-The state of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/years-after-flint-water-crisis-began-no-one-is-behind-bars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTpsMyNezPQ
-The future of water
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170412-is-the-world-running-out-of-fresh-water
This week we will be talking about the need for clean air, water and soil. What is going on with the environmental issue affecting people today and what does the Solidarity Party have to say about it.
From the platform: Stewardship of the Environment
We believe in the responsibility of every generation to serve as stewards of the Earth. We recognize the intrinsic value of nature. We must work to fix the deficits of the past, act as responsible managers in the present, and ensure for future generations a planet that is healthy and thriving . We reject discredited warnings of an overpopulation crisis and believe that human beings are fully capable of building a society that is populous, developed, and permanently sustainable.
We, therefore, support:
The scientific consensus that human beings are causing instability in the global climate. We regard this as a humanitarian crisis that must be addressed without delay by the world’s wealthiest nations, including the United States.
The necessary levels of government funding for research into safe and renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power.
The incremental roll-back of government support of the use of fossil fuels.
A robust regulatory apparatus which conserves our nation’s great natural resources and protects our land, air and water from man-made pollution and degradation.
Civil recourse for victims of environmental destruction by individuals and organizations.
The institution of pollution taxes to fund research into cleaner methods of production and waste management, and to compensate citizens for abuse of the natural commons.
Economic redevelopment initiatives, such as job retraining and direct family aid, in those regions adversely affected by the transition to planet-friendly fuels and modes of production.
Policies that incentivize reuse and recycling, deter consumption and decrease disposal.
Improved access to affordable, convenient public transportation, and the promotion of healthy alternatives to the individual use of motor vehicles, such as cycling, and walking.
The input of indigenous populations in land-use deliberations. (March 15, 2019)
This week our friend Prof. Peter Redpath rejoins us. We want to look closely at the ambitious project of reuniting philosophy and science, as well as reuniting science and wisdom. If the project succeeds, technology will be able to wear a human face!
Our discussion will lead us to consider “scientific naturalism.” We’ll also turn our attention to broadly Darwinian theories of evolution. Prof. Redpath contends that such theories fall short of what science, strictly speaking, demands.
Given his position, evolutionary theories of the development of human consciousness over time become less plausible. (David Dennett and Jonathan Haidt: you are hereby invited to come through our “open door” to offer a rebuttal.) (March 8, 2019)
This week we will be asking our guests, Vasil Cvetkovski and Chase Padusniak, to revisit the topic of socialism. We will ask:
How do you define socialism?
How do you define capitalism?
Can you be a free market socialist?
Is the American Solidarity Party socialist? Is it capitalist? Is it distributist?
Is there a third way economics?
Is the American Solidarity Party a populist political movement?
Is the American Solidarity Party a personalist political movement?
https://youtu.be/HvhQz-P3Nzo
This week we will be asking our guests, Patrick Harris, Mario Ramos-Reyes, and Matt Cooper about the Solidarity Party’s Foreign Policy and what would it mean for Venezuela?
What is solidarity? Does solidarity entail the defense of human rights? The defense of democracy?
Do the US need to change its past relationship with Latin America? Does the US have any responsibility for Latin America today?
What types of intervention, if any, are appropriate in Venezuela?
How does solidarity play out in the international arena?
Is it possible to balance solidarity with the need for security?
We will talk about the Solidarity Party platform on National Security which says:
We believe that a safer, more just, and peaceful world is achievable through principled use of force and diplomacy. We believe we can secure our nation without sacrificing personal liberties or overextending our global military presence and commitments.
We, therefore, support:
Military force being used only when consistent with Just War principles.
Ending the use of nuclear weapons, pre-emptive strikes, disproportionate retaliation, the killing of civilians, and the mistreatment of prisoners of war.
Condemning the use of torture – by whatever method, for whatever purpose, and by whatever euphemism it may be called.
Prosecution and punishment to the fullest extent of the law of those who participate in or authorize torture.
A review of the effectiveness of security agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
Recognition that prudence in securing our borders can be reconciled with compassion for families fleeing violence and persecution.
Perhaps our guests will also expand on their recent blog posts. https://solidarity-party.org/2019/01/28/on-the-recent-developments-in-venezuela/ and
https://solidarity-party.org/2019/02/16/member-perspectives-venezuela-revisited/
This week our special guests are Fr. David Poecking (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish) and Muntadher Aljabery, Imam of Alfatimiah of Pittsburgh.
We will explore the document Human Fraternity issued by His Holiness Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb. (The quotations below are from this document.)
The questions we will consider include the following.
How might we act on the conviction that “whoever kills a person is like one who kills the whole of humanity, and that whoever saves a person is like one who saves the whole of humanity”?
Are there now signs of a “third world war being fought piecemeal”? If so, what are they?
“To attack the institution of the family, to regard it with contempt or to doubt its important role, is one of the most threatening evils of our era.” What forces that threaten this evil?
How can we contribute to efforts “to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity”?
How can we elucidate the claim that God wills “the pluralism and diversity” of religions?
This week our special guest is Prof. Peter Redpath, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Great Ideas. He is one of today’s foremost Catholic thinkers.
Prof. Redpath will explore the topic “Why Western Culture Needs to Reunite Philosophy and Science and Science and Wisdom, and How This Reunion can be Achieved.”
The questions we hope to ask him include the following.
What counts as Western Culture in an increasingly intercultural world?
In what sense is philosophy independent of theology?
How might we distinguish among expertise, intelligence, understanding, and wisdom?
Can we expect people today, for the most part, to have an understanding of scientific reasoning? Of the limits of science? (February 8, 2019)
This week, with Christy Yao in the lead, we’ll take a look at the Socialist Party of America. Our special guest is Vasil Cvetkovski.
Our questions will include the following.
What is the Socialist Party of America?
Just what is socialism?
What got you involved in the SPA? Why is it more attractive than the two major parties?
How does the SPA differ from other Socialist parties?
How is the SPA similar to the ASP, and do you see these two parties ever cooperating with another?
Do you have any advice for the ASP? (February 1, 2019)
This week, with Christy Yao in the lead, we’ll discuss the 2019 March for Life in Washington, D.C. and the OneLife LA March in Los Angeles.Here are the questions we’ll explore.
What are some of the memorable experiences of the events that participants are reporting?
Was media coverage of these pro-life events satisfactory?
How can major pro-life events be catalysts for the ongoing pro-life struggle?
President Trump has supported pro-life efforts, and his message to D.C. marchers is an example of his support. Will there be a backlash against the pro-life movement after the Trump leaves office? If so, how might we prepare for it? (January 25, 2019)
This week our panel will discuss learning lessons and building bridges in the context of a new politics of solidarity. Our special guest will be Chase Padusniak, of Patheos and Princeton.
Here are some of the questions we’ll explore.
1. What lessons can the American Solidarity Party learn from Dorothy
2. Does the American Solidarity Party have anything to learn from Karl Marx?
3. To what extent are the terms “Left,” “Right,” and “Center” important in building a new politics of solidarity?
4. How can the American Solidarity Party, drawing on Christian Democracy and Catholic Social Teaching, appeal to non-Catholics and non-Christians? (January 18, 2019)
This Friday let's first discuss some main points of Catholic teaching on nature and the environment. I'm attaching below a helpful PDF from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Gabriel Meyer's recent presentation at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology.
