Best Conversations With Friends About Church History Podcasts (2024)

1
Catholic Ethics, Transhumanism & Star Trek: A Conversation with Dr. Jason Eberl 49:54

1h ago49:54

49:54

Today’s topic is one straight out of science fiction. We’re talking about transhumanism—which, as you’ll soon learn, is very much a real thing with very real ethical implications. That’s why Dr. Jason Eberl, professor and director of the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University, is here to share his insights and experti…

1
Celebrate Ignatius' Feast by Celebrating Jesuit History 42:25

12m ago42:25

42:25

Today, July 31, we celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Happy feast day! We'll wager a guess that if you’re a listener of this podcast, then today’s saint needs no introduction. You know about the cannonball, the pilgrimage, the Spiritual Exercises and the founding of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius’ story, told year after year, might even…

1
Why So Many Scholars Love Bernard Lonergan, SJ with Jonathan Heaps 52:23

41m ago52:23

52:23

There is a list of Jesuit giants through history you hear over and over. That list starts with Saint Ignatius and his companions, of course, then includes to other Jesuit saints and blesseds to more modern Jesuits who are often called by just one name: Rahner. Hopkins. De Lubac. Teilhard. Arrupe. Dulles. Ellacuria. Bergoglio. And today’s episode is…

1
How One Gen X Theology Professor Teaches Gen Z with Scott Moringiello 57:15

7d ago57:15

57:15

A few weeks ago, our guest was the sociologist of religion Tricia Bruce, who talked about what we know about the state of the American Catholic Church today. On this episode, host Mike Jordan Laskey is pursuing the same questions but from a different angle. Our guest is Scott Moringiello, and he’s an associate professor of Catholic Studies at DePau…

1
Swimming From Regis Jesuit to Olympic Gold with Missy Franklin 33:10

13d ago33:10

33:10

In honor of the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, we’re thrilled to welcome the swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist Missy Franklin onto the podcast. Maybe you remember Missy taking the Olympics by storm back in 2012 at the age of 17. What you might now know, though, is that Missy was a student at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, Colorado dur…

1
How Beauty Heals at the Homeboy Art Academy with Fabian Debora 33:30

10d ago33:30

33:30

Most of our listeners have surely at least heard of Homeboy Industries, which is the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the world. Founded in Los Angeles by the Jesuit priest Fr. Greg Boyle in 1988, Homeboy works with about 10,000 former gang members each year in dozens of different ways, from job training to tattoo removal to…

1
The Holy Spirit Provides with Holy Trinity's Migrant Familia 46:28

1M ago46:28

46:28

"The Holy Spirit provides." This is one of the central mantras of the Migrant Familia program at Holy Trinity Jesuit Parish. Based in Washington, DC, the parish's Familia provides crucial support to newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers, helping them find housing, apply for work permits, enroll in school, and receive medical care. More than pro…

1
How Communication Technology Transforms Cultures with Fr. Paul Soukup, SJ 52:52

1M ago52:52

52:52

The internet, wherever we access it, is so much of our lives now. Being online isn’t some alternate reality different from our real lives. The internet is real life. But what is that doing to our brains and our souls? How are the mini computers in our pockets affecting our lives, whether we’re using them for listening to great Jesuit podcasts or mi…

1
What We Know About Today's Church (And How We Know It) with Tricia Bruce 48:39

2M ago48:39

48:39

We presume listeners to this podcast are interested in the state of the Catholic Church in North America. But if you stop to think about what you know about the church, or how you think you know what you now, you might realize your picture is incomplete. Maybe we parrot popular talking points about polarization or disaffiliation or frustrations wit…

1
Learning from the Martyrs Alfred Delp, SJ, and Edith Stein with Fr. Peter Nguyen, SJ 53:46

2M ago53:46

53:46

Of all the saints and heroes of the faith we have in our Catholic tradition, it can be difficult to spiritually connect with martyrs. Maybe that’s part of the point of martyrs, to trouble us a bit in a holy way, to remind us that sometimes faith in Christ can mean literally laying down one’s life for one’s friends. The martyrs invite us to reflect …

1
Pathway to Priesthood: How to be a Jesuit Priest in Secular Society 56:00

2M ago56:00

56:00

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with s…

1
Making Catholic Films for Atheists with Eric Groth 37:12

2M ago37:12

37:12

If you’re as interested in Catholicism and the arts as we are here at AMDG, you might also have been excited to see that a new movie about Flannery O’Connor’s writing and life is now playing nationwide. The movie is called “Wildcat,” directed and written by Ethan Hawke and starring his daughter Maya Hawke, who plays both Flannery and a range of cha…

