Catholic in America
Identity politics and tribal thinking has become America's dominant paradigm. Why has the respect for genuine civic friendship and the common good waned? What are the set of moral and spiritual principles needed to reclaim or reimagine what has been lost? How do we use them to make right judgments about our world and to move forward with clarity and joy? The answer is at the heart of the Catholic faith and its social doctrine: rediscovering our common identity as children of the Father, the One who created us for love. Join Jason Adkins, host of Catholic in America, to engage our own time, culture, and political milieu with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to explore how to live more fully Catholic.
Catholic in America
Dorothy Day, Politics, and the Catholic Way Forward with Michael Baxter
What if we’re looking at politics all wrong? In this episode, theologian Michael Baxter joins Jason Adkins to explore the spiritual vision behind the Catholic Worker Movement and the political witness of Dorothy Day. As America reels from another election season, Dr. Baxter invites us to shift our focus—from the ballot box to the beatitudes, from Washington to our neighborhoods. Through stories, reflection, and deep Catholic social teaching, this conversation challenges listeners to reconsider what real politics looks like and how it begins with soup, shelter, and solidarity.
Topics Covered:
- Why Dorothy Day barely mentioned elections
- The growth of big government and the loss of local political life
- The meaning of “living beyond politics”
- Subsidiarity and the Catholic Church’s vision of local action
- Building community with the poor as political witness
- The intersection of Eucharistic devotion and the works of mercy
- Catholic Worker examples: St. Joseph the Worker Job Service, Christ in the City
- Pope Francis and politics as a form of charity
- How to create parish-level social reconstruction
Guest Bio:
Michael Baxter, Ph.D. is the Director of Catholic Studies at Regis University and a Visiting Associate Professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame. He is a founding member of the Peter Claver Catholic Worker House and former director of the Catholic Peace Fellowship. His work focuses on political theology, the Catholic Worker Movement, and the canonization of Dorothy Day.
Resources Mentioned & Various Links:
- Michael Baxter bio – McGrath Institute
- “Living Beyond Politics: A Post-Election Reflection on Dorothy Day” – Houston Catholic Worker
- The Catholic Worker Movement – Paulist Press Resource
Jason Adkins, host of Catholic in America, engages our own time, culture, and political milieu with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to explore how to live more fully Catholic. With so much to explore, we have guests from a variety of perspectives and faith backgrounds, and conversations do not necessarily constitute endorsements.
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