Both documents are fairly long. I invite you to focus our discussion by calling attention to a couple of points from either document that you find of special interest.
Then, later in the hour, let's turn our attention to the work of Solidarity Party candidates here in California. (Even CNN mentioned us in a recent news piece.)
Catholic Teaching and the Death Penalty
Catholic teaching offers a unique perspective on crime and punishment. It begins with the recognition that the dignity of the human person applies to both victims and offenders. It affirms our commitment to seek justice, comfort and support victims and their families, while acknowledging the God-given dignity of every human life, even for those who do great harm. Catholic teaching on human life is rooted in the belief that all life has inherent dignity and is a gift from God that must be respected and defended from conception until natural death.
In his encyclical The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II challenged followers of Christ to be “unconditionally pro life.” He reminded us that “the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform” (Gospel of Life, 27).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that “the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means” (CCC, 2267). The test of whether the death penalty can be used is not the gravity of the offense, but whether it is absolutely necessary to protect society. The Catechism adds that today “the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically nonexistent’” (CCC, 2267).
In 2005, the Catholic bishops of the United States issued, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death. In the document the bishops stated that the gift of life must be respected and protected; “that every life is a precious gift from God (see Gn 2:7, 21-23) and that we are all created in God’s image and redeemed by Jesus Christ, who himself was crucified. They acknowledged that sentences such as “life in prison without parole” provide non-lethal alternatives and called for an end to the use of the death penalty in the United States, stating “it is time for our nation to abandon the illusion that we can protect life by taking life.” Ending the death penalty would be one important step away from a culture of death and toward building a culture of life. (United States Catholic Bishops, 2005. A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death)
From a Victim’s Family… “No one in our family ever wanted to see the killer of our brother and his wife put to death. We felt instinctively that vengeance wouldn’t alleviate our grief. We wanted this murderer in prison so he could never hurt another person. But wishing he would suffer and die would only have diminished us and shriveled our own souls. Hatred doesn’t heal. Every time the state kills a person, human society moves in the direction of its lowest, most base urges. We don’t have to make that choice. Our lawmakers have the capacity to help us abolish the death penalty and along with it, the fantasy that it will make the pain go away.” —Mary Bosco Van Valkenburg, whose brother and sister-in-law were murdered.
What You Can Do
Pray for victims of crime and their families, those who have been wrongly convicted, and those awaiting execution. Taking life whether done by a perpetrator or by the state, diminishes and undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life. “We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. We cannot defend life by taking life.”
Learn about Catholic social teaching, U.S. criminal justice policies, and the policies in your state. Go to the Web site listed below for more information about the death penalty.
Educate people in your parish or community about Catholic social teaching and the criminal justice system. Visit the Web site listed below for Vatican and U.S. bishops’ statements on the death penalty, as well as statements from individual bishops and state Catholic Conferences.
Advocate by contacting your elected officials. Discuss Catholic teaching on the death penalty and what steps could be taken at the state and national level to curtail or end its use. This is especially important as most advocacy and activity related to the death penalty occurs at the state level.
To receive information regarding the Catholic Church’s work on the death penalty at the national level, or to link with a particular state’s efforts, visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web site at www.usccb.org/deathpenalty.
Join the Catholic Mobilizing Network for the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty to receive regular updates and information on what you can do to bring an end to the use of the death penalty in the United States. Go to www.catholicsmobilizing.org for more information. Copyright © 2011, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
From a Catholic perspective, let's first discuss the question of nuclear weapons. (See below a recent statement coming from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
Then we'll take some time to update efforts by "solidarity minded" candidates for public office in California!
USCCB
An ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are contradictory to the very spirit of the United Nations. We must therefore commit ourselves to a world without nuclear weapons, by fully implementing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, both in letter and spirit. —Pope Francis to UN Conference to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, March 2017
In 1963 Saint John XXII wrote in Pacem in Terris: “Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control.”
Support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation has been emphasized by Blessed Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. The U.S. Bishops have worked for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation for decades. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of global efforts to curb and reverse the spread of nuclear weapons. One-hundred-and-ninety-eight countries have ratified the treaty, including the five acknowledged nuclear powers: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China. Only four nations have not: India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea. The NPT prohibits non-nuclear states from acquiring nuclear weapons (non-proliferation), requires nuclear states to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons (disarmament), and guarantees access to peaceful nuclear technology (nuclear power).
Years ago, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev called for abolishing all nuclear weapons. Former Secretaries of State and Defense George Shultz, William Perry and Henry Kissinger and Senator Sam Nunn have promoted a nuclear-free world. Past presidents Barack Obama and Russian Dmitry Medvedev committed “our two countries to achieving a nuclear free world.” The Trump administration’s plans for the U.S. nuclear stockpile will be articulated in a forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review. The administration will also have the opportunity to pursue an extension of New START beyond its 2021 expiration date, an extension supported by many experts and Russia as “fundamental to global security.”
New START Treaty: In 1991, the United States and Soviet Union ratified the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This treaty limited the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers) that each country could deploy. The treaty also incorporated a solid set of verification measures the two nations could use to monitor each other’s nuclear arsenals and compliance with the treaty. Today the United States and Russia still hold about 90% of all nuclear weapons, large arsenals left over from the Cold War. START expired in 2009 and with it the verification protocols, but both nations agreed to keep its provisions in effect while they negotiated a START follow-on treaty. Implementation of a New START Treaty was critical because verification ensures transparency and even modest reductions in the number of weapons can set the stage for future reductions. The U.S. and Russia signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on April 8, 2010, which was ratified by the Senate on a solid bipartisan vote of 71 to 26. The Holy See has “welcome[d] and recognize[d] the ongoing successful implementation of New START.” The New START Treaty: reduces deployed strategic warheads to 1550, 30 percent below the existing ceiling; limits both nations to no more than 700 delivery vehicles; and includes new verification requirements. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Despite U.S. involvement in initiating the negotiations, in 1999 the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that would stop nuclear testing. Some Senators who voted “no” expressed concerns about the ability of the United States to maintain its arsenal in the absence of testing and others were concerned about verifying compliance with the treaty. Prominent scientists have argued that the U.S. can safely maintain its nuclear arsenal without testing and that the ability of the international community to verify compliance is amply demonstrated by detections of tests in North Korea. One
hundred and fifty-one other nations have ratified the CTBT, including UK, France, and Russia. The United States’ failure to ratify the CTBT prevents the treaty’s immediate entry into force. The Holy See declared, “There is no reason for procrastination.” It is not known when the CTBT may be submitted to the Senate for ratification. P5+1 Agreement with Iran: In recent years, serious questions were raised regarding Iran's nuclear program. In response, talk of military intervention increased, and crippling international sanctions were instituted to the detriment of Iran’s economy and its citizens. Following the election of Iranian President Rouhani, the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany and France (P5+1) entered into diplomatic negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program and international sanctions. In July 2015, after 20 months of concerted collaboration, the P5+1 reached an agreement with Iran that aims to curb Iran's development of nuclear weapons while allowing for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In September, a cloture vote in the Senate that would have allowed rejection of the P5+1 deal failed, so the agreement stands. Recent Iranian launches of ballistic missiles, inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but not in violation of the P5+1 Agreement, have raised concerns. In October 2017, President Trump announced he would not certify to Congress that Iran was in compliance, despite U.S. and international evidence that Iran is observing the agreement. To date, Congress has not acted to undermine the agreement. Nuclear Ban Treaty: In a major and encouraging development, a majority of the world’s nations supported adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the goal of leading towards their total elimination in July 2017. The vote was 122 in favor (including the Holy See), 1 against, and 1 abstention. Unfortunately, 69 nations did not vote, including all nuclear weapon states and all but one NATO member.
