Classical Theism Podcast

Lydia McGrew joins the show again to defend the reliability and historicity of John's Gospel. In part 2, she tackles the objection that Jesus sounds  too different in John's Gospel compared to the Synoptics. Therefore, critics allege, John must have highly edited, adapted, and revised the words of Jesus. Also, we discuss why the evidence supports the traditional authorship that the Beloved Discipl...

Is the Pope worth defending? What should we think of his controversial statement, "Who am I to judge?" What about the proper understanding of  Amoris Laetitia ? Is the "Pachamama incident" a black mark on the Francis Pontificate? Dr. Robert Fastiggi joins the show to discuss these issues.  The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of variou...

Professor Kevin Gutzman discusses his new book  The Jeffersonians.  I ask him what we should think about those who want to cancel the legacy of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe due to their involvement in slavery. We also discuss the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase.  Consider this a  special bonus episode for those interest in U.S. History. I also announce this year's BIG Xmas/New Year's...

We discuss the Essence/Energies distinction and how it is similar/different from how Aquinas thinks about Divine Simplicity. Also, a special thanks to Jack Boczar of the CT Research team for his help in preparing for this episode. 

Jake Buscher joins the podcast to explain and defend St. Thomas Aquinas's 4th way to God's existence. Jake thinks the argument is valid and sound. He explains the premises and defends it against several objections.  Support the Classical Theism Podcast: One-time donations: www.classicaltheism.com/contribute Monthly contributions: www.classicaltheism.com/support Hop on the email list to learn about...

We look at the traditional authorship and meaning of the book of Isaiah. 

I sat down with Jimmy Akin to debrief his recent debate on Capturing Christianity against  The Other Paul . The debrief is also available in video format at www.youtube.com/jimmyakin 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...

Who are the "Four More Witnesses" that give insight into the early Church? Why is Origen such an important figure and why are his contributions sometimes qualified? Who was Clement of Alexandria and why are his writings important? How old did Irenaeus think Jesus was? Rod Bennett joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation....

How might a philosophical Thomist analyze the problem of evil? Why is evil and suffering so debilitating in the lives of many such as Rachel in the Old Testament? What should we think about the work of Fr. Brian Davies and Dr. Eleonore Stump on the problem of evil? Dr. John Knasas joins us to discuss these topics.  In this episode, he focuses his comments on the work of two other prominent Thomist...

How might a philosophical Thomist analyze the problem of evil? Why is evil and suffering so debilitating in the lives of many such as Rachel in the Old Testament? What should we think about the work of Fr. Brian Davies and Dr. Eleonore Stump on the problem of evil? Dr. John Knasas joins us to discuss these topics.  The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversatio...

Is Pascal's Wager still defensible today? Is it even possible to take Pascal's wager if we don't have willful control over what we believe? Supposing we can take the wager, ought we to do so? Is it rational to choose a belief for practical reasons and not merely evidential reasons? Dr. Liz Jackson joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian idea...

What is beauty? How can we define it? Is beauty merely in the eye of the beholder? How should with think about God's beauty? How can there be such a thing as 'divine beauty' if divine simplicity is true? Dr. Samuel G. Parkison joins us 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 pill...

What are the sacraments? Why do Catholics add sacraments to the simple faith of the New Testament? Do sacraments constitute an earning of salvation? How does a new ITC document shed light on these ideas? Michael Gormley joins us 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 pillars of t...

What does the Catholic Church teach about justification? Is faith the only thing necessary for salvation? Are we saved by our own works? What are the similarities between the Catholic and Lutheran positions? What should Catholics think about Paul's assertion in Romans 7 that sin dwells in him? Dr. Christopher J. Malloy joins us to discuss these topics and his book False Mercy . The Classical Theis...

Does the God of classical theism exist? What metaphysical arguments has Dr. Koons been working on as of late? Does the passage of time itself point to a purely actual cause of time's flow? Dr. Robert Koons joins us 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 pillars of the Catholic Ch...

What is the so-called "psychological analogy" and what is its role in Trinitarian theology? What is the filioque? Why should we affirm the filioque? Is there a path forward for discussing this issue with Eastern Orthodox Christians? Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P. joins the podcast to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the...

How can the parable of the sower teach us about the different audiences that need the new evangelization? What do young people need most by way of apologetics and evangelization? What should give us hope as a Church at this point in time? Fr. Blake Britton joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of variou...

What is the Magisterium? How should we argue for the magisterium as Catholics? What should we keep in mind for conversations with Protestants about the magisterium? How will conversations with Eastern Orthodox Christians differ? Also, what should we think about the possibility of magisterial reversals? Michael Lofton joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Cat...

Who was Balthasar and why is he an important 20th-century theologian? What did he teach about Christ's descent to hell? What good do we find in his theology? Why are some of his ideas problematic? Did he hold to a doctrine of divine impassibility? Dr. Joshua Brotherton joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the h...

Does evolution conflict with Christianity? How does the thought of Benedict XVI help us navigate the questions concerning evolution? How should we interpret the creation accounts in the Bible? Why are these issues so pressing in our day? Dr. Matthew Ramage joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of variou...

Does classical theism have a principled advantage over Oppy's naturalism? Why think there is only one first cause? Do arguments in favor of God's unity conflict with Trinitarianism? Enric Gel joins us 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 pillars of the Catholic Christian worldv...

What is the strong view of divine immutability that Karlo is defending in his doctoral dissertation? How can we analyze the famous Matthew 16:18 passage and identify "the rock"? Does Revelation 12 lend support to Catholic belief in the bodily assumption of Mary? Karlo Broussard joins the podcast to discuss these topics as we also look at his new book  Meeting the Protestant Response.  The Classica...

In this latest edition of office hours, Pat and John sit down to present some of their recent research. They discuss three topics: 1) that composite things need a cause, 2) Catholic views on Adam and Eve, and 3) a new take on the problem of evil. Pat Flynn advances sophisticated arguments for an ancient principle that all composite things require a cause. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defen...

What is the best way to make a pro-life case? How can we answer the difficult scenario of a young woman seeking abortion in the case of rape? What should we think about bodily autonomy arguments? Dr. Christopher Kaczor joins us to engage these topics as we discuss his new book The Ethics of Abortion (3rd Edition) .  The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversati...

What is Sacred Theology? Who was Msgr. Joseph Clifford Fenton? What distinctions does he make in his work on Sacred Theology? Can atheists do Sacred Theology? What role does typology play in Sacred Theology? Fr. Cajetan Cuddy joins us 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 pillar...