To wrap up our deep dive into the existence of God, in this episode we take a look at the life of St Augustine. St. Augustine is a doctor of the church, and one of the greatest saints in the history of Christianity. But before his conversion, he spent his youth struggling with sin, heresy, vanity, and lust. He was the product of a culture that cele…

Joe and Lee dive into part two of their close reading of Rerum Novarum! Read along, and send us your questions! You can contact us at [email protected]. Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebo…

Join us next week as we continue our deep dive into Rerum Novarum. In the meantime, check out the Chesterton Schools Network: https://chestertonschoolsnetwork.org/ Please consider supporting our work; visit https://www.chesterton.org/give/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanCh…

Joe and Lee continue their series of episodes on Catholic Social Teaching, with the first of a two-part deep dive into Rerum Novarum! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChesterto…

"The fact that people's religion tends to align with the culture and country that they grew up in shows that religion is just a cultural construct" "There are so many hypocritical people who have used religion to abuse others, to start wars, or to seek power. These people undermine the validity of religion." "We no longer need God; science explains…

[RE-UPLOAD - Audio quality improved] Joe and Lee kick off a series of episodes that will focus on Catholic Social Teaching, this time looking closely at Pope Leo XIII and Rerum Novarum! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Video of Pope Leo XIII is in the public domain, taken from Wikime…

This week, UncommonSense presents a re-airing of the May 2025 Summit of the Troubadours, focusing on the present Pope and great Popes past. Come and see the Troubadours LIVE and in-person in New Orleans this summer at our conference! Register today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.ins…

"Atheists don't need to substantiate their position; the burden of proof lies with the theist because they're the one making a positive claim to belief." "God is just something people turn to for comfort." "Atheists just believe in one god fewer than Christians do." "There is no evidence for the existence of God." "If God is good and He loves me, t…

Joe and Lee speak with Julian Ahlquist about his experimentation with A. I. image generation, making pictures of the saints. He'll be speaking about this topic at this summer's Chesterton conference in New Orleans, and it's sure to be one of the more debated and controversial topics. Luckily, Chestertonians know how to disagree agreeably! Register …

Joe and Lee speak with Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers about Walker Percy and G.K. Chesterton! Register for the conference today to hear Cy's talks: Visit https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Visit Catholic Answers at https://catholic.com/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www…

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the question: How do we know God exists? Today we will give an overview of various popular arguments for the existence of God, including the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the fine tuning of the universe, William Paley’s Watchmaker Argument, the argument from aesthetic experience, and Pascal’s wager. ⁠D…

Grettelyn speaks with Theresa Martin about "untamed children," the topic of her talk for the annual Chesterton conference! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Learn more about Theresa and WCI: https://jp2rule.com/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook…

In this short, bonus episode, we discuss what a papal conclave looks like. How does voting work? How many votes are needed for someone to be elected pope? Why is the process so secretive? The information in this episode comes from "Universi Dominici Gregis", an apostolic constitution which outlines the prescriptions for papal elections. The full do…

Joe and Lee speak with Don Flanagan, a retire English professor and co-leader of the St. Paul Chesterton Society, about his talk for the annual Chesterton conference on G.K. Chesterton and Sir Walter Scott! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ University Faculty for Life: https://www.uff…

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the question: How do we know God exists? Today we will wrap up our discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas's Five Ways by analysing the Fourth Way (the argument from gradation/degree) and the Fifth Way (the argument from order). Aquinas' Five Ways are among the most famous arguments for the existence of God,…

Joe speaks with Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, about his upcoming talk for the annual Chesterton conference on the history of the Acadian people and their expulsion. Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Visit Catholic Answers at http://catholic.com/ FOLLOW US Instagram…

Welcome to our deep-dive into the question: How do we know God exists? In this series, we return to the topic of God's existence, which we covered aaall the way back in Episode 2 (!!), and we break it open to explore it more deeply. In this episode, we look at St. Thomas Aquinas's first three 'ways', or arguments for God's existence. These are amon…

Joe speaks with Professor David Deavel of the University of St. Thomas, Houston, about Chesterton and the Saints, the theme of this summer's Chesterton conference, and the topic of David's talk! Join us July 24-26 in New Orleans to learn more about this fascinating and edifying subject! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.or…

Grettelyn and Joe interview Nikola Bolsec from the Chesterton Society in Croatia and a speaker at this summer's conference. He discusses how he and other Croatians have experienced Chesterton, and a bit about his Father Brown Card game. Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ More about Cro…