USCCB POSITION: The United States and other nuclear powers must move away from reliance on nuclear weapons for security. USCCB urges the Administration and Congress to view arms control treaties not as ends in themselves but as steps along the way to achieving a mutual, verifiable global ban on nuclear weapons. A global ban is more than a moral ideal; it should be a policy goal. USCCB advocated for ratification of the P5+1 Agreement with Iran in 2015. The USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, reflecting the longstanding position of the Holy See, urged our nation to pursue diplomacy to ensure Iran's compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Church did not weigh-in on the technical details of the agreement, but consulted with many experts on the broad outlines required for a credible and verifiable agreement. Led by Pope Francis, the U.S. bishops and Holy See continue to support the P5+1 Agreement with Iran as a “definitive step toward greater stability and security in the region.” The Holy See notes that the agreement “requires further efforts and commitment by all the parties involved in order for it to bear fruit.” During the negotiations on the Nuclear Ban Treaty, USCCB and the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions issued a joint call for a strategy to eliminate nuclear weapons globally USCCB plans to support Senate ratification of the CTBT if and when it is introduced. The Church opposes the use of nuclear weapons, especially against non-nuclear threats. The U.S. should commit to never use nuclear weapons first and to reject use of nuclear weapons to deter non-nuclear threats. The Church urges that nuclear deterrence be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations.
ACTION REQUESTED: 1. Urge bold and concrete commitments to accelerate verifiable nuclear disarmament, including taking weapons off “launch on warning” status to prevent a catastrophic accident and making deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals. 2. Oppose the investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in modernizing nuclear weapons systems that ultimately we must work to dismantle. 3. Support serious negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and other prudent measures. 4. If it is introduced, urge Senators to support ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to bring it into force. 5. Encourage Congress and the Administration not to take any actions that could undermine the agreement between the P5+1 and Iran.
For further information: visit http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-andpeace/nuclear-weapons/index.cfm or contact Stephen Colecchi, Director, Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3196 (phone), 202-541-3339 (fax), scolecchi@usccb.org.
Let's first explore, from a Catholic perspective, the significance of work. We can take our lead from Francis, Benedict, and St. John Paul II. Not surprisingly, our thoughts will turn to what might be involved in a politics of work!
Work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God. It follows that, in the reality of today's global society, it is essential that "we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone," no matter the limited interests of business and dubious economic reasoning. We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment. Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work. (Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si. . . '], nos. 127-28)
In many cases, poverty results from a violation of the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or "because a low value is put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family." (Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth [Caritas in Veritate.], no. 63)
The obligation to earn one's bread by the sweat of one's brow also presumes the right to do so. A society in which this right is systematically denied, in which economic policies do not allow workers to reach satisfactory levels of employment, cannot be justified from an ethical point of view, nor can that society attain social peace. (St. John Paul II, The Hundredth Year [Centesimus Annus], no. 43)
Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity--because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes "more a human being.” (St. John Paul II, On Human Work [Laborem Exercens.], no. 9)
Let's, secondly, get our weekly update on the trials and triumphs of the American Solidarity Party!
Let's begin by exploring, from a Catholic perspective, the links between friendship and politics.Three questions come to mind straightaway.
1. If there is a relation between friendship and the political order, what is its basis?2. Is the political order of instrumental value only?3. Does true political order depend on solidarity and subsidiarity?
Please find below a link to a helpful reflection by George Weigel.
https://eppc.org/publications/the-free-and-virtuous-society/
"In the United States, it is often said that Catholic social doctrine is Catholicism's ' best-kept secret.' There is an unfortunate ... As pope, John Paul has added a fourth principle to the foundations of the Church's social doctrine: the principle of solidarity, or what we can call the principle of civic friendship. A society fit for human ...
Let's next turn to an update on Solidarity Party efforts in electoral politics. What's happening with our candidates?
During the Fall of '17, we worked through the American Solidarity Party Platform. We also explored what's involved in bringing our platform into "on the ground" politics.
This week's agenda has two parts. First, we need to look at just what solidarity is, in the mind of the Church. Second, we need to discuss what solidarity means for our politics.
Let's begin with a few passages from Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and St. John Paul II.
In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters. This option entails recognizing the implications of the universal destination of the world's goods, but, as I mentioned in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, it demands before all else an appreciation of the immense dignity of the poor in the light of our deepest convictions as believers. We need only look around us to see that, today, this option is in fact an ethical imperative essential for effectively attaining the common good. (Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si. . . '],no. 158)
To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is the good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of "all of us", made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society. … To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity. (Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth [Caritas in Veritate. . . ], no. 7)
At another level, the roots of the contradiction between the solemn affirmation of human rights and their tragic denial in practice lies in a notion of freedom which exalts the isolated individual in an absolute way, and gives no place to solidarity, to openness to others and service of them. . . It is precisely in this sense that Cain's answer to the Lord's question: "Where is Abel your brother?" can be interpreted: "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9). Yes, every man is his "brother's keeper", because God entrusts us to one another. (St. John Paul II, The Gospel of Life [Evangelium Vitae], no. 19)
Next let's turn to the political arena. We can do so with an update on three Solidarity candidates in California. No shows were recorded or aired on December 22 or December 29, 2017.
First, we can look at a pair of principles that follow the platform preamble.
-
Family, local communities, and voluntary associations are the first guarantors of human dignity and the cultivators of mutual care.
-
We must share and protect natural resources and the environment, as held in trust for the benefit of all, present and future.
Second, we can begin a reflection of Distributism, an economic resource of the Solidarity Party. Say what? For a start consider the following.
Alasdair MacIntyre (2016) writes "What is amiss with capitalism is not only what it does to the unemployed and the poor, but also what it does to the rich and to better paid workers and managers. Human beings can achieve their common and their individual goods only though concerted actions that require cooperative relationships informed by the norms of natural law and, in order to achieve those goods, they must develop their powers as as rational agents. [But] capitalism not only recurrently imposes types of social relationship that violate these norms, it also miseducates and wrongly directs desire...so that for many of every social class the satisfaction of their desires and the development of their powers become incompatible. What they want is too often what they have no good reason to want."
For more, why not take a look at the website of the Distributist Review?
Third, we can "take the pulse" of solidarity inspired political efforts in California.
December 8, 2017
- Revisit the platform preamble. We are a party that seeks the common good, on common ground, through common sense. We believe in the sanctity of human life, the necessity of social justice, our responsibility to care for the environment, and promotion of a more peaceful world. We cherish the individual rights and separation of government powers protected by the U.S. Constitution, and recognize the need for social supports and community cohesion as modeled by a number of European governments and movements. We seek to bridge the bitter partisan divide with principled and respectful policies and dialogue.
- Revisit a sampler of items from the various planks. Here are two, and I encourage you to present two of your own---or add one that should be there.
From Religion in the Public Square... We, therefore, support the free exercise of religion as the right to fully live out the dictates on one's faith. We believe that there is more to the First Amendment's guarantee of the the free exercise of religion than the mere "freedom to worship."
