Thomas Mirus - Podcast Details

Shows

Way of the FathersThe Music of St. Hildegard of Bingen w/ Margot FasslerSt. Hildegard of Bingen, 12th-century abbess, mystic, polymath, and Doctor of the Church, is best known to non-Catholics for something else – her music. We have more pieces of music by Hildegard than by any other medieval composer whose name we know. Her chants are beautiful, otherworldly, virtuosic and ahead of their time. Some of them were written for her morality play, the Ordo virtutum, which is also the first of its kind. Thomas Mirus (producer of Way of the Fathers and host of the Catholic Culture Podcast) interviews musicologist Margot Fassler about what makes St. Hildegard’s music so spec...2025-06-301h 01

The Catholic Culture Podcast197 - Same-Sex Attraction and Conversion w/ Andrew Comiskey & Marco CasanovaWe all know the secular world opposes the very idea of a person with same-sex attraction seeking any kind of therapy or spiritual counsel that might enable them to reach a state of healthy relations with the opposite sex. But what’s odd is that many Catholics seem to have bought into this. Many assume that if someone is not currently attracted to the opposite sex, this is a static, lifelong condition and therefore they must be called to celibacy. But this view involves multiple misunderstandings – of the SSA experience, of anthropology, of the power of God’s grace, and of...2025-06-101h 34

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - The Indwelling Spirit"The Comforter who has come instead of Christ, must have vouchsafed to come in the same sense in which Christ came; I mean, that He has come, not merely in the way of gifts, or of influences, or of operations, as He came to the Prophets, for then Christ's going away would be a loss, and not a gain, and the Spirit's presence would be a mere pledge, not an earnest; but He comes to us as Christ came, by a real and personal visitation." A powerful Pentecost sermon from St. John Henry Newman's Anglican period. 2025-06-0730 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksRule of St. Benedict | Ep. 3 - Work, Governance, and Conclusion"Prefer nothing whatever to Christ. And may He bring us all together to life everlasting!" The Rule of St. Benedict is a foundational spiritual guide composed by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism, around 530 AD. In this third episode, covering Chapters 39–73, Benedict details daily routines like meals and work, outlines hospitality and simplicity in possessions, and establishes the monastery’s governance. These final chapters conclude Benedict's Rule, presenting a vision of disciplined living, generous welcome, and unity centered on Christ. Episode 3: Ch. 39 - 73 00:00 Intro 00:38 Food, Work, and Silence (Chapters 39–47) 12:28 Labor, Hospitality, and Pos...2025-05-1655 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastFragmented sexuality in Malick's To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, & Song to Song 00:00 Introduction 12:44 Form 1:04:15 Themes 1:28:17 Moral problems 1:52:00 Favorite sequences After the artistic triumph of his magnum opus The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick had an unwontedly prolific period, releasing To the Wonder (2012), Knight of Cups (2015), and Song to Song (2017). In these films, known informally as the "Weightless Trilogy", Malick took his previous formal experimentation even further, relying heavily on improvisation stitched together with a stream-of-consciousness editing style evoking the fragments of memory. The results are undeniably aesthetically exciting, but also critically divisive, as many viewers find the latter two films particularly...2025-05-152h 13

Catholic Culture AudiobooksRule of St. Benedict | Ep. 2 - Prayer and Community Life"We believe that the divine presence is everywhere... But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God." The Rule of St. Benedict is a foundational spiritual guide composed by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism, around 530 AD. In the chapters comprising this second episode, Benedict details the structure of the Divine Office, establishes the rhythms and roles of community life, and provides guidelines for the disciplinary measures to be taken against erring brothers. Episode 2: Ch. 8 - 38 00:00 Intro 00:38 Structuring Prayer (Chapters 8 - 20) 16:32 Order a...2025-05-0937 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksRule of St. Benedict | Ep. 1 - Foundations of Monastic Life"And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord. In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But if a certain strictness results… do not be at once dismayed and fly from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow." In this first of five episodes, we begin The Rule of St. Benedict, a foundational spiritual guide composed around 530 AD by St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of Western monasticism. In the Prologue, St. Benedict sets forth the Rule’s purpose, followed by Chapters 1–7, in which he outlin...2025-04-0940 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. Dionysius the Areopagite - On Minding One's Own Business"It is not for Demophilus to set these things straight. For if the Word of God commands us to pursue just things justly... this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own fitness." This letter—historically attributed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a 1st-century convert of Saint Paul from Acts, but now considered the work of an anonymous 5th-century author known as 'Pseudo-Dionysius'—delivers a stern yet compassionate rebuke to a monk named Demophilus. Dionysius challenges the monk's rash condemnation of a priest for absolving a repentant sinner, and urges mercy, humility and respect for the Chur...2025-03-2029 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastTerrence Malick and the Knights of Columbus: Voyage of Time (2016)The Criteria crew continues its series on the films of Terrence Malick, jumping ahead to the experimental documentary Voyage of Time, which was co-produced by the Knights of Columbus! Voyage of Time portrays the history of the cosmos, the Earth, and the living creatures on it from the beginning of the universe to its end. The main point of the film is simply to evoke wonder at creation with its gorgeous photography, sound design and music. The film exists in two versions: a 45-minute version narrated by Brad Pitt (Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience), and a 90...2025-03-041h 28

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 2. The Influence of Natural and Revealed Religion Respectively"The philosopher aspires towards a divine principle; the Christian, towards a Divine Agent." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were isntrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England and ultimately led to many conversions to Catholicism. In addition to the profound influence these sermons had on both Anglican and Catholic theology, they also bore a personal significance for Newman’s own conversion to Catholicism years later. These fifteen sermons, though deep...2025-02-2036 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - The Oxford Sermons | 1. The Philosophical Temper, First Enjoined by the Gospels"The philosopher might speculate, but the theologian must submit to learn." St. John Henry Newman's Oxford Sermons, delivered during his time as an Anglican preacher at the University of Oxford, were instrumental in shaping the Oxford Movement, which sought to revive High Church traditions within the Church of England. In this collection of fifteen sermons, Newman especially explores the relationship between faith and reason, and lays the groundwork for themes he would later develop in works like his Grammar of Assent and Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. In addition to the profound influence the...2025-02-0722 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast"I am a human being": The Elephant Man (1980), w/ Andrew PetiprinOn the latest episode of Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast, Andrew Petiprin joins James and Thomas to discuss the late David Lynch's most uplifting film, The Elephant Man. The film is based on the real Victorian-era life of Joseph Merrick, a man who suffered terrible abuse because of his extreme deformities, yet whose human dignity was ultimately recognized and allowed to flourish by those who rescued him and cared for him with Christian compassion. Panel on film at Notre Dame with Thomas Mirus, Andrew Petiprin, and Nathan Douglas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7oE8d6R...2025-02-041h 15

