Best Tod Worner Podcasts (2025)

1
How G.K. Chesterton Sees the World w/ Duncan Reyburn 1:41:19

9d ago1:41:19

1:41:19

How are we to look at the world? Through a brilliant lens of hope, wonder, and gratitude? Or through a shadowy lens of despair, cynicism, and selfishness? The journalist, wit, and Catholic convert G.K. Chesterton is an extraordinary model who mastered the art of a marveling Catholic vision. Join me and Dr. Duncan Reyburn as we explore his excellent…

1
The Enduring Relevance of Pinocchio w/ Marcie Stokman & Colleen Hutt 1:19:24

24d ago1:19:24

1:19:24

When you consider the story of Pinocchio, you are flooded with visions of a Disney-fied wooden boy with big blue eyes, a lengthening nose, and a mischievous heart. But reading the original Pinocchio (and its theological underpinnings perceived by Franco Nembrini), you are shocked by the misanthropic boy, his violent experiences, and his perpetually…

1
Theology of Horror w/ Fr. Ryan Duns 2:08:54

1M ago2:08:54

2:08:54

A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Blair Witch Project, and The Exorcist have scared the daylights out of a generation of moviegoers. And even though viewers startle and jump, chill and scream, they keep coming back for more. What is it that makes us crave a good scare? And where is God in the fright of such horror movies? Join me and Fr. Ryan Duns as …

1
How We Pray w/ Bishop Robert Barron 1:07:09

2M ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Flannery O’Connor once prayed, “I do not know you God because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside.” Is there any meaningful relationship in life that can survive without an element of selflessness, dedicated time, and earnest conversation? Why would a meaningful relationship with God be any different? The prophets prayed, the saint…

1
The Extinction of Experience w/ Christine Rosen 1:41:18

2M ago1:41:18

1:41:18

What happens when we live our lives through mediating technologies? We take countless pictures but don’t look at our kids. We film vacations but are never fully present. We search for answers online but rarely puzzle over the questions. And we distract ourselves from difficult emotions, but we never take on the cross-bearing work of the soul. In th…

1
I Came to Cast Fire w/ Fr. Elias Carr 1:49:28

3M ago1:49:28

1:49:28

We want what other people have. We conjure up rivalries. And we scapegoat our enemies in the process. What on earth are we doing? Join me and Fr. Elias Carr as we unpack philosopher René Girard’s mimetic theory and the “scapegoat mechanism” on the Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Cul…

1
The Pleasures of an Intellectual Life w/ Zena Hitz 1:48:03

3M ago1:48:03

1:48:03

What exactly is the “life of the mind”? Is it merely a matter of being bookish, bespectacled, and (*gasp*) potentially boring? Or is the “life of the mind” awash with limitless wonder, captivating wisdom, and life-changing vocation? Join me and St. John’s College tutor Dr. Zena Hitz as we dive deeply into the joyful adventure of intellectual format…

1
Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse w/ Carl Trueman 1:28:39

4M ago1:28:39

1:28:39

In his new book, Dr. Carl Trueman writes, “The very rhetoric and concepts of critical theory, the other, intersectionality, and their like have become influential tools of wielding power rather than dismantling it. And so—as Frankfurt School members Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno themselves would no doubt point out—things have become their oppos…

1
A Deep Dive Into Contemporary Catholic Poetry w/ Ryan Wilson 1:50:27

4M ago1:50:27

1:50:27

In the preface to Ryan Wilson and April Limner’s anthology, Contemporary Catholic Poetry, Ryan writes, “One of the things human beings are always forgetting is that the world is greater than any individual’s idea of it. The world is more complex, more manifold, more mysterious than any mortal mind can fully comprehend, as is the human individual.” …

1
The Question of Intelligent Design w/ Dan Kuebler & Christopher Baglow 1:42:23

5M ago1:42:23

1:42:23

A spirited debate has arisen in the Catholic scientific community: How do we understand intelligent design? Should Catholic scientists subscribe to a “God in the gaps” argument where scientifically inexplicable phenomena provide irrefutable evidence for the hand of God? Or should they understand intelligent design less through a biological lens tha…

