The Catholic Culture Podcast

What’s it like to be both a priest and a professional actor? George Drance, S.J. is the artist in residence at Fordham University, where he teaches acting, a resident artist in La Mama’s Great Jones Repertory Company, and the artistic director of Magis Theatre Company. We discuss his religious and artistic vocation, how people in the theater world feel about working with a priest, how to take custody of your career and choose your roles with integrity, Catholic vs. worldly ideas of success, and more.   Links George Drance, S.J. Fordham faculty page https://www.fordham.edu/info/25064/theatre_full-time_faculty/10013/george_drance_sj/1 Magis Theatre Company http://www.magistheatre.org Timestamps George Drance, S.J. 1:52 Being both a Jesuit priest and a working actor 6:50 How Fr. George seeks God in his work 8:11 Working in experimental theater with Great Jones Repertory and La MaMa; the legacy of Ellen Stewart 14:25 Navigating the theater world socially as a priest; how theater people respond to Fr. George’s priesthood 18:59 Dealing with the pressure to take compromising roles; taking custody of your career as a young actor 29:44 The advantage of having a personal practice as an actor 33:34 There’s no shame in having a day job; rejecting worldly conceptions of success 35:51 The fascinating career of dramatist-priest Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681); his Life Is a Dream 42:27 Magis Theatre Company: actor training and reviving forgotten classics 48:02 Adaptation of The Odyssey for high school students 50:15 Magis’s upcoming show, Miracle in Rwanda, based on Left to Tell by Imaculée Ilibagiza 53:50 This week’s reading: Bl. John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University

The critical theorists and social justice warriors are trying to do to medieval studies what they’ve done to other disciplines, and if you don’t get on board, you’re a white supremacist. Over the past two years or so, the mob has targeted University of Chicago professor Rachel Fulton Brown, calling her a fascist, trying to intimidate her department into censuring her, and banning her from conference sessions. She joins me to discuss her ordeal, why even tenured professors are willing to stand up for unpopular truths, and the stakes of the battle for medieval studies.   Links Rachel Fulton Brown’s academic homepage http://home.uchicago.edu/~rfulton/ Milo Yiannopoulos’s essay “Why the Battle for Medieval Studies Matters to America” (profanity warning) https://www.dangerous.com/45111/middle-rages/ Rachel’s fascinating Professional Self-Portrait http://home.uchicago.edu/~rfulton/Professional%20Self%20Portrait.pdf Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought: Purchase https://amzn.to/2MPrGFf Read Chapter 2 https://issuu.com/columbiaup/docs/mary_and_the_art_of_prayer_ave_mari     Timestamps 2:56 Rachel Fulton Brown 3:41 The initial blog post that made Rachel’s colleagues angry 10:15 Rachel’s friendship with Milo Yiannopoulos 15:19 The progressive witch hunt within medieval studies 28:25 The letter 1,500 academics signed attempting to get her department to censure her 34:40 Rachel’s defenders in academia 36:49 Why even tenured academics fear the mob 41:23 Critical theorists coming from English literature into medieval studies 45:27 What will be lost if medieval studies is taken over by progressives: the study of Christianity 51:02 This week’s reading: Bl. John Henry Newman This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

Mike Aquilina has been a highly successful freelance writer for over three decades. He is best known for his popular books on the Fathers of the Church, but he is also a poet and has co-written songs with the well-known blues singer Dion. We chat about the process of collaboration (whether as a ghostwriter or a song lyricist), the trajectory of poetry over the past century, and more.   Links Mike Aquilina’s website https://fathersofthechurch.com/ “New York Is My Home” (a song Mike co-wrote performed by Dion and Paul Simon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpsVSLUOCGA A History of the Church in 100 Objects by Mike & Grace Aquilina https://catholicbooksdirect.com/product/a-history-of-the-church-in-100-objects/ The Fathers of the Church, 3rd Edition by Mike Aquilina https://catholicbooksdirect.com/product/the-fathers-of-the-church-3rd-edition/ “Hindu Traditions of St. Thomas” at Mike’s blog https://fathersofthechurch.com/2007/05/21/hindu-traditions-of-st-thomas/ “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by They Might Be Giants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhjSzjoU7OQ   Timestamps Mike Aquilina 2:29 St. Thomas Aquinas’s Eucharistic hymns 5:27 Being a lyricist collaborating with a musician (Dion) 7:05 The fun of ghostwriting 9:18 Prose influences 11:18 Mike’s eclectic career path 13:27 The modern idea of the artist; poetry in the past century 31:39 Life as a full-time freelance writer 32:46 Mike’s work on patristics 35:18 Distilling the scholarship of experts for a popular audience 38:09 More on Mike’s collaboration with Dion 40:24 Having his lyrics sung by Paul Simon 41:31 Chatting about favorite musicians and lyricists 50:18 "Thomas Christians” in India and early Korean Catholicism 53:52 This week’s readings: Clement of Alexandria