From Health and Welfare... We, therefore, support diverse efforts to secure universal health care access, affordability, and outcomes, including single-pay health initiatives, healthcare cooperatives, and hybrid systems at the state and national level. - Consider the promise and peril of building a national Solidarity Party
- Revisit the Platform Preamble. We are a party that seeks the common good, on common ground, through common sense. We believe in the sanctity of human life, the necessity of social justice, our responsibility to care for the environment, and promotion of a more peaceful world. We cherish the individual rights and separation of government powers protected by the U.S. Constitution, and recognize the need for social supports and community cohesion as modeled by a number of European governments and movements. We seek to bridge the bitter partisan divide with principled and respectful policies and dialogue.
- Revisit a sampler of items from the various planks. Here are three, and I encourage you to present three of your own.
From Religion in the Public Square... We, therefore, support the free exercise of religion as the right to fully live out the dictates on one's faith. We believe that there is more to the First Amendment's guarantee of the the free exercise of religion than the mere "freedom to worship."
From Health and Welfare... We, therefore, support diverse efforts to secure universal health care access, affordability, and outcomes, including single-pay health initiatives, healthcare cooperatives, and hybrid systems at the state and national level.
From National Security... We, therefore, support military force being used only when consistent with Just War principles. - Consider some of the practical issues that two Solidarity candidates in California are now addressing.
Special on-location broadcast event on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at 2:00 pm Eastern / 11:00 am Pacific live from Biola University with Dr. Jim Hanink and friends! It's back-to-back Open Door with a special Friday/Saturday combination on the Right to Life! (This show will also air on Friday, November 24, 2017, as our Thanksgiving weekend show.)
Right to Life. We believe that respect for the dignity of human life is the most basic tenet of a civilized society. This dignity is unconditional; it is never reduced by factors such as usefulness or "wantedness." From the moment of conception until natural death, every human being is entitled to protections under the law, to just treatment, and to equitable consideration.We, therefore, support:
A constitutional amendment that affirms that personhood begins at conception and declares that there is no right to abortion under the U.S. Constitution, thus reversing Roe v. Wade and its progeny.
Federal and state laws that protect the rights of both mothers and their unborn children.
Use of government funds to meet the special needs of women, mothers and children, without ever contributing to organizations that provide, promote or facilitate abortions.
Policies that help prevent the tragedy of suicide, including universal access to affordable mental health care.
Creation of a strong and inclusive social safety net to provide for the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.
And we oppose:
Compounding the tragedy of abortion through criminal penalties against the women who obtain them.
Intentional destruction of human embryos, in any context.
Human cloning.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Capital punishment.
Banking and Finance in the Public Interest. Access to capital is necessary for families and small businesses to prosper. Ensuring widespread access to credit on fair lending terms is essential to building shared prosperity and stable communities.We, therefore, support:
The operation of credit and similar financial institutions in the interests of borrowers and lenders, not stock market speculators, and the advancement of credit unions, mutual insurance companies, and other cooperative forms of ownership for financial enterprises.
The application of antitrust regulations and other regulatory authority in order to prevent the expansion of out-sized credit institutions, stop institutions “too big to fail” from forming, and end taxpayer bailouts for the shareholders of publicly-traded banks and financial institutions.
Restoration of the historic separation of banks and investment houses.
Careful oversight and regulation of financial services companies and professionals to ensure guidance is in the best interest of the consumer.
Addressing the student loan crisis by subsidizing extended low interest rate and partial forgiveness, and restoring the ability to discharge student loans in bankruptcy.
Increasing regulation and controls on alternative forms of credit and finance such as payday loan and title loan stores, money transfer businesses, and Bitcoin.
Regulation of the credit card industry and prohibition of usurious interest rates and unfair business practices.
Greater transparency and legal responsibility on the part of creditors and vendors for vigilance against fraudulent activity, such as identity theft.
Civil Rights. We believe in the vigorous enforcement of civil liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We believe that the persistence of unjust discrimination in our society must be acknowledged and addressed. The state has a role to play in protecting marginalized groups from unjust discrimination, and should pay particular attention to the effect that policy proposals will have on vulnerable groups.We, therefore, support:
The principle that all persons have equal dignity and are entitled to nondiscriminatory treatment regardless of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
Laws favoring full and fair access to the polls, courts, housing, education, employment, and credit regardless of race, religion, sex, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Efforts, consistent with public safety, to rehabilitate and fully integrate convicted criminal offenders back into society, including measures to restore voting access and limit the use of criminal history in employment decisions where practicable.
The constitutionally guaranteed rights of free public assembly, speech, and a free and independent press.
Legal recognition that our First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly, association and petition extend to new electronic media.
Ending foreign and domestic censorship of print and electronic media.
Health and Welfare. In recognizing all persons’ equal right to life, we call for the government’s assurance of a robust safety net to stop preventable deaths and reduce affronts to human dignity due to inadequate nutrition, clothing, shelter, safety or health care. We also recognize that meaningful work according to a person’s abilities is essential to human dignity, whether or not this work is remunerated by a market economy.We, therefore, support:
Diverse efforts across this country to secure universal health care access, affordability and outcomes, including single-payer health initiatives, healthcare cooperatives, and hybrid systems at the state and national level.
Maintenance of crucial federal programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or “food stamps”), housing initiatives, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Regular reform of these programs is essential, provided that they are not reduced without another adequate safety net being in place.
Allowing states to experiment with alternative income support approaches, such as Universal Basic Income, as a replacement for the myriad means-tested programs currently in place.
A health and welfare system that includes conscience protections for employers and charities that do not wish to participate in activities that contradict their sincerely held moral convictions.
Assurance of a living minimum wage, calculated by the cost of raising a family on a single income in each given municipality, for all full-time workers.
Retirement security for seniors through adequately-funded Social Security and other public pension systems.
This week's discussion, drawing on Catholic social teaching, will explore the "Civic Engagement" plank of the American Solidarity Party. But...there will be a prelude. Years ago there was a cartoon strip, "There Oughta Be a Law." See this link:
paranoiastrikesdeep.blogspot.com/2012/06/there-oughta-be-law.html Jun 28, 2012 - “There Oughta Be a Law” was a newspaper panel strip.
But what sort of law? Let's begin, then, by discussing an example of a law that the Solidarity Party might propose on a state level and on a national level. We might also consider an example of a law that the Solidarity Party might repeal on a state level and on a national level.
Then let's take a close look the platform plank for the day...
Civic Engagement: The American Solidarity Party calls for the reform of electoral laws at every level of government in order to encourage voter participation by all citizens. We believe that the current system disenfranchises third parties and those they represent through systemic legal and procedural measures that favor and uphold a two-party system.
We, therefore, support:
Alternative methods of voting in primaries and elections in order to make governing bodies more accurately reflect broad candidate choice.These include, but are not limited to: approval voting, range voting, ranked choice voting, and instant run-offs.
Reform of the redistricting process through independent and impartial agencies.
State exploration of automatic voter registration for all citizens upon naturalization or coming of age, with conscience protections for those who choose to opt out.
Elimination of restrictive voter-registration and voter identification laws that suppress voter turnout, particularly among the poor and minority groups.
Easy access to impartial and fact-based information on candidates and ballot measures in print, online and through broadcast media.
