The Commonweal Podcast

One of the misconceptions about Judaism is that the religion is concerned primarily with justice and the law, not love and grace. That’s precisely backward, argues Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean of the Hadar Institute in New York and author of the new book Judaism Is About Love. Jewish theology, spirituality, and ethics emerge as free responses to a generous, loving God. On this episode, Held speaks with associate editor Griffin Oleynick about how recovering this more accurate view of Judaism can help believers and non-believers alike lead richer, fuller, more joyful lives. For further reading: Why Christians should read Leviticus and Deuteronomy Tzvi Novick on Jewish memory after October 7 An update on Jewish-Christian dialogue

For decades, discussions of poverty and inequality in America have tended to focus on cities. That’s understandable—cities are often the places where income disparities are most visible. But as poverty researchers Kathryn Edin, H. Luke Schaefer, and Timothy Nelson argue in their recent book The Injustice of Place, traditional income-based indicators of poverty can mask the “deep disadvantage” faced by rural communities across the country. On this episode, they join associate editor Regina Munch to discuss how centuries of resource extraction, racism, and “internal colonization” have blocked the advancement of regions like Appalachia, southern Texas, and the “cotton belt” from sharing in American prosperity. For further reading: Luke Mayville on how progressives can win in rural America An interview with poverty expert Matthew Desmond The editors on pandemic-era relief bills

Vinson Cunningham is one of the most dynamic critics working today. Best known as the New Yorker’s theater critic and co-host of the weekly podcast Critics at Large, he’s also the author of the novel Great Expectations, based on his experience working for the Obama campaign in 2008. On this episode, Cunningham joins Commonweal contributing writer Anthony Domestico for a discussion about criticism—engaging deeply with a work of art on a personal level, and then responding in writing and speech—as a way of life. Along the way, they also touch on the theological dimensions of Great Expectations. Anybody, Cunningham argues, can be a critic. All it takes is curiosity, and the willingness to share your observations with others. For further reading: Vinson Cunningham on Pope Francis’s Fratelli tutti William Giraldi on criticism as an act of love Paul Baumann reviews Barack Obama’s memoir

We’re all familiar with the tired stereotype of the “God of the Old Testament,” a capricious creator Who subjects His chosen people to endless cycles of punishment and retribution. But in her reading of the Book of Genesis, novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson describes a God of gentleness, one wildly in love with creation and humanity. In this special episode of the Commonweal Podcast, moderated by senior editor Matt Boudway, poet and memoirist Christian Wiman joins Robinson for a conversation about the Book of Genesis. Robinson and Wiman also discuss scripture and theology more generally—especially as the two practice it through fiction and poetry. For further reading: Marilynne Robinson on forgiveness in Genesis Christian Wiman on the Bible as poetry Jack Miles on the Bible and translation

The past year or so hasn’t been the best one for higher education. Debates over affirmative action, free speech, and affordability, combined with recent cuts to the humanities, have led many to wonder what the future holds. Here to speak about all of this is Nicholas Dirks, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and author of City of Intellect: The Uses and Abuses of the University. Dirks argues that we certainly need structural change. Even more important is that colleges and universities return to their core functions: the pursuit of free inquiry, reasoning about fundamental human values, and training future generations of engaged citizens. For further reading: Zena Hitz on why we need the humanities Nancy Dallavalle on whether Catholic colleges have a future Our recent editorial on affirmative action and affordability

Recent weeks have seen an intensification of the Republican campaign against Catholic groups that offer assistance to migrants and refugees along the southern border. Last month, Texas state attorney general Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against Annunciation House, a network of houses of hospitality run by Catholic volunteers in El Paso, Texas. On this special episode, activist Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House, speaks with associate editor Regina Munch about the recent controversy—and why we need comprehensive immigration reform. For further reading: Brett Hoover on the inadequacies of migration metaphors An interview with El Paso bishop Mark Seitz Alejandro Nava describes working at a hospitality house in Tucson Susan Bigelow Reynolds attends an Easter Vigil in Matamoros

For many religious people, the pandemic accelerated a decline in institutional allegiance and trust that was already well underway. Many Catholics stopped attending Mass and still haven’t returned. One figure who thinks deeply about the contemporary decline in religious practice and affiliation is Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama, host of the weekly podcast Poetry Unbound and author of the new book Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love. On this episode, he joins associate editor Griffin Oleynick for a conservation sparked by this collection of ‘anarchic’ prayers. Touching on the Church’s difficult relationship with women, LGTBQ people, and abuse victims, Ó Tuama testifies to the peace and freedom made possible by laying down “the burden of belief.” For further reading: A collection of essays on staying in and leaving the Church Christian Wiman on poetry in the Bible A profile of the poet Fanny Howe