Grettelyn and Joe interview Ted Janiszewski from Saint Irenaeus Ministries, a speaker who will be joining us this summer, July 24-26 in New Orleans! Hear a little of what Ted will have to say about Chesterton and Nietzsche. Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Saint Irenaeus Ministries: …

Welcome baaaaaaaack it's Season 3! In this season, we're plumbing the depths of Catholicism and the Catechism, doing deep-dives into topics that we have only touched on previously, like the existence of God, the bible, the social doctrine of the church, and theology of the body. In this episode, we round off an exploration of the three theological …

Grettelyn and Joe interview Joseph Pearce, a popular conference speaker, who will be joining us this summer, July 24-26 in New Orleans! Hear a little of what Joseph will be speaking about regarding Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem, Evangeline. Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ F…

Joe and Grettelyn speak with Society Chaplain, Father Spencer Howe, about some opportunities for pilgrimage that the Society is offering, but also about the spirituality and theology of pilgrimage, especially in the season of Lent. If you're interested in joining the Society pilgrimage to Merrie Englands, visit our partner at ProRomeTours: https://…

Joe is joined by colleague Lee Sondeno to geek out about F. Scott Fitzgerald, the jazz age, The Great Gatsby, Chesterton and more! Join this fun conversation, and join the reprise in New Orleans this summer! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-conference/ Music credit: Composition: traditional; Per…

Dale joins the show to talk about this summer's Chesterton conference, July 24-26 in New Orleans! It's a veritable Mardi Gras party for the podcast. Be sure to stick around until the end of the episode for a fun game, and test your knowledge of cajun cuisine! Register for the conference today at https://www.chesterton.org/44th-annual-chesterton-con…

Grettelyn is joined by Jen Finke to talk about this year's daily Lenten reflection series on the theme of the virtues. Learn more or sign up at https://www.chesterton.org/lent-and-eastertide-2025/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChestertonSociety X: https://twitter.com/ches…

Joe reflects on Chesterton's poem, "The Arena" as an object lesson in reading Chesterton and taking a Chestertonian view of the world (including things like the Super Bowl). To read Joe's annotations of the poem, visit https://www.joegrabowski.com/arena.html. FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.fac…

Joe speaks with Dr. Ben Reinhard, author of a new book, "The High Hallow: Tolkien's Liturgical Imagination," from Emmaus Road Publishing. Learn more about #Chesterton and #Tolkien and what #Lewis called "the mythical radiance resting on our theology." To buy the book, https://stpaulcenter.com/product/the-high-hallow-tolkiens-liturgical-imagination/…

Joe geeks out with colleague, Jen Finke, about G.K. Chesterton and Saint Thomas Aquinas! To buy the book, visit https://www.chesterton.org/store/product/st-thomas-aquinas/ Read a chapter online here: https://www.chesterton.org/approach-to-thomism/ Learn more from Dale Ahlquist, here: https://www.chesterton.org/lecture-67/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https…

Joe and Grettelyn speak with Deacon Chris Roberts, co-founder and President of Martin Saints Classical High School, a Chesterton Academy about the experience of founding a school, the difference of the Chesterton curriculum, and more! Learn more: https://www.martinsaintsclassical.org/ https://chestertonschoolsnetwork.org/ FOLLOW US Instagram: https…

Joe and Grettelyn speak about the medieval "Festum Asinorum," the "Feast of Asses," which was celebrated on January 14th, and they discuss its very Chestertonian qualities. They also read Chesterton's great poem, "The Donkey," in honor of the Feast! To read the Catholic Encyclopedia article cited in the episode, visit https://www.newadvent.org/cath…

Joe and Grettelyn speak with Karin Öberg about her conversion experience, the influence of C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, the relation of faith and reason in science, and get an astronomer's views on the Star of Bethlehem! Check out our whole Advent & Christmastide series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm8wkRUR11ar3uer8l1EJ0S9h…

Happy 2025! Let's talk about Hope! Pope Francis has declared 2025 a jubilee year - a year of reconciliation, healing, and mercy. The theme for this jubilee year is "Pilgrims of Hope." So what does it mean to have Hope? How can we grow in Hope, even when bad things are happening? How can we be signs of Hope to others? We'll also wrap up this episode…

Grettelyn and Joe celebrate the coming New Year with their colleague, Tyler Blanski, chatting about paradox, resolutions, hope, fear, and the pronunciation of words! Make a special year-end gift to the Society: https://give.chesterton.org/campaign/hope-for-the-year-ahead/c650439 Check out our whole Advent & Christmastide series playlist: https://ww…