Are music and morals connected? If so, what is the nature of that connection? Are certain musical sounds morally bad or good in themselves, or are they neutral? Could the influence of music on morality be of an indirect kind? Is there such a thing as a virtuous way of listening to music? Can music prepare us for the spiritual life? Do you have to be a good person to make beautiful music? I discuss these questions and more with theologian Fr. Basil Cole, O.P., an amateur jazz pianist who wrote his dissertation on the moral effects of music (not to be confused with another Fr. Basil who has also commented on the same subject!).   Links Basil Cole, O.P. bio https://www.dominicanajournal.org/preacher-professor-and-author-extraordinaire/ Read Fr. Basil's dissertation https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=11968 Fr. Basil articles at CC https://www.catholicculture.org/search/resultslist.cfm?requesttype=docbrowseauth&resourcetype=1&catlabel=author&catid=85 Excellent article on the Rosary by Fr. Basil https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9226 Jeff Mirus’s review of Music and Morals https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=510 Jeff Mirus’s review of  The Hidden Enemies of the Priesthood https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=253 Jeff Mirus’s review of Christian Totality https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=842 Further recommended reading (not mentioned in episode): Elisabeth-Paule Labat, O.S.B., The Song That I Am: On the Mystery of Music https://amzn.to/2LemFYY   Timestamps 3:16 Fr. Basil Cole interview 4:05 Fr. Basil’s musical background 10:01 Refuting the claim that certain musical sounds are intrinsically morally bad or good 12:20 Common misapplication of Plato’s theory of music 18:28 Does music imitate or express emotions? 20:05 Why certain personalities might feel threatened by musical creativity; the necessity of risk in art and the spiritual life 25:31 Why the philosophers have not understood music: it goes beyond reason and concepts 31:32 How good music teaches us to “rejoice rightly” 37:34 Music as school of contemplation 44:34 Beauty and morality: an indirect relationship; can music promote morality through happiness? 48:31 Temperance in listening to music 51:17 Is mediocre music morally degrading? 55:08 Using music to foster false identity and narcissistic sentimentality vs. true self-knowledge through contemplation 59:16 The vice of curiositas in music: music streaming tempts us to superficial musical gluttony 1:01:05 Curiositas: Over-analysis and musical snobbery 1:03:28 What Frank Serpico can teach us about music and integrity 1:06:38 Do you have to be a good person to make beautiful music? 1:10:50 What virtues does an artist need? 1:13:02 How to begin listening to music more deeply 1:15:47 This week’s excerpt: Sirach 32:5

Jeff Mirus, founder of CatholicCulture.org and Trinity Communications, shares his extensive experience in establishing Catholic organizations. He discusses his transition from a college position to launching a nonprofit publishing venture, emphasizing a student-centered approach. Mirus reflects on the evolution of CatholicCulture.org and the need for adaptability in a digital age. He also highlights St. Catherine Drexel’s inspiring commitment to service, encouraging listeners to embrace similar generosity in their own apostolate efforts.

In this conversation with Jeff Mirus, founder of CatholicCulture.org and various Catholic institutions, he shares his journey into Catholic apologetics amidst a Church crisis. He reflects on founding the journal Faith & Reason and co-founding Christendom College, emphasizing the importance of prayer for sustaining faith. Mirus discusses the shifting cultural landscape of the 60s, the rise of lay apostolic efforts, and the balance between family life and institutional work. His insights are rich with personal anecdotes and practical wisdom for aspiring leaders in the Church.

