Best John W. Martens Podcasts (2025)

1
Habemus Papam! Pope Leo XIV: A Conversation with the St. Mark's Theology Faculty 47:30

21d ago47:30

47:30

Welcome to Episode 18 of Season 3 with my colleagues from St. Mark's College: Dr. Fiona Li, inaugural Archbishop Michael Miller Chair in Catholic Studies, Fr. Nick Meisl, Profess at St. Mark's College, and Dr. Nick Olkovich, Marie Anne Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology. In this episode we talk about a new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, a native of the United…

1
"The Christian is a man or woman of joy": A Conversation about the Legacy of Pope Francis with Steve Millies 48:46

1M ago48:46

48:46

Welcome to Episode 17 of Season 3 with our friend Steve Millies, a Catholic political theorist and the director of the Bernardin Center at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Professor of Public Theology. Steve has written numerous books, most recently A Consistent Ethic of Life: Navigating Catholic Engagement with U.S. Politics. I spoke …

1
“That finger of Jesus, pointing at Matthew. That’s me”: Reflecting on the Death of Pope Francis. 17:43

1M ago17:43

17:43

Welcome to epsiode sixteen of season three, an episode recorded on April 21, 2025, the day on which Pope Francis died. I talk about Pope Francis in this episode and the first major interview he gave to Jesuit journals around the world including America Magazine in the USA. I have linked to the interview here: A Big Heart Open to God interview. I re…

1
Pop Culture Matters: White Lotus Season Three with Martin Strong 1:03:39

1M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

Welcome to the fifth episode of Pop Culture Matters, a conversation with my good friend and veteran of radio and television in Vancouver and beyond Martin Strong. In this episode we discussed White Lotus season three. It would not have been on my radar for a Pop Culture Matters episode prior to this season, but then again it had never dealt so over…

1
Pop Culture Matters: The Name of Easter 18:48

2M ago18:48

18:48

Welcome to the fourth episode of Pop Culture Matters, different in all sorts of ways, mostly because it’s just me John Martens and also because Easter, our topic today, is not exactly a pop culture matter, but one thing that does seem to be a pop culture matter are memes telling us that Easter is a pagan holiday. These memes and claims sprout like …

1
The Habits Needed for Virtue: A Conversation with Dr. Tim Pawl 1:16:33

2M ago1:16:33

1:16:33

This is not as late as the last episode, only a day behind this time, but this might be the new normal until the conference is over. Nevertheless, it is worth the wait as Tim and I talk about the stable disposition necessary to create the habits needed to create virtue. This is episode fifteen of season three with Dr. Tim Pawl, Professor of Philoso…

1
A Path to Becoming like God: A Conversation with Dr Paul Gavrilyuk 1:53:11

3M ago1:53:11

1:53:11

Sorry for the lateness on this incredible episode! The busy-ness of preparing for the conference and working on a few academic papers led to a two day delay. But this is a long episode and Paul and I had a terrific conversation, so I hope that makes up for some of my tardiness! This is episode fourteen of season three with Dr. Paul Gavrilyuk, Profe…

1
Telling Bible Stories for Children (and Adults!): A Conversation with Reverend Dr. Rob James 1:13:16

3M ago1:13:16

1:13:16

This is episode 13 of season 3 of What Matters Most, featuring the Venerable Rev. Dr. Robert James, Associate Professor, Anglican Formation and Studies at VST. Apart from his work in Anglican studies, Rob is a biblical scholar and has written and published a book of stories from the Bible designed for storytellers to use with children in children’s…

1
The History of Catholicism in Korea, Martyrdom, Persecution, and Resilience: A Conversation with Dr. Don Baker 1:08:21

4M ago1:08:21

1:08:21

This is episode 12 of season 3 of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Don Baker, Professor of Korean Civilization at UBC in Asian Studies since 1987. The story you will hear him tell about Catholicism in Korea and about the Gwangju democratization movement or resistance in 1980, some of which he was present for, is powerful and moving. It is also a st…

1
Becoming a Catholic Peace Church: A Conversation with Gerald Schlabach 1:31:41

4M ago1:31:41

1:31:41

This is Episode Eleven of Season Three, featuring Dr. Gerald Schlabach, an emeritus professor in the Department of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he taught for twenty years and also served for six years as chair of the Department of Justice and Peace Studies. Previously he taught history at Bluffton College, …

