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In the early 1940s, founder, Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., realized he could reach more families across the United States by using mass media, namely radio. With that realization, Father Peyton became an unlikely media and marketing pioneer. He began his media efforts when he led a Rosary prayer program on a local radio station in Albany, New York. His outreach grew considerably when on Mother’s Day in 1945, he produced a national radio program with Bing Crosby on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the second largest radio network at the time. The program played on Mutual for more than 23 years. Father Peyton and Family Theater Productions continued in radio and moved into films and television.Special Guest: Fr. David L. Guffey, C.S.C..Links:PRAY: The Life of Patrick Peyton — The inspiring true story of a poor Irish immigrant who sets sail for America in 1928 with dreams of becoming a millionaire but, with the help of the most iconic celebrities of Hollywood, ends up spending his life championing the message, "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together."Family Theater Productions — Family Theater Productions creates family and faith-based media. From their quirky, fun and informative web series for teens and young adults - Catholic Central - to one of their latest projects, a documentary on the life of Fr. Patrick Peyton, our founder - the team works to create media that is engaging and impactful. With media facilities on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, Family Theater Productions' award-winning media has engaged families since 1947. Their current work includes feature films, short format video, video web series, and extensive work in social media. Our radio and television shows are played on stations around the world.Catholic Central — “Catholic Central” offers entertaining and authoritative answers to your questions about Catholic thought, spirituality and practice. To do that, we’ve assembled a team of witty writers, appealing hosts and learned theologians to produce a collection of videos that entertain, enlighten and inspire. Catholic Central is a project of Family Theater Productions based on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

The subject of the course is Catholic apologetics in the generation of millennials. Studies show that teens and young adults are leaving the Church in large numbers and that the ones who stay do not subscribe to Church teachings. Seeking to “meet them where they are,” the course begins with an examination of contemporary trends in the religious lives of millennials, with a particular focus on Catholics. It proceeds to examine the major reasons why millennials are leaving the Catholic Church and to engage students in arguments for and against the Church’s positions on: the rationality of God, science, sex and marriage, the Church’s role in historical injustices, and politics. In the final portion of the course, the syllabus pivots to a “positive apologetics” look at the case for the Church through beauty and the witness of the saints, modes of engagement that are said to appeal to the millennial generation. The course concludes with the case for the resurrection of Jesus.Special Guests: Daniel Philpott and Jessica Keating.Links:"Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up!" by Bishop Robert Barron — After perusing the latest Pew Study on why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity, I confess that I just sighed in exasperation. I don't doubt for a moment the sincerity of those who responded to the survey, but the reasons they offer for abandoning Christianity are just so uncompelling. That is to say, any theologian, apologist, or evangelist worth his salt should be able easily to answer them. And this led me (hence the sigh) to the conclusion that "we have met the enemy and it is us."Eden Invitation Homepage — Celebrating personal integration and promoting solidarity beyond the LGBT+ paradigm. Eden Invitation is rooted in the belief in everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed. We firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Catholic Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.Webinar: Racism Is a Life Issue — A moderated discussion on racism and the culture of life with distinguished panelists G. Marcus Cole (Dean, Notre Dame Law School), Sen. Katrina Jackson (Louisiana State Senate), Ernest Morrell (University of Notre Dame), Gloria Purvis (EWTN Global Catholic Radio), Jacqueline Rivers (Harvard University), and Benjamin Watson (NFL Legend).Barron muses on evangelization, Bob Dylan and the infield fly rule — Barron is an endlessly smart, engaging, and articulate guy, and the fruits of our conversations are in the new book "To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age," published by Image Books and on-sale today.