Abriana Chilelli had to drive her children past a lewd strip club advertisement every day on their way home from school in downtown Denver. But instead of taking a fatalistic attitude and a detour, or worse, just accepting it, she got in touch with a city councilman and within days, the pornographic image was gone. We discuss her story and the lessons she learned about how we can still accomplish positive change in our communities, and the importance of teaching children the true meaning of their bodies.   Links Abriana Chilelli https://twitter.com/AbrianaChilelli Book mentioned in interview: Good Pictures, Bad Pictures https://goo.gl/XHNJzn Book reviewed: A Bad Catholic’s Essays on What’s Wrong with the World by Marc Barnes https://amzn.to/2MZhQkl  Sample essay https://www.firstthings.com/article/2017/08/make-hell-hot-again Marc Barnes’s website https://bad-catholic.com/  1979 Wise Blood film adaptation https://amzn.to/2yJjd3N    Timestamps 00:48 Book review: A Bad Catholic’s Essays on What’s Wrong with the World by Marc Barnes 7:59 John Huston’s film adaptation of Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood 9:46 Abriana Chilelli interview 10:50 The lewd advertisement on Abriana’s commute home from her children’s school 15:07 Her attempts to get it taken down, and final success with help from a city councilman 19:54 What she learned: Don’t assume nothing can be done; the problem of Catholic fatalism and the need to be in the public square and build relationships 22:00 Thomas’s frustration at lewd public service ads on the NYC subway 24:36 #MeToo and America’s reckoning with the consumption of women’s bodies 26:06 Tact and truth: communicating your complaint in a way that accomplishes something 30:53 Abriana’s work as curriculum director for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver; how to teach children about the meaning of their bodies 34:20 How pornography influences gender ideology 36:03 This week’s excerpt: Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, Ch. 4, p. 151 https://goo.gl/yLgtwU 

It would not occur to most of us to imagine that monetary has a moral component. Catholic prelates are as silent about matters like fiat money, central banking and inflation and as are the secular ethicists. But the production of currency is not just a matter for the technocrats, and the Catholic tradition once had something to say on the topic. Economist Guido Hülsmann has combined the moral-economic analysis of the scholastics, particularly the 14th-century bishop Nicholas Oresme (who wrote that debauching the currency is worse than either usury or prostitution), with the insights of the Austrian school of economics in order to formulate an authentically Christian Ethics of Money Production for the modern age.   Links: Guido Hülsmann’s website http://www.guidohulsmann.com/ Jörg Guido Hülsmann, The Ethics of Money Production: Buy https://amzn.to/2lifyQT or read for free https://mises.org/library/ethics-money-production Thomas's series of articles on Prof. Hülsmann’s book https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=694 Read Nicholas Oresme’s De Moneta for free https://mises.org/library/de-moneta-nicholas-oresme-and-english-mint-documents   Timestamps: 3:13 Interview with Guido Hülsmann Part 1: Money and Banking 3:51 Silence of Catholic social teaching on money production; using scholastic tradition, esp. Nicole Oresme, as a source 5:38 What is the “Austrian school” of economics and why would the Catholic mind find it compelling? 10:58 Competing definitions of money: commodity or sign? 14:54 Origin and evolution of banking; from simple money warehousing to fractional reserve 21:00 Varying origins of fractional reserve banking in Europe 25:10 Absence of legal and contractual clarity throughout the history of fractional reserve banking; attempts by states to keep banks from going bankrupt leading to the creation of central banks Part 2: Inflation and Its Consequences 34:53 Three unprecedented modern developments: the abandonment of precious metals, the imposition of fiat money, constant inflation 40:19 The first economist was a scholastic: Bishop Oresme on inflation and the debasement of coinage 48:56 Render to Caesar: does all money belong to the government? Oresme says governments may not alter previously existing moneys without the consent of the entire community 50:54 Inflation worse than usury and prostitution according to Oresme; deceptive practices by governments 54:01 Similar economic consequences of debasement of coinage and modern inflation: Enrichment of earliest recipients of new money at the expense of latest recipients 57:54 A uniquely modern recurrence: the business cycle as a result of fractional reserve banking 1:00:43 Central banks incentivizing commercial banks to irresponsible behavior leading to the 2008 financial crisis 1:08:26 Cultural consequences of inflation: a debt-based economy, borrowing and investment prioritized over saving, materialism and short-term thinking 1:12:45 This week’s excerpts: Aristotle, Jean-Baptiste Say, Etienne Gilson

