This political season is the perfect time to engage more deeply with the Church's theological and magisterial documents on how best to order society toward the pursuit of the common good. Today we talk with Dr. Taylor Patrick O'Neill and Dr. Matthew Kuhner about an upcoming class "Political Engagement as a Catholic: Principles, Sources, and Histori…

TJ Bogan is the founder of FindMyCamino.com. He shares with us his experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, and the work he does to facilitate pilgrimages for others.Di TL Putnam

This week, the "socials" have been abuzz in response to a provocative scene in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. There were hot takes by those offended, and hotter takes ridiculing those offended. In this week's conversation, we won't spend much time looking at the inciting events, We won't definitely answer the question of whether blasphemy …

Julianne Stanz is a Storyteller, author, and encourager, an internationally known speaker and retreat leader. She is the Director of Outreach for Discipleship and Evangelization for Loyola Press and a consultant to the USCCB. Julianne is the author of five books, including the award-winning Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space f…

Mike Aquilina, Co-Founder of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a widely recognized Catholic author and lecturer, and popular Church Historian. He is the host of seasons 1-3 of The Way of the Fathers Podcast at CatholicCulture.org Together with Adam Lucas, Mike is the co-author of Feasts of our Fathers : Praying the Church Year with the …

AI needs copper. Yes. Sure. Okay. But what happens next? We live in a world of banal narrative - news media, politics, advertising - wherein our lives are curated with messages and stories of progress and performative empathy (think “thoughts and prayers” or “appreciate your patience and understanding”). Much of this gospel of progress and toxic po…

Chris Padgett is a popular speaker, musician, and author who has traveled around the world doing ministry. He and his wife, Linda, have been married over thirty years and have nine children. He joins us to talk about his varied experiences in ministry and the opportunities he's been given, simply by making himself available to the Holy Spirit. We t…

Dr. Andrew Whitmore, Associate Professor of Theology and academic dean at Christendom College., is the author of Saintly Habits: Aquinas’ 7 Simple Strategies You Can Use to Grow in Virtue, available through Ascension Press. He joins us to talk about what Virtue is, why it's important, and how we can grow in Virtue.…

Dr. Timothy P. O’Malley is the Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. He teaches and researches at Notre Dame in the areas of liturgical-sacramental theology, catechesis, and aesthetics. Today we talked about his new book on Ave Maria Press, Behold Believe Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say and Do at Mass. Ther…

Joel Stepanek serves as the Vice President of Programming and Administration for the National Eucharistic Congress which will take place from July 17th - 21st in Indianapolis, Indiana. (EucharisticCongress.org) He has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including as a parish youth minister, RCIA team member, and Vice President of …

Fr. Tim Anastos is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the assistant chaplain at the St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois–Chicago. He serves as a eucharistic preacher for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He joins us to talk about his book Jesus, Make Me Fully Alive: 30 Holy Hour Meditations available …

Constance T. Hull joins us to discuss her recent piece at Catholic Exchange "Is it 'Just' War?" where she shares her experience rethinking her own opinions on the wars we wage through the lens of Just War Theory. Constance is a wife, mother, homeschooler, Navy Veteran, and a graduate with an M.A. in Theology with an emphasis in philosophy. She is p…

Amy Ekeh is the Director of Little Rock Scripture Study at Liturgical Press. Originally from Texas, she grew up in an Episcopal parish that was deeply committed to liturgy, community, and learning. During her teen years, some members of my parish, including two of our priests, became Catholic. She serves on the faculty of the New England Catholic B…

Michael Grasinski is the Assistant Director of Admissions at Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS.edu). He joins us to talk about the Philosophy of Personalism and its influence on the landscape of Catholic Theology.Di TL Putnam

Dr. Matthew Breuninger is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Franciscan University of Stuebenville, and the Director of Teaching Excellence. He has research interests in the role of religion in one’s psychological well-being • Attachment to God—the experiences of felt security with God • Understanding the overlap between psychological habits a…

Chenele Shaw, is one of the project leads for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which consists of four routes from the four corners of the US converging on Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. The events take place across the country from May 17th through July 16th. You can find a listing of those events at EucharisticPilgrimage.o…

Dr. James B. Prothro is an associate professor of Theology and Sacred Scripture and the director of the MA Biblical Studies program at the Augustine Institute just outside of Denver Colorado. Today, we’re talking about his book The Bible and Reconciliation: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration, part of the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacra…

