Gospel Simplicity Podcast

Recently, I visited Church of the Nativity, a cutting-edge Catholic megachurch outside of Baltimore, MD. After I posted the video, the team at Nativity reached out to me and asked if I wanted to learn more about the story of the church and their philosophy. I was thrilled. So, a few weeks ago, I sat down with Tom Corcoran, one of the people behind turning this dying church into one of the fastest...

In this interview, I'm joined by Fr. Ben Crosby, an Episcopal priest and Ph. D. student at McGill university, to discuss the 39 articles, Anglican theology, and how to restore the Episcopal Church to its theological roots. Along the way, Fr. Ben shares the fascinating story of how liberals and conservatives have both opposed the 39 articles, whether "via media" is a good way to desc...

In this interview, I discuss ethics, beauty, and Orthodoxy with Dr. Timothy Patitsas. In doing so, we get to what he sees as the heart of the divide between the Christian East and the Christian West. It's a wide-ranging discussion that had me on the edge of my seat.  Want to support the channel? Here's how! Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity   Make a one-time donation: ht...

n this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Andy Messmer to discuss the Spanish Reformation--which, if you're anything like me, you might have never heard about.  In our wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Messmer shares some of the key figures and ideas that came out of the Spanish Reformation as well as why it ultimately failed to take hold. To understand that, we dive into the Spanish Inquisition as...

In this video I'm joined by Pastor Joshua Schooping to discuss the story of why he joined the Orthodox Church and why he ultimately left Eastern Orthodoxy to become a Lutheran pastor.  In this course of the interview, we tackle questions about the consistency of Eastern Orthodox teaching, penal substitutionary atonement, the state of Orthodoxy in America, and why Lutheranism presented the mos...

Ever since Pew Research put out its Religious Landscape Study, people have been making claims about Christianity making a comeback. Within this, three claims in particular have stood out on the internet:  1. Young people are getting more religious. 2. Young men are becoming more religious. 3. People are flocking to traditional churches.  In this video, we put all those claims to the test as Pew Re...

In this video I'm joined by Javier Perdomo, a former Baptist pastor who became Lutheran and now creates videos about Protestantism on YouTube with special attention given to stories of people who chose traditional Protestantism over Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. You can check out his channel here:  youtube.com/@javierperd2604   Javier's Substack: https://substack.com/@javierpe...

Support the channel: Patreon: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity PayPal: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity In this conversation, Dr. Jordan Daniel Wood discusses the intersection of St. Maximus the Confessor's thought and the concept of universalism. He explores how Maximus's understanding of creation as incarnation challenges traditional views of time and the nature of the incarnatio...

Support the channel: Patreon: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity PayPal: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity In this conversation, Dr. James Prothro discusses the significance of confession in Catholic theology, emphasizing its biblical foundations and the necessity of addressing post-baptismal sin. He explores the relationship between sin, justification, and transformation, highlighting the impo...

In this conversation, Dr. Shane Owens discusses the enduring appeal of Augustine's 'Confessions,' exploring its literary, philosophical, and theological significance. He emphasizes the role of scripture, the nature of sin, and the importance of community and friendship in Augustine's journey. The dialogue also highlights the influence of Monica, Augustine's mother, and the...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Tim Perry to discuss his new book, When Politics Becomes Heresy.  Before you fire off your hot takes in the comment section, the goal of this video is not to call out any individual politicians or to campaign for any given issues (not that there's anything inherently wrong in either of those things, mind you). Rather, in his book, Perry offers an intere...

In this video, I'm joined by Sean Luke, whom I will now refer to as the best apologist for Protestantism you didn't know about (until today). In this discussion, we focus primarily on the arguments for Anglicanism, but in doing so, we touch on some of the key reasons to stay Protestant, even when you might really feel the pull to Rome. Topics include sola apostolica as an alternative to...

In this video, I'm joined by Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers Apologist and author, to discuss my argument for sola scriptura. Leading up to this dialogue, I published a video defending sola scriptura as a theological principle, and Jimmy posted a response. Rather than getting into an endless round of rebuttals, we decided to sit down for a dialogue. My video:    • My Thoughts on Sola Scriptura:...

