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Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Complete series
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated 23/07/2024
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Complete series

12 Aug

Broken Beauty — Makoto Fujimura

The artist Makoto Fujimura has spent decades exploring what he calls "broken beauty"—the observation that beauty is often born not despite the fractures each one of us experiences in this life but through them. On the opening night of the 2026 Understory festival, Fujimura reflected on what this vision of broken beauty might mean for the world at this particular moment. Rather than asking how quickly our deepest cracks can be repaired, he wondered whether we might first learn to behold them in a different light. He explores the pulverized mineral layers of the traditional Japanese practice of Nihonga; the cracked and silent Liberty Bell as an image of fragile democracy; lament as faithfulness; finding in our wounds potential sites of healing; and the call to carry tender light into the darkest places. This reflection originally appeared in our opening-night episode, "What Is Struggling to Be Born?" framed by an address from Fr. Tomáš Halík. Mentioned: The Liberty Bell; the Japanese traditional artform of "Nihonga"; Lamentations, "Great is thy faithfulness"; Ezekiel's valley of dry bones; Touch the Wounds and The Afternoon of Christianity, by Tomáš Halík Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at team@comment.org. The Understory is a production of Comment (comment.org), published by Cardus (cardus.ca). Hosted by Anne Snyder. Edited by Allie Crummy. Produced by Tiffany Thompson and Evan Rosa. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Episode Highlights "If you want to understand something, you have to be willing to stand under it. … We have a culture that does not understand. But we over-stand. Standing over with derision and judgment." "Rather than rush to fix the crack, now is the time of beholding." About Makoto Fujimura Makoto Fujimura is a contemporary artist whose refractive "slow art" David Brooks once called a small rebellion against the quickening of time. Trained bi-culturally, he studied Nihonga at Tokyo University of the Arts, the first non-Japanese artist invited into its doctorate-level lineage program. His work is held by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, the Huntington Library, and the Tikotin Museum, and he illuminated the Four Holy Gospels for the King James Bible's four-hundredth anniversary. A presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts, he founded IAMCultureCare and is the author of several books, including Art+Faith: A Theology of Making and Art Is: A Journey into the Light. Learn more and follow at makotofujimura.com and instagram.com/iamfujimura. Helpful Links and Resources Makoto Fujimura's websites: makotofujimura.com and iamculturecare.com The Afternoon of Christianity: The Courage to Change, by Tomáš Halík https://a.co/d/0fUjDWg4 Touch the Wounds: On Suffering, Trust, and Transformation, by Tomáš Halík https://a.co/d/0iA47mON #TheUnderstory #MakotoFujimura #BrokenBeauty #CultureCare #FaithAndArt #Nihonga #CommentMagazine #Cardus #JapaneseArt
14/12/2022

Is Democracy a Mere System or a Way of Life?

We have ourselves a disagreement. A debate breaks out as our hosts discuss Shadi's new book, The Problem of Democracy. Shadi argues that we should see democracy as a mere form of governance, a systemic way to resolve ideological conflicts peacefully. Matthew argues that in order for democracy to endure, it must be more than a mere mechanism—it must be a way of life, something we practice, treasure, and even revere. As ideological conflicts threaten to divide countries across the globe, the stakes could not be higher. LINKS • Shadi Hamid's new book: The Problem of Democracy • Matthew Kaemingk's article on learning democratic habits in pubs and coffeehouses. • Matthew Kaemingk's book on the future of democracy amidst deep difference: Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration
16/11/2022

The Case for Political Combat

Our most "combative" episode yet. Progressive secularism is on a winning streak. It has scored a number of significant political victories over those who hold traditional Christian and Muslim understandings of the moral life. How should people of faith respond? Our guest worries that we might be playing a little too nice. James R. Wood is one of the most exciting and controversial Christian thinkers writing today. A theologian, professor, and ordained minister, Wood argues that people of faith need to actively contest, dispute, and sometimes even mock the political ideas of their secular opponents. What do you think? Should Christians and Muslims ready themselves for rhetorical combat? Is a "winsome" approach to persuasion naive? LINKS Referenced essays from James Wood: https://comment.org/the-church-against-the-ideologies/ https://americanreformer.org/2022/05/this-article-is-not-about-tim-keller/ https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-limits-of-winsome-politics/ James Wood's critique of Christian civility and "winsomeness": https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/05/how-i-evolved-on-tim-keller Shadi explores how an Islamic approach to politics was "swallowed" by the modern state: https://www.firstthings.com/article/2022/10/how-modernity-swallowed-islamism
07/12/2022

Is Democracy God's Will?

