Ignatius Press Podcast

What does it mean to be a man or a woman? How do we talk about gender in a world that seems confused about the most basic realities of our bodies? What does Christianity bring to the table in discussions of feminism and women’s roles? Dr. Abigail Favale’s new book “The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory” (https://bit.ly/3KUyO01) grapples with these questions and more. In this episode, Favale speaks with Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of “Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name” (https://bit.ly/3Fyacta) and the “Other Feminisms” Substack (https://otherfeminisms.substack.com/), about Favale’s new book and how the Catholic view of the human person can help us understand and communicate the beauty and challenges of our sexed bodies.

When Charles de Foucauld was killed by bandits in the Sahara Desert in 1916, the French aristocrat-turned-monk was virtually unknown. Over the course of a century, however, the radiance of Foucauld's hidden life has spread, and the Church will officially recognize him as a saint when Pope Francis canonizes him on May 15, 2022.

In this episode, David Pinault, professor emeritus of religious studies at Santa Clara University, joins us to discuss the life and legacy of Charles de Foucauld. Pinault wrote the foreword to Ignatius Press’ new edition of Foucauld’s definitive biography, “Charles de Foucauld” by Jean-Jacques Antier (https://bit.ly/3Ks6SQN).

For about 300 years, Catholic priests and lay people in England were persecuted, and even martyred, for the practice of their Faith. But before this period of brutality, Catholicism had been vibrant in England. And after it, Catholic England would flourish once again. Joseph Pearce, acclaimed biographer and author of the new book FAITH OF OUR FATHERS: A HISTORY OF TRUE ENGLAND, joins us in this episode to discuss “true England”—the England in which the Catholic Faith thrived before its violent suppression by the Tudor monarchs; the England that maintained the Faith through a bitter period of anti-Catholic bigotry; and the England that flowered again in the literary and spiritual revivals of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Mark Brumley and Carl E. Olson join us from their respective home libraries to chat about the latest stories and features at Catholic World Report, including pieces on the war in Ukraine, the 50th anniversary of the release of “The Godfather,” and why Henry VIII—bad as he was—should not be “canceled.”

Fr. Donald Haggerty is a much-sought-after retreat leader and spiritual director. His newest book, “Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation,” is a unique, step-by-step introduction to the way of contemplation as Saint John understood it: a burning, transformative intimacy with the God who made us. In this episode, author and editor Kathryn Jean Lopez speaks with Fr. Haggerty about the Church’s premier teacher on contemplative prayer, examining how we can use Saint John’s insights into the spiritual life in our contemporary context.

This episode was produced in collaboration with the National Review Institute.