Outside The Walls With Timothy Putnam

Bo Bonner is the Mission Officer at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA and the Co-host of the UnCommon Good.  He recently reposted a brief statement on strengthening the will, which began, "When it comes to the will and the spiritual life, much emphasis is placed on immediately turning away from temptation with a decisive act of will. Indeed, asceticism is rooted in this hope, that saying 'no' to things, even good ones, will make our wills no longer weak but, with the grace of God, able to withstandthe onslaughts of the tempter in every day life. But in some ways in contemporary spirituality discussions this has been hi-jacked..."  We talk through his post and explore ideas about avoiding extremes when it comes to forming the will, and land on some practical, achievable ways of growing in holiness.

Fr. Daniel J. Mahan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, is the first director of the USCCB’s Institute on the Catechism.  He holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm. He joins today to discuss his book A Journey through the Catechism: Unveiling the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Catholic Faith Published by Ave Maria Press. There are corresponding videos and curriculum aids available.

This political season is the perfect time to engage more deeply with the Church's theological and magisterial documents on how best to order society toward the pursuit of the common good. Today we talk with Dr. Taylor Patrick O'Neill and Dr. Matthew Kuhner about an upcoming class "Political Engagement as a Catholic: Principles, Sources, and Historical Engagements" which seeks to unfold the Church’s vision of political authority, the nature and demands of the political community, and the responsibility of the Catholic vis-à-vis political action. The class meets online every other Tuesday, and the registration deadline is September 6.

TJ Bogan is the founder of FindMyCamino.com. He shares with us his experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, and the work he does to facilitate pilgrimages for others.

This week, the "socials" have been abuzz in response to a provocative scene in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. There were hot takes by those offended, and hotter takes ridiculing those offended. In this week's conversation, we won't spend much time looking at the inciting events, We won't definitely answer the question of whether blasphemy occurred or not. Rather, I want to take a step back and discern what a holy, and helpful response to Blasphemy and offense might be. I'm joined by Joe Heschmeyer, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, a frequent guest of this show, and someone I consider a friend. Joe has a proven track record of approaching prickly topics with thoughtfulness and grace. It is my hope that you will find this discussion both edifying and enlightening. Listen and Share.

Julianne Stanz is a Storyteller, author, and encourager,  an internationally known speaker and retreat leader. She is the Director of Outreach for Discipleship and Evangelization for Loyola Press and a consultant to the USCCB. Julianne is the author of five books, including the award-winning Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace. Her new book, The Catholic Parent Survival Guide: How to Answer Your Children’s Toughest Questions, is published by Loyola Press. She is married to Wayne, and they have three children. She was a member of the Executive team for the National Eucharistic Congress and participated in a panel discussion “Rooted in the Eucharist: Living the Mission of the Eucharistic Revival" at the National Eucharistic Revival Congress. We spoke about the things we saw at the National Eucharistic Congress and opined about what Revival looks like after the Congress.

Mike Aquilina, Co-Founder of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a widely recognized Catholic author and lecturer, and popular Church Historian. He is the host of seasons 1-3 of The Way of the Fathers Podcast at CatholicCulture.org Together with Adam Lucas, Mike is the co-author of Feasts of our Fathers : Praying the Church Year with the Early Christians published by Catholic Answers. You can learn more about it at Catholic.com.

Chris Padgett is a popular speaker, musician, and author who has traveled around the world doing ministry. He and his wife, Linda, have been married over thirty years and have nine children.  He joins us to talk about his varied experiences in ministry and the opportunities he's been given, simply by making himself available to the Holy Spirit. We talk about how God uses each of us when we just show up. To learn more about Chris's parish missions and all things ministry, visit ChrisPadgett.com To learn more about Chris and Linda's marriage ministry, visit ChrisandLindaPadgett.com.

Dr. Andrew Whitmore, Associate Professor of Theology and academic dean at Christendom College., is the author of Saintly Habits: Aquinas’ 7 Simple Strategies You Can Use to Grow in Virtue, available through Ascension Press. He joins us to talk about what Virtue is, why it's important, and how we can grow in Virtue.

Dr. Timothy P. O’Malley is the Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. He teaches and researches at Notre Dame in the areas of liturgical-sacramental theology, catechesis, and aesthetics. Today we talked about his new book on Ave Maria Press, Behold Believe Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say and Do at Mass. There are also free video resources available to help facility the use of this book in Adult Faith Formation and small group studies.

