In this episode, Kale and I discuss the final pages of The Abolition of Man. In a world allegedly without objective values, what conditions the conditioners? Chesterton’s idea of play and rules providing freedom; the reality that a value-free neutrality does not exist; trans-humanism and post-humanism; the dismembering of nature and disenchantment;  the magician’s bargain: how the last step toward the abolition of man is unlike every prior step; the common ancestry of science and magic; how seeing through everything is the same as not to see.The Abolition of Man - C.S. LewisAfter Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael WardWill the Future Be Human? - Yuval Noah HarariFaustian bargain, Britannica.comThe Freedom of Boundaries in G.K. Chesterton - Zak SchmollCatechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 675-676:  "The Church's ultimate trial"

Today, I'm posting a special episode on The Stations of the Cross. What follows is a Stations of the Cross text I wrote in 2004, reflecting on the images Mel Gibson provided in his movie The Passion of The Christ. Each mediation also includes a quote from one of my favorite spiritual writers.In the show notes, you'll find links to learn more about the Stations of the Cross,  sources for the quotes used in the meditations, and a link to learn more about the album Via Crucis by Dick Le Mair. Many thanks to Le Mair for granting me the rights to include his music in this episode.How Did the Stations of the Cross Begin? - Fr. William Saunders“For God So Loved”: C.S. Lewis’s Four Loves and the Doctrine of Christ’s Atonement - Adam J. JohnsonThe Four Loves - C.S. LewisText of the meditations inspired by The Passion of the Christ by Mel GibsonQuotation sources:I - Into Your Hands, Father - Fr. Wilfrid StinissenII, IX, XII - Via Crucis - Saint Josemaría EscriváIII - De Interpellatione David - Saint Ambrose of MilanIV - Salt of the Earth - Joseph Cardinal RatzingerV, VIII - Transformation in Christ - Dietrich von HildebrandVI - De pauperum - Saint Gregory of NazianzenVII - The Jeweler's Shop - Karol WojtylaX - Interior Freedom - Fr. Jacques PhilippeXI - The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) - Saint Pope John Paul IIXIII - The Splendor of Truth (Veritatis Splendor) - Saint Pope John Paul IIXIV - The Lord's descent into hell - ancient homily for Holy SaturdayClosing prayer - Meditations on the Stations of the Cross - Saint John Henry Cardinal NewmanMusic: Via Crucis by Dick Le Mair

Today, we begin discussing the final chapter of The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. Topics include: slavery and freedom; the conquest of man over man; the flight from the reality of death; the world state as a surrogate for the Tao; eugenics, trans-humanism and post-humanism; man as raw material for the post-human project; the impact of World War I on the thinking of Lewis; and what a positive and humane technical progress could look like.The Abolition of Man - C.S. LewisAfter Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael WardLearning in War Time - C.S. LewisOn Living in an Atomic Age - C.S. Lewis Reprinted in a collection entitled Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays.Will the Future Be Human? - Yuval Noah HarariThe Screwtape Letters - C.S. LewisThe Space Trilogy - C.S. Lewis"Standing reserves" - Martin HeideggerMiracles - C.S. Lewis"Cover stories for a theft" - Eric Weinstein

C.S. Lewis, “Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,,” God in the Dock (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), pp. 301-303.Barbara Nicolosi Harrington’s Mystagogy podcast (see mystagogy.net for supporting materials)It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, by Storyhill, from the album BethlehemThe music in the introduction of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

My friend Kale Zelden and I finish discussing the second chapter of The Abolition of Man: “The Way.” We discuss the rebellion of the branch against the tree; whether authority can be interrogated from within or without the Tao; addressing moral relativity before making an apologia for faith; and how the end of this chapter of The Abolition of Man echoes the tower of Babel and The Screwtape Letters.Click here for the show notes.

