New Polity

Magnifica Humanitas has been called the "AI Encyclical," but there's far more to the document: a thorough analysis of Catholic Social Doctrine, an extensive treatment of modern warfare, and how power works in the world today. In this podcast, Alex Denley and Andrew Willard Jones discuss the political philosophy of Magnifica Humanitas, and how the Pope's analysis helps us to understand our future with AI, how the powerful will use it, and what we as Christians can do about it. If you haven't read the encyclical yet, don't watch this! Spend some time reading (and re-reading) the document here. Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! Check out our essays.Donate to help us make more! Thank you.

In this podcast, Matthew Harvey Sanders, CEO of Longbeard (creator of MagisteriumAI), and Marc Barnes, editor of New Polity, debate whether Catholics should build and use AI chatbots. Barnes argues that Catholic AI chatbots are objectively evil because they generate probabilistic statements about the faith, are irresponsible in their responses, and are inherently fake conversations with non-persons. Sanders argues that Catholics should embrace this new technological development and that there is an openness from the Vatican about the creation of a true artificial intelligence. This debate is hosted by Edmund Mitchell of the Faith and AI Project. Check out Faith and AI Projects's other podcasts here: https://faithandaiproject.com/podcastThis debate has also occurred in writing. Barnes’s initial article “Delete Magisterium AI” can be found here: https://newpolity.com/blog/delete-mag.... Sanders’s response is here: https://www.longbeard.com/blog/respon.... Finally, Barnes’s second response is here: https://newpolity.com/blog/broken-ble....Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! https://newpolity.com/magazine Check out our books! https://newpolity.com/press Read more: https://newpolity.com/essays

The book has long been the place of completed thought, able to incorporate previous work and advance new thought. That is going away. AI generation is polluting the discourse; leading to a state where all "new" publications are, in fact, summarized AI restatements of the previous state of the question. In this podcast, Marc Barnes and Andrew Willard Jones discuss the effects of AI on the the technology of the books, and how a literate culture persists. Subscribe to New Polity Magazine!: https://newpolity.com/magazineRegister for New Polity's 2026 Conference! https://newpolity.com/2026Help us make more: visit https://www.newpolity.com/donate

We are excited to announce New Polity's 2026 conference: Man, Woman, Tyrant, Slave. Learn more and register at https://newpolity.com/2026The sixth annual New Polity conference aims to refute bad ideas concerning marriage and sexual difference; to debate the metaphysics of man and woman; to argue for a profound continuity between the order of man and woman and the political and cosmic order as a whole; to shed a light on the tyranny-destroying potential of marriage; and, in sum, to rediscover the mystery and purpose of sexual difference as revealed by the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. In this podcast, Marc Barnes and Andrew Willard Jones discuss the relation of man and woman, the metaphysical implications, and the conference.

Technology has given an untrained humanity unprecedented power over itself. Peter Berkman, following Marshall McLuhan and Romano Guardini, argues that the "digital world" has rapidly replaced other modes of human interaction, and AI presents a rapid acceleration of that movement. In this podcast, Marc Barnes and Peter Berkman discuss this development and the Christian response. Subscribe to New Polity Magazine by Oct 13th to receive Issue 6.2/3 on Artificial Intelligence! Peter is a member of the band Anamanaguchi. Check out their new album "Anyway": Check out Peter’s essay "Will There Be an AI Apocalypse?"

We are happy to announce the next issue of New Polity Magazine, dedicated specifically to Artificial Intelligence! Featuring essays by Matthew Crawford, Slavoj Žižek, D. C. Schindler, Michael Hanby, Andrew Willard Jones, and many more. Subscribe by October 1st to receive this issue! https://newpolity.com/magazine. Alex Denley and Marc Barnes discuss the Christian response to AI, how to safeguard human freedom, and AI as a new industrial revolution. Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! https://newpolity.com/magazine. Check out our books: https://newpolity.com/press Read our essays: https://newpolity.com/essays.

In honor of the passing of the Pope, Marc Barnes and Reuben Slife discuss the life of Francis and the theology which he embodied: the theology of peoples. They also discuss Rocco Buttiglione's new book Modernity's Alternative and how Latin America formed the Pope's pastoral life and mission.Modernity's Alternative is now available for order.Registration is still open for the New Polity Conference!Subscribe to New Polity MagazineRead more: Our essaysJoin the conversation on our Discord

Registration is open for New Polity Conference 2025! In this podcast, Marc Barnes and Alex Denley discuss Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's book "The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood." What is distinct about the brotherhood of Christians? Are there different ethical modes of acting to the brother and the non-brother? How does this impact our understanding of peoples and Christianity? The book is available from Ignatius press Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! Join the conversation on our Discord Read more of New Polity