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Fr. John Paul Kimes is an Associate Professor of the Practice at Notre Dame Law School and the Raymond of Peñafort Fellow in Canon Law at the de Nicola Center. After his undergraduate studies at Notre Dame, he studied for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome, where he earned his Licentiate in Canon Law and was ordained in 2000 for the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. He subsequently earned his Doctorate in Canon Law and served for 11 years at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.Special Guest: Fr. John Paul Kimes.Links:Resisting the Throwaway Culture — Fr. Kimes speaks about the holistic vision of the pro-life movement that recognizes the inherent dignity of all persons, urging that we practice "radical hospitality" towards all. Part of the 2020 Notre Dame Vita Institute webinar series.Fr. Kimes on Canon Law — Fr. Kimes was a guest on the syndicated Catholic radio show "Living Stones" (co-hosted by Ken Hallenius), speaking about why the Church has its own laws and their relationship to the wider body of civil law.Fr. Kimes on the Maronite Church — Fr. Kimes was a guest on the syndicated radio program "Living Stones," speaking about the Maronite Catholic Church and its history and customs.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Zena Hitz was a scholar in residence at the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture in 2018, where she wrote the bulk of the manuscript that is now published as "Lost In Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life."Special Guest: Zena Hitz.Links:Zena Hitz.net — This page is mainly to collect my writing for interested readers.Lost In Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life — In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure, contemplation, or connection to others? While many forms of leisure meet these needs, Zena Hitz writes, few experiences are so fulfilling as the inner life, whether that of a bookworm, an amateur astronomer, a birdwatcher, or someone who takes a deep interest in one of countless other subjects.Minds Stocked Only with Opinions: review of ‘Lost in Thought’ by Charles McNamara — Commonweal Magazine review of Zena's book.Escape from Quarantine — Zena's reflections on intellectual work in the time of lockdownTheme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

In this episode, we chat once again with George Weigel, the distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He has written a new book, "The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission". We discuss why he wrote the book, who it's for, and how every Christian, not just the Pope, has the responsibility to introduce people to Jesus Christ.Special Guest: George Weigel.Links:The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission — Drawing on his personal discussions with John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, as well as his decades of experience with Catholics from every continent, George Weigel examines the major challenges confronting the Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion believers in the twenty-first century: challenges the next pontificate must address as the Church enters new, uncharted territory. To what is the Holy Spirit calling this Church-in-transition? What are the qualities needed in the man who will lead the Church from the Chair of Saint Peter?The Irony of Modern Catholic History: How the Church Rediscovered Itself and Challenged the Modern World to Reform — A richly rendered, deeply learned, and powerfully argued account of two centuries of profound change in the church and the world, The Irony of Modern Catholic History reveals how Catholicism offers twenty-first century essential truths for our survival and flourishing.Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II — Witness to Hope is the authoritative biography of one of the singular figures—some might argue the singular figure—of our time. With unprecedented cooperation from John Paul II and the people who knew and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics—and changed the course of history. As even his critics concede, John Paul II occupied a unique place on the world stage and put down intellectual markers that no one could ignore or avoid as humanity entered a new millennium fraught with possibility and danger.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Anja Renkes of the Notre Dame Class of 2020 was a member of the dCEC's Sorin Fellows Program. She studied Theology and Irish Studies, as well as Art, and was a member of the Notre Dame Rowing Team. We chat about her studies, her research project in Ireland visiting and documenting the Holy Wells, and the lessons she learned through her athletic training.Special Guest: Anja Renkes.Links:Theology, studio art, and Irish studies come together in undergraduate’s creative research project on Ireland’s holy wells — The Grotto is one of the most beloved places on campus for many students, but for junior Anja Renkes, it’s where her passions and purpose combine. “An important part of my identity that I bring here is my love of the outdoors and God's creation,” she said. The open-air, prayerful environment of the Grotto captures her desire to stay active — she enjoys hiking and backpacking and is a member of the women’s rowing team — while its significance as an outdoor Catholic shrine, set in the landscape, represents her academic interests in theology, landscape art, and Irish culture.Fiat Fine Art on Facebook — My artwork explores the magnificent beauty of simplicity, demonstrated in the humility of Catholic popular piety at holy wells in Ireland. Variously intimate and vast landscapes help dispose both pilgrim and passersby to look outside of themselves. Upon returning to their own conscious breath, the experience of mysterious Love communicated in the beauty of the environment and humble devotions of those who have come before helps one to experience awe and wonder at what is freely given and received by the nature of human experience in Christ. May we follow in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mother’s fiat, her yes to the will of God.Fiat Fine Art on InstagramThe Irish Taught Me How to Say Thank You — When I arrived at the ferry in Galway, I knew I was meeting a man who would be carrying a walking stick. That was pretty much all I knew. This fairly limited preparation characterized much of my research and travel over the course of two months in Ireland, which unfolded by the grace of God and His radical mercy and attention to detail. I had to learn how to be dependent, and receive gifts. Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Reverend Terrence P. Ehrman, C.S.C. is chaplain to the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. A native of Baltimore, Father Terry joined the Congregation of Holy Cross after earning a B.S. in biology from Notre Dame and an M.S. in biology from Virginia Tech. He was ordained in 2000 and received his Ph.D in theology from the Catholic University of America in 2012. Father Terry teaches the course "Science, Theology, and Creation" to undergraduates. His latest book is Man of God: Lessons to Young Men About Life, Sex, Friendship, Vocation, and Loving with the Heart of Christ (2017).Special Guest: Fr. Terry Ehrman, C.S.C..Links:Department of Theology: Fr. Terry Ehrman, C.S.C.Book: Man of God: Lessons for Young Men About Life, Sex, Friendship, Vocation, & Loving with the Heart of Christ — In Man of God: Lessons to Young Men About Life, Sex, Friendship, Vocation, and Loving with the Heart of Christ, Fr. Ehrman draws on his experiences counseling men who are struggling to live in the world but not be of the world. In the form of emails written to a former student, he offers a plan for ongoing conversion that is both wise and practical, high-minded yet real.Article: A professor responds to the pope’s call for an ‘ecological conversion’ — "It was a simple assignment: Observe a tree on campus in silence for 10 to 15 minutes each week of the semester. Still, the requirement was initially met with skepticism by some of my colleagues and students as a hokey, hardly academically rigorous, “tree-hugging” activity. "And yet the natural world has a subtle power and attraction to draw even the reluctant observer into a realm of wonder—which can ultimately lead to an awareness of God’s existence and immanent presence in something as unnoticed as a tree."Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Steve Barr is professor of physics and director of the Bartol Research Institute at the University of Delaware. He is the president of the Society of Catholic Scientists and author of bestselling books on science and religion such as Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (Notre Dame) and The Believing Scientist (Eerdmans).Special Guest: Steve Barr.Links:Society of Catholic Scientists — The Society of Catholic Scientists is an international lay organization that fosters fellowship among Catholic scientists and witnesses to the harmony of faith and reason.Book: Modern Physics and Ancient Faith — A considerable amount of public debate and media print has been devoted to the “war between science and religion.” In his accessible and eminently readable new book, Stephen M. Barr demonstrates that what is really at war with religion is not science itself, but a philosophy called scientific materialism. Modern Physics and Ancient Faith argues that the great discoveries of modern physics are more compatible with the central teachings of Christianity and Judaism about God, the cosmos, and the human soul than with the atheistic viewpoint of scientific materialism.Book: The Believing Scientist: Essays on Science and Religion — Elegant writings by a cutting-edge research scientist defending traditional theological and philosophical positions. Both an accomplished theoretical physicist and a faithful Catholic, Stephen Barr in this book addresses a wide range of questions about the relationship between science and religion, providing a beautiful picture of how they can coexist in harmony.Article: Attempts to Explain Cosmogony ScientificallyVideo: Stephen Barr on Religion and Science: The Myth of Conflict — Stephen Barr, President of The Society of Catholic Scientists, discusses the unique relationship between faith and science and highlights how his organization combats this myth.Book: Faith, Science, & Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, Second Edition — In our modern scientific and technological culture, it is not an option for Catholics to ignore or have a shallow understanding of the relationship between religious faith and scientific knowledge. Such a lack of understanding limits our ability to spread the Gospel in a world that so needs the Good News of Jesus Christ. Dr. Chris Baglow's "Faith, Science, & Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge, Second Edition," presents this necessary knowledge.Book: The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief — An instant bestseller, The Language of God provides the best argument for the integration of faith and logic since C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. It has long been believed that science and faith cannot mingle. Faith rejects the rational, while science restricts us to a life with no meaning beyond the physical. It is an irreconcilable war between two polar-opposite ways of thinking and living. Written for believers, agnostics, and atheists alike, The Language of God provides a testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