1
Reconsidering John Calvin: A Conversation with Ruben Rosario Rodriguez 1:42:25

5M ago1:42:25

1:42:25

This is Episode Ten of Season Three, featuring Dr. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, the Clarence Louis and Helen Steber Professor in Theological Studies at St. Louis University. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary (2004). Dr. Rodriguez is also a Presbyterian minister. Ruben is also an expert in the work of John Calvi…

1
The Absence of God and The Presence of Evil: A Conversation with Megan Fritts 1:01:24

5M ago1:01:24

1:01:24

This is Episode Nine of Season Three, featuring Dr. Megan Fritts. Megan Fritts joined the UA Little Rock philosophy faculty in the School of Human Inquiry in 2022. She received her Ph.D. in 2020 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work intersects with several subdisciplines, including technology ethics, medical ethics, action theory, 19th…

1
Pop Culture Matters: Christmas Movies with Martin Strong 55:41

5M ago55:41

55:41

Welcome to the third episode of Pop Culture Matters, a conversation with my good friend and yours Martin Strong. Today we’re talking about Christmas movies, our favorite Christmas movies, and what we think makes for a good Christmas movie. We asked a lot of people on campus at UBC and St. Mark’s and on social media, what their favorite Christmas mo…

1
The Dark Transcendent: A Theology of Horror: A Conversation with Fr. Ryan Duns, S.J. 1:13:56

6M ago1:13:56

1:13:56

This is Episode Eight of Season Three, featuring Fr. Ryan Duns, S.J., Department Chair and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology in the Theology Department at Marquette University. He received his Ph.D. from Boston College in 2018. Reading from his Marquette web page, I can tell you that “Ryan Duns, SJ works at the intersection of philosophy a…

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Pop Culture Matters: The Night of the Hunter with Dr. Christine Evans 1:36:08

6M ago1:36:08

1:36:08

Welcome to the second episode of Pop Culture Matters, a discussion with Dr. Christine Evans of UBC on the 1955 movie, The Night of the Hunter. She is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC. Christine Evans brings a wealth of knowledge about film and is a captivating speaker. How did we come to speak about The Night of the …

1
Affable Agnostics and Unhostile Atheists: A Conversation with Dr. Ross Lockhart about Christianity in Vancouver 1:06:14

6M ago1:06:14

1:06:14

This is Episode Seven of Season Three, featuring Dr. Ross Lockhart, who is Professor of Mission Studies at Vancouver School of Theology and Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall. Ross is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. His main areas of research are in Missiology and Homiletics. He is the author of numerous books, including Less…

1
Jousting With John: A Conversation with Adele Reinhartz 1:04:23

7M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

This is Season Three, Episode Six is here, featuring Dr. Adele Reinhartz,Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, in Canada. Her main areas of research are New Testament, early Jewish-Christian relations, the Bible and Film, and feminist biblical criticism. She is the author of numerous articles and…

1
The Uses of Idolatry, or Many Old Gods: A Conversation with Bill Cavanaugh 1:01:59

7M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

This is Season Three, Episode Five is here, featuring Dr. Bill Cavanaugh, professor of Catholic studies at De Paul University in Chicago and director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology, a research center housed in the Department of Catholic Studies and focusing on the Catholic Church in the global South—Africa, Asia, and…

1
Catholicism on the Borderlands: A Conversation with Dr. Daisy Vargas 1:16:58

8M ago1:16:58

1:16:58

Season Three, Episode Four is here, featuring Dr. Daisy Vargas, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the U of Arizona (Ph.D. in History, University of California, Riverside; M.A. in Religious Studies, University of Denver), who specializes in Catholicism in the Americas, especially in the borderlands of the American Southwest. She examines r…

1
It Is Wonderful That You Exist: A Conversation with Dr. Jenny Martin 1:07:10

8M ago1:07:10

1:07:10

Season Three, Episode Three is a banger! Do the kids still say that? Dr. Jennifer Newsome Martin, the director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, and the John J. Cavanaugh Associate Professor of the Program of Liberal Studies and Associate Professor, Department of Theology, brings incredible joy to theol…

