with John DeRosa
What is the aloneness argument against classical theism? How does it advance previous discussions on similar topics? What can classical theists say in response to the argument? In an alone world, how could the God of classical theism truly know that he is alone? Dr. W. Matthews Grant and Dr. Timothy Pawl join the podcast to discuss these questions and more.
Was justification understood as an exclusively legal term up until Augustine’s time? Did St. Augustine mistakenly translate justification because he did not know Greek? Is there evidence in the early Church that justification can be understood transformatively as well as legally? Dr. Matthew J. Thomas joins us to discuss these topics and more.
Will the Catholic Church ever change some of its fundamental teachings? How did the Church change its messaging and posture after Vatican II? Does the Church still teach that Hell is a reality and a possibility for us? How should Catholics think about universalism, annihilationism, and hopeful universalism? What do we make of the idea that Hans Urs that we may dare to hope for universal salvation? Dr. Christopher J. Malloy joins us to discuss these topics as we consider his recent book False Mercy.
Can we truly claim the early Church was Catholic? Did major doctrines develop over time? Is there sufficient evidence that Christians of the earliest centuries actually held to Catholic beliefs? Don’t several statements in the Didache, Tertullian, and others count against the Catholic position? Joe Heschmeyer joins us to discuss these topics and more as we explore his latest book: The Early Church Was the Catholic Church.
What is the book of Deuteronomy and how is it situated in salvation history? What does the book teach us about the nature of God? If Deuteronomy 18 prohibits communication with the dead, then how can Catholics legitimately pray to saints? How can we understand the seemingly harsh punishments described by the law? Biblical scholar Curtis Mitch joins us to discuss these topics and more.
Who was Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen? Why is his work important? How did Sheen highlight the “power and efficacy” of the sacraments? What does Sheen highlight about the Eucharist and marriage? Allan Smith joins us to discuss these topics and the recently edited book Archbishop Sheen’s Book of Sacraments.
Does Aquinas hold that God is merciful? How can we say that the God of classical theism is merciful when he is immutable and timeless? What is the distinction made by Thomists between simple perfections and mixed perfections? Can we actually think of God as “most passionate” and what does this mean? Ryan Hurd rejoins the show to discuss these topics and more.
Aquinas from the standpoint of existential Thomism? Is it possible to establish the real distinction between essence and esse in creatures prior to arguing for God as the Primary Cause? Dr. John F.X. Knasas joins us to discuss these topics and more.
How has humanity revolted against reality from creation to the present day? In his new book, Gary Michuta canvasses many centuries and important episodes to show the consequences of Christological, ecclesiological, epistemological, and social revolts. He joins the show to discuss his newest work Revolt Against Reality.
Why does Matthew start his Gospel with a genealogy? What is the importance of genealogies to Gospel readers? How does the first verse of Matthew’s Gospel set the stage for the entire work? How can we explain the differences between Matthew and Luke’s genealogies? Why does Luke’s genealogy include so many more names? Salvatore J. Ciresi joins the podcast to discuss these topics.
