Recent polls indicate that feelings of patriotism are at an all-time low in the United States. This is especially the case for younger Americans, who are less likely than their older counterparts to describe themselves as patriotic, and less inclined to participate in displays of patriotism. On one hand this is nothing new: According to a Pew Research Center study, the generational divide has played a role in whether a person identifies as patriotic since at least 2003. And, as Sara Pequeño pointed out in an article for USA Today, boomers who call themselves patriots today were once "protesting the Vietnam War by marching in the streets and burning American flags."

This also comes at a time when religious affiliation is on the wane. And the discussion around patriotism in the United States is tangled up in ideas about faith, God, and divine will. For instance, one PRRI poll found that 44% of people surveyed think God has granted the United States a special role in human history.

But is this what patriotism means? How should people of faith think about their obligations to their country?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to religion scholar and public intellectual Dr. Lewis Brogdon, who was recently appointed executive director of JustFaith Ministries. Brogdon has also served in leadership and teaching roles in various academic institutions, and is a regular contributor to a number of publications and the author of several books, most recently The Gospel Beyond the Grave: Toward a Black Theology of Hope (Wipf and Stock Publishers).

You can learn more about this topic, and read some of Brogdon's work, in these links.

"True patriotism is about building bridges, not walls," by Mark Shea

"Teach kids the complicated truth about American heroes," by Kathleen Bonnette

"Any religion allied with nationalism is dangerous," by Stephen Schneck

"Christians Can Be Bad Neighbors? Reflections on Luke 10:25-37 and My Visit to the United Nations," by Lewis Brogdon

"Can justice movements lose their soul?" by Lewis Brogdon

"Why most bow," by Lewis Brogdon

According to the USCCB's voting guide, Catholics are called to "stand with newcomers, authorized and unauthorized, including unaccompanied immigrant children, refugees and asylum-seekers, those unnecessarily detained, and victims of human trafficking." This directive is in line with the church's longstanding emphasis on immigrant rights, and the ancient mandate to "welcome the stranger," a core value for Christianity and a sacred obligation in many pre-Christian societies.

What this means when it comes to the nuts and bolts of policy, however, is a matter many Catholics debate. At a time when the federal government has been removing protections for immigrant groups, barring immigrants from entering the nation, and promising to deport immigrants en masse, the debate is pressingly relevant.

What does the church have to say about deportation? Is there an official Catholic stance on the matter?

On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk with moral theologian Therese Cory about whether the Catholic Church condemns deportation. Cory is a professor of Thomistic Studies at Notre Dame as well as director of the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum. Her scholarship focuses on medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with special focus on the thought of Thomas Aquinas.

Learn more about this topic, and read some of Cory's writing, in these links.

"7 things the Catholic Church teaches about immigration," by Rebecca Bratten Weiss

"Migration should be a choice, not a necessity," by Antônio Lemos

"U.S. bishops unite to defend migrants—laypeople should, too," by Kevin Clarke

"Wyoming bishop's immigration letter puts faces to mass deportations," by Cassidy Klein

"How to Reason Prudentially about Immigration: A Reply to Feser," by Therese Cory

"Migrants and the Unborn: A Culture of Life Versus a Culture of Deterrence," by Therese Cory

Today, millions of baptized Catholics exist on the church's margins. Many of them identify as "cultural Catholics," but what that means may depend very much on the individual. Some identify as Catholic even though they no longer engage in traditional Catholic practices. Some pick and choose which practices they want to hold onto. For various reasons, some avoid institutional spaces. Many are Easter and Christmas Catholics who show up at Mass only on special occasions, but who still value the Catholic faith and tradition.

Catholic identity is rooted in baptism—not in belief or devotion. Yet some might still be inclined to write off cultural Catholics as "not real Catholics." What gives these millions of Catholics their sense of Catholic identity or connection with the church?

On this episode of the podcast, the hosts talk with sociologist and theologian Maureen K. Day about what it means to be a cultural Catholic, how cultural Catholics live their faith, and what the church can learn from them.

Day is Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for Church Management at Villanova University, as well as research affiliate at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies—both at the University of Southern California. She is also an Associate Member of the Las Casas Institute of Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford. She is the author of several books, including Cultural Catholics: Who They Are, How to Respond (Liturgical Press, 2024).

Learn more about this topic, and read some of Day's work, using these links.

"Baptism, not piety, is what makes us Catholic," by Don Clemmer

"Rigid definitions of 'Catholic' leave too many out in the cold," by Don Clemmer

"The Catholics who refuse to leave," by Teresa Coda

Cultural Catholics: Who They Are, How to Respond, by Maureen Day

"Data and discernment: How the church can make better use of empirical evidence," by Maureen K. Day.

This episode is sponsored in part by Q Furnald and Dr. Aaron Bianco, authors of Love Is More Than Words: An Examination of Faith from the Margins. In Love Is More Than Words, the authors explore faith, belonging, and justice through scripture, early church history, and the voices of Catholics from across the Church. This thought-provoking new book challenges readers to reimagine discipleship through compassion, dignity, and radical love.