Just as God is a community, a Trinity of Persons, so too, man—who is created by God—was made to live in community. This social aspect of man is embedded in our human nature. Today I talk about how the human society and even the civil authorities are willed by God. I also talk about the principle of “subsidiarity”. Don’t miss this great episode! - Y…

Joe Rigney discusses his new book, Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World, and the need for men in particular to rediscover their authority. Rigney argues that rightly used authority is a blessing to those under it and in the absence of that authority chaos reign…

The Seven Capital Sins or Deadly Sins: Why are they called “Capital”? Are they sins or vices? What are some examples of each of them? How can we oppose and overcome them? Today we address with Deacon Benjamin (a member of the Miles Christi Religious Order) these topics that can be so eye-opening for your spiritual life! - You can find these topics …

Andrew Zwerneman discusses the nature of history, how it should be taught, and its role in a classical education. History is a primary method of shaping the moral imagination, and Zwerneman describes the pivotal role of the classical educator in forming students to cultivate historical consciousness. Find all of Andrew resources and more at Cana Ac…

SHOWNOTES Today I interview Fr. Michael Ward. He is an Englishman, a Catholic Priest, and a literary critic and theologian, with a special expertise in the writings of C. S. Lewis. He will share with us insights on C. S. Lewis’ works and gives great recommendations on why read his works and which are the most important from his point of view. - Fr.…

Rob Thornett, a classical educator with Great Hearts Academies, explains how classical methods and approaches help students discover the good that education can give them. Rob is a global traveler, and has taught in various international settings. This conversational episode is based on Rob’s article in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2024/02/09/t…

During the Sacred Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we could identify different ways in which people offended God. We have Judas, who was instrumental in capturing our Lord; St. Peter who denied Jesus three times; some of the Pharisees and the leaders of the Sanhedrin; there was Pilate himself, who could have released Christ. And finally, there wer…

Scott Yenor describes more than 20 woke pieces of legislation passed in California in recent years and the terrible effects they have on California education. Dr. Yenor explains what’s really going in some key educational buzzwords: culturally responsive teaching, social emotional learning, action civics, critical social justice, and restorative ju…

Today I interview Fr. Michael Ward. He is an Englishman, a Catholic Priest who converted from Anglicanism, and a literary critic and theologian, with a special expertise in the writings of C.S. Lewis. He works at the University of Oxford where he is an associate member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion. He is the author of the award-winning a…

Paul Krause, editor in chief of Voegelin View, joins Josh for this season's Great Books discussion on Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Krause situates Swift in his moment in time, and explains the depths of satirical insight Swift applies to questions of human nature. What do the Houyhnhnm, Yahoos, Brobdingnagians, Lilliputians, Laputans, and c…

When there’s a car accident, your vehicle can be dented or scraped, or it could be totaled. Something similar happens with sin. Sin can be venial or mortal. And these two are essentially different degrees of sin. Through mortal sin we lose the state of Grace, and if we die unrepented and with that mortal sin in our soul, we cannot enter Heaven. Thi…

Ferenc Horcher discusses the life, scholarship, and humanity of Sir Roger Scruton. Author of Art and Politics in Roger Scruton’s Conservative Philosophy, Horcher explains the connections between Scruton's life and the development of his philosophy. Along the way, Horcher explains Scruton's aesthetic, conservatism, and cultivation of the finer thing…

Evil is an undeniable reality in our world. But the worst evil is that of SIN. Through sin we deliberately break the law of God, offend our Creator, and hurt our neighbor and ourselves. But the Mercy of God is greater than our sin, and with the grace won by Jesus Christ we can overcome sin in our lives! - LINK to episodes 90 and 95 of this podcast …

Today we welcome Msgr. McLean Cummings, a priest from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and Director of Spiritual Formation at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. He spent several years as a missionary priest in Russia. He will share with us his vocation story, as well as some insights for discernment, good tips for your prayer life, and recommendations for a s…

Between Elon Musk's Neuralink, Amazon's Upload, and the promises of both AI programs like Chat GPT and Google Gemini and investments into virtual reality (Meta), the potential for exchanging the material world for some other kind of existence has never been more clear. But can an alternate reality lead to happiness? Dr. Peter Forrest, Dean of Human…

Today we consider the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit individually, and we look at some good examples of how they acted in the lives of the saints! - You can find the topics discussed today in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 1830 through 1832. - You can read the encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, “Divinum illud munus” here. - Fr. Patrick Wai…

Today we welcome Deacon Benjamin, a transitional deacon of Miles Christi born in Texas. He will share with us his vocation story, as well as some insights for discernment and good tips for your prayer life! - Fr. Patrick Wainwright is a priest of Miles Christi, a Catholic Religious Order. - Visit the Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://w…

Katy Faust and Stacy Manning discuss the realities of raising conservative kids in a woke city. They offer realistic advice and solid analysis with a gentleness of spirit that will resonate with all parents. The book is Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City - get your copy today!By OptimisticCurmudgeon2021

When St. Joan of Arc was confronted with a tribunal made up of the best theologians in France, she didn’t stand a chance. However, her answers were so profound and clear, that she baffled all those who were trying to prove her wrong. Her answers were examples of the gifts of the Holy Spirit—particularly that of Wisdom—put into action. In this episo…

Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. It is the New Commandment of Jesus Christ (Jn 13:34). In this episode we look at the nature of love, the third theological virtue, and how to put it into practice in your daily life. Don’t miss the inspiring e…

What do Habakkuk, Job and the Good Thief (who was crucified with Christ) have in common? They are all amazing examples of the supernatural virtue of Hope. Today, following their example, together with the example of the Seven Maccabean brothers, I address the meaning of the theological Virtue of Hope. I also suggest great ways in which you can prac…

Today we look at the Theological Virtues, and the virtue of Faith in particular, how it is a theological virtue infused by God in baptism, that enables us to believe in God, and believe in everything that God has said and revealed to us through Jesus Christ, which the Holy Church presents to us and taught by God. Toward the end of the episode, I sp…

Josh delivered this talk at the 2023 Thales Press Classical Summit; it is a distillation of his dissertation which explores C.S. Lewis's theory of gender. Lewis believed that gender is a fundamental real relationship the governs reality; he wrote about this in both nonfiction and his fiction, and his theory prophetically solves the transgender mala…

After looking at an example in the life of St. Philip Neri, "the Apostle of Rome", we look at the supernatural life given to us in Baptism, particularly, the “infused moral virtues”, as different from the “acquired moral virtues” and from the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit”. - The topics discussed can be found in the Catechism, numbers 1265-1266, and 18…

Today we speak about the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. I describe them, show their importance in your spiritual life, and give some good examples of how you can apply them in your daily life. Listen in to know how to understand and live out these four columns of our moral life! - The topics discussed can be found …

Today I share a simple experience that reminded me how God can work at any time and unexpectedly through the hands of a Priest. Some weeks ago I attended SEEK, a conference with some 20,000 college students in attendance, and some 450 priests helping with confessions. I hope this story is an occasion to reinvigorate the appreciation of the Holy Pri…

Karen Elliott, Executive Director of The Rafiki Foundation, shares about her organization's work in developing and practicing classical education in 10 different African countries. Karen shares about her background, why she loves classical education, and the unique possibility classical education offers to help African education leaders elevate the…

After considering the virtuous example of how St. Francis de Sales was able to overcome his bad temper with much effort and patience (scratch marks were found under his desk!), we look at what are some key principles to living a virtuous life. What is VIRTUE and why is it important? In particular, that we should have as a goal not just “doing good …

Dr. Nathan Orlando of Benedictine College discusses International Relations and the influence of Aristotle's Politics on contemporary diplomacy. (This episode was recorded in September of 2023, so please pardon the lack of reference to Israel and Hamas's current war).By OptimisticCurmudgeon2021

The Christmas season is in full swing, and the New Year is here! As we begin 2024, on January 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. She is our protection and our strength as we begin anew. The Christian Tradition teaches us a beautiful Marian Antiphon, very proper to this time of the year, called the Sub Tuum Praesidium…

In this episode I welcome Fr. John of God, as we prepare for Christmas. We talk about some principles of our moral conscience, how it is the God-given help to know what is right and wrong. We discuss topics like what is a guilty conscience, an erroneous conscience, culpable ignorance and invincible ignorance, and how we can sometimes silence our co…

In this episode I welcome Fr. Tim Anastos, who is a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and a chaplain at the Newman Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He shares his vocation story, and some thoughts about discernment, Advent and Christmas. He has a series of minute-reel homilies which you can find in the link below. - Link to Fr. Ti…

Ben Crenshaw (PhD Cand., Hillsdale College) explains his view of Christian nationalism, the importance of Christian foundations for the American political order, and why this debate matters for accurate American historical scholarship. Ben is building on his paper presented at the 2023 ISI American Politics and Government. With shout outs to Stephe…

In this episode we talk about why it is important to “form your conscience” and some ways to do it successfully. Don’t miss these reflections, so useful for your spiritual life! - You can find the topics discussed in this episode in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 1783-1785. - Fr. Patrick Wainwright is a priest of Miles Christi, a Cat…