Joel Stepanek serves as the Vice President of Programming and Administration for the National Eucharistic Congress which will take place from July 17th - 21st in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (EucharisticCongress.org) He has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including as a parish youth minister, RCIA team member, and Vice President of Parish Services at Life Teen. Joel is an author and speaker who is passionate about helping people encounter Jesus Christ and sending them out on mission.  We talk about the Congress, about the opportunities available to attendees, and about the place of the Eucharist in our lives. Listen and share, then get your tickets and plan to see me in the exhibit hall at the congress!

Fr. Tim Anastos is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the assistant chaplain at the St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois–Chicago. He serves as a eucharistic preacher for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He joins us to talk about his book Jesus, Make Me Fully Alive: 30 Holy Hour Meditations available on Ave Maria Press.

Constance T. Hull joins us to discuss her recent piece at Catholic Exchange "Is it 'Just' War?" where she shares her experience rethinking her own opinions on the wars we wage through the lens of Just War Theory. Constance is a wife, mother, homeschooler, Navy Veteran, and a graduate with an M.A. in Theology with an emphasis in philosophy. She is published at Catholic Exchange, The Federalist, Public Discourse, and blogs frequently at constancethull.substack.com.

Amy Ekeh is the Director of Little Rock Scripture Study at Liturgical Press. Originally from Texas, she grew up in an Episcopal parish that was deeply committed to liturgy, community, and learning. During her teen years, some members of my parish, including two of our priests, became Catholic.  She serves on the faculty of the New England Catholic Biblical School and is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University. Her published work can be found in a variety of Catholic publications, including Give Us This Day and The Bible Today.  Her latest book is a new version of the Stations of the Cross. She published three volumes in Little Rock Scripture Study's Alive in the Word series (Lent, Advent, and Finding Peace).  She has a forthcoming book—Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus (Liturgical Press)—will be published in January 2025. We talk about the benefits of studying scripture together.

Michael Grasinski is the Assistant Director of Admissions at Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS.edu). He joins us to talk about the Philosophy of Personalism and its influence on the landscape of Catholic Theology.

Dr. Matthew Breuninger is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Franciscan University of Stuebenville, and the Director of Teaching Excellence. He has research interests in the role of religion in one’s psychological well-being • Attachment to God—the experiences of felt security with God • Understanding the overlap between psychological habits and theological virtues • Virtue formation.  Dr. Breuninger is the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts published by Emmaus Road Publishing, and the Co-founder of KNOWN: Embraced by the Heart of the Father.  We talk today about how our own experience of Fatherhood shapes our understanding of who God is as Father, and the accompanying challenges brought on by negative or incomplete experiences of belovedness as a child of our father, coupled with the importance of handing on a good experience of attachment and belovedness to our own children.

Chenele Shaw, is one of the project leads for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which consists of four routes from the four corners of the US converging on Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. The events take place across the country from May 17th through July 16th. You can find a listing of those events at EucharisticPilgrimage.org.  She also serves as the Co-Director of the Before Gethsemane Initiative, host of the podcast Ave Spotlight with Ave Maria Press, Secretary for The Human Condition Community, and a contributing writer to various Catholic publications, including Grotto Network, The Catholic Woman, and Our Sunday Visitor. Today we talk all about Pilgrimages and what spiritual benefit you can expect from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. In our Patreon segment we talk all about the Human Condition Community! Learn more at Patreon.com/outsidethewalls. (Photo by Chupich Photography)

Dr. James B. Prothro is an associate professor of Theology and Sacred Scripture and the director of the MA Biblical Studies program at the Augustine Institute just outside of Denver Colorado. Today, we’re talking about his book The Bible and Reconciliation: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration, part of the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series from Baker Academic. He is also the author of: A Pauline Theology of Justification: Forgiveness, Friendship, and Life in Christ (Published by Cascade Books) The Apostle Paul and His Letters: An Introduction (Part of the Verbum Domino series on CUA PRESS) The Future of Catholic Biblical Interpretation: Marie-Joseph Lagrange and Beyond (Published by Eerdmans)

Dr. Kevin Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry and Associate Professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, joins us to talk about his 2018 book “The Seven Deadly Sins” from the “Sayings of the Father’s of the Church” series from Catholic University of America Press, and a free, online course on the same topic at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. https://explore.shms.edu/seven-deadly-sins

Dr. Pia de Solenni is the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at IWP Capital. She is a Theologian, ethicist, and cultural analyst. In addition to various policy and academic roles, Pia was a principal founder of the Global Institute of Church Management. Previously, she served as chancellor and theological advisor to the Bishop of Orange in California. She is an expert in issues relating to Catholicism, Culture, Ethics, the new Feminism, and Church governance, and is a consultant member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. She joins us today near International Women’s Day to talk about what Pope St. John Paul II called “The Feminine Genius” and the importance of elevating the voices of Women in the Church.