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Vol. 44
No. 03
Vol. 44
No. 03
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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.
ALL EPISODES
September 23, 20268m

In the Time of Fire

With a jolt through his spine, Christian Wiman’s poem “In the Time of Fire...
  • A middle-aged man with short, light hair and glasses is wearing a dark shirt and sitting in front of a bookshelf filled with books and framed photos.
    Christian Wiman
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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
  • Makoto Fujimura
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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 22, 202655m

Attention, Agency, and Power

In a country splitting apart over so much, three words point toward a better way...
  • David French
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September 15, 202654m

Reclaiming Civic Agency

Underneath all the political polarization, rage-baiting, punditry, and aggressio...
  • Michael Wear
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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.
ALL EPISODES
September 23, 202658m

Can Bourgeois Values Save Britain?

Can you really vote your way to a good society—or does it have to be built hou...
  • James Vitali
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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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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.
ALL EPISODES
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

Julian for Everyone

Norwich and the gospel of grace.

Matthew J. Milliner

The Puffins and Evelyn Underhill

Commending an ecclesial mystic on her sesquicentennial.

Matthew J. Milliner

That Man of Understanding

A material introduction to Evagrius of Pontus.

Matthew J. Milliner

Our Lady of Emptiness

The Dark Virgin of Guadalupe as a model of contemplative prayer (the second in a two-part Advent series).

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POPULAR ESSAYS

Jeff Reimer

How Not to Be a Schismatic

Wayfaring through a broken ecclesial landscape.

Katherine Dee

Internet Overexposure Syndrome

A taxonomy of adaptations to online life.

Fr. Francis Bethel

Let Them Be Born in Wonder

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

Luke Bretherton

The Conversion of Public Intellectuals

Two pathways.

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