Spe Salvi Institute Podcast

Are NATO and the West Obsolete?

Despite headlines filled with transatlantic friction—President Trump's comments on Greenland, questions about allies' commitments in Afghanistan, Ursula von der Leyen's calls for greater EU "independence" at Davos 2026, and J.D. Vance's 2025 Munich critique of deviations from NATO's founding principles—the alliance endures. Why?
Petiprin argues that NATO is far more than a Cold War relic or a mere political-military pact. Rooted in a shared heritage and civilization (as stated in the NATO charter), it embodies a deeper spiritual and cultural unity between the United States and Europe. The U.S. serves as the senior economic and military partner, while Europe—especially now with power shifting eastward to Poland—remains the ancient spiritual capital. We explore NATO's remarkable resilience through decades of crises:
-Early tensions: U.S. halting nuclear sharing with the UK, the 1956 Suez Crisis betrayal, France's 1966 withdrawal and expulsion of NATO HQ from Paris.
-Later strains: 1970s/80s détente disputes, the 1999 Kosovo near-miss with Russia (British General Mike Jackson refusing orders), the 2003 Iraq split and "Freedom Fries."
Recent examples: Trump's "bellicose" Greenland remarks, inaccurate claims about allies in Afghanistan (countered by Denmark's 12,000 troops and Poland's 44 fallen soldiers), yet no collapse—no invasion of Greenland, no punishment of Denmark.

My Dinner with Andre: The Greatest Film of Our Meaning-Starved Age

Why does a 40-year-old + film about two men talking feel like the cinematic antidote we need most in 2025?
In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute Podcast, hosts Andrew Petiprin and Robert Mixa dive into Louis Malle's 1981 masterpiece My Dinner with Andre—a film consisting almost entirely of one extended conversation between two friends over dinner—and argue why it stands as the greatest film of our meaning-starved age.
In an era dominated by distraction, superficial spectacle, and a widespread crisis of purpose, this quiet, dialogue-driven film prophetically diagnoses the spiritual emptiness of modern life. Wallace Shawn and André Gregory's raw, meandering exchange touches on existential alienation, the numbing comforts of technology, the loss of authentic human connection, and the desperate search for transcendence—issues that resonate even more deeply in our digital, post-Christian world today.
From a perspective of Christian hope, Andrew and Robert explore how the film's unflinching confrontation with despair points toward the need for a greater hope: one rooted not in fleeting experiences or material progress, but in the encounter with the living God who redeems our restlessness.

The Crisis of Authority with D.C. Schindler

This is an in-depth conversation with philosopher D.C. Schindler, author of the forthcoming article "The Crisis of Authority" in Communio. In this episode, Robert Mixa and D.C. Schindler discuss the profound erosion of authority in Western society, its ties to liberalism's promises and pitfalls, and the rising tide of postliberal reactions.
Schindler delves into the essential distinction between authority and mere power, arguing that true authority translates transcendent truth into the immanent realm with the memory of ultimate things. Drawing on thinkers like Augusto del Noce, Hannah Arendt, and Byung-Chul Han, we discuss how modern politics, by reducing governance to practical matters and bracketing out metaphysical truths, has left us vulnerable to counterfeits and a deeper human crisis. From the Roman roots of "auctoritas" to the Christian synthesis of Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome, Schindler offers a timely reflection on the nature of authority, asking what it is in reality.

Crisis of Young Men 2025: A Catholic Response to Nick Fuentes, Andrew Tate & Fatherlessness

The numbers are brutal and undeniable: 60 percent of Gen Z men are single, and suicide rates among young males have quadrupled since 1980. Scott Galloway’s new book, Notes on Being a Man, sounds the alarm on purpose and fatherlessness, while desperate young men drift toward Nick Fuentes’ rage and Andrew Tate’s hustle, chasing shadows after the Liver King scandal exposed the hollowness of steroid-fueled alpha myths. Helen Andrews’ essay, “The Great Feminization,” diagnoses a culture that neuters boys, and Walter Ong’s Fighting for Life reveals how competition and ritual once forged men into protectors and providers.
In this episode, Andrew Petiprin and Robert Mixa cut through the noise to ask where Christian Humanism offers a truer path: raising sons who reject screens, sin, and self-destruction for virtue, brotherhood, and mission.

