Respect Life Radio

John Martignoni: Blue Collar Apologetics

"Most of us know what we believe as Catholics, but often we're unclear on why we believe it,"  says EWTN's John Martignoni. In his new book Blue Collar Apologetics: How To Explain and Defend Catholic Teaching Using Common Sense, Simple Logic, and the Bible. "At a time when vast numbers of Catholics are slipping away from the Faith, God has tasked you and countless other Catholics with understanding it so you will be prepared to defend it." 

Martignoni was born Catholic but didn't learn the faith growing up. He was a so-called cafeteria Catholic for a couple of years until getting hold of Scott Hahn’s “Conversion Story” talk and delving deeply into apologetics. He's the director of the Office of the New Evangelization; Diocese of Birmingham; founder and president of Queen of Heaven Catholic Radio; 1480 AM in Birmingham; founder and president of the Bible Christian Society. He also hosts “EWTN Open Line”, a live, nationally-telecast, call-in radio program on Bible apologetics. 

Follow John at https://www.biblechristiansociety.com and buy his new book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/blue-collar-apologetics/

 

Patrick Flynn: The best Argument for God

"When the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas addressed the best arguments against God in his masterwork, the Summa Theologica, he listed only two. The first was the problem of evil: How can God — who is perfectly good — exist alongside that which is against Him? His second: Is God really needed to explain the world?" asks Patrick Flynn, author of The Best Argument for God, his newest book. Flynn is a re-converted Catholic, philosopher, writer, musician, fitness and martial arts enthusiast and husband and father of five living in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

In this landmark work, Flynn presents the best arguments for God while also addressing the strongest objections. He evaluates whether it’s simpler to believe in God or not, and he provides numerous arguments from philosophy, science and plain common sense. Additionally, you will discover how even the traditionally held attributes of God point to His existence.

Flynn blogs at Chroniclesofstrength.substack.com and hosts the Philosophy for the People podcast with Dr. Jim Madden.

Bear Woznick: 12 Rules for Manliness

"Deep in every man's heart is a call to live the heroic way, to champion a cause greater than himself," writes Bear Woznick in his new book 12 Rules for Manliness: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone. "The everyday hero goes beyond the ordinary in the little moments of his life and rides high in the saddle as he achieves his principles and dreams."

In 12 Rules for Manliness, adventurer Bear lays out a plan to help men learn how to develop a proper personal creed, and then define themselves by the hardships they endure in pursuit of that mission. Bear is a World Champion surfer, certified ninja black belt and sought after speaker. He is the host of The Bear Woznick Adventure radio program and EWTN's motorcycle based immersive reality-show series, Long Ride Home with Bear Woznick. A Benedictine oblate, Bear is the author of several books including A Surfer's Guide to the Soul, Deep Adventure—The Way of Heroic Virtue, and 12 Rules for Manliness: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? published by Sophia Press. Learn more about "Bear's Man Cave" and "Bear's School of Manliness" at DeepAdventure.com. 

Father Brian Mullady: Law and morality

"We're in a post-philosophical world," says Fr. Brian Thomas Becket Mullady, OP and author of the new book, The Roots of A Christian Civilization: First Principles of a Just and Ordered Society. 

Fr. Mullady entered the Dominican Order in 1966 and has been a parish priest, high school teacher, retreat master, mission preacher and university professor. He has had twelve series on Mother Angelica's EWTN television network. He is the author of four books and numerous articles and writes the Answer column in Homiletic and Pastoral Review. In the pages of his new book, Fr. Mullady, answers the question: Should law implement morality or not? He provides you with a compendium of accessible answers to a range of questions on spiritual and moral theology.

Find Fr. Mullady's new book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-roots-of-a-christian-civilization/ and at EWTN, where he hosts a weekly radio show.

Father Ralph Weimann: The importance of sacramentals

"During the last decades, sacramentals seem too often to have been marginalized, even though they are supposed to be the daily bread of any priest, as well as of the laity," affirms Fr. Ralph Weimann, author of the new book Sacramentals: Their Meaning and Spiritual Use. Drawing from Scripture and the Tradition of the Church, Fr. Weimann has succeeded in closing this gap by striking a proper balance between the natural and the supernatural, between reason and revelation. He breaks open how sacramentals developed in the history of the Church and their definition in modernity, both in the liturgical documents of Vatican II and the Code of Canon Law. Sacramentals are meant to "produce spiritual effects" in the daily lives of the faithful," Father shares. 

To learn more about Father Weimann, visit https://www.domuni.eu/en/university-life/professor/?idTeacher=212.

John Bursch: The Church and gender ideology

"There's a long downward slope for children in this country over the last 60 years, starting with the sexual revolution," said John Bursch, senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom. "Kids become objects, mere commodities....and children aren't given the dignity and respect that human beings made in the likeness and image of God are supposed to have and gender ideology is the last bastion at the end of that line." Bursch has argued 12 U.S. Supreme Court cases and three dozen state supreme court cases, and he has successfully litigated six matters with at least $1 billion at stake. He's also the author of the new book, "Loving God's Children - The Church and Gender Ideology."

