Beatrice Institute Podcast

Jessica Mesman is founder of the blog Sick Pilgrim and coauthor of Love and Salt: A Spiritual Friendship in Letters . Her essays have been published in US Catholic , Lit Hub , Elle , Vox , America , and Christianity Today . Jessica joins Elise to discuss writing as a form of accompaniment and how the experience of mourning shaped her, both as a Christian and as a writer. They talk about the Cathol...

Rusty Reno is author of several books and editor of First Things , an ecumenical journal of religion and public life. His conversation with Ryan covers his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, the scholars and books that have most influenced him, and why he thinks fear is an enemy to solidarity. They also discuss Rusty's legendary climbing fall, his climbing escapades in Yosemite in the ear...

Luke Sheahan is an assistant professor of political science at Duquesne University and non-resident scholar at the program for research on religion and urban civil society at the University of Pennsylvania. He joins John to discuss his new book, Why Associations Matter: The Case for First Amendment Pluralism. Luke argues that there has been a fundamental misunderstanding of what associations are a...

Amy Alznauer is a polymath: she is a writer, arts collaborator, and an instructor of calculus and number theory at Northwestern University. Amy and Elise's conversation touches on all of these things. Amy tells us about why she started writing picture-book biographies and what the genius of childhood can teach grown-up readers. She and Elise dive into Flannery O'Connor's unpublished early novel, t...

Glenn Arbery is a novelist and president of Wyoming Catholic College. He joins Ryan to discuss Catholic literature, past and present. They cover Caroline Gordon, Jacques Maritain, Allen Tate, Flannery O'Connor, and the literary scene today. Together they explore what it means to be a Christian artist and what makes Christian art Christian.   Racism and southern literature   New Agrarianism and the...

Natalie Carnes is an associate professor of theology in the religion department at Baylor University and an affiliate faculty member in women's and gender studies. She and Elise discuss Natalie's latest book, Motherhood: A Confession . They talk about Natalie's love of Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, how to approach art made by terrible people, and why beauty is often seen as a frivolous topic.  ...

Mark Reiff is a scholar, lawyer, and author of five books on economics and labor. He joins John to talk about his latest book, In the Name of Liberty: The Argument for Universal Unionization . Mark discusses the libertarian argument for unions, the structure of distributive justice, and how self-ownership involves an obligation to others. He and John wrap up the conversation by examining the inter...

Shannon Gayk is Associate Professor of English and Director of the Medieval Studies Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She joins Elise to talk about how literary forms reflect larger lived experiences. They discuss the importance of witness, the connection between experiencing art and being moved to action, and the relationship between ethics and aesthetics. They wrap up thei...

Kirsten Hall is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, a graduate fellow at the Austin Institute, and the managing editor of the Genealogies of Modernity Blog. She joins Ryan to discuss eighteenth-century literature, drama, and thought. Their conversation ranges from the historical importance of Cato , the eighteenth century's Hamilton , to what 2001: A Space Odyssey can tell u...

Jesse Straight is farmer and founder of Whiffletree Farm. The goal of Jesse's business is "to farm in a way that is good for all parties involved: the land, the animals, our families, our customers, and our community." Jesse explains what terms like "grass-fed" and "cage-free" really mean and how the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the weaknesses in the industrial food system. He tells us about his...

Anthony Bradley is a professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at the King's College in New York City. He gives us a personalist analysis of the criminal justice system (touching on everything from architecture to food) and the Black Lives Matter movement. We discuss the relationship between Afro-pessimism, hope, and Eastern Christianity, and how...

Terence Sweeney is editor-at-large of the Genealogies of Modernity Blog and is currently finishing his PhD in philosophy at Villanova. He joins us to talk about the role of the Christian genealogist and the place for wonder and curiosity in the modern university. We mix it up by playing a game of "would you rather" (Thomas Aquinas's five ways or Pascal's wager?) and talking about Terence's work as...

Jonathan Anderson, associate professor of art at Biola University, is currently pursuing a PhD in theology and religious studies. He joins us to discuss contemporary art and its theological implications. The conversation ranges from Christological approaches in art to the best artists currently dealing with theological themes.   Art patronage in the past and today   Financialization of art   Epiph...

Katie and Brandon McGinley live with their four children in an intentional Catholic neighborhood community. Brandon is a Catholic writer, and Katie is a retired librarian and full-time homeschooler. They discuss how their community began and how they've grown since then. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to think creatively about community building, and they share the ways they've safely staye...

Allyson Creasman is an associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, where she specializes in the German reformation. Dr. Creasman paints a thorough picture of the pandemic in Luther's time, examining the early modern quarantine legislation and the secularization of the healthcare system. She discusses whether Luther would have a Twitter, what his thoughts on social distancing were...

Dr. John Buchmann, executive director of Beatrice Institute, talks with Andrew Yuengert, professor of economics and social thought at Catholic University of America. Their conversation covers what economists have to learn from Aristotle, the limits of rational choice theory, and what theologians stand to gain from economists. They apply these insights to the COVID-19 crisis and discuss how we can...

Chris Nygren teaches history of art and architecture and serves as the Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Nygren joins us to discuss miracle-making images, specifically those associated with healing from plague. Dr. Nygren examines what these icons meant to people in the past and how they continue to matter to believers today. We end our discussion by...

Dr. Elise Ryan, scholar of early modern literature and faculty fellow at Beatrice Institute, joins us to discuss the poetry that comes out of experiences of trauma. She and Prof. McDermott take a close look at John Lydgate's "Dance of Death," Larry Levis's "Anastasia and Sandman," and Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Carrion Comfort." They discuss how poetry helps articulate experiences of grief, why poet...

Prof. Ryan McDermott reads the full text of a letter Martin Luther wrote during an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1527. (Check out our interview with Pastor Eric Andrae for more on this letter!) Luther gives practical and pastoral advice on how Christians should conduct themselves in a time of plague. His recommendations are strikingly relevant now, even from a public health standpoint.

Darrel Darby is President and CEO of Darco International, a medical-device company based in West Virginia but working globally. We chat with Darrel, who is currently in self-quarantine, about what his job looks like during the COVID-19 crisis. Darrel tells us about the ways he's keeping his employees safe, how quarantine is giving him a chance to reevaluate his life, and how the Christian traditio...

Dr. Brent Robbins is a professor of psychology with a specialty in psychology of religion and spirituality. Much of Dr. Robbins' work focuses on systems of understanding human suffering. He joins us to discuss what spirituality looks like in times of crisis and what role religion can play in coping. We cover spiritual solidarity, the relationship between religion and coping, and how to understand...

Pastor Eric Andrae is a Lutheran pastor whose pastoral work has now become virtual. As a chaplain for Lutheran Student Fellowship and International Student Ministry, he knows the spiritual struggles his students and parishioners are encountering as they practice social distancing. We chat about how he is reaching out to his congregation, what a Lutheran approach to remote worship looks like, and w...

Rev. Paul Abernathy is an Orthodox priest who works with trauma-affected communities in Pittsburgh, PA. Right now, Rev. Abernathy is mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on his community by organizing "community health deputies," battling food insecurity, and making medical care available to people in isolation through telemedicine. Rev. Abernathy serves as chief executive of Neighborho...