Russian Then and Now

by Mark Bauerlein

Judge Stephen P. Friot joins the podcast to discuss his new book Containing History: How Cold War History Explains US–Russia Relations. Continue Reading »

24 Aug 2023

Theopolitics of Ukraine 

by Matthew Dal Santo

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow have claimed that Russia’s so-called Special Operation is needed to defend the wider russkiy mir, the “Russian world.” By this term they mean the Orthodoxy-based Russian-language civilization that Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2023

The Pope of Peace

by Matthew Schmitz

Amidst a war involving the world’s foremost nuclear powers, Pope Francis has been a lonely voice for peace. For his pains, he has been criticized by commenters on left and right and by leaders in both Russia and Ukraine. Yet he has continued to speak. There is a great deal at stake in whether the . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2023

Catastrophes in Ukraine

by Erik Varden

The drama unfolding in Ukraine is not just about a “special operation” fifteen months old. It spells the unraveling of a century-long alliance with force. Continue Reading »

27 Jun 2023

Letters

by Various

My deep thanks to Brad East for his piece on doing theology in a divided church (“Theology in Division,” April 2023). The topic is centrally important and rarely taken seriously, as if its obviousness renders the challenge uninteresting. East’s larger points about aiming at a catholic theology . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Jun 2023

The Vatican as Peacemaker in Ukraine?

by George Weigel

Vatican diplomacy, absent a recognition of the basic moral and political asymmetries in this brutal war, might make matters worse, with a misconceived and ill-executed “peace mission.”  Continue Reading »

31 May 2023

Inside the Vietnam War

by Mark Bauerlein

Mark Moyar joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968. Continue Reading »

16 May 2023

On Not Being Paralyzed by History (Or the Misunderstanding Thereof)

by George Weigel

The issue of American aid for Ukraine should be decided on its own merits, and with a clear strategic and moral understanding of the current situation. Continue Reading »

10 May 2023

What Ukraine Means

by George Weigel

On February 24, 2022, something considered so unlikely in the twenty-first century as to be almost unimaginable happened: A large ­European state mounted a full-scale, full-­spectrum invasion of another large European state. The invaded state posed no threat to the aggressor’s security, only to . . . . Continue Reading »

1 May 2023

Peace in Ukraine

by R. R. Reno

The war in Ukraine is passing the one-year mark as I write. In its early days, the determination with which the Ukrainians repulsed Russia’s attempt to overrun their country inspired and encouraged me. But as months have passed, I have begun to harbor misgivings. What’s the end game? What turn . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Apr 2023