Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 23 and the three attitudes toward salvation revealed at the crucifixion. The rulers and soldiers claim Jesus must save Himself. The first criminal admits his need for salvation but still thinks Jesus must save Himself first. Only the good thief understands who Jesus is, turning to Him simply and humbly: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”J...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.ectplus.org On this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology Podcast , Gideon Barr speaks with Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., about the history of casuistry—its roots in the seminary, its limits, and how Veritatis Splendor and St. Thomas Aquinas renew moral theology by returning to Christ, virtue, and the life of grace.

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 21 and the striking truth that we can speak with Jesus—and even discuss what He speaks about—yet still miss Him. In the Gospel, people focus on the temple’s beauty and signs instead of the Savior before them. So too in prayer, we can become absorbed by circumstances rather than by Christ Himself. Jesus never loses sight of His mission, our salvation, and th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.ectplus.org In this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology podcast, Fr. Romanus Cesario, O.P., reflects on his Dominican formation before Vatican II and his lifelong teaching career. He discusses how Catholic theology shifted in the areas of moral theology, the sacraments, and ecumenism, and why renewal depends on returnin...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 2 and Jesus driving the money changers from the temple. Far from mere anger, this moment reveals the true economy of divine worship. We often approach God with a spirit of exchange—offering prayers or promises in return for blessings—but Jesus overturns every form of spiritual bartering. In the economy of salvation, God gives 100% of Himself and invites us...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 6 and Jesus’ words: “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life.” Salvation is not partial—it is the redemption of the whole person, body and soul. Seeing Christ is not mere sight, but the union of knowing and being known, faith leading to communion. In this life, we see through faith; in heaven,...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 18 and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee prays to himself, comparing his goodness to others, while the tax collector simply cries out for mercy. In truth, salvation does not come through comparison or self-justification. We are not saved by being “good people,” but by receiving God’s mercy in humility. The one who looks to Jesu...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 18 and the parable of the persistent widow and the dishonest judge. Jesus teaches the necessity of praying always, but the parable ultimately reveals something deeper about Him. The true parallel is not between God and the judge, but between Jesus and the widow—both are those who come. Jesus continually comes before the Father and continually comes for us,...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on 2 Timothy 2 and St. Paul’s profound words, “Such is my gospel, for which I am suffering.” The gospel is not an abstract ideal or distant truth, but a deeply personal reality—my gospel, your gospel. Jesus came not to love us from afar, but to love us from within, to draw us into union with Himself. Every grace, every sacrament, every moment of His saving work is...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 17 and the meaning of supernatural charity. Unlike natural love, which loves because of perceived goodness, charity loves because of God’s goodness, drawing us into the very life of Christ. Jesus reverses the master–servant dynamic: He feeds His disciples with His body and blood, washes their feet, and makes them His friends. The Christian life is not mere...

In this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology podcast, Dr. Timothy Kearns shares his journey from a devout Baptist upbringing to entering the Catholic Church while at UT Austin. His love for Greek and Latin led him to study the Church Fathers and Augustine, eventually writing on De doctrina christiana at the Catholic University of America. No… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 16 and the rich man’s plea for a sign from the dead. Jesus shows that miracles alone cannot compel faith, because faith is a gift received, not a conclusion of reason. Rationalism errs in making human reason the arbiter of supernatural truth, while fideism errs in denying the intelligibility of God’s revelation. True faith rests on Jesus himself, the Eterna...

What is logic, and how is it different from mere thinking? In this edition of In Focus, Dr. Timothy Kearns presents the classical art of reasoning—tracing concepts, propositions, and syllogisms; the parts of logic (demonstration, dialectic, rhetoric, and poetics); and common fallacies—while situating them within Greek, medieval, and modern traditions. F… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 16 and the surprising words of Jesus about dishonest wealth and prudence. The children of this world show shrewdness in passing things, but Christians are called to an even greater order that embraces both temporal and eternal realities. Prudence is right reason in action, the virtue that orders small and great matters alike toward God. To live with prudenc...

In this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology podcast, Dr. Kenneth Kemp reflects on his formation as a Catholic philosopher and his contribution to the series with an article on evolution and the Catholic response to it. He discusses his upbringing in Iowa, studies in Russian and linguistics at Georgetown and the University of Texas, his serv… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 3 and the meaning of salvation in Christ. Jesus is not sent to condemn but to save, and condemnation only arises when we remain apart from Him. To meet Jesus as He truly is means to encounter Him as Savior, open-armed and giving eternal life. Every aspect of our lives is invited into His transforming love. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Wisdom 9 and the Catholic vision of body and soul. The body is not evil, but part of our God-given nature, created to be ordered with the soul toward Him. The Christian life is goodness orientation, a movement of the whole person—body, soul, mind, and heart—toward God who is goodness itself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subs...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 14, where Jesus calls us to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. In the spiritual life, we are all poor and broken, yet the great banquet of Christ is for us. Even our distractions and weaknesses in prayer can become instruments that draw us closer to Him, because Jesus never turns away those who come to Him in need. This is a public epis...

In this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology podcast, Dr. Christopher Kaczor reflects on his formation as a Catholic philosopher and his contribution to the series with an article on moral systems. He discusses his education at Boston College and the University of Notre Dame, the influence of mentors like Peter Kreeft, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Ralph McInerny, and his current work at Loy...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Hebrews 12: Endure your trials as discipline, for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. The Lord is the Master Teacher, Christ the Divine Teacher. There is no part of the Christian life which is not ordered to our holiness. Even sin, even brokenness, even weakness for the Christian has a salvific meaning. Not even our sins can keep us from our Lord, because in th...

What are the major moral systems, and how do they shape today’s ethical debates? In this edition of In Focus, Dr. Christopher Kaczor examines four foundational approaches to ethics—duty-based, consequentialist, nihilist, and virtue ethics—through the thought of Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Tracing the phi… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 12, where Jesus asks: Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Our Lord’s words are so surprising, so shocking, perhaps even scandalous, yet reveal that unity is not true unity unless it’s unity in something. Jesus has come to make Himself the only center of all saving reality, uniting all who are i...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 12, where Jesus warns: You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. But what is most pressing, he says, is not only Christ’s final coming, but the fact that our Lord Jesus comes even now. The Christian life is lived in the perpetual constant now, where God dwells and grace is given. The only place to find Jesus is h...

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Luke 12, where our Lord tells the parable of the rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. In this Gospel passage, Jesus reveals that money and resources can’t make one happy—they are ordered to other things. The Christian is reminded that the truth of the Christian life is a truth... founded in reality, and that sin is not broken rules and broken comman...