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The past few decades have witnessed numerous business and financial scandals that have tarnished the reputation of the free enterprise system. Dr. Theodore Malloch discusses the role that virtue should play in the corporate world and why America’s spiritual capital is essential to a free society. As a champion of business ethics that includes more than just mere compliance with legal regulations, Dr. Malloch urges us to understand how Judeo-Christian values have shaped the American economy, making it an exemplar for other nations around the world. He also discusses the “hard” and “soft” virtues that are essential for corporate executives to promote. And finally, we discuss how secularization may be leading us away from this virtuous path.

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For the past two and a half years, Tony Gill has interviewed over 135 guests on this podcast. Today, Prof. Steve Pfaff takes over as guest host and interviews Tony about his recent book, “The Political Origins of Religious Liberty.” We discuss what religious liberty is and why a government would ever want to allow religious groups to have greater freedom. Tony emphasizes the political and economic motivations behind “deregulating the religious marketplace”, including the need to attract immigrants, promote free trade, and generate economic growth and tax revenue. We focus attention on colonial American history, but also discuss religious freedom in Russia, China, Mexico, Chile and a few other places. This interview is a great complement to other podcasts we have had on the topic of religious liberty, and an opportunity to see what your weekly host is really thinking about!

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We are now in the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Second Vatican Council, which began in the fall of 1962 and lasted three years. Why was Vatican II called? What happened during this monumental gathering of Catholic prelates? And what impact has VCII had on the contemporary Church? Prof. James Felak, a popular guest on the show, returns to answer all of these questions and more. We explore the historical nature of Church councils and where Vatican II sits in the list of important councils.

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On Christmas Eve, what better time to explore the life and times of the “real Santa Claus,” St. Nicholas of Myra. Prof. Adam Engish (Campbell University) discusses his new book “The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus.” We learn about the true charitable bishop of Myra and his most famous act of charity, how that became transformed into our modern representation of Santa Claus, and many other details about this extraordinary individual who lived during an important era of Christian history. This podcast also includes a link to a cookie recipe provided by Prof. English. Click “read more” to find out those details.

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Who doesn’t love the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life?” Author Jon Sweeney explores the spiritual themes of temptation, resurrection, and salvation that are found in the town of Bedford Falls. We walk through this epic film focusing on certain “turnkey” moments in George Bailey’s life leading up to the second half of the film wherein Jimmy Stewart’s character faces temptation, prays for relief, and experiences a resurrection. Jon Sweeney adds a twist to the familiar story, though, by talking about a little noticed aspect of the final scene involving the character of Sam Wainwright. This is a great primer for those folks who are about to see the film for the first time, and it is allows experienced viewers look at the storyline with fresh eyes. Grab a glass of mulled cider, curl up by the fire, and share this fascinating podcast with a good friend.

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Film critic, radio talk show host, and cultural crusader Michael Medved joins us to discuss how religion is portrayed in Hollywood. We focus on Michael’s life story and the accidental manner in how he became a movie critic. Our main focus, though, centers on how Hollywood went from partraying religion in a positive light in movies such as “The Bells of St. Mary” and “Going My Way,” to casting clergy and churches as corrupt. We cover Michael’s role in the critic scandal surrounding Mel Gibson’s epic “The Passion of the Christ” and also tackle the question of why Hollywood has not been making more faith-friendly movies considering the box office success these films garner. There are many more insights in this lively interview.

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Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, Prof. Tracy McKenzie (Wheaton College) takes us on a tour of the world of the Pilgrims who landed in Plymouth. We discover who they were, how they worshipped and the interesting (not commonly known) history of The “First” Thanksgiving. More than just a “grade school” understanding of this American tradition, Prof. McKenzie challenges Christians to engage in a deeper understanding of their own history. This interview will make for great conversational tidbits around the dinner table!

Impress your friends with your knowledge of the Pilgrims, and then share with them where you learned it. Please refer our free podcast to three of your friends or family. Thanks!

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St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Patrick. We know these saints. But what about St. Pietro Parenzo, the Blessed Sebastián de Aparicio, or St. Faith of Conques? Who dat? Brian O’Neel, author of “Saint Who? 39 Holy Unknows” talks to us about Catholic sainthood, discussing the process by which one becomes a saint, how someone might be removed from sainthood (St. Christopher anyone?) and why saints are important in the life of the Church. Along the way, we talk about the life of a couple lesser known individuals who lived extraordinary lives and who serve as role models for Catholics and many other individuals of great faith.

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In an unusual podcast format, we take a peek into a “small group” at Redemption Church called “Theology on Tap” to discover how your typical churchgoer wrangles with political issues in light of their evangelical faith. The topic of the night’s discussion was “Who would Jesus vote for?” Listen to the various twists and turns, and sometimes surprising statements, from this group of sixteen individuals in the small town of Duvall, WA.

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What hath Election 2012 wrought? We examine the 2012 presidential campaign with RealClearReligion editor and author Jeremy Lott who recently published a free e-book on the shifting electoral coalitions that we are observing this campaign season. Jeremy notes that religious coalitions are shifting in such a way that the US party system is starting to resemble the European system with one party being “religion friendly” while the other is becoming wholly secular. President Obama’s faith is examined and how the perception of his religiosity among the population has posed a problem for him. We then look at how Catholics are (or may be) starting to realign their partisan loyalties away from the Democratic Party to the Republicans. How has Mitt Romney managed this shift? We examine his choice of Paul Ryan, a Catholic, as a running mate and whether or not evangelicals will be spooked by Romney’s Mormon faith. This interview was recorded on October 15, 2012, before the second presidential debate.

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