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The Catholic Culture Podcast

The Catholic Culture Podcast

CatholicCulture.org

Thomas Mirus explores Catholic arts & culture with a variety of notable guests. A production of CatholicCulture.org.

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Top 10 The Catholic Culture Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Catholic Culture Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Catholic Culture Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Catholic Culture Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Catholic Culture Podcast - The Catholic Culture Podcast Soundtrack

The Catholic Culture Podcast Soundtrack

The Catholic Culture Podcast

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11/14/23 • 30 min

6:51 Franciscan Eyes

14:33 Forbearance

15:52 The Mourners

20:19 Spiritual Combat

25:56 Passage

Compositions and piano by Thomas Mirus; recorded spring 2018, Brooklyn.

Listen to this music on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CVqC2ZukI9o

Download these tracks as lossless .wav files here: https://www.catholicculture.org/multimedia/thomas_mirus_2018.zip

DONATE to help CatholicCulture.org continue its mission! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - 164 - When "engaging the culture" means loving mediocrity - Joshua Gibbs
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08/17/23 • 98 min

Today it's taken for granted that we as Christians are called to "engage the culture" in order to evangelize. Often "engaging the culture" means paying an inordinate amount of attention to popular commercial entertainment in order to show unbelievers how hip we are, straining to find a "Christ-figure" in every comic book movie, and making worship music as repetitive, melodically banal, and emotionalistic as possible. Past a certain point, "cultural engagement" begins to seem like a noble-sounding excuse to enjoy mediocrity - and Christians, unfortunately, are as much in love with mediocre entertainment as anyone else.

The novel doctrine of "cultural engagement" is just one subject covered in Joshua Gibbs's challenging and entertaining new book, Love What Lasts: How to Save Your Soul from Mediocrity. Joshua joins Thomas Mirus for a wide-ranging conversation about how we choose to spend our free time and why it matters.

Topics include:

  • The dangers of artistic mediocrity
  • The importance of boredom
  • Why streaming has been terrible for music
  • The different kinds of Christian "cultural engagers"
  • Uncommon and common good things and how both are threatened by the mediocre
  • How the "special" apes the holy
  • The meme-ification of art

Links

Gibbs, Love What Lasts: How to Save Your Soul from Mediocrity https://circeinstitute.org/product/love-what-lasts/

Gibbs, "Film As a Metaphysical Coup" https://circeinstitute.org/blog/film-metaphysical-coup/

Thomas's favorite episode of Gibbs's podcast, Proverbial https://shows.acast.com/proverbial/episodes/how-to-buy-a-bottle-of-wine

www.GibbsClassical.com

SUBSCRIBE to the Catholic Culture Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-catholic-culture-podcast/id1377089807

DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

Go to Catholic Culture's website for tons of written content, including news, articles, liturgical year info, and a vast library of documents: https://www.catholicculture.org

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - 181 - Beauty, Imitation, and Music - Daniel McInerny
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07/15/24 • 129 min

In his new book published by Word on Fire, Beauty & Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts, philosopher and novelist Daniel McInerny argues for a recovery of the Aristotelian understanding of art as fundamentally imitative or mimetic. More boldly, he claims that this imitation is narrative and moral in nature, even in art forms that are not typically considered storytelling arts.

In this episode Daniel introduces this theory of mimesis, after which there is a robust back-and-forth between Daniel and Thomas on whether moral narrative is really the primary purpose of arts like painting and music.

Links

Beauty & Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/beauty-and-imitation

SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

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While Tolkien’s brilliance as a world-builder and storyteller is well-established, fewer people are aware of just how unique (and obsessive) his creative process was, or that he was a gifted visual artist. That is changing thanks to an unprecedented exhibition of Tolkien’s personal items, manuscripts and artworks, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth, currently on display at the Morgan Library in Manhattan.

John McQuillen, Assistant Curator at the Morgan Library, and Holly Ordway, author of the upcoming study Tolkien’s Modern Sources, join me to discuss the exhibition, which sheds light on Tolkien’s use of visual art to help him solidify his literary vision, the role his stories and artworks played in his family life, and (perhaps surprising to many who view Tolkien as a conservative fuddy-duddy) his willingness to draw on an eclectic range of sources, including distinctly modern ones, to enhance his creative expression.

