Glad You Asked

Often, Catholics refer to Mary with the various honorifics we have attached to her over the centuries: Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, or Queen of Heaven. When we imagine her, we may think of famous paintings representing her as a queen, crowned and throned, holding baby Jesus. While these titles all highlight important theological truths about Mary, and our religious art helps us venerate her as the most important saint of the church, we may sometimes lose sight of who Mary was historically. Long before the church developed our various doctrinal understandings about her, Mary was a Jewish woman born into a particular family, culture, and political situation. But compared with the vast amount of theological writing on Mary, the historical material we have about her is pretty scant.

Who was Mary of Nazareth, really? What was her life like? How did she dress, what did she eat, and what level of education did she have? On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, guest AJ Levine helps us get a clearer picture of the historical Mary, beneath the halo and beyond the holy cards.

Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She was the first Jew to teach the New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. She has held office in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Association for Jewish Studies. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (HarperOne) and Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (HarperOne). Her most recent book is Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians (HarperOne).

Learn more about this topic, and read some of Levine's writing, in these links.

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," By Elizabeth Johnson https://uscatholic.org/articles/201101/mary-mary-quite-contrary/

"It is time to free Mary and let God have her own maternal face," By Christine Schenk https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/simply-spirit/it-time-free-mary-and-let-god-have-her-own-maternal-face

"All mothers stand at the cross with Mary," By Sister Laurie Brink, O.P. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202005/all-mothers-stand-at-the-cross-with-mary/

"Why did God choose Mary?" By LaRyssa Herrington https://uscatholic.org/articles/202305/why-did-god-choose-mary/

"Witnesses, patrons, faithful disciples: The women at the cross and the tomb," By Amy-Jill Levine https://www.abc.net.au/religion/amy-jill-levine-women-at-the-cross-and-the-tomb/13843886

"A Jewish take on Jesus: Amy-Jill Levine talks the gospels." A U.S. Catholic interview https://uscatholic.org/articles/201209/a-jewish-take-on-jesus-amy-jill-levine-talks-the-gospels/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

It's difficult to avoid artificial intelligence these days. When searching on Google or reading product reviews, there's a good chance that you'll be offered the option to read an AI-generated summary. Or maybe an AI tool will offer to write your work email for you. Savvy users are typically able to detect the errors in AI summaries, but even the most cautious and informed person might find it difficult to sort through what's accurate and what isn't. And while an ethical student wouldn't want to entrust their carefully thought out ideas to an AI writing program, it might be a temptation for those less skilled at writing, or less concerned about morals.

These are just a few ways AI disrupts our already hectic human lives. There are also questions about AI taking human jobs, AI being used to spread disinformation, AI romantic partners, even AI contract killers. The ethical issues around AI are real. But does this mean AI itself is bad? Are there ethical ways of using it? On this episode of Glad You Asked, guest Brian Green talks to the hosts about what AI is, what the real ethical concerns are, and whether Catholics should use it at all.

Green is the director of technology ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. His work focuses on the impact of technology on human life, society, and religion. He has contributed to a number of books on AI and ethics and is the author of Space Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield). He's been a lead contributor on three World Economic Forum case studies on ethical practices at Microsoft, Salesforce, and IBM and has worked with the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education.

Learn more about this topic in these links.

"How should Christians respond to the challenges of AI?" By Kate Ott https://uscatholic.org/articles/202307/how-should-christians-respond-to-the-challenges-of-ai/

"AI isn't all doom and gloom, says this theologian" A U.S. Catholic interview https://uscatholic.org/articles/202307/ai-isnt-all-doom-and-gloom-says-this-theologian/

"'Oppenheimer' offers a sober lesson in the era of AI" By Danny Duncan Collum https://uscatholic.org/articles/202311/oppenheimer-offers-a-sober-lesson-in-the-era-of-ai/

"Futuristic fiction asks important ethical questions about AI" By Jeannine Pitas https://uscatholic.org/articles/202308/futuristic-fiction-asks-important-ethical-questions-about-ai/

Journal of Moral Theology, Special Issue on AI https://www.academyforlife.va/content/dam/pav/documenti%20pdf/2022/AI/Spring%202022%20Special%20Issue%20AI.pdf

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Even 700 years after his death, St. Thomas Aquinas is still one of most influential theologians in the history of the Catholic Church. The Dominican friar, philosopher, and theologian wrote extensively about morals, liturgy, the sacraments, humanity, and the nature of God. He drew on multiple non-Christian and pre-Christian traditions to articulate the relationship between natural reason and revealed truth.

