Journey through the history of public transportation in the U.S., from its early rise to its deliberate dismantling by the auto industry. This episode exposes the high costs of car dependency—financial, environmental, and to public health—and highlights how public transit can be a powerful tool for building a more just and equitable society. Learn how robust transit aligns with Catholic social teaching and serves the common good.

Discover the surprising origins of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a metric born from crisis and war. This episode reveals how GDP's focus on market transactions leads to profound blind spots, including its failure to account for unpaid labor, environmental costs, and inequality. We then offer a Catholic vision for an economy that measures what truly matters: human dignity, the common good, and a diverse set of indicators that promote holistic well-being.

Dive into the surprising history of the workweek, from hunter-gatherer and medieval rhythms to the brutal realities of the Industrial Revolution. This episode explores the hard-won fight for the eight-hour day and its alignment with Catholic social teaching on the dignity of work and the theology of the Sabbath. We conclude by examining the modern push for a four-day workweek as a new way to achieve a just wage and a truly human life.

Explore the evolution of Just War Theory, a rigorous framework designed to make war a last resort. This episode traces the theory's foundations from the Old Testament to its refinement by St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. We then apply its criteria to U.S. interventions, concluding with Pope Francis's shift towards a "just peace" rooted in non-violence and a call to build a world where war is obsolete.

Reclaim finance for the common good! This episode defines public banking as a model that prioritizes community over private profit. We connect this idea to Catholic Social Teaching's call for ethical finance, from ancient prohibitions on usury to modern encyclicals. Finally, we explore the rich history and promise of public banks, from the Bank of North Dakota to international successes and a cost-benefit analysis.

Discover the power of community gardens! We explore their history as a response to hardship, from Pingree's Potato Patch to Victory Gardens. We then connect them to Catholic Social Teaching, emphasizing our call to be stewards of creation from Genesis to Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. Finally, we discuss the extensive health and economic benefits, along with practical steps to start a garden in your own community.

Explore the Jobs Guarantee, a policy to ensure everyone who desires to work can. We trace its history from the WPA and CCC to its deep roots in Catholic Social Teaching on the dignity of labor. This episode concludes by exploring a modern implementation, its economic benefits, and a case study of how a Jobs Guarantee could transform a city like Houston, creating a stronger local economy and community.

Explore the radical concept of the Jubilee Year, from its ancient roots in Israel to its transformation in the Catholic Church. This episode examines its core mandate of societal reset and debt relief. We then consider what a modern Jubilee might look like today, proposing concrete debt cancellation initiatives to address our staggering household debt and promote economic justice.

Shift from theory to practice. We explore different models of worker ownership, from financial-focused ESOPs to democratic worker cooperatives. This episode unpacks the benefits—economic resilience, lower turnover—and weaknesses of these models. We then highlight practical strategies, historical examples, and a case study of Houston, on how to build a thriving cooperative economy from the ground up.

Explore the surprising history of worker cooperatives! This episode delves into foundational Catholic Social Teaching—from Rerum Novarum to Mater et Magistra—to reveal how these documents grappled with property, labor, and capital. Discover how centuries of thought built a framework for a more just economy, one that points directly toward worker-owned enterprises.