Measures to reduce the influence of money in politics, including waiting periods before public servants are permitted to accept employment in private lobbying firms, requirements for offering equal time to all candidates as a condition of broadcast licenses, and other constitutional means of amplifying views that do not tend to attract support from wealthy donors.
Justice in the Workplace. We believe in affirming the dignity of both work and the worker. Workplaces should advance full and fair participation in the economy. We seek to maintain a level playing field between ownership, labor, management, and consumers.We, therefore, support:
The right of workers to form associations in pursuit of their collective economic interests.
Legal protection for occupational safety and compensation, equal access to employment, good faith in hiring and retention, and paid leave for illness and family care.
Extra resources and attention towards the needs of disabled workers, including a redoubling of efforts to break down all barriers that prevent disabled persons from achieving their full potential contributions to society and the economy.
Rigorous enforcement of workplace discrimination laws.
More aggressive steps to eliminate discrimination against older workers.
Exploration of alternative employee benefit arrangements, especially to address challenges to fairness in the workplace arising from the emerging digitized, “gig” economy, and to level the competitive playing field among employers, including universal, portable benefits that better protect all workers.
Expanded jobs programs, education, and training to provide dislocated and other marginalized workers a foothold in the economy.
Blocking union-busting laws that interfere with the relationship between employers and labor organizations.
Let's begin, first, with Scripture---and a special focus on the gifts of the young and the old.
Peter Preaches to the Crowd (Acts 19: 14-21)
14 But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you, and with your ears receive my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day: 16 But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel:
17 And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord,) I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come.
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
Second, let's look at what St. John Paul II said about capitalism and what it might mean, together with the need to begin where we are.
And, third, let's return to the Solidarity Party platform. This time, let's explore the plank...
Free and Fair Trade. The American Solidarity Party recognizes that international trade has the potential to raise the standard of living for all nations. If it is not regulated in accord with the common good, however, it can lead to the exploitation of labor and the environment, as well as economic insecurity. We, therefore, support:
Public policies and investments that allow businesses to successfully compete and workers to maintain family sustaining wages.
International trade agreements structured to guarantee the freedom of all participants and establish strict labor and environmental standards in order to prevent a "race to the bottom" whereby nations compete for industry by loosening protections.
Reform of international trade and finance institutions (such as the World Trade Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund) in order to assure transparency, accountability, and fairness to all nations.
An end to loopholes that protect special interests at the expense of consumers.
Disfavoring trade with countries in which workers and the environment are exploited.
Trade agreements that favor local producers over international corporations.
An end to the use of international financial pressure to restructure the economies of debtor nations in ways that favor large corporate interests over protections for the poor and middle class families
Marriage and Family. We recognize that the family is the fundamental unit of every human society. This natural social arrangement both precedes the state and has rights and responsibilities independent of it. We respect the central role of marriage in fostering lasting family ties and strong communities, and believe that the effectiveness of marriage in ensuring the well-being of the next generation depends on the norms of monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanence. We, therefore, support:
Measures that promote stable and healthy marriages and aid families in the raising of children.
Strong measures to prevent and prosecute domestic violence, one of the most serious threats to marriage.
Laws that protect religious institutions, small businesses, and private individuals from civil or criminal liability for refusing to participate in activities contrary to their belief in marriage as a secure union of one man and one woman.
Workplace accommodations for parents, including paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, and affordable childcare.
Tax reform measures that incentivize marriage and raising children.
Removal of any marriage penalties in the tax code and public welfare programs.
Religion in the Public Square. As a Christian Democratic party, we affirm that religious values have played an important role in the history and culture of the United States of America. We also recognize that many of the earliest American settlers were persecuted religious minorities, and respect the long history of religious liberty that has been an essential component of our national identity.
We, therefore, support:
Laws that allow people of all faiths to practice their religion without intimidation in either their private and public lives. We oppose strains of aggressive secularism that seek to remove all traces of religious identity from the public sphere.
The free exercise of religion as the right to fully live out the dictates of one’s faith. We believe that there is more to the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exercise of religion than the mere “freedom to worship.”
Special note: No Show was Recorded or Aired on September 15, 2017.
National Security. We believe that a safer, more just, and peaceful world is achievable through principled use of force and diplomacy. We believe we can secure our nation without sacrificing personal liberties or overextending our global military presence and commitments.
We, therefore, support:
Military force being used only when consistent with Just War principles.
Ending the use of nuclear weapons, pre-emptive strikes, disproportionate retaliation, the killing of civilians, and the mistreatment of prisoners of war.
Condemning the use of torture – by whatever method, for whatever purpose, and by whatever euphemism it may be called.
Prosecution and punishment to the fullest extent of the law of those who participate in or authorize torture.
A review of the effectiveness of security agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
Recognition that prudence in securing our borders can be reconciled with compassion for families fleeing violence and persecution.
Border Security and Immigration. The American Solidarity Party recognizes and affirms the essential contributions of immigrants to our culture, economy, and national identity. We call for a complete reform of our immigration laws, including creating pathways to citizenship for eligible immigrants currently residing, unauthorized, within our borders. While recognizing the threat posed by organized crime along our southern border, we are opposed to its excessive militarization and fortification. We recognize that the causes of immigration are complex and multifaceted, and will work towards international and domestic policies that will make immigration a choice, rather than a necessity.We, therefore, support:
A generous policy of asylum for migrants fleeing persecution and violent conflict within their countries of origin, including a call for the United States to fulfill its obligations under international law in regards to the treatment of refugees and those fleeing inhumane conditions.
Repealing unnecessary and excessive barriers to residency, including punitive provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, that make it nearly impossible for unauthorized immigrants to become legal permanent residents.
Providing safety and opportunity for all immigrants who currently reside within our states, including equal access to driving privileges and higher education.
A pathway to citizenship for parents of United States citizens.
An end of the use of private for-profit immigrant detention centers as well as the detention of immigrants who do not pose a threat to national security or public safety, especially children and families.
Special note: Catholic Herald, "Pope Francis: Put Migrant Safety Before National Security"
Stewardship of the Environment. We believe in the responsibility of every generation to serve as stewards of the Earth. We recognize the intrinsic value of nature. We must work to fix the deficits of the past, act as responsible managers in the present, and ensure for future generations a planet that is healthy and thriving . We reject discredited warnings of an overpopulation crisis and believe that human beings are fully capable of building a society that is populous, developed, and permanently sustainable.
We, therefore, support:
The scientific consensus that human beings are causing instability in the global climate. We regard this as a humanitarian crisis that must be addressed without delay by the world’s wealthiest nations, including the United States.
The necessary levels of government funding for research into safe and renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power.
The incremental roll-back of government support of the use of fossil fuels.
A robust regulatory apparatus which conserves our nation’s great natural resources and protects our land, air and water from man-made pollution and degradation.
Civil recourse for victims of environmental destruction by individuals and organizations.
The institution of pollution taxes to fund research into cleaner methods of production and waste management, and to compensate citizens for abuse of the natural commons.
Economic redevelopment initiatives, such as job retraining and direct family aid, in those regions adversely affected by the transition to planet-friendly fuels and modes of production.
Policies that encourage recycling, deter consumption, and decrease disposal.
Improved access to affordable, convenient public transportation, and the promotion of healthy alternatives to the individual use of motor vehicles, such as cycling, and walking.
The input of indigenous populations in land-use deliberations.
