The Magnificast

This week on the podcast, we're talking about Timothée Parrique's new book Slow Down Or Die: the economics of degrowth. Specifically, we're talking about the third chapter on social reproduction and the ways capitalism commodifies everything dissolving social bonds and what churches look in the wake of that dissolution.  Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://the...

This week, we're bringing you back to 2021, to a conversation we had with David Inczauskis SJ. Have you heard about the cool new Liberation Theology podcast on the block? No? Well, let us tell you! This week, we're joined by David Inczauskis SJ, the host of The Liberation Theology Podcast. Give David a follow on twitter @LibTheoJesuit and check out his pod!  Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong  Outro...

We're wrapping up our book on degrowth and liberation theology this week, so we're just doing a fun one. This week on the pod, we're locking-in, answering some reddit questions, talking about current events, and complaining about AI.  Here's the episcopal chatbot article we mentioned on the show: https://www.christiancentury.org/features/priesthood-all-chatbots Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Out...

Last week, we talked about dependency theory and trash. This week on the pod, we're talking about how some theologians from the Global North responded to liberation theology and dependency theory at its height in the 1970's and 80's. You'll also hear two grandpas talking about a long gone Christian band called The Psalters.   Listen to the Psalters: https://psalters.bandcamp.com/album/the-divine-l...

Ernesto Cardenal is great, right? He is, but have you ever wondered who the Greatest Canadian Communist Christian Poet in the Soviet Union was? Well, it was Joe Wallace.  Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong  Outro music by theillogicalspoon  https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon*  http://patreon.com/themagnificast  *G...

This week on the pod, we're talking trash! This week we get into dependency theory, Leonardo Boff, and coffee Here's the study we mentioned about sustainable coffee brewing:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352550921001160 Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues S...

Lately, we've been talking about the resonance between regrowth and liberation theology when it comes to talking about consumption patterns in the Global North. This week, we're taking a look at the result of all that consumption: trash. Trash plays an essential economic role in capitalism in the way it creates growth. Want to know how? Then listen to this episode! Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong...

Folks, this week, we're locked in answering reddit questions, talking about cranky liberation theologian, Clodovis Boff, and ICE raids. Find the article from Mel Buer that we talked about here: https://www.welcometohellworld.com/a-life-was-snuffed-out-in-the-pursuit-of-a-quota/ Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up...

This week on the pod we're talking about the new statement from the Bishops of the Global South for COP30. In their statement they reject false solutions like technocracy and green capitalism and argue that the way forward is degrowth!  Read the statement here: https://www.cidse.org/2025/07/01/churches-of-the-global-south-call-for-climate-justice-resisting-false-solutions-and-standing-for-hope/ In...

This week, we're talking about a new article that Matt has in Sojourners Called Is AI Demonic? Throughout the ep, Matt and Dean talk about Rod Dreher, ChatGPT induced psychosis, the history of the telegraph, and how our only hope is organizing our workplaces. Read Matt's Sojourners article here: https://sojo.net/articles/opinion/ai-demonic Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogic...

This week on the pod, we're talking about the militarization of society, speed, politics, and death. In case you couldn't guess based on that constellation of topics, this episode features one of our favs, Paul Virilio. Throughout the episode, we're primarily referencing Paul Virilio's book Pure War. But we also reference Virilio's The Administration of Death.  Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Out...

Folks, we're once again kind of busy this week and couldn't record an episode. However, given the ongoing protests and police violence in LA, I thought it might be fun to give you this classic ep from 2020 about police abolition and Marxism. Please do not hold us too accountable for anything we said in 2020...unless it's good, then we're accountable. This week on The Magnificast, Matt & Dean t...

We talk a lot on this show about all of the bad stuff that Christianity contributes to the world. But this week, we're talking about the historical Christian tools and ideas that have contributed something good to the world. Specifically, we're linking together some of overarching themes we find in left-wing expressions of Christianity that have something to contribute to degrowth socialism. We've...

Folks, we've got a new Pope. Pope Leo is here and we're going to tell you about him. In this episode, we cover the midwest pope meme, Rod Dreher's take, the Pope and his past on survivors of sexual abuse, and his emerging takes on AI. Here are the articles we talked about in this episode. https://religionnews.com/2025/05/21/theres-an-american-pope-and-hes-just-like-us-at-least-we-really-really-wan...

We're recouping from all the travel we've done in the last week, so enjoy a classic ep.  A lot of moral questions revolve around doing or not doing something, but what if the biggest moral problems were actually about the very way we live our lives? Driving, smartphones, food production, etc. are all far more political than most people realize. In this episode, we talk through the book The Imperia...

Folks, the conclave kicks off tomorrow and we can barely contain ourselves. This week, we're doing a round up of everything you need to know before we get conclaving. Here are the articles we referenced https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/conclave-roundup-conclave-begin-less-48-hours https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2025/05/young-people-tell-cardinals-they-want-a-role-in-the-future-church https://cruxnow...

In this episode, Matt and Dean reflect on Pope Francis' life, death, and everything that comes after. Later in the episode we talk about conclave and how to think about some of the reporting on who will be the next Pope.  Read Dean's article on the Conclave in the Nation:  https://www.thenation.com/article/society/pope-francis-jorge-bergoglio-dead-obituary/ Also read Dean's article reflecting on t...

There's a Cheeto in the White House and he's once again doing some devious stuff. Back in February, the President signed an executive order against the weaponization of anti-Christian bias. Listen in for the whole story.  Articles we talked about https://theconversation.com/claims-of-anti-christian-bias-sound-to-some-voters-like-a-message-about-race-not-just-religion-250729 https://www.politico.co...

We're back with an episode from the vault. Dean is out traveling through the exotic province of Ontario, so this week we're giving you a classic Episode with Marika Rose. You might remember a few weeks back we talked about Angels from the perspective of a weird book by Michel Serres. Well, we decided we couldn't leave the conversation there. We needed an angel expert. So, this week, we're joined b...

This week, we're talking about degrowth, misunderstandings, and liberation theology. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnificast Merch* https://www.redbubble.com 

In the gospel, Jesus says you've got to love your enemies. But, that's such a hard thing to do when your enemies are so contemptible, cruel, and stupid. This week, we're getting to the bottom of how to love your enemies, but not in a cringe way. Here are the articles and books we mentioned in this episode. The best way to love Elon Musk? Protest him - https://sojo.net/articles/opinion/best-way-lov...

There have been some "strategic conversations" lately in Europe about nuclear sharing and other scary ideas about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. So, we're using this as an opportunity to talk about how Christians have thought about nuclear weapons and mass death. Here's the Bill Wylie-Kellerman essay we read from at the end of the episode: https://geezmagazine.org/magazine/article/eucharist...

Last week, we had a chat about right-wing forms of Christianity. This week, we're taking a bit of a different approach and thinking through the process of building counter Christianities to help keep ourselves mentally healthy (maybe) and oppose right-wing Christianity. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low...

If you're a long-time listener of the Magnificast, you'll know that we have a unique analysis of the question: are right-wing Christians actually Christians? We've got another round of right-wing Christians in power at the moment, so we're bringing the discourse back and telling you everything you need to know.    Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalog...

Magnificast lock in? No. This week, we're descending into the crypt. Buckle up bone perverts, it's time to answer all of the hottest bone related reddit questions.  Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnifi...