Mumford & Sons have been our most requested/suggested episode and we are finally doing it! Nashville recording artist Ricky Vazquez of Village Lights (who were just nominated for a Dove award) joins us to discuss the lyrics and music of the neo-folk rock giants. We go pretty deep as we discuss:

- The struggles of being a young man

- Sex, passion, intimacy, chastity, love, & romance

- The necessity of desire for hope

- Facing darkness & suffering

- The search for God & meaning

- Plato, St Augustine, & Pope Benedict

Paramore’s influence is all over the airwaves and interwebs these days. We revisit one of Mike’s favorite bands with the help of recording artists and founders of Enemy Love Records, Emma Fradd & David Kruse. In this episode we discuss:

- Losing your innocence

- Fake happiness

- Can you choose joy?

- The relief of hitting rock bottom

- What is hope & how do I get it?

- Why we sin

- The ritual of grief

- Authenticity & Creativity

We kick off Season 3 of Pop Culture Catechism with everyone’s favorite religious dystopia: The Handmaid’s Tale. Samantha Povlock, founder & Editor in Chief of FemCatholic, joins us to talk about:

-Feminism

-The Patriarchy

-Consent & sexual assault

-Is sex in America too masculine?

-Unjust Laws

-Do Catholics want a theocracy?

With Amazon’s new “Rings of Power” show about to be released, it’s time to delve “deeply & greedily” into the lore of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Jon Marc Grodi (The Coming Home Network, Elevate Ordinary) returns to the show to nerd out about the rich mystical, spiritual, and mythological meaning of this remarkable work of literature. We discuss:

- how sin seduces us

- the antidote to both pride & despair

- how to be a real man (or woman)

- world transforming friendships

- how God really is in control

- and much more!

Facts? Truth? History? Myth? What does it all mean and how do we know? Bible Geek & LifeTeen CIO Mark Hart joins us to spelunk the world & themes of Indiana Jones. We discuss:

- Biblical archeology & history

- Icons vs Idols

- Mystery & myth

- Fathers & Sons

- Mary

- Faith & Reason

- Pride, Glory, & Fame

- Which is the best Indy movie

- And as usual, why Jesus is awesome :)

Blink 182 were as big as Britney in their heyday and set the tone for rock music for a decade. Anthony D’Ambrosio, co-founder of Catholic Creatives, joins us to explore the Godfathers of Emo. We discuss:

- Vulnerability

- Manliness & Masculinity

- Growing up

- Learning about sex

- Boomers

- Jesus

- Reverence & Irreverence

And much more!

The biggest movie in the world is also ripe with ethical dilemmas pertinent to the modern context. In this solo episode, Mike looks at both Top Gun movies through the lens of “Just War Theory” and Catholic teaching on war and peacemaking.

What can Christians learn from the sexiest show on Netflix? Mike’s wife, Maddy, and their good friend, Emily, talk about why they think Bridgerton is SO GOOD, but also kind of awful. This episode is all about sex and we talk openly and explicitly about a range of topics including:

- Foreplay & afterplay

- Oral sex & manual stimulation

- Forgiveness & healing

- Contraception & pulling out

- How much does sexual experience matter?

- Problems with sex & intimacy

- Why sex is awesome

- Why Jesus is awesome

In this follow-up episode, we continue our conversation about protest music with a focus on the debate over abortion. Again, we welcome Consistent Life Ethic activists Savannah & Ryan Ackermann as our guests.

We discuss:

- The plight of the mother in a crisis pregnancy

- Is abortion really as big of a deal as these other social justice issues?

- What now for the pro-life movement?

- And much more!

Green Day, Bob Dylan, 2Pac, Flobots, Marvin Gaye . . . What do all of these artists have in common? They all stood up against violence through their music. Consistent Life Ethic activists Savannah & Ryan Ackerman join us to talk about the great protest songs of history.

We discuss A LOT of hot button issues including:

- The death penalty

- Euthanasia

- Torture

- Abortion

- Racism

- War

- And much more!

In this special solo, Father’s Day episode, Mike shares what he admires about TV’s superdad, Jack Pearson from NBC’s “This is Us.” We discuss:

- What is masculinity? Is it toxic?

