How Andrew Sullivan experienced God amidst fear and agony

James Martin, S.J., speaks with Andrew Sullivan, the renowned political commentator and Catholic writer, about faith, identity and spiritual transformation in this deeply personal episode of “The Spiritual Life” podcast. Having struggled through the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s, Andrew opens up about the initial fear of gay people in the Catholic Church and the remarkable shift that he believes has taken place over the past few decades.

Chapters

00:00 Who is Andrew Sullivan?

4:20 Homosexuality and the Catholic Church

11:14 State of the LGBTQ movement

15:35 How Pope Francis dispelled fear

21:38 God in the midst of agony

31:31 Andrew's turbulent Catholic life

41:04 Staying rooted spiritually

44:55 Reconciling personal experience in the church

Links:

Fr. Martin's spiritual advice column on this conversation: https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2026/04/27/james-martin-andrew-sullivan-spiritual-life

“The Weekly Dish”: https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/

Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality: https://www.amazon.ca/Virtually-Normal-Argument-about-Homosexuality/dp/0679746145 

Interview: Andrew Sullivan on being openly gay and Catholic by Thomas H. Stahel: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/11/10/vantage-point-america-andrew-sullivan-244119 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices