Thanks to the initiative of some fine Catholic men and women, today is the first annual “Catholic Media Promotion Day.” The day’s purpose is to highlight the best of Catholic New Media, something I am somewhat passionate about. From the movement’s Facebook page:
On March 15, 2011, everyone with a blog, podcast, or Facebook page should list their favorite three blogs, three podcasts, three other media, three random Catholic things online, and their own projects.
So, here are my favorites in alphabetical order (and yes, I bent the “top three” rule a bit on some of my lists):
Blogs
- Aggie Catholic Blog – Whether explaining a controversial Church teaching, reviewing a spiritual book, or linking to relevant content, this is a good one-stop-shop for all things Catholic.
- BadCatholic – Simply the funniest, most invigorating Catholic blog I read. Combine the wit of G.K. Chesterton, the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien, and the macabre of Flannery O’Conner, and you have 17-year old Marc Barnes, who has quickly grown to be one of my favorite writers. (For a taste, check out this post on the pro-life movement or this one dismantling modern atheism.)
- ConversionDiary.com – Jennifer Fulwiler is one of today’s best Catholic writers because she excels at both parts of the equation–the “Catholic” part and the “writing” part. Plus, as an atheist-turned-Catholic, she offers a fresh, unique take on the spiritual life. If you’re looking for down-to-earth spiritual guidance, subscribe to her blog (but good luck not laughing as you read about her adventures with scorpions, the poop fates, or her wild step-mother, Yaya.)
- Mark Shea’s Blog – If G.K. Chesterton was still alive and he traded his pen for a keyboard, he would undoubtedly choose the pen-name “Mark Shea.” Mark is witty, wise, and he has a deft, yet humble, grasp of Catholic teaching. When it comes to politics and current events, he’s one of the first Catholic commentators I turn to. (Also, his book on Scripture was hugely formative for me, not to mention his other books which are stellar as well.)
- The Divine Life – For insights into Scripture or tips on “ordinary spirituality,” I turn to this modern-day Josemaria Escriva for guidance. And if you like what you find on Eric’s blog, you must stop what you’re doing right now and pick up his book on Jesus–it’s perfect Lenten reading (and its not too late to start!)
- Word on Fire Blog – The smartest Catholic blog I read and the one I turn to for Catholic perspective on popular culture. Anyone who reads my blog with regularity knows my admiration for Fr. Robert Barron and the rest of his Word on Fire team. This is one of the few blogs that is must-read material for me; I rarely miss a post.
Podcasts
- Peter Kreeft’s Podcast – This isn’t technically a podcast, since it doesn’t feature regularly-updated episodes. Also, Peter Kreeft hates technology (which, by the way, is precisely why I want his endorsement for the Church and New Media book, just to see what he would say.) This “podcast,” however, is really a repository of talks from this modern Catholic sage. In my book, Kreeft is the closest living thinker to C.S. Lewis, both of whom combine logic, imagination, and spirituality to teach the fundamentals of faith.
- The SaintCast – This is probably the most engaging podcast I listen to, and one of the few that I would actually pay money to hear–it’s that good. Every week, Dr. Paul Camarata covers news, history, and insights related to the saints, but the best part is the in-depth look into the life of one particular saint each episode. Fabulous stuff.
- Word on Fire Podcast – Every week Fr. Barron gives a 15-minute homily on the upcoming Sunday’s readings. What more could you ask for? I listen to this podcast religiously (pun intended).
Other Media
- Free Catholic E-Books – Whether through Amazon’s free e-book section, the massive Project Gutenberg, or the audio-book site Librivox, you can get almost any out-of-copyright classic for free. For a Catholic Church who finds most of her treasure in centuries past, this is awesome. I don’t even own an e-reader yet these sites still thrill me.
Random Catholic Things Online
- ChurchFathers.org – An underrated resource that is simple, yet powerful. On the site you can easily find quotes from the Church fathers on any doctrine or spiritual topic.
- New Advent Library – St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis Xavier, and Cardinal John Henry Newman would have given their right arm to have access to this site. If you’re looking for any information or documents relating to the Church, chances are you’ll find them here.
- OneBillionStories.com – Run by a fellow young Catholic who is trying to use New Media to evangelize the world, this site is right up my alley. Seth DeMoor rode his bike across the country to film ordinary Catholics sharing their spiritual journeys, and his ever-growing collection of videos are all online. (We highlight Seth and OneBillionStories.com in the upcoming book.)
My Own Projects
- The Church and New Media – My first book is coming out this August, so that’s the main thing on my plate right now. We’re ramping up the publicity, searching for some endorsements, and building a stellar website. More on all of that soon!
- Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead? – To prepare for an hour-long talk I’ll be giving at our parish during Holy Week, I’ve been reading many books on this question. Using logic, history, and faith, I’m going to walk slowly through the only four possibilities regarding the Resurrection:
- The Biblical and historical records are false.
- Jesus only seemed to die but didn’t.
- Jesus really did die, but didn’t rise from the dead.
- What the Bible says happened actually did happen: Jesus rose from the dead!
I’ll then explore what this startling, provocative reality means for us today. I hope to record the talk, so it should be on my sporadically updated podcast by the end of next month.
What are your favorites?
(On a related note, last year I published a list of my 75 favorite blogs–Catholic and secular alike. It’s a bit dated–I would now rearrange many of the blogs on there, and some of them I don’t even follow any more. But it might help you discover some hidden gems. Check it out!)