This week on the Magnificast, we chatted with Austin González who recently went to Venezuela with a delegation from the DSA International committee. In this interview, we hear a bit about Austin's time in Venezuela, his visit with the communes, Nicolas Maduro, and just what the DSA international committee is up to! Follow Austin on twitter: twitter.com/Gaius_Gracchus_ Check out Austin's podcast: https://twitter.com/MacheteyMate Learn more about the DSA International Committee: https://internatio...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 236
Sometimes, on the pod, we focus a lot on what's wrong in Christianity and its kind of a bummer. So, what if we talked with someone who is doing something good with Christianity? This week we're talking with Ryan Cagle about his new project at Jubilee House in Alabama. Listen in and soak up this good stuff. Check out Ryan's project at jubileehouse.co Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by Paul Robeson https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 235
We're always going on and on about Catholicism on this podcast, so why don't we give it a break and talk to someone about...uhhh...I don't know...a queer reading of John Wesley's sermons. This week, we're bringing you an interview with Keegan Osinski, the author of the forthcoming book "Queering Wesley, Queering the Church." You're not going to want to miss Keegan's takes on doing theology, queer theory, and John Wesley! Buy Keegan's book: https://wipfandstock.com/9781725254039/queering-wesley-q...
Jul 02, 2021•56 min•Ep. 234
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about atheism, Marxism, and how revolutionary kinds of Christianity challenge some of the assumptions on the left. This week we thought we’d take a look at conversations around the secular, secularism, and secularization, which actually have a lot of complicated things to say about both Christianity and Marxism. This might get a little grad schooly, but stick with us, we’ll try to figure it out together. In this episode, we talk about Charles Tayor, Sa...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 233
In this episode, we’ll take a look at the ways the claim to “common good” from Catholic Social Teaching can be deployed from the right and why Catholic Social Teaching alone doesn’t go far enough to resolve the tensions of capitalism.
Jun 19, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 232
We've been struggling to answer the question: What does Christianity contribute to Marxism or socialism? This week, we read The Desacralization of Marxism within Latin American Liberation Theology by Otto Axel Maduro Lang to get another perspective. Liberation Theology, as Maduro argues, takes the best of Marxism while rejecting what doesn't make sense in the given context. Read the essay here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cYCba-ltq8ZP6RRW8DbN3TSBEmtNxQfk/view?usp=sharing Intro Music by Amar...
Jun 12, 2021•58 min•Ep. 231
Not too long ago, we made the case for why Christians should be socialists. This time, we're looking at the question from another angle and making the case why Socialists should make room for Christians in socialist movements. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnificast Merch* https://www.redbubble.com...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 230
Everyone's been talking about wages and the labor shortage and we know you've been wondering what we think. So, in this episode, we're embracing James 5 and illuminating the ongoing conversation about wages and why Christians need to be advocates for workers. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by St. Lenox https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnificast Merch* h...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 229
Héctor Acero Ferrer is back to talk to us about the ongoing wave of protests and Colombia and to tell us about his work on memory and liberation theology. This is an episode you don't want to miss! Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by St. Lenox https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnificast Merch* https://www.redbubble.com
May 22, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 228
This week on the show, we talk with Margaret Randall. Margaret Randall is a legendary poet, activist, and many other things! In addition to plenty of poems, she’s written a ton of books, including Christians in the Nicaraguan Revolution, which is a series of interviews she did with Christian Sandinistas, and Exporting Revolution (just to name a few). She spent her life in revolutionary moments, from Mexico in 1968 to Cuba’s most prosperous period to working in the Sandinista government. She even...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 227
We're always talking up a storm about Ernesto Cardenal, but this time around we're talking with Stephen Henighan, a real scholar on Latin American literature! In this episode, we learn more about Cardenal's background, influences, and his lasting impact on the politics of Nicaragua.
May 07, 2021•58 min•Ep. 226
When people think of religion, they think of miracles. A bush miraculously burning, a baby being born to a virgin, someone rising from the dead, etc. But sometimes seem miraculous without being quite so fantastic. We get into all of this and more with a conversation with Andrew Choi, from the band St. Lenox. You can find all of Andrew's music here: https://stlenox.bandcamp.com/ Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by St. Lenox https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-l...
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 225
In this episode, we talk with Daniel Saunders about his new essay on commodity fetishism and Christianity. You can find his essay here: https://danielsaunders.blog/2021/04/16/ideology-fetishism-apophaticism-marxist-criticism-and-christianity/ Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by Paul Robeson https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnificast Merch* https://www.red...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 224
A thought we've been sitting with a lot recently is "Where do we see crucifixion in the world today?" Though with Easter in the rearview mirror, we thought it might be helpful to think about a related question "Where do we see resurrection in the world today?" In this episode, we think through resurrection as a political idea. You can read the article from Lydia Wylie-Kellerman that we mentioned in the episode here: http://geezmagazine.org/magazine/article/do-i-believe-in-the-resurrection Intro ...
