Synod Report: The Abuse of Language leads to the Abuse of Power

Reading the documents from the recent Synod on Synodality, you may find yourself wondering who the intended audience is. They certainly don’t seem to be written to the “people in the pew.” The jargon is so thick that the only possible audience could be other bureaucrats. Dr. Randall Smith joins us.Further ReadingAbuse of Language, Abuse of Power in the ChurchTruth Isn’t a Focus GroupGuest InfoRandall B. Smith holds the J. Michael Miller Endowed Chair of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. His books include Bonaventure’s Journey of the Soul into God: Background and Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2024), From Here to Eternity: Reflections on Death, Immortality, and the Resurrection of the Body (Emmaus Press, 2022), Aquinas, Bonaventure, and the Scholastic Culture of Medieval Paris: Preaching, Prologues, and Biblical Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2021), Reading the Sermons of Thomas Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide (Emmaus Press, 2016). His next book, Mapping Bonaventure’s Itinerarium: Context and Commentary, is due out from Emmaus Press this summer. 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