What is cognitive science of religion? Do the findings of this field count against theism in general? Do they count against classical theism in particular? Dr. Tyler McNabb joins us to discuss the details. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. ...
Apr 18, 2022•49 min•Ep. 190
Pat and John sit down for an episode of office hours to respond to 5 questions from a confirmation student. The questions/objections are: 1) Why create an entire universe for only one planet of life and wait 13 billion years to do so? 2) Why did Jesus ask his disciples to leave their families behind; why not select people without a duty to their spouse? 3) Sure the Church isn’t perfect, but they started hundreds of wars based on religion and killed many dissidents from the faith. 4) Why wait 280...
Apr 11, 2022•1 hr 8 min
How did Jimmy argue for the historical reliability of the Gospels? What made the debate so cordial? How did Jimmy answer some of the main difficulties Ehrman raised? What did Jimmy want to raise in the debate that he was not able to? And is it really plausible that Joseph owned land in two places? Jimmy Akin joins us for a debate debrief to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three p...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 189
What is divine simplicity? How did Josh Sommer get interested in studying it? Why is it an important doctrine for Christians? In this interview, we discuss those topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasis ...
Mar 28, 2022•44 min•Ep. 188
What is the Lord, Liar, Lunatic argument from C.S. Lewis and how has the conversation progressed since he penned it? Do the Synoptic Gospels present a very different Jesus than the Gospel of John? Can we make a plausible, historical case for the resurrection? Dr. Gavin Ortlund joins us to discuss these topics and further discuss his book Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't . The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various gue...
Mar 22, 2022•37 min•Ep. 187
Who wrote the Gospels? Are the Gospels historically reliable? Is there any good evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus? Dana Harper, the atheist who reviewed John's book One Less God Than You , joins him for a part II discussion on Jesus and the Gospels. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah a...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 186
What is the privation theory of evil? How does it account for the positive reality of physical pain? Harrison Jennings joins us to explore this thorny issue. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasis on the first pillar, ...
Mar 07, 2022•41 min
What is the aloneness argument against classical theism? How can classical theists respond to it? Could the God of classical theism have refrained from creating? If he so refrained, would he know that he didn't create? Dr. W. Matthews Grant and Dr. Timothy Pawl join the podcast to help sort out these issues. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 185
Why were many baptisms recently deemed invalid? Isn't the Church being legalistic to say the sacrament hangs on the mere change of one word? Isn't this just a silly teaching? Dr. Lawrence Feingold joins us to explain and unpack the Church's theology of baptism and to answer questions about the "I" vs. "We" issue. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) th...
Feb 26, 2022•37 min
Was justification understood as an exclusively legal term up until Augustine's time? Did St. Augustine mistakenly translate justification because he did not know Greek? Is there evidence in the early Church that justification can be understood in transformational as well as legally? Dr. Matthew J. Thomas joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Ca...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 184
Will the Catholic Church ever change some of its fundamental teachings? How did the Church change its messaging and posture after Vatican II? Is the doctrine of Hell still a teaching of the Church? How should Catholics think about universalism, annihilationism, and hopeful universalism? What do we make of the idea that Hans Urs that we may dare to hope for universal salvation? Dr. Christopher J. Malloy joins us to discuss these topics as we consider his recent book False Mercy . The Classical Th...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 21 min
How does theism fare against atheism in terms of the theoretical virtue of simplicity? Why should simpler theories be privileged? How does Kenny Pearce respond to Graham Oppy in their recent debate book? Is the fine-tuning argument relevant in these debates? Pat Flynn & Jim Madden join the show for an office hours crossover to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pi...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 40 min
Can we truly claim the early Church was Catholic? Did major doctrines develop over time? Is there sufficient evidence that Christians of the earliest centuries actually held to Catholic beliefs? Don't several statements in the Didache, Tertullian, and others count against the Catholic position? Joe Heschmeyer joins us to discuss these topics and more as we explore his latest book: The Early Church Was the Catholic Church . The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in c...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 183
What is the book of Deuteronomy and how is it situated in salvation history? What does the book teach us about the nature of God? If Deuteronomy 18 prohibits communication with the dead, then how can Catholics legitimately pray to saints? How can we understand the seemingly harsh punishments described by the law? Biblical scholar Curtis Mitch joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various g...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 182
Does Aquinas hold that God is merciful? How can we say that the God of classical theism is merciful when he is immutable and timeless? What is the distinction made by Thomists between simple perfections and mixed perfections? Can we actually think of God as "most passionate" and what does this mean? Ryan Hurd rejoins the show to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pill...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 181
Who was Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen? Why is his work important? How did Sheen highlight the "power and efficacy" of the sacraments? What does Sheen highlight about the Eucharist and marriage? Allan Smith joins us to discuss these topics and the recently edited book Archbishop Sheen's Book of Sacraments .
