Kresta in the Afternoon

The result of the Dobbs v Jackson case will be monumental for the pro-life movement, but it’s important for another reason. It will tell us whether the conservative legal movement of the last 40 years has been a success. Gerry Bradley joins us with more.

As we kick off the new year, how can we grow in our relationship with Jesus. The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. We’ll explore them with Brant Pitre

In October 1991, Israel announced it would give scholars free access to photos of the Dead Sea Scrolls. What have we learned in the 30 years since? Dr. Christopher Rollston joins us with the story behind the Scrolls - how they came to be discovered, and the controversy surrounding their release.

It is a widely accepted point of view that J.R.R Tolkien was dismissive of the modern fiction of his time, and that ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ were fundamentally medieval and nostalgic in their inspiration. But is that true? What contemporary books and authors did he admire? Holly Ordway joins us to examine Tolkien's modern influences.

For the Hebrew people, the temple was the center of the universe. God revealed Himself through the temple, the priesthood and the covenants. Steven Smith takes us on a deep dive through the Old and New Testaments, exploring the priesthood and God’s covenant with His people.

For the Hebrew people, the temple was the center of the universe. God revealed Himself through the temple, the priesthood and the covenants. Steven Smith takes us on a deep dive through the Old and New Testaments, exploring the priesthood and God’s covenant with His people.

The storming of the Capitol had some speculating that we are on the brink of Civil War. While this may be a bit too dramatic, our political discourse is certainly at the lowest point in most of our lifetimes. Our enemies are not foreign adversaries; they are the people across the aisle. Is this crisis due to America’s greatest asset – its genius for freedom? Os Guinness joins us.

The storming of the Capitol had some speculating that we are on the brink of Civil War. While this may be a bit too dramatic, our political discourse is certainly at the lowest point in most of our lifetimes. Our enemies are not foreign adversaries; they are the people across the aisle. Is this crisis due to America’s greatest asset – its genius for freedom? Os Guinness joins us.

“At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” So said Justice Anthony Kennedy in the 1992 Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v Casey. This viewpoint that defines humans by their capacity to choose is pervasive in American law and policy, but it disregards a stubborn fact – we are naturally limited...

We probably all know someone who has struggled with depression. We want to help, but it can be hard to know where to start. Al has experienced this firsthand, as he was hospitalized twice for depression back in the 1980s. He sits down with Dr. Ray Guarendi to recount the story and how he was able to find hope.

We all have areas in which we are ignorant. And ignorance can be overcome by learning.  But is there a point when ignorance becomes arrogance? Al discusses.

Nolan Ostrowski contracted COVID-19 this summer and was admitted to a hospital in Lansing, Michigan in July. As he lay in bed a few nights later, a figure appeared next to him – it appeared to be Solanus Casey. His condition soon downgraded and he was taken to another hospital for special treatment. But now, he’s doing better. He joins us to tell the story.

In August Mississippi presented a brief to the Supreme Court arguing that there is no Constitutional right to abortion and asking the Court to overrule Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey. What chances does this effort have of being successful? Professor Robert George joins us.

A visit to the ICU is a sudden, harrowing experience that can alter families and leave both physical and emotional scars for years to come. Dr. Wes Ely set out to fix that problem. He takes us on a journey into the ICU to share how he found hope and healing.

A Pentagon official said this week that ISIS-K could have the capacity to attack the US within the next 12 months. It’s been two years since founder Abu Bakr Al Bagdadi was killed and the caliphate may be gone, but ISIS clearly isn’t going anywhere. What do they want now, and what will they do to get it? We’ll talk with Joby Warrick.

When John U Bacon played hockey for the Ann Arbor Huron High School River Rats, he never scored a goal. But years later he was asked to coach the team – which at that point hadn’t won a single game in over a year. They were proud to be called the worst team in America – and John turn them into winners. He tells us how.

When we discuss sexual abuse in the Church, there are many myths and obstacles we must overcome if we are get to the roots of the problem. For example, many people today probably think that abuse rates in the Church are as high as they have ever been and that the Church has done nothing to address the scandal. We examine this and other falsehoods with Bill Donohue.

Gertrude the Great, also known as Gertrude of Helfta, was one of the great mystics of the 13th century. She practiced a spiritualty called “nuptial mysticism” in which she came to see herself as a Bride of Christ and had a deeply personal union with Jesus and his Sacred Heart. We talk about her with Rachel Fulton Brown.

In the leadup to the election last fall there was a common theme to many progressive candidates’ campaigns: the Evils of Business. Corporate America is singled out for not paying enough taxes and exploiting both customers and employees in pursuit of the almighty dollar. So why do Democratic candidates tend to do so well raising funds from Corporate America? Sam Gregg joins us

In November 1979, 52 US citizens were taken hostage when a group of militarized Iranian college students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran. Among them was Marine Corps guard Rocky Sickmann, who would spend the next 444 days in captivity. He shares his story.

In August of this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace. Al looks at the story, with a focus on the Scriptures teach us on the dangers of pride.

In the words of CS Lewis, “God is more than a god, not less; Christ is more than Balder, not less. We must not be ashamed of the mystical radiance resting on our theology. We must not be nervous about parallels and ‘pagan Christs’: they ought to be there it would be a stumbling block if they weren’t. We must not, in false spirituality, withhold our imaginative welcome.” Some of our most well-known...

Even before the pandemic, it was easy to browse through the news headlines and find yourself asking “where is God?” Most of us have probably experienced this time of spiritual dryness, sometimes called the Dark Night of the Soul. St. John of the Cross explored this in a poem of the same name. We talk with Dr. John Love.

This summer America commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race riot, also known as the Black Wall Street Massacre. It destroyed more than 35 square blocks of what was then the wealthiest Black community in the US and “officially” left 36 people dead, though modern estimates are higher. Scott Ellsworth tells the story.

Christ has established the Church on earth and with its rich array of sacraments, prayers and teachings it is fertile ground for profound Christian conversion. But no true conversion is purely spiritual. It must bear fruit in our daily lives. Fr. Robert Spitzer returns with a further look at moral transformation, drawing from everything from the Writings of Ignatius to Modern Psychology.