Kresta in the Afternoon

Catholics tend to be ambivalent toward, if not hostile to, the French Revolution, in large part because the assault on the monarchy extended to an assault on the Church. And American Catholics tend to have little to no reservations about celebrating the American Revolution. But what were the motivations of the Revolutionary Catholics, and how do they relate to Catholic Social Teaching? Dr. Chris S...

Examining a country’s National Anthem can be a window into how that nation perceives its own citizens and the citizens relate to the Nation. Some, like France’s La Marseillaise, are rousing songs of war, while others focus on natural grandeur. Al looks at some examples, along with the patriotic balance of our own national anthem.

The Bible has played a decisive role in the shaping of American History, and American History has shaped how we interpret the Bible. From the writings of Tom Paine to the fall of slavery to Teddy Roosevelt, the two are intertwined. Mark Noll joins us looking at the rise and fall of America’s Bible civilization.

When we think of iconic American landmarks, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, or the Grand Canyon. But have you ever thought of American Catholic landmarks? Kevin Schmiesing is our guest as we journey through American Catholic history and meet some of the people and places that made our country the place it is today.

In the past, upper-class Americans used to display their social status with luxury goods. Today, they do it with luxury beliefs. These are ideas and opinions that confer status on the rich at very little cost, while taking a toll on the lower class. Al takes a look.

Since Independence Day falls in the middle of next week, many of us will be holding our cookouts and fireworks shows this weekend. What did the signers of the Declaration mean when they referred to the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” and what does that mean for us today? Phillip Munoz joins us.

Today the Supreme Court ruled that President Biden does not have the authority to forgive student loans. In a statement after the ruling, Biden said he will find other ways to deliver debt relief to families. But would his plan help? We talk with Richard Vedder.

The Supreme Court wrapped up its term this week with several highly-anticipated decisions. In a 6-3 ruling yesterday, the Court struck down the use of Affirmative Action in college admissions. Today, it ruled in favor of a Christian web designer who creates wedding websites, and said that President Biden’s student loan forgiveness was unconstitutional. And somewhat lost in the shuffle was another...

Throughout today’s program we’ll be examining Supreme Court rulings that will affect what it means to live in America in 2023. And we’ll also be looking back at the thought of 1776 and what it means for us today. Al looks back at some comments from Abigail Adams and what we mean when we talk about “common sense” laws.

It’s a story straight out of Indiana Jones. When architects told Pope Nicholas V in 1448 that the Basilica of St. Peter needed to be rebuilt, the catacomb of St Peter was paved over and lost to the ages. Centuries later, in 1939, the tomb was accidentally discovered again and Pope Pius XII authorized a secret investigation. We’ll share a discussion with the late Thomas Craughwell about this fascin...

A piece in Slate magazine last year claimed that the religious right did not originally form around the pro-life cause; it formed over support for segregation. But if you examine the early years of the pro-life movement, long before Roe was settled, you see just how ridiculous this is. We talk more with Daniel Williams.

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus tells us that we must take up our cross and follow him, and details exactly what that means. The Ignatian study Bible calls it a striking example of the demands and consequences of discipleship – we talk more about it with Peggy Stanton.

In May 1999, Rachel Muha experienced a parent’s worst nightmare. Her son Brian and his friend Aaron, students at Franciscan University, were kidnapped, tortured and murdered. Even before her son’s body was found, she publicly forgave her killers – and her attitude set the tone for everything that followed. Gretchen Crowe shares more.

The Catholic Church in Germany is facing an unprecedented crisis, with more than half a million baptized Catholics leaving the Church in 2022, according to figures released today by the German Bishops’ Conference. We look at the roots of the problem with Matthew Bunson.

On June 19, Pope Francis marked the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher who remains one of the most important thinkers in the Western tradition. In his apostolic letter Sublimitas et Miseria Hominis, the Holy Father praises Pascal as a “tireless seeker of truth.” We talk more about Pascal’s Wager and his legacy with Andrew Petiprin.

Is Pope Francis “undermining” the Church? Judging by some fundraising emails Al has received recently, some people seem to think so. What is an effective way to express concern about the Papacy? Al discusses.

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.

For most of last week, the mainstream press devoted nearly round-the-clock coverage to the search for the Titan submersible, on which five people perished en route to the wreck of the Titanic. That same week, hundreds of migrants died when their boat sank off the coast of Greece, a tragedy that received little attention. Some have blamed the disproportionate coverage on racism and classism – but w...

Despite the fact that most of the world is religious, and a huge percentage of it is Christian, Hollywood’s imaginative energies often leave religion out of the picture. When it comes to movies, Christian characters tend to be caricatures and fall into a few predictable categories. We’ll talk more about it with Samuel James.

Although the instrumentum laboris for October’s Synod of Bishops makes clear that it “is not a document of the Church’s Magisterium,” it clearly has something to say, propose, and arguably teach about the kind of synodal Church that Pope Francis has made such a priority of his pontificate — and perhaps about far more. We take a closer look with Stephen White.

What role can local churches play in establishing societal norms rooted in the Word of God? We talk with Charlie Self about the work he does with local churches and how they respond to God’s call.

Principled Entrepreneurship is the mindset that, among other things, enables and empowers the American Dream. Principled Entrepreneurs connect people to their purpose and passion by forming teams that create value for customers. We look at Five Pillars that define Principled Entrepreneurship with Andreas Widmer.

In just over a year we will be gathering in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. We continue our discussion of what will be happening with Fr. Roger Landry.

If you took a poll of business/professionals in your church, how do you think they understand their work in relation to their spiritual life? If you asked them "why do you work?" what would they say? Work serves a purpose beyond paying the mortgage or putting food on the table - we talk more with Dr. Scott Rae.

Is it really true that excessive government debt creates inflation, or rather is the lesson of history that it creates something far, far worse? David Bahnsen joins us.