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. Vincent Ferrer - On the Purification of Mary “This present feast is one of the greater of the whole year... Because there are three grades of sanctity which we celebrate in this feast.” St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) was a Spanish Dominican friar, theologian, and renowned preacher known for his fiery sermons and missionary work across Europe. He was deeply devoted to calling people to repentance, emphasizing the urgency of salvation and often preaching about the Last Judgment. This earned him the moniker "Angel of the Judgment." In this Candlemas sermon, St. Vincent reflects on the three significant events which this great feast commemorates: the...2025-02-0138 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life | Full"Be sure that wherever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life." Written over 400 years ago, Introduction to the Devout Life is still one of the most popular books for those pursuing holiness. St. Francis de Sales explains how to turn that desire for sanctity into resolutions that yield grace-filled results. Themes include: Pursuing a devout life whole-heartedly Incorporating prayer and sacraments into a busy schedule Growing in virtue Battling wisely against temptation Making spiritual progress through daily, monthly, and yearly exercises Whether you are just beginning your sp...2025-01-249h 28

The Catholic Culture Podcast189 - St. Boethius, Stoicism and Neoplatonism - Thomas WardSt. Anicius Manlius Severius Boethius's book The Consolation of Philosophy, which he wrote in prison while awaiting martyrdom around the year 524, is one of the single most influential works for medieval philosophy and theology. But Boethius also owed much to the pagan philosophy that came before him. Thomas Ward has just written a commentary on Boethius's dialogue for Word on Fire, entitled After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher. Topics discussed include: Boethius's debt to Stoic ethics and how he critiques the Stoic view of happiness The influence of neo-Platonist philosophy on Boethius Questions a...2025-01-221h 19

Catholic Culture AudiobooksPope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 2 “Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world—this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical.” Deus Caritas Est, or “God is Love,” was the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, released on December 25, 2...2025-01-1755 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence"They are the class of feelings we should have—yes, have in an intense degree—if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry Newman before his conversion to Catholicism. In it, Newman emphasizes that true reverence arises from a deep, abiding awareness of God's presence. Links Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence full text: https://newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume5/sermon...2024-12-1830 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. Henry Walpole - Upon the Death of M. Edmund Campion"You thought perhaps when learned Campion dies, His pen must cease, his sugared tongue be still; But you forgot how loud his death it cries How far beyond the sound of tongue and quill." In 1581, a young Englishman named Henry Walpole attended the execution of the Jesuit Edmund Campion. As Campion was hung, drawn and quartered, Walpole stood close enough to be spattered with his holy blood. Though Campion’s fame in England was already great, Walpole would amplify it further with a splendid, lengthy poem, which became enormously popular among English Catholics—so popu...2024-11-3012 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksPope Benedict XVI - Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) | Part 1 “This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: “God is love”. It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian discovers the path along which his life and love must move.” Deus Caritas Est, or “God is Love,” was the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, released on December 25, 2005. This letter focuses on the nature of Christian love, particularly examining the relationship between God’s love for human...2024-11-1348 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksG.E.M. Anscombe - Contraception and Chastity"For we don't invent marriage... any more than we invent human language. It is part of the creation of humanity and if we're lucky we find it available to us and can enter into it. If we are very unlucky, we may live in a society that has wrecked or deformed this human thing." Elizabeth Anscombe was a prominent 20th-century British philosopher, known for her influential work in ethics and her deep commitment to Catholic doctrine. In her essay 'Contraception and Chastity'—one of the earliest defenses of Pope Paul VI's encyclical, Humanae Vitae—Anscombe expertly explains the...2024-10-311h 03

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - Three Poems on the Angels My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath; My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death... "St. Michael" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/st-michael "Angelic Guidance" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/angelic-guidance "Guardian Angel" full text: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/guardian-angel-2 Happy feast of the Guardian Angels! More links: SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268 SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter DONATE at http://www.catho...2024-10-0106 min

Catholic Culture AudiobooksSt. John Henry Newman - The Self-Wise Inquirer"In proportion as we lean to our own understanding, we are driven to do so for want of a better guide. Our first true guide, the light of innocence, is gradually withdrawn from us; and nothing is left for us but to 'grope and stumble in the desolate places,' by the dim, uncertain light of reason." This sermon appears among a collection of sermons originally written and preached by St. John Henry Newman between 1825 and 1843, before his conversion to Catholicism. In it, Newman warns against the dangers of intellectual pride and underscores that the path to...2024-09-2626 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastThe Chosen, Season 4: Lectio Divina or Fan Fiction?The Chosen has now passed the halfway point of its seven seasons. Four seasons in, it is possible to take a big-picture look at the show’s trajectory. Season four takes us from the execution of John the Baptist to the raising of Lazarus, ending on the verge of Holy Week with the apostles preparing for Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Biblical threads throughout the season include the falling away of Judas, and Jesus’ sorrow and frustration at his disciples’ inability to hear His predictions of His imminent death. This season still has some of the grea...2024-09-232h 36

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastChurch Teaching on Cinema: Vatican II and BeyondThomas Mirus and Nathan Douglas's mini-series on magisterial documents about cinema comes to a close with an episode covering the Vatican II era - specifically between 1963 and 1995, spanning the pontificates of Pope St. Paul VI and Pope St. John Paul II. This was, frankly, an era of decline in terms of official Church engagement with cinema. Where previous pontificates had dealt with film as a unique artistic medium, Vatican II's decree Inter Mirifica set the template for lumping all modern mass media together under the label of "social communications" - discussing them as new technology and social...2024-09-091h 03

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastPope Pius XII on The Ideal Film, Pt. 2 (Church Teaching on Cinema)Thomas Mirus and Nathan Douglas continue their discussion of Pope Pius XII’s apostolic exhortations brought together in the 1955 document “The Ideal Film”, which remains the high water-mark of official Church engagement with the art form. They also touch on his 1957 encyclical Miranda prorsus, on radio, films, and television. In the first audience, Pius XII had discussed the ideal film in its relation to the spectator. In this second audience, he discusses the ideal film both in relation to its content, and in relation to society. He makes general observations on the legitimate range of subjects which a film...2024-08-131h 26