We chat with Therese Cory, an associate professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame and the newest member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas. We talk about reading Aquinas with undergraduates, the cross-cultural conversation around Aristotle's writings, and how the thought of St. Thomas is relevant to modern-day A.I. researchers. Special Guest: Therese Cory.Links:Therese Cory's homepageNews: ND philosopher appointed to Vatican academy of St. Thomas Aquinas — Therese Cory, the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies in the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Philosophy, has been named a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas by Pope Francis. Cory is one of 50 total members and one of two women — the third in the academy’s history — to be so honored.Book: Aquinas on Human Self-Knowledge — Self-knowledge is commonly thought to have become a topic of serious philosophical inquiry during the early modern period. Already in the thirteenth century, however, the medieval thinker Thomas Aquinas developed a sophisticated theory of self-knowledge, which Therese Scarpelli Cory presents as a project of reconciling the conflicting phenomena of self-opacity and privileged self-access. Situating Aquinas's theory within the mid-thirteenth-century debate and his own maturing thought on human nature, Cory investigates the kinds of self-knowledge that Aquinas describes and the questions they raise.Book: The Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas: A Sketch (by Fr. Stephen Brock) — If Saint Thomas Aquinas was a great theologian, it is in no small part because he was a great philosopher. And he was a great philosopher because he was a great metaphysician. In the twentieth century, metaphysics was not much in vogue, among either theologians or even philosophers; but now it is making a comeback, and once the contours of Thomas's metaphysical vision are glimpsed, it looks like anything but a museum piece. It only needs some dusting off. Many are studying Thomas now for the answers that he might be able to give to current questions, but he is perhaps even more interesting for the questions that he can raise regarding current answers: about the physical world, about human life and knowledge, and (needless to say) about God. This book is aimed at helping those who are not experts in medieval thought to begin to enter into Thomas's philosophical point of view.Lecture: Muslim Philosophers and the Christian Middle Ages — This lecture was offered by the University of Texas chapter of the Thomistic Institute in Austin on February 20th, 2019.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Dr. Komrad is a psychiatrist on the teaching faculty of Johns Hopkins and Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland and Tulane. He earned his undergraduate degree in molecular biophysics at Yale University, his M.D. degree at Duke Medical School, and trained in internal medicine and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. He was an attending psychiatrist on the Treatment Resistant Psychotic Disorders Unit at Sheppard Pratt Hospital for 15 years, where he continues to train residents in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. In addition to clinical psychiatry, Dr. Komrad is a medical ethicist. He chaired the Ethics Committee and ethics consultation service for the Sheppard Pratt Health System in Maryland for over 25 years. He served on the Ethics Committee of the American Psychiatric Association for 6 years, which oversees ethics and professionalism for psychiatry in the U.S. Recently he has been speaking throughout the U.S. and internationally, also consulting to government policy makers, expressing ethical concerns related to physician assisted suicide and euthanasia, especially concern that these procedures are available to people with mental illness in some countries. He speaks widely about why legalizing these procedures is neither good social policy nor good medical ethics.Special Guest: Mark Komrad, MD.Links:Dr. Mark Komrad, MD homepageVideo: Physician-Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia for Non-Terminal Patients with Mental Disorders: An Emerging Ethical Crisis — Talk delivered at St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, INYou Need Help: A Step-by-Step Guide to Convince a Loved One to Get Counseling — Just about everyone knows a relative, friend, or coworker who is exhibiting signs of emotional or behavioral turmoil. Yet figuring out how to reach out to that person can feel insurmountable. We know it is the right thing to do, yet many of us hesitate to take action out of fear of conflict, hurt feelings, or damaging the relationship. Through a rich combination of user-friendly tools and real-life stories, Mark S. Komrad, MD, offers step-by-step guidance and support as you take the courageous step of helping a friend who might not even recognize that he or she is in need. He guides you in developing a strong course of action, starting by determining when professional help is needed, then moves you through the steps of picking the right time, making the first approach, gathering allies, selecting the right professional, and supporting friends or relatives as they go through the necessary therapeutic process to resolve their problems.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