Economic Participation. We believe that the U.S. economy should be built around the needs of the human person, rather than focused primarily on consumption and the accumulation of wealth. It should create opportunities for self-sufficiency, while encouraging ownership of our responsibility to look out for one another. Government has a role in fulfilling this responsibility in partnership with the private sector. We urge solidarity among people from every strata of society: rich, poor, and middle class, We are committed to building an economy that is fair and transparent, using models of production and distribution that are local, responsible, and sustainable.
We, therefore, support:
Economic policies that expand opportunities for the poor, and rebuilding and supporting a vibrant middle class, the erosion of which is a fundamental threat to our democracy.
The right of workers to be compensated for the wealth they create and to participate in economic decision-making.
A fair and progressive tax system that ends subsidies and exemptions which disproportionately benefit the wealthy and favor speculation over work.
Labor and consumer protection laws to offset disproportionate market power.
The widest range of opportunities to own productive property, including family-owned businesses and worker-owned cooperatives.
The free market approach over the command market approach, recognizing the benefits of free and fair markets for the voluntary exchange of goods and services.
A review of existing regulations and taxes, to assess their impact on small businesses.
Strong antitrust enforcement to preserve a free market and the elimination of regulations designed to unfairly inhibit competition by smaller firms.
The repeal of subsidies that encourage urban sprawl and discourage local farming and production.
Laws that discourage corporate farm ownership and help sustain family farms and rural communities.
Exploring state and local land value taxes as an alternative to traditional property taxes.
Reform of intellectual property laws that allow corporations to control seed life, and thus control a disproportionate amount of our food sources.
Investigating possible alternatives to stigmatized welfare programs and regressive entitlements such as the use of Universal Basic Income to supplement wages and share the benefits of nature and technology.
Public Services. We believe that if our society is to flourish, it requires skilled and educated workers and a solid physical infrastructure. The common good is cultivated by a vigorous and responsible public sector in transportation, education, the arts, and entertainment.
We, therefore, support:
Public investment in adult education, training, and professional development.
Creating and maintaining affordable, effective public transportation systems that cut down on carbon emissions and make travel cost-effective and convenient.
Investments in scientific research and technology that advance the common good, and do not just increase the profits of private corporations.
Intellectual property laws that advance the public good.
Increased public funding for basic research and development.
Anti-trust legislation and enforcement to resist the formation of media conglomerates, and, if necessary, to break up those that exist.
Public ownership of the airwaves.
Leasing through auction the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial use to recover its full market value.
Net neutrality so that users may access legal content without restrictions imposed by their internet service providers (ISPs).
The creation of local, public internet service providers (ISPs) and universal Wi-Fi access to the internet.
The public ownership of natural monopolies, such as toll roads and bridges, community policing, parking enforcement, public transportation, prisons, and energy and water utilities.
Personal Security and Criminal Justice. We believe that preventing and punishing crime is an essential public service. As public servants, law enforcement officers should be supported and held to the highest standards of professionalism. We are alarmed by increasing rates of arrest and incarceration and conflicts between police and communities. We recognize a pattern of disproportionate incarceration among minority communities reflects a culture of personal and institutional racism. In enforcing laws against non-violent offenses, we must ensure vulnerable groups are not re-victimized by the criminal justice system. Airing on July 28, 2017.
We, therefore, support:
Measures to increase transparency and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, including the use of body cameras and civilian review boards, models of community policing, and the diversification of local police forces.
Strict accountability for the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers.
Ending the privatization of law enforcement and penal institutions.
Ending arbitrary legal requirements in sentencing for nonviolent offenses that result in long-term imprisonment, such as mandatory minimum sentences and three-strikes laws.
Prosecution and punishment of drug-related crimes that focuses on distribution, impaired performance, or endangerment, rather than possession and use.
Redirecting funds allotted for the arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of illicit drug users towards prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Mandatory rehabilitation programs in lieu of imprisonment, to the extent that local jurisdictions determine that arresting illicit substance users for possession is practicable and a wise use of crime prevention resources.
More vigorous and holistic measures to end human trafficking, including stricter and more uniform penalties for those who purchase or arrange for the purchase of sex.
Protection for people forced into the sex trade, and the provision of rehabilitation and employment training to those who are exploited by it.
Treating the proliferation and ease of access to pornography, and the exploitation and commodification it entails, as a public health crisis.
Strict measures to better protect minors from pornography and the use of state resources to educate the public about the dangers of pornography
Ending government involvement in the promotion of legal vices such as gambling, and strict regulation of gambling when permitted.
Taxation of casinos to support gambling recovery and rehabilitation programs.
Ending the exploitation and commodification of women’s bodies that is inherent in for-profit gestational surrogacy contracts, and a ban on such arrangements.
Education. A well-educated citizenry is integral to the flourishing of our Republic. We call for a system of public and private education for all students. We promote a culture of lifelong learning. Airing on Friday, July 21, 2017.
We, therefore, support:
The right of families to choose the best methods for educating their children, be they public, charter, private, parochial or home-based education.
Concrete steps to address educational inequalities in our current public education system, including the needs of economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities.
Increased funding for public education and measures to address the imbalance of finances and resources between districts.
Tax credit programs that give families the practical means to choose the form of education they prefer.
Tax credits for individual and corporate donations to fund scholarships for lower-income students at private primary and secondary educational institutions.
Public funds for private education options, by means determined at the state or local level, provided equitable funding of public education is safeguarded.
Measurable educational standards that preserve the freedom of teachers to design curricula appropriate to the needs of their students within general guidelines set by local authorities.
Greater control of tuition rates at public institutions, and stricter regulation of for-profit educational enterprises.
Expansion of student loan-forgiveness and loan-reduction programs.
A public educational system that provides the rigorous formation of literate, well-rounded, virtuous citizens. As well as providing a foundation in core subjects, such as reading, writing, mathematics and science, we call for classes in civics, the arts, technical fields, vocational training, and financial literacy.
On what basis might a reasonable person subscribe to the following? Why especially might a Christian do so? How pragmatic is the following "in the here and now"?
We seek the common good. We believe in the sanctity of human life, the necessity of social justice, our responsibility to care for the environment, and the promotion of a peaceful world. We cherish individual rights and separation of government powers, and we recognize the need for social support and community cohesion. We seek to bridge the partisan political divide with honest dialogue.
Public policies should advance these imperatives:
We must build a culture and enact laws that uphold the equal and inviolable dignity and rights of every human being from conception to natural death.
We have an obligation to care for our neighbor, and especially to defend those who are most vulnerable. Ensuring that every person has access to food, shelter, education, and healthcare is an achievable goal.
We believe that family, local communities, and voluntary associations are the first guarantors of human dignity. National institutions and policies should support, not supplant, them.
We must share and protect natural resources and the environment, as held in trust for the benefit of all.
We believe that force should only be used as a last resort for addressing conflict at home and throughout the world. (July 14, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses pragmatism: Is it good in theory, as a wag has said, but not in practice? Why or why not? What difference does it make? (July 7, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses who are the poor, and how do we help them? (with special guest, Lydia Kemi Ingram of Murrieta, CA). (June 30, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses aging and its effect on humility. (June 23, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses how we may be sure the host really is the body and blood of Christ. (June 9, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses the saying "I must always follow my own conscience." Why? What is conscience? (May 26, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses the Benedict Option? Who should and who does embrace it? (May 19, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses in what way we are "Strangers in a strange land. (May 12, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses St. Anselm's Paradox - Why is this true? April 28, 2017. ("Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this, too, I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand."
