Theology Unpacked

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ highlights how Matthew presents Jesus as a wise teacher and fulfilment of the Torah, possibly reflecting Matthew’s self-understanding through the lens of Wisdom and Scripture.  St Matthew structures Jesus’s teachings into 5 major collections and makes clear, unambiguous connections to the Tanach (Tanakh) to emphasise Jesus’s authority. His di...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores Matthew’s possible sources and key concerns. He highlights Matthew’s effort to bridge tensions between Jewish Christians and non-Christian Jews, especially through infancy narratives rich in prophetic symbolism. The Gospel of Matthew affirms the importance of Torah, yet its message remains intentionally ambiguous—upholding the law wh...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the relationship between the Synoptic Gospels —Matthew, Mark, and Luke—discussing different theories of Gospel origins, including a hidden source, ‘Q’ . He highlights how each writer emphasises different aspects, especially in their presentation of the disciples, with Mark offering a more critical view, while Matthew and Luke emphasi...

In this episode of “Theology Unpacked”, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the Gospel of Mark as a powerful, layered story of discipleship. He traces three key phases: (1) the revelation of the Messiah, (2) the journey to Jerusalem where the Messiah must suffer and die, and (3) the approach to Passover week. Along the way, he uncovers how Mark invites us to see ourselves in the story—growing in understan...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Mark structures his Gospel to gradually reveal that Jesus—the one who is crucified—is truly the Messiah, the Son of God. Through dramatic action, confrontations, and fulfilment of prophecy, Mark invites us to see ourselves in the unfolding story. It's not just a biography—it's a call to recognise Jesus and respond to God&...

You’re listening to Branch 3 – Galilee to Jerusalem. This is Episode 3: Gospel Beginnings In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ offers a best guess at how story fragments about Jesus were transmitted and eventually shaped into the four official Gospels. It highlights the growing need to preserve these teachings in writing, especially after the deaths of key witnesses and amid per...

You’re listening to Branch 3 Episode 2: The World of the New Testament In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ outlines the complex religious and political landscape of Judea, from the revolt of the Maccabees to the rise of Augustus and Herod. He then delves into the role of the chief priests, who under Roman rule, had to balance religious responsibility with political pressure. By...

You’re listening to Branch 3 of the Catholic RE Directory: Galilee to Jerusalem . This is Episode 1: The Background to Jesus’ Gospel Journey In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt explores the history that shaped the Jesus’ world.  He highlights the varieties of Jewish belief during the Persian, Greek, and Roman periods — deepens our understanding of the Gospels and the context of Je...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 8: Mother of God In this episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the profound significance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Christian theology and devotion. Rooted in biblical narratives and the wider tradition of women in Jewish salvation history, Mary emerges as a central figure in the stor...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 7: Truth, Authority and the Meaning of Life In this episode, Dr John Moffatt reflects how prophets, sacred texts, and early Church thinkers helped shape Christian belief—connecting Old Testament promises to the life of Jesus and beyond. We also look at how Church authority grew, and how th...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 6: Truly God and Truly Human In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ traces how early Christians wrestled with expressing the mystery at the heart of their faith: that Jesus is both truly God and truly human. From Ignatius of Loyola’s vision of the Trinity to the clash bet...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 5: Three Persons and One God In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the development of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, from the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople to the theological contributions of figures like the Cappadocians and Augustine. Using phi...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 4: The Same Being In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the Council of Nicaea (325) marked a turning point in Christian theology, introducing philosophical language into its core beliefs—declaring that Jesus, the Son of God, is homoousios (“of the same being...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 3: Hard Questions and Heresies In this podcast episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ examines the ambiguities in New Testament writings and the diverse early Christian interpretations of who Jesus is, shaped by both Jewish scripture and Greek philosophy. These differing views gave rise to both creat...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 2: The Word was with God and the Word was God In this podcast episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how early Jewish and Christian thinkers used scriptural interpretation and philosophical ideas to understand the divine nature of Jesus. It addresses the puzzles of God’s oneness and two pers...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 4: The Birth of Christian Theology. This is Episode 1: In the Beginning was the Word In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John explores how the Gospel of John introduces Jesus as the divine Word (Logos), blending Jewish scripture and Greek philosophy. Unlike the human-focused narratives in Matthew and Luke, John presents the Word God’s...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 8: What do the Prophets think they are saying? In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Old Testament prophecies, originally intended for their own time, were reinterpreted by later readers—especially early Christians—as foretelling events like the coming of Jesus....

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 7: Prophets, Divine Communication and Truth In this episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ develops a working model of how God communicates with people across religious boundaries while remaining central to the Christian churches today. He explores biblical prophecy alongside prophetic traditions in other...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 6: Royalty and Rescue In this episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores discusses how the Gospel writers used a literary technique common in Greek and Roman literature—echoing past texts to create something new. They applied this method to the Old Testament, portraying Jesus as the fulfillment of an...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 5: Writing and Reading Salvation History In this episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the Gospels of Matthew and Luke connect Jesus' birth to both Jewish history and broader world history, using references to Tanach (Old Testament) texts and historical events. 📧  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 4: From Samuel to Luke In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Jewish scriptures, particularly Samuel and Isaiah, shaped messianic expectations at the time of Jesus. He explores how the covenant with David, which promised an eternal throne, influenced the portrayal...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 3: Covenants, Kings and Crisis In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the story of rescue and covenant promise in Exodus and its importance for the prophets interpreting the challenges of their time. The narrative of rescue extends beyond Exodus , forming the backbone...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 2: Salvation History: Promise and Rescue In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ highlights key narratives of rescue from the Tanach, beginning with God’s covenant promise to Abraham. It traces the covenant at Sinai, where Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and seals the b...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 3: The Promise of the Saviour. This is Episode 1: The Genesis of a Promise In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the theme of ‘covenant’ and God’s promise of a rescuer for God’s people. It highlights how early Christians, through a prophetic rereading of ancient texts, saw Jesus as the ultimate realisation of Dav...

You’re listening to Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise, Part 2: The End of the World. This is Episode 8: Prophecy and the Development of Doctrine In this episode of Theology Unpacked, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how to interpret Christian texts as a life-giving message for humans in the modern era – back to Christian theories of interpretation. 📧  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for regular updates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...