Links

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth at the Morgan (view selected images from the exhibition) https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tolkien

The exhibition book, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth by Catherine McIlwaine https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859

Holly Ordway http://www.hollyordway.com/

Sheen Center for Thought & Culture https://www.sheencenter.org/

Past Tolkien-related episodes

Episode 15: Online Education with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=15

Episode 16: Extremely Specific Middle-earth Q&A with The Tolkien Professor—Corey Olsen https://www.catholicculture.org/podcast/index.cfm?id=16

This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - Episode 19: Understanding the Church's Abuse Crisis--Fr. Roger Landry
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10/11/18 • 55 min

The faithful have many questions about the ecclesiastical sexual abuse crisis: What did Church authorities do right in responding to the previous wave of scandals, and what did they fail to do? How could Theodore McCarrick, a serial abuser surrounded by rumors, rise to become one of the most powerful hierarchs in the Church? What is the connection between doctrinal infidelity and sexual infidelity by priests? How do priests living double lives justify remaining in the priesthood? Finally, how much truth is there to the claim that priestly sexual abuse is the result of clericalism?

Links

Fr. Roger Landry, Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God https://amzn.to/2RGVW80

Fr. Roger Landry’s National Catholic Register articles about the abuse crisis:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/truth-is-needed-to-free-the-church-from-sacrilege-of-clergy-scandal

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/fatherlandry/how-to-stay-faithful-as-we-endure-and-confront-the-crisis

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/fatherlandry/anchors-in-the-storm

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/fatherlandry/spiritual-paternity-anger-lying-and-vulnerable-adults

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/fatherlandry/what-to-do-about-corruption-in-the-church

This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - Episode 17: A Civics Lesson for Catholics--Bob Marshall
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09/26/18 • 62 min

Many Catholics have become cynical about the possibility of changing the political landscape, but perhaps we’ve given up before we’ve really tried. It’s not just about electing the right congressmen and nominating the right justices, it’s about keeping them accountable.

In this episode, former Virginia delegate Bob Marshall shares practical insights drawn from his encyclopedic knowledge of the American political tradition and from his own achievements in politics: for example, he was behind the Hyde Amendment which stopped abortion funding via Medicaid. He reminds us that “To render to Caesar, you have to know the structure of Caesar’s world.”

Did you know that Congress has the Constitutional authority to decide what kinds of cases the Supreme Court may hear? What about the possibility of amending appropriations bills to render SCOTUS decisions like Obergefell unenforceable? Have you given real consideration to the fact that local politics is the foundation for everything else? If not, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

Links

Robert G. Marshall, Reclaiming the Republic: How Christians and Other Conservatives Can Win Back America https://amzn.to/2xSQxlg

Jeff Mirus’s review of Reclaiming the Republic https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1565

Bob Marshall’s recent articles for The Federalist https://thefederalist.com/author/robertgmarshall/

Msgr. John Sanders, the priest who played with Duke Ellington https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1575

Timestamps

2:41 Bob Marshall’s political career and recent defeat

6:01 Why Bob wrote Reclaiming the Republic; natural law in the American founding

9:25 Catholics ought not withdraw from politics: Biblical precedents

13:25 Judicial branch is not the final authority on what is Constitutional; Congress’s authority to decide what cases the Supreme Court can hear

23:32 The importance of educating your representatives

26:47 Bob’s role in passing the Hyde Amendment; importance of the power of the purse

34:13 Appropriations bills can be used to keep bad Supreme Court decisions from being enforced

36:22 Our representatives avoid voting on the record so we can’t hold them accountable

39:24 How to get your representative to go on the record

41:03 The oath of office—you can’t fulfill it if you don’t read the bills you vote on!

44:15 Anti-commandeering laws, by which states can refuse to enforce federal laws

48:47 Why you should vote in primary elections

50:41 “All politics is local”: issues that affect people’s daily lives

53:18 The importance of the precinct; door-to-door campaigning tips

57:45 The role of corporations in promoting immoral policies

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The new feature film Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer, about the investigation, trial and conviction of abortionist Kermit Gosnell, has defied opposition from the film industry and the press alike to become an artistic and financial success, even briefly making it into the top ten in box office results. Writer Ann McElhinney discusses the film, her research process (including the disturbing experience of interviewing Gosnell himself), and the numerous obstacles the filmmakers faced in telling a story nobody wanted to see the light of day.

At the beginning of the episode, Thomas also discusses the recent film about Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince (the Gosnell interview starts 10 minutes in).

Links

The film: http://www.gosnellmovie.com

The book: https://amzn.to/2Rt20A5

https://twitter.com/annmcelhinney

https://www.facebook.com/annmcelhinney/

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - 133 - Think Like a Poet - Ryan Wilson

133 - Think Like a Poet - Ryan Wilson

The Catholic Culture Podcast

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05/25/22 • 158 min

In a wide-ranging and erudite interview, poet and translator Ryan Wilson joins the podcast to discuss how the poet makes use of the classical virtue of xenia or hospitality, what poets can learn from the work of translation, the "romantic turn" (inner vision) and the "classical turn" (communication/craft) in poetry, the great Latin poet Horace, and more. Ryan performs, in his dynamic style, classic poems by Horace and others, as well as his own poems.