In this episode, we chat with Villanova University professor and poet James Matthew Wilson. He was with us on campus as part of our 20th Annual Fall Conference on friendship. In our conversation, we talk about the real work of writing poetry, listening to the muse, and why each of us should learn to write a bit of poetry ourselves.Special Guest: James Matthew Wilson.Links:Homepage: James Matthew WilsonThe River of the Immaculate Conception — James Matthew Wilson's new poem The River of the Immaculate Conception is at once a commemoration of composer Frank LaRocca's Mass of the Americas and a meditation on the history and place of Catholicism in North America. Ranging from St. Mary's Cathedral, in present-day San Francisco, back to the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, and on to the conversion of Elizabeth Seton, Wilson's poem speaks of a land with a sacred mystery at its heart.Some Permanent Things, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded — In this Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, Wilson has completely revised the poems to attain a more classical perfection and restored their original published ordering as four sequences, beginning with "The Violent and the Fallen," "Four Verse Letters," and "La Rochefoucauld's Ghost," and culminating in the new poems collected as "The Christmas Preface."Fall Conference 2019: Love and Friendship in the Films of Whit Stillman — A conversation with Whit Stillman and James Matthew Wilson from the de Nicola Center's 20th Annual Fall Conference.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Our guests were part of a panel discussion at the dCEC's 20th Annual Fall Conference, "I Have Called You Friends." Their panel discussed "digital friendship." Video of the panel session will be posted to the Center's YouTube channel.Special Guests: Fr. Anthony Sciarappa, Fr. Harrison Ayre, and Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP.Links:Pursued By Truth — Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble is at the forefront of reviving the ancient discipline of memento mori (“remember your death”). She was inspired by her order’s founder, Blessed James Alberione, who kept a skull on his desk to remind him of his inevitable death. After a spiritual retreat in 2017, Sr. Theresa Aletheia received a ceramic skull from one of her sisters and she has been meditating on death daily ever since.Clerically Speaking PodcastYouTube Playlist: I Have Called You Friends — Videos from the dCEC's 20th Annual Fall Conference are posted to our YouTube channel playlist, including plenary keynote sessions and many of the individual panel discussions.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

J. J. Wright is a composer with roots in jazz and sacred music. He is the director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and his gig list includes recording and performing with Caribbean Jazz Project: Afro Bop Alliance, featuring vibraphonist Dave Samuels. The album was nominated for a GRAMMY for 'Best Latin Jazz Album' and won the Latin GRAMMY in the same category. In addition to Mr. Samuels, J.J. has had the privilege of performing with Billy Hart, Ike Sturm, Nate Wood, Chris Cheek, Zach Harmon, Mark Ferber, Matt Ulery, and Delfeayo Marsalis. Special Guest: J. J. Wright.Links:J. J. Wright Music — Homepage of J. J. WrightVespers for the Immaculate Conception — Produced by the Grammy-award winning and Billboard Chart topping composer, musician and choir director at the University of Notre Dame, J.J. Wright, this album is a unique, beautiful recording that brings audiences a new vision of sacred music by fusing the rich heritage of Catholic sacred music with the tradition of jazz. It is a concertized vespers service that tells the story of the miraculous origin of Mary. The music takes the listener on a spiritual journey through ancient prayers and psalms that strengthen our relationship with Mary, Mother of God.Notre Dame Magazine: Having Coffee with J. J. Wright — "Class assignments trigger student anxiety all across campus every day, no story there, but what happened to pianist J.J. Wright during his first semester at Notre Dame was more like existential anguish. "Asking her sacred music students to create prayer services within particular musical traditions, Professor Margot Fassler had urged Wright, then a new graduate student, to compose a jazz setting for evening prayer, known by tradition as vespers."Notre Dame Folk Choir YouTube Channel — The Notre Dame Folk Choir is made up of sixty vocalists and musicians from all levels and disciplines at the university. Our ensemble serves the Notre Dame community as one of its principal liturgical choirs, primarily singing at the 11:45 Mass at the Basilica each Sunday.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Dale Ahlquist is the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and the author of five books about Chesterton, including The Complete Thinker and Common Sense 101. We chat about Chesterton's 1930 visit to Notre Dame, his interdisciplinary approach to writing, and (spoiler alert!) the meaning of The Man Who Was Thursday.Special Guest: Dale Ahlquist.Links:The Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton — Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) is a writer like none other. As a journalist, he wrote thousands of essays for the London newspapers. But he also wrote a hundred books: novels, poetry, plays, literary criticism, history, economic theory, philosophy, and theology. And detective stories. He wrote on every conceivable subject, but his vast output is matched only by the consistency