Dr. Kevin Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry and Associate Professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, joins us to talk about his 2018 book “The Seven Deadly Sins” from the “Sayings of the Father’s of the Church” series from Catholic University of America Press, and a free, online course on the same topic at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in…

When is a war not a war, but a police action? When is killing not killing but a “pragmatic, managerial militarism”? If you guessed, when the war criminal represents a liberal democracy, you win the cheese! If you simply said, “Henry Kissinger,” you win the whole wheel of cheese! “A perfect expression of American militarism’s merry-go-round” is what…

Dr. Pia de Solenni is the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at IWP Capital. She is a Theologian, ethicist, and cultural analyst. In addition to various policy and academic roles, Pia was a principal founder of the Global Institute of Church Management. Previously, she served as chancellor and theological advisor to the Bishop of Orange in Cal…

Sr. Nancy is the Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, California. She is a Media Literacy Education Specialist, theologian, international speaker, film/TV reviewer, and author of an award-winning theology of popular culture called, A Sacred Look: Becoming Cultural Mystics. Sr Nancy is a Doctoral Candidate in Ministry at …

Bo Bonner is the Director of the Center for Human Flourishing, and Senior Advisor for Mission Initiatives at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA. He joins us in a discussion to reframe our concept of Lent and Pennance to one of Joy and anticipation. What if we thought of our Lenten preparation the same way we thought about preparing …

Sell the story and people will buy the product, so goes a hallowed principle of marketing. It works so well in advertising that corporations will spend 7 million dollars on a 30-second Super Bowl commercial, peppered up with shilling celebrities, just to sell a donut. And what works for donut companies works for nations. Wrap the story in enough ce…

Dr. Elizabeth Klein is an Associate Professor of Theology At the Augustine Institute, a contributor to Formed, and the author of Augustine’s Theology of Angels and God: What Every Catholic Should Know, which is the topic of our patreon segment this week. She specializes in patristic theology, particularly the writings of St. Augustine. She is the d…

Dr. Mark Giszczak, who received his Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, is a professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute just outside Denver, Colorado. He is the author of “Bible Translation and the Making of the ESV Catholic Edition (Augustine Institute), ”Light on the Dark Passages of Scripture (OSV), What Every Catholic S…

Dr. John W. Martens is professor of theology and director of the Centre for Christian Engagement at St. Mark's College at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. For four years he wrote the Scripture column "The Word" at America Magazine. He has also written extensively on children in early Christianity, including ‘Let the Little C…

Fr. Patrick Gilger, S.J. is assistant professor of sociology at Loyola University Chicago and contributing editor for culture at America Media. Fr. Gilger’s research lies at the intersection of the sociology of religion, political theory, and the study of the secular. Fr. Gilger is an award-winning author and frequent public speaker. His writing ha…

Dr. Joseph Vukov is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Loyola University Chicago. He is also Associate Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola, and an Affiliate Faculty Member in Catholic Studies and Psychology. Nationally, Vukov also serves as the Vice President of Philosophers in Jesuit Edu…

This week found me severely under the weather instead of enjoying SEEK 2024. Unable to record a new show, I opted to revisit my conversation from this time last year with Fr. Sean Hagerty, SJ. Fr. Hagerty is the vocation promoter for the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. That means that Fr. Hagerty is responsible for accompanying men who a…

Ann has been a catechist of the Good Shepherd since 1996. She is a member of the faculty at Aquinas Institute of Theology where she founded the MAPS-CGS program, a pastoral studies degree program with a concentration in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She now serves as spiritual formation director for the program. Ann is a member of the formation …

Katie McGrady is a speaker, author, podcast host, and host of The Katie McGrady Show on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM 129 that talks about pop culture, current events, Catholic news, and how to live a life of abundant joy. She is a frequent guest on CNN whenever there is a big story on a Catholic topic. She joins me to help unpack the recent Va…

Joe Heschmeyer is a Staff Apologist at Catholic Answers. When not on-air, he is writing exceptionally thorough apologetic treatises, books, or hosting the Shameless Popery Podcast. We reflected on the line from Silent Night, "All is Calm, All is Bright," as a means of focusing our Advent preparations. In the Patreon segment, we talked about Elf on …

Having tried and failed (repeatedly) in their anger management counseling, and with league fines no longer an effective deterrent, Josh and Chris decided to give history one more try. And in this holiday season of miracles, what they delivered in shiny holiday packaging is a brand new episode of History Against the Grain. Clio the gift-giving muse …