Today, Aquinas' ideas remain central to Catholic thought. But not all his ideas have aged well. And this can pose a problem, especially when people treat him as an authority on the level of the magisterium. Some of the ideas from Aquinas that self-described Thomists like to reiterate not only aren't church teaching—they're also incorrect.

But would Thomas Aquinas be a Thomist? What would the saint think about popular takes on his ideas today? And why is this academic quibble politically significant? On this episode of Glad You Asked, journalist Heidi Schlumpf, who recently wrote about this topic for U.S. Catholic, joins the hosts to talk about why conservative influencers love Aquinas and why disputes about his thought are relevant for the public square.

Schlumpf is a senior correspondent for and former executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter. She previously served as the managing editor of U.S. Catholic and has reported extensively on religion, spirituality, social justice, and women's issues. She is the author of Elizabeth A. Johnson: Questing for God (Liturgical Press).

You can read more about this topic and read some of Schlumpf's writing in these links.

"Would Thomas Aquinas be a Thomist?" By Heidi Schlumpf https://uscatholic.org/articles/202406/would-thomas-aquinas-be-a-thomist/

"Why 'trads' seek to root the church's future in the past" By Angela Denker https://uscatholic.org/articles/202207/why-trads-seek-to-root-the-churchs-future-in-the-past/

"Two very different parishes point to divisions in the church" By Peter Feuerherd https://uscatholic.org/articles/202105/parish-differences-show-division-in-church/

"J.D. Vance's Catholicism. Theological profile of Trump's heir apparent" By Massimo Faggioli https://international.la-croix.com/opinions/jd-vances-catholicism-theological-profile-of-trumps-heir-apparent

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Religious nationalism is on the rise, both in the United States and globally. While this poses multiple challenges to justice work, it also raises theoretical questions for Christians, including the question of how Catholics should understand the relationship between church and political powers. For centuries, when monarchy was the default, Catholics argued about this. Should the pope control the king, or vice versa? Can kings appoint religious institutional leaders? What if a pope excommunicates a monarch?

Somewhere along the line, a political idea called integralism developed. Integralism proposes a much closer relationship between political and religious authorities than most Americans are comfortable with. But despite our longstanding embrace of the separation of church and state, this seemingly obscure idea has entered our public discourse, associated with some right-wing influencers and political figures—including Vice President-Elect JD Vance.

So what is integralism? Is it the same as nationalism, and does it threaten our constitutional ideas about religious liberty? On this episode of the podcast, scholar Nicholas Hayes-Mota talks to the hosts about what integralism is and how it relates to the current political climate.

Hayes-Mota is a social ethicist and public theologian whose research interests include the theology of community organizing, Catholic social thought, contemporary virtue ethics, democratic theory, and AI ethics. He is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences.

You can learn more about this topic and read some of Hayes-Mota's work in these links.

"What is Catholic integralism?" By Steven P. Millies https://uscatholic.org/articles/201910/what-is-catholic-integralism/

"The Integralist Argument Is Wrong, Even If You're Catholic" By Kevin Augustyn https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/the-integralist-argument-is-wrong-even-if-youre-catholic

"The strange world of Catholic 'integralism'—and Christian nationalism" By Jack Jenkins https://www.ncronline.org/news/strange-world-catholic-integralism-and-christian-nationalism

"The not-so-Catholic candidacy of J. D. Vance" By Jason L. Miller and Rebecca Bratten Weiss https://uscatholic.org/articles/202407/the-not-so-catholic-candidacy-of-j-d-vance/