In this video, I'm joined by Josh Nadeau, author of Room for Good Things to Run Wild, my favorite book I've read this year. And I'll go out on a limb in March to say it'll still be my favorite come December.  Josh and I talk about how the goal of life is to become a saint, how the church should facilitate that, and how goodness, truth, and beauty can lead us to the life we were...

In this video, I'm joined by Michael Garten to discuss evidence for icon veneration prior to the council of Nicaea. We talk about signet rings, crosses, and even portrait imagery, as well as what we should do with evidence that seems to point against icon veneration in the early church.  Check out his book: https://amzn.to/4blTb4Y Subscribe to his substack: https://substack.com/@michaelgarten...

In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Brad Littlejohn to discuss political theology and the Reformation. In doing so, we not only discuss how politics shaped the Reformation, but how the Reformation shaped politics. Check out Brad's most recent book: https://amzn.to/4jBvKZm Brad's substack: https://bradlittlejohn.substack.com/ Support the channel: Patreon:   / gospelsimplicity  PayPal: h...

Growing up, Traditionalist Catholicism (FSSP) was Kevin's whole life, which to many of you, might sound like paradise. After all, many of the people who watch my videos are deeply attracted to the most traditional forms of the Catholic faith. It's easy for me to understand why. Kevin, however, has a different story to share. Rather than finding this form of Catholicism life-giving, it wa...

In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Ephraim Radner to discuss his the paradox of church divisions, ecumenism, and more.  Dr. Radner is one of the foremost experts on ecumenism and church divisions in the West. He has been publishing, teaching, and researching in this area longer than I've been alive, and I was delighted to get to learn from his wisdom. In this video, we discuss what it mean...

In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Steven Nemes to discuss his case for liberal Protestantism.  Dr. Nemes spent years wondering if he needed to become Catholic and leave his Protestant upbringing. He ended up rejecting the claims of the Catholic church. However, he did not stop there. He realized that the nature of his disagreements with Roman Catholicism extended beyond the institution of the...

In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Stuart Murray Williams to discuss Anabaptist history, practice, and outlook in the modern world. We cover topics ranging from sacramental theology to peace-making and what we should think of Emperor Constantine.  You can find his book, The Naked Anabaptist, here: https://amzn.to/4fNG7GC You can find his book, The New Anabaptists, here: https://amzn.to/3Obf8Jv...

After growing up as a passionate Christian, Jared Smith became an atheist in his 20s. And yet, come Sunday morning, you'll probably find him in church.  In this video, Jared Smith and I talk about his popular, "Atheist Church Audit" series in which he visits churches ranging from Catholic cathedrals to sketchy cults and shares his perspective as someone who has walked away form the...

In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Joshua Sijuwade to discuss his formal, philosophical argument from the papacy in which he seeks to establish the papacy on a priori grounds.  Check out the paper: https://philarchive.org/rec/SIJTPA Support the channel: Patreon: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity PayPal: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity Support the show

In this video, I'm joined by once again by Dr. Barnabas Aspray, a man who has quickly become one of my favorite Catholic thinkers and a dear friend. Barney has a knack both for asking penetrating questions and giving thoughtful answers that go beyond polemics.  In this special in-person episode, we talk extensively St. John Henry Newman's theory of doctrinal development, my concerns abou...

In this video, I'm joined by one of the most prolific Catholic scholars of our time, Dr. Matthew Levering, to discuss his recent book, Why I am Roman Catholic. Through this conversation, we cover topics ranging from ecclesiology to the Assumption of Mary. It's one for the books. Check out the book: https://amzn.to/3N4hklC Support the channel: Patreon:   / gospelsimplicity  PayPal: https:...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Brad East to talk about two critical things: discerning the church and becoming a saint. He has recently published on both of these topics, and is an incredibly insightful man. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  You can find his book, Letters to a Future Saint, here: https://amzn.to/3U9FkHZ You can find his book, The Church: A Guide to the People of God,...