Kresta in the Afternoon

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, annihilating both cities and finally brining and end to the war. Truman’s decision to use such a devastating weapon is one of the most controversial wartime actions of modern history. Was it justified? Can we compare the loss of life from the bombs to a potential loss of life from a land invasion of Japan? W...

On Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration, one of the most extraordinary moments in the life of Jesus. The connection between this event and ancient Israel is strong – Al explains how.

When protestants say "Scripture is clear on such and such..." what do they mean exactly? The Catholic Church has a very clear and distinct view of how Scripture speaks to us. Casey Chalk joins us to talk about his latest book, "The Obscurity of Scripture."

The words "Catholic Identity" can be ambiguous in today's society. What does it mean to have an authentically Catholic Identity in a secular culture? Justin McClain joins us.

Just how much did the theology and liturgical life of the Church shape western civilization? Can western civilization be redeemed by the Eucharist? We talk with Jared Staudt about this in his latest book, "How The Eucharist Can Save Civilization."

In Matthew Chapter 16, Jesus asks Peter one of the most important questions in history: Who do you say that I am? How would people respond today? Some would say he is a "nice man," others would say he was a prophet but not the Messiah, and some others would even claim he didn't exist. How can we recognize these fakes? Who do we say Christ is? Trent Horn joins us.

Much has been written and studied about the Holocaust. And, like other atrocities, we tend to focus on the crimes and the villains rather than the victims and heroes of the story. During the Nazi regime, citizens all over Europe worked to dismantle the party. Today, we look at the story of the German White Rose resistance and the life of Sophie Scholl. Paul Shrimpton joins us.

Thousands of Catholics have flocked to Portugal for World Youth Day. Among them – the Love family: Al’s daughter Alexis, her husband John and their eight children. Alexis lets us know how it’s going.

We all hunger to live in a more just world and most of us are working in some way or another to promote justice. But what is justice? And does it differ from social justice? Dr. Robert Whaples joins us.

August 6th and 9th are the anniversaries of one of the most controversial decisions of the last century – dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki – and the success of the film Oppenheimer has brought the debate back to the forefront. What do Catholic Just War principles have to say about the decision? Dr. Steven Long joins us from Ave Maria University.

An Ohio referendum that would increase the threshold needed to adopt future constitutional amendments through ballot initiatives has surpassed a quarter of a million early votes with about two weeks left to go before Election Day. Peter Range has the latest on the abortion fight in Ohio and how you can get involved.

The Russian war in Ukraine is entering its seventeenth month. What was once a daily lead story in mainstream news has been pushed to the back burner as other stories arise. There is nothing Moscow would like better than for us to "Move on." John Burger has talked with Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk about his journey of faith, and he returns today with more of the story.

American politics have traditionally been a fight between competing interests or ideologies. Today there is a new element – fights between competing illusions. People defend their false vision of reality against another false vision of reality, and against reality itself. Dr. Ronald Dworkin joins us.

Yet another Gallup poll shows a continued decline in Americans’ belief in God, heaven and hell. Yet even more significant than the loss of our belief in God is the loss of our sense of God, which John Paul the Great addressed in Evangelium Vitae. This ‘practical atheism’ appears even in Christians’ lives. We talk more with Phil Davignon.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church. Today’s Office of Readings gives us a quote from one of his homilies: “All of the Lord’s gifts to mankind are aimed at catching souls and binding them to His love.” Alphonsus stresses that the greatest gift God gave us was his only Son. Marcus Peter, who spent four years with St. Alphonsus’ Redemptorist order, 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.

Although fatal shark attacks on humans are rare, sharks still hold a special place in our imagination. Jaws was once the highest-grossing film of all time, and last week's Shark Week prompted tv specials and other events.

On July 12, the California State Board of Education adopted a new K-12 math program that is built on themes of “equity.” This is manifested by changing how math principles are taught, and making political issues the subject of a math class. Dr. Williamson Evers has more.

Are you holding back on seeking God, waiting for him to appear in a monumental flash of light? You don't need to. You can discover the unexpected beauty of God's presence in the most ordinary things - doing chores, walking in the woods or even preparing breakfast. We'll talk about these "ordinary" God moments with Andy Otto.

July 29, 1805 is the birthday of Alexis de Tocqueville. Who was he and why do we care? Tocqueville was a French political thinker best known for his Democracy in America. His work on the role of the state and democracy reveal amazing things about the role the Church has played in the betterment of human lives. We talk more with Bill Cook

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus continues His discourse on the Kingdom of Heaven, likening it to the merchant who sells all he owns to buy the pearl of great price, or the person who sells all their possessions to buy a field containing a buried treasure. Peggy Stanton helps us unpack it.

Luther’s 95 Theses is known for its attack on the Church's practice of indulgences. Now, Mary Moorman argues that the theology Luther practiced actually validated the logic of indulgences and that, taken in proper context, indulgences are an incredible witness to the Church's covenant with Christ. She joins us with more and also shares the story of her own personal conversion.

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.

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.

Catholics all over the world are preparing to travel to Portugal for next week’s World Youth Day events. Matthew Bunson will be there and he gives us a preview, and also discusses the latest on the Synod.