"Faith at the expense of freedom" By Rebecca Bratten Weiss https://www.christiancentury.org/features/faith-expense-freedom

"We need to reclaim the legacy of Christian nonviolence" By Nicholas Hayes-Mota https://uscatholic.org/articles/202405/we-need-to-reclaim-the-legacy-of-christian-nonviolence/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). This verse, sometimes called the Great Commission, includes a mandate to perform baptisms. But does that mean Jesus was telling everyone to go out and baptize? In the gospel passage, Jesus is speaking only to the eleven men who were closest to him, sometimes called the apostles. Traditionally, Catholics have believed that those eleven men were the first priests, and that this is why the mandate to baptize was directed at them.

But does that mean only priests can perform baptisms? And does it mean that a person who is able to baptize should do so any time they get a chance, even if the person hasn't asked for baptism, doesn't want it, or is too young to make the decision? What about if a person was adamant about rejecting baptism, but is now unconscious, and dying? Should a good Catholic try to get them baptized anyway?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, Claretian Father Paul Keller talks to the hosts about the church's rules around baptism: who can baptize, who can be baptized, and what makes a baptism valid. Keller is the provincial superior for the USA-Canada Chapter of the Claretian Missionaries and a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic on issues relating to pastoral ministry, public policy, theology, and ethics.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Keller's writing, in these links.

"Baptism, not piety, is what makes us Catholic" By Don Clemmer https://uscatholic.org/articles/202307/baptism-not-piety-is-what-makes-us-catholic/

"3 things Catholics should remember about baptism" By John Kyler https://uscatholic.org/articles/202211/3-things-catholics-should-remember-about-baptism/

"Why does baptism have to be so wet?" By Victoria M. Tufano https://uscatholic.org/articles/201603/why-does-baptism-have-to-be-so-wet/

"Should confirmation be for adults only?" By Father Paul Keller, C.M.F. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202206/should-confirmation-be-for-adults-only/

"Can a priest withhold communion from a Catholic?" By Father Paul Keller, C.M.F. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202109/can-a-priest-withhold-communion-from-a-catholic/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

In times of difficulty and strife, it's easy to feel hopeless. Sometimes it's personal loss or tragedy, sometimes it's climate catastrophe. Sometimes it's the injustice meted out by authoritarian, extremist regimes. Sometimes it's the weight of depression, anxiety, and trauma. Christian mandates to rejoice and be glad can feel ridiculous, even insulting, to those who see no cause for joy. When the weight of the world's woes gets heavy, simply getting out of bed in the morning can be a chore. Hopelessness may seem like the most logical, realistic response to the state of humanity.

But aren't Christians supposed to be hopeful? Technically, hope is a theological virtue. Hope is connected with faith and charity. So some Christians assume that hopelessness must be a sin, or at least a religious failure. It doesn't help that some Catholics try to turn mental health issues into spiritual ones, even going so far as to claim that depression is caused by evil spirits.

So, what's the difference between the virtue of hope, having hope for the future, and feeling "in a hopeful mood"? Are Christians required to be hopeful even in dire times? Is it a sin to be hopeless?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, Christine Valters Paintner discusses what it means to be hopeful in a world fraught with suffering. Paintner is a Benedictine oblate and the online abbess at abbeyofthearts.com, a virtual monastery integrating contemplative practice and creative expression. She is a poet and the author of more than 20 books on the spiritual life. Her newest book is A Midwinter God: Encountering the Divine in Seasons of Darkness (Ave Maria Press).

