To wrap up our deep dive into the existence of God, in this episode we take a look at the life of St Augustine. St. Augustine is a doctor of the church, and one of the greatest saints in the history of Christianity. But before his conversion, he spent his youth struggling with sin, heresy, vanity, and lust. He was the product of a culture that celebrated male sexual exploits as a sign of status and masculinity, and he felt that happiness was not possible for him without the freedom to satisfy hi...
Jun 24, 2025•44 min
"The fact that people's religion tends to align with the culture and country that they grew up in shows that religion is just a cultural construct" "There are so many hypocritical people who have used religion to abuse others, to start wars, or to seek power. These people undermine the validity of religion." "We no longer need God; science explains everything we need to know." "If God exists, then why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?" In this episode, we wrap up our discussion o...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min
"Atheists don't need to substantiate their position; the burden of proof lies with the theist because they're the one making a positive claim to belief." "God is just something people turn to for comfort." "Atheists just believe in one god fewer than Christians do." "There is no evidence for the existence of God." "If God is good and He loves me, then why is He so difficult to find?" In this episode, we cover some common objections to belief in God. Donate via PayPal Support us o...
May 25, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 93
In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the question: How do we know God exists? Today we will give an overview of various popular arguments for the existence of God, including the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the fine tuning of the universe, William Paley’s Watchmaker Argument, the argument from aesthetic experience, and Pascal’s wager. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c...
May 11, 2025•40 min
In this short, bonus episode, we discuss what a papal conclave looks like. How does voting work? How many votes are needed for someone to be elected pope? Why is the process so secretive? The information in this episode comes from "Universi Dominici Gregis", an apostolic constitution which outlines the prescriptions for papal elections. The full document can be found here . Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: ...
May 03, 2025•12 min
In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the question: How do we know God exists? Today we will wrap up our discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas's Five Ways by analysing the Fourth Way (the argument from gradation/degree) and the Fifth Way (the argument from order). Aquinas' Five Ways are among the most famous arguments for the existence of God, and they have been hugely influential in the history of the Philosophy of Religion. They have also been at times misunderstood and misrepresented, so...
Apr 28, 2025•28 min
Welcome to our deep-dive into the question: How do we know God exists? In this series, we return to the topic of God's existence, which we covered aaall the way back in Episode 2 (!!), and we break it open to explore it more deeply. In this episode, we look at St. Thomas Aquinas's first three 'ways', or arguments for God's existence. These are among the most famous arguments for the existence of God, and they have been hugely influential in the history of the Philosophy of Religion. They have al...
Apr 15, 2025•36 min
Welcome baaaaaaaack it's Season 3! In this season, we're plumbing the depths of Catholicism and the Catechism, doing deep-dives into topics that we have only touched on previously, like the existence of God, the bible, the social doctrine of the church, and theology of the body. In this episode, we round off an exploration of the three theological virtues - Faith, Hope, and Love - which we began in our very first episode, by talking about Love. What is Love? Is it just a feeling? Am I obliged to...
Mar 31, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 89
Happy 2025! Let's talk about Hope! Pope Francis has declared 2025 a jubilee year - a year of reconciliation, healing, and mercy. The theme for this jubilee year is "Pilgrims of Hope." So what does it mean to have Hope? How can we grow in Hope, even when bad things are happening? How can we be signs of Hope to others? We'll also wrap up this episode with a quick update on the next few months for the podcast. References and further reading/listening/viewing: Romans 5Pope Francis, Spes non...
Jan 06, 2025•32 min
What does the "Immaculate Conception" mean? Where do we see evidence of Mary's sinlessness in the Bible? What did the early church fathers have to say about Mary? Why is Mary so important? In this episode, we look at the Catholic church's dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: Genesis 3L...
Dec 09, 2024•32 min
What is a declaration of nullity, and how is it different from divorce? Can the Catholic church ever dissolve a marriage? What factors would render a marriage null? What does the process of annulment involve? In this episode, we look at the often-misunderstood process of annulment. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: M...
Nov 24, 2024•34 min
What's the difference between doctrine and dogma? What's an ecumenical council and how is it different from a synod? What's an encyclical, or an apostolic exhortation, or a papal bull? In this episode, we cover terminology that often comes up in Catholic teaching: DoctrineDogmaEcumenical councilSynodApostolic ConstitutionEncyclicalApostolic ExhortationApostolic LetterMoto ProprioPapal BullVatican Holy SeeReferences and further reading/listening/viewing: Pope Francis, Dilexit Nos Fr Mik...
Nov 11, 2024•32 min
Why does the Catholic church have a pope? What does the pope do? Is he always infallible? Who chooses the pope? What should we do about bad popes? In this episode, we look at how the papacy works. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: Matthew 16John 21Isaiah 22The Catechism of the Catholic Church, pts. 880-887.P...