1
Pathway to Priesthood: Answering Tough Questions 36:45

2M ago36:45

36:45

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with s…

1
The Surprising History of Humility with Christopher Bellitto 53:58

2M ago53:58

53:58

It’s graduation season, which means it’s commencement address season. Host Mike Jordan Laskey did a quick Google search for “most common words in graduation speeches,” and the top hit provided this list – which doesn’t include prepositions or other super-common words:1. Life2. Make3. People4. World5. Yourself6. Success7. Generation8. HumanThere are…

1
Pathway to Priesthood: How Am I Accompanied? 40:18

2M ago40:18

40:18

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with s…

1
This Jesuit's on Fire: A Pentecost Story 25:33

2M ago25:33

25:33

This year marks 10 years since Fr. Paul Shelton, SJ, was ordained a priest. As a result, he's been feeling a bit reflective, nostalgic even. He's been thinking about the very first Mass he ever celebrated.But not for the reason you think.Today's episode of "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" is a fun one. In it, we hear from a variety of voices, a variety of …

1
Pathway to Priesthood: How Do I Know I'm Ready? 39:53

3M ago39:53

39:53

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In these conversations, host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. They reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of Jesuit formation, and wrestle with s…

1
How Catholic Charities Lives the Gospel with Kerry Robinson 40:16

2M ago40:16

40:16

If you made a list of the best things about the Catholic Church in the United States, Catholic Charities USA would be in that list’s very top tier. A network of 168 local agencies based in dioceses throughout the country, Catholic Charities served more than 15 million of our at-risk neighbors last year alone. They serve people without homes, those …

1
Pathway to Priesthood: Why Religious Life? 47:50

2M ago47:50

47:50

Welcome to “Pathway to Priesthood”—a limited audio series from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States in which host Eric Clayton talks with Jesuits who are in the final days of preparing for priestly ordination. Hear Jesuits reflect back on their vocation stories and experience of formation, all while wrestling with some of the bigge…

1
English version: Reynaldo Domínguez's Deadly Fight to Care for Creation 44:30

3M ago44:30

44:30

In 60-plus years of life, Reynaldo Domínguez has never heard someone say, "I live without water and I live in peace." Water is fundamental to a healthy and peaceful life, he says. Yet for Reynaldo and his community in Guapinol, Honduras, access to clean water has become a deadly fight that has killed two of his brothers and sent him and his family …

1
Versión en español: La lucha mortal de Reynaldo Domínguez para el cuidado de la creación 50:01

3M ago50:01

50:01

En más de 60 años de vida, Reynaldo Domínguez nunca ha oído a nadie decir: "Vivo sin agua y vivo tranquilo". El agua es fundamental para una vida sana y en paz, nos afirma. Sin embargo, para Reynaldo y su comunidad en Guapinol, Honduras, el acceso al agua potable se ha convertido en una lucha mortal que ha matado a dos de sus hermanos y lo ha envia…

1
Grace, Attention and Beauty with Marilynne Robinson 50:28

4M ago50:28

50:28

The American essayist and novelist Marilynne Robinson may not be Catholic, but her writing reveals a deeply sacramental imagination. Through five books of fiction and dozens of essays, Robinson trains her readers in the art of spiritual attention. Where is God’s grace operating in nature and in the ordinary ways humans love, disappoint and forgive …

1
How Poetry and Prose Change Lives with Gary Jansen 41:03

4M ago41:03

41:03

In honor of National Poetry Month - which is currently underway during April 2024 - author and editor Gary Jansen returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, "Meditations at Midnight: Poetry and Prose."Gary lives at the intersection of faith and art. He’s worked in publishing a long time—both at secular publishing houses editing Catholic …

1
The Story Behind Flannery O'Connor's New Novel with Jessica Hooten Wilson 37:47

4M ago37:47

37:47

You might be familiar with the American Catholic novelist, Flannery O’Connor. You might have read her short stories in a class, maybe “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” or “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” to name a few. You might have even read one of her novels, an essay or two or some of her letters. You might know that she spent much of her rela…

1
From Video Game Designer to Jesuit with Shane Liesegang, SJ 56:27

4M ago56:27

56:27

There’s an old saying in Jesuit circles: If you’ve met one Jesuit, you’ve met one Jesuit. A fun list to make is all the different careers guys had before joining the Society of Jesus. We have actors and comedians, doctors and lawyers, astronomers and one former lieutenant governor. Shane Liesegang, SJ, today’s guest, is the only Jesuit host Mike Jo…

1
Founding and Growing the Cristo Rey Network of Schools with Fr. John Foley, SJ 43:01

5M ago43:01

43:01

Fr. John P. Foley, SJ, spent 34 years as a missionary in Peru -- a full career in most lines of work. But then, in 1995, he was missioned back to the United States to start a high school for Latino students from low-income backgrounds in Chicago. Despite immense challenges -- like not knowing where the school would be even at the press conference a…