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Paintner's writing, in these links: "Biblical figures struggled with mental health, too" By Alice Camille https://uscatholic.org/articles/202402/biblical-figures-struggled-with-mental-health-too/

"How your parish can help those suffering from depression" By Jessie Bazan https://uscatholic.org/articles/201804/how-your-parish-can-help-those-suffering-from-depression/

"No one can avoid suffering, but Jesus points a way to healing" By Kevin Considine https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/no-one-can-avoid-suffering-but-jesus-points-a-way-to-healing/

"It's OK to despair and swear at God" By Michael Leech https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/soul-seeing/its-ok-despair-and-swear-god

"Learn to take your troubles to the Black Madonna" By Christine Valters Paintner https://uscatholic.org/articles/202204/learn-to-take-your-troubles-to-the-black-madonna/

"Exile is at the heart of the human experience" By Christine Valters Paintner https://uscatholic.org/articles/202308/exile-is-at-the-heart-of-the-human-experience/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Historically, nationalism has often turned out to be a bad idea. The most obvious examples of nationalism leading to atrocities include the Nazi regime in Germany and Benito Mussolini's fascist dictatorship in Italy, but today's geopolitical scene involves a variety of problematic nationalistic movements, including in India, Turkey, Brazil, and Hungary.

Even though nationalism frequently leads to violence or even genocide, people keep trying it. Perhaps the logic is something like "As great as MY nation is, maybe this time it will work!"

Here in the United States, nationalism has usually come with a particularly Christian flavor. Aside from the usual concerns associated with nationalism, this pairing of politics and religion poses unique challenges. Does it even make sense to combine a political ideology like nationalism with a religion like Christianity (especially Catholic Christianity, which is all about universality and solidarity across borders)?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, theologian and activist Jim Wallis discusses the nature of Christian nationalism, whether nationalism can ever be truly Christian, and how people of faith should respond to the resurgence of Christian nationalism in the United States today. Wallis is the founder of Sojourners and the author of 12 books, including America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America (Brazos). He is the inaugural chair and founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice.

You can learn more about this topic in these links.

"Any religion allied with nationalism is dangerous," by Stephen Schneck https://uscatholic.org/articles/202304/any-religion-allied-with-nationalism-is-dangerous/

"Christian nationalism distorts the faith, says Lexington Bishop John Stowe," by Heidi Schlumpf https://www.ncronline.org/news/christian-nationalism-distorts-faith-says-lexington-bishop-john-stowe

"How one evangelical leader uses the Bible to expose the 'False White Gospel,'" by John Blake https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/28/us/evangelical-christianity-false-white-gospel-wallis-cec/index.html

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Every year at Halloween in the United States, amidst the usual vampires, witches, wizards, and superheroes, you may see a few costumes inspired by the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

If you aren't familiar with this tradition, you might wonder about the significance of the floral crowns and beautifully painted skulls. Although the movie Coco recently brought Día de los Muertos into the public eye, Americans who are not of Mexican descent may still be confused about the celebration. Is this just how they do Halloween in Mexico? Or is Día de los Muertos the same as All Souls' Day?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, scholar and educator Mathew Sandoval talks about the origin of this colorful and evocative tradition. Sandoval is a cultural historian and performance studies scholar whose research focuses on Día de los Muertos in history and popular culture. He is an associate teaching professor at Barrett the Honors College in Downtown Phoenix, where he teaches interdisciplinary seminars on art, culture, race, history, and activism. He also has a professional career as a performing artist, storyteller, poet, and filmmaker.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Sandoval's writing, in these links:

"What is Día de los Muertos? An expert explains the holiday celebrating loved ones who have died" By Matthew Sandoval https://artscanvas.org/arts-culture/what-is-dia-de-los-muertos-an-expert-explains-the-holiday-celebrating-loved-ones-who-have-died

"Is Día de los Muertos the same as All Souls Day?" By Joel Schorn https://uscatholic.org/articles/201111/is-dia-de-los-muertos-the-same-as-all-souls-day/

"How 'La Catrina' became the iconic symbol of Day of the Dead" By Matthew Sandoval https://artscanvas.org/arts-culture/how-la-catrina-became-the-iconic-symbol-for-the-day-of-the-dead

"8 prayer practices to honor the dead on All Saints and All Souls Days" By the U.S. Catholic editors https://uscatholic.org/articles/202010/8-prayer-practices-to-honor-the-dead-on-all-saints-and-all-souls-days/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

Every presidential election year, Catholics have the same debates: Which candidate is more in line with Catholic teachings? Is it a sin to vote for a certain candidate or support a certain party? What if none of the candidates reflect Catholic teaching? Various voter guides circulate, few of them the same.