and clarity of his thought, his uncanny ability to tie everything together. In the heart of nearly every paragraph lies a jaw-dropping aphorism or sparkling paradox that leaves readers shaking their heads in wonder.Poem: The Arena (Dedicated to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana) — On Saturday, Oct. 11, 1930, in the inaugural game at Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish beat Navy, 26-2. Chesterton was in attendance. "The Arena" is his poem commemorating the occasion.The G. K. Chesterton Collection — The University of Notre Dame's London Global Gateway is proud to house the G.K. Chesterton Library. As well as being the premier English Catholic intellectual of the 20th century, Chesterton had a very specific connection to the University of Notre Dame: he was named a visiting professor and given an honorary degree in 1930. It is appropriate that Notre Dame, widely recognized to be the leading Roman Catholic teaching and research university in the United States, is home to such a remarkable collection. Serving as a tangible connection between the Notre Dame main campus and the London Global Gateway, the collection also aims to unite the University with the broader Roman Catholic community in the United Kingdom.Book: "My Name is Lazarus" — 34 stories of converts whose path to Rome was paved by G.K. Chesterton. Edited with an introduction by Dale Ahlquist. Jewish converts, Muslim converts, former atheists, agnostics, and Protestants of all stripes. Drawn to Chesterton for utterly different reasons. All arriving at the same destination.Book: "G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense" — This book is the perfect introduction to Chesterton. Dale Ahlquist is an able guide who takes the reader through twelve of Chesterton’s most important books as well as the famous Father Brown stories.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

In this episode, we sit down with Arthur Brooks, the former president of the American Enterprise Institute and the author of "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt." We talk about the importance of freedom of speech on college campuses, the role of American Catholics throughout history, and the importance of willing the good of the other as other.Special Guest: Arthur Brooks.Links:Arthur Brooks's Homepage — Arthur Brooks is a bestselling author, a social scientist, and the former president of the American Enterprise Institute. At AEI, Arthur worked with top scholars, policymakers, and elected officials to fight for for all Americans’ access to free enterprise and earned success.Video: Love Your Enemies (Arthur Brooks at Notre Dame) — Arthur Brooks's lecture on Thursday, September 19, 2019, hosted by Notre Dame's Constitutional Studies Program, Tocqueville Program, and the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. Love Your Enemies: How To — To illustrate several of the actionable steps each of us can take to subvert the culture of contempt, Arthur created a series of short, animated video lessons based on the key themes of his new book, Love Your Enemies. Watch them here.Documentary Film: The Pursuit — Professional musician turned intrepid economist Arthur Brooks travels around the globe in search of an answer to the question: How can we lift up the world, starting with those at the margins of society? His journey takes him through the chaotic streets of Mumbai, a town in Kentucky left behind by the global economy, a homeless shelter in New York, a street protest in Barcelona, and a Himalayan Buddhist monastery. Along the way, he discovers the secrets not only to material progress for the least fortunate, but also true and lasting happiness for all.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Ernest Morrell is the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education and Director of the Center for Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame. Ernest has recently been named director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) James R. Squire Office for Policy Research in the English Language Arts. He is an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a past president of NCTE, and a co-convener of the African Diaspora International Research Network. From 2015-2019 Ernest has been annually ranked among the top 200 university-based education scholars in the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings published by EdWeek. Ernest is also the recipient of the NCTE Distinguished Service Award, the Kent Williamson Leadership Award from the Conference on English Leadership, and the Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies . His scholarly interests include: literacy studies, the teaching of English, literature for children, critical media pedagogy, youth popular culture, and postcolonial literatures of the African Diaspora. Email Professor Morrell directly to receive a copy of his forthcoming book! Email: [emorrel1@nd.edu](mailto: emorrel1@nd.edu)Special Guest: Ernest Morrell.Links:YouTube video: "Fighting for Life in the Digital Age" – Bread of Life Dinner Fall 2018 — Professor Morrell urged students to develop a "pro-life media literacy" which doesn't simply ignore the pervasive anti-Catholic, anti-life message presented in popular media by taking a "head-in-the-sand" approach, but instead advocates a combination of healthy skepticism, creativity, and technical skill development. As he said, "if we don't like the media we have, develop the skills to create another."Center for