Is Augustine the most relatable saint? Ep. 114

Forget what you think you know about Saint Augustine. Maybe you
only know the cities that take his name, or you had a tough
experience in your introduction to philosophy class and found him
medieval (in the pejorative sense) and scrupulous.  But what
if Augustine was actually the first to hone in on and clearly
express our human desire for authenticity, that restlessness that
all of us have felt at one point in our lives? What if, “Augustine
might make Christianity believable for you even if you’ve heard it
all, been there, done that, and left the stupid Christian t-shirt
at home.” James K.A. Smith is not the first to write a book
explaining Augustine’s relatability, but he is perhaps the best at
communicating it. This week we talk to Smith about his new book On
the Road with St. Augustine: A Real World Spirituality for Restless
Hearts.  In Signs of the Times we preview the upcoming Synod
for the Amazon region and talk about how the Vatican marked the
World Day of Migrants and Refugees. We also look at one of
Philadelphia’s newest permanent deacons: longtime NBA referee Steve
Javie. Oh, and it’s not every day that a friend and coworker sits
down with Pope Francis for 30 minutes. James Martin, S.J., did just
that this week.  Links from the show: On the Road with Saint
Augustine Refugee advocates decry Trump administration’s plan to
cut refugee cap Pope Francis reminds Christians that migrants and
refugees should be welcomed around the world Synod for the Amazon
Pope Francis meets with Father James Martin in private audience He
Was the NBA’s Best Ref. Then He Went to a Catholic Seminary. Image
Journal What’s on tap?  To quote our guest this week: “Negroni
in the summer, Manhattan in the winter. Does that mean a
Boulevardier for the fall?!” Learn more about your ad choices.
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