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Vol. 44
No. 03
Vol. 44
No. 03
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PODCASTS

Dark carved wood with intricate leaf and plant patterns forms the background. Large white text in the center reads The Understory. Below, smaller text says A Comment Original with a circular logo above it.

The Understory

In late May 2026, more than a thousand people gathered for three days beneath the vaults of Washington National Cathedral to ask what it means to be human in the light of Christ. This podcast carries the festival’s talks, sessions, and experiences to everyone who wasn’t in the room—and to everyone who was, who wishes to return.
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September 16, 20261h 2m

Investing in Beauty

Friendship was a central theory of change at the Understory, revealing itself in...
  • A smiling man wears a red hat, pink shirt, blue vest, and colorful bow tie, posed against a dark background.
    David Bailey
  • A smiling older woman with blonde hair and glasses stands in front of a vibrant, pink floral background. She wears a black scarf and a chunky red necklace.
    Roberta Ahmanson
  • Haejin Shim Fujimura
  • A man with straight, shoulder-length dark hair and glasses, wearing a dark shirt, looks at the camera with a neutral expression against a brown, blurred background.
    Makoto Fujimura
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September 9, 20261h 3m

Acceleration, Resonance, and a Rule of Life

We live in a culture obsessed with productivity, efficiency, speed, and success....
  • A man with short brown hair, glasses, and a trimmed beard wears a green shirt and looks at the camera. He is in front of a brick wall background.
    Steven Lawson
  • Manuel Andreas Dürr
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Conversing

Conversing with Mark Labberton invites listeners into transformative encounters with leaders and creators shaping our world at the intersection of Christian faith, culture, and public life.
ALL EPISODES
September 15, 202654m

Reclaiming Civic Agency

Underneath all the political polarization, rage-baiting, punditry, and aggressio...
  • Michael Wear
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September 8, 202655m

Loud Justice

“It is not just that God has a heart for justice,” says Sharon Cohn Wu (Inte...
  • Sharon Cohn Wu
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The Sacred

The Sacred is a podcast interested in the real people behind their public personas. Elizabeth Oldfield hosts unhurried conversations that go deeper, in search of what might heal our fractured world.
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September 9, 20261h 11m

Preparing to Die, then Learning to Live Again

What does it mean to prepare to die—and then discover that you need to prepare...
  • Christian Wiman
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August 19, 20267m

Why We Need to Be in Our Bodies Together

What are we losing by spending so much of our lives behind screens? Covid-19 bro...
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Zealots at the Gate

Muslim political thinker Shadi Hamid and Christian theologian Matthew Kaemingk explore the future of democracy and religion, charting a new paradigm for navigating difference.
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September 14, 20261h 1m

9/11: Why We Remember That Day Differently

What are the lessons of 9/11? What does it mean to “never forget”? Join Matt...
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August 31, 20261h 3m

A Christian Case Against Christian Nationalism

In the previous episode, Matthew and Shadi sat down with self-described Christia...
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MATERIAL MYSTICISM

Matthew J. Milliner

The Perfect Mirror

How I broke AI (and how it almost broke me).

Matthew J. Milliner

The Mary Underground

A global network of subterranean Marian churches illustrates a quiet, secret, lasting form of faith.

Jonathan A. Anderson

The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art

An interview with Jonathan A. Anderson.

Matthew J. Milliner

Toronto the Holy

On the best paintings in North America.

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POPULAR ESSAYS

Fr. Francis Bethel

Let Them Be Born in Wonder

How the brief life of a storied liberal arts program changed lives the world over.

Jake Meador

The Long Defeat of History

Tolkien’s hope for the entropy of ages.

Matthew J. Milliner

Merton’s Nurse

How Mary helped rescue America’s most famous monk.

Chris Owen

The Truth Will Lead You Home

Why do we cling to our denials, delusions, and deceits?

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