The Commonweal Podcast

Commonweal Magazine
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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. MAR 6

    On the Altar: A conversation with historian Jonathan Sheehan

    Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor chat with Jonathan Sheehan, professor of European history at UC Berkeley, about his new book, On the Altar: A History of Sacrifice from the Sacred to the Secular (Princeton University Press). Together, they explore the long, contested history of Christian sacrifice, from the early church and the cult of the martyrs through the Reformation and into the secular modern world—and discuss what the language of sacrifice still offers us today.   Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

    43 min
  2. Revelation and Reporting: A conversation with journalist Daniel Silliman

    FEB 23

    Revelation and Reporting: A conversation with journalist Daniel Silliman

    Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor chat with reporter Daniel Silliman about his tenure at Christianity Today, his bombshell reporting on Ravi Zacharias, the current state of Evangelicals—and more. Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

    55 min
  3. American Charisms: A conversation with 'Spellbound' author Molly Worthen

    JAN 21

    American Charisms: A conversation with 'Spellbound' author Molly Worthen

    Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor discuss Spellbound : How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump with author Molly Worthen, professor of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Episode production and original music by Joel Myers.

    50 min

  4. JAN 8

    Christianity's American Fate

    Hosts and Commonweal contributors Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Nick Tabor introduce the podcast and discuss the book Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular by David Hollinger, the Preston Hotchkis Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley.

    38 min
  5. An End-of-the-Year Message

    TRAILER

    An End-of-the-Year Message

    Editor Dominic Preziosi updates listeners of The Commonweal Podcast.

    2 min
  6. The Counterweight: MAGA vs. the World

    09/26/2025

    The Counterweight: MAGA vs. the World

    A central tenet of the MAGA movement is the Trump administration's "America First" foreign-policy agenda. To fulfill this agenda, it has slashed foreign aid, launched a trade war with the United States’ most reliable trading partners, and threatened to abandon NATO and our most trusted allies.  Informed by Trump’s transactional approach to international relations, such actions flout the existing liberal world order, which has worked to promote democracy, human rights, free trade, and the freedom of movement since the end of World War II.  They also betray the very idea of a shared humanity, which is profoundly antithetical to Catholic Social Teaching. On this fourth, and final, episode of "The Counterweight," associate editor Griffin Oleynick speaks with Loyola Chicago's Miguel Diaz, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See under President Barack Obama, about the Trump administration's foreign policy, Diaz's experiences as a diplomat, and what the “America First” agenda means for the international community—and for the United States.  Diaz also discusses how Catholic Social Teaching can counter this agenda by championing foreign policies that recognize the existing liberal order, support human rights, and act in service of the common good.    For further reading:  Andrew J. Bachevich on Biden's foreign policy William Pfaff on the limits and dangers of American power abroad The Editors on Pacem in Terris

    1 hr
  7. Ep. 156 - The Counterweight: The Common Good & American Liberalism

    09/11/2025

    Ep. 156 - The Counterweight: The Common Good & American Liberalism

    A little more than eight months into the second Trump presidency, many Americans today find the United States increasingly unrecognizable: a volatile and inflationary economy, rising political violence, and brazen corruption at all levels of government don’t appear to be going away anytime soon. So how did we get here? What lessons can we learn from the histories of other countries, especially ones that experienced radical destabilization and an authoritarian turn? To answer these questions, on this episode we’re speaking with Hille Haker, a professor of Catholic Moral Theology at Loyola University Chicago.  A native German, Haker points out how the current situation in the United States evinces disturbing parallels with the rise of Nazism in Germany.  She also details the intellectual developments that have given rise to the new right wing anti-democratic comfort with authoritarianism—and how Catholic Social Teaching can counter it. For further reading:  Eugene McCarraher on the perils of Christian post-liberalism A Commonweal symposium on the work of Patrick Deneen Philip Jeffery on leaving behind the new right

    1h 13m
  8. Ep. 155 - The Counterweight: Against White Christian Nationalism

    08/05/2025

    Ep. 155 - The Counterweight: Against White Christian Nationalism

    One of the most prominent features of the second Trump administration has been its bluntly racist actions and policymaking.  Recent examples abound, from the suspension of asylum for migrants and refugees, the all-out war on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in federal agencies and higher education, and the ongoing and increasingly militarized efforts at mass deportation, which have terrorized Latino, Haitian, and other communities across the country.   This second episode in our series The Counterweight: Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching in a Time of Crisis features Fr. Bryan Massingale.  He’s a professor in Fordham University’s theology department and a priest of the archdiocese of Milwaukee. He joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi to examine the ideology that in his view undergirds so many of the Trump administration’s actions: white Christian nationalism.  Fr. Massingale’s remarks are followed by discussion between him and three other experts, Fordham’s Cristina Traina and Loyola Chicago’s Miguel Diaz and Hille Haker.

    56 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 - 2026
  • Episodes
    184
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Commonweal Magazine
  • Show Website
    The Commonweal Podcast

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