A Catechism of the Strange with W. Tyler Allen

Catholicism is full of weird things. I’m talking about venerating the bones of saints or the bodies of saints that refuse to decay. Or the stigmata, the wounds of Christ showing up on our bodies. I’m talking about bilocation and trippy dreams and Eucharistic hosts that start to bleed.

You know: weird things.

Too often, we dismiss these phenomena. We put our heads down and go about our neat and tidy religious practices. We don’t like things that don’t have logical, rational answers. Except, we confess a Christ who rose from the dead and a God who is present in all things and the literal body and blood of Jesus present at each and every Mass.

So, if we’re being honest, the strange stuff is kind of the heart of the whole religion. And that means, we need to lean into it. We need wrestle with it. We need to step forward to meet the God who is present therein, beckoning us to find within the strange and the unusual the Spirit speaking. Because that which is weird and unexplainable? Well, that means the only answer is God. And we would do well to listen.

That’s in large part the mission of today’s guest. W. Tyler Allen is the host of the podcast “St. Anthony’s Tongue,” where he explores mysticism, saints and the strange beauty of God and the Catholic tradition. He lives at the intersection of theology and wonder. And he’s written a great new book from Loyola Press, “The Catechism of the Strange: Stigmata, Relics and the Miracles That Shape the Soul.”

If you’ve ever found yourself drawn to the stranger corners of our faith or just want an introduction to help you make sense of it all, this is the book for you.

Visit his website: https://www.stanthonystongue.com/ Subscribe to his Substack: https://stanthonystongue.substack.com/ Buy his book: https://store.loyolapress.com/a-catechism-of-the-strange