Robert George on how to disagree and remain spiritually grounded

Robert George on how to disagree and remain spiritually grounded

From The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J. by America Media

June 2, 2026 · 57 min

About this episode

Robert George discusses the importance of dialogue and his faith journey with host James Martin, S.J.

The American legal scholar and public intellectual, Professor Robert George, joins host James Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to talk about the practice of dialogue in the church and society, as well as his own rich faith journey. Raised in the heart of Appalachia, West Virginia, by his Syrian Antiochian Orthodox father and Italian Catholic mother, Robert’s childhood was solidly rooted in faith and inspired by the moral heroism of his father. In addition to his extensive professional accomplishments, including as the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, Professor George has long modeled civil dialogue with his friend and fellow interlocutor, Professor Cornel West. Timecodes: 0:00 Building trust for challenging conversations 5:27 Robert George’s Orthodox and Catholic “mixed” religious upbringing 9:14 The impact of a father’s relationship with God 13:45 Robert’s father’s act of heroism 22:28 What Jane Austen’s characters can teach us about God’s ways 24:30 Praying slowly with attention 35:15 How Robert’s dialogues with Dr. Cornel West began 45:20 You’ll only allow someone you trust to challenge your deeply held beliefs 48:12 Audience…

People in this episode

Host: James Martin, S.J.

Guest: Robert George

Topics covered

  • dialogue
  • faith journey
  • civil discourse
  • religious upbringing
  • moral heroism

Keywords

  • dialogue
  • faith
  • Robert George
  • James Martin
  • civil discourse
  • religious upbringing
  • heroism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Princeton University

Places: Appalachia, West Virginia

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