For the first time, a majority of Americans now live in the suburbs—places that have been transformed over the past several decades by boom-and-bust construction cycles and rapid demographic shifts. On this episode, associate editor Regina Munch speaks with journalist Benjamin Herold about his new book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs, which profiles five families in the suburbs of Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Los Angeles. American suburbs were never sustainable, Herold argues. They were built for upwardly mobile white families, who extracted wealth and benefits before moving further out and sticking subsequent generations—often families of color—with the bill. Now that we’ve begun reckoning with this painful legacy, Herold invites us to look for seeds of renewal. For further reading: Bill McKibben explains what’s wrong with the ‘burbs Max Holleran on American housing scarcity Diane Ravitch on the fight over public education

For decades, Fr. Columba Stewart, a Benedictine Monk of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, has traveled the world in an effort to preserve manuscripts belonging to endangered communities. On this episode, Fr. Stewart joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi to discuss how he first got involved in this work, the care and attention it requires, and why digitizing ancient manuscripts remains so necessary. These texts, Fr. Stewart points out, are in a sense the original “internet of things.” Books and fragile documents carry not just the stories and ideas that connected diverse communities, but also the physical traces of the individual scribes and librarians who cared for them. For further reading: Luke Timothy Johnson on the earliest Christian manuscripts Jonathan Malesic on how monks put work in its place A profile of Columba Stewart in Harper’s Magazine

Last month, Commonweal hosted a book launch in New York City with poet Christian Wiman. The topic was his new book Zero at the Bone: 50 Entries Against Despair, a mixture of poetry, essays, quotations, and close readings. The former editor of Poetry magazine and now a professor at Yale Divinity School, Wiman has long been an admirer of Commonweal. As he told the audience, he dutifully reads every issue cover to cover. On this episode, we’re featuring some of the conversation from that evening—including Wiman reading and discussing his poetry—and his interview with Commonweal senior editor Matthew Boudway. More from Christian Wiman in Commonweal: The radical vision of poet Lucille Clifton Listening to the poetry of the Bible On the mystic Etty Hillesum

On this special year-end episode, we’re revisiting four of our favorite conversations from the past year. Sociologist Matthew Desmond explains how the United States can choose to abolish poverty. Sr. Helen Prejean and singer Ryan McKinney discuss the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Dead Man Walking. Poet-scholar and slam champion Joshua Bennett talks about the history of spoken word. And philosopher Zena Hitz unpacks the spirit of “wholeheartedness” at the center of religious life. Listen to the full conversations here: Matthew Desmond on poverty in America Sr. Helen Prejean and Ryan McKinney on Dead Man Walking Joshua Bennett on spoken word poetry Zena Hitz on the essence of religious life

American workers have fared poorly in recent decades, suffering the loss not just of purchasing power, but of political power, too. On this episode, Commonweal senior editor Matt Boudway speaks with journalist Sohrab Ahmari, a conservative political commentator and editor whose new book Tyranny, Inc critiques corporate power in a way that will resonate with left wing progressives. It’s time for a new left-right consensus on labor, Ahmari argues, and enhancing the collective bargaining power of workers is crucial to the project of restoring American democracy. But can the Republican Party really help do that? For further reading: Our review of Ahmari’s Tyranny, Inc. Regina Munch on corporate consumerism Joseph McCartin on the scourge of wage suppression

Last month’s Synod on Synodality in Rome is perhaps one of the most important ecclesial gatherings to take place since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. But what exactly happened remains unclear. On this episode, Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi is joined by two experts on Vatican affairs to help explain and contextualize the synod’s work. Paul Elie is a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center and a regular contributor to Commonweal and the New Yorker, which sent him to Rome for a week to report on the synod. Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought at Durham University in the United Kingdom, helped draft the synod’s working documents and served as an observer and expert theological advisor in the synod hall. For further reading: Austen Ivereigh’s report from Rome Massimo Faggioli’s analysis of the synod Commonweal’s collection of recent articles on the synod