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastPope Pius XII on The Ideal Film, Pt. 1 (Church Teaching on Cinema)Continuing their survey of magisterial documents on cinema, Thomas Mirus and Nathan Douglas arrive at Pope Ven. Pius XII's two apostolic exhortations gathered under the title "The Ideal Film". Pius shows himself to be a true enthusiast of cinema with his poetic insights. "The Ideal Film" remains the high water-mark of official Church engagement with the art form. This episode covers the first of the two exhortations. Pius begins with an insightful discussion of the psychological effects of film on the viewer, not only insofar as the viewer is passive, but insofar as the viewer is invited...2024-07-301h 09

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastChurch Teaching on Cinema: Pope Pius XIIn 1936, Pope Pius XI published his encyclical on the motion picture, Vigilanti cura. The encyclical deals with the grave moral concerns raised by the cinema, which had by then become a ubiquitous social influence (though it was also a still-evolving medium, as the transition from silent film to talkies had only recently been completed). Pius holds up for worldwide emulation the initiative that had recently taken by the American bishops to influence the motion picture industry in a moral direction, as well as to protect their own flocks from immoral movies. Vigilanti cura was ghostwritten by the...2024-06-281h 17

The Catholic Culture PodcastSaint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds & the tradition of English verse w/ James Matthew WilsonPoet & philosopher James Matthew Wilson rejoins the show to read poems from his new collection, Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds, published by Word on Fire; and to discuss the tradition of English poetry, especially with regard to meter. Don't miss the title poem, a verse setting of a passage from Aquinas's Summa Theologiae! Links Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/saint-thomas-and-the-forbidden-birds The Fortunes of Poetry in an Age of Unmaking https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p82/The_Fortunes_of_Poetry_in_an_Age_of_Unmaking%2C_b...2024-06-241h 17

The Catholic Culture PodcastCatholics Create Huge New Ballet: interview with producer, composer, and choreographer of RaffaellaOn June 29 and 30, in South Bend, Indiana, there will be a major and even unprecedented event in the history of American Catholic art: a new, full-length classical ballet production with a new story, new music, new sets and costumes, and nationally known dancers - with a cast of about fifty. This fairytale ballet, titled Raffaella, was commissioned by Duncan and Ruth Stroik in honor of their daughter Raffaella Maria Stroik, a dancer with the St. Louis Ballet who passed away tragically in 2018 at the age of 23. In the first segment, Thomas Mirus interviews impresario Duncan Stroik about...2024-06-111h 44

Way of the Fathers4.6 The Heresies – The Enigma of Origen and OrigenismWhether Origen is considered a father of the Church, or a heretic, depends on whom you ask. But everyone agrees he may have been just a bit too smart for his own good. At best, he tried in vain to out-gnostic the gnostics, at worst, he was too influenced by gnosticism. In the end, the Fifth Ecumenical Council declared him a heretic. In this this episode, Dr. Papandrea gives evidence why Origen should not be considered a father of the Church, but should be considered a heretic, but in the end, you decide! Links Make...2024-02-1426 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastThe Catholic Culture Podcast Sountrack6:51 Franciscan Eyes 14:33 Forbearance 15:52 The Mourners 20:19 Spiritual Combat 25:56 Passage Compositions and piano by Thomas Mirus; recorded spring 2018, Brooklyn. Listen to this music on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CVqC2ZukI9o Download these tracks as lossless .wav files here: https://www.catholicculture.org/multimedia/thomas_mirus_2018.zip DONATE to help CatholicCulture.org continue its mission! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters 2023-11-1430 min $Vin D\'Mirus on Odysee$ Vin D'Mirus on OdyseeForeign Wars, Domestic Turmoil | Patriotfront Leadership Address by Thomas Rousseau | Israel | Telegram Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau delivers an address on the subject of ongoing foreign conflicts, providing the perspective of the organization, and offering insight into the role of patriots in an increasingly unstable world.https://t.me/PatriotFrontUpdates/17192 2023-10-1506 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastGifts of the Holy Spirit w/ John of St. Thomas & Cajetan Cuddy, O.P.Anyone who went through confirmation prep at some point learned the list of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. But most would struggle to define the gifts, especially the ones that sound a bit similar, like wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? The great 17th-century Thomistic commentator John of St. Thomas discoursed on the gifts of the Holy Spirit with not only technical precision, but spiritual insight and fervor. Since John was not available for a podcast interview, he sent one of his Dominican brothers, Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, to explain his insights to us laypeople. Links ...2023-08-241h 50

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastWhen "engaging the culture" means loving mediocrityToday it's taken for granted that we as Christians are called to "engage the culture" in order to evangelize. Often "engaging the culture" means paying an inordinate amount of attention to popular commercial entertainment in order to show unbelievers how hip we are, straining to find a "Christ-figure" in every comic book movie, and making worship music as repetitive, melodically banal, and emotionalistic as possible. Past a certain point, "cultural engagement" begins to seem like a noble-sounding excuse to enjoy mediocrity - and Christians, unfortunately, are as much in love with mediocre entertainment as anyone else. The...2023-08-171h 39

The Catholic Culture PodcastWhen "engaging the culture" means loving mediocrity - Joshua GibbsToday it's taken for granted that we as Christians are called to "engage the culture" in order to evangelize. Often "engaging the culture" means paying an inordinate amount of attention to popular commercial entertainment in order to show unbelievers how hip we are, straining to find a "Christ-figure" in every comic book movie, and making worship music as repetitive, melodically banal, and emotionalistic as possible. Past a certain point, "cultural engagement" begins to seem like a noble-sounding excuse to enjoy mediocrity - and Christians, unfortunately, are as much in love with mediocre entertainment as anyone else. The...2023-08-171h 38

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastAsteroid City: delightful, decadent, or despairing?0:00 The prosecution 39:15 The defense With the release of his new film Asteroid City and with memes imitating his cinematic style going viral on social media, Wes Anderson is having a real moment in the zeitgeist almost thirty years into his career. In Asteroid City, Anderson drives further into the immediately identifiable and somewhat polarizing style he has cultivated for the past decade, characterized by meticulous framing, camera moves and blocking, a certain color palette, and deadpan writing and acting. One is always aware of the director's hand tightly controlling a cute, harmonious little wo...2023-07-131h 20

The Catholic Culture PodcastThe Vocation of Thomas Aquinas - Matthew MinerdJean-Pierre Torrell, O.P.’s definitive scholarly biography of St. Thomas Aquinas has recently received its third edition. Translator Matthew Minerd returns to the Catholic Culture Podcast to discuss what we can learn from Fr. Torrell about the life of St. Thomas and the context in which works like the Summa theologiae were written. This episode is a deep dive into Thomas’s vocation in a number of senses – his Benedictine formation and eventual decision to become a Dominican instead, his intellectual formation as a student of St. Albert the Great and eventual Bachelor of the Sentences, and hi...2023-06-051h 38