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses authentic humility. The core virtue - why? April 21, 2017.
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses Metaphysics - what, why and How. Led by Richard Geraghty. Recorded and Aired on April 7, 2017.
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses in what way someone "obeys" the unseen God? Why?" (Recorded and Aired on March 31, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses what Christians mean by the word "love?" (Recorded and Aired on March 24, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel members discuss their most memorable spiritual or religious moment(s) (Recorded and Aired on March 17, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panelists discuss the Models of the Church according to Avery Cardinal Dulles (Recorded on March 3 and aired on March 10, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses Ash Wednesday, what Lent is all about, and why. (Recorded on February 24, and aired on March 3, 2017)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses the virtue of detachment and acceptance of God's will. Follow on to the topic of rejection led by Ronda and Paradise Commander. (Recorded on February 17, 2017. Aired on February 24, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, the panel discusses the socio-psychological problem of personal rejection. Ronda will lead this discussion based on her recent book on rejection. (Recorded on February 10. Aired on February 17, 2017.)
The Panel's experience with travel to sacred sites. (Recorded on January 27. Aired 2/3/17.)
In this episode of The Open Door, Al Hughes and the panelists discuss "Methods for personal evangelization." Panel members discuss their method(s) used to evangelize individuals or small groups. Personal evangelization, not classroom lecturing or writing books, etc). (Recorded on December 16, 2016. Aired on December 23, 2016.)
"Joy for the elderly found in avocational work, service and social outreach." (Recorded on December 2. First airing 12/9/16.)
"Joy for the elderly found in the pursuit of art, literature and science." (Recorded on December 9. Aired on December 16, 2017.)
In this episode of The Open Door, entitled "Is Christendom really in decline?", the panelists address: What can the Church do about the decline of Christendom? i.e., Christian faith. (November 18, 2016)
This week we’ll turn to the promise and perils of progress! Our perspective is, of course, inspired by the American Solidarity Party. Here’s the agenda.
What is progress? Toward what, where? What makes progress, “progressive”?
Life is a journey! Do we make the journey as pilgrims or as wanderers?
The philosopher Jacques Maritain claims that, at certain points of history, what prevails is a movement of degradation. At other times, it is a movement of progress. Do we find such a flux today? Let’s examine, in this light, a recent “year in review” op-ed, Nicholas Kristof, in the New York Times.
Is our search for “good politics” or “good economics” the search for something external to Christianity or does that search begin from within the Christian tradition?
January 4, 2019
For our first panel of the New Year, we’ll revisit three of Peter Maurin’s “easy essays” (below). While they are disconcertingly simple, they masterfully succeed in promoting “the clarification of thought.” They also call to mind the American Solidarity Party’s commitment to a new politics.
Please join us!
Not a Liberal
They say that I am a radical.
If I am a radical
then I am not a liberal.
The future will be different
if we make the present different.
But to make the present different
one must give up old tricks
and start to play new tricks.
But to give up old tricks
and start to play new tricks
one must be a fanatic.
Liberals are so liberal about everything
that they refuse to be fanatical
about anything.
And not being able to be fanatical
about anything,
liberals cannot be liberators.
They can only be liberals.
Liberals refuse to be
religious, philosophical or economic fanatics
and consent to be
the worst kind of fanatics,
liberal fanatics.
Not a Conservative
If I am a radical,
then I am not a conservative.
Conservatives try to believe
that things are good enough
to be let alone.
But things are not good enough
to be let alone.
Conservatives try to believe
that the world is getting better
every day in every way.
But the world is not getting better
every day in every way.
The world is getting worse
every day in every way
and the world is getting worse
every day in every way
because the world is upside down.
And conservatives do not know
how to take the upside down
and to put it right side up.
When conservatives and radicals
will come to an understanding
they will take the upside down
and they will put it right side up.
A Radical Change
The order of the day
is to talk about the social order.
Conservatives would like
to keep it from changing
but they don’t know how.
Liberals try to patch it
and call it a New Deal.
Socialists want a change,
but a gradual change.
…
I want a change,
and a radical change.
I want a change
from an acquisitive society
to a functional society,
from a society of go-getters
to a society of go-givers.
This week, we’ll discuss a promising new organization, reLOVE, and its service to teenage mothers.
Led by panelist Christy Yao, we’ll ask its director, Purity Thomas, the following questions–for a start.
Can you give us a basic overview of reLOVE? How did the idea for reLOVE start?
How is reLOVE different from other crisis pregnancy organizations?
How do teenage mothers find you?
Tell us about your impact and success stories!
What are your future ideas for reLOVE’S growth and development?
This week we’ll discuss democracy! Our investigation will be both general and particular. We’ll be asking the following questions, and doubtless more.
What is democracy?
Why should we strive for democracy?
Is our system democratic?
How can a democracy be built? How can the ASP help renew democracy?
Pius XII spoke about the Christian “version” of democracy: is that idea still feasible?
‘Tis the Season! But for what?
Hospitality is at the top of our list. It’s part of what animates the American Solidarity Party.
Peter Maurin, who with Dorothy Day, began the Catholic Worker Movement, has two “Easy Essays” that we’ll explore today. The first is “The Duty of Hospitality,” and the second is “Feeding the Poor at a Sacrifice.” See also Dorothy Day’s “Room for Christ“.
1. People who are in need
and are not afraid to beg
give to people not in need
the occasion to do good
for goodness'sake.
2. Modern society calls the beggar
bum and panhandler
and gives him the bum's rush.
But the Greeks used to say
that people in need
are the ambassadors of the gods.
3. Although you may be called
bums and panhandlers
you are in fact
the Ambassadors of God.
4. As God's Ambassadors
you should be given food,
clothing and shelter
by those who are able to give it.
5. Mahometan teachers tell us
that God commands hospitality,
and hospitality is still practiced
in Mahometan countries.
6. But the duty of hospitality
is neither taught nor practiced
in Christian countries.
1. In the first centuries
of Christianity
the hungry were fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at personal sacrifice.
2. And because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the Christians
"See how they love each other."
3. In our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed, sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
but at the expense
of the taxpayers.
4. And because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
the pagans say about the Christians
"See how they pass the buck."
The Open Door continues its discussion of how to become involved with politics, especially local politics. Our special guest is Monica Sohler. She is a member of the National Committee of the America Solidarity Party, and she has been a candidate both for local office and for New Jersey state representative.
Monica explores, frankly and with the voice of experience, the "how" questions we need to be considering.
-
How much time and money does it take to run for local office?
-
How can one build a support team?
-
How can one best handle the frustrations that are a part of running for political office?
-
How can one pursue local issues in the context of the larger vision of the American Solidarity Party?
November 16, 2018
This week we return to our discussion of pro-life feminism with our special guests Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminists and C.J. Williams of Rehumanize International.
Our questions will include, but definitely not be limited to:
How do politics and culture come together, or come apart, in our advocating a “pro-life for the whole of life” vision?
How can we help longtime pro-life veterans and the new leaders of what some call the pro-life generation join forces and work together?
What’s most important in current “pro-life for the whole life” organizing efforts?
What might we do to show the interaction of theory and practice?
