Spe Salvi Institute Podcast

Dr. Richard DeClue, Professor of Theology at the Word on Fire Institute, joins Bobby Mixa and Andrew Petiprin to discuss his new book The Mind of Benedict XVI: A Theology of Communion. Richard’s systematic presentation of Benedict’s thought demonstrates why Benedict should be considered one of the great theological minds of the last century.

In this conversation, Bobby and Andrew talk to Philip Bess, Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, about his recent article "Buildings, Polis, Landscape, Cosmos: Two Counter-Cultural Christian Humanist Academic Case Studies” and the basics of classical humanist urban design. Professor Bess introduces Our Lady’s Plan of Chicago 2109, explaining why we will have to move from suburb sprawl to a design that is more sustainable and durable. It so happens that classical humanist design principles best meet those criteria, much better than modernism and hypermodernism do.

Bobby and Andrew talk to Dr. Kenneth Craycraft about his new book Citizens Yet Strangers: Living Authentically Catholic in a Divided America. Dr. Craycraft explains why Catholics in the United States today are liberal Protestants before they are anything else and why Catholic Social Doctrine matters for healing the divisions in contemporary America.

Michael Diamant, founder of New Traditional Architecture, discusses the importance of traditional architecture, the restoration of Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris, the clash between traditional and modernist ideologies, the decline of architectural aesthetics in Sweden, and the vital connection between craftsmanship and human spirit in architecture.

Andrew Petiprin and Robert Mixa discuss their travels in Europe, highlighting the unique Catholic culture still present. They explore American perspectives on European Catholicism, cultural contrasts between Europe and America, challenges of maintaining Catholic identity, and the visibility of the Catholic Church.

Cinephiles will love this episode. Writer and director Nathan Douglas and Andrew introduce listeners to the films of Éric Rohmer and the French New Wave. The discussion also covers the importance of film as art and how cinema can unveil human experience better than most mediums. And, of course, Bobby does not miss an opportunity to mention his love for Terrence Malick films.

In this episode, Robert Mixa and Andrew Petiprin talk to Zac Crippen (host of the Creedal Podcast - https://www.creedalpodcast.com/) about finding freedom from screen addiction and how we should think about technology. Additionally, they discuss Ted Gioia’s popular post “State of the Culture, 2024”, which describes the new dopamine culture and how to resist the dopamine cartels.

In this episode, Andrew Petiprin and Robert Mixa talk to writer and art critic William Newton about his latest piece in The Spectator, “The divine Dalí and his ‘Christ’”, Newton’s fascination with Spain and Spanish art, Dalí’s wrestling with the faith, and his return to traditional painting. For more about William Newton, please visit his website (https://wbdnewton.com/).

In this episode, Robert Mixa and Andrew Petiprin talk to Professor Ewa Thompson about key moments in European history when Poland came to the defense of Christendom, how non-Germanic Central Europe seemed to be excised by historians of various empires from the annals of history, the Polish literature that shaped the Catholic imagination and spirituality of John Paul II, the legacy of Sarmatism and Catholic freedom, and the long history of Russian imperialism.

Robert Mixa and Andrew Petiprin talk to James Matthew Wilson about poetry, his book 'The Vision of the Soul: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in the Western Tradition,' Conservatism, Christian Platonism, Catholicism in the Americas, and Catholic Modernism.