Ross Douthat on miracles, suffering and how to talk to atheists about religion

2025-08-12

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Host James Martin, S.J. welcomes New York Times Opinion columnist and host of the “Interesting Times” podcast Ross Douthat onto “The Spiritual Life” to talk about: - The eclectic variety of religious experience Ross encountered as a child through his parents’ exploration of charismatic and Pentecostal communities and his family’s eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism. - Ross’ five-year struggle with Lyme disease, detailed in his memoir The Deep Places, and where he found God amidst his mysterious ill...

Host James Martin, S.J. welcomes New York Times Opinion columnist and host of the “Interesting Times” podcast Ross Douthat onto “The Spiritual Life” to talk about:

- The eclectic variety of religious experience Ross encountered as a child through his parents’ exploration of charismatic and Pentecostal communities and his family’s eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism.

- Ross’ five-year struggle with Lyme disease, detailed in his memoir The Deep Places, and where he found God amidst his mysterious illness.

- The importance of finding gratitude for the ordinary pleasures in life.

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

Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org

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