Literacy Education — No single gift is more precious and empowering than the gift of reading. Simply put, when students read more, their lives improve. Academic literacy rates are positively correlated to life expectancy, educational outcomes, and earning potential, while low literacy rates are negatively correlated to incarceration, dropping out, and unemployment. To open a book is to unlock a whole host of academic and professional opportunities that might not otherwise be available. With this in mind, the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives founded the Center for Literacy Education (CLE) in 2017 with the generous support of a Notre Dame family from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The CLE’s goal is to transform literacy scholarship and practice in today's urban and multicultural urban schools. Led by inaugural director Dr. Ernest Morrell, a nationally known expert in literacy studies, the CLE especially targets students from vulnerable populations attending public and Catholic schools.Every Child a Super Reader — Literacy experts Pam Allyn and Ernest Morrell maintain that when we build on children's key strengths and immerse them in an intellectually invigorating, emotionally nurturing, literature-rich community, we grow "super readers"-avid readers who consume texts with passion, understanding, and a critical eye.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Martin, a systematic theologian who received her Ph.D. from Notre Dame, joined the faculty in the College of Arts and Letters in 2012. Her first book, Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Critical Appropriation of Russian Religious Thought, was one of 10 winners internationally of the 2017 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise. She is co-editor of An Apocalypse of Love: Essays in Honor of Cyril O’ Regan, and she is currently working on a second book project, tentatively titled ‘Recollecting Forwardly’: The Poetics of Tradition, that treats repetition, poetics, and theologies of history in mainly French ressourcement theology. Special Guest: Jenny Martin.Links:Faculty Profile Page: Jenny Martin — Jennifer Newsome Martin (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2012) is a systematic theologian with areas of research interest in 19th and 20th century Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox thought, trinitarian theology, theological aesthetics, religion and literature, French feminism, ressourcement theology, and the nature of religious tradition.Jennifer Martin wins Undergraduate Teaching Award — Jennifer Newsome Martin, an assistant professor in the Program of Liberal Studies, has received the 2019 Frank O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award for outstanding service to the students of the Notre Dame community. Established in 1994 by the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning, the award is named for Notre Dame professor Frank O’Malley, who taught classes on the philosophy of literature for more than 40 years. Recipients are nominated by undergraduates and approved by the Student Government.Charles Peguy: The Portal of the Mystery of Hope — The universal appeal of Charles Peguy (1873-1914) has made him one of France's best-loved poets. His influence has also caused a gentle but unmistakable shift in twentieth-century Catholic thought, leaving a legacy that continues in such writers as Bernanos, Marcel, Guardini, de Lubac, and Balthasar. In The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, Peguy offers a comprehensive theology ordered around the often-neglected second theological virtue, which is incarnated in his celebrated image of the "little girl Hope." As the first critical edition of Peguy's poetry to appear in English, this volume also contains a biographical chronology, a bibliography, and a host of notes that situate the poem in the context of Peguy's life.Hans Holbein the Younger: The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb — The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb is an oil and tempera on limewood painting created by the German artist and printmaker Hans Holbein the Younger between 1520–22. The work shows a life-size, grotesque depiction of the stretched and unnaturally thin body of Jesus Christ lying in his tomb. Holbein shows the dead Son of God after he has suffered the fate of an ordinary human.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

We chat with Margaret Cabaniss, the scholarly research and publications program manager for the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. She oversees the Center's book series with the University of Notre Dame Press, manages the visiting scholars program, and coordinates the Notre Dame Fall Conference, the signature academic event that the Center has sponsored since its foundation in 1999.Special Guest: Margaret Cabaniss.Links:20th Annual Fall Conference: I Have Called You Friends — This year's conference will explore the theme of friendship, from its ancient understanding as "the crown of life and the school of virtue" (C.S. Lewis) to the present day. What does it mean to make the good of another one's own, and what might be the implications of losing such an understanding of friendship in the modern world? In the interdisciplinary spirit of the Fall Conference, the dCEC encourages submissions from a wide array of fields of inquiry, including theology, philosophy, political theory, law, history, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences, literature, and the arts.dCEC Book Series with UND Press — Our director, fellows, and affiliated scholars publish cutting-edge research, including the de Nicola Center’s various book series with the University of Notre Dame Press, which each feature first-rate scholarship that brings a distinctive voice to the most important conversations in elite academia. We currently have three open book series with Notre Dame Press: Catholic Ideas for a Secular World, the dCEC Solzhenitsyn Series, and Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

