Coffee, Commerce & Catechesis | A Catholic Podcast

Do half of all marriages end in divorce? Are people getting married at the same rate as they used to? Are marriages ending sooner today than they did 50 years ago? Do marriages lead to better socioeconomic outcomes for both the couple and the children born to married parents? And do religious people have more successful marriages? These are complex questions that few people even think about. Dr. B...

Do we want to live in a culture that celebrates, respects and endorses life? Or are we okay with a culture that is seemingly set on serving up “death on demand” for anyone who wants it? Do we believe that human life is sacred, a gift from God and something to be cherished even though the endpoint of each human life is death? Or do we believe that since we’re all going to die anyway there’s no reas...

What comes to mind when you think of company “culture”? Pizza parties, birthday wishes and off-site team building events maybe? Obviously, there is more to it than that. Especially if you are a Christian running a business, in which case your values and actions should come across in how you work. Sadly, it is far more common today to read about a company’s “values” only to realize most people only...

Niceness is not a virtue, in the same way that having good manners does not make you virtuous. But that’s not the message you would hear in schools, workplaces or even in homes. Our society has perverted the virtue of kindness into something unrecognizable. In fact, according to our society, the highest virtue is not offending other people. For Christians, it is important to recognize the differen...

Smartphones have become an almost ubiquitous tool in our society. To not own one would be considered abnormal. And through them most people access all sorts of other technologies, especially social media. In today’s episode we discuss the mental health impacts and even physical problems being caused among young people who are increasingly addicted to these technologies. Dan Churchwell of the Acton...

What is artificial intelligence (AI)? How does it differ from human intelligence, consciousness and thought? And how should Christians view it? What are the risks and potential rewards of AI when viewed through a faith-based lens? We tackle these issues with ethicist and AI expert Steven Umbrello, Managing Director at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, Editor-In-Chief at the Inter...

Raising kids is among the most challenging and rewarding things we will do. But for Christian parents in a rapidly secularizing culture, this is becoming increasingly difficult. Travis and Rigel are fathers-in-waiting and today they are speaking with Braden about his experience parenting two young kids and educating the children of other Christian parents. We discuss smartphones, schools and sleep...

In the West, the labor participation rate of women is higher than ever. Women have excelled in various professions and lead some of the biggest companies in the world. Women are also able to do something that no man ever can: carry and bear a child. Only women can bring life into this world and be mothers - and that’s a full-time job. How can women balance professional pursuits with their call to...

Welcome back to part 2! We’re continuing our discussion on love this week with some personal stories from Travis’ and Rigel’s lives. We discuss how our perception and experience of love has changed over time with our (now) wives and throughout our journey in growing closer to God. With how far we’ve come, it’s almost overwhelming to realize how much room there is to grow. A key takeaway is that no...

We've talked a lot about love on this podcast. That is because as Christians we believe that God IS love. On today's episode, we clarify the Christian concept of love and how it is wildly different from what we see in romantic movies or hear in Taylor Swift songs. In Part 1, we'll discuss the different types of love outlined by C.S. Lewis and how Christians view each type. Pay close attention to t...

Keep the sabbath holy. We know it’s a commandment which means that it’s non-negotiable. But how seriously do we take this commandment? Deep down, do we consider this to be more of an optional commandment? On today’s episode we get real about the importance of the sabbath and what it really means to keep it holy. We discuss cultural differences, childhood memories and how early experiences shaped o...

What does it mean to be Christian? Well, it means that we believe that God is real, we believe that there are expectations of us to do good and be good, and we believe that each individual has free will. We also believe that we are meant to serve and love others even at our own expense. So how does capitalism figure into it? And above all, how can we possibly reconcile capitalism with our beliefs...

Have you ever had a day at work when you thought to yourself, “this sucks”? Basically everyone would say yes. Work is challenging in more than one way, and it is both an inevitable part and a significant part of life. But Jesus himself worked as a tradesman until he began his ministry at age 30. This suggests work can in fact be good! So, how do we sanctify our work? How can we take whatever job w...

Today’s the day! In Part 1, we discussed what spiritual experiences are and how even we as committed Christians struggle to wrap our heads around them. In Part 2, we get to hear a firsthand account of Travis’s first ever spiritual experience. This is a special episode because it takes courage to share such intimate stories. We run the risk of sounding like crazy people. But consider the alternativ...

Spiritual experiences are generally treated with a mixture of skepticism or wonder. Both reactions are warranted and, counter-intuitively, are not mutually exclusive. It is very possible to be overwhelmed by a spiritual experience only to have skepticism seep in moments after. Spiritual experiences can happen to anyone at anytime, but knowing that what you’re experiencing is a spiritual experience...

Welcome back to part 2 of our episode on discipline, self-denial and self-mastery. Today, we are diving a little deeper and sharing our personal experiences with being disciplined in various aspects of our lives. We share where we have excelled, where we struggle, and practical advice on how to go about practicing discipline and making it a habit. So, whether you want to make a change, build a new...

Can you do hard things? Can you get yourself to do things that you really don't want to do? That's what we're discussing on today's episode. Discipline, self-denial, and self-mastery are all fundamental to a Christian life. In the secular world, being disciplined might look like going to the gym regularly, eating healthy, and being productive. Why? Because all these take effort and a willingness t...

Does our secular culture recognize, appreciate and respect the dignity of the human person? If so, it sure does a good job of disguising that recognition, appreciation and respect! It can feel disheartening and scary for Christians and perhaps especially for Catholics. But there is reason for hope! There are people and organizations doing good and laudable pro-life work amidst the chaos of our cul...

Do you struggle to find “work/life balance”? Do you wrestle with moral issues on the job? Do you ever feel like your faith takes a backseat to your professional duties? If so, you’re not alone. Our faith cannot be siloed from our jobs and our professional responsibilities though. Our work, hobbies and education can’t be prioritized over our Christianity. If Christ came back today, would He approve...

Is it possible to be a committed Christian working in finance? The answer isn't obvious, and yes, we're looking at you fellow finance professionals. In this episode, we discuss the morality of finance as an industry. Working in the industry, professionals spend a lot of time managing other people's money and being told how to manage it in a lot of cases. This can often pose a conflict with a Chris...

What do you think of when you think of holiness? Maybe you think of Jesus, his Apostles, the Saints, and the clergy. But did you know that we are all called to holiness?“You shall therefore be perfect, as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is perfect.” - Matthew 5:48What an intimidating thought that is. With the help of our guest, Ian Doll, we decode the call to holiness and what it means in our lives...

If you have spent time in a corporate environment or in a university lately, you have probably encountered DEI in some form. DEI is short for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. When you put those words together, they paint a pretty image, but does reality paint the same image? We discuss DEI policies through a Christian lens and discuss how DEI policies have manifested themselves in our modern worl...

Without innovation, none of us would lead the lives we do today. It took dreamers, weirdos, creative thinkers, and doers to get us to where we are as a civilization. But how do we know if and when innovation has gone too far? How can we know if innovation will lead to good or evil? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of innovation in the 21st century and it is making headlines around...

Have you ever thought about how every interaction in the workplace, in school, at home, at church (literally anywhere and everywhere) is an opportunity to be a witness to your faith? Our faith is not something separate or detached from our professional lives, from our academic pursuits, or from our friendships. It must be the very FOUNDATION of those things. This is what we're talking about today...

This one’s for all the “cradle Christians” and the non-Christians who have ever been curious about how people find faith. Have you ever wondered what a non-Christian’s first experience at church must feel like? If you’ve been going for years, you might take it for granted how “normal” it feels, but it certainly is anything but normal for a first-timer! From his agnostic beginnings to a church insi...