And inevitably, election season also becomes the season of misinformation, as media personalities and influencers broadcast their own personal opinions under the label of "church teaching." Stories abound of priests or religious leaders telling their congregations that they are obliged to vote a certain way or be in mortal sin. Catholics who take seriously both their faith practice and their obligation to civic engagement may feel overwhelmed, confused, and dispirited in the face of this. Some may wonder whether there's even any point in voting at all. Others may decide not to vote because they dislike the idea of democracy. And still others may stay home simply because of ennui.

On this episode of the podcast, theologian and ethicist Meghan Clark discusses the question of whether Catholics have to vote, and how we ought to vote when we do. Clark is a professor of theology at St. John's University in New York and author of The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights (Fortress Press). In 2022, she was the assistant coordinator of the North American Working Group of the "Doing Theology from the Existential Peripheries" Project for the Migrant & Refugees Section of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. She is a frequent contributor to U.S. Catholic.

Learn more about this topic, and read some of Clark's writing, in these links:

"How should Catholics vote? A guide for faithful citizens" By Bernard Evans https://uscatholic.org/articles/202010/how-should-catholics-vote-read-this-guide-before-you-hit-the-polls/

"If you care about family values, vote for the common good" By Kathleen Bonnette https://uscatholic.org/articles/202410/if-you-care-about-family-values-vote-for-the-common-good/

"Government for the people needs to be for everyone" By Meghan Clark https://uscatholic.org/articles/202210/government-for-the-people-needs-to-be-for-everyone/

"Notre Dame peace scholar advises Catholic voters to use social teaching as guide" By Catherine M. Odell https://www.ncronline.org/news/notre-dame-peace-scholar-advises-catholic-voters-use-social-teaching-guide

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit https://claretians.org.

The social media trend of women who define themselves as "tradwives" has been growing for some time. You might be searching for a bread recipe or looking for crafts to do with your children, and suddenly you find yourself watching an Instagram reel featuring a young white woman in vintage 1950s clothing, standing in a beautiful kitchen, and talking about the joy of embracing traditional gender roles, not working outside the home, and submitting to her husband.

The tradwife aesthetic can be appealing, especially in our era of automation and late stage capitalism. And those who are ecologically minded might feel drawn to a lifestyle that looks more natural and simple, where women make their own clothing and prepare food from scratch instead of participating in globalized industrialization. But the tradwife trend isn't just about the aesthetic. Nor are ecological concerns a top priority for most women who call themselves tradwives. So what's the deal with the tradwives? Where did the trend come from, why is it so popular, and how should justice-minded Catholics evaluate it?

On this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk to Emma Cieslik about the tradwife phenomenon, its origins, and its ideological framework. Cieslik is a religious scholar and museum worker based in Washington, D.C. who studies the intersections of gender, sexuality, and Catholic material cultures. She serves as director for Queer and Catholic: A CLGS Oral History Project.

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Cieslik's writing, in these links.

"Catholic trad wives pose a formidable political and religious force" By Emma Cieslik https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/catholic-trad-wives-pose-formidable-political-and-religious-force

"The Truth About the Past That 'Tradwives' Want to Revive" By Jacqueline Beatty https://time.com/6962381/tradwives-history/

"Trad Wives Are Thriving in the Post-Dobbs Era" By Morgan Jerkins https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/06/trad-wife-wives-nara-smith-estee-williams-dobbs-roe-escapism/

"I thought I hated feminism. What I actually hated was conservative women's culture" By Rebecca Bratten Weiss https://uscatholic.org/articles/202305/i-thought-i-hated-feminism-what-i-actually-hated-was-conservative-womans-culture/

"Gender diversity has always been part of the church" By Emma Cieslik https://uscatholic.org/articles/202406/gender-diversity-has-always-been-part-of-the-church/

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, an order of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.