Preparing the Ground for Spring: Part 2
In this essay, JPII Farm Worker Scholar Natalie Finn reflects on her work at the farm and shows appreciation for its many animals. Check it out: LINK TO POST
Summer Seminar on “Creation, Food and Agriculture,” Coming in June
Starting Monday, June 1 and meeting for five consecutive Mondays, Laurie Johnson will take participants through some of the more important concepts related to food and agriculture through the lens of Christianity. This class will focus on our connection with the land, our moral obligations to the land and the life that occupies it and how thinking about agriculture and food differently can shape our spirituality in a positive direction. One does not need to be a Christian to benefit from the class, since the focus is on food and agriculture–all are welcome.
Season 4, Episode 10: Gilmore Girls as Allegory for WASP Civilizational Decline
For April Fools this year, we cover a millennial touchstone television series about growing up, or at least about trying to.
Research Note: Peter Maurin’s Port of Entry Record
As a part of her ongoing research on Peter Maurin, Dr. Laurie Johnson shares this brief note on Maurin’s port of entry into the United States. View on Substack: LINK TO POST
Preparing the Ground for Spring: Part 1
In this essay, JPII Farm Worker Scholar Natalie Finn discusses some of the practical work involved with small-scale, regenerative agriculture and connects this to broader philosophical themes. Check it out: LINK TO POST
Upcoming Guest Lecture: “Péguy for the Present”
Lecture Title: “Péguy for the Present” Details: Thursday, April 9, 2026 @7:00 PM CST. Lecture: The rise of Christian nationalism has lent new urgency to longstanding questions about how politics and religion are meant to relate. For the French Catholic socialist Charles Péguy (1873-1914), their interaction is the fulcrum of history, a dynamic confrontation that … Read more
Season 4, Ep. 9: Why and How Patriotism Ain’t Nationalism
Spencer and Laurie discuss the topic of patriotism, which was touched upon briefly in the last Dustbowl episode, and also in the Secret Grange episode that followed (for patrons only), on their interview with Charles Coulombe, a monarchist and author of multiple books, including The Compleat Monarchist. The discussion involves the value of patriotism, what … Read more
Season 4, Episode 8: Charles Coulombe on the Perils of Sealing Political Pacts
Spencer and Laurie talk to Charles Coulombe, a monarchist and author of multiple books, including The Compleat Monarchist. His views on the intellectual and spiritual milieux leading up to the emergence of the Catholic Worker movement, as well as his views on American history, and what’s wrong and right with American Catholicism, offer a unique … Read more
Hamnet Teaches What Love Looks Like
In this reflection on the film Hamnet, Maurin Academy co-founder Dr. Laurie Johnson asks what a depiction of Shakespeare’s family life teach us about the loving balance between family and extraordinary artistic achievement. Check it out now: LINK TO SUBSTACK
What did Peter Maurin Want?
In this essay from Maurin Academy instructor Christopher May, Peter Maurin’s vision of a better world is explored. Check it out now: LINK TO SUBSTACK