Kresta in the Afternoon

It’s been 50 years since JRR Tolkien’s death on September 2, 1973. Since then, The Lord of the Rings has been translated into dozens of languages and its film adaption is one of the most successful film series of all time. Tolkien was a man of deep faith, but most biographers have been reluctant to explore that area of his life. Why? Holly Ordway joins us with an exploration of what Tolkien’s fait...

Our parishes are more than collections of families and individuals – they are cultures. This culture is a worldview that includes how we look at reality and live our lives as Catholics. And, when cultivated properly, our parishes form a culture that is uniquely Eucharistic. Tim O’Malley has identified four dimensions that help build this culture. He joins us.

Canada has released its annual euthanasia report for 2022, revealing that more than 13,000 Canadians received lethal jabs last year – about 4% of all deaths in the country. The spiritual and moral issues related to death and dying are challenging, and our culture is losing sight of what it means to “die well.” Dr. Steve Doran joins us with a Catholic perspective on death.

A letter discovered in the Vatican archives suggests that Pope Pius XII was informed about the Holocaust as early as 1942. The letter game from a German Jesuit who was active in the Resistance movement and was made public last week with the encouragement of Holy See officials. What did Pius know, when did he know it, and how did he respond? Ron Rychlak joins us.

We have more evidence now than ever before for God, a soul, and life after death. So why do scores of people continue to reject the idea of God because of science? Fr. Robert Spitzer says the answer is simple – they don’t know the science. He joins us with more.

The question of gender—who we are as men and women—has never been more pressing, or more misunderstood. Tragically, an issue that should be left in the hands of psychologists has been hijacked by political activists on both sides of the aisle. Abigail Favale joins us again to explore the roots of the gender paradigm.

Scripture portrays the covenant between God and his people as a divine-human marriage spanning through all of human history. In the eyes of Jewish scholars, God married humanity in the Garden of Eden, and that union was broken by sin and restored throughout the Old Testament. We explore this union of Divine Love further with Andre Villeneuve.

If you were to name someone who might be beyond the reach of God’s mercy, it would be Rudolph Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz who claimed responsibility for the deaths of more than 2 million people. But he repented shortly before his death. Jesus wants to save every one of us. We share more from a conversation with Fr. John Riccardo.

With opened 2023 by saying goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI, one of the great theologians of the age. Marcus Peter is part of what many call the “John Paul II Generation,” but he did not embrace his Catholic faith until the papacy of Pope Benedict, whose teachings were instrumental in his life. Marcus shares more.

The film Oppenheimer raises some important moral and political questions beyond the story of the atomic bomb. Can “great” men be “good?” Why do great men so often fail as husbands and fathers? What happens when a scientist does not understand his vocation? We talk about it with Kody Cooper.

The world claims that the greatest virtue we can have today is to be “Woke.” The term may be new, but its ideology goes back for decades. Fundamentally, it is more than a political movement – it is a pseudo-spiritual one, and it must be reckoned with. But St Paul tell us in Ephesians not to be woke, but to Awake and receive the light of Christ. How do we do this? Noelle Mering joins us.

Few authors are more distinctly American than Mark Twain. And Twain was a complicated man whose views on politics, religion and other issues are often misunderstood, even to this day. We examine how religion is portrayed in his works with Joseph Csicsila.

In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul assures us that as Christians, we are "always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested." The same power that converted the world in the first century is still converting the world today. Scott Hahn joins us with more.

Without Genesis, the rest of the Bible is incomprehensible. It’s the foundation upon which the rest of our faith is built. But it can also be a difficult book to understand. Who wrote the book? Is the seven-day account of creation meant to be taken literally? Steve Ray joins us for a deep dive.

A recent in-depth article championed the cause of “women priests fighting for reproductive justice.” It highlights the work of women who claim to be ordained Catholic priests and are vigorous champions of abortion. And in March leaders at the German Synod overwhelmingly voted in support of a female diaconate. What is our understanding of the authority of Mary and role of women in the Church? We ta...

At the Fall Assembly in November, the US Bishops voted to advance the cause of beatification for Fr. Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulist Fathers. Hecker is an important figure in American Catholic history, but most people today likely aren’t familiar with him. Dr. John Farina helps us get to know him better.

The latest viral trend on TikTok is surprising, to say the least. Users began rediscovering the “Letter to America” that Osama bin Laden wrote in 2002, explaining his reasons for the 9/11 attacks. Multiple users on TikTok declared that “their eyes had been opened” and that Bin Laden made good points. Raymond Ibrahim joins us with more.

In Romans 11:29, St. Paul writes that “the Gifts and Callings of God are irrevocable.” What does that mean for God’s covenant with the Jewish people and promise of the Land of Israel? Dr. Larry Feingold joins us.

Larry Nassar, the infamous doctor who sexually abused more than 200 female gymnasts, was stabbed in federal prison in July. Upon hearing the news, most people’s immediate reaction was “good riddance, you monster.” Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse him of abuse, had a different reaction that reflects her deeply-held Christian faith. Al takes a closer look.

On June 22, the feasts of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, the USCCB kicked off Religious Freedom Week. Over the last several years the Supreme Court has vindicated Religious Liberty several times – but Helen Alvare thinks there is still work to be done. She joins us.

The 24/7 news cycle, coupled with the design of social media, has given our society the memory of a goldfish. We are forever living in the moment. Hamas is banking on that, as the memories of the atrocities of its attack are being swallowed up by the increasing death toll in the war. As a Jewish American, this hits home for Mona Charen. She joins us.

Many Americans think of slavery as their nation's original sin. But in truth, slavery has involved peoples and cultures and countries far beyond the United States. Slavery is as old as human history itself. And yet, the one living institution that has condemned slavery longer and more consistently than any other is the Roman Catholic Church. Paul Kengor joins us.

Other than St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi is probably the best-known saint in the secular world. People know of his love for creation and he's even the inspiration for "World Animal Day." But there is much more to him than that. Bill Cook joins us with a look at his life and how St. Francis inspired his own work with poor children around the world.

The Reformation is one of the most misunderstood and challenging periods in religious history and the problems start with the term itself. There was not one “Reformation” but multiple Reformations occurring over two centuries, which all influenced each other. Carlos Eire gives us an overview of how they played out.

Earlier this year a group of physicians published a letter in the Wall Street Journal saying that youth gender transition therapies are being pushed without evidence that they are beneficial. Wes Smith joins us with more.