1
Leading Creighton University in a Secular Age with Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ 43:13

5M ago43:13

43:13

While Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, president of Creighton University, is excited for both his women's and men's basketball teams' March Madness journeys, today’s episode isn’t about basketball at all. (Well, it makes an appearance for a couple minutes at the end.) It’s about the roles of Jesuit colleges and universities in our world today.Host Mike …

1
Making the Jesuit App “Pray As You Go” with Emma Holland 38:29

5M ago38:29

38:29

Ever since the Jesuits in the United Kingdom launched the daily prayer project “Pray As You Go” (PAYG) in 2006, the creative team behind the resource has shared fabulous audio prayer programs that are spiritually nourishing in their beauty and simplicity. Each day combines music, Scripture from the lectionary, and short spoken prayer prompts that a…

1
How Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ, Found God in Soviet Captivity with Jim Keane 36:24

5M ago36:24

36:24

The basic details of Father Walter Ciszek life sound like a movie: An American Jesuit priest ministering in Eastern Europe around the time of World War II, he was arrested by the Soviet Union and falsely accused of being a Vatican spy. He spent time in a KGB prison and more than a decade in Siberian labor camps. His family and his Jesuit brothers b…

1
Learning to Love Lent Through Music with Margaret Felice 43:45

5M ago43:45

43:45

When you hear the word “Lent,” what is the first thing you think of? Maybe it’s purple or giving up social media or chocolate. Or maybe it’s trying to build better prayer habits or abstaining from meat on Fridays. Or famous Lenten Scripture passages like the Transfiguration. For Margaret Felice, today's guest, one thing that’s always near the top o…

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Synodality: Embracing Tension, Staying at the Table with Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ 31:13

6M ago31:13

31:13

Today's guest has an incredible amount of experience of the truly "catholic," global nature of the church. Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ, today serves as the dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University. This school is one of the two Jesuit “theologates” in the United States, which means it’s a place where Jesuits in formation…

1
Get to Know Pierre Teilhard de Chardin with Sr. Kathy Duffy, SSJ, Ph.D. 42:26

6M ago42:26

42:26

Even though the French paleontologist and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin died in 1955, it feels like his work is still being discussed and debated in theological circles all the time. There are numerous associations and publications dedicated solely to exploring Teilhard’s huge body of work. He made it back into the news this past fall when …

1
Solidarity and Service in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps with Tom Chabolla 34:49

6M ago34:49

34:49

For more than 60 years, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) has been a pioneer in the service landscape. With over 100 volunteers each year and over 12,000 alumni, they are one of the largest lay, Catholic, full-time volunteer programs in the world. JVC gives young adults the opportunity to engage in service and solidarity with local communities, root…

1
Service Never Stops: Talking Ignatian Volunteers with Mary McGinnity 32:52

6M ago32:52

32:52

In the final meditation of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us “that love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.” We are called to love and serve in all things.And so, it’s hardly a surprise that in the 500 or so years since Ignatius wrote those words, countless service organizations have grown and flourished…

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Beauty, Leadership and the Mystery of God with Fr. Leo O'Donovan, SJ 51:26

7M ago51:26

51:26

It’s hard to know where to start an interview with Jesuit Fr. Leo O’Donovan. At 89 years old, Fr. O’Donovan’s could boast a hefty list of accomplishments and accolades—though he’s not much interested in bragging. A theologian by training, he studied under the prominent Jesuit Fr. Karl Rahner in Munich, where O’Donovan’s own body of work would event…

1
How the Jesuit Prison Education Network is Changing Lives with Fr. Tom Curran, SJ 43:06

7M ago43:06

43:06

Have you ever met someone so passionate about something that you just couldn’t help getting excited about it, too? That was host Mike Jordan Laskey's experience when he first met Fr. Tom Curran, SJ, today's guest.Fr. Curran, who served as the president of Rockhurst University in Kansas City for 16 years, is now the coordinator of the Jesuit Prison …

1
Still Following Yonder Stars with Br. Bob Macke, SJ 29:17

7M ago29:17

29:17

This past weekend, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, when the three magi followed yonder star to God’s perfect light (to paraphrase the old song). By gazing at the stars, people from near and far we’re drawn to Christ—a reminder that, woven into the very fabric of the universe, God reveals Godself, guiding us deeper into God’s mystery and an…

1
An Ignatian Spiritual Boost to Start 2024 with Christopher Collins, SJ 27:37

7M ago27:37

27:37

Happy New Year! And welcome to the first episode of AMDG of 2024. Each January, to kick off a new year, we like to delve into aspects of Ignatian spirituality that might be particularly useful as we think about forming better habits and growing deeper in our relationship with God over the next 12 months. After all, Ignatian spirituality is all abou…

