Ignatius Press Podcast

Mark Giszczak, a professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute, delves into the theological implications of suffering. He addresses profound questions about why a loving God permits suffering and how it has shaped humanity's artistic and spiritual narratives. Giszczak discusses the concept of redemptive suffering and its transformative power in bridging believers to Christ. He highlights the paradox of comfort in modern society and concludes with the idea that embracing mortality can infuse life with greater meaning, guided by Christian hope.

Francis X. Maier has been immersed in the life of the Church at different levels for decades. As senior aide to Archbishop Charles Chaput for more than twenty years, and as editor-in-chief of the National Catholic Register for many years before that, he got to know the leaders and major players in the American Church in both professional and personal settings. When he sat down to write a book offering a snapshot of Catholic life in the U.S., he had many contacts in high places to whom he could reach out. But they wouldn’t be able to tell the whole story. In writing his new book True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church, Maier conducted more than one hundred candid interviews with individuals living and working in the Church. These included bishops and priests as well as laymen and women serving in various leadership roles. But they also included husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, parish priests and religious sisters living their vocations in low-profile ways: faithfully carrying out their professional duties, loving their families, and building up their local communities. In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Maier about what he learned about the American Church while conducting these interviews, and about how our current situation—colored as it is by scandals, political division, and secularism—contains many sources of profound hope. Find True Confessions by Francis X. Maier at Ignatius.com.  

In a society that often claims to value the voices of the marginalized, one group that find themselves frequently silenced by the very people claiming to speak for them are detransitioners—men and women who have gone down the road of “gender transition,” only to change their minds, embrace their biological sex, and reverse course. In this episode, Andrew Petiprin speaks with Jennifer Lahl, a nurse and documentary maker who works to amplify the voices of those who have been harmed by gender ideology. Together with Kallie Fell, Lahl has written the new book The Detransition Diaries, which tells the stories of five women and two men who have reclaimed their identities after dangerous journeys through hormone therapies, surgeries, and other treatments aimed at changing their biological sex. Find The Detransition Diaries at Ignatius.com. Follow Jennifer Lahl on X: @JenniferLahl Follow Kallie Fell on X: @kal_fell  

Is beautiful sacred art a thing of the past? Is it impossible for contemporary artists to inspire the kind of reverence and devotion for sacred subjects that the artworks of great masters have done for centuries? The Catholic Home Gallery is an answer to these questions—a collection of eighteen artworks by contemporary artists that embody the richness of the Catholic artistic tradition with fresh creativity and insight. Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs, one of the nine artists featured in the book and our guest for this episode, is passionate in her belief that not only is it possible to regain the wisdom and skills of previous centuries of sacred artists—many of which have been lost or sorely neglected in recent times—but that there is an urgent need to do so in the Church today. In her conversation with host Andrew Petiprin, Thompson-Briggs discusses why sacred art should not be considered a luxury item or reserved only for a privileged elite, but should rather be incorporated into the spiritual formation and life of every Christian. She also talks about her own work as an artist, the importance of bringing sacred art into the home, and some of the other artists working today whose work she admires. The Catholic Home Gallery: Eighteen Works of Art by Contemporary Catholic Artists Explore the art of Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs Catholic Artists Directory

When Mark Wahlberg’s hit movie “Father Stu” was released in 2022, audiences all over the country were introduced to Father Stuart Long, a former boxer-turned-wannabe-actor-turned Catholic priest who died in Helena, Montana in 2014 at the age of 50. The motorcycle-riding tough guy who found his way to Christ and the priesthood captured the hearts of many moviegoers, but the film only told part of the story of the real Father Stu’s remarkable life and spiritual legacy.   Few people knew Father Stu as well as did Father Bart Tolleson, Stu’s close friend and fellow diocesan priest. His new book “That Was Father Stu: A Memoir of My Priestly Brother and Friend” recounts Stu’s often-bumpy road to conversion and ordination, but also tells the story of his transformative priestly ministry and his fight against the degenerative disease that ultimately took his life. In this episode, Andrew Petiprin speaks with Father Bart about his friendship with Stu and about the tremendous witness of holy suffering Stu gave in the final years of his life.

