Shock radio? Catholic social teaching takes to the air (and net) waves

Salt shakers
January 2007

Shock radio? Catholic social teaching takes to the air (and net) waves
What do a Rabbi, three Muslim women from Iraq, an Episcopal minister, and a Catholic nun have in common? One sure answer is that all have been recent featured guests on an innovative new radio program that aims to inform listeners on contemporary topics of social justice while calling forth a response to those issues.

Tune in now!

Provoke Radio airs every Sunday from Baltimore, addressing real issues—from homelessness down the street in Baltimore to the horrors of the genocide in Darfur—through the lens of faith. The show also promotes ecumenical dialogue, as guests hail from a variety of religious traditions.

“Ninety percent of our time is spent discussing pressing social and economic issues,” said Father Steve Spahn, S.J., the host of Provoke Radio. “Guests of diverse faith backgrounds are asked to reference their faith and how it motivates action, but we’re not into splitting theological hairs.”

The goal, according to Spahn, is to inspire people to take action. At the end of each broadcast he asks every guest to tell listeners something one person might do to respond to the relevant issue.

Provoke Radio has boasted numerous prominent guest, including Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man Walking,” and Father William Byron, S.J., former president of the Catholic University of America, as well as international political figures and religious leaders.

But the broadcast also highlights those people who “walk the talk, who the powerful and established media rarely focus on,” said Claire Hartman, the show’s producer. An October program featured Jill Wrigley and her husband Michael Sarbanes, both lawyers who have chosen to make their home in the inner city of Baltimore. While striving to serve as a resource for their neighborhood, the couple has adopted three children from Ethiopia.

“All the shows want to inspire,” Spahn said. “These types of shows also seek to nurture by showing people that there are folks out there who are persevering.”

Provoke Radio audience continues to grow throughout the United States. The show airs in Baltimore, San Francisco, Santa Clara and St. Louis, and partnerships with radio outlets in New York are pending, and all broadcasts are accessible through the show’s website, www.provokeradio.com. Downloadable Podcasts are also available.

Provoke Radio also airs twice weekly on Saturdays and Sundays on SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s new Catholic Channel, 159.—John Ceclentani

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