The Open Door

Please join us at The Open Door! We discuss everything from art to politics, from foreign policy to technology - all in light of the Church's doctrine and intellectual tradition. The Open Door aims to be an intellectual and spiritual feast for Catholics and others who are looking for thoughtful discussion about our world and all of reality.

The Open Door is a religion podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 322 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Open Door, a religion show with 322 episodes published.

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  The Open Door

  Episode 322: Gerry Turcotte on the Concept of Liminality, or the Spaces In-Between (September 2, 2026)

  Sep 2, 20261 hour

  In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski talk with Gerry Turcotte, President & Principal, St Mark's College & Corpus Christi College, Vancouver, British Columbia, about the concept of liminality. Gerry is the author of The Space Between, available at The Space Between by Gerry Turcotte | En Route Books and Media The Space Between by Gerry Turcotte is a wry, tender novel that explores faith, failure, love, and longing through a series of sharply observed episodes. Moving from boyhood to adult reckoning, Turcotte writes with humor, intellectual depth, and emotional honesty about the spaces between belief and doubt, devotion and rebellion, intimacy and solitude. This is a reflective, often laugh-out-loud meditation on identity, grace, and becoming human.

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  The Open Door

  Episode 321: Jeb Smith, author of Missing Monarchy (August 14, 2026)

  Aug 14, 20261 hour

  In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Christopher Zehnder, and Andrew Sorokowski talk with Jeb Smith, author of Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions About The Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, And Liberty. When you think of democracy, what comes to mind? Comparing democracy to monarchy, are you thankful to be living free rather than suffering oppression under a medieval tyrant? What if you could be evidentially shown that the democracy you hold so dear is not only less ideal than you’ve been taught, but is actually inferior to the kingdoms of the Middle Ages? Get ready for a real history lesson you won’t soon forget. In Jeb Smith’s latest work Missing Monarchy, he uncovers eye-opening facts about the Medieval period, kingship, democracy, and more. When you learn how societies of our past addressed their governmental needs, you may begin to perceive that our current system isn't the utopia it is commonly portrayed as. And as you come to understand how power is wielded under our democracy, you just might start missing monarchy too. https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Monarchy-Correcting-Misconceptions-Democracy/dp/B0D6BJPSFY

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  The Open Door

  Episode 320: Matthew Vander Vennet on the Sacra Doctrina Project (July 22, 2026)

  Jul 22, 202658 min

  In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck and Andrew Sorokowski talk with Matthew Vander Vennet about the Sacra Doctrina project. What is the Sacra Doctrina project? What do you see in the current practice of theology that needs correction or enhancement? On your website you speak of "speculative theology" as the foundation for theology. In current usage speculative generally means making good guesses or musing about something. Is that what you mean by "speculative theology"? How is good theology related to good philosophy? How is St. Thomas important for both these sciences? One of the issues in current theological discussion involves the question of whether historical and cultural particularities ought to be the starting point for theology or whether we can know certain universals from which we can then deduce other facts, even though we must still take account of historical and cultural facts. Can you comment on this, and on how differing approaches to this question have affected Catholic intellectual life since the Council?

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  The Open Door

  Episode 318: Jared Staudt, editor of The American Catholic Land Movement (June 10, 2026)

  Jun 14, 20261 hour

  In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder interview Jared Staudt, editor of The American Catholic Land Movement (June 10, 2026)

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  The Open Door

  Episode 317: Dr. Richard Spinello on the Essential Role of Philosophy in Catholic Theology (May 20, 2026)

  May 22, 20261h 5m

  In this episode of The Open Door, panelists Thomas Storck, Andrew Sorokowski, and Christopher Zehnder talk with Richard Spinello, a professor at Boston College, on the relationship between philosophy and theology, particularly within the Catholic tradition. Spinello emphasized the importance of philosophy in theological education, highlighting the need for a solid philosophical foundation, especially in ethics and metaphysics. The conversation also touched on the decline of Thomism in modern academia and the influence of modern philosophy on theology, particularly the challenges posed by relativism and postmodernism. The panelists agreed on the necessity of a metaphysical dimension in Catholic philosophy and the need for a revival of Thomistic studies. For more on this point, see Spinello's Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła) This book unfolds the intersecting life stories of four important Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, namely, Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Karol Wojtyla, and examines the salient themes of their respective philosophies. Exploring the lives of these four individuals will unlock for the reader the nature of Catholic philosophy, which always aspires to a higher wisdom and the discovery of the hidden harmony of the universe. The spiritual itinerary of these faithful scholars is part of a larger story, therefore, of the intimate relationship between faith and reason that is at the heart of Catholic intellectual life. https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/fourcatholicphilosophers/

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