“Grief is a call to expand our hearts.” Dr. Daniel and Bethany Meola have worked with hundreds of individuals from broken homes who are grieving—grieving the divorce or separation of their parents, grieving the loss of the “ideal” family, even grieving a sense of identity rooted in parental love. They have pulled together valuable insights and wisdom from their work into a new book, “Life-Giving Wounds: A Catholic Guide to Healing for Adult Children of Divorce or Separation.” In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with the Meolas about their book and their work with adult children of divorce—work that is particularly critical in our day and age, in which huge numbers of people come from homes broken by divorce or separation. Grief, anxiety, anger—these emotional wounds from parental separation are often hidden. But, according to the Meolas, these same wounds can be opportunities for healing and redemption. Their message is ultimately one of hope—that these wounds do not have to define us, but can become sources of life and strength.

In times of civil unrest and heightened public discourse about racial issues, it can be tempting—even for Catholics—to look only for political solutions to the divisions that plague our society. But if, as the Catholic Church teaches, racism is a sin and, as such, an obstacle to the soul’s growing in holiness, political arguments about policies and party platforms will not eradicate it. We will need to go deeper. Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is the author of the new book Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism. He is passionate about having those deeper conversations about race and the moral and spiritual groundwork that must be laid in order to successfully combat racism in society. In this episode, he speaks with host Andrew Petiprin about how an authentically Catholic approach can help facilitate healing in our society and promote reconciliation across racial divides. Related reading: Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers Learn more about Deacon Harold: DeaconHarold.com

Living wills? Palliative care? Brain death? Cremation? Many of us know we need to think about these and other end-of-life questions for ourselves and our loved ones, but how many of us know where to look for guidance? Dr. Stephen Doran, M.D. is uniquely positioned to help us think about these often uncomfortable topics. An experienced neurosurgeon, a bioethicist, and a Catholic deacon, Dr. Doran brings insights from modern medical practice as well as from the timeless wisdom of the Faith to the many complicated situations surrounding the end of life. In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Dr. Doran about Doran’s new book, “To Die Well: A Catholic Neurosurgeon’s Guide to the End of Life.” They cover many of the ethical decisions that often take Catholics by surprise when faced with terminal illness, as well as the even bigger questions of what a “good death” really looks like, and how our attitudes toward suffering can have a significant impact on how we face our final end.

Thomas Howard had a unique perspective on contemporary Christian life. The son of a prominent evangelical family who was drawn to liturgical worship, a friend of C.S. Lewis who eventually converted to Catholicism, Howard was a keen observer and erudite writer, an articulate defender of the truths of the Gospel and the power of art to bring man closer to God. In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Keith Call, editor of a new collection of Howard’s writings, “Pondering the Permanent Things: Reflections on Faith, Art, and Culture.” Call gives background on Howard’s life and intellectual formation, as well as the cultural forces he watched play out in Christian life during the tumultuous 20th and early 21stcenturies. Call offers insights into why Howard’s writings remain compelling after his passing in 2020, and why the invitation to consider the “permanent things” is perhaps more pressing today than ever. Related reading: “New collection of Thomas Howard essays explores ‘the drama of redemption’” by Carl E. Olson | Catholic World Report

Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J. believes in God, the soul, and an afterlife. This is not surprising, as the Jesuit priest is a well-known defender of the precepts of the Catholic faith in his books, lectures, and numerous media appearances. But Fr. Spitzer holds that these beliefs are well-founded scientifically, and has written a book presenting his evidence. In this episode, host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Fr. Spitzer about the most up-to-date scientific evidence for the existence of God and for the afterlife, which Spitzer documents in his new book “Science at the Doorstep to God.” While many point to “science” as their reason for rejecting belief in a Creator, Fr. Spitzer argues that this only demonstrates an ignorance of the scientific evidence, and an inability to recognize how faith and reason can be harmonized in an earnest pursuit of truth. Related reading: “Science at the Doorstep of God: Science and Reason in Support of God, the Soul, and Life after Death” by Fr. Robert Spitzer Magis Center – Science, Reason, and Faith