The Future is Human

In this episode of The Future Is Human , I'm joined by theologian and blogger Larry Chapp for a wide-ranging conversation on Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas . Larry — who writes at GaudiumEtSpes22.com and is a regular contributor to Catholic World Report — brings his characteristic blend of patristics, Augustinian social thought, and sharp Vatican-watching to the document. We...

In this episode of The Future is Human , I'm joined by Conor McGlynn — a writer and PhD researcher at Harvard's Program on Science, Technology, and Society — to discuss his Compact essay "AI and the Myth of the Machine." Drawing on the 20th-century technology critic Lewis Mumford, we talk about techno-optimism as a kind of secular faith, what the Amish and Orthodox Jewish communities und...

In this episode of The Future is Human , I’m joined by Danish journalist, theologian, and cultural commentator Iben Thranholm to discuss her recent First Things essay, “Dawn of a New Pre-Christian West,” and the unexpected wave of young people flooding into the Catholic Church across Europe and the United States. We talk about why the New Atheism collapsed, why Muslims are converting to Christiani...

I'm excited to be podcasting again. Follow along on Substack as well at tfih.substack.com .

Hello again! I'll be back soon with more podcast episodes, but I had the immense honor of delivering an address at the annual Hanus Days conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. If you’d like to see the video, you can find that here . If you’d like to listen to it, you can check my podcast feed. I also had an interesting conversation with an interviewer from a local Catholic newspaper that you may enjo...

Today on the show, Dr. Jason Baxter joins us to talk about his recent (partially published, still ongoing) translation of Dante's epic trilogy. The author of seven books, Jason is now the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College, and spends his time helping to form hearts, minds, and souls to receive beauty. Read Jason's writings here: https://jasonmbaxter.substack.com/...

Lauren Spohn joins me on the show to talk about her journey to Catholicism (via Oxford) and the craft of filmmaking.

In this episode, Zac and Larry discuss the resurgence of metaphysical belief in modern society, particularly focusing on the two recent articles by Paul Kingsnorth and Ross Douthat. We explore the implications of Kingsnorth's argument in his Erasmus lecture, "Against Christian civilization," discuss the cultural and metaphysical collapse of the West, and the conflict between modernity an...

In this conversation, my friend Dr. Jon Askonas joins me to discuss the "A Future for the Family" project ( https://afutureforthefamily.org/ ). We discuss the impact of technological development on family structures, the need for a proactive approach to technological development that empowers families, the history of technological change, the influence of military and corporate interests...

In this episode, Dr. Ethan Schimmoeller joins me to discuss the critical role of palliative care in medicine, addressing common misconceptions and the importance of understanding its purpose. We explore the intersection of Christianity and modern medicine, the historical influence of Christianity on the practice of modern medicine, the metaphysical foundations of medical practice, ethical dilemmas...

In this conversation, Dr. Tom Ward joins the shot to talk about his journey to Catholicism, the role of family in nurturing belief, and the theological and philosophical contributions of Blessed John Duns Scotus to the Catholic Tradition. Our dialogue explores the challenges faced by converts, the importance of understanding church history, and the nuances of Scotus's thought, particularly regardi...

In this episode, I explore the theology of the infancy narratives in Scripture, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who is both fully man and fully God. Drawing on insights from Pope Benedict XVI's book, he explores the genealogy of Jesus, the Annunciation, the virgin birth, the visit of the wise men, and more, highlighting the profound theological implications of...

In this episode of Creedal, we discuss what the Incarnation reveals about human dignity and apply those lessons to the ongoing debate about assisted suicide in the UK. Zac provides a detailed overview of the proposed legislation on assisted suicide, arguing against it from both moral and policy perspectives, and highlighting the dangers of framing such issues in a misleading way. In this conversat...

For the written version of this essay, check out: https://creedal.substack.com/p/the-six-going-infinite

In this episode, Zac and Larry discuss Larry's observations from the Synod on Synodality in Rome. 00:00 Introduction and Conference Reflections 05:07 Insights from the Synod on Synodality 10:00 Expectations vs. Reality of the Synod 15:00 The Role of Laypeople in the Church 20:04 Pope Francis and Progressive Catholicism 25:04 The Vatican's Approach to American Catholicism 29:56 Conclusion and Futur...

In this episode, Zac discusses the recent election in the United States, focusing on the failures of the media and the Democratic Party, Trump's broad appeal, polling failures, and the state of conservatism. Sound Bites "I think there's room for optimism." "The media's framing backfired spectacularly." "We need to have interesting conversations." "This is a failu...

In this conversation, Zac and Andrew discuss Andrew's book (co-written with David Paul Baird and Rev. Michael Ward) entitled 'Popcorn with the Pope.' We delve into specific films on the list, such as 'Au Revoir Les Enfants' and 'Babette's Feast', discussing various themes and ideas from each. Relatedly, we also discuss concerns about the impact of AI on the arts--both from labor and creative persp...

Today on the show Zac teams up with longtime guest Larry Chapp to talk about why young people are leaving the Church. It's a great conversation, and to follow more of Larry's work, head to gaudiumetspes22.com .

In this conversation, Zac and Alex discuss the limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on human flourishing. They explore the role of intuition and embodiment in human understanding, and explore a Christian account of the development of understanding via the Sacraments. They also delve into the concept of emergent consciousness and the challenges of reducing the human mind to a...

I've got an exciting announcement today--sign up for my newsletter below! My newsletter: https://creedal.substack.com/ I'd love to speak at your event: https://creedal.substack.com/p/speaking Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFd938A6-eKlgbAwAvvwMuQ My upcoming debate at New Polity: https://newpolity.com/events/2024

In this episode, Zac and Andrew discuss various news articles in the 'Fake News' segment and then dive into a close read of an article by L.M. Sacasas titled 'Secularization Comes for the Religion of Technology.' They explore the concept of secularization and how it applies to the religion of technology, as well as the implications for society. 00:00 Will Barbers Save Civilization? 03:16 Fake News...

Today we're breaking down five Super Bowl commercials, including one that Zac describes as "the worst commercial I have ever seen." Kia EV9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7BJc96lI4 Microsoft Copilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaCVSUbYpVc&ab_channel=Microsoft Temu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Od0aOse1wc&ab_channel=Temu He Gets Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94B...

My conversation with Dr. Larry Chapp today discusses the recent teaching edict of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: Fiducia Supplicans. The document attempts to clarify the pastoral meaning of blessings, particularly in relation to "irregular unions," but falls short on several fronts. We discuss some of our issues with the document, including theological incoherence, the inve...

Merry Christmas! My apologies for the lack of production as of late, but I've got some exciting things to announce early next year. I'll be back in your podcast feed before long--lots of interesting conversations to still be had, and I'm just getting started! If you'd like to read the homily: http://ww1.antiochian.org/node/21955 Glory to Jesus Christ!

Today on the show we tackle our usual "misinformation" segment before diving into "BAPism" the absurd ideology espoused by followers of a mysterious internet persona known as "Bronze Age Pervert." Using Graeme Wood's latest article as a starting point, we discuss the ideology and a few of its grievous errors before articulating the beginning of an alternative. Grame W...