In this new book, Bursch helps explain what the Catholic Church teaches about the human person and why modern culture’s embrace of “gender ideology” is not only wrong but terribly dangerous for parents and families, female athletes, medical professionals — and especially those experiencing gender confusion. Drawing from Church documents and extensive scientific research, Bursch answers numerous questions that confront Catholics living in a culture that promotes gender fluidity. He covers a range of topics including how to approach the use of pronouns in the workplace, whether transgender individuals can receive the sacraments, and ways to accompany those struggling with gender confusion.

Learn more about John and his book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/loving-gods-children/

Father Basil Nortz: Holy Silence

"Someone can think they're sitting in a Chapel in silence and Adoration, but still inside their head, they have all kinds of noise," said Fr. Basil Nortz, author of the new book "Holy Silence: A Practical Guide to Recollection in God. "It's important to go through steps to achieve beneficial silence. Fr. Basil Nortz masterfully builds upon the classic reflections of Sr. Marie-Aimée de Jésus, a nineteenth-century spiritual mystic and Carmelite nun, on the twelve degrees of silence. By cultivating these types of silence, you will find out how you can — even amid your busy days filled with chatter, commotion, and noise — listen to the voice of God.

In these profound pages you will find ways to overcome your fear of silence and discover: 

• Keys to obeying God’s will 
• Kinds of silence that are holy and kinds that are unholy
• Ten tips on what to do — and what to avoid — to bridle your senses
• Seven ways to guard your imagination and foster recollection
• How to direct your emotions with reason and foster silence of the heart
• Effective ways of responding to injustice 

To learn more, visit https://sophiainstitute.com/product/holy-silence/

Teresa Mull: Woke-proof your life

"Wokeness is basically an ideology that uses noble goals and manipulates them to control others and bring about evil in the world," said Teresa Mull, author of "Woke Proof Your Life", a new book from Sophia Institute Press. "I've also been saying it's essentially political correctness on steroids. It's just another name for radical liberalism."   Americans are burned out, on edge and nostalgic for the time before bullying progressives turned every aspect of our lives into a radical social cause. This book provides practical, woke-proof ways in which the silenced majority--which feels disoriented, if not overmatched--can finally stand up and restore America's values and culture. 

Learn more about Teresa Mull and her new book at https://sophiainstitute.com/product/how-to-woke-proof-your-life/

Dr. Paul Chaloux: Dying without fear

"If people are fearful (of dying), it's because they don't have a relationship with God and that makes all the difference in the attitude," said Dr. Paul Chaloux, author of the new book "Dying Without Fear."

Dr. Chaloux was a chemical engineer for over 30 years and, in 2015, after earning a master’s degree in religious education from Fordham University and retiring from IBM, Paul was accepted into the PhD program at the Catholic University of America to study Catechetics, with the goal of teaching future catechists. However, his plans changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease just after moving to Washington, DC for his studies. His new neurologist, after learning that Paul was studying theology, asked him why people suffer. He had no answer since it was not his intended field of study, but the question intrigued him enough to cause him to take up the subject. Five years later, having earned his PhD in moral theology, Dr. Chaloux wrote Why We Suffer for general audiences as a follow on to his dissertation, The Grace Concealed in Suffering: Developing Virtue and Beatitude, which he defended at CUA on March 5, 2020.

Dr. Chaloux currently teaches theology as an adjunct professor at the Catholic University of America and serves as a catechist at St. Agnes Parish in Arlington, Virginia. He has been married for over thirty years to his wife Sue and they have 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters.

To learn more, visit: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/dying-without-fear/

Mary Beth Bracy: Beautiful vocation life

Mary Beth Bracy is a consecrated virgin of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York. She is a writer who is blessed to research, publish and speak extensively on various aspects of Catholic spirituality. Her books include Behold the Lamb, Bread of Life and The Little Way of Healing Love Through the Passion of Jesus: The Stations of the Cross with St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Mary Beth has written articles for numerous Catholic publications and recorded some Catholic talks. 

Recently, she helped launch Friendship Groups, a place to bring people together, read a book and ask questions of fellow participants and guest speakers.The response in people signing up for the Friendship Group has been wonderful and demonstrated that there is a real hunger for this type of spiritual enrichment opportunity. Monthly meetings will follow with opportunities to read other life-changing literature through November and, based on the response, the Friendship Group may continue into the future. An Oblate priest will present at each meeting and answer participants’ questions. Discussion questions will be sent out prior to the meeting to help members further glean from the experience.

Information on joining the group is available here. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at mbracy@sophiainstitute.com I look forward to welcoming you and growing together in this exciting spiritual adventure!