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastSacrilege against Mary in the new Padre Pio filmThe new film Padre Pio, directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Shia LaBeouf, is ruined by a pornographic and sacrilegious scene involving abuse of a sacred image. James Majewski and Thomas Mirus contend that conscientious Catholics must not see this movie. They explain the difference between portraying an act and committing that act, and how that line can be obliterated on a film set. They discuss the reality behind holy images, and the importance of making reparation for sacrilege. First Saturdays devotion to make reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: https://www.bluearmy.com/fir...2023-06-0258 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastThe Catholic sobriety test w/ Phil Lawler and Jeff MirusIn the last of the YouTube livestreams related to Catholic Culture’s May fundraising campaign, Jeff Mirus and Phil Lawler discuss their approach to writing responsible, sober commentary during a time of crisis in the Church: that is, when the news is crazy, how can we talk about it sanely? We're a week into CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. Generous donors have offered a $50,000 matching grant, so any donation you make by May 24 will double in value! You can donate on our website or PayPal (tax-deductible). Donation links below: http://www.CatholicCulture.org/donate ht...2023-05-231h 19

The Catholic Culture PodcastWhen artists feel lonely in the Church (Livestream)In this livestream, James Majewski and Thomas Mirus we discussed errors artists can fall into in pushing back against a moralistic approach to art found within the Church. Rather than reacting away from rigidity to excessive openness, the mature Catholic artist has to get over himself and be a servant. Also discussed: The relation between order and surprise in beauty, morality and culture. Note: the video begins abruptly in the middle of our introductory fundraising campaign pitch - because of some glitched-out audio, we cut the first 6 minutes or so. We're a week...2023-05-161h 12

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastWhen artists feel lonely in the Church (Livestream)In this livestream, James Majewski and Thomas Mirus we discussed errors artists can fall into in pushing back against a moralistic approach to art found within the Church. Rather than reacting away from rigidity to excessive openness, the mature Catholic artist has to get over himself and be a servant. Also discussed: The relation between order and surprise in beauty, morality and culture. Note: the video begins abruptly in the middle of our introductory fundraising campaign pitch - because of some glitched-out audio, we cut the first 6 minutes or so. We're a week...2023-05-161h 12

The Catholic Culture PodcastMike Aquilina Q&A on early ChristianityFor those who missed the YouTube livestream Q&A with Mike Aquilina on May 8th, 2023, here is the audio. It was a lively conversation where Mike fielded viewer questions about important cities of the early Church, early evidence for papal primacy, the role of charity in the early Church, Origen, the providential role of easy travel for the spread of the Gospel in the first centuries, and more. We're a week into CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. Generous donors have offered a $50,000 matching grant, so any donation you make by May 24 will double in value! You can...2023-05-091h 36

Way of the FathersMike Aquilina Q&A on early ChristianityFor those who missed the YouTube livestream Q&A with Mike Aquilina on May 8th, 2023, here is the audio. It was a lively conversation where Mike fielded viewer questions about important cities of the early Church, early evidence for papal primacy, the role of charity in the early Church, Origen, the providential role of easy travel for the spread of the Gospel in the first centuries, and more. We're a week into CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. Generous donors have offered a $50,000 matching grant, so any donation you make by May 24 will double in value! You can...2023-05-091h 36

The Catholic Culture PodcastPerson and Act: John Paul II's Philosophy w/ Timothy FlandersCatholic University of America Press recently launched a major new series: the English Critical Edition of the Works of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II. The first volume of the series was a new translation of Wojtyła's 1969 book Person and Act, along with related essays. In Person and Act Wojtyła set forth the foundation of his blend of phenomenology, Thomism and personalism, a foundation underlying much of his other philosophical and theological writing. The first English translation is generally considered to be quite inaccurate, and, crucially, removed the Latin terms by which Wojtyła refers to the...2023-05-051h 33

Way of the FathersLivestream announcementWe'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic Culture Audiobooks, Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast) 5/22, 8pm ET - Phil Lawler & Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.org writers) You can use this link to connect to the Mike Aquilina livestream: https://www...2023-05-0402 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastLivestream announcementWe'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic Culture Audiobooks, Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast) 5/22, 8pm ET - Phil Lawler & Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.org writers) You can use this link to connect to the Mike Aquilina livestream: https://www...2023-05-0402 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastLivestream announcementWe'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic Culture Audiobooks, Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast) 5/22, 8pm ET - Phil Lawler & Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.org writers) You can use this link to connect to the Mike Aquilina livestream: https://www...2023-05-0402 min

The Catholic Culture Podcast156 - Can music be sad?It's universally acknowledged that music effects our emotions. But does it actually make sense to talk about music "expressing", emotions in any intrinsic sense (that is, can music itself be happy or sad)? And even if it does, should we treat emotional expression as the essential purpose of music, or the criterion by which we judge musical beauty? If music doesn't literally contain emotions, how does it still manage to affect our feelings so powerfully? And what is music expressing, imitating or reflecting, if not emotions? If we want to understand the nature and purpose of music...2023-03-2932 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastCatholic review of The Chosen, season 3It’s time for another lively discussion of the wildly popular Christian TV series The Chosen, following on the release of its third season, which stretches from the sermon on the mount to the feeding of the five thousand. Since the show is written by Evangelical Protestants, Thomas and James make a point of keeping an eye out for any doctrinal errors, and Br. Joshua Vargas joins to share his knowledge of Scripture and ancient Jewish and Christian culture and practices. The good news is that season three (unlike the 2021 Christmas special) is The Chosen’s least doctrinally problematic seas...2023-03-131h 34

The Catholic Culture PodcastThe most Catholic opera: Dialogues of the Carmelites w/ Robert ReillyAuthor and music critic Robert Reilly joins the podcast to discuss one of the greatest operas ever composed, Francis Poulenc’s 1957 Dialogues des Carmélites, which host Thomas Mirus recently saw at the Metropolitan Opera. Based on the true story of sixteen Carmelite nuns who were martyred in the French Revolution (famously singing the Salve Regina as they went to the guillotine), the opera is an adaptation of Georges Bernanos’s play, which in turn was adapted from Gertrud von le Fort’s novella Song at the Scaffold. With outstanding spiritual realism, Dialogues dramatizes the inner struggle of a so...2023-02-011h 11

