Kresta in the Afternoon

Is Russia a devoutly Christian nation that is simply trying to preserve traditional values from Western Liberal influences? The simple answer is no, but it’s also more complicated. Al discusses.

Luke O’Hara lived 23 years in Japan and, during that time, found his way to the Catholic Church He shares how he came to be a Catholic and the Japanese martyrs he met along the way.

At the start of this month China implemented new internet regulations, which place broad restrictions on religious communication, teaching and evangelism. In short, they only allow government-approved religious groups to share information online. Sean Cheng gives us a look at how this will affect Christians in China.

The new film The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, is the latest effort to bring the Caped Crusader to the big screen. The artists who originally conceived the character said they drew inspiration from another fictional vigilante: Zorro. And both characters force us to consider questions that affect us far beyond the world of the story. To what extent can we trust our social institutions or our ruling elites? To what extent can we trust ordinary people to advocate for the common good? Is society better served by democratic participation or by strong leadership? Steven Greydanus weighs in.

Most of the West has been unified in condemning the actions of Putin and the Russian military. But what happens when that sentiment extends to vandalizing a Russian business, or demanding a Russian artist living in the West publicly denounce their homeland? Al discusses.

The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Mary’s Immaculate Heart on Friday, and his papal envoy will do the same in Fatima. What does this mean? Matthew Bunson explains.

Any parent knows the beautiful, exhausting and bewildering challenges that come with raising kids. How do we go beyond merely “raising” them to helping them find and understand their vocations? We’ll talk with John and Claire Grabowski.

Anthropologists at the University of Oxford have discovered what they believe to be seven universal moral rules. How do they relate to the Catholic idea of the Natural Law? Does the Natural Law have any influence on modern philosophical thought? We talk with Dr. Greg Popcak.

Jerusalem plays a central role in three faiths. We have a pretty good understanding of its importance to Jews and Christians - but what does it mean to Muslims? We talk with Dr Brian Bradford.

We live in troubling times. And we sometimes feel we just fall too short to be accepted by God. But throughout the Scriptures we hear of God’s mercy, and that He has great plans for us. Al discusses.