1
Straight Street: Pop Culture Matters 58:13

8M ago58:13

58:13

Welcome to the first episode of Pop Culture Matters, a discussion with Martin Strong and me regarding Gospel music and the song "Straight Street," written by J.W. Alexander and Jesse Whitaker in the 1950s and first recorded by The Pilgrim Travelers in 1955. Today we are especially looking at Ry Cooder’s version of the song "Straight Street" and the…

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Reading Gender in Revelation: A Conversation with Dr. Lynn Huber 1:24:15

9M ago1:24:15

1:24:15

Welcome to the second episode of the third season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Lynn Huber. Dr. Lynn Huber is Maude Sharpe Powell Professor, Professor of Religious Studies at Elon University in North Carolina and author of the new Wisdom Commentary on Revelation, published by Liturgical Press. Apart from her Wisdom Commentary, co-written with…

1
Educating Children in the Early Church: A Conversation with Dr. Margaret MacDonald 1:25:11

9M ago1:25:11

1:25:11

Welcome to the first episode of the third season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Margaret MacDonald. Margaret MacDonald is Professor of Religion at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Margaret MacDonald is a prominent and preeminent scholar in the fields of New Testament and early Christianity. We discuss Margaret’s excellent book …

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Laudato Si' in a Time of Global Disruption: Francis and Politics: Dr. Massimo Faggioli 1:31:31

10M ago1:31:31

1:31:31

Welcome to the twenty-sixth and final episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Massimo Faggioli. Today’s episode is the keynote lecture Massimo gave on May 4, 2023 at the Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal conference held at St. Mark’s College on May 4-6, 2023. His lecture was tit…

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The Reform of the Church is Not a Change but a Commitment: Dr. Emilce Cuda 1:21:54

10M ago1:21:54

1:21:54

Welcome to the twenty-fifth episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Emilce Cuda. Today’s episode is the keynote lecture Emilce gave on May 5, 2023 at the Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal conference held at St. Mark’s College on May 4-6, 2023. Her paper was titled, “The Reform o…

1
Leaning into the Distant Goal of Vatican II: Pope Francis and Christian Unity: Dr. Cathy Clifford 1:16:11

11M ago1:16:11

1:16:11

Welcome to the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Cathy Clifford. Today’s episode is the keynote lecture Cathy gave to bring to an end the Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal conference held at St. Mark’s College on May 4-6, 2023. Her paper was delivered on May …

1
Gender in the Rhetoric of Jesus: A Conversation with Sara Parks 1:22:32

11M ago1:22:32

1:22:32

Welcome to the twenty-third episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Sara Parks. Sara Parks is Assistant Professor in Religious Studies, teaching and conducting research in the field of Early Christianity at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She joined St. Francis Xavier University in the Fall of 2022…

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The Liturgy and Life Study Bible: A Conversation with Fr. Nick Meisl and John W. Martens 1:11:12

12M ago1:11:12

1:11:12

This is the twenty-second episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring me speaking with Fr. Nick Meisl! Why? I was interviewed by Father Nick Meisl, my colleague and friend, who appeared on episode 13 of season 2 of What Matters Most. The original interview took place on June 3, 2024, at St. Mark’s Library for the book launch of the…

1
The Prophet Jeremiah and African-American Maternity in the USA: A Conversation with Dr. Jaime L. Waters 1:17:29

1y ago1:17:29

1:17:29

This is the twenty-first episode of the second season of What Matters Most, featuring Dr. Jaime L. Waters of Boston College, an Associate Professor of Old Testament and Program Director of Courage to Preach. I met Jaime in person last summer in Omaha, Nebraska at the Catholic Biblical Association meetings and we bonded over biblical studies, a shar…

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What is Sikhism? A Conversation with UBC Sikh Chaplain Inderjeet Singh 1:48:17

1y ago1:48:17

1:48:17

This is the twentieth episode of the second season of What Matters Most. I spoke with UBC Sikh Chaplain Inderjeet Singh. This episode was recorded in February 2024, but due to a backlog of episodes is only being released in May 2024. I am happy for you to be able to hear it and learn about Sikhism. Indy, as his friends know him, offered a lot of in…

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What makes a person a Saint? A Conversation with Dr. Hans Harmakaputra 1:15:17