Grettelyn and Joe speak about ... Christmas! And how the Chestertons celebrated it. They also share some of their favorite Chestertonian Christmas poetry. Hear Mark Nowakowski's Chesterton Carol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1USODh49NU FOLLOW US: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanC…

Grettelyn and Joe speak with Kendra Tierney Norton of Catholic All Year ( @KendraTierneyCAY ) about keeping Advent and Christmas well and some of the traditions and customs you can try in your own home! Kendra's website: https://catholicallyear.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrx2W0qQhrHCYY4NNMn1Ltg To sign up for the Society's daily…

Grettelyn and Joe speak about some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding Christmas, and how we can respond to them (with Chesterton's help)! To sign up for the Society's daily Advent quotations from Chesterton, along with reflections and Scriptures on which to meditate, visit https://www.chesterton.org/advent OTHER LINKS: G.K. Chesterton, "Th…

What does the "Immaculate Conception" mean? Where do we see evidence of Mary's sinlessness in the Bible? What did the early church fathers have to say about Mary? Why is Mary so important? In this episode, we look at the Catholic church's dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: crashcourseca…

Grettelyn and Joe speak with their colleague, Tyler Blanski, about Saint Nicholas, why Father Christmas shows up in Narnia, what Jupiter has to do with it, and more! To sign up for the Society's daily Advent quotations from Chesterton, along with reflections and Scriptures on which to meditate, visit https://www.chesterton.org/advent FOLLOW US Inst…

Grettelyn and Joe speak with Father Spencer Howe, Chaplain and Vice-Chair of the Society of G.K. Chesterton, about how to prepare for Advent and Christmas! To sign up for the Society's daily Advent quotations from Chesterton, along with reflections and Scriptures on which to meditate, visit https://www.chesterton.org/advent FOLLOW US Instagram: htt…

What is a declaration of nullity, and how is it different from divorce? Can the Catholic church ever dissolve a marriage? What factors would render a marriage null? What does the process of annulment involve? In this episode, we look at the often-misunderstood process of annulment. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: crash…

Grettelyn speaks with Laurie Walsh about service, motherhood, Chesterton, and the Theology of the Body! FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChestertonSociety X: https://twitter.com/chestertonsoc SUPPORT Consider making a donation: https://www.chesterton.org/give/ Visit our Shop…

Grettelyn is joined by Society photographer, Jen Finke, who talks about seeing Chesterton conferences through her unique lens and shares some of her favorite Chesterton poems! FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestertonsociety Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChestertonSociety X: https://twitter.com/chestertonsoc SUPPORT Con…

What's the difference between doctrine and dogma? What's an ecumenical council and how is it different from a synod? What's an encyclical, or an apostolic exhortation, or a papal bull? In this episode, we cover terminology that often comes up in Catholic teaching: DoctrineDogmaEcumenical councilSynodApostolic ConstitutionEncyclicalApostolic Exhorta…

In light of US Election Day, there is no new episode of Uncommon Sense this week. Tune in next week for a new episode, and in the meantime feel free to check out the archive at chesterton.org/uncommonsense!By Society of G. K. Chesterton

In this episode, Grettelyn and Joe continue their conversation on the Church season of All Hallows' Tide, looking at Prayers for the Dead and the Church's discipline of Indulgences. Then, they wrap up with a brief chat about Halloween and how Christians can celebrate it, even some of the "spooky" bits like skeletons! For the document Joe references…

Why does the Catholic church have a pope? What does the pope do? Is he always infallible? Who chooses the pope? What should we do about bad popes? In this episode, we look at how the papacy works. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholici…

With the approach of All Souls' Day (November 2nd), Joe and Grettelyn chat about the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, sharing a bit about Chesterton's views and trying to explain this very misunderstood and oft-maligned teaching to those unfamiliar. For the document Joe references in the episode, see https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_c…

In this episode, Joe talks with Deacon Nathan Allen, who annotated ACS Books' version of Hilaire Belloc's delightful novelette, "The Four Men." Learn more about Belloc, his poetry, and the Four Men Feast! To buy ACS Book's "The Four Men" visit https://www.chesterton.org/store/product/four-men/ To learn more about The Four Men Feast, visit https://w…

What does the Catholic church teach about angels? How many angels are there? Can they read our minds or see the future? Can I give my guardian angel a name? In this episode we cover the church's teaching on the angels, and tell some stories of the relationship of the saints to their guardian angels. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact …