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Laurie and Spencer discuss Abbé Sieyès' famous essay "What is the Third Estate," which lit a match under the French Revolution. Was the third estate up to the task of civil society?

Laurie and Spencer interview Paul Kingsnorth, author of New York Times bestseller Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity, about what we're up against.

Spencer and Laurie discuss AI, data centers and the possibility of ethical guidelines from the Church and other sources in this July 2026 episode of Dustbowl Diatribes. The "Secret Grange," for patrons of the Maurin Academy only, followed.

Spencer and Laurie interview Chris Smaje, author of (most recently) Finding Lights in a Dark Age.

Spencer and Laurie discuss Isaiah Berlin's liberal nationalism and ask whether liberalism can be held in balance with nationalism, and even whether this uncomfortable mix is inevitable.

For April Fools this year, we cover a millennial touchstone television series about growing up, or at least about trying to.

Spencer and Laurie discuss the topic of patriotism, which was touched upon briefly in the last Dustbowl episode, and also in the Secret Grange episode that followed (for patrons only), on their interview with Charles Coulombe, a monarchist and author of multiple books, including The Compleat Monarchist. The discussion involves the value of patriotism, what ... Read more

Spencer and Laurie talk to Charles Coulombe, a monarchist and author of multiple books, including The Compleat Monarchist. His views on the intellectual and spiritual milieux leading up to the emergence of the Catholic Worker movement, as well as his views on American history, and what’s wrong and right with American Catholicism, offer a unique ... Read more

Dustbowl Diatribes and Political Philosophy are podcasts of the Maurin Academy, and can be found on almost all podcast platforms! https://pmaurin.org Maurin Academy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/maurinacademy John Paul II Catholic Worker Farm: https://jpiicatholicworkerfarm.com Follow the Maurin Academy and the JPII Farm on Instagram for notifications about upcoming events.

Spencer and Laurie talk to Bert and Emma Fitzgerald of the Simon Weil Catholic Worker House in Portland, OR: https://simoneweilhouse.org

This is a talk by Dr. William T. Cavanaugh, author of The Uses of Idolatry. It was originally given for the Center for Catholic Social Thought, October 9, 2025. We thought it was so good we asked if we could share it with our audience, and we got it from both Dr. Cavanaugh and the Center for Catholic Social Thought.

Spencer and Laurie discuss what they learned from their recent trips. Laurie went to Milwaukee, WI, to do research on the Peter Maurin papers and to give two talks on Maurin and Day. Spencer and Emily traveled to Pennsylvania and other spots on the East Coast to help move a friend, and along the way visited two Catholic Worker houses, the Rodale Institute, Blue Hill Farm, Dorothy Day's gravesite and more.

Laurie and Spencer talk to Colin Miller and Tyler Hambley, who trace their path to the Church through the practices of Catholic Workers: praying daily, sharing meals, and opening their homes to the homeless. Now in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, they live family-to-family alongside formerly homeless men and teach through the Center for Catholic Social Thought. They argue for “thick” Christian community over thin, optional social ties.

Spencer and Laurie discuss an article by Paul V. Stock, "The Perennial Nature of the Catholic Worker Farms: A Reconsideration of Failure," in Rural Sociology, 2014. https://pmaurin.org/get-involved/

Spencer and Laurie kick off their new season with Catholic Worker James Murphy of St. Martin de Porres, Harrisburgh, PA. The Catholic Worker movement is a testing ground for solutions to poverty, successful relationships, and the possibility of bypassing politics. We get into some of those issues in this interview.