1
Ignatius of Loyola, Comic Book Hero with Tyler Button of Tapestry Comics 32:56

8M ago32:56

32:56

If you’re a long-time listener of this podcast—and certainly if you’re a graduate of Jesuit education—then you likely know a thing or two about the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola. You know about his courtly life, the cannonball, the conversion, the books he read while bedridden, his pilgrimage and the cave and the founding of the Society of Jesus.…

1
10 Great Christmas Characters with Shannon Evans and Cameron Bellm 49:13

8M ago49:13

49:13

It's an AMDG Christmas jamboree: our first-ever five-person episode. Friends of the pod (and awesome writers/retreat leaders) Shannon Evans and Cameron Bellm join AMDG's three co-hosts Mike Jordan Laskey, Eric Clayton and MegAnne Liebsch for a draft of Christmas characters. The conversation is raucous, overstuffed, reflective, spiritual, a little m…

1
What You Need to Know About the Life of Jesus this Christmas with Andrea Tornielli 40:31

8M ago40:31

40:31

“There is no faith without an encounter, because faith is a personal encounter with Jesus,” Pope Francis writes. He goes on: “One of the things that helps us when we have the Gospels before our eyes is to imagine those encounters with Jesus—recreate them, look at him ourselves, meet him ourselves. In the Gospels, to look and to see are two very imp…

1
How to Be Religious with Phil Christman 48:47

8M ago48:47

48:47

From the Jesuits of Canada and the United States, this is AMDG. I’m Mike Jordan Laskey.Sometimes, people wonder how we pick guests for the show. We tell them the Jesuit network is so huge that we’ll never run out of interesting conversation partners. Sometimes, though, we come across someone outside of a Jesuit context whose work we love and who we…

1
Telling Old Stories in New Ways This Advent with Joe Durepos 30:19

8M ago30:19

30:19

This coming Sunday, December 3, is the first Sunday of Advent and the start of a whole new Church Year. These days leading up to Christmas and beyond can feel overwhelming: spiritually, emotionally, all of it. So, it’s tempting to say, Haven’t we already done this? What more do I have to learn from these stories? I’m going to sit this one out. Toda…

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Give Thanks the Ignatian Way with Mark Thibodeaux, SJ 37:09

9M ago37:09

37:09

This week in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday in which we’re invited to cultivate a disposition of gratitude. What are we thankful for? Who are we thankful for? How can we be gifts to others?Gratitude is a foundational disposition in Ignatian spirituality. Ignatius wanted us to know that our God is a giver of good gifts,…

1
Practicing Synodality Through Art with Jen Norton and Allison Beyer 38:36

9M ago38:36

38:36

At the end of October, about 1900 people arrived at a massive hotel in Washington, DC, for the 26th annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, which is sponsored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Most of the attendees were students from Jesuit high schools and colleges, gathered for three days of prayer, encounter, Catholic social teaching educ…

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The History of the Jesuits in the United States (Part 2) with Fr. David Collins, SJ 37:54

9M ago37:54

37:54

Today’s episode is the second part of host Mike Jordan Laskey's conversation with Fr. David Collins, SJ, about his fabulous new book “The Jesuits in the United States: A Concise History.” If you didn’t hear the first part of the interview, you might want to go back to last week’s episode and catch up. On today’s show, we focus mostly on American Je…

1
The History of the Jesuits in the United States (Part 1) with Fr. David Collins, SJ 45:25

9M ago45:25

45:25

“The history of America cannot be told without the history of religion, the history of American religion cannot be told without the history of Catholicism, and history of Catholicism in America cannot be told without the history of the Jesuits in America.”That’s the beginning of the dust jacket text for the new book “The Jesuits in the United State…

1
Faith and Politics with Senator Tim Kaine 42:47

10M ago42:47

42:47

Decades before Virginia Senator Tim Kaine ran for vice president in 2016, he spent a year ministering alongside Jesuits in the country of Honduras. That experience changed his life forever.Even though Senator Kaine was in Honduras back in 1980 and 1981, he still talks about his time there as if he got back just yesterday. It was the experience in H…

1
An Ignatian Approach to Mary 51:30

10M ago51:30

51:30

If you’ve ever been intimidated by Ignatian spirituality, today’s guest will put you at ease. In fact, Fr. Michael Hansen is determined to make the Ignatian exercises accessible to as many people as possible. Why? It’s simple: He knows that God is at work, whether you’re doing the full thirty day retreat or just a one-off reflection.Host Eric Clayt…

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From Prison in Nicaragua to Exile in the U.S. with Juan Sebastián Chamorro 44:18

10M ago44:18

44:18

If you have followed Jesuit-related headlines over the past few months, you might have heard about the situation in Nicaragua. In August, the government of dictator Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, closed the Jesuit-run University of Central America in the capital city of Managua. They confiscated the property, too, inclu…

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