Ed Sheeran & Taylor Swift have new music out and we LOVE it. This is our first live show! Recorded on location at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, with our old friend Brian Rhude (director of the Light the World Institute at the Catholic University of America) and Molly & Liv (two current CUA students). In this episode we talk about:

- why is bad stuff so attractive?

- good clean fun that’s actually fun

- how sex, holiness, & joy belong together

- starting over emotionally & spiritually

- death & dying

- happiness vs joy

- avoiding Puritanism

- toxic friendships & accompanying sinners

- healthy fighting

What is the best Disney movie of all time and why is it The Lion King? TikTok All-Star and #FOCUS Missionary Tanner Kalina joins us to talk about our cats, his time as a Hollywood actor, and this beautiful gift of an animated movie. Seriously, this might be my favorite episode of #PopCultureCatechism yet. We cover a billion topics including:

- Farts

- Fathers, masculinity, & the meaning of Kingship

- Why God is an a**hole in the Old Testament (Is he tho?)

- Henri Nouwen

- The Eucharist & the circle of life

- Scar: the GOAT Disney villain

- Nala the prophet

- Hakuna Matata & other “problem free” philosophies

- Can a girlfriend/boyfriend make you holy?

- Cussing in prayer & why God loves weird prayers

- Arranged marriages & The Theology of the Lion Body

- Moving past your past

The world’s biggest sci-fi novel finally has a good movie adaptation. JonMarc Grodi of the Coming Home Network joins us again, this time to unpack this thematically gargantuan book. Along the way discuss:

- What does it mean to be human?

- can we improve upon human nature

- can human society actually progress?

- What is religion and is it a force for good?

- is marriage mainly about social status?

- what is fear and is it always bad?

- How to conquer fear

And for Patrons only: What is Jihad? What is Crusade?

Go to www.PopCultureCatechism.com to become a patron!

What is the zaniest comedy of the past 10 years? Not The Office. Not Parks & Rec. No, it’s Andy Samburg’s Magnum Opus, Brooklyn 99. Sirius XM radio host Katie Prejean McGrady joins us to talk about what is just so special about this show and it’s characters. We cover:

-Representation in media and why it matters

-Love languages

-Real friendship

-Maturity

-The power of words

-The impact of family dynamics

-Authentic masculinity vs Alpha Masculinity

-Infertility

-And more!

The guitar skills, the fame, the looks, the charisma . . . it sure seems like John Mayer’s got it all, and he’s widely regarded as one of the best musicians and songwriters ever. But his lyrics reflect a yearning for something more and a desire to repair the harm of past indiscretions. Recording artist BT & the King (aka Brian Wilson) joins us to unpack the heart of life with help from John’s music. Some highlights include:

Mike’s mediocre guitar skilz

What is maturity?

The opposite of love?

Jesus the assassin? Jesus the Seducer?

- The desire for the light

- The freedom of repentance

- Fake holiness

- What Church leaders can learn from rock stars

- Loving difficult people

- Mike’s mediocre relationship skilz

- The cheat code to breaking generational curseson.

Arguably the biggest rock band of the last decade, Imagine Dragons have reached a generation with their eclectic style and raw, yet spiritual lyrics. David McHugh, inventor of Percoustix, joins us to jam and unpack some of their biggest songs. We hit some big themes:

- Depression and chronic pain

- The radioactive cross of Christ

- failed dreams and disillusionment

- Does the Church create saints or demons?

- The key to intimacy

- Is life what you make or is it up to fate?

- the bravery of quitting

- The most offensive thing ever

- and of course, Mike singing songs out of his range

Patrons of our show get access to Mike’s review of the new Imagine Dragons album, Mercury pt 1, which came out Sept 3, in the Awaken App. Go to www.PopCultureCatechism.com to become a patron.

She’s the biggest thing in music and she keeps. getting. better. Last year we covered Folklore which won the grammy for Album of the Year. Listeners requested we circle back to discuss Ms. Swift’s surprise follow-up album, Evermore. Darker, riskier, and more eclectic than it’s sister, we tour through the best songs in Taylor’s songwriting sandbox of an album. Some stops on our route include:

- Break-ups, affairs, divorces, & rejected marriage proposals

- Taylor’s use of profanity

- How we’re all a little “f***ed in the head”

- Taylor’s clinical understanding of sin

- Communicating with extroverts vs introverts

- Religion vs Relationship

- Taylor’s sacramental theology

- And as always: guitar riffs, music theory, and ex-girlfriend stories

U2 & Christopher West are a match made in Pop Culture Catechism heaven: one the world’s best evangelists takes us deep into the music of one of the world’s biggest bands and shares why and how he ditched the “Fast Food Gospel.” Mike also performs a concert of U2’s music, exclusive for the Awaken Nation.

We cover A LOT in this episode:

-Hungry People

-Starvation gospel vs the fast food gospel vs the banquet

-The ache in every heart

-How romance leads to God

-How real love requires suffering

-The Playboy Mansion

-Bono’s approach to prayer

-WAP (again, because of course)

-Mike plays a bunch of the Edge’s guitar riffs

-Tips for reordering our desires toward God

-And much more!

Oops! We did it again. We made another episode wading into some controversial waters, this time centering around the career and ever evolving legacy of Britney Spears. Julia Strukely from the podcast 7 Mile Chats joins us to discuss:

- female sexuality and empowerment

- feminism

- Body image

- profanity (we use the b-word a lot!)

- Double standards

- The most influential songwriter you’ve never heard of

- and bad b!+€hes from Church History 😉

*warning* we use some profanity.

