The Commonweal Podcast

Commonweal Magazine
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The Commonweal Podcast

Conversations at the intersection of politics, religion, and culture: Commonweal Magazine editor Dominic Preziosi hosts The Commonweal Podcast, a regular compendium of in-depth interviews, discussions, and profiles presented by Commonweal’s editors and contributors.

  1. Ep. 144 - Best Interviews of 2024

    27/12/2024

    Ep. 144 - Best Interviews of 2024

    As you probably know by now, 2024 was a big year for Commonweal, marking one hundred years of continuous publication.  It was also an important one for the podcast, which for five years—and nearly one hundred and fifty episodes—has been bringing you reflective conversations with inspiring writers, thinkers, artists, and political and religious leaders.  On this episode, we’re revisiting four of our favorite episodes from the past year: Marilynne Robinson and Christian Wiman on Genesis Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman on the ethics of having children Vinson Cunningham on criticism as a way of life Rabbi Shai Held on Judaism’s loving heart.

    36 min
  2. Ep. 143 - ‘Hope Grows in the Dark’

    12/12/2024

    Ep. 143 - ‘Hope Grows in the Dark’

    What does it mean to “have hope,” especially during challenging times? Is it something we can possess, like a talisman to ward off despair? No, argues Norman Wirzba, distinguished professor of Christian theology at Duke and author of the new book Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis. Instead, “hope” is a verb—an action we have to do. On this episode Wirzba explains how he manages to hope, even in the face of some of our most intractable problems—including war, migration, and the climate crisis. For further reading:  Oscar Romero on politics and Christian love Vincent Miller on Pope Francis’s ecological hope Eric Miller on the fiction of Wendell Berry

    31 min
  3. Ep. 142 - ‘What Backlash Looks Like’

    26/11/2024

    Ep. 142 - ‘What Backlash Looks Like’

    In the wake of the 2024 election, many are wondering how to make sense of the results—including how a capable, qualified woman could lose to a man like Donald Trump, an adjudicated rapist whose campaign regularly celebrated a version of masculinity that many find offensively misogynistic.  On this episode, Commonweal editor-at-large Mollie Wilson O’Reilly and Natalia Imperatori Lee, professor of religious studies at Manhattan University, reflect on what just happened. They also parse what the second Trump administration might portend for Democrats, the Church, and especially women. It’s long past time, they argue, not only for men to confront sexism and misogyny, but to work to articulate healthy versions of masculinity. Trump’s election may be a massive setback for feminism—but how the story ends depends on our response. For further reading:  Mollie Wilson O’Reilly ponders Trump’s 2016 election Regina Munch on why we can’t disengage The editors on why the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh

    27 min
  4. Ep. 141 - Follow the Money

    14/11/2024

    Ep. 141 - Follow the Money

    The invitation-only Catholic prelature known as Opus Dei, founded in Spain in 1927 by the recently canonized priest Josemaría Escrivá, currently counts just around 3,000 members in the United States. Yet its influence, especially among rightwing Catholics who occupy significant posts in Washington, is vast.  On this episode, editor Dominic Preziosi speaks with financial journalist Gareth Gore, author of the new book Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.  Relying on bank records and the testimony of whistleblowers, Gore demystifies the secretive world of Opus Dei, showing how it has recruited powerful individuals and harmed vulnerable ones in its quest for political sway. For further reading:  Daniele Palmer on Opus Dei’s ‘ordinary secularity’ George Scialabba reviews Opus for The Baffler

    27 min
  5. Ep. 140 - Fewer Screens, More Meaning

    24/10/2024

    Ep. 140 - Fewer Screens, More Meaning

    It’s no secret that there’s a mental health crisis affecting young people in the United States. Rates of anxiety, symptoms of depression, and even suicide attempts have hit record highs.  That’s partly what motivated Anna Moreland and Thomas Smith to write The Young Adult Playbook, a kind of “self-help” book intended to help high school and college students think through the deep questions of life, love, and vocation.  On this episode, Moreland and Smith speak with associate editor Regina Munch about their book, explaining how young people can live rich, flourishing, and meaningful lives.  For further reading:  Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko on the good life Regina Munch on the advantages of marriage Brenda Noriega on synodality, young people, and leadership

    27 min
  6. Ep. 139 - Detroit’s Black Christian Utopia

    10/10/2024

    Ep. 139 - Detroit’s Black Christian Utopia

    The Trump campaign has made us all too familiar with the ideology of Christian Nationalism, with its violent rhetoric and racist undertones.  Far less well-known, though, is the tradition of Black Christian Nationalism, a radical social and religious movement founded by Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., in civil-rights-era Detroit. On this episode, associate editor Griffin Oleynick speaks with writer Aaron Robertson, author of The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America.  Blending history and memoir, Robertson’s book traces the untold story of Black Christian Nationalism while grappling with a question: what does Utopia look like in black? For further reading:  Tia Noelle Pratt on Black Catholic parishes Shannen Dee Williams on Black nuns in Baltimore Gary Dorrien on the theology of Sen. Raphael Warnock

    41 min
  7. Ep. 138 - The Work AI Can’t Do

    26/09/2024

    Ep. 138 - The Work AI Can’t Do

    Corporate boosters of artificial intelligence promise that the technology will vastly improve efficiency in the world of work. But is that actually desirable?  On this episode, associate editor Regina Munch speaks with University of Virginia sociologist Allison Pugh, whose new book The Last Human Job explores the concept of what she calls “connective labor”—interpersonal work that relies on empathy, human contact, and mutual recognition.  In fields like medicine, teaching, and even chaplaincy, such connective labor is increasingly performed by machines. Pugh challenges us to resist this trend, both by deprioritizing efficiency and by returning to authentic human relationships.  For further reading:  Miles Doyle on efforts to regulate AI in congress A symposium on our posthuman future The editors call for a moratorium on AI development

    30 min
  8. Ep. 137 - Epic in the Everyday

    12/09/2024

    Ep. 137 - Epic in the Everyday

    Garth Greenwell’s latest novel, Small Rain, is set in a midwestern ICU during the early days of the pandemic, as its unnamed narrator, a writer, experiences a health crisis and lies confined to his bed in excruciating pain.  In long pauses between visits with nurses and doctors, amid the weird dilations of ‘hospital time,’ the narrator muses on his suffering and disappointments, but also the nature of art and the ‘adventure’ of domestic life. On this episode, Greenwell joins Commonweal contributor Tony Domestico to talk about the novel.   For further reading: A review of Garth Greenwell’s Cleanness Another interview with Garth Greenwell

    32 min
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About

Conversations at the intersection of politics, religion, and culture: Commonweal Magazine editor Dominic Preziosi hosts The Commonweal Podcast, a regular compendium of in-depth interviews, discussions, and profiles presented by Commonweal’s editors and contributors.

Information

  • Creator
    Commonweal Magazine
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    166
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Commonweal Magazine
  • Show Website
    The Commonweal Podcast

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