Check out Becca’s debut EP, Me, Myself, and a Mirror:

The song played at the end is “Pretty Sounds (The Windchimes Song).”

Originally Recorded August 15th, 2026

Check out Rachel’s new song, Tout Le Monde:

The song played at the end is “Tout Le Monde.”

Check out Georgia’s new single, leave:

The song played at the end is ‘leave’.

Originally Recorded July 24th, 2026

About Gina Waggott: https://ginawaggott.com/about/

Check out Gina’s biography of Scatman John, titled Scatman John: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Unlikeliest Popstar: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/scatman-john-9798881807078/

Originally Recorded July 17th, 2026

About Vince Russo: https://russosbrand.com/

Check out Vince’s book, TOTAL NONSTOP AGONY: The Rise and Fall of TNA: https://www.amazon.com/TOTAL-NONSTOP-AGONY-Rise-Fall/dp/1770418466

Originally Recorded June 30th, 2026

About Dr. Kathleen Stock:

Check out Dr. Stock’s new book, Do Not Go Gentle: The Case Against Assisted Death: https://www.hardmanswainson.com/books/do-not-go-gentle-the-case-against-assisted-death/

Originally Recorded June 5th, 2026

Check out Dr. Eamon’s Campaign for Mayor in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada:

https://www.mike-for-mayor.ca/

Originally Recorded May 26th, 2026

About Rex Eloquens: https://medium.com/@rexeloquens115

https://independent.academia.edu/RexEloquens

Philosophical Fragments

A collection of writings straight from the heart—from philosophy to history, art, and poetry.

By Rex Eloquens

There once was a man named Joseph

Who did not follow his father’s footsteps.

He wrote a strange book;

It was all it took

For all men to follow Joseph.

There once was a man named Joseph Jr.

Whose story could not be more stranger.

He saw Jesus in a hat;

Who could come up with that?

For this was the true story of Joseph Jr.

Originally Recorded May 26th, 2026

About Ruth Wisse: https://complit.fas.harvard.edu/people/ruth-wisse/

Check out Professor Wisse’s book, If I Am Not for Myself: The Liberal Betrayal of the Jews: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/If-I-Am-Not-for-Myself/Ruth-R-Wisse/9798895654583

Dearest Monsieur Foucault,

There have been many words to describe you by many people who came across your work: liberator, libertine, subversive, scandalous, postmodernist, poststructuralist, etc. I am certain that these words mean little to you, since you believe that language and labels constraint rather than illuminate. As a fellow man of letters, I am afraid this is where we fundamentally disagree.

You have spoken to me about growing up in a Catholic family and serving as an altar boy. You must have had memories of being close to the priest during the Words of Consecration: “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, given up for you.” He holds up the Eucharist, which appears to be a round piece of unleavened bread, but the substance is truly the Body of Jesus Christ.

Even if you do not believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation, you ought to realize the impact that the Words of Consecration make: the congregation of Mass attendees, normally living their separate lives, now become united in the knowledge of Christ’s sacrificial victory. As individuals, we are often darkened by our own thoughts, emotions, aspirations, and fears. But when the priest proclaims those sacred syllables, we are reminded of our ultimate destiny: to be in union with God, who became man in order to pursue us.

Much of your writings and teachings focus on the human body in relation to the world he lives in. The History of Sexuality volumes, which you never got to finish, serve as an pioneering example of this research. In the world of human sciences, that is a commendable step to take, since much of philosophy and sociology that permeate our thinking has become hyper focused on the mind and the ideal. These thinkers, brilliant and quick-minded as they were, forgot that man is not a mere thinking creature. Much of our lives are centered on taking care of our bodies: eating, drinking, exercising, healing from various illnesses, lovemaking, etc. We understand the world through our bodies, and our bodies can be our main source of daily frustration and delight.

Nevertheless, one can become too fixated on the body and its functions and neglect the realm of the spirit. Your writings deal extensively with how institutions such as the school, the hospital, and the prison discipline and control the human body. There is much pessimism in the cold, detached prose style you use to describe the mechanics of these institutions - as if you are convinced that human life is under constant control because of their existence. One can be forgiven for thinking this way if his foundational belief is that we are only our bodies. Yet I am reminded of the words of St. Paul, who said: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16) The history of Christianity is filled with people who were put in jail for what they believe, yet the freedom they found in Christ outweighs whatever bodily shackles they have to endure.

As much as you overestimate the degree to which institutions can control our bodies, you also underestimate the various ways in which our bodies rebel against our very being. I know that you believe that the very notion of sin is fabricated by clerics to control how we act and think, but even in our daily lives we know which actions contribute to the health of the body, and which are not. We know that eating well, sleeping well, and regular exercise are good for the body, and we refrain from addictive substances and overindulgence in pleasures so as not to put our bodies in harm’s way. Given much of what you share in your personal life, I do not think you are unaware of this rule. You are merely acting in rebellion against it.

Anyone who struggles with addiction and self-indulgence, myself included, can resonate with St. Paul’s words: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Rom. 7:19) Our bodies can always come up with clever ways to gain mastery over us, and I feel sorrow for anyone who relinquishes control over his fleshly desires.

Finally, I would like to offer you my deepest sympathies as you wage your private battles against the HIV virus. Your daily struggles against this horrible disease has been a source of inspiration for many who are fighting the same battles, especially those in the margins of our society. I find it commendable that your partner, Daniel Defert, became increasingly interested in raising awareness of this mortal illness when it was virtually unknown, and those suffering from it were generally uncared for. Whether or not you believe in life after death, it is possible that your legacy can be the changing attitudes people have about AIDS and the people who have it. Remember the Cross as you live, for He knows your suffering, and He suffers with you.

Yours truly,

Chuong

About Lenka: https://lenkamusic.com/

Check out Lenka’s new album, Good Days:

The song played at the end is “Heart Flame.”

Originally Recorded May 13th, 2026

About Andrew Mioni: https://www.andrewmioni.com/about

Check out Andrew’s new book, Ignorance of Things Divine: The True Crisis of Faith – And Its Remedy – According to the Magisterium: https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/ignoranceofthingsdivine/

Originally Recorded May 29th, 2026

Check out Danielle’s Substack page, The Femsplainers:

The Femsplainers With Danielle Crittenden

Not Your Usual Take on Women's Topics & More

Check out Danielle’s memoir, Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the Unthinkable: https://www.amazon.com/Dispatches-Grief-Mothers-Journey-Unthinkable/dp/1964378117

Originally Recorded May 12th, 2026

About Bart Ehrman: https://www.bartehrman.com/

https://ehrmanblog.org/

Check out Dr. Ehrman’s new book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Thy-Stranger-Transformed-Conscience/dp/1668025035

Originally Recorded May 6th, 2026

Check out The Abramson Singers’ music: https://theabramsonsingers.bandcamp.com/

https://www.leahabramson.com/portfolio/abramsonsingers/

The song played at the end is “Can You See It Now”

Originally Recorded May 5th, 2026

About Canadian History Ehx: https://canadaehx.com/

Check out Craig’s episode about Pierre Berton: https://canadaehx.com/2023/11/07/pierre-berton/

Originally Recorded April 28th, 2026

About Bethany Leger: https://bethanyleger.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@stoptheshunning

Check out Bethany’s new book, Burning Down the House: Coping with Toxic Family Dynamics, Estrangement, and Rebuilding Your Life: https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Down-House-Estrangement-Rebuilding/dp/B0GQLXYGK2?ref_=ast_author_dp_rw&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cqQZgfBF-eNkAvq066hayIijj_gyFcUmHVUBP5kWeiI.wHLvZsPLdCkTojxfzrwxuPDbzvEcvRCIL3H7LWZTGnA&dib_tag=AUTHOR

They crucified the Carpenter. During Passover, no less. He was last seen in Jerusalem, causing a stir among the people. They said he was going after the merchants and moneychangers, brandishing a whip and chasing them around like mules. But it was not what He did, but what He said that troubled me deeply: “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

Let the record show that I was not involved in His brutal punishment. Yes, I was in the Sanderin, but secretly I was doing all that I could to ensure that He was unharmed. I know of one other man from the Council who was a secret disciple of Him. Joseph is his name, and his home is in Arimathea. I cannot begin to imagine the troubles he had to go through to keep this from the rest of us.

