Host James Martin, S.J. welcomes New York Times Opinion columnist and podcast host Ross Douthat onto “The Spiritual Life.” They discuss:

00:00 Who is Ross Douthat?
2:15 Audience Question: How do I advance with my spiritual life when my church life feels stagnant?
5:50 Ross' spiritual journey through numerous christian churches
11:22 Is religion a crutch? How to understand transcendent experiences
14:37 How Ross' family became Catholic
20:18 The differences between charismatic Christianity and Catholic mystical experiences
23:52 How Ross' struggle with Lyme disease shaped his spiritual life and his perspective on suffering
34:28 Learning spiritual detachment from anger about Pope Francis and Donald Trump
41:17 Does God cause our suffering?
42:54 Speaking to agnostics and atheists about religion
48:14 Why people struggle to believe in miracles and the supernatural
52:50 Ross' regular spiritual practices and the importance of Catholic liturgical structures
55:44 Audience Question answered by Ross: How do I advance with my spiritual life when my church life feels stagnant?

Read Fr. Martin’s spiritual advice column about this episode here: https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2025/08/12/ross-douthat-james-martin-spiritual-life-suffering

Ross' podcast, "Interesting Times": https://www.nytimes.com/column/interesting-times
Ross' books:
"Believe: Why Everyone Should be Religious": https://www.zondervan.com/9780310367604/believe
"The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646761/the-deep-places-by-ross-douthat/

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: [email protected]

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