The Catholic Culture PodcastDuns Scotus, Minstrel of the Incarnation - Thomas WardBlessed John Duns Scotus (1265-1308), the Franciscan friar known as the "Subtle Doctor", is one of the most important theologians and philosophers of the Middle Ages, yet over the centuries he has fallen into disrepute, or at least neglect, by comparison with the "Angelic Doctor", St. Thomas Aquinas. Interest in Scotus has revived somewhat in part due to his beatification by Pope St. John Paul II, who called him the "defender of the Immaculate Conception" and "minstrel of the Incarnation". Indeed, Scotus's greatest legacy is his argument for Mary's having been conceived without original sin...2022-12-131h 11

The Catholic Culture PodcastBeing Is Better Than Not Being—Christopher MirusChristopher V. Mirus, your host’s older brother, is a philosophy professor at the University of Dallas, and author of the new book Being Is Better Than Not Being: The Metaphysics of Goodness and Beauty in Aristotle. In this episode he discusses being a philosopher in the Aristotelian tradition, compares Aristotle’s intellectual and pedagogical approach with Plato’s, and touches on some themes from his book. How does Aristotle identify goodness with the ability to be contemplated – even in the sphere of ethics? What is the relation between friendship and contemplation? How can we call “beautiful” things as di...2022-11-181h 18

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastStripping St. Francis: Francesco (1989)There are two movies about St. Francis of Assisi on the Vatican's 1995 list of important films. The first, discussed in the previous episode, is Rossellini's well-known Flowers of St. Francis (1950). The second is quite obscure: Liliana Cavani's Francesco (1989), starring Mickey Rourke as St. Francis and Helena Bonham-Carter as St. Clare. The best thing one can say about Francesco is that despite being directed by an atheist, it attempts to take its protagonist seriously as a saint; that it is somewhat faithful to the historical trajectory of his life; and that it does not embrace the usual reductive c...2022-10-271h 23

The Catholic Culture PodcastCatholic Imagination Conference poetry readingThe Catholic Culture Podcast Network sponsored a poetry reading session at the fourth biennial Catholic Imagination Conference, hosted by the University of Dallas. Thomas Mirus moderated this session on Sept. 30, 2022, introducing poets Paul Mariani, Frederick Turner, and James Matthew Wilson. Paul Mariani, University Professor Emeritus at Boston College, is the author of twenty-two books, including biographies of William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, Robert Lowell, Hart Crane, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Wallace Stevens. He has published nine volumes of poetry, most recently All that Will be New, from Slant. He has also written two memoirs, Thirty Days and...2022-10-181h 08

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastWhy is The Rings of Power Boring?Thomas Mirus, James Majewski, and Nathan Douglas discuss the new Amazon series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The show thus far is not so much offensive as it is bland in ways similar to much popular film and television today. This discussion attempts to understand why the show generally fails to move, focusing especially on its frequent small-mindedness or arbitrariness in characterization and writing, and on its habit of “telegraphing” or signalling emotion rather than genuinely conveying it. (We apologize for the lip-syncing problems in this episode!) Topics and timestamps: 0...2022-09-151h 41

The Catholic Culture PodcastResponse to Fr. Gregory Pine: Movies, Music & ContemplationIn a recent video on the Pints with Aquinas channel, Gregory Pine, O.P. voiced his concern that mass entertainment, particularly music and movies, is often an obstacle to achieving the heavenly end of contemplation for which we are made. What is noteworthy is that unlike the typical Catholic commentary on pop culture, Fr. Pine does not focus so much on the moral content of music and movies as how their very form affects us bodily, psychologically and spiritually. In this discussion inspired by Fr. Pine’s points, host Thomas Mirus and filmmaker Nathan Douglas specify some el...2022-08-122h 09

The Catholic Culture PodcastDrawing in Clay - Christopher AllesCatholic sculptor Christopher Alles joins the podcast for an introduction to the art of sculpture, especially in its formal qualities. Alles mostly does commission work for the Church, and the theoretical points in this conversation are illuminated by references to some of his recent works, including a work-in-progress Pieta and his monumental sculpture of St. Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death. Topics include: Collaboration with patrons in commissioned work The iconographic tradition in sculpture vs painting Drawing as the root of both sculpting and painting The challenges of modeling form based on anatomy without being enslaved t...2022-07-271h 00

The Catholic Culture PodcastTechnology and the Artist: Glenn Gould in the Studio"The justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity." - Glenn Gould One of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century, Glenn Gould, shocked the world at age thirty-one when he announced his permanent retirement from public performance. Denouncing the concert hall as a relative of the Roman Colosseum and audiences as a "force of...2022-05-131h 13

The Catholic Culture Podcast130 - John Paul II's Retreat for Artists - Christopher WestIn Holy Week of 1962, Bishop Karol Wojtyla gave a retreat to a group of Polish artists. The text of that retreat has now been published in English, along with commentary, by the Theology of the Body Institute, in a book titled God Is Beauty: A Retreat on the Gospel and Art. Christopher West, president of the TOB Institute, joins Thomas Mirus to discuss the retreat and how it fits together with St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Themes include: God is Beauty The Incarnation is perfect Beauty manifested in the human body The artist i...2022-04-041h 16

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastThe comedies of Preston Sturges w/ Anthony EsolenPoet, translator and cultural commentator Anthony Esolen joins James and Thomas to discuss one of his favorite filmmakers in the genre of "screwball comedy", Preston Sturges. Sturges wrote and directed eight films between 1940 and 1945, seven of which are regarded as classics. This episode focuses on two of those films: Sullivan's Travels (1941) and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944). Sullivan's Travels is about a director of cheap comedies who decides to go on the road as a hobo so he can make a film of true social significance, making a fool of himself in the process. It d...2022-03-261h 34

The Catholic Culture PodcastFatima Today: In Defense of Private RevelationThomas Mirus reads his article "Fatima Today: In Defense of Private Revelation". The first part of this article is a reminder of the essential importance of Fatima in our time. The second, and longer, part corrects a misunderstanding of private revelation held by many—namely that whatever falls into this category can make no claim on our mind or conscience, and that it is a matter of indifference whether we pay heed to it. Links Thomas V. Mirus, "Fatima Today: In Defense of Private Revelation" https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/fatima-today-in-defense-private-revelation/ Dea...2022-03-2426 min