It’s been said that unless the revolution is one of the spirit there will be no revolution. Can we unpack this claim? If so, how? (November 9, 2018)
This week, as we come into the midterm elections, we’ll discuss politics. Our focus will be local, and we’ll especially consider how to run for office at the local level. Our welcome guests will be Joseph Soto, a mayoral candidate in Inglewood, California and his strategist Ilya Klinger. No surprise: we’ll be learning lessons for American Solidarity Party candidates.
This week we turn to the topic of pro-life feminism.
Christy Yao will lead us. She will interview our special guests, Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa and CJ Williams.
The questions we’ll consider include:
Why should feminists be pro-life?
Why should pro-lifers be feminists?
How can people get involved in pro-life feminism? and
What can we learn from St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women?
Later in the hour we will turn to the recent plans and projects of the American Solidarity Party, including the upcoming California State Convention.
This week we discuss the next to last article in the UN Declaration of Rights on the 70th anniversary of this document. It continues to call for understanding and action.
Article 29
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Later in the hour we will turn to the recent plans and projects of the American Solidarity Party, including the upcoming California State Convention.
We return to our discussion of the UN Declaration of Human Rights during the 70th anniversary year of this critical document.
Our focus will be...
Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts, and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Later in the hour, we'll review the plans and projects of the American Solidarity Party.
This week we will continue our discussion of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Our focus will be on education.
Article 26
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans and projects.
We will be discussing social security further, as well as whether universal basic income could be a solution to the mandates in Articles 24-25.
Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans and projects.
We will be returning to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for deeper understanding and committed action. This week we'll ask what social security is and what does it look like around the world. We'll do so by taking a close look at Article 22.
Article 22
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans and projects.
Let us know if you have questions or suggestions!
We will be discussing the American Solidarity Party's Month of Labor by way of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for deeper understanding and committed action. Join us as we look at Article 23.
Article 23.
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans and projects.
We will be returning to the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for deeper understanding and committed action. This week we'll continue our discussion of Article 21.
Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans and projects.
This week we have special guests: Desmond Silveira, former National Committee member and California gubernatorial candidate for the American Solidarity Party; Aaron Hamlin, executive director of The Center for Election Science; and Drew Penrose, legal and policy director of FairVote.
We will discuss the problems with our existing plurality voting system and examine two alternatives: approval voting, favored by The Center of Election Science, and ranked choice voting, favored by FairVote. Both organizations strive to make our democracy more efficient, effective, and representative.
As is customary, we'll also have an update on the work of the American Solidarity Party.
Next week, we anticipate returning to our analysis of the UN Declaration on Human Rights.
This week we'll discuss Pope Francis's recent Letter to the People of God on the crimes and grave disorders of clerical sex abuse. Our guests will include Fr. David Poecking of Pittsburgh and Boz Tchividjian, the Executive Director of GRACE NET.
We will begin with the Holy Father's reflection:
"The extent and the gravity of all that has happened requires coming to grips with this reality in a comprehensive and communal way. While it is important and necessary on every journey of conversion to acknowledge the truth of what has happened, in itself this is not enough. Today we are challenged as the People of God to take on the pain of our brothers and sisters wounded in their flesh and in their spirit. If, in the past, the response was one of omission, today we want solidarity, in the deepest and most challenging sense, to become our way of forging present and future history."
As is customary, we'll also have an update on the work of the American Solidarity Party.
Next week, we anticipate returning to our analysis of the UN Declaration on Human Rights.
This week we'll discuss the "Letter to the Bishops," from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, revising the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the death penalty (attachment below).
Just what does the Letter say?
How does moral reflection deepen over time?
What is the role of the political leader who affirms the inadmissibilty of judicial execution?
As always, we'll offer an update on the plans and projects of the American Solidarity Party.
Next week we'll return to our ongoing analysis of the UN Declaration on Human Rights.
Let's return to the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for deeper understanding and committed action. This week we'll continue our discussion of Articles 18-20.
Let's return to the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration continues to call for understanding and action. This week we'll discuss Article 18-20.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
**
Later, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party''s plans for the future.
On this episode of "The Open Door," we offer a special feature of British art and social critic John Ruskin, introduced by Gabe Meyer. Aired on July 27, 2018.
We'll begin with our friend, Skylar Covich, the new Chair of the American Solidarity Party's National Committee. Picking up from last week, Skylar will outline his thinking on where the party is and where it's going.
Next we'll chat with our second guest. Ron Austin has long shared many of the interests and commitments that make for solidarity. He's been an actor and a producer, an activist and social worker. He's a respected author and a Fellow of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. Recently, Ron has been exploring in the journal First Things the travails of popular culture, the generation gaps, and what's it's like to be...the last living member of the Hollywood Blacklist. His heroes include Rene Girard and Romano Guardini.
We haven't, of course, forgotten the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. We'll return to our analysis of what it says and how we respond to it on July 27.
Let's return to the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for understanding and action. This week we'll discuss Article 17.
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
In light of our discussion of property, we'll explore "distributism," starting with
Chesterton's quip, "Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists."
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the American Solidarity Party's plans for the future. We've invited Skylar Covich, Chair of the National Committee, to join us!
Let's return to our discussion of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for understanding and action. This week we'll begin discussing Article 16, and we'll be inviting special panelists.
Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage, and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the new National Committee officers in the American Solidarity Party and their plans for the future, which, as always, begins...now. (Here one thinks of Peter Maurin's adage "The future will be different if we make the present different.")
This Friday, June 29, at 8 am (PT) & 11 am (ET), it's time for WCAT's "The Open Door."
Let's return to our discussion of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for understanding and action. This week we'll begin discussing Articles 13-15, especially in light of the ongoing crisis on our southern border.
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Later in the hour, we'll talk about the results of the American Solidarity Party's recent convention.
This week we'll pause in our analysis of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Today our special guest will be Norm Chouinard, a community banker and ASP member from Connecticut. Some months ago, Norm led an "Open Door" panel on the banking and finance section of the ASP party platform, and he was very helpful. This week he'll be our "go to guy" onthe recent Vatican document on finance and social responsibility...right down to our next shopping trip. We'll also discuss the annual ASP National Committee election, which starts today.
Jim Hanink, Matt Bartko and Jack Quirk return to our discussion of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for understanding and action. We ran out of time last week, so this week we'll return to Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
What are the implications of this with regard to: 1) Drug use, 2) Abortion, and 3) Domestic violence
**
Later in the hour, they talk about the American Solidarity Party's upcoming election for its National Committee.
The American Solidarity Party
10/10/2016 9 Comments
June 8, 2018
We'll first return to our discussion of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. On its 70th anniversary, the Declaration calls for understanding and action. This week we'll look closely at...
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
What are the implications of this with regard to:
1) Drug use
2) Abortion
3) Domestic violence
4) Libel and slander
5) Telephone and electronic communication
**
Later in the hour, we'll talk about how American Solidarity Party candidates and friends fared in this week's California primary election.
Special Show: Preparing for the June Primary, Part II. The American Solidarity Party Candidates - Desmond Silveira (running for governor of California), Brian Carroll (22nd Congressional District), Ed Rushman (46th Congressional District), and Kevin Egger (San Diego City Council - District 6).
Special Show: Preparing for the June Primary, Part I. The American Solidarity Party Candidates - Desmond Silveira (running for governor of California), Brian Carroll (22nd Congressional District), Ed Rushman (46th Congressional District), and Kevin Egger (San Diego City Council - District 6).