Podcasts

Elizabeth Lev traces the de-Christianization of sacred art since the Renaissance and explains why artists like Michelangelo and Caravaggio should be seen in a Christian rather than secular context. Read Professor Lev’s essay from the March 7 America.

M. Cathleen Kaveny lists the many ways in which the Catholic Church is a feminist church, while also raising questions about “complementarity” and other ways in which the church has sought to define women’s particular gifts. Speaking of the “new feminism,” she encourages young scholars to engage the work of their predecessors, and to be […]

In the small Latin American country of Uruguay, the literacy rate is 97 percent and the Catholic Church is much less influential than in neighboring countries. Retired Bishop Luis Del Castillo talks with Kerry Weber about the unique challenges and opportunities presented by these circumstances.

Is “The King’s Speech” worthy of the accolades it has received, or is just a glorified episode of Masterpiece Theatre? Why is Danny Doyle, director of “127 Hours,” so fascinated with body fluids? What to make of that Dante-esque scene of impending doom in “Toy Story 3”? For the fourth year in a row, Tim […]

Veteran broadcaster William F. Baker talks about his long career at WNET, the flagship public television station in New York, and how his Catholic identity nourished him in his work. Baker looks back on “Great Performances,” “Religion & Ethics Newsweekly” and two films he helped to produce on Jesus and Mary in art. Drawing on […]

Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., describes his research among migrants in the United States and abroad, and how their perception of God is shaped by their transient lifestyle. Fr. Groody also describes the unique challenges facing migrants in Europe, and what it means to understand God as a “migrant God.” Read Fr. Groody’s article from America, […]

Michael O’Neill McGrath, O.S.F.S., widely known as simply “Brother Mickey,” talks about his vocation as a painter and some of his notable works over the years, including “Christ the Teacher,” which was recently presented to Pope Benedict XVI. View a slideshow of selections from Brother Mickey’s work.

Associate Editor Kevin Clarke outlines the issues at stake leading up to the January 9 referendum in Sudan. If the populace votes in favor of independence for the South, civil war could break out again, as forces in the North seem unwilling to allow their fellow citizens to form their own nation. The referendum was […]

Fr. Guido Gockel, former director of the pontifical mission for Palestine, describes the Christmas customs in Bethlehem, including the marathon of liturgies at the Basilica of the Nativity that begin on Christmas Eve. Fr. Gockel, a member of the Mill Hill Missionaries, also describes his current work for the Catholic Near Eastern Welfare Association, which […]

Drew Christiansen, S.J., first began reading the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., as a novice, and the French Jesuit’s thinking served as a formative intellectual and spiritual influence. Discussing his essay, “On the Slope with Teilhard,” Father Christiansen explains Teilhard’s fascination with matter, and how matter can help the spirit to flourish.