The Catholic Culture Podcast126 - How Charlie Parker's Music Changed My LifeThis is a significantly truncated version of the original episode. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/126-how-charlie-parker-changed-my-life/ Thomas Mirus goes solo in this episode to talk about how his relationship to music was completely transformed in his late teens, by exposure to the music of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. Before he had used music to stimulate an emotional response, but soon he found himself listening for the sake of musical beauty itself, regardless of emotions or lack thereof. This quickly opened up a whole world of contemplation (musical and otherwise). ...2022-03-0418 min $Vin D\'Mirus on Odysee$ Vin D'Mirus on OdyseeThomas Sewell back after seven months in prisonhttps://t.me/thomassewell/2433 2021-12-1302 min $Vin D\'Mirus on Odysee$ Vin D'Mirus on OdyseePatriot Front in Washington DC ! | Dec 4, 2021https://t.me/media2rise/112https://patriotfront.usTranscript:M2R: "Alright, as you can see they've brought the helicopter out, there's tons of police. Thomas, why are we marching in DC?"Thomas Rousseau: "Our demonstration are an exhibition of our unified capability to organise to show our strength, not as brawlers or public nuissances but as men capable of illustrating a message and seeking an America that more closely resembles the interests of its true people."Deutsch: M2R: "Wie ihr sehen könnt, haben sie den Hubschrauber rausgeholt, und h...2021-12-0500 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastHollywood’s infamous birth: Birth of a Nation and IntoleranceD.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation is a landmark of world cinema and arguably gave birth to Hollywood on an economic level. A technical masterpiece said to have established the grammar of cinema, it is also an astonishingly racist film (and was considered so even in 1915), portraying black people as subhuman and the Ku Klux Klan as civilization-saving heroes. Griffith’s follow-up, Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Through the Ages, was even more ambitious, telling four stories in four different time periods: the fall of Babylon, the life and passion of Christ, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Ma...2021-10-281h 21

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastThe Chosen, Season 2: characters and controversiesOratorian brother and visual artist Joshua Vargas joins Thomas and James to discuss Season 2 of The Chosen. The series continues to set a high imaginative standard in its portrayal of the Twelve Apostles, each of whom has a distinctive personality and several of whom have beautifully fleshed-out backstories (the calling of Nathanael being one of the standout episodes of this season). Jonathan Roumie continues to shine in his performance as Jesus, and we also find the filmmakers stretching their cinematic chops and experimenting with various methods of storytelling. The Protestant-written show also ventured into more problematic theological...2021-10-111h 36

The Meaning of CatholicSt. John Paul II and the Restoration of Beauty with Thomas MirusCatholicCulture.org Mirus’ podcast, Catholic Culture John Paul II’s letter to artists Complete works of John Paul II, Volume 1 MUSIC: Bach “Air on a G String” “Community Audio” from Archive.org https://archive.org/details/aironthegstring_201911 — Access patron-only shows. MASS OF THE AGES documentary JOIN the new crusade! Support this Apostolate Buy our books at Our Lady of Victory […]2021-09-1800 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastAn Apology and Retractions about the Vaccine EpisodeThomas Mirus apologizes for and retracts some things he said in Episode 106 of the Catholic Culture Podcast, a discussion of the morality of COVID vaccines. 2021-08-2023 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastBONUS: Interview with Lourdes documentary writer Sixtine Leon-DufourIn this interview originally from Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast, Thomas Mirus and James Majewski interview Sixtine Leon-Dufour, writer of the new Lourdes documentary, one of the best religious films in recent years. She discusses: -Her background caring for the sick at Lourdes -How she convinced the Lourdes authorities to give secular filmmakers unprecedented shooting access to this holy place -How a documentary about a Marian pilgrimage got the support of a large French secular film studio and became a big success -Depicting the wide range of people at Lourdes 2021-07-2358 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastBONUS: Interview with narrator James T. MajewskiIn this bonus episode originally from the Catholic Culture Podcast, CatholicCulture.org’s director of podcasts, Thomas V. Mirus, interviews voice actor James T. Majewski (Catholic Culture Audiobooks) and author Mike Aquilina (Way of the Fathers) about how they make their shows and the effect reading and studying the Church Fathers has had on them personally. If you are a lector at Mass, you will find James’s comments on how he approaches reading the writings of the Saints inspiring and helpful. Contents [2:15] James’s training in philosophy and acting as preparation for narrat...2021-06-2853 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastAbortion-Derived Vaccines: A Moral Analysis - Michael Pakaluk, Jay RichardsMichael Pakaluk and Jay Richards join host Thomas V. Mirus for a discussion of the moral issues involved with the production and testing of vaccines using illicitly-obtained fetal cell lines, and the reasons for freedom of conscience for those who do not wish to take them. Links Read a full transcript of this discussion: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12522 Thomas Mirus's apology and retractions https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/apology-and-retractions-about-vaccine-episode/ Church documents discussed: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dignitas Personae (relevant paragraphs are 34...2021-05-261h 19

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastPope John Paul II (2005)In honor of Pope St. John Paul the Great's birthday, James and Thomas discuss the 2005 film about his life starring Cary Elwes as the young Karol Wojtyla and Jon Voight as Pope John Paul II. One of the strengths of the film, made within a few months of the saint's death, is its portrayal of John Paul II's Polishness and how it influenced him as a world leader. Other aspects of the film are outdated in light of what we know today, such as its portrayal of the Vatican and the Curia as a group of men working together...2021-05-1948 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastPasolini's Gospel According to Matthew (1964) w/ Heather KingIn 1962, inspired by Pope St. John XXIII's outreach to non-Christian artists, a gay communist picked up the Gospels and ended up making a film about Jesus. Nervous yet? But one thing you can't fault Pier Paolo Pasolini for is taking liberties with his source material - the dialogue in The Gospel According to Matthew is drawn entirely from that book of the Bible. The Vatican's newspaper once called this the best film ever made about Jesus. It certainly is one of the most unique adaptations, in the austerity of its approach (almost willful in its refusal to...2021-04-091h 13

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastThe Chosen, an Education in MeditationIn anticipation of Season 2 of The Chosen, the popular TV series based on the Gospels, Thomas and James take a look back at Season 1 and what made it so remarkable. They are joined by Brother Joshua Vargas, a filmmaker, artist, and novice at the Oratory in Philadelphia. The show’s two greatest strengths are its writing, which James calls “an education in meditation on the Gospels”, and Jonathan Roumie’s outstanding, childlike yet masculine performance as Jesus, which Br. Joshua considers “equally as compelling” as Jim Caviezel’s in The Passion of the Christ. (Thomas previously interviewed Jonathan on th...2021-03-261h 22

The Catholic Culture PodcastEpisode 0 - The Nightingale - Mark Christopher BrandtTo celebrate the approach of Episode 100 of the Catholic Culture Podcast, here is the interview that started it all. Originally published on August 4, 2017, this interview turned out so well that we decided to launch a whole series of interviews on Catholic arts and culture. The podcast launched several months later, on May 1, 2018. Catholic composer and pianist Mark Christopher Brandt joined Thomas Mirus to discuss his classical album and suite The Nightingale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Emperor and the Nightingale". The discussion was a double delight as it covered not only the album itself, but...2021-03-051h 45

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastBen-Hur (1959) w/ Elizabeth LevWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PrsVkxtBgyo There is only one American film in the "Religion" section of the Vatican film list: William Wyler's 1959 epic Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Its epic scale and its astonishing set pieces such as the sea battle and the chariot race make the small, understated moments when Jesus enters the story all the more striking. Thomas and James are joined by Catholic art historian and Rome tour guide Elizabeth Lev to discuss the film. Next on Criteria: On the "Values" section of the Vatican film list, Akira Kurosawa's 1975 D...2021-02-011h 09

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastA Short Film About Killing - Dekalog: Five (1988)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uYdtpAoLjo8 This film makes us confront on a visceral level the horror of taking a human life, even the life of someone we might find despicable. It is the fifth installment of Dekalog, the famous Polish TV series inspired by the Ten Commandments. Dekalog: Five, which was expanded into the feature-length A Short Film About Killing, coincided with an intense debate over capital punishment in Poland, and in the year of its release (1988) the nation finally suspended use of the death penalty. Catholic film scholar Maria Elena d...2021-01-181h 10

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastIt's a Wonderful Life (1946) w/ Patrick CoffinWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhLMHBBirC0 It’s time for Criteria’s Christmas episode—time to watch the classic tale of a man who, through divine intervention, overcomes regret, jealousy and despair to realize how precious and magical is the life he already has. James and Thomas discuss Catholic director Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life with popular podcaster and writer Patrick Coffin. Patrick is uniquely qualified to discuss this film (which he believes to be the best ever made), having even interviewed a member of the cast! It’s a W...2020-12-241h 00

The Catholic Culture PodcastAn Introduction to Thomas Tallis - Kerry McCarthyAll music by Thomas Tallis used with permission of the artists and labels listed below. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i-oMO9qqzKA As a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) composed sacred music for four successive English monarchs, starting with Henry VIII and ending with Elizabeth. Those were turbulent times in England, especially for a church musician. Those were turbulent times in England, especially for a church musician. Like his colleague (and probable pupil) William Byrd, Tallis was able to adapt his compositional style to meet the constantly shifting ideological d...2020-12-111h 56

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastFantasia (1940) w/ animator Tim ReckartWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vMy1YU1bczE James and Thomas discuss an animated classic, Walt Disney's Fantasia (1940), with Oscar-nominated animator and director Timothy Reckart ("Head Over Heels", The Star). Included in the conversation are some remarks touching upon Fantasia 2000 (1999). Both films are available for streaming on Disney+. Speaking about the film, Walt Disney said, “Fantasia is timeless. It may run ten, twenty, thirty years. Fantasia is an idea in itself. I can never build another. I can improve. I can elaborate. That is all." In this episode we discuss Fantasia's timelessness, investigating its groundbreaking dev...2020-11-211h 10

The Catholic Culture PodcastLeo XIII on the State's Duties Toward the Church - Thomas PinkVatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, Humanis Dignitatae, begins by noting that its discussion of religious liberty “has to do with immunity from coercion in civil society” and so “leaves untouched traditional Catholic doctrine on the moral duty of men and societies toward the true religion and toward the one Church of Christ.” This episode is about discovering what that traditional doctrine was and is. Our main source will be Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Immortale Dei, which is available in audiobook form on CatholicCulture.org. Thomas Pink guides us through a close reading of this document (wi...2020-10-301h 48

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastReverence and the Occult: Nosferatu (1922/1979)Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cuwya3spE4 In a special Halloween episode, James and Thomas discuss the function of horror movies and the need for a conscientious and duly serious approach when dealing with the occult in a work of fiction. Then they discuss the only horror film on the Vatican film list, F.W. Murnau's silent Dracula adaptation Nosferatu (1922), along with Werner Herzog's amazing modern adaptation of Murnau, Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). The best versions of these films are streaming on the Criterion Channel. There you will find Murnau's version with its original orchestral score, and He...2020-10-2947 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastAre heist films moral? The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)The Lavender Hill Mob stars Alec Guinness as Henry Holland, an unambitious London bank clerk — and unlikely bank robber. When he meets the eccentric artist Alfred Pendlebury (played by famous comic/character actor Stanley Holloway), the two together hatch a plot to smuggle gold bullion out of the country in the form of miniature Eiffel towers. What unfolds is a heist-comedy that stands apart as perhaps the most purely entertaining film included on the Vatican Film List. Are heist films morally problematic? Are British criminals cooler than Italian criminals? What is cockney? Thomas and James are joined by...2020-09-3057 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastVie et Passion du Christ (1903)Vie et Passion du Christ (Life and Passion of the Christ) is one of the earliest feature-length narrative films, produced and released in 1903. The film portrays the events of the Gospels - from the Annunciation to the Ascension - employing only visual language (it is a silent film, with inter-titles used only to introduce the traditional title of individual scenes). Thomas and James are joined by painter and mutual friend Matt Kirby to discuss the film, a work that bridges contemporary cinematic depictions of the Gospels with those found throughout the classical painting tradition. Links 2020-09-181h 05

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastA Prison Is For Escaping: La Grande Illusion (1937)When asked what two films he would take with him "on the ark", Orson Welles simply responded, "La Grande Illusion... and something else!" A classic of prison escape movies, The Grand Illusion (1937) was hugely influential on films that followed, including The Great Escape. Variously banned by both German and French authorities, the film — which deals with themes of class, prejudice, and war — was not without controversy. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "a meditation on the collapse of the old order of European civilization," and critics and film historians alike regard the film not only a ma...2020-08-1750 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastDoes A Man for All Seasons portray St. Thomas More accurately?In this episode originally from Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast, Thomas asks attorney and scholar Louis Karlin whether Robert Bolt’s play and film A Man for All Seasons accurately depict St. Thomas More’s views on the rights of conscience, and his motives for martyrdom. More’s involvement in the prosecution of heretics is also examined: even if More was a martyr of conscience, is it accurate to call him a champion of religious freedom? One thing is certain: the portrayal by Hilary Mantel and others of More as a torturer of heretics is false. Links...2020-08-071h 01

