Glad You Asked

About Glad You Asked

Have you ever had a question about Catholicism that you couldn't find an easy answer to? Or a question about a teaching or tradition that seemed to have five different answers, none of them satisfactory? Or maybe you even had a question you felt you weren't allowed to ask. The new podcast from U.S. Catholic, Glad You Asked, may be just what you are looking for. Join U.S. Catholic editors Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss as they explore the questions about Catholicism that don't have easy answers.

Publisher

U.S. Catholic

Category

religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Aug 2022

Latest episode

24 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

103 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Jul 2026

   #96: Kate Ott - How important is sex in a Catholic marriage?

   For Catholics seeking accurate information about the church's teachings on sex ethics, the internet can be a perilous place. One might get plenty of opinions from influencers, and far more personal information about people's sex lives than one bargained for—but not so much accurate source-based content on Catholic teaching. Some influencers have even told women that the church says they have to have sex with their husbands whenever their husbands want it, regardless of their own feelings. Clearly, this is a coercive and dangerous approach to sex and relationships. Yet the Catholic Church does view sex as important in marriage. Canon law even states that a marriage isn't valid without consummation. But does that mean sex is, in some sense, obligatory? What about if one partner doesn't want it? What do we make of the marriage of Mary and Joseph? And what makes sex so important anyway? On this episode of Glad You Asked, guest Kate Ott talks about the role of sex in a Catholic marriage, and what goes into a healthy sex ethic. Ott is a professor of Christian Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary outside of Chicago, as well as an author and religious education curriculum designer. Her books include Sex + Faith: Talking with your Child from Birth to Adolescence (Westminster John Knox Press) and Sex, Tech and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age (Eerdmanns). Learn more about this topic using these links. Sex + Faith: Talking with Your Child from Birth to Adolescence, by Kate Ott "Does Catholic rhetoric about sex line up with reality?" by Don Clemmer "It's time to wrestle with church teaching on sex. Here's how." by Don Clemmer "The harmful myth of the 'marriage debt'," by Mindy Robinson "Marriage prep programs are failing some Catholic couples," by Jenn Morson "Canon law on marriage and annulments needs updating," by H. L. Norwich

2. 

   17 Jul 2026

   #95: Julie Schumacher Cohen & Jordan Denari Duffner - How should the church respond to the conflict in Gaza?

   On October 7, 2023, militant pro-Palestinian groups carried out a series of attacks on Jewish Israelis, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza which has escalated into a humanitarian disaster that some are terming a genocide. For those who have not followed the conflict between Israel and Palestine until recently, it can be hard to contextualize the daily news of violence. The geopolitics behind the conflict are complex, and tangled up in religious history, since the ancient city of Jerusalem—originally founded by the Jewish people—now plays a key role in the tradition and worship of Christianity and Islam as well. Given the historic issues of both anti-Jewish hate and Islamophobia, some Catholics might be inclined not to address the issue. They may worry about making a misstep, or fear that they simply don't have enough information to weigh in. And some might think it simply isn't something they have an obligation to care about. In this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk to Jordan Denari Duffner and Julie Schumacher Cohen about how Catholics should respond to the conflict in Gaza. Denari Duffner is a Catholic theologian, author, and professor whose work centers on Muslim-Christian relations, interreligious dialogue, Islamophobia, and Israel-Palestine. Schumacher Cohen is a doctoral PhD candidate in political science at Temple University, who focuses on religion and politics, and has long been involved in Israel-Palestine peacebuilding and advocacy. They are co-authors of the book, Palestine, Israel, and Catholic Social Teaching, forthcoming from Orbis Books in fall 2026. Learn more about this topic in these links. "Our Catholic faith demands that we confront Islamophobia," a U.S. Catholic interview "Christian antisemitism is not a thing of the past," by Megan Clark "Reflections on human dignity in Israel and Palestine," by Joseph Antoniello "The Voice of Hind Rajab calls us to confront reality in Gaza," by Julie Schumacher Cohen "The fate of a soccer field points to the reality of life on the West Bank," by Kevin Clarke This episode is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. In Gaza and beyond, Catholic Relief Services works with the local Church and trusted partners—serving communities of all faiths with compassion and care. Learn more at crs.org.

3. 

   10 Jul 2026

   #94: LaRyssa Herrington - Does the anointing of the sick really heal people?

   History and literature are full of dramatic stories involving deathbed conversions and the administering of what is often called last rites. So perhaps it's understandable that many people, when they think of the sacrament of anointing the sick, assume it is something reserved for those who are gravely ill or injured, or on the brink of death. Alternatively, they might imagine that the purpose of the sacrament is to pray for a miraculous healing. The sacrament of anointing the sick is called a sacrament of healing—but so is the sacrament of reconciliation. So what Is anointing the sick primarily about? Is it intended to cure people? Is it only for those in danger of imminent death? On this episode of Glad You Asked, theologian LaRyssa D. Herrington talks to the hosts about the significance and purpose of this widely-misunderstood sacrament. Herrington recently completed her doctoral studies in Systematic Theology and Liturgical Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author and co-author of several peer-reviewed articles and has written popular articles for the National Catholic Reporter and here at U.S. Catholic. Learn more about the topic using these links. "Why do Catholics anoint the sick?" by Anne McGowan "The church must listen to disability justice advocates," by Allison Connelly-Vetter "Disabled Catholics deserve more than parish accessibility," by Madison Chastain "Should we celebrate more sacraments at Mass?" by John Kyler "Why did God choose Mary?" by LaRyssa Herrington

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

19 ratings

Spotify

4.1 / 5

9 ratings

Contact Glad You Asked

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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