Around the world, democracy is in crisis. Should Christians and Muslims work to protect and revive it? Neither the Bible nor the Qur'an mentions the word "democracy." At no point did the early followers of Jesus or Muhammad advocate for a democratic form of government. And yet Matthew Kaemingk and Shadi Hamid insist that Christians and Muslims should defend the wavering institution that is democracy. Why? Links: Shadi Hamid's new book The Problem of Democracy Islamist thinker Rachid Ghannouchi's Public Freedoms in the Islamic State, translated into English for the first time Sayyid Qutb on freedom, excerpts from Milestones See David Koyzis's chapter on democracy in Political Visions and Illusions See Luke Bretherton's chapter on populism and the voice of the people in Christ and the Common Good
21/12/2022

Can Islam and Liberalism Coexist?

If Muslims are committed to shariah and liberals are committed to individual freedom, can these two worldviews really coexist? Our guest, the Islamic legal theorist Mohammad Fadel, argues that Muslim citizens can accept, live in, and even flourish in a liberal society. Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk have questions. LINKS Mohammad Fadel on Islam and the liberal philosophy of John Rawls https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=977206 Matthew Kaemingk's article on the clash between public Islam and liberalism https://comment.org/the-headscarf-islams-gift-to-western-democracy/ John Rawls, Political Liberalism John Rawls, "The Idea of Public Reason Revisited"
19/10/2023

Gaza: A Political and Spiritual Reckoning

We're failing. The Israel-Hamas war is barely two weeks old and we are witnessing a collective religious failure. Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike are failing to live up to their own principles. The moral and ethical "rules of engagement" have been thrown out the window—be it on the battlefield or in public discourse. How should religious people of good faith interpret and respond to this political and religious cataclysm? Join Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk for a special episode of Zealots at the Gate. Together they discuss the war and the many ways in which the faithful are (mis)interpreting the underlying dynamics at play. LINKS Shadi Hamid's article on humility amid the war: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/16/intellectual-humility-israel-palestine-debate/ Reinhold Niebuhr's book Moral Man and Immoral Society: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781773237565
18/01/2023

The Myth of Religious Violence

What do we mean when we call someone "religious"? Is there such a thing as "religious" power or "religious" violence? The answers to these questions appear simple and straightforward. Not so. In his provocative book The Myth of Religious Violence, William Cavanaugh argues that modern distinctions between "religious" and "secular" forms of violence are not only arbitrary and unhelpful, they're damaging. He submits that the very concept of "the religious" as something distinct from "the secular" is an invention of the modern West. Shadi and Matt discuss and debate the way the term "religion" is wielded and weaponized in the modern West to destructive effect. LINKS • The Myth of Religious Violence by William T Cavanaugh: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780195385045
13 May

Why Democracy Needs Religion—Not "Spirituality"

Within our American context, "spiritual but not religious" is an increasingly popular title. It connotes rising above organized religion and opting instead for an individualistic, buffet-like spirituality that reflects our modern consumerist culture. In this episode, Matt and Shadi unpack this type of spirituality that is disconnected from religious institutions, practices, and experiences. They talk about why organized religion is actually vital to the health of democratic life and how it looks different from "spiritual but not religious." LINKS Announcing Matt and Shadi's new book: Can Religion Save Democracy? Pre-order your copy from Baker Book House and receive 40% off through its release on October 13, 2026: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy
01/02/2023

Does the World Need a Caliphate?

The caliphate is the traditional form of Islamic governance. Ever since the abolition of the last caliphate in 1924, Muslim thinkers have debated the revival of an Islamic state. In this episode we talk with one such thinker. Ovamir Anjum is the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Toledo, and in 2019 he wrote a controversial essay in which he boldly called for the establishment of a new caliphate. Needless to say, Shadi and Matt had questions. LINKS Dr. Ovamir Anjum's essay, "Who Wants the Caliphate?": https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/who-wants-the-caliphate Anjum's book, Politics, Community, and Islam in Islamic Thought: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781107687110 Mohammad Fadel's article on Islamic perspectives of salvation: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1712972 Ummatics Colloquium, the Muslim research collective that Dr. Ovamir Anjum is part of: https://ummatics.org
29/03/2023

Prayer Is Political

What is the connection between prayer and politics for Muslims and Christians? Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk challenge each other with a series of tough questions, and the results are illuminating. Should a life of prayer make us politically bold and zealous? Or should prayer make us humbler and politically submissive? Should prayer connect us to our national authorities and identities—or should it remind us that we identify with a higher authority beyond the nation? While there are deep differences between their prayer practices, Matt and Shadi leave the conversation deeply enriched. You might as well. LINKS: Shadi on the benefits of not following the news and caring less about politics: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/information-news-addiction-liberal-depression/673351/ CDC: "U.S. Teen Girls Experiencing Increased Sadness and Violence" https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0213-yrbs.html SEND US FEEDBACK OR ASK QUESTIONS: #zealotspod or zealots@comment.org

Meet the voices behind Comment’s school of thought: reconcilers, peacemakers, hosts, and interlocutors. In our podcasts, you’ll find a tone and a way of life that provides an alternative to the battle-axe didactics of an age riven by false binaries. Have a listen. You might just find your gaze open up.

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