Jan 30, 2022•46 min
How should we understand the Third Way of St. Thomas Aquinas? What is going on with Aquinas' argumentation in the De Ente Ch. 4? Dr. John Knasas weighs in on these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasi...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 180
Who is Dr. John F.X. Knasas? How did he get interested in studying St. Thomas Aquinas at such a deep level? What is metaphysics? What does it mean to be an existential Thomist? How can we understand the Third Way of St. Thomas Aquinas from the standpoint of existential Thomism? Is it possible to establish the real distinction between essence and esse in creatures prior to arguing for God as the Primary Cause? Dr. John F.X. Knasas joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Po...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 180
How has humanity revolted against reality from creation to the present day? In his new book, Gary Michuta canvasses many centuries and important episodes to show the consequences of Christological, ecclesiological, epistemological, and social revolts. He joins the show to discuss his newest work Revolt Against Reality . The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview:...
Jan 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Why does Matthew start his Gospel with a genealogy? What is the importance of genealogies to Gospel readers? How does the first verse of Matthew's Gospel set the stage for the entire work? How can we explain the differences between Matthew and Luke's genealogies? Why does Luke's genealogy include so many more names? Sal Ciresi joins the podcast to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend ...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 179
Pat Flynn and I discuss our contributions to a recent book paying tribute to Dr. Peter Kreeft. The book is titled Wisdom and Wonder and you can get it here >> https://amzn.to/3eQNP5B The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong...
Jan 06, 2022•47 min
Would you like to join the CT Research Team ? I'm looking for people to assist with the research behind the Classical Theism Podcast. If you're interested in this, please head over to the following link and fill out the application: www.classicaltheism.com/research
Jan 03, 2022•12 min
Is there a God? What contingency argument did Kenneth Pearce defend in a recent debate book with Graham Oppy? How does Pearce understand classical theism ? Does theism explain more than atheism can? We cover these topics and more as we examine Dr. Kenneth Pearce's arguments in Is There a God?: A Debate . The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of ...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 178
What are the "dark passages" of Scripture? Why can't Catholics simply shrug them off as primitive mistakes made by ancient writers? Why is it important to remember God as Teacher, Judge, and Savior? Does God kill people? Does God order people to kill people? Is the Bible a pro-slavery book? Does Scripture support polygamy? Also, can Catholics benefit from the English Standard Version of the Bible? Dr. Mark Giszczak joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to d...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 177
What is the real meaning of Christmas? Dr. Michael Barber joins us to discuss his recent book on the topic. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasis on the first pillar, defending classical theism, drawing upon the work ...
Dec 23, 2021•53 min
Why should we believe in God? How can putting arguments in a "narrative frame" help us make a better case? What advantages does Christianity have over naturalism? Was Albert Einstein an atheist? How do music, math, and love point to God's existence? Is Dr. Ortlund a classical theist? Dr. Gavin Ortlund joins us to discuss these questions and more as we take a look at his new book Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't . The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in ...
Dec 20, 2021•55 min•Ep. 176
Why did Dustin Quick convert to Islam? What sparked his conversion to Christianity? Why did he eventually embrace Catholicism? What arguments and considerations did he find most persuasive? Dustin Quick, the host of the YouTube Channel Holy Smokes, joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical thei...
Dec 17, 2021•38 min
What is the false spirit of Vatican II and how can we articulate a true spirit of Vatican II? Should Catholics support Ad Orientam or Versus Populum in the sacred liturgy? What should we think about the use of the word "subsists" in the document Lumen Gentium? Did Pope St. John Paul II kiss the Quran and what follows from this? Fr. Blake Britton joins us to discuss these and further questions about Vatican II. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. ...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 175
If God is the cause of everything, does he also cause sin? Why does Aquinas say that God causes the act of sin? Is it plausible that moral evil is a privation? How do you respond to common objections to the privation view of evil? If one rejects a popular free-will defense, then how can we answer the problem of evil? Dr. W. Matthews Grant joins the show for a part 2 interview on these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of v...
Dec 13, 2021•58 min•Ep. 174
The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the Catholic Christian worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasis on the first pillar, defending classical theism, drawing upon the work of Thomistic philosopher Dr. Edward Feser and many others. John DeRosa www.classicaltheism.com/support Check...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 11 min