Ryan Wilson is an adjunct professor of English at the Catholic University of America, editor of the journal Literary Matters, and a visiting professor of poetry in the MFA program at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He is the author of three books: The Stranger World, a collection of original poems; How to Think Like a Poet; and Proteus Bound: Selected Translations, 2008-2020. Forthcoming are his anthology of contemporary Catholic poetry from Paraclete Press (spring 2023), and another book of original poems, The Ghostlight.

Timestamps

0:00 - Proteus Bound

13:09 - Hospitality as fundamental principle of community, thought, and poetry

28:05 - The romantic turn and the classical turn

46:22 - Ryan Wilson, “Xenia”

53:39 - Proteus, Hermes, and Orpheus as figures of the poet

1:03:35 - Translation as training for the poet

1:17:47 - The Latin poetry of Horace

2:07:55 - Charles Baudelaire, “The Voice”

2:20:00 - How Ryan relates as a Catholic to classical literature

2:27:10 - Ryan Wilson, “Philoctetes”

Links

Proteus Bound: Selected Translations, 2008-2020 https://www.cuapress.org/9781736656129/proteus-bound/

How to Think Like a Poet https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p97/How_to_Think_Like_a_Poet%2C_by_Ryan_Wilson.html

The Stranger World http://www.measurepress.com/measure/index.php/catalog/books/stranger-world/

Literary Matters https://www.literarymatters.org/

This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

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The Catholic Culture Podcast - 135 - The Cardinal vs. the Communists - Arpad von Klimo
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06/21/22 • 68 min

Historian Árpád von Klimó joins the podcast to give an introduction to József Cardinal Mindszenty (1892-1975), prince primate of Hungary. Mindszenty was not only the face of Hungarian resistance to fascism and communism, but ultimately a symbol Catholic resistance to communism worldwide. From 1948 to 1956 he was in a communist prison, from 1956 to 1971 he was isolated from the world as a refuge in the U.S. Legation in Hungary. He then spent the last 4 years of his life in exile from his country and in increasing tension with the Vatican's more conciliatory approach to diplomacy with Soviet nations.

Links

Victim of History: Cardinal Mindszenty, a Biography https://www.cuapress.org/9780813234991/victim-of-history/

Árpád von Klimó https://history.catholic.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/von-klimo-arpad/index.html

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The critical theorists and social justice warriors are trying to do to medieval studies what they’ve done to other disciplines, and if you don’t get on board, you’re a white supremacist. Over the past two years or so, the mob has targeted University of Chicago professor Rachel Fulton Brown, calling her a fascist, trying to intimidate her department into censuring her, and banning her from conference sessions. She joins me to discuss her ordeal, why even tenured professors are willing to stand up for unpopular truths, and the stakes of the battle for medieval studies.

Links

Rachel Fulton Brown’s academic homepage http://home.uchicago.edu/~rfulton/

Milo Yiannopoulos’s essay “Why the Battle for Medieval Studies Matters to America” (profanity warning) https://www.dangerous.com/45111/middle-rages/

Rachel’s fascinating Professional Self-Portrait http://home.uchicago.edu/~rfulton/Professional%20Self%20Portrait.pdf

Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought:

Purchase https://amzn.to/2MPrGFf

Read Chapter 2 https://issuu.com/columbiaup/docs/mary_and_the_art_of_prayer_ave_mari

Timestamps

2:56 Rachel Fulton Brown

3:41 The initial blog post that made Rachel’s colleagues angry

10:15 Rachel’s friendship with Milo Yiannopoulos

15:19 The progressive witch hunt within medieval studies

28:25 The letter 1,500 academics signed attempting to get her department to censure her

34:40 Rachel’s defenders in academia

36:49 Why even tenured academics fear the mob

41:23 Critical theorists coming from English literature into medieval studies

45:27 What will be lost if medieval studies is taken over by progressives: the study of Christianity

51:02 This week’s reading: Bl. John Henry Newman

This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Catholic Culture Podcast have?

The Catholic Culture Podcast currently has 217 episodes available.

What topics does The Catholic Culture Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Catholic, Culture, Christianity, Society & Culture, Faith, Commentary, Religion & Spirituality, Podcasts, Philosophy and Arts.

What is the most popular episode on The Catholic Culture Podcast?

The episode title '164 - When "engaging the culture" means loving mediocrity - Joshua Gibbs' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Catholic Culture Podcast?

The average episode length on The Catholic Culture Podcast is 71 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Catholic Culture Podcast released?

Episodes of The Catholic Culture Podcast are typically released every 8 days, 4 hours.

When was the first episode of The Catholic Culture Podcast?

The first episode of The Catholic Culture Podcast was released on May 1, 2018.

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