1
Behind Closed Doors with Reagan & Nixon w/ Ken Khachigian 1:22:35

5M ago1:22:35

1:22:35

What happens when a young law student volunteers for a presidential campaign one day, only to find himself assisting with President Nixon’s memoirs and penning President Reagan’s inaugural address the next? Through these surreal experiences, what did Ken Khachigian learn about his presidents, himself, and the complexity of human nature? Join me and…

1
The Hillbilly Thomists w/ Fr. Justin Bolger 1:37:41

6M ago1:37:41

1:37:41

What happens when a gaggle of talented Dominican priests and brothers, steeped in prayer and study, pick up guitar and banjo, fiddle and washboard? You get crackin’ good music for the front porch—music that explores the soaring heights of God and the gritty trudge of man. Join me and Fr. Justin Bolger as we delve into the inspiration for and the mu…

1
100 Great Catholic Poems w/ Sally Read 1:26:31

6M ago1:26:31

1:26:31

Catholicism is the inspiration for soaring architecture, exquisite artwork, and sublime music. But what about poetry? And where should one begin? Eminent poet and Catholic convert Sally Read tells us that, “Poetry is the sister of prayer.” Join me and Sally Read as we discuss the extraordinary works of Catholic verse over two millennia in 100 Great…

1
What Is Democracy? w/ Bishop Robert Barron 1:24:04

7M ago1:24:04

1:24:04

In a letter to the Massachusetts militia, John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” What are the origins of our system of democracy? How is it faring in the modern world? And what becomes of democracy if it is no longer informed by a moral and religio…

1
Why Liberalism Failed w/ Patrick Deneen 2:18:16

7M ago2:18:16

2:18:16

What exactly is liberalism? And what has it become? Having evolved from a hard-earned freedom to be virtuous, to a freedom for unaccountable licentiousness, liberalism—according to Dr. Patrick Deneen—has failed. Join me and Dr. Deneen, author of Why Liberalism Failed and Regime Change, as we discuss what happened to a compelling idea and what we sh…

1
Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard Address w/ Gary Saul Morson 1:14:34

7M ago1:14:34

1:14:34

In 1978, a Soviet dissident and former Gulag prisoner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn stood before the graduating class of Harvard University and offered the commencement address. But it wasn’t the address they expected (or necessarily wanted). In fact, it caused great angst among the contented intellectual classes. Join me and Dr. Gary Saul Morson, eminent…

1
St. Thomas & the Forbidden Birds w/ James Matthew Wilson 1:42:38

8M ago1:42:38

1:42:38

G.K. Chesterton once observed, “What the world wants, what the world is waiting for, is not Modern Poetry or Classical Poetry or Neo-Classical Poetry—but Good Poetry.” Well, have I got some good poetry for you! Join me and award-winning poet James Matthew Wilson as we delve into why poetry matters and unpack excerpts from his new book, Saint Thomas…

1
Why Mary Matters w/ Alexandra DeSanctis 1:17:51

8M ago1:17:51

1:17:51

Contrary to the opinion of many outside of the Catholic Church, Mary is not worshiped—she is loved and venerated. As the earthly Mother of God, Mary prays with us and for us, forever telling us what she told friends at the Wedding at Cana, “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” Join me and journalist Alexandra DeSanctis as we explore the strength and beaut…

1
Grace & Grit—The Making of a Catholic Priest w/ Fr. Stephen Gadberry 1:24:02

9M ago1:24:02

1:24:02

Recently, Fr. Stephen Gadberry found an otherwise idyllic Saturday morning upset by a searing engagement with a parishioner in need. Reflecting on the experience later, he mused, “You have a plan and God has a plan and your plan doesn’t matter.” Join me and Fr. Stephen Gadberry as we discuss life’s uncertain paths and the loving God who forever acc…

1
The Catholic Conversion of Tammy Peterson 1:15:39

9M ago1:15:39

1:15:39

In the wake of a willful youth and a harrowing brush with death, Tammy Peterson discovered something: she is not in control. Through reluctant surrender and a budding trust, a prayerful companion, and a grandmother’s Rosary, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Join Tod and Tammy Peterson as they explore her winding road and exhilar…