In this episode I look at that “treasure within ourselves” which is our moral conscience. It is a “treasure” because it shows us the path to live honest and virtuous lives, and therefore is like the voice of God in our hearts that leads us to Heaven. I look at the example of an Old Testament king, and at the example of St. Augustine in his Confessi…

In this episode we continue talking about human passions and how they interact with our will, our deliberate choices, and how we can train our passions to make them be more in line with what is morally good and virtuous. I present an example taken from the life of St. Joan of Arc, that shows how human passions can affect us positively and help make…

Dr. Clifford Humphrey discusses his article in The American Reformer, "The Ends of Mere Classical Education: Which Way Western Man?" He defines classical education, and articulates the importance of classical schools clearly defining their aims if they want to remain distinct from other educational options.…

In this episode I speak about the passions, and the role they play in our moral life. I look at the life of Christ, and how the Gospels manifest different moments in the life of Our Lord where his passions are manifested. I share an amazing example taken from the Confessions of St. Augustine. - You can find the topics discussed in this episode in t…

In this episode we look into the “sources” of the morality of our human actions, specifically, what is the “moral object” what are the “intentions” and what are the “circumstances” of a human act. We address why “the end doesn’t justify the means” and why some actions are always morally illicit, like the case of abortion, blasphemy and perjury. - Y…

Keith Foskey, @YourCalvinist,tells the origin of his denominations videos. Along the way, he explains theological liberalism, Calvinism, and progressive ideas that are creeping into the church world. Foskey sees his comedy as a form of ministry, and explains his inspiration from Dennis "The Swan" Swanberg. Foskey concludes with considering how laug…

Freedom is not a burden—it is a great GIFT from God that enables us to love Him and love our neighbor. However, it comes with a great responsibility. Soon after the coming of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost, St. Paul—actually called “Saul” at the time—consented to St. Stephen’s execution (Acts 8:1). While others threw the stones, he held their cloaks—…

One of the fundamental pillars of the Christian moral life is our human freedom. Freedom is a gift of God given to us in order to choose freely what is good, what is according to the will of God. That gives us our dignity and our responsibility. I share the story of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, and Austrian farmer who died a martyr under the Nazi go…

Daniel Pitt discusses his years studying with the late Sir Roger Scruton. Daniel is a scholar focusing on traditionalist conservatism, and his interview shares insights into the life of Roger Scruton, Russell Kirk, and Richard Weaver. Daniel is a scholar at the University of Sheffield, and brings a deep love of conservatism to the questions of piet…

Today I interview Bro. Daniel Heffernan on the Beatitudes. We talk about how to interpret three of the beatitudes: “Blessed are the merciful”; “Blessed are the peacemakers”; “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” Bro. Daniel was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and is now a perpetually professed Brother of Miles Christ…

Today I continue reflecting on the Beatitudes: “Blessed are they who thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” I welcome Ben Eriksen again (he joined us in the last episode already!), who was born and raised in Michigan, and is about to finish his doctorate degree in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. Make sure you liste…

This time around we continue reflecting on the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit (…). Blessed are they who mourn (…). Blessed are the meek (…).” Today we welcome Ben Eriksen, who was born and raised in Michigan, and is about to finish his doctorate degree in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. - You can find the topics discu…

Dr. Jenna Robinson discusses the Martin Center for Academic Renewal's recent articles about the connection between accreditation and DEI at UNC Chapel HIll. She explains the history of accreditations, and the way positive sounding language is used to mask a new expectation of orthodoxy. Dr. Robinson closes with specific suggestions for how UNC Chap…

“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” (Mt 5:8). In this episode we look at what is the meaning of “the heart”, and how purity of heart means to love God above all, and to have God as the final purpose of everything we do daily. - ENKINDLE Conference – Information and how to register: https://www.mileschristi.org/event/enkindle/ - S…

The Beatitudes of the Gospel are eight statements that our Lord taught within the context of the Sermon of the Mount (chapters 5-7 of St. Matthew). They are attitudes, ideals we have to aim for if we want to be true disciples of Christ. They portray, in some way, an image of Jesus Christ, they describe the heart of the Gospel. Those who live them o…

Jesus Christ is the foundation and the center of all the moral teaching of the Catholic Church. Our Lord became man to redeem us, but also to teach us the way to Heaven, the way to our fulfillment, the way to complete joy. So, the moral teachings of the Church, with all its precepts and “rules”, is like a help, like a road map that shows us the way…