In a galaxy far, far away - the Star Wars Universe - the Jedi are an order of warriors, politicians, and mystics, who, at a glance, draw a remarkable likeness to some Catholic religious orders.

On this episode of Can Anyone Tell Me, University of St. Thomas-Houston student Edgardo Giron asks, "If the Jedi Order was a Catholic religious order, which one would they be?"

Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller talks with Dr. Thomas Harmon, UST Scanlan Foundation Chair of Theology, Director of the Masters in Evangelization and Culture program, and Associate Director of Catholic Studies, about just that - Jedi and Catholic religious orders.

In their conversation, they dig into the similarities and differences between Catholic religious and Jedi including their acts of service, healing, and obedience. Dr. Harmon describes how each understand detachment and the role of community. They also look at some specific Jedi and try to pair them with a real-life religious order. All in all, they talk about why conversations about where theology and culture meet matter.

Learn more about Dr. Harmon https://downtime.stthom.edu/Faculty/Faculty-Directory.aqf?Faculty_ID=00131328

Laughter is part of the human experience, baked into our DNA, explored for thousands of years, from the ancient Greek playwrights to our standup comics of today.

On this episode of a new series by MAX Studios, Can Anyone Tell Me, Abi Bielstein asks "Is laughter what makes us human?". Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller is our guide into this complex question.

Dr. Shivas Amin, associate professor of Biology at University of St. Thomas (UST), talks about whether laughter sets us apart from other animals or what he thinks sets humans apart from a biological perspective.

Then Fr. Dempsey Rosales Acosta, professor of Theology at UST, talks about what our laughter and humor reveals about our nature and how God created us in His image.

How many times a day do you look something up online? But how do you know you’re getting the right answer? Or the context you need to really understand? Can Anyone Tell Me a new show from MAX Studios is here to help.

In each episode we’ll ask an expert to answer questions, big and small. Questions like

“Is laughter what makes us human?”

“If the Jedi Order were a Catholic religious order, which would they be?”

“How do I deal with toxic work culture?”

And more.

So subscribe to the feed to get answers to questions you’ve always wondered about or you didn’t even know you have coming soon on Can Anyone Tell Me from MAX Studios