- Angry prayers

- Rising to the occasion

- How to find purpose in life

- Why a real man should be liturgical

Juneteenth is right around the corner so it’s the perfect time to talk about the music and message of Beyoncé. We welcome Vice President of New Wave Feminists, Marcia Lane-McGee to the show. So come get in formation as we discuss:

- Privilege, Color Blindness, & Anti-racism

- Art & Solidarity

- Feminism & Clericalism

- Hot sauce [swag]

- Black Lives Matter, Abortion, & the preferential option

- Body image

- and more!

Marshall Mathers is a force to be reckoned with. His talent is undeniable. His story: inspiring. His lyrics? Frequently reprehensible. Pop rap artist Jeremy Flick joins us to discuss the music and message of Slim Shady. We discuss:

-Why God (and we) love an underdog

-How to pursue your dreams, even with family responsibilities

-How to “make it” in music

-What is success?

-Perfectionism and what if I miss my shot?

-Who am I and how do I prove myself?

-Blessings, grace, and (of course) Jesus being awesome

- and more!

Follow us into the Upside Down as we ready ourselves for Season 4 of Stranger Things. Kaiser Johnson, who played the infamous Jazzercise Instructor/Evil Russian, joins us to share some of his journey and insight. We share what we love about the show and it brings up some pretty personal stuff as we discuss:

- the value of being a nerd

- Friendship: quality or quantity?

- Stories of annulments, divorce, & suffering

- How to ruin your life

- Dating tips (including physical boundaries)

- What if you’ve found “The One?”

- is it really worth it to be cool?

- the poison of envy

And much more

An old soul with a heavenly voice, Adele is the world's most widely celebrated musician. Nashville-based songwriter Dana Catherine joins us to talk about Adele's music and craft, as well as how to have God help navigate the twists and turns of young adulthood. We discuss:

- calling and how to know when to follow your heart

- is God calling me to make a change or are things just hard right now?

- marriage, dating, & break-ups

- do I need therapy or spiritual direction?

- Jesus being awesome

and watch to the end for a lil sumthin' extra :)

"We gon’ praise our way out the grave, dog!"

Hip Hop artist John Levi joins us to discuss the phenomenon that is Kanye West and his music. We hit some big topics

including:

-the key to real holiness

-the N-word & profanity

-doing stupid things

-failure

-materialism

-self-doubt and mental health

-the power of verbal confession and profession

-vulnerability

-being unashamed for Christ

-our true enemy

I first met Dan and his brother Alex when they were in seminary to become priests. But then they spent the next 15 years building Scythian from a pub band to one of the biggest festival acts in the country. Dan and I had a great time sharing some of our favorite folk songs. The conversation got deep pretty quickly as we talked about the relationships of fathers and sons, the violence in Ukraine (his parents are Ukrainian immigrants), and the power of music to change the course of our lives and of history.

The first live-action Star Wars show is arguably also the most compelling Star Wars story ever. We welcome Deacon, Professor, and Star Wars nerd-extrordianire Bob Rice to unpack the Mandoverse as we discuss:

- Fundamentalism

- the stories of 3 orphans

- religious deconstruction & reconstruction

- How to question God? Is there a value to doubt?

- Celibacy & detachment

- Do relationships make you soft and is that a bad thing?

The world's most beloved (and rebooted) super hero, Batman. We invite psychologist Jake Khym from the Restore the Glory podcast to unmask the caped crusader and see how we can face the fear and injustice in our own lives.

We discuss:

- Trauma

- When bad things happen to good people

- Mike’s issues

- Forgiveness

- healthy identity

- building resilience

- the Joker, Two-Face, Ras Al Gul, and more!

Are you ready for a controversial episode? Cuz we got one! We cover the beloved show Schitt’s Creek with Pieter Valk, licensed counselor, aspiring deacon in the Anglican Church, and founder of Equip Your Community, a ministry which helps churches to better love LGBTQ Christians. So come with an open heart and mind as we discuss:

- Using the term “Gay” vs “Same-Sex Attracted”

- Materialism & the American Dream

- How God uses our dark times

- Are same-sex sins worse?

- Is a happy celibate life possible?

- Intimacy & Belonging

- Where Churches fail gay people

- The cure for loneliness

- Can people be platonic friends if they are attracted to each other?