What is the Church? On Eucharistic Ecclesiology with Richard DeClue

In this episode, we interview Dr. Richard DeClue about his article “Eucharistic Ecclesiology” in the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology. We discuss how the Eucharist defines the Church’s identity, unity, and mission, and explore key points from his work.
Topics Covered:
1. What is Eucharistic Ecclesiology?
2. The Eucharist’s role in the Church
3. The hierarchical structure of the Church
4. The mission of the Church

On Pope Leo XIV’s first magisterial document, Dilexi Te, with Larry Chapp

In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute Podcast, we welcome Dr. Larry Chapp—theologian, author, and founder of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm—to discuss his recent Catholic World Report article on Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”).
Dr. Chapp unpacks the theological and cultural significance of this document, exploring how Dilexi Te calls the Church to rediscover the heart of evangelization through love for the poor.

The Disturbing Return of Antisemitism

In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute Podcast, we confront a troubling reality: the resurgence of antisemitism in our world today. From violent attacks to subtle cultural prejudices, antisemitism is on the rise across Europe, the United States, and beyond. Why is this ancient hatred resurfacing in our time, and how should Christians respond?
We explore the historical roots of antisemitism, its modern expressions, and the urgent moral and spiritual call to stand in solidarity with our elder brothers and sisters in faith. Drawing from Scripture, Catholic teaching, and contemporary events, we consider how Christian humanism and authentic witness can push back against scapegoating and violence.
Join us for a thoughtful and challenging conversation on what it means to defend human dignity and foster true solidarity with our elders in the faith in an age of rising hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against the Jews.

Great Awakening vs. Great Awokening

What happens to a culture that forgets its roots? In his Advent homily Memory Awakens Hope, Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) warned that when a people lose the memory of God’s saving acts, they also lose hope for the future. Memory and hope belong together; without memory, we drift into despair or construct false hopes that cannot endure.
In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute Podcast, Andrew and Bobby explore how Ratzinger’s insight sheds light on the contrast between the historic Great Awakenings—moments of spiritual renewal that re-centered communities on God—and today’s so-called Great Awokening. Our contemporary West has wandered into a “land of forgetfulness,” where moral fervor often masks amnesia of the transcendent. What do we risk when memory of the Christian story is erased? And what does authentic awakening look like in an age hungry for meaning but suspicious of tradition? Join us as we consider how recovering living memory—of Scripture, of the Church, of the saints—can reawaken true hope and chart a path beyond the illusions of our age.

On the Assassination of Charlie Kirk: A Turning Point for the West?

In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute podcast, we reflect on the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk and what it reveals about our society and culture. Beyond the headlines, we explore the deeper questions: What does this moment say about the state of public life, political polarization, and the fragility of civil discourse? How should Christians think about violence in the public square, and what are the cultural forces driving us toward such extremes?
Join us as we examine the spiritual, cultural, and philosophical implications of this event, and consider how the Christian humanist tradition might help illuminate a path toward renewal and hope in a time of division

Cracks in Postmodernity with Stephen G. Adubato

In this episode of the Spe Salvi Institute Podcast, Andrew Petiprin and Robert Mixa sit down with Stephen G. Adubato—host of Cracks in Postmodernity, editorial assistant at Compact Magazine, and contributor to National Catholic Reporter—to explore the Cracks in Postmodernity Manifesto 2.0.
What does it mean to seek transcendence in an age marked by irony, fragmentation, and digital overstimulation? How can beauty, tradition, and vulnerability challenge the flattening forces of postmodern life?
Stephen shares the vision behind Manifesto 2.0: a bold call to live meaningfully in the midst of cultural exhaustion and spiritual longing. We discuss the origins and evolution of the Cracks in Postmodernity project, the themes that shape the manifesto, and how younger generations are both critiquing and reclaiming tradition in surprising ways. This episode offers a fresh take on the Church’s role in a secular age—one that embraces paradox, embodiment, and beauty rather than retreating into ideology or nostalgia.
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Learn more about the Spe Salvi Institute: https://www.spesalviinstitute.com/
Read the Manifesto 2.0: https://cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/c...
Follow Stephen’s work: Cracks in Postmodernity – https://cracksinpostmodernity.substac...
Compact Magazine – https://compactmag.com
National Catholic Reporter – https://ncronline.org