My friend Kale Zelden and I begin discussing the second chapter of The Abolition of Man: "The Way." We discuss Innovators and Debunkers, the limits of instinct, and the indispensable role of the Tao.The Abolition of Man - C.S. LewisAfter Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael WardBishop Barron's conversation with evolutionary biologists Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein Macbeth  - William ShakespearePlato's Allegory of the Cave

My friend Kale Zelden and I complete our conversation about the first chapter of The Abolition of Man: "Men Without Chests." We discuss debunking, the cultivation of just sentiments, the Tao, the poem Dulce et Decorum Est  by Wilfred Owen, and the chest as essential mediator between the head and the belly.The Abolition of Man - C.S. LewisAfter Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael WardAwakening from the Meaning Crisis - John VervaekeShadowlandsTheology after Wittgenstein - Fergus KerrDulce et Decorum Est - Wilfred Owen

My friend Kale Zelden returns to the podcast to discuss with me The Abolition of Man, a collection of lectures on ethics that C.S. Lewis first delivered in 1943 at the University of Durham. Today's episode contains our opening conversation about The Abolition of Man.The Abolition of Man - C.S. LewisAfter Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael WardThe Stranger - Albert CamusA Critical Look at The Stranger: The Culpability of Moral EstrangementThat Hideous Strength - C.S. LewisThe Inner Ring - C.S. LewisMis, Dis, Malinformation (MDM) - CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency)Prebunking - August 28, 2021 issue of WIRED magazine

The second season of this podcast will be focused on the theme of humanity: Specifically, the topic of how to ground our humanity within a truly ethical framework. It's something to which C.S. Lewis gave close attention in a book titled The Abolition of Man, first published in 1943. My friend Kale Zelden will return to discuss the book with me, as we have both appreciated the book for a long time and are eager to revisit it.The Abolition of Man  by C.S. LewisAfter Humanity  by Father Michael Ward

In today's episode, Kale Zelden and I complete our discussion of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on Christian hope. In the last major section of the letter, Benedict XVI speaks of the experience of judgment as a setting for hope. We pick up our reading at paragraph 39.This episode concludes the first season of the podcast. I'd really appreciate your feedback on the first season of this podcast -- what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd like to see in season two -- by taking a moment to complete a survey. Podcast Survey: doxaweb.com/surveyUntil next season, be well and God bless.

In today's episode, Kale Zelden and I resume our discussion of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on Christian hope. Specifically, we read and reflect on paragraphs 32 through 38: Settings for learning and practicing hope. Benedict XVI speaks in these paragraphs of prayer and suffering as two "schools of hope."The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett. Learn more about Dennis at DennisCrommett.Bandcamp.com or in the show notes. If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts. There are links in the show notes to make it easier to contact me or to spread the word.

In honor of the approaching solemnity of Pentecost, I'm posting a special episode today on the grace of Pentecost and loving the Church. It's a presentation I recorded in Los Angeles back in 2008, when I had the chance to hear then-Father (and now Cardinal) Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap give a talk sponsored by the Southern California Renewal Conference (SCRC).Cantalamessa's words about divisions in the body of Christ, the importance of each person seeking the good of the other, and the value of loving the Church and sharing her shame, seem as timely now as they did a dozen years ago.The music in the introduction and close of this episode is provided by Harmath Dénes Izidor.If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show. There are links in the show notes to make it easier to contact me and to spread the word.

Today's episode will cover paragraphs 24 through 31 of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope, which asks the question: what is the true shape of Christian hope? I had recorded a conversation about these paragraphs with my friend Kale Zelden, but the audio somehow didn't survive the recording process, so today's episode will be a simple reading of these paragraphs. But more than any other part of the letter, this section is the culmination of everything that has been discussed before, so it really needs no additional commentary. At the midpoint of the letter, with characteristically clear prose and depth of insight, Pope Benedict XVI brings to light the contours of Christian hope.***Spe Salvi (Saved in Hope) by Pope Benedict XVI, 2007

In today's episode, my friend Kale and I reflect on paragraphs 16 through 23 of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope, which asks the question: how has the concept of Christian hope been transformed in the modern age? More specifically, how has modernity reappropriated the concepts of faith and hope in the service of secular goals?

