Episodes
Is the God of the Old Testament a vindictive bully? What should we think about the dochotomy often presented between the angry Old Testament God and the loving New Testament God? How can we respond to Bible difficulties concerning violence and Ancient Israelite warfare? Prof. Paul Copan joins us to discuss these topics as we look at his book Is God a Vindictive Bully?  https://www.classicaltheism.com/support
Published 01/14/24
What does Lumen Gentium 8 teach about the nature of the Church? Does its teaching contradict the traditional view that Christ's Church is identical to the Catholic Church? How ought we to understand the language of "subsists in" and who suggested this language? Dr. Chris Malloy rejoins the podcast to tackle these topics. https://www.classicaltheism.com/support
Published 01/07/24
What is philosophy? How is it done well in the Catholic Tradition? Dr. Jim Jacobs joins us to discuss (i) what is, (ii) what ought to be, and (iii) what ever shall be as we look at his new book Seat of Wisdom.  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, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic...
Published 12/31/23
What is epistemology? What are some ideas to keep in mind if we are to have a good epistemology? How can we help raise our children to have a good Catholic epistemology? What were Fr. Bernard Lonergan's thoughts on a general method of getting to the truth? We discuss these topics and take interesting Q and A from the live audience. ----------- The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With the help of various guests, I defend three pillars of the...
Published 12/18/23
Why are the five books of Moses so important? What are the genres and themes of the Pentateuch? What should we think about Mosaic authorship? How might we understand difficult, violent passages that conflict with modern sensibilities? Dr. Nathan Schmiedicke joins the show to discuss these topics. classicaltheism.com/support  
Published 12/08/23
In this episode, we tackle 5 Big atheistic objections: 1) There's no evidence for God 2) The default position is agnosticism and/or I just believe in one less God than you.  3) Science has shown that belief in God is obsolete 4) If God truly existed, his presence should be more obvious 5) God is incompatible with horrendous evils Also, I'm giving away two free copies of Pat Flynn's new book, and you can find out the details here: https://www.classicaltheism.com/bestargument
Published 11/23/23
Ryan M. Hurd joins the podcast to argue for the following thesis: God has zero wrath. How does this make sense when the Bible speaks clearly about God's anger? Why say that God is truly love and yet not truly wrathful? In this episode, we dive into those questions and more.
Published 11/20/23
What is Aquinas's argument for an Unmoved Mover? How does Shields's interpretation differ from other contemporary Thomists? What should we think about the objection from Newton's law of inertia? Dr. Daniel Shields joins the show 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 worldview: (1) the God of classical theism exists, (2) Jesus is our...
Published 11/10/23
Fr. Anthony Giambrone O.P. joins the show to discuss two big topics: (1) the historicity of the Gospels and (2) Jesus's statement that the Son doesn't know the day or the hour of the end of the world.  ------- 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, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic...
Published 10/27/23
Another chat with Pat Flynn about his new book The Best Argument for God. In this interview, we look more at his contemporary methodology of worldview comparison.  Check out more here: https://www.classicaltheism.com/bestargument 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, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He...
Published 10/17/23
Jimmy Akin joins us to examine the latest Apostolic Exhortation titled Laudete Deum. We examine the authority of the document, its scientific claims, and respond to four criticisms of the document. I guarantee Jimmy will surprise you with at least one of his (always very thoughtful) answers. The show notes page for this episode is https://www.classicaltheism.com/laudatedeum If you like the show, please consider becoming a supporting listener: https://www.classicaltheism.com/support    
Published 10/14/23
What are the best arguments for God’s existence? How do traditional approaches differ from modern approaches? If someone affirms there is a necessary being, why should they think that being is God? Pat Flynn joins the podcast to discuss his new book The Best Argument for God. 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,...
Published 10/08/23
What is the meaning of Messiah? Why should we think Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament? Do all messianic prophecies have the same evidentiary weight? Doesn't Jesus falsely say the end of the world will come within one generation? How can we respond to skeptical claims of critics who argue the evidence for Jesus and his Resurrection is weak and based on hearsay? Jimmy Akin joins the show to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian...