1
The New Ressourcement w/ Jason Paone 1:25:04

10M ago1:25:04

1:25:04

In the ruinous aftermath of the Second World War, the Catholic intellectual tradition found itself at a crossroads. Had the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas, an anchoring point for over half a century, sufficed in responding to the ideological inferno that was World War II? Or was there a need for a Ressourcement—a “return to the sources” of our Cathol…

1
The True Meaning of Humanism: Religion and Human Values w/ Randall Poole 1:22:27

10M ago1:22:27

1:22:27

The word “humanism” was still in its nineteenth century infancy when it was stolen and transformed by Marxists and atheists. But, today, is there a religious humanism that champions human dignity, acknowledges man’s response to God’s saving grace, and wills the good of the other on their way to God? Join me and Professor Randall Poole as we discuss…

1
Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist w/ Fr. Damian Ference 1:24:43

11M ago1:24:43

1:24:43

“The truth doesn’t change according to your ability to stomach it emotionally.” So said the ingenious, straight-talking novelist Flannery O’Connor. Who profoundly influenced the faith and fiction of one of the finest (and most shocking) writers of the twentieth century? None other than St. Thomas Aquinas. Join Tod and Fr. Damian Ference as they exp…

1
The Political Thought of David Hume w/ Aaron Zubia 1:54:02

11M ago1:54:02

1:54:02

What would happen if a brilliant philosopher penned influential works that undermine the religious and moral underpinnings of society only to replace them with utility and appetite? It doesn’t end well. Join Tod and Professor Aaron Alexander Zubia as we dive into his new book, The Political Thought of David Hume. Stay up-to-date with the latest epi…

1
Václav Havel & The Power of the Powerless w/ Flagg Taylor 1:36:03

12M ago1:36:03

1:36:03

Crushed under an oppressive Communist regime in twentieth century Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel decided that enough was enough. Taking to his pen, the playwright and dissident crafted essays that changed the landscape of resistance. Join me and Professor Flagg Taylor as we unpack Stories and Totalitarianism and The Power of the Powerless, two of Hav…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Tod Worner Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Evangelization & Culture Podcast

Word on Fire Institute

1
How G.K. Chesterton Sees the World w/ Duncan Reyburn 1:41:19

1
The Enduring Relevance of Pinocchio w/ Marcie Stokman & Colleen Hutt 1:19:24

1
Theology of Horror w/ Fr. Ryan Duns 2:08:54

1
How We Pray w/ Bishop Robert Barron 1:07:09

1
The Extinction of Experience w/ Christine Rosen 1:41:18

1
I Came to Cast Fire w/ Fr. Elias Carr 1:49:28

1
The Pleasures of an Intellectual Life w/ Zena Hitz 1:48:03

1
Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse w/ Carl Trueman 1:28:39

1
A Deep Dive Into Contemporary Catholic Poetry w/ Ryan Wilson 1:50:27

1
The Question of Intelligent Design w/ Dan Kuebler & Christopher Baglow 1:42:23

1
Behind Closed Doors with Reagan & Nixon w/ Ken Khachigian 1:22:35

1
The Hillbilly Thomists w/ Fr. Justin Bolger 1:37:41

1
100 Great Catholic Poems w/ Sally Read 1:26:31

1
What Is Democracy? w/ Bishop Robert Barron 1:24:04

1
Why Liberalism Failed w/ Patrick Deneen 2:18:16

1
Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard Address w/ Gary Saul Morson 1:14:34

1
St. Thomas & the Forbidden Birds w/ James Matthew Wilson 1:42:38

1
Why Mary Matters w/ Alexandra DeSanctis 1:17:51

1
Grace & Grit—The Making of a Catholic Priest w/ Fr. Stephen Gadberry 1:24:02

1
The Catholic Conversion of Tammy Peterson 1:15:39

1
The New Ressourcement w/ Jason Paone 1:25:04

1
The True Meaning of Humanism: Religion and Human Values w/ Randall Poole 1:22:27

1
Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist w/ Fr. Damian Ference 1:24:43

1
The Political Thought of David Hume w/ Aaron Zubia 1:54:02

1
Václav Havel & The Power of the Powerless w/ Flagg Taylor 1:36:03