Father Spitzer’s Universe
Fr. Spitzer answers viewer questions on a wide range of subjects, including: Reason, Faith, Suffering, Virtue, and the Existence of God.
Episodes
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 8
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss "Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible," including how we know Saint Peter is the eyewitness source of most Gospel of Mark narratives.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 7
Father Spitzer joins Doug Keck to share his book, "Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible," and discuss eyewitnesses whose testimony shaped what the evangelists wrote.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 6
Father Spitzer joins Doug Keck to discuss "Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible," explaining how proper context illuminates the meaning of difficult biblical passages.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 5
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss "Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible," examining why the Church rejects dictation theory and how God inspired the biblical authors.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 4
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck continue the “Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible” and explain that early Bible stories depart from pagan myth to teach of one true God.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 3
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck continue their discussion of the "Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible," exploring the Bible's historic, prophetic, wisdom, and prayer books.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 2
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the "Science, Reason and Faith Catholic Study Bible," noting biblical creation's truth for salvation and science's offering of empirical truth.
Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, Pt. 1
The Catholic Church Was Founded by Jesus, Pt. 5
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Bishop of Rome's primacy, preserving unity and truth without which the Church would have fractured or vanished in her first two centuries.
The Catholic Church Was Founded by Jesus, Pt. 4
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Bishop of Rome's primacy, preserving unity and truth without which the Church would have fractured or vanished in her first two centuries.
Answering Viewer Questions
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck field viewer questions, addressing whether one may date before an annulment is final and whether using a witch's spell for good weather is acceptable.
The Catholic Church Was Founded by Jesus, Pt. 3
Father Spitzer explores how the writings of St. Paul and St. Luke both point to Peter as the Church's supreme leader, the first to hold the office and be succeeded by others.
The Catholic Church Was Founded by Jesus, Pt. 2
Father Spitzer explains how names were sacred and untouchable in Jewish culture, and why only one who possessed divine authority, as Jesus did in renaming Peter, could change them.
The Catholic Church Was Founded by Jesus, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how we know Jesus intended for the Church to endure beyond one generation and why Christ founded a Church meant to outlast the Apostles’ lifetime.
Why Do We Need a Church?, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how Jesus invested definitive teaching authority in Peter and his successors in order to address potential divisions He saw within the Church.
Magnifica Humanitas
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck continue their discussion of Magnifica Humanitas, exploring Pope Leo XIV's call to safeguard the human person in an age of artificial intelligence.
Why Do We Need a Church?, Pt. 3
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck dive into Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, unpacking the Church's essential and transformative role in human life and salvation.
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions on sadness in heaven, feeling Grace, sleep paralysis, the Church in America, and how fasting increases prayer’s efficacy and spiritual growth.
Why Do We Need a Church Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss why we know Jesus commissioned Peter to head His Church and the ways in which this commissioning would be passed on to Peter’s successors.
Why Do We Need a Church Pt. 1
Father Spitzer and Doug examine the reasons why people naturally gravitate toward worshiping in a church rather than simply practicing private spirituality secluded in their homes.
Old Testament Prophecies, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the fuller sense and deeper meaning of a scriptural text, which is intended by God but not always clearly expressed by the biblical author.
Answering Viewers’ Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer viewer questions about the rise of Catholic influencers on social media and how disabilities can be used for spiritual growth.
Old Testament Prophecies, Pt. 3
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the different prophecies within the book of Isaiah and how they were written by 3 different prophets.
Old Testament Prophecies, Pt. 2
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss all the good things that early Christianity brought to the culture.
Old Testament Prophecies, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss why the Israelite prophets of the Old Testament were not primarily diviners or seers of the future but rather interpreters of the moral will of Yahweh.
Old Testament Miracles, Pt. 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug explain the difference between Elijah raising the dead, Jesus raising the dead by His own power, and Paul doing so through the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.
Old Testament Miracles, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug explain the haggadic stories in the Old Testament and how, while they are not historical accounts, they instead illustrate moral teachings.
Old Testament Miracles
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the criteria needed to judge whether phenomena in the Bible were true miracles or could be scenarios explained by other means outside the miraculous.
Answering Viewers’ Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions sent in by viewers, including whether a family healed by a single parent is as good as a traditional family with a mother and father.
Moral Teaching of the Old Testament, Pt. 5
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the core message of the Old Testament is inerrant and how the outward form of the message, that is subject to undeveloped thought, is not inerrant.
Moral Teaching of the Old Testament, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the threefold development of Israel’s relationship with neighbors examining the “patriarchal period,” the “Mosaic period” and the time period of Jesus.
Moral Teaching of the Old Testament, Pt. 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the morals of matrimony and how the strength and stability of society is directly correlated to the strength of marriages and families.
Moral Teaching of the Old Testament, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the moral development in the Old Testament evolves from vengeance to forgiveness without limit when Jesus calls us to avoid revenge.