Published 10/02/23
Is Genesis the most important book of the Bible? Why think so? How can we understand the text that seems to be in conflict with science? Does God's command for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac mean that God is immoral? How does the Old Testament point forward to New Covenant realities?  We discuss these topics with Steve Ray who has written an excellent new commentary on the entire book of Genesis.  ______________________________________________________________________ The Classical Theism...
Published 09/22/23
What is intelligent design (ID)? Should Catholics promote it? Does it fall into simplistic God-of-the-gaps thinking or is it creationism in disguise? What should we think about the fact that the three most recent popes have endorsed evolution? Dr. Jay Richards 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 worldview: (1) the God of...
Published 09/12/23
Is the Old Testament actually true? Why read the Old Testament when we have the New Testament? Doesn't the Old Testament endorse polygamy and slavery? Can we still defend Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch? Dr. Jeffrey Morrow is back on the show to dive into these topics.
Published 09/02/23
How does pop culture relate to evangelism and apologetics? What is the Voyage podcast and how do they seek to spread the Good News through recognizing "seeds of the Word"? Mike Schramm, a co-host of the Voyage podcast, joins us to discuss these ideas. 
Published 08/31/23
Do the Gospels reliably transmit Jesus's teaching? How is this possible when they are recorded decades after the events? Could people actually have remembered the Sermon on the Mount? Also, why should we think what the Gospels present is actually true? Gary Michuta 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 worldview: (1) the God...
Published 08/22/23
What does Scripture say about Christ's atonement? What is penal substitution theory and what is wrong with it? What theories of atonement work best from a Catholic perspective? Dr. John Joy, Chris Plance, and Michael Gormley join the show for a roundtable discussion on 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 worldview: (1) the God of classical theism...
Published 08/07/23
What should students study in the science classroom? How might this look different in a Catholic school compared to an American public school? Is naturalism reinforced by the way science is taught in many schools? Is it possible to teach biology in a pedagogically responsible way yet without disrespecting those who hold religious views about creation? Dr. Kenneth Kemp joins us to discuss these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend Catholic Christian ideas in conversation. With...
Published 08/02/23
I sat down with Jake Buscher of the Cutting the Gordian Knot podcast to discuss my recent debated on Deuteronomy 21.  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, (2) Jesus is our Messiah and Lord, and (3) He founded the Catholic Church. We place a strong emphasis on the first pillar, defending classical theism, drawing...
Published 07/26/23
What is classical theism? What makes it distinct from theism in general? How should we answer common charges that classical theism makes God cold, distant, and unloving? Is there accuracy to the charge that classical theism is based purely on Greek philosophy as opposed to Scripture? What should we make of the confusion over terminology, specifically regarding "theistic personalism", "neo-classical theism", "process theism", and other labels? Dr. Edward Feser joins us to discuss these...
Published 07/19/23
Are the captive bride verses in Deuteronomy 21:10-14 an example of sanctioned immorality in the Old Testament? Are the passages the writings of mere men and not inspired by God? Dana Harper joins me to debate these issues.  Format:  Opening Statements (8-10 minutes each) Open Dialogue (30-40 minutes) Closing Statements (1-2 minutes) Show notes will be found at: https://www.classicaltheism.com/deuteronomy21 If you have thoughts on this show or others, write to me at...
Published 07/04/23
Can the Church ever reverse her teaching? How can we define the notion of a magisterial reversal and what doctrines constitute potential candidates for this? Did the Church reverse her teaching that "Outside the Church, there is no salvation"? Michael Lofton joins us to discuss these topics. ______________________________________________________ If you like the show, consider becoming a financial supporter and getting ome super cool gifts in return: https://www.classicaltheism.com/support
Published 07/03/23
What are the origins of modern gender theory? What philosophical positions lie behind the modern gender movements? How can we critique these theories philosophically? What can Christian metaphysics put in place of these theories? Dr. Abigail Favale joins the podcast to discuss these topics.
Published 06/26/23