What Matters Most
Oct 19, 2026
Podcast launches new series exploring Christian nationalism
Hosted by Dr. John Martens, the What Matters Most podcast has built an international audience spanning Canada, the United States, Vatican City, Indonesia, Spain, Germany, Malta, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, and beyond.
The podcast focuses on listening to people and engaging thoughtfully with the big questions of religion, spirituality, and human experience.
Produced through the Centre for Christian Engagement at St. Mark’s College at UBC, the podcast welcomes listeners from all backgrounds. While rooted in a Catholic academic setting, its conversations extend beyond any single faith tradition.
The new Christian Nationalism series reflects the podcast’s commitment to exploring complex issues through dialogue. According to Dr. Martens, the project seeks not only to examine the movement itself but also to explore its broader social, political, and religious implications.
“Part of our task too is to understand its attraction: what does it point to? What are the positives that people who desire Christian nationalism want? What does it offer them that they are missing? Why did it emerge now?” Martens explains.
The series will also broaden the conversation by examining how Christian Nationalism affects people from other faith traditions and those outside religious communities altogether.
“How does this impact people of other faiths? How is their place in a democracy understood by Christian nationalists? What do Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, indigenous peoples, and those with no particular faith, inclusive of all others, feel about Christian nationalism?” asks Martens.
The podcast series represents the first phase of a larger multi-year initiative that will include podcasts, webinars, and public lectures. These efforts will culminate in an international and ecumenical conference in 2028, bringing together scholars, religious leaders, and community members to engage in dialogue about Christian Nationalism at the Cross Purposes: Christianity and Nationalism conference on the St. Mark’s at UBC campus.
At its core, What Matters Most remains committed to its founding mission: listening carefully, learning from diverse voices, and fostering conversations that help people better understand one another.
Check out recent podcast episodes
To listen to the podcast, visit your favourite podcast site and search for What Matters Most by John W. Martens.
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This article was originally published in the 2026 edition of A Year in Review. For more stories like this about the Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s College community, read the full publication at the link below.
