Kresta in the Afternoon

Does the First Amendment guarantee us the right to be free from religion in the public square? Does it guarantee religious individuals and institutions the right to be exempt from otherwise valid laws that burden their religious beliefs and practices? Dr. Vincent Phillip Munoz is our guest.

As Catholic Americans prepare to mark Independence Day, we naturally look not only to the well-known “founding fathers” such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington but also to our Catholic forbears, including Junipero Serra. We examine his life with Kevin Schmiesing.

Philosophy is the reflective attempt to illuminate our human experience and integrate it into a unified vision of reality. Catholic philosophy comes in many forms and schools of thought, but it cannot deconstruct the ultimate truths of the faith. We explore the thoughts of four Catholic philosophers with Richard Spinello.

At the Synod on Synodality last year, Australian theologian Fr Ormond Rush spoke on Joseph Ratzinger’s theology of revelation and faith, in light of his commentary on Dei Verbum. Eduardo Echeverria helps us understand it.

There’s been a recent resurgence of interest in ancient Stoicism, because it provides some of the Christian benefits without – so people think – the Christian dogmas. The Stoics, in fact, had their own fundamental dogmas, starting with the benevolence of the Divine Nature. Do many modern Stoics believe in that? Robert Royal joins us with more.

Why are American colleges and universities failing to instruct their students in virtue, and what can be done about this issue? Kyle Washut joins us.

The idea of Integralism holds that the Catholic Church should have indirect authority over Christian states. We examine what it means with Kevin Vallier.

The utopian vision of the left has inspired a shift toward various forms of reactionaryism on the right, not just in America, but across the globe. How does the faithful freedom-lover stay sane and move our conversations forward? Dr. Rachel Ferguson is our guest.

Each epoch of history brings stories of pain, triumph, oppression, freedom, purpose, suffering, grief, and joy. Leslie Corbly joins us to explore the depths of the human experience through an exploration of the present moment, a time in which postmodern, progressive ideas reign as the societal benchmark for goodness, justice, beauty, and—ironically—truth.

“Conscience” and “conscience rights” are not terms used as much as they used to be. Yet a notion of conscience is essential to understanding why freedom is necessary and to what it is directed. We talk more with David Deavel.

Pope Francis has made a number of statements on economic matters that have led critics to describe him as "left wing" or even "Marxist". The reality is different. Philip Booth examines Pope Francis’ Catholic social teaching.

Three ascendant ideologies distort the truth about human nature, and in the process, become deeply anti-human. All result from failing to capture the fully material and fully spiritual nature of man. Transgenderism and Transhumanism abandon the body. Deep ecology reduces man to a (merely material animal). We analyze these ideologies with Jay Richards.

American Catholics traditionally do not advocate for authoritarian or "integralist" approaches to politics. Rather, they have advocated for a Catholic interpretation of American constitutional republicanism. The two most important twentieth-century figures in conceptualizing this interpretation were Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Fr. John Courtney Murray. Despite writing nearly a ce...

Our Lady of the Rosary School is a Classical School located in Uganda. Fr. Joseph Lugalambi tells us more about how he is bringing education to one of the poorest parts of the world.

Government is fitting to human nature. But political government is subsidiary to the self-government that humans perform within natural communities and associations. God made us to govern ourselves and some part of the world for a common good. We explore what this means with Dr. Hunter Baker.

Some Christians may hold their noses at the thought of Enlightenment philosophy, believing it to be an exclusively anti-Christian movement. But what we call the Enlightenment included recognizably Christian thinkers in addition to non-Christian ones. We talk more about it with Jay Bruce.

Rev. Charlie Self shares the stories of global entrepreneurs in the 19th-21st centuries that found economic and social success rooted in virtue in the most challenging historical circumstances. 

There was a recurring theme we noticed in Thursday night's debate - Donald Trump and Joe Biden frequently failed to address the question they had been asked. Marcus and his producer Bryant Schoenle walk back through debate as Marcus provides Catholic-based responses to the moderator's questions.

Fr. Eamon O'Higgins gives us a detailed view of Joseph Ratzinger's vision of the role of politics in human society, the purposes and limits of political authority, current inadequacies and defects in political practice, and principles of the renewal of politics.

We continue our broadcast from Acton University, explaining the idea of free markets with Eileen Norcross.

What is Natural law? Why does it matter? What does it mean for a free and virtuous society? Sam Gregg joins us.

The faith and work movement requires a theological frameworkthat transcends pietistic impulses and rejects dualism. We talk about itwith David Bahnsen.

Emergent technologies, especially in the realm of medicine, require new ethical examinations to determine their moral implications. Too often, the march of technological progress well outpaces these examinations, leaving doctors, researchers, and the general public without proper guidance regarding the morality of novel procedures. Andrew Kubick joins us with his analysis of the ethical ramificati...

Many American schools and universities have lost their sense of purpose and consequently fail to transmit meaning to the next generation or form responsible citizens. The crisis of American education has led to a reduction of knowledge and a crisis of anxiety and despair plaguing so many young people. We examine the problem with Dr. Margarita Mooney Clayton.

It’s been two years since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade. Where does the Pro-Life movement stand today? Michael Kenney joins us as we continue from Acton University.