On April 26, 2019, we were joined by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, for a special Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart as we formally dedicated the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. In this episode, we share the Cardinal's homily at that Mass, in which he speaks about the mission of a great Catholic university like Notre Dame, and the role that the de Nicola Center plays in advancing that mission to share the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition.Special Guest: Timothy Cardinal Dolan.Links:Cardinal Dolan's biography — His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2009. He was installed as Archbishop of New York on April 15, 2009. He had served as Archbishop of Milwaukee since he was named by Pope John Paul II on June 25, 2002. He was installed as Milwaukee’s 10th archbishop on August 28, 2002, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Papal Nuncio to the United States, installed Archbishop Dolan.Mass Readings for Friday, April 26, 2019 (Friday in the Octave of Easter) — Acts of the Apostles 4:1-12; Psalm 118; John 21: 1–14Video: Dedication Mass for the de Nicola Center — Celebrated and preached on April 26, 2019, by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame.Video: Dedication Ceremony of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture — Speakers include Timothy Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York), Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. (University President), Dean Sarah Mustillo (Dean of the College of Arts & Letters), Christie de Nicola (Benefactor), and Keenan White (undergraduate Sorin Fellow).Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

Links:The Qur'an and the Bible: Text and Commentary — While the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are understood to be related texts, the sacred scripture of Islam, the third Abrahamic faith, has generally been considered separately. Noted religious scholar Gabriel Said Reynolds draws on centuries of Qur'ānic and Biblical studies to offer rigorous and revelatory commentary on how these holy books are intrinsically connected.The Emergence of Islam — This brief survey text tells the story of Islam. Gabriel Said Reynolds organizes his study in three parts, beginning with Muhammad's early life and rise to power, showing the origins and development of the Qur an with a distinctive, if unique, juxtaposition between the Qur'an and biblical literature, and concluding with an overview of modern and fundamentalist narratives of Islam's origin, which reveals how those who represent Islam's future begin by shaping its past.Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices — Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices offers a survey of Islamic history and thought from the formative period of the religion to the contemporary period. It examines the unique elements which have combined to form Islam, in particular, the Qurʾān and perceptions of the Prophet Muḥammad, and traces the ways in which these ideas have interacted to influence Islam’s path to the present. Combining core source materials with coverage of current scholarship and of recent events in the Islamic world, Bernheimer and Rippin introduce this hugely significant religion, including alternative visions of Islam found in Shi’ism and Sufism, in a succinct, challenging, and refreshing way. The improved and expanded fifth edition is updated throughout and includes new textboxes.Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty — As the Arab Spring threatens to give way to authoritarianism in Egypt and reports from Afghanistan detail widespread violence against U.S. troops and women, news from the Muslim world raises the question: Is Islam incompatible with freedom? In Islam without Extremes, Turkish columnist Mustafa Akyol answers this question by revealing the little-understood roots of political Islam, which originally included both rationalist, flexible strains and more dogmatic, rigid ones. Though the rigid traditionalists won out, Akyol points to a flourishing of liberalism in the nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire and the unique “Islamo-liberal synthesis” in present-day Turkey. As he powerfully asserts, only by accepting a secular state can Islamic societies thrive. Islam without Extremes offers a desperately needed intellectual basis for the reconcilability of Islam and liberty.Minding Scripture Podcast — Minding Scripture is a podcast series where divine word and human reason meet. We explore questions that believers and skeptics alike ask about the Bible and the Qur’an. Minding Scripture is moderated by Gabriel Reynolds, co-hosted by Francesca Murphy, Tzvi Novick, and Mun'im Sirry, and sponsored by the World Religion World Church program in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.Theme Song: "I Dunno" by grapes — I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque