Religion To Reality

QUICK SUMMARY What does it mean to be fully committed to your faith while building bridges across differences? In this episode of Religion to Reality, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with renowned Muslim scholar and author Dalia Mogahed for a thoughtful conversation on faith, identity, prayer, fasting, belonging, and interfaith dialogue. Dalia shares her journey from Egypt to America,...

BIG NEWS: Season 2 of Religion to Reality drops all at once on 7/13—no more weekly waits. Subscribe now Join us on Substack (http://religiontoreality.substack.com) for our free interfaith monthly gathering—first Wed of every month, including today! Chapters (00:00:00) - Rreason: We're Dropping the Monthly Cease

QUICK SUMMARY What if our culture's obsession with forgiveness is actually getting in the way of healing? In this rich conversation, award-winning author and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg challenges popular forgiveness culture, arguing that the real obligation falls on the person who caused harm, not the person who survived it. She walks us through the Jewish framework for repentance, repair, and amends...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it mean to take the Incarnation seriously? According to AJ Levine, one of the most respected scholars of New Testament and Jewish Studies in the world, it means taking seriously the time, the place, and the people who first told those stories, and that starts with understanding the Jewish Jesus. In this episode, hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with AJ Levi...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Can ordinary people actually do it? In this episode of Religion to Reality, prolific author and Orthodox Christian writer Frederica Mathewes-Green shares her remarkable spiritual journey: from a devout Catholic childhood to atheistic hippie, to a dramatic conversion in a Dublin church, to 50+ years of daily unceasing prayer. She also opens u...

QUICK SUMMARY What if listening to someone isn't just a bridge to telling them something, but is itself a formative, sacred act? Sociologist and researcher Josh Packard returns to Religion to Reality to unpack groundbreaking data on the intersection of faith and listening, challenge Catholics to truly live out the concept of accompaniment, and offer an honest outside-in assessment of where the Chu...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it actually mean for a 2,000-year-old institution to learn how to listen? In this season premiere of Religion to Reality, multimedia journalist and America Magazine podcast director Sebastian Gomes joins hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich to unpack the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis's sweeping effort to transform the Catholic Church into a culture of genuine listen...

QUICK SUMMARY What does the data actually say about how Catholics live their faith today, and who counts as "active"? In this episode, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with Fr. Thomas Gaunt, SJ, Executive Director of CARA (the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) at Georgetown University, to dig into 60 years of Catholic research. They explore why inactive Catholics still fier...

QUICK SUMMARY What does hard data reveal about the state of Catholic life in America—and what does it mean for the future of the Church? In this bonus episode, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with Stephen White, Executive Director of The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation. Stephen draws on the landmark 2022 National Study...

Season 2 of Religion to Reality  is on the horizon—and it begins with a simple but urgent question: what does it mean to truly listen? In a world marked by noise, division, and constant distraction, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich return to the heart of the podcast’s mission: living an integrated life where faith isn’t separated from the rest of who we are. Reflecting on Season 1, they explore...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it really mean for the Church to walk together — and what do Catholics in Brooklyn actually say they need? Fr. Joseph Gibino, pastor, vicar, deacon director, and co-director of Brooklyn's Synod on Synodality, pulls back the curtain on what the faithful are really asking for, and why the answer might surprise you. From family prayer to sacramental living to the radical act o...

QUICK SUMMARY: What if the biggest obstacle to ministry isn't a lack of resources, programs, or content — but a missing system for actually knowing the people in front of you? In this bonus episode, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with Josh Packard, sociologist of religion and co-founder of Future of Faith, for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the most urgent challenges facing...

QUICK SUMMARY What happens when the Church you love has also hurt you? For many Catholics, there's no safe space to hold both truths at once, until now. In this powerful bonus episode, hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich talk with Paul Fahey, licensed counselor, catechist, and host of the Third Space Podcast , to unpack what spiritual abuse really looks like, why so many Catholics unknowingly...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it really mean to live the Gospel, not just inside church walls, but on the street corner, in the storefront, and in the lives of people the world has written off? In this powerful bonus episode of Religion to Reality , hosts Dave Plisky and Father John Gribowich are joined by Father James O'Shea, a Passionist priest and co-founder of Reconnect, a community organization in...

QUICK SUMMARY In this bonus episode of Religion to Reality, Renée Roden, a freelance religion journalist and Catholic Worker community member, has an in-depth conversation about living faith in action. Renee shares her journey from theater student at Notre Dame to running a Catholic Worker house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, while offering a thoughtful exploration of how Catholics can bridge the ga...

QUICK SUMMARY What does it truly mean to live out your Catholic faith in everyday life? In this compelling conversation, Peter Andrastek, Senior Consultant at The Evangelical Catholic, challenges the common misconception that holiness means becoming more like a priest, nun, or monk. Instead, he reveals how ordinary Catholics are called to extraordinary holiness right where they are—in their workpl...

Quick Summary What if the struggle in your spiritual life isn't a sign of failure, but proof that your relationship with God matters deeply? In this intimate conversation, spiritual director Mary Glowaski reveals how spiritual direction creates sacred space for encountering God's love in unexpected ways, especially in our deepest struggles and shame. Mary shares her unexpected call to spiritual di...

QUICK SUMMARY In this bonus episode of Religion to Reality , hosts Dave Plisky and Father John Gribowich sit down with Friar Rick Riccioli, a Franciscan Friar Conventual and parish pastor in Brooklyn, for a wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation about what evangelization looks like in the real world today. With over four decades of religious life and pastoral ministry across Canada and the Un...

Quick Summary What does authentic prayer look like in the digital age? Monica Martinez, Parish Lead at Hallow, shares her powerful journey from a teenager who stopped going to Mass to becoming a passionate advocate for healing through faith. In this deeply personal conversation, Monica discusses how prayer evolved from a childhood habit into a transformative relationship, why apps like Hallow are...

Quick Summary In this bonus episode of Religion to Reality, hosts Dave Plisky and Father John Gribowich sit down with Catholic educator and mindfulness teacher, Kathy Lorentz, to explore how prayer is far more than just words. It's about cultivating awareness of God's presence throughout every moment of our lives. Kathy shares her journey from playing the Blessed Mother in a touring play at age 16...

Quick Summary  What does it really mean to live an integrated faith life? In this powerful bonus episode, Father John Gribowich sits down with Cindy Black, a 26-year veteran of Catholic ministry, for an intimate conversation about discovering God in unexpected places and people. Cindy shares her compelling journey from a "porta crib Catholic" who rarely attended Mass to becoming a passionate minis...

This is a simple trailer to let you know that next up for Religion to Reality is a series of bonus episodes. Every other week, we'll release the full conversation we had with one of our guests from Season One.  Have a listen to this teaser to hear a quick montage of our favorite topic revealed to us throughout the season. See you for Season Two in 2026!

Religion to Reality: Season Finale - Living the Integrated Life Quick Summary In this powerful season finale of Religion to Reality , hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich reflect on their journey through over two dozen interviews, distilling the most transformative lessons about living an integrated spiritual life. They explore why listening, not activism, may be the most prophetic witness the...

Other Studies and Data with Hans Plate, Josh Packard, and Fr. Joe Gibino Quick Summary In this insightful episode of Religion to Reality , hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich step back from theory to examine the hard data behind Catholic discipleship and faith formation. They explore surprising findings from their comprehensive discipleship study and discuss what the numbers reveal about mode...

The Power of Community in Faith Formation with Dr. Mark Heyman, Renée Roden, and Luisamaria Hernandez Quick Summary How do you find authentic Catholic community in a world that's more connected yet more isolated than ever? In this episode of Religion to Reality , hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich explore why community keeps emerging as a central theme in faith formation, and why finding the...