Our modern food system and its reliance on industrial farming practices has caused considerable harm in rural communities, breaking up family farms and scarring the environment.

That’s a shame, argues journalist Gracy Olmstead, because the legacy of these small farms, and the communities they nurture, could help make life in America fairer and more meaningful.

On this episode, Olmstead joins Commonweal managing editor Katie Daniels for a wide-ranging discussion of her recent book, Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of Places We’ve Left Behind.  

For further reading

·     Yours, Mine, or Ours, by Gracy Olmstead

·     How Progressives Can Win in Rural America, by Luke Mayville

·     Seams of Resentment, by Danny R. Kuhn

This July, Pope Francis largely rescinded permission for priests to celebrate the so-called “Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite, also known as the Tridentine Mass. The move generated considerable controversy, especially among Catholics in the United States.

On this episode, longtime Commonweal contributing writer Rita Ferrone draws on her extensive knowledge of liturgical history to explain the logic—and in her view, the wisdom—of Francis’s decision.

For further reading:

·     “A Living Catholic Tradition,” by Rita Ferrone

·     “The Limits of ‘Traditionis Custodes,’” by Massimo Faggioli

·     “The Liturgy Wars,” by Paul Baumann

For National Book Award winner Alice McDermott, being a writer is a lot like being a believer. You get used to uncertainty, and become comfortable living in the dark.

On this episode McDermott, a frequent Commonweal contributor, shares a career’s worth of insights on the art of fiction with managing editor Katie Daniels.

She also recounts the moment when she realized she would be a writer, and discusses what a lifetime of working with words has taught her.

For further reading:

·      Things, Alice McDermott

·      Confessions of a Reluctant Catholic, Alice McDermott

·      Nothing to be Done, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly

Commonweal editor-at-large Molly Wilson O’Reilly addresses the U.S. bishops’ misguided approach to President Biden and communion, their missteps in responding to the presidency of Donald Trump, and missed opportunities in ministering to American Catholics during the pandemic.

For further reading:

·     The Real Threat to American Catholicism, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly

·     Pastors, not Prophets, The Editors

·     There Ought to Be a Law, Matthew Boudway

Both priest and poet have one vocation: to love.

Few know that as well as Spencer Reece—an accomplished poet, former chaplain to the Episcopal Bishop of Madrid, and now the leader of a diverse parish in Queens, NY.

In conversation with Commonweal contributing writer Anthony Domestico, in this episode Reece speaks about his new memoir, The Secret Gospel of Mark.

For further reading:

·     Celebration & Lamentation, Anthony Domestico

·     Uncommon Prayers, Spencer Reece

The life and thought of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) exerted a profound impact on the history of American religion and social activism.

The subject of a new PBS documentary, Spiritual Audacity, Heschel offered prophetic insights into the nature of God, the meaning of justice, and the necessity of Jewish-Christian dialogue.

On this episode, we discuss the rabbi’s legacy with two guests: Martin Doblmeier, who directed the film, and Professor Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Heschel’s daughter.

For further reading:

•         ‘Getting Past Supersessionism,’ The Editors

•         ‘The Call of Transcendence,’ Mary C. Boys

•         ‘Enough Bromides,’ Thomas Albert Howard

Three months into the Biden presidency, with pandemic restrictions at last beginning to ease, author and New Yorker contributor Paul Elie joins us to talk about the state of American Catholicism today.

In conversation with editor Dominic Preziosi, Elie addresses Joe Biden’s political strategy, the Church’s stance on LGBT unions and women’s ordination, and the legacy of the abuse crisis.

He also highlights the enduring resilience of lay Catholics, who continue to live out their faith in changing and challenging circumstances.

For further reading:

-      Is the Vatican Finally Ready to Get Serious About Women in the Church?  

-      The Vatican’s Giant Step Backward on Same-Sex Unions

-      Can Joe Biden Save American Catholicism from the Far Right?

Though often invisible, Islamophobia is still alive in the United States today, from bullying in schools to political scapegoating to violence at houses of worship.

On this episode, we speak with Jordan Denari Duffner, a doctoral student at Georgetown University and author of the new book Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination.

Talking with contributing writer Paul Moses, Denari Duffner explains how Islam nourishes her own faith, and calls on Christians to become better acquainted with their Muslim neighbors.

For further reading:

·     ‘Enough Bromides,’ Thomas Albert Howard

·     ‘In the Steps of Father Abraham,’ Paul Moses

·     ‘No One is a Stranger,’ Jordan Denari Duffner

Nearly one hundred days into Joe Biden’s presidency, the new administration is rethinking American foreign policy on a number of fronts—including relations with Iran.

On this episode, assistant editor Regina Munch speaks with John Ghazvinian, Executive Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present.

Ghazvinian explains that while most Americans are used to thinking of Iran as an adversary, that hasn’t always been the case. A deeper knowledge of the rich history between the two countries would go a long way toward improving diplomatic relations today.

For further reading:

-      The Paradox of Deterrence, Bernard G. Prusak

-      A Better Way, The Editors

-      Christian Iran, Christopher Thornton

Kirstin Valdez Quade’s debut novel The Five Wounds tells the story of a year in the life of a Mexican-American family, chronicling their struggles as they confront teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and addiction.

On this episode, Valdez Quade speaks with Commonweal managing editor Katie Daniels about the value of vulnerability, the religious history of the American southwest, and the importance of empathy in fiction.

For further reading:

·     Hope for Suffering Souls, Valerie Sayers

·     To Look Closely Is to Love, Kirstin Valdez Quade

·     Writing into Uncertainty, Dominic Preziosi

PS: “The problem in life is that we need so many epiphanies—one is not enough.”—Kirstin Valdez Quade