Today, the political and social philosophy known as liberalism—which champions democracy, individual rights, and free enterprise—is on the defensive. Conservatives often charge it with eroding community, while some progressives view it as a justification for economic exploitation. On this episode, Yale political theorist Samuel Moyn, author of the new book Liberalism against Itself, joins features editor Alex Stern to discuss the debates that surrounded liberalism during the Cold War. Instead of a narrow liberalism that focuses on individual liberties, Moyn argues that a broader, more expansive view of the idea is possible—one that retrieves the original Enlightenment emphasis on egalitarianism and emancipation. For further reading: Samuel Moyn on the theology of liberalism Alex Stern on how not to defend liberalism A symposium on Patrick Deneen’s Why Liberalism Failed

Dead Man Walking, based on the acclaimed memoir by Sr. Helen Prejean, may be the world’s most popular contemporary opera. But it had never before been performed on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City—until now. On this special episode, in anticipation of the Met Opera’s Live-in-HD broadcast in cinemas on October 21, host Dominic Preziosi is joined by bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, who plays the condemned murderer Joseph DeRocher, and Sr. Helen Prejean herself. Together, they discuss the significance of this new production of Dead Man Walking, and why its message of mercy, forgiveness, and redemption continues to resonate with audiences today. For further reading: Commonweal’s review of Dead Man Walking An interview with the composer, Jake Heggie Sr. Helen Prejean remembers her 1950s novitiate

With its frequent earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, and other maladies, California is no stranger to environmental disaster. But in the long run, even these highly visible effects of climate change pale in comparison to the looming threat of sea-level rise. On this episode, Commonweal’s Claudia Avila Cosnahan, a resident of southern California, speaks with Rosanna Xia, an environmental reporter at the LA Times. Xia’s new book California Against the Sea blends traditional reportage with an unconventional and important perspective on concepts like “managed retreat,” climate resilience, and what it means to listen to and even love the ocean itself. Listen to more Commonweal interviews about climate change: Bill McKibben on suburban carbon emissions Dorothy Fortenberry on adapting climate change for TV Katie Worth on climate change in schools

The fact that nearly 40 million Americans live in poverty is a national embarrassment. But it’s also a choice. If poverty exists, it’s because we “wish and will it to.” That’s the thesis of Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond, who joins Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi to discuss Desmond’s recent book Poverty, By America. We don’t need to capitulate to the ultra-wealthy or the corporations hoarding resources, Desmond argues. Instead, we can change the way we shop, work, and vote not just to alleviate poverty, but to eradicate it completely. For further reading: Robin Antepara on working-class women in the Ozarks Max Foley-Keene explains the Nordic welfare model The editors on ending child poverty

The 2016 presidential election brought “fake news” to the center of national debates over media bias, election interference, free speech, and content moderation. But the phenomenon isn’t exactly new. Misleading stories, sensationalism, and outright lies, explains Andie Tucher, have been part of American journalism from the very beginning. A professor at Columbia Journalism School, Tucher is also the author of Not Exactly Lying: Fake News and Fake Journalism in American History. On this episode, Tucher joins Commonweal features editor Alex Stern to discuss how lessons from the history of journalism in America can help reform the profession in the age of the internet, social media, and AI. For further reading: The editors condemn Fox’s factual malice Paul Baumann on the history of Time magazine Paul Moses on the legacy of Fr. Charles Coughlin

John McPhee is widely regarded as America’s most prolific nonfiction author. Over a career spanning seven decades, McPhee has written more than thirty books, elucidating everything from shipping and boatbuilding to geology, engineering, and aviation. On this episode, McPhee joins contributing writer Tony Domestico to discuss his latest book, Tabula Rasa, Vol. I, a series of short vignettes about “desk drawer projects”—pieces that McPhee started, but never finished. McPhee stresses that when it comes to good writing, authorial ego must be put aside. Instead, it’s the work—the writing process and the humble attention to the subject—that matters. For further reading: Dominic Preziosi on whether parking explains the world Morten Høi Jensen on the writing life of Martin Amis The latest from Tony Domestico’s books column

Religious life stands in radical opposition to much of modern culture. But what is it, exactly? On this episode, philosopher Zena Hitz speaks with senior editor Matt Boudway about her new book on religious life—a crucial part of the Catholic Church, and one that remains poorly understood. Religious life is not primarily about what you give up, Hitz explains. Rather, it’s a way of orienting your whole self around a single purpose: loving God, and serving God’s people. For further reading: Zena Hitz on renunciation and happiness Jonathan Malesic visits a desert monastery Regina Munch farms with lay Catholics