I did not know that Joseph was a secret follower until the day they crucified Him. How a carpenter and traveling preacher from Galilee could have met that fate, I fail to understand. But Joseph seemed to have understood. His devotion to the Carpenter was so great, that he even managed to secure a tomb for His final rest.

Even stranger is that Joseph asked me for help with the burial. It was during the night that he came to my home. He asked that I help him carry the body to the tomb, and bring with me seventy five pounds worth of myrrh and aloes for the embalming. All worthy of a king!

Rex Judaeorum. King of the Jews. That was the sentence that the Roman conquerors bestowed upon Him. Our kings build the Temple. This King tried to destroy it.

As I carry the Carpenter King to His tomb, I recall a night just like this, when I paid Him a visit. He was unlike any other teacher of the law that I knew. There was someone similar to him - a man named John who baptized people in the desert. What king Herod did to him, I could not bear to recount.

I knew that some of John’s disciples would follow this Carpenter, and it was through them that I was granted an audience with Him. I had never met Him before, but His reputation was known throughout Judea. They say that at the age of twelve, He sat among the learned rabbis and teachers during the annual Passover visit to Jerusalem, and all were amazed at His understanding of the Law. Not bad for a Galilean.

This was how I greeted Him: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” This was not a lie. While other members of the Sanhedrin looked upon Him with disdain, I could not help but be convinced that He was a prophet sent from the Lord.

“Very truly I tell you,” He replied. “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

I could not believe my ears! Born again? How? Surely, He cannot speak about crawling back to our mother’s wombs and being given birth once more?

I told Him exactly this, but He did not miss a beat: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

At this point, I was convinced that if He was not sent from God, He was the worst case of lunacy ever walked on this Earth. How can anyone, save the angels in Heaven, ever be born without flesh?

“You are Israel’s teacher, and do you not understand these things?” the Carpenter rebuked. “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?”

What could He mean by “heavenly things”? Who can know what is of Heaven except the Lord?

“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”

I was stunned. The Son of Man? The same He who was revealed to the prophet Daniel? How could a lowly carpenter from Galilee know of the prophecy that even the most learned of teachers are baffled by? And how could He even call Himself with such a title?

I left the audience with the self-identified Son of Man with more questions and confusion. What could His followers see in Him that I could not?

I never met with Him again, until the day of His burial. After what happened to John the baptizer was executed, His disciples did not allow anyone from the Sanhedrin to see Him. But since they had all fled their Master, it was Joseph and I who bore the responsibility of ensuring that He was granted a peaceful death.

As His body was laid to be buried, I suddenly recalled one of the last things He had said before we parted: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Only then, as I stared into the face of this dead Carpenter, could I understand what He meant by being “born again.” When we were given birth from our mother’s womb, we received the gift of life, but not eternal life. The Lord is eternal, but He offers the gift of eternity with Him through the Son of Man, through whom all nations and kingdoms shall be brought back to Him.

Indeed, a grave act of offense to the Lord was committed when they crucified the Carpenter. And I was powerless to spare Him. I deserve condemnation, and so is all of Israel.

But if what He said was true, then through His death, the world might escape condemnation and receive eternal salvation. As I finished His burial, and sealed the tomb, I looked up to the Lord and prayed: “Grant me your ear, O Lord, that this Carpenter whom you sent is truly your beloved Son, and that salvation may come to my house and all of Israel.”

I then turned to Joseph, and asked him if he thought what the Carpenter said might be true. “I cannot know,” said Joseph. “But as the Lord be my witness, I hope so.”

Check out Francesca Fuentes’ music:

The song played at the end is “Barely Breathin’”