Oct 28, 2024•39 min
What does the Catholic church teach about angels? How many angels are there? Can they read our minds or see the future? Can I give my guardian angel a name? In this episode we cover the church's teaching on the angels, and tell some stories of the relationship of the saints to their guardian angels. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/liste...
Oct 13, 2024•33 min
Paul and Mary Magdalene were not part of the twelve apostles, but they WERE two incredibly important figures in the early Christian church. They were also both just completely awesome. In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of the apostles with the stories of Saints Paul and Mary Magdalene. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further readin...
Sep 29, 2024•36 min
Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In these episodes, we unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras). Today, we continue with Matthew and John. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: John 1The letter of JudePope Benedict XVI: Addresses on the ApostlesThe Ap...
Sep 15, 2024•31 min
Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In these episodes, we unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras). Today, we continue with Matthew and John. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: The Gospel of JohnMatthew Chapter 9Mark Chapter 3Luke Chapter 5Pope Benedict XV...
Sep 01, 2024•30 min
Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In these episodes, we unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras). Today, we continue with four apostles: Andrew, Philip, and the two Jameses. Donate via PayPal Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: John Chapter 1John Chapter 6John Chapter 12Ac...
Aug 18, 2024•25 min
Who were the apostles? What were their lives like? What do we know about them? In the next few episodes, we're going to unpack the lives of the apostles (plus a couple of bonus extras), beginning with this episode on Simon Peter. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/vie...
Aug 04, 2024•26 min
In this life, are we supposed to suffer or to be happy? Why does God allow us to suffer? Is suffering compatible with joy? In this episode, we explore the mystery of suffering. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: Colossians 1:24John Chapter 16Galatians Chapte...
Jul 21, 2024•36 min
Did Jesus always know that he was God, or did he acquire that knowledge at some point during his childhood or adolescence? Were there things that Jesus didn't know when he was on earth? Did he know what was going to happen in the future? Was Jesus ever tempted to sin, or to despair? In this episode, we discuss the incredible mystery of the hypostatic union: Jesus as fully God and fully human. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Pa...
Jul 07, 2024•26 min
Every. Single. Mass. Is a miracle. Eucharistic miracles remind us of that fact. In this episode, we discuss four amazing incidents, three of which occurred in the last thirty years. In each of these miracles, a communion host transformed into human tissue: specifically, into tissue taken from a living human heart that was in agony. Each of these miraculous hosts has been rigorously scientifically tested, often by scientists who had no idea where the samples they were testing had come from. ...
Jun 16, 2024•26 min
Pope Francis has just announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis is going to be the first millenial saint. Carlo Acutis was an ordinary teenager who died suddenly at the age of 15. He was known for his love of God, and in particular for his love for Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist. Carlo loved soccer, animals, nutella, gaming, and coding. His exhibition on Eucharistic miracles is still touring the world, and his website is still available today. In this episode, we discuss the life of...
Jun 02, 2024•32 min
If the point of my faith is to set me free, why are there so many things I *have* to do as a Catholic? What should I do when I feel like I'm doing things because I have to and not because I want to? What's the difference between being free and doing whatever I want? In this episode, we discuss interior freedom. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www...
May 12, 2024•30 min
Does everyone have a vocation? How do I know what my vocation is? Can I say no to God's call? What if I make the wrong choice? In this episode, we discuss what it means to live out our call to holiness and apostolate in a unique, personal way. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further readin...
Apr 21, 2024•30 min
St. Gianna Beretta Molla was born in 1922. As a young woman, she wanted to be a missionary but eventually saw that God was calling her to marriage and family life. She became a pediatrician, and she and her husband Pietro had three children. They lived a full and joyful life. When she was pregnant with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a benign tumour in her uterus. After refusing any treatment that would take the life of her child, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, before dying o...
Apr 07, 2024•30 min
What's an indulgence? How do I obtain one? Is it true that the Catholic church sold indulgences in the past? In this episode, we wrap up our discussion on penance and contrition in the lead-up to Holy Week. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: Catechism of the...
Mar 24, 2024•24 min
What should I say in the confessional? What happens if I forget one of my sins, or forget to say my penance? Can non-Catholics go to confession? This episode is a practical guide for going to confession. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: The Catechism of ...
Mar 10, 2024•28 min
What are the origins of Lent? Do I have to give something up? Why is there no mass on Good Friday? How long does the Easter season last? (Hint: ages) In this episode, we discuss the Lenten and Easter Seasons. Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2 Support us on Patreon! Contact the podcast: [email protected]. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/ References and further reading/listening/viewing: Catholic Ency...
Feb 25, 2024•28 min
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) How does the Catholic church dialogue with other faiths and denominations without compromising on the truth? Why is it important to have friends who don't share my beliefs? How can I be genuinely open to others' opinions without becoming relativistic? In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of unity and diversity by discussing evangelisation, ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, and apostolate. Support us on Patreon! Contact t...
Feb 11, 2024•32 min