My friend Kale Zelden and I reflect on paragraphs 13 through 15 of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope, which asks the question: Is Christian Hope Individualistic? This question leads to a wide-ranging conversation about the role of Christian community, and its importance in our initiation and reconciliation with God in the Church.Show notes/resources:Confession and General Absolution"Party of Christ... or Church of Jesus Christ?" in Called to Communion, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, 1996If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show.The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

Jack Sacco, an engineer and writer by trade, interviewed a multi-disciplinary group of scientists who were given access to study the Shroud in 1978. This two-hour presentation summarizes the remarkable findings of that scientific research. The venue for the talk was Saint Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California, and the speaker was introduced by Father Willy Raymond, CSC.If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show. Music for this episode was provided by 3brass.https://doxaweb.com/blog/2021/03/30/the-shroud-of-turin/

My friend Kale Zelden and I continue our discussion of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi)  -- specifically, we read and discuss paragraphs 4 through 12, covering the concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church, and the question about what eternal life is.Show notes/resources:The Still Point in the Turning World - T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton"The "already/not yet" tension of Christian liturgy and life: "The Sanctification of Time and the Liturgy of the Hours," Fr. Hildebrand Garceau, O.Praem."Demonstrators burn two churches in Chile on anniversary of protests," October 19, 2020The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture, Philip LawlerDante's depiction of Judas Iscariot in The Inferno"I will never lose myselffor that which the sensescan take in here,nor for all the mind can hold,no matter how lofty,nor for grace or beauty,but only for I-don’t-know-whatwhich is so gladly found."Saint John of the Cross, A Gloss (with spiritual meaning)If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show.The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

Together, long-time friend Kale Zelden and I read Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi) and discuss the idea of faith-based hope. In today's episode, we break open the letter and unpack the first few paragraphs.Show notes/resources:Ave Maris Stella (Mary, Star of the Sea)Angel prayer from FatimaJesus of Nazareth trilogy - Benedict XVIGod's performative word: Verbum Domini, Benedict XVI, paragraph 53God's performative word - Isaiah 55:10-11Saint Josephine BakhitaDoubt as an avenue of communication between believer and unbeliever:Introduction to Christianity, Joseph Cardinal RatzingerTestimony of James GreinCrisis podcast, episode 4(12:30-14:00 into the episode)The Heart of Man MovieIf you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop us a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send us an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover us.The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

My friend Kale and I discuss a broad range of topics, including: the self-conscious church; the church as an expert in humanity; self-exploitation and social media; and Catholic identity and liturgy.Kale's interview with Paul VanderKlay  (September 3, 2020)Katie Van Schaijik - Theology of the Body: A Cure for Clericalism  (2019)Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises  (1926)Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium (The  Joy of  the Gospel), paragraphs 93-97  (2013)Pope John Paul II - Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds), paragraph 21   (1992)Theological Integration Paper - from chaplaincy training program (1995)Pope John Paul II  - Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), paragraph 3   (1993)C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man   (1943) Richard  John Neuhaus - The Naked Public Square  (1988)Bret Weinstein's Dark Horse podcast with Matt Taibbi, Corruption and Its Consequences  (2020)Eric Weinstein's Portal podcast with James O'Keefe, What Is and Isn't Journalism in the 21st Century  (2020)Ryan T. Anderson interview, Natural Law and Public Affairs  (2020)John Paul II on Love and Responsibility, publication of the Love and Responsibility Foundation  (2002)Tom Holland - Dominion:  How the Christian Revolution Remade the World  (2019)Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book X Bishop Robert Barron, Pope Francis and Vatican II, Napa Institute Keynote  (2020)Kilian McDonnell, OSB and George Montague, SM - Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit  (1991)Pope Benedict XVI on  the hermeneutic  of continuity: Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia  (2005)Victor Turner, " rel="nofollow">

Beginning this month (January 2021), I'll be releasing several episodes that I recently recorded with a longtime friend of mine, Kale Zelden, as we engage in a close reading of a letter by Pope Benedict XVI on the theme of hope. This letter, entitled Spe Salvi or "The Hope that Saves," has several points of convergence with  the work of C.S. Lewis.