December 22, 2025 - Hour 1

Segment 1: Dostoyevsky and the Human PersonIn 1849, Fyodor Dostoyevsky stood before a firing squad fully prepared for death, only to have his sentence revoked at the last moment. But this near brush with death gave him unique credibility for writing about life. Marcus has more.Segment 2: How the Christmas Truce Defied Assumptions of Warfare On Christmas Eve of 1914, the guns of the Great War’s Western Front fell silent. Enemy soldiers left the trenches, crossed the battle lines, and gathered to exchange food and gifts and sing carols. The ceasefire was not planned or sanctioned – it arose from the instincts of exhausted men. It emphasized a universal truth: at each end of the rifle, men were the same. Marcus has more.Segment 3: The Social Character of the Natural Law (2 segments)If we accept the natural law as a law that governs our lives, then it must bind more than one person and coordinate their activity, beginning with its very first principles. We look at the Social character of the natural law with Michael Pakaluk. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com