Apr 16, 2021•56 min•Ep. 223
Everyone's talking about the Amazon union drive, so we decided to talk about it to. This week, we're giving you the scoop on what's going on where things stand at the Amazon union in Bessemer, Alabama from Jacob Morrison, the co-host of The Valley Labor report. We also get into the recent Mineworkers strike, and even some very on-brand religious content. Find more from The Valley Labor Report here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheValleyLaborReport/about Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music ...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 222
Some of our best episodes have been talking about solidarity with Jim Hodgson, well this time around we've got one of Jim's incredible colleagues, Patti Talbot, to talk about peace and solidarity movements that focus on the Korean Peninsula. Northeast Asia is a complicated place, but this interview gives some good handles for thinking about a very complex situation! Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-d...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 221
How does money work? If you tithe, will you get more money? What's a commodity? Why is a holographic Charizard worth so much? These questions and more will be answered in this week's episode of The Magnificast. This week, we're tackling the political economy of money and the Christian criticism of money as idolatrous. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on ...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 220
This week on the show, we're talking with Lydia Wylie-Kellerman about her new book The Sandbox Revolution: Raising Kids For A Just World. Maybe you have kids, maybe you don't, maybe you just know some kids––either way this episode is for you. Lydia has so much wisdom and powerful intuitions about family and community life and you need to hear them. Pick up Lydia's book here: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506466446/The-Sandbox-Revolution Pick up a subscription to Geez Magazine ...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 219
Things happen so much. Too much some might say. Just the same, it's important to know what's happening outside of the US and Canada. To help us learn more about the world and what solidarity looks like, we brought back Jim Hodgson to talk about the ongoing wave of protests in Haiti with a special eye toward the historical context behind it all. You can find Jim's recent writing here: https://unwrappingdevelopment.ca Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theill...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 218
We've mentioned the Christians for National Liberation and the ongoing struggle in the Philippines before on the podcast, but this time we've got some great guests who actually know what they're talking about. This week we're talking with Ariel, a doctoral student from the University of Toronto, studying the Christians for National Liberation and also Pastor Jeanelle Ablola, a United Methodist pastor who does a lot of solidarity work with Filipino people in the US and in the Philippines. It's a ...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 217
LITERALLY* millions of emails have been pouring in with listeners asking, "Matt and Dean, what episode of your podcast should I have my very conservative Christian Uncle Jerry listen to?" Well, dear listener, here it is. This is the intro episode to why Christianity and socialism make a whole heck of a lot of sense together that even your Uncle Jerry can listen to. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-do...
Feb 26, 2021•58 min•Ep. 216
In the past month or so, we've talked a lot about nationalism and Christianity, but what if there's actually a nationalism that is good? It's hard to believe, but in this episode, we turn to leftist Christian movements that grappled with nationalism and patriotism in ways that will probably make Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 215
Have you heard about the cool new Liberation Theology podcast on the block? No? Well, let us tell you! This week, we're joined by David Inczauskis SJ, the host of The Liberation Theology Podcast. Give David a follow on twitter @LibTheoJesuit and check out his pod! Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technified-blues *Support The Magnificast on Patreon* http://patreon.com/themagnificast *Get Magnifi...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 214
This week, Matt and Dean talk with Josiah Daniels about his essay Because we Dared to Exist: After Generations of Racist Trauma Black Gun Ownership is on the Rise. In the episode, we talk through Josiah's work and zero in on some big distinctions about violence, pacifism, sexy pacifism, and why violence is bad. Read Josiah's article here: https://religiondispatches.org/because-we-dared-to-exist-after-generations-of-racist-trauma-black-gun-ownership-is-on-the-rise/ Follow Josiah on Twitter! https...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 213
Before the election, we talked a lot about how to think about electoral politics, but just because the election is over doesn't mean we should stop thinking about it. In this episode, we're talking about liberal Christian nationalism and adding some nuance to the advantages and disadvantages of a Biden presidency. Also, here's the article about the PRO act we mentioned on the show https://brandonmagner.substack.com/p/breaking-down-the-pro-act Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theil...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 212
This week on The Magnificast we've got Connor Lewis, one of the Strikewave crew to talk to us about labor, unions, politics, and Catholocism. You're not going to want to miss this good union content! Also, check out the links below to check out the books and articles we mentioned in the show. thestrikewave.com Mindy Isser - The Union Members Who Voted for Trump Have to Be Organized—Not Ignored https://inthesetimes.com/article/trump-voters-labor-unions-election-2020 Sarah Jaffe - Work Won't Love ...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 211
Since we talked with Richard Gilman-Opalsky a few weeks ago, we've focused a bit on the idea of morality and communism as a relationship between people. To keep riding that theme, we talked with Taylor Genovese about his essay The Necessity of Communist Morality! You can find Taylor's article here: https://www.peacelandbread.com/post/the-necessity-of-communist-morality Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-lo...
Jan 16, 2021•57 min•Ep. 210
When there's an attempted coup, what can you do but make a podcast about it? This week, we're bringing you some takes on the religious angles on this week's insurrection at the US Capitol. We give some special attention to Dorothee Sölle's framework of Christofascism You can find the articles we talked about here: https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2021/01/06/us-capitol-trump-riot-racist-239662 https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/capitol-trump-insurrection-explosions/ Intro ...
Jan 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 209
We all know and hate the COVID-19 pandemic, but what do we do about it? There's a vaccine on the horizon, but what kind of systemic steps might we take to write the massive inequalities that COVID has revealed? This week, we take a look at some of the platforms and campaigns that advocate for a "Just recovery" from our own Christian-Marxist perspective. Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/track/hoods-up-the-low-down-technifie...
Jan 01, 2021•57 min•Ep. 208
The most famous Christian leftist podcast meets the most famous Christian leftist youtube: Damon Garcia. Damon has been making rad Christian leftist content on youtube for a long time and we finally have him on the podcast! In this episode, we talk with Damon about Christmas, Christianity and the left, and youtube. Don't sleep on this episode! You can find all of Damon's stuff here youtube.com/DamonGarcia twitch.tv/whoisdamon twitter.com/whoisdamon Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro music by...
Dec 24, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 207