1y ago1:15:17

1:15:17

We are deep into season 2 now with the nineteenth episode of What Matters Most. I spoke with Dr. Hans A. Harmakaputra, an Assistant Professor of Religion in the Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Classics at Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota about Christian and Muslim saints and views of sainthood. Hans Harmakaputra is the author…

1
The Cry of the Poor and Healthcare: A Conversation with Dr. Alexandre Martins 1:26:39

1y ago1:26:39

1:26:39

Welcome to the eighteenth episode of season 2 of What Matters Most. I spoke to Alex Martins from his office in Milwaukee in February and have been waiting to get this episode to you for the past two months. Alexandre A. Martins is a theologian and bioethicist from Brazil; he is also a nurse. He received a Ph.D. in theological ethics/bioethics from …

1
Panpsychism, Pantheism, Panentheism and Classical Christian Doctrine: A Conversation with Dr. Joanna Leidenhag 1:22:31

1y ago1:22:31

1:22:31

A note before the significant stuff: you will notice that the intro and outtro are noisier than usual. I was not able to record at home in my home office with my regular equipment, but had to record in my office at work. It's a different location, and a worse microphone, and I will make sure to record at home again. And always. The episode itself s…

1
Theology of the peripheries, Theology of the People: A Conversation with Dr. Emilce Cuda 57:43

1y ago57:43

57:43

Welcome to the sixteenth episode of season 2 of What Matters Most. I spoke to Dr. Emilce Cuda, an Argentinian theologian, university professor, and Roman Curia official. In 2021, Pope Francis appointed her to serve the Holy See as an official in the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, first as head of the office and then as Secretary. In the s…

1
Green bioethics and Sustainable Healthcare: A Conversation with Father Myles Sheehan, SJ 56:05

1y ago56:05

56:05

Regular listeners know that this episode is late! I apologize for that but blame a nasty norovirus that has run amok through our extended family. And directly through me. It seems right, then, that the fifteenth episode of the second season focuses on health and public health with Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ. Fr. Sheehan is a Jesuit priest, physician, an…

1
Japanese Buddhism in Canada: A Conversation with Reverend Grant Ikuta 1:14:50

1+ y ago1:14:50

1:14:50

This episode is the fourteenth episode of the second season of What Matters Most and features Reverend Grant Ikuta. Since 2008, Grant has been the minister at Steveston Buddhist Temple outside of Vancouver. From April 2011 to April 2013, he served as Bishop of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada. He was educated at the University of Alberta, ho…

1
On Celibacy in the Church in Antiquity and Today: A Conversation with Father Nick Meisl 1:10:15

1+ y ago1:10:15

1:10:15

This episode is the thirteenth episode of the second season of What Matters Most and features Father Nick Meisl. Fr. Nick Meisl is an Assistant Professor at Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s Colleges where he teaches the Bible. In addition, he is Pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in New Westminster, BC. He completed his License from the Pontifical Biblical …

1
The Journey from Rock and Roll to the Lutheran Pulpit: A Conversation with Reverend Mark Kleiner 1:10:36

1+ y ago1:10:36

1:10:36

This is the twelfth episode of the second season of What Matters Most and features Reverend Mark Kleiner from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Mark is open, vulnerable, and honest, about the role of the Gospel in his life, his past struggles with alcoholism, his rock n’ roll life, and his passion for men’s health. As Mark said in the podcast, and as you ca…

1
Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Mark Miller 1:10:31

1+ y ago1:10:31

1:10:31

This episode is the eleventh episode of the second season of What Matters Most and features Reverend Dr. Mark Miller. Fr. Mark is currently the visiting scholar in health care ethics for St. Mark’s College and Providence Health Care in Vancouver for the academic year of 2023-2024. Fr. Mark Miller, C.Ss.R., was ordained in 1975 as a Redemptorist pri…

1
Pope Francis's Laudato Deum: A Conversation with Cristina Vanin 1:14:04

1+ y ago1:14:04

1:14:04

This episode, the tenth of the second season of What Matters Most, features Dr. Cristina Vanin, an associate professor of theology and Director of the Master of Catholic Thought program at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario. I invited Cristina on the podcast to discuss Laudato Deum, Pope Francis’s newest apostolic exhortation, released in…

1
Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul: A Conversation with Matthew R. Anderson 1:29:32