The Dominicans have just celebrated the 150-year jubilee of their ministry on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Fr. John Maria Devaney, O.P., host of the Order’s Word to Life program on Sirius XM, takes me through the history of the Dominicans in NYC (which involves quite a bit of history of the city itself). From Rose Hawthorne to Andy Warhol, it is a fascinating and grace-filled legacy.   Links Word to Life, Fr. John’s Sirius XM radio show https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/word-to-life/id1416667926 Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph https://opeast.org/category/word-to-life/ The St. John Paul II Society https://www.stjohnpaul.org/ The Angelic Warfare Confraternity http://www.angelicwarfareconfraternity.org/ Book mentioned by Fr. John, Pioneer Priests and Makeshift Altars: A History of Catholicism in the Thirteen Colonies by Fr. Charles Connor https://amzn.to/2Mk6Iyo   Timestamps 2:17 Father John’s background and call to the priesthood 4:34 Parish missions: the beginnings of Dominican ministry in Manhattan in 1867; Catholic demographics in New York at the time 14:57 The second church of St. Vincent Ferrer that was built after the arrival of more Irish immigrants; Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs start a school 17:20 The English sisters who served poor immigrants and started the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill 21:07 Aside on Bishop John Hughes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Dominican friars out West 26:38 The first two bishops of New York were Dominican 28:47 The gilded age of New York: opening the Priory of St. Vincent Ferrer and the Mission Church of St. Catherine of Siena 35:07 The story of Rose Hawthorne and her founding of a community of Dominican sisters to care for poor cancer sufferers (the “Hawthorne Dominicans”) 41:54 Rose’s cause for canonization and its importance in combatting assisted suicide; her connection to Sloan-Kettering and Dominican hospital work in NYC more generally 47:48 The vital role of Dominican nuns and sisters 49:44 The current St. Vincent Ferrer church built in Gothic style by the great architect Bertram Goodhue 52:02 The stained-glass Aristotle window; his importance to the Dominicans 56:15 Developments in the neighborhood since the 1950s 57:39 Andy Warhol’s attendance of St. Vincent Ferrer 1:01:28 Catholicism in the public sphere and art circles in the mid-20th century 1:03:42 The Dominican mission of influencing NYC as a cultural hub today; the Dominican contribution to Catholicism in the US is devotional life 1:09:55 The Our Lady of Fatima statue at St. Vincent Ferrer which was sculpted by Fr. McGlynn under the direction of Sister Lucia, the piece of St. John Paul II’s bloodstained cassock from when he was shot 1:14:48 The importance of the rosary to Dominicans and all Catholics 1:18:56 How Fr. Matthew Carroll got the sisters to wear their habits again 1:27:36 This week’s excerpt: Pope St. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope

One of the most creative rock bands around today is Virginia-based indie rock trio The Duskwhales. Drummer/singer Chris Baker joins me to talk about their new EP, Hospital Dreams, a set of melancholic, folky acoustic songs he wrote while battling cancer.  In this episode I also discuss the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s controversial Heavenly Bodies exhibit, and give a couple of movie recommendations.   Links Listen to and purchase Hospital Dreams on Bandcamp https://theduskwhales.bandcamp.com/album/hospital-dreams My interview with The Duskwhales about their 2017 album Sorrowful Mysteries https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1473 Follow The Duskwhales on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheDuskwhales/   Timestamps 1:32 Heavenly Bodies exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Movie recommendations 12:34 Babette’s Feast 15:28 A Quiet Place 19:41 Chris Baker interview (songs used with permission) 20:39 Song: “Hospital Dreams” by The Duskwhales 24:32 The story behind Hospital Dreams: Chris’s cancer 27:41 Writing songs as a way of occupying time during chemo 28:42 Song discussion: “Hospital Dreams” 29:57 You can’t spell the word “chemotherapy” without “mother”: Mary in “ All Her Wonder” and “Turn White” 32:20 The band’s first time self-recording 33:56 Plans for a trilogy of albums 35:20 Keyboardist Brian Majewski’s departure and return 36:10 Hospital Dreams cover art 37:23 Chris’s ill-fated but diverting Twitter campaign 38:09 The Duskwhales’ future 39:02 Music Chris is currently listening to; influences on Hospital Dreams 44:25 Weekly excerpt: Hans Urs von Balthasar