New Polity

Money makes you more predictable, less creative, and more controllable. Surprise, surprise, Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam still don't like money. But they give you some ideas on how to use it to become more free, creative, and virtuous. Help us make more: visit https://www.newpolity.com/donate

Magic obscures cause and effect. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam argue that money functions a bit like magic, at least obscuring the true cause and habituating us to the idea that we can be our own gods.

Many of us think of debts as finite monetary obligations, but that's just a modern re-framing. In this episode Jacob Imam argues that true debts can never be repaid and that gifts are supposed to create true debt—debt that builds a community of love rather than a system of repayment. Marc Barnes is there, too.

It may seem like Good Money is advocating eliminating all wealth. Is being rich sinful? Bad? Jacob Imam and Andrew Jones provide some nuance to the question of being rich.

F.I.R.E. = Financial Independence, Retire Early. Work is a sacramental insofar as it was a gift God gave us in the garden, which helps us participate in Him. So ceasing from work is not a good thing, but retiring from certain jobs is. Tune in with Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam to hear the pros and cons of F.I.R.E.

"Investing is good because it allows you to retire without being a burden on your kids." Is this statement true? Listen in to  get Good Money's first take on retirement with Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

The Council of Nicaea laid out the most foundational beliefs of Catholic doctrine: the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father. It was in this same ecumenical council, indeed, the very first ecumenical council, in which usury, lending money at interest, was condemned. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss the Church's teaching then and now.

Nichole Oresme was the first scholastic to write a treatise on the nature of money. And as no Church Father had ever written on the topic, one can say that this is the first treatise on the nature of money in the Church. His understanding of money is different than what we use today, but his insights are still worth a listen. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss.

At the Savior's command and formed by Divine Teaching, we dare to pray: "Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors." Christ refers to a spiritual jubilee—but just because it is spiritual does not mean that it is not also real, monetarily speaking. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam walk through this idea and help you prepare for your own jubilee.

What was the Year of Jubilee and where did it come from? Jacob Imam takes an in-depth look at the Old Testament as well as Babylonian Jubilees to shed light on current discussions of debt forgiveness.

It's the visible sign of an invisible power. It denotes the limits of a community. It is the lifeblood of a nation. It connects the citizen with the sovereign. Money serves a similar formative role in the nation as the Eucharist does in the Church. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss.

Inheritance is inevitable. We will die without ever figuring out how to take our stuff with us. This makes the rather odd claim, “I will give everything I own away when I die,” seem quite silly, at least to the Church Fathers: “Of course you will!” They reply. Sit down with Marc and Jacob to hear how the fathers suggested we write our wills.

Almsgiving sounds churchy and ambiguous. Surprise: it’s not. It’s the virtue that fulfills the envious man’s perverted dream of being another person; it’s the work of merit that cures our capitalist obsession with merit; it’s the antidote to sin; it’s the hope for both the rich and poor. Listen up and do penance.

The Catholic principle is not, "Give a man a fish." And it is definitely not, "Teach a man to fish." It's not even, "Give a man a fish while you teach him how to fish." The good Catholic economy is summarized in the maxim, "Give a man a fishing pole and teach him to fish with it while you serve him nicely seasoned grilled halibut." Listen in to hear our argument for the gift economy...

This past year billionaires increased their wealth by 36%. Despite this incredible gain, 35% of the Forbes 400 (the 400 wealthiest people in the world) gave only 1% of their wealth away. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam play the game "How to Blow A Billion Dollars" to help those with money understand how to usher in a Christian culture.

Magnificence, another money virtue, calls for a truly magnificent end. We're not talking creating another company that you own or big investments. We're talking about using wealth (yes, this one requires serious moolah) to do something that will forever change your city. Let's fix some churches and start some monasteries. Separate yourself from a large amount of money for a great work. You don't n...

Don't build your wealth without building the virtue of liberality: a habit of giving so as to be an icon, rather than an idol, of God. Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss how they each fail at this.

Act now! You don’t need to have a lot of money to practice virtue. And you can’t afford to delay virtue. Featuring Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

Christianity offends the pieties of a money economy by giving two great commandments: Thou Shalt Not Save Wantonly and Thou Shalt Spend Like God. Featuring Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam.

Jacob Imam and Marc Barnes speak with author Brandon McGinley about his new book, It Is Right and Just , co-authored with Scott Hahn and recently published by Emmaus Road Publishing.

Marc Barnes and Andrew Willard Jones posit Black Friday as a "Sabbath of Liberalism" and apply the ideas in William Cavanaugh's recent New Polity magazine article.

Marc Barnes and Jacob Imam discuss their recent article, The Perversion of the Priesthood .

Andrew Jones says that "the point of politics is virtue. To “do politics” is to engage in making other people virtuous, or it is not politics at all, but an evil or a farce masquerading in its name." In this podcast, Alex Plato and Jacob discuss virtue—what it is, who has it, and how to get it. In particular, they discuss the Thomistic versus Franciscan notions of pagan virtues to tie it back into...

Marc Barnes had a chance to sit down with  Patrick Coffin  to discuss the Church and the State, the upcoming election, Kanye vs. Trump, abortion, celebrities, and more.

The ancients tried to suppress their consciences, the moderns live by their unformed conscience, in between the two is the Christian conception, which Alex Plato and Jacob Imam discuss.