Jim talks with Mark Stahlman about the new Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic Church's evolving role in a digital age. They discuss Trump as an avatar of the digital paradigm shift, the significance of Leo XIV's name choice, Francis as a thug, Francis's background as chemical engineer and bouncer, Synodality & Church decentralization, the exterior vs interior personas of Pope Francis, Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, the three pillars of Catholic social teaching, financial system reforms and new settlement currencies, the role of Dubai in blockchain/crypto development, multipolar traps & solidarity, generational changes & media consumption, the growth of Catholicism in France despite overall European decline, the Catholic Church's diplomatic efforts and interfaith outreach, the future of global systems, and much more.

JRS EP290 - Mark Stahlman on Trump as the Avatar of the Digital Paradigm Shift

Center for the Study of Digital Life (digitallife.center)

Mark Stahlman's Substack (exogenous.substack.com)

First Things (magazine)

Trivium University (online graduate school mentioned)

Rerum Novarum, by Pope Leo XIII (1891 encyclical)

Quadragesimo Anno, by Pope Pius XI (1931 encyclical)

Centesimus Annus, by Pope John Paul II (1991 encyclical)

Aeterni Patris, by Pope Leo XIII (1879 encyclical)

Return of the Strong Gods, by R.R. Reno

"The Two Popes" (movie)

"Dictator Pope" (book)

God's Diplomats, by Victor Gaetan

Mark Stahlman is a biologist, computer architect and ex-Wall Street technology strategist. He is the President of the not-for-profit Center for the Study of Digital Life (CSDL, 501(c)3,  digitallife.center) and its educational project Trivium University (Triv U, trivium.university). He is also CEO of Exogenous, Inc. (EXO, exogenousinc.com), a strategic risk analysis group and on the editorial staff of its publication, the Three Spheres Newsletter (TSN). He studied for but did not complete advanced degrees in Theology (UofChicago) and Molecular Biology (UW-Mad). He has been widely interviewed and published, including teaching online courses (available on YouTube via 52 Living Ideas).