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More Mailbag, More Friends

🕑 Added 2024-09-26 19:07:04 +0000 UTC

Comments

nat gunter

Two things I LOVED about this episode. 1) Sam uttering a Sitman-esque "YES" 2) The Paul Zahl mention. It was glossed, but it tracks back to the quote connecting Nicea and Selma in a revealing way. How does a lauded theologian contort himself into a set of political commitments that put him at odds with his own Baptismal Covenant and with the world God promised us when he resurrected his son? As the son of Episcopal church-going parents who will vote for Trump THRICE, I wrestle with the same question.

Larry Broding

Matt, for what it's worth, I once saw a bumper sticker that spoken volumes to me. It read: "I'm liberal because I'm Catholic." Amen,

Jake

Sam, “To be hopeless is an abdication of responsibility” Is a great maxim

Dillon Lamb

What a beautiful quote “to be Christian nowadays is to be on fire”. I’m not sure I had my own words to encapsulate how insane I feel as a progressive lately. Thank you guys for always offering a grounding perspective. Truly formative work.

don't come here

agreed; speaking as a lefty prod can I suggest that maybe it's less ballyhooed about because the institutional structures of our faith are less likely to create a fun and sexy seeming contradiction to prod at and talk over

Kevin Spicer

You guys are awesome. ❤️❤️ always enjoy hearing the way Matt's faith connects with his politics and the way Sam's freaudian concepts connects with his politics. It gives me so much hope that two people who have been shaped by those two different currents can be in such friendly, loving conversation.

Shane Burley

I’m kicking myself for not sending a question over for these episodes since I think I’ve got a great one (and happy bday Matt!)

Ryan Stecher

Seconded! Thanks both and congratulations on meeting this milestone

Know Your Enemy

I’m excited to check out that book! I love Phillips’s writing on Shakespeare - Sam

Laura

I want to thank Matt and Sam for being my beloved least unhinged lefty pod, meaning I can recommend it to my more normal friends without anxiety

Aaron Deveson

I’m only 19 mins in so far, so apologies if what I’m saying gets dealt with later, but Sam’s thoughts about assuaging and potentially destructive self-cures vs. difficult hope was redolent of Greenblatt’s and Phillips’ brilliant new book on the second chance in Shakespeare and Freud. Obviously this is absolutely Sam territory and I really like how he thinks with and through Phillips. And before and after that the discussion about theology and the active political purpose arising from despair reminded me of David Constantine’s book on Hoelderlin—another body and soul on fire. But I think we can find plenty of “resonance” in less radical, indeed more liberal figures (theological or otherwise) than Hoelderlin. I’m thinking of middle-aged Auden and the Browning of The Ring and the Book. And which side of the left vs. liberal divide is Mill on?

Where there’s a Wills there’s a Way

Love you guys (all three of you) and this podcast so very, very, much. Thank you. ❤️

David

I was recently having a conversation with my mom, a very progressive person who grew up Catholic but has since basically left the religion (and organized religion altogether) for reasons reminiscent of the story you told in the podcast—not doctrinal/faith-based objection so much as finding the worst actors and worst politics of organized religion too odious to associate with. I'm not especially religious either (honestly a little iffy on organized religion myself) and was struggling to think through with her how it could even be possible to square beliefs so often represented publicly by pretty awful people with radical politics and the way you addressed the first question helped a ton, thanks for that, excited to tell her about this. But also, if we are relitigating 2016, that was my first election & I voted for Hilary in the primary because I thought she had a better chance of winning and I cannot for the life of me figure out who I was such that I could have been there as a 19 year old at an overwhelmingly progressive liberal arts school. In hindsight, that was key to figuring out that I should stop expecting the world to make sense and start just reading all those communists, so I think I'm glad I did it.

Little Beruit Dweller

These celebratory mailbag episodes are by far the most endearing and humorous yet.

Matt Mitchell

Sam in the first episode: "We tricked you---this is actually a podcast where we relitigate the 2016 election. Every episode is going to be about a different day in 2016 and what happened on Twitter that day." Can't believe it only took 100 shows for it to happen!

Jane Cameron

The theology discussion is so helpful

Reggie Debris

The links in the show notes for this episode are an unbelievable bounty. Grateful as always for this pod. Congrats gents , happy birthday Matt, and here’s to many more (episodes and birthdays)

Elliott May

What subscription level do I need to get to in order to have a bourbon with Matt and discuss Episcopalian and/or Catholic theology? Please advise.

Elliott May

Co-sign!!

Samuel McCann

I feel the portrayal of liberal theology to be a bit of a strawman. Certainly liberal theology can sort of accommodate itself to the surrounding cultural norms. However, I think the latest trend around orthodox and leftist can paper over the various figures within the liberal Protestant tradition that have contributed to left leaning Christianity

taru

I love these episodes, and especially the photo of you two! I chickened out of posting a question of my own, because it’s way too broad and hard to articulate, but keep an eye out for a novel-length email concerning American exceptionalism on both the right and the supposed “left”, and how that has manifested throughout the recent history (in other words, why can’t either of your political sides learn from other countries, and if they do, why do they have to lie?!) Thank you so much for all your work, xxxx Taru from Finland

Axel Herrera

I appreciated the answer on orthodox belief and left-wing politics. While not particularly religious myself, I certainly encounter many right-wing Christians who insist that right-wing politics and Christianity are inseparable, that right-wing politics follows naturally from Christianity in a way that progressive values cannot, and that leftist Christians can only ever be “squishy” and unorthodox. It’s nice to hear evidence that the right does not have a monopoly on Christianity or religion more generally. There are many ways in which leftism can be informed by religion, and it’s important to be reminded of them.