Forms Podcast

Following the primary election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, we discuss the Democratic Socialists of America and its upcoming National Convention with a member of its Marxist Unity Group and candidate for national leadership, Cliff Connolly. Central to our discussion is the notion of programmatic unity and a radical left orientation to 21st century political struggle.

We consider the “Fighting Socialist” program we discussed, and the “Carnation” program it competes with in some detail.

We discuss John's art, his dissertation, “Communication & Control”, his “Theses on Punk Rock”, and briefly his “Fifteen Suppositions”. We also discuss Alain Badiou, Gilles Deleuze, Theodor Adorno, Michael Pisaro, Jacob Taubes, Simone Weil, Georges Bataille, Sergii Bulgakov, David Bentley Hart, Jordan Daniel Wood, St. Isaac of Nineveh, Jean-Phillipe Rameau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and more.

How should we understand Marx's union of socialism and republicanism?

Bruno Leipold of the London School of Economics discusses his new book, Citizen Marx available from Princeton University Press.

You can also read my review over at the New International.

How should christians respond to the present distress?

Pierre-Louis Choquet of Justice et Espérance and Lutte et Contemplation explains why he and his friends are opposing the rise of the French far-right, the stakes for the christian Left, and the hope of a renewed Catholicism in the 21st century.

Why has the European Union made the mediterranean a graveyard?

Featuring Pavlos Rufos: read his article, “A Disaster Foretold”, and his book, A Happy Future is a Thing of the Past.

What does decolonisation mean? Featuring Philippe Blouin, Matt Peterson, and Malek Rasamny: get their book, The Mohawk Warrior Society and read this interview concerning Matt & Malek's film, Spaces of Exception.

What does it mean for Christ to recapitulate human history? Featuring Fr. Jacob Siemens: read his book The Christology of Theodore of Tarsus, and find more of his works at Orthodox Exchange.

What does the Thomas Achord and Stephen Wolfe saga teach us about contemporary American Evangelicalism? Featuring Rev. Benjamin Marsh and Jacob Huneycutt.

How does God relate to the world? Featuring Jordan Daniel Wood: read his book, The Whole Mystery of Christ.

How does God relate to the world? Featuring David Bentley Hart: read his book, You Are Gods: On Nature and Supernature and follow him at Leaves in the Wind.