1+ y ago1:29:32

1:29:32

Our guest on today's episode of What Matters Most, the ninth episode of our second season, is Dr. Matthew Anderson. Matthew Anderson holds a Gatto Chair in Christian Studies at St FX in Religious Studies. He is also an affiliate assistant professor at Concordia University, Montreal. Matthew was born to settlers on Treaty 4 territory. His PhD in Rel…

1
How is the Bible The Good Book? A Conversation with Jill Hicks-Keeton 1:01:18

1+ y ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Today's episode Our guest on this episode of What Matters Most, the eighth episode of our second season is Dr. Jill Hicks-Keeton. Jill Hicks-Keeton (PhD, Duke) is currently Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches courses on biblical literature. In 2024, she will begin a new position, as Associate Pr…

1
Everyday Wisdom: Interreligious Studies in a Pluralistic World: A Conversation with Hans Gustafson 1:39:08

1+ y ago1:39:08

1:39:08

Our guest on this episode of What Matters Most, the seventh episode of our second season, is Dr. Hans Gustafson, Director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, where he also teaches courses in the study of religion and theology for the Theology Departm…

1
The Rise of Christian Nationalism in the 1930s and Today in the USA: A Conversation with Charles Gallagher, S.J. 1:31:18

1+ y ago1:31:18

1:31:18

This episode with Charles Gallagher, S.J. takes us into some dark history concerning Nazis and the Christian Front, a Catholic lay organization, in Boston and New York in the 1930s and 1940s just prior to and during the early stages of World War II. The story of Frances Moran, head of the Boston National Front and his Nazi handler, the German consu…

1
How Children in the Gospels Can Shape Inclusive Ministry: A Conversation with Amy Lindeman Allen 1:13:26

1+ y ago1:13:26

1:13:26

Dr Amy Lindeman Allen is an Associate Professor of New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indianapolis and only a couple of weeks ago was appointed to an endowed chair, the Indiana Christian Church Chair in Biblical Studies at CTS. Amy is also an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Allen earned …

1
Islam and Christianity in Ghana: A Conversation with Imam Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq 1:09:05

1+ y ago1:09:05

1:09:05

Today's guest on What Matters Most, Imam Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq, is from Ghana. Imam Marzuq introduces us in this episode to the country of Ghana generally and to the interfaith situation in the West African country specifically. Imam Marzuq is the assistant to the Chief Imam of Ghana, Shaikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu who is 104 years old. Mar…

1
Pope Francis, Laudato Si', the Synod, and the Church Today: A Conversation with Massimo Faggioli 59:49

1+ y ago59:49

59:49

Our guest on this episode of What Matters Most, the second (new) episode of our second season, is Dr. Massimo Faggioli, a full professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University (Philadelphia). Massimo is one of the most prominent Catholic theologians working today in North America and Europe. Massimo is a friend …

1
Incarnation, Soteriology, Exclusivity/Inclusivity, Pluralism, Particularism, and Universalism: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Rob James 1:30:08

1+ y ago1:30:08

1:30:08

Our first guest on the second season of What Matters Most is Rev. Dr. Robert James, Associate Professor, Anglican Formation and Studies at VST. Rob James is an Anglican priest who was ordained in the Church of England and worked as a parish priest in Gloucestershire and then as Canon Chancellor of Wells Cathedral, Somerset, before coming to Canada.…

1
Encore: "Neither Categories nor Stereotypes, These are Real People": A Conversation with Father Jim Martin 58:54

2y ago58:54

58:54

As What Matters Most prepares to begin its second season in September 2023, I thought we should return to the first episode with Fr. Jim Martin, released on October 7, 2022. Many of you were not listening to the podcast when this episode was released, so to prepare you for the upcoming season, this is a taste of what's on offer. I will say that a n…

1
"Interfaith is not about Conversion, it's about Completion": A Conversation with the Interfaith Amigos 1:23:09

2y ago1:23:09

1:23:09

Welcome to What Matters Most. On this episode I speak with the Interfaith Amigos, who are Imam Jamal Rahman, Pastor Don MacKenzie, and Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan. Rabbi Laura replaced the recently retired Rabbi Ted Falcon as a part of this interfaith trio. When you listen to the episode you will notice that I did not start with saying, "A Rabbi, an I…

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