The Magnificast

For weeks, Matt and Dean have been promising an episode on anarchism and now, with the help of Katherine, from Friendly Anarchism, we're delivering! In this episode, we discuss Anarchism, Democracy, Direct Action, Violence, Pacifism, Revolution, and Jesus! Very dope Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro Music by theillogicalspoon (theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/album/theillalogicalspoon-sings-the-last-breath-of-the-luna-moth-under-the-morel-moon)

Human Nature, Dignity, Freedom: these are all right wing buzzwords, but what do they actually mean? In this episode, Matt and Dean talk about these ideas from a Marxist and Christian perspective Intro Music by Amaryah Armstrong Outro Music by theillogicalspoon

You know what sucks? Corporate media and the suppression of leftist ideas. You know what's awesome? Brett O'Shea from The Revolutionary Left Radio (@revleftradio). In this episode, we talk with Brett about the upcoming Net Neutrality vote and a Marxist analysis of media. Check out Brett's podcast out here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/ Intro music by Amarya Armstrong Outro music by theillogicalspoon (https://theillalogicalspoon.bandcamp.com/album/theillalogicalspoon-sings-the-last-breath-of-the-luna-moth-under-the-morel-moon)

If you're tired of hearing us talk about Christians for Socialism then sorry we're not sorry that we're still on it this week. We're working on getting the rights to digitize and distribute some of the old resources, but in the meantime we looked at a study guide put out by the Inter-Religious Task Force for Social Analysis called "Which Side Are We On? Christian Commitment for the '80s." Specifically, we did an exercise where the guide asks the reader to look at Mao's essay "Combat Liberalism" alongside some biblical texts! Intro music: Amaryah Shaye Armstrong Outro music: theillalogicalspoon

Churches are supposed to be places of community, hospitality, and refuge, but what about when they're not? Many denominations and congregations routinely exclude LGBTQ people and that totally sucks. In this episode, Matt and Dean talk with Sarah Ngu, a comrade who works with Religious Socialism as well as with an organization called Church Clarity. Sarah explains possible ways to sort out the sheep from the goats of affirming churches and possible solutions to the vague statements concerning the openness and acceptance of LGBTQ people.

Last week we talked about Christians for Socialism, a radical revolutionary contingent of Christians that started in response to the Allende election in Chile. We ended that episode noting that the organization had to disband in Chile after a US-backed coup deposed Allende. But the end of Christians for Socialism in Chile wasn't the end of the organization itself. It was exported to North America, connecting with other Christian groups that were organizing for socialism there. To get a sense of that transmission and how Christians for Socialism operated in the United States and Canada, we talked with Kathleen Schultz, who was the Executive Secretary of the organization for about a decade. We end with some speculations about what Christians for Socialism might look like in the twenty-first century.

It's no secret that we think Christianity and socialism are Very Good. Over the course of the podcast we've tried to find some ideas and movements that help illuminate the relationship between Christians and socialism. But we're hardly the first to think about that. In Chile in the early 70s, a group of 80 priests founded Christians for Socialism, a contingent of Christians who wanted not just political change, but revolutionary change, supporting the energy behind the Allende government. The group famously hosted Fidel Castro, which kicked off an amazing few decades of dialogue between Marxists and Christians in Latin America, and they had rigorous disciplinary measures to ensure the movement stayed radical. This week on The Magnificast we decided to get some encouragement from this incendiary movement of radical Christians, witnesses of a radical faith and a radical political vision. We look at an oral history of the movement and reflections by Marxist economist and Jesuit priest Gonzolo Arroyo. The research was wild, the discoveries were exciting, and the conversation was encouraging. And just wait--there's more around the corner!

In this episode, Matt and Dean talk about Frei Betto's book "Fidel and Religion," Religion in Cuba, Communism, and Revolution. They also desperately try not to cough into their microphones.

In this episode, Dean and Matt interview George Ciccariello-Maher about Chavismo, Venezuela, dual power, the communes, Maduro and the ways Christianity might have informed Hugo Chavez' political imagination.

When Dean met Dave McKee at a karaoke night hosted by the Communist Party of Canada, he wasn't expecting to find out the provincial leader of the party in Ontario had once studied theology and even spent time with Nicaraguan Christians in base communities. Needless to say, we had to have him on the podcast, and we finally did! We talk about Marxism-Leninism in Canada, how violence and nonviolence factor into the CPC's goals as a revolutionary party, and a bunch of other things we keep circling around on this podcast. We also talk about Dave's history with Christian base communities, materialism and faith, and what Christians can contribute to leftist struggles in North America. If you're a Christian and you're afraid of getting out and organizing, hopefully this conversation gives you a reason to take a leap! And if you're a materialist cranky about Christians, maybe Dave's experiences will help you see another angle on the need for coalitions across theological lines.