FORMED Book Club

Fr. Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce wrap up Chesterton’s Orthodoxy as well as the Formed Book Club! In two weeks, this iconic trio will join once again to launch the new podcast, Ignatius Press—Off the Shelf. So, stay tuned for more of the same great content, and for now, enjoy their discussion of Christianity as guardian of liberty, innovation, and advancement. You can find new episodes h...

Monism, pantheism, Arianism, and determinism are often considered the hallmarks of free thought, but Chesterton argues that they are actually not liberal at all. In fact, these ideologies lead to tyranny, slavery, and close-mindedness. Join Fr. Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce discuss how only through Christ can be come to true freedom and happiness. Support the show

Join Fr. Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce as they discuss why happiness on this earth requires a fixed standard, a composite design, and a state of watchfulness. For Chesterton, the nature of this happiness requires a good Christian to always be in a state of revolution, not because he seeks to do away with the old, but to return to the old—to the goodness that which God created us before t...

In this episode, Fr. Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce begin chapter seven and reflect on Chesterton’s description of chronological snobbery or the modernist belief that progress and evolution are always good. Chesterton argues that if progress is to be good, it must be aimed at an ideal that is fixed, complex, and maintained with vigilance. Support the show

Is Christianity too bland, too elaborate, somewhere right in the middle, or both extremes? In this episode, Fr. Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce dive into the Chesterton’s paradoxes of Christianity.  Support the show

Wrapping up chapter five and beginning chapter six, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss Christian optimism, which sees the good in this world but recognizes that Heaven alone is our true home. They also reflect on G.K. Chesterton’s claim that by becoming Catholic a person often experiences everything fitting into place. Support the show

In what way is martyrdom different from suicide? In this episode, Father Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce discuss Chesterton’s strong words against suicide. Support the show

What is real patriotism? Can you love your homeland too much? For G.K. Chesterton, it depends on what we mean by love. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro read the chapter "The Flag of the World" in Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. Support the show

Escapism is bad, but escape can be very good. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro parse the “Ethics of Faerieland” in G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. Support the show

This third episode on the book’s central chapter about fairytales draws on several of its inherent themes: memory, trust, and joy. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue discussion of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. Support the show

Continuing through the ethics of elfland, Chesterton details the importance of introducing children to fairytales and of cultivating wonder in daily life. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue discussion of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. Support the show

Getting into the heart of the book, chapter 4 outlines the “ethics of elfland,” detailing a Christian worldview of wonder and reverence. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue the discussion of Chesterton’s Orthodoxy . Support the show

Before launching into the heart of the book, this episode discusses "choice" and how such diverse characters as Nietzsche, Tolstoy, and Joan of Arc related to (or lived) that idea. Join Father Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce in a continued discussion of G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy . Support the show

The system of thought outlined in previous episodes comes to a turning point in this chapter, which is dramatically titled “The Suicide of Thought.” Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue the discussion of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. Support the show

Discover why the maniac in chapter 2 is a materialist and cannot be truly free. Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue the discussion of Chesterton’s Orthodoxy . Support the show

Discussion of the maniac from chapter two, the danger of taking yourself too seriously, and the importance of a sense of humor. Join Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro for a continued discussion of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. Support the show

Why G.K. Chesterton can change your life. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro begin their reading of Chesterton’s classic “Orthodoxy.” Support the show

Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue breaking down Hans Urs von Balthasar’s misunderstood work “Dare We Hope ‘That All Men Be Saved’?” Support the show

Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue breaking down Hans Urs von Balthasar's misunderstood work "Dare We Hope ‘That All Men Be Saved’?" Support the show

Pulling from Scriptural directives, the author emphasizes that “Certainty cannot be attained, but hope can be justified.” Attention is drawn to the tremendous privilege belonging to a faithful servant who has shared from the first hour in the labors of Christ in the vineyard. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue the discussion of the “Short Discourse on Hell” at the end of Hans...

The distinctions among three levels of faith; the proper attitude to have at the Second Coming of Christ. Join Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro as they continue the discussion of "A Short Discourse on Hell" at the end of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Dare We Hope “That All Men Be Saved”? . Support the show

Delve into the beginning of von Balthasar’s response to objections, highlighting the difference between hope and certainty and the importance of the Fatima prayer to “lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of [God’s] mercy.” Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss the “Short Discourse on Hell” at the end of Dare We Hope “That All Men Be Saved?” . Support the show

How sin results in loss of personhood. The quality of God’s justice and his mercy in light of the theological virtue of hope. Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Dare We Hope "That All Men Be Saved?" . Support the show

This episode discusses hell as a state of being (or non-being), in contrast with heaven, as well as the self-consuming nature of evil. The use of symbolism also comes into play here as Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro continue the conversation on Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Dare We Hope "That All Men Be Saved?" . Support the show

Action, the sufferings of Christ, and the eternity of hell are discussed in this episode. What is the difference between eternity and endlessness? Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Dare We Hope "That All Men Be Saved?" . Support the show