Dcn. Fritz C. Bauerschmidt Is professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assigned to the Cathedral of Mary our Queen. He is a prolific author with over a dozen books on multiple publishers. He joins me to talk about his 2020 book The Love that is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith …

Greg Metzger is the Associate Publisher at New City Press, part of Focalare Media, the communications arm of the Focolare movement. He's written for a variety of publications, including Christianity Today, Commonweal, and Christian Century. He lives with his wife in Pasadena, CA. He joins us to talk about the new book of Pope Francis's meditations …

In this rerun from 2020, Deacon Charles Beard, from St. Pius X in Tulsa and the Blessed Stanley Rother Catholic Worker, joins us to talk about the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We often imagine this Cosmic Kingship with the implication of his rule over the nations; today we explore the implications of his rule on a pers…

It seems like only yesterday that Outside the Walls launched on St. Michael radio in Broken Arrow, but here we are nine years in and still going strong. It seemed fitting to take this week and look back over the past nine years and reflect. My wife Kristin joins me to talk about our experiences with the show, and to discuss the idea of looking back…

Dr. Holly Taylor Coolman teaches theology at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. Her areas of specialty include Christian accounts of Judaism, as well as the family, especially adoption. She and her husband are parents to five children, ages 25 to 15. We discuss her forthcoming book on Baker Academic Press, Parenting: The Complex and Be…

My wife, Kristin, and I recently spent a week in Rome, Italy. We talk about our experiences and reflect on the Communion of Saints.Di TL Putnam

Father Jeffrey Kirby, STD, is a Papal Missionary of Mercy, the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land, South Carolina, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College. Father Kirby is a Senior Contributor to the Crux news site, the Host of the daily devotional, The Morning Offering with Father Kirby, and the Host of the pod…

We may experience life in the eternal present, but history rides along with us. And the history inside our classrooms this semester at American River College was suddenly and without warning upended by the history under our feet: our primary classroom building, Davies Hall, was shuttered upon being declared a seismic risk. As mismanagement and mana…

I'm in Rome this week, so we're revising a conversation we had in June of 2022 with Fr. Josh Johnson. Be sure to visit patreon.com/outsidethewalls to see highlights from Rome! What picture pops into your head when you envision "the Church?" Whose faces are situated next to yours in the family portrait above God's mantle? The answer to this question…

I'm in Rome this week, so we're revisting a conversation from last April with Dr. Ann Garrido, an associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, where she previously directed the school’s Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching program. Dr. Garrido has served as the Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the U…

Pia de Solenni, S.Th.D., is a moral theologian, ethicist, and cultural analyst. She can be contacted through social media and at her website MoralTheologian.com. We discuss what to expect from a synod, what is different about this synod compared to others, and what would be an appropriate response toward the synod from Catholics at home. This past …

Fr. Casey Cole, OFM graduated from Furman University in 2011 with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Poverty Studies. He entered the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in August of 2011, made solemn profession in August of 2017, and was ordained to the priesthood in June of 2019. Fr. Casey has published three books, Called: What Happens …

Not every family is the perfect model of Catholic family life. Some of us approach parenting still wounded by childhood experiences that were less than ideal. When we start our own families, at best we feel a bit unprepared, and at worst we feel paralyzed with fear that we will repeat our parents dysfunctional, abusive behaviors. In All Things New,…

Dr. David Russell Mosley is an author and poet with a PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham who currently teaches literature, theology, and philosophy at a Catholic, classical high school in the Inland Northwest. David has authored books on theology, (Liturgical Entalnglements, and Being Deified: Poetry and Fantasy on the Path to God), …

Kelly Wahlquist is the founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization, a women’s ministry that invigorates Catholic parishes through inspiring, supporting, and nurturing women in the faith and by equipping and mobilizing women as intentional disciples of Christ. She is the Director of the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute, a popular school …

Randy Petrides retired after practicing law for 40 years. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Notre Dame Law School and has a Master’s in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville. He is the author of How the Saints Shaped History, available on Our Sunday Visitor. We talk together about the influence sanctity has on the m…

Dr. Marylynn Wesson Has served for over 20 years in roles related to Faith Formation and Evangelization. She received her Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. She is the author of Building a Firm Foundation: An Invitation to Parents of Children Preparing for Sacraments, an eight-week evange…