Way of the FathersEp. 20 - Origen, Part 2: Hero, Heretic - or Hybrid? It’s hard to be an intelligent Christian without somehow handling Origen’s ideas. He set the ground rules for scientific study of the Bible. He wrote foundational works in spirituality, apologetics, and fundamental theology. In this episode, we look at those big accomplishments, but also examine the ideas that got him into trouble. Do souls exist before they get bodies? Does Satan get saved in the end? Does allegory trump history when we read the Bible? And did Origen really say all these things anyway? Find out why the Man of Steel is just as controversial toda...2020-07-2420 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastGone with the Wind (1939) w/ Stephen M. KlugewiczDescribed in a recent LA Times op-ed by '12 Years a Slave' screenwriter John Ridley as "a film that, when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color," Gone with the Wind is, nevertheless, one of the most enduringly popular and culturally significant films of all time. In this episode, James and Thomas take a momentary departure from the Vatican Film List to consider instead this classic and controversial film, in conversation with American historian Stephen M. Klugewicz, Director of Academic Affairs of t...2020-07-011h 02

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastRobert Bolt's Man for All Seasons: Christian saint or “hero of selfhood”?In this bonus episode of Criteria, Thomas asks attorney and scholar Louis Karlin whether Robert Bolt’s play and film A Man for All Seasons accurately depict St. Thomas More’s views on the rights of conscience, and his motives for martyrdom. More’s involvement in the prosecution of heretics is also examined: even if More was a martyr of conscience, is it accurate to call him a champion of religious freedom? One thing is certain: the portrayal by Hilary Mantel and others of More as a torturer of heretics is false. Next on the Vatica...2020-06-2259 min

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastFrom Stage to Screen: A Man for All Seasons (1966) The film adaptation of Robert Bolt's award-winning play about St. Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons, swept the floor at the Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design the year it was considered. In honor of St. Thomas More's upcoming feast day, June 22nd, James and Thomas discuss the film and the problem of adaptation with friend and filmmaker, Nathan Douglas. Next time, we discuss the first installment of Dekalog, the 10-part series of films directed by Polish auteur Krzysztof Kieślowski. (See be...2020-06-191h 09

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastCommunity on the Margins: Stagecoach (1939) w/ Anthony EsolenJohn Ford's Stagecoach is a classic of the American Western that both elevated the genre and catapulted the career of its breakout star, John Wayne. Well-known Catholic writer and cultural commentator, Anthony Esolen, joins James and Thomas this week to discuss the film against the backdrop of the civil unrest incited by the death of George Floyd. Of Ford, Tony observes: "He makes movies about the way people come together to form a real society with their common good in mind, and he shows how that can fall apart because of human stupidity or selfishness — th...2020-06-081h 04

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastRobots Don't Matter! 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)James and Thomas discuss 2001: A Space Odyssey, the classic science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick. While Thomas thinks the film is a masterpiece and also very dumb, James embarrasses himself by suggesting that the monolith is sacramental. The film also brings out James' deep-seated rage at his car's seat belt indicator. Next time, we discuss the 1939 film Stagecoach, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. Watch it, then join the discussion in our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatholicPods/ Links Scene we discuss: https://www.youtube.com/watch...2020-05-221h 15

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastAn Artist Is Never Poor: Babette's Feast (1987)James and Thomas discuss Babette's Feast, an Oscar-winning religious classic directed by Gabriel Axel. (This is apparently Pope Francis's favorite film.) Two elderly sisters in a small Danish village have spent their lives praying, caring for the poor, and tending to the small, quasi-Puritan sect founded by their late father. When their French cook, Babette, asks if she can make a feast in honor of their father's centenary, their faith is challenged and their souls are enlivened by the revelation that beauty too is a means by which God draws us closer to Him. Next t...2020-05-061h 05

Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastIntroducing Criteria: The Catholic Film PodcastIntroducing Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast! This is a show dedicated to exploring films of significant artistic merit and Catholic interest, starting with the Vatican’s 1995 list of "Some Important Films". Your hosts are Thomas V. Mirus (The Catholic Culture Podcast) and actor James T. Majewski (Catholic Culture Audiobooks). In this introductory episode we explain what we hope to accomplish with this show, discuss the Vatican film list, and explain how you can participate in the discussion. St. John Paul II, pray for us! Links Join our Facebook group to...2020-05-0625 min

Way of the FathersOn the Apostolic Fathers: An Interview with M.J. ThomasHere’s a little bit of back and forth about the Apostolic Fathers: my interview with Dr. Matthew J. Thomas, who teaches at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California. He’s author of the book “Paul’s ‘Works of the Law’ in the Perspective of Second Century Reception.” He earned his doctorate in theology from Oxford. Links More Works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/ Mike Aquilina’s Website https://fathersofthechurch.com Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski...2019-12-2600 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastOff-Broadway Play Accurately Portrays Conservative Thought: Zoology or Spiritual Wisdom?In the new off-Broadway play Heroes of the Fourth Turning, playwright Will Arbery (son of two Wyoming Catholic College professors) offers a nuanced, accurate portrayal of the way conservatives talk to each other when progressives aren’t around. The characters are instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent time among well-educated Catholic conservatives. The play has attracted positive attention from both secular and Catholic media. Is Heroes a zoological exhibit for progressives to gape at, or something deeper? Is it ultimately more unsettling to a perceptive Catholic viewer, for whom Arbery’s troubled characters might function as an indi...2019-10-211h 20

The Catholic Culture PodcastPhil Lawler, Jeff Mirus and Thomas on Our Favorite Books of 2018Phil Lawler, Jeff Mirus, and Thomas Mirus discuss selections from their article rounding up their favorite books and other media of 2018. Links Article: The best books we read in 2018 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1591 2018-12-1653 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastHow to Start an Institutional Apostolate, Part 2—Jeff MirusThis episode is for anyone who believes he is called to found a Catholic apostolate, or anyone who is overseeing one already. In this second part of a two-part interview, CatholicCulture.org founder Jeff Mirus shares more lessons from his decades of experience founding several Catholic organizations. In the mid-80s he left Christendom College to start a publishing company. Then circumstances forced him to transition away from full-time apostolic work which, though painful at the time, providentially set the stage for him to return on more sustainable terms, leading to the present online apostolate. 2018-07-1055 min

The Catholic Culture PodcastHow to Start an Institutional Apostolate, Part 1--Jeff MirusThis episode is for anyone who believes he is called to found a Catholic apostolate, or anyone who is overseeing one already. You may know Jeff Mirus as the founder of CatholicCulture.org, bu the has launched several other successful Catholic institutions as well. In this first part of a two-part interview he discusses how, as a young man witnessing a grave crisis in the Church, he set out to become a Catholic apologist. In the first few years of his career, he founded the interdisciplinary academic journal Faith & Reason and co-founded Christendom College. These experiences taught...2018-07-041h 29