Recorded March 2020

What do you do when the truth hurts? WandaVision, the MCU’s flagship Disney+ show, has touched hearts and imaginations with its subtle exploration of the grieving process as well its nostalgic homage to sitcom history. In this episode of #PopCultureCatechism, we tap Josh Noem, senior editor at the University of Notre Dame’s @GrottoNetwork and author of the novel “The End of Ending” to give us some insight into the storycraft and spirituality of this remarkable new show. We cover a range of topics including:

The power of storytelling

The injustice of death

Anger

The importance of rituals

Hope in mourning

Confronting difficult truths

The best line of dialogue in all of the MCU

Gratitude in the midst of grief

Eternity in the now

The cross

Is trauma contagious?

How to help a friend who is mourning

Marriage and hurting your spouse

A prayer from the office of the dead

Widely considered to be the best video of the modern era, God of War is so much more than a game. The story wrestles with fundamental questions of human relationships and family dynamics. On this episode, we are joined by Forte Catholic founder, and Catholic Speaker and worship leader, Taylor Schroll who has a great beard and an even better Kratos impression. Awaken Catholic President, Nick De La Torre also returns to the show.

Expecto Patronum, muggles! Catholic speaker, YouTuber, & HP superfan Maggie Craig joins us to wax theological on the Boy Who Lived. We go deep in this episode and cover a swath of themes from the books and the Christian faith including:

- Should read Harry Potter?

- Are the Weasleys Catholic?

- Is Harry a Christ figure?

- What did Jesus’ death really do?

- Love vs. Passion

- Does your calling choose you or the other way around?

- Does suffering have value? Is it necessary for holiness?

- The power of naming evil

- What is it to be truly alive?

- Bullying and how to protect children

- Hogwarts houses as religious orders

. . . and more!

We welcome back Kevin Heider (singer songwriter and host of the Song & Story podcast) to discuss the world's biggest young pop star, Billie Eilish. Kevin & Mike share stories from their high school and college days, sing some songs, make a LOT of 90’s music references, and discuss:

- What introverts want to say to extroverts

- Breaking up with girls to enter the seminary (and for other reasons)

- Drinking, drugs, self-harm, and being sober at a party

- Climate change & the devil

- Is sin the only way to get things done?

- Audio production

- Sibling relationships

- Self-deprecation and self-knowledge

- Edgar Allen Poe, Flannery O’Connor, CS Lewis, & Dostoyevsky

- and more!

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a scottsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the caribbean by providence, impoverished in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar? We cover all this and more in our episode on HAMILTON: An American Musical. Broadway vets Stacey Sumereau and David Sanborn join us to share their stories and their thoughts on this remarkable piece of musical theatre. Along the way, Mike plays some music, does his Lin Manuel Miranda impression, and cries like a small child.

Does my brokenness define me? Is there anything really special about me? Can I ever repair the damage of my past mistakes?

Entrepreneur and game maker extraordinaire, Tony Vasinda joins us to discuss one of Netflix’s top series. On the way, we talk about:

- Can you rely on God too much?

- approval seeking behaviors

- should you stick with it or quit?

- Men and women as brothers and sisters

- do the ends justify the means?

- The ring of power from Lord of the Rings

- the effects of chronic pain

- Eros & charity

- Love between siblings

- coming alive in the Holy Spirit

- miraculous healings

- Self identity as gift and relationship

Mike is joined by Redeemer Radio host Kyle Heimann to plumb the rock/rap/funk political mele that is Rage Against the Machine. Their music is as relevant now as it ever was. Mike & Kyle bust out the guitars and uke’s to see what Tom Morello riffs they can still play. We cover a LOT of controversial political topics so prepare yourself:Racism and police brutalityWhich political party Catholics belong inCulture, eurocentrism and the liturgyrevolution vs reformliberation theology & social justiceThe breakdown of the familyFancy terms from Catholic Social TeachingA tea party with John Paul II and Zac De La RochaStorming the gates of hellApathy, silence, and sins of omissionThe culture of deathPatriotism vs nationalismWhy I call this show Pop Culture Catechism

Journey with us to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away to plumb the depths of the Star Wars mythos. Awaken Catholic veterans Jon Marc Grodi (Elevate Ordinary, The Men’s Show) and Rob Hohler (The Men’s Show) join Mike for some major nerd time. We discuss:

-Is the force kinda sorta maybe like the Holy Spirit?

-What to do after a powerful religious experience

-Religious people and Jedi who abuse their power

-The way of non-violence

-What is balance?

-Are force ghosts kinda sorta maybe like the intercession of the saints?

-Christian communion vs the diabolical unity of the Sith

-What’s wrong with the world?

-Our favorite characters

-Why the Hallow App should include Star Wars meditations

-who wins in the end: the Palpatines or the Skywalkers?

-And much more!

We venture “Into the Unknown” to unpack the hit Disney movies Frozen I & II. We are joined by the dynamic teaching duo of Kim & Jeremy Rheam. The are Disney nerds, love experts, and long time friends help us journey through some big questions:

What is true love and how do you become a love expert?

What to do when a voice inside is calling you?

Is freedom all it’s cracked up to be?

Why is a frozen heart so dangerous?

Who is the bad guy in these movies?

How to hear God speaking everyday?

Did Ana and Elsa have really bad parents?

How to handle life changes?

Does “For the First Time In Forever” hit a little too close to home in the middle of a pandemic?

And of course, do you want to build a snowman?

Can you become numb to intimacy? What is the power of prayer? What makes for good art? Is Bruce anti-American? Why does everyone from New Jersey want to get out? What does all this have to do with Nickelback and the Notorious BIG?

Singer-songwriter, podcaster, and Springsteen aficionado, Kevin Heider joins us to discuss all this and more, walking us through almost 50 years of the Boss’ music.