Moral Teaching of the Old Testament, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss confession, guilt over past sins, and why certain teachings formed during the Patriarchal period to Jesus’ command to forgive your neighbor 77 times.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 8
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss Yahwism and how the God of Moses differed from the gods worshiped by other cultures of the time, such as Baal, Asherah, and Molech.
Answering Viewers' Questions
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer questions from viewers, such as the power of binding and loosening, and whether or not it is permissible to enjoy the luxuries of life.
Answering Viewers' Questions
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck answer questions sent in by viewers, looking at the specific topics of confession, dementia and how many will be saved.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 7
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how God’s protection of the Israelites in battel was tied to their faithfulness to or abandonment of the covenant with God.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 6
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss some of the archeological evidence that showed how the Israelite conquest of Canaan is a historic event.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 5
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the Red Sea and Sea of Reeds, while also exploring why the Sea of Reeds was a more likely crossing place for the Israelites to leave Egypt.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss that the proof that illustrates the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and confirms their subsequent wandering in the desert.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss that the God of the patriarchs is a personal God compared to the polytheism of the surrounding culture.
Historicity of the Old Testament, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discus scientific research and whether or not it runs contrary to or compliments, the existence of God, the soul, and the Bible.
Historicity of the Old Testament
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the differences in the truths of Scripture and science and how they are merely a difference in perspective of the same reality and not contradictory,
Scientific Discovery and Biblical Revelation, Pt. 5
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss a purely materialistic view of evolution, and how that process cannot explain a transphysical soul that exists outside that processes.
Scientific Discovery and Biblical Revelation, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the theory of evolution, whether there are parameters for which Catholics can believe in this theory, and how unique transphysical souls play a part.
Scientific Discovery and Biblical Revelation, Pt. 3
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the implications of his death, and how we can find healing and move forward as a society.
Scientific Discovery and Biblical Revelation, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the “partnership” theory of divine inspiration, noting how the biblical author plays a role in revealed text and is not simply a transcriptionist.
Scientific Discovery and Biblical Revelation, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the reasons why the Bible is not intended to provided scientific facts. They also examine why science should not be used to explain revelation.
The Galileo Controversy, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug continue their conversation about Galileo, examining if he fully understood he did not have solid scientific proof of heliocentrism when presenting his ideas.
The Galileo Controversy, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the Galileo controversy, whether it was about the veracity of scientific method, proven scientific conclusion, or the disregard for a Vatican warning.
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about the faith, discussing topics such as the true nature of the Trinity and can a Catholic serve as godparent for a child of another faith.
The Miracles of Lourdes, Pt.3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the thousands of reported miracles for a single place provides an objective justification for Lourdes as being a place of authentic miracles.
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug answer questions about the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the tilma of St Juan Diego, and what happens to the souls of aborted babies.
The Miracles of Lourdes, Pt. 2
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how the scientifically inexplicable cures at Lourdes are well documented using criteria for miracles that are very difficult to meet.
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how sin affects priests and the consecration. They also answer viewer questions about the faith and the concept of a “fine-tuned universe.”
The Miracles of Lourdes
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the appearance of the Blessed Virgin to St. Bernadette at Lourdes and the many miracles which are now associated with this apparition site.
The Miracle of the Sun, Pt. 4
Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the varied theories explaining the miracle of the sun at Fatima and why they could not stand up to scrutiny without the miraculous component.
The Miracle of the Sun, Pt. 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the way mud in the area dried up and people as far as 10 miles away viewed the event, disproves the miracle of the sun mass hallucination theory.
The Miracle of the Sun, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how AI can only be as good as the sources it draws upon and the ways in which this can reflect the biases of those providing the sources.
The Miracle of the Sun
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck speak about the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima and some of the widely discussed possible explanations for the event’s occurrence.
The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 5
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss specific depictions on the Shroud of Turin, their ability to be forged by medieval forgers, and how this lends credence to the shroud’s authenticity.
The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Sudarium of Oviedo, often known as the “Other Shroud,” and how this face cloth found rolled up in the tomb connects to the Shroud of Turin.
The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 3
Answering Viewer Questions
Fr. Spitzer and Dough Keck answer viewer questions about the faith, conferring over the scientific evidence for the Big Bang and discussing how to pray for deceased friends.
The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the specific evidence that lend to the authentication of the Shroud of Turin as the burial cloth of Christ.
The Shroud of Turin, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss the Shroud of Turin and how the wounds on the shroud correspond with the wounds of Jesus as described in the Gospels.
The Divinity of Jesus
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the early Church’s proclamation that Jesus is divine led to their expulsion from the synagogue and also Roman persecution.
The Miracles of Jesus, Pt. 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the ways in which the Holy Spirit is just as active today in our everyday lives, as He was in Apostolic times.
The Miracles of Jesus Pt. 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the differences between those Jesus raised from the dead to their previous mortal existence and Jesus’ resurrection to a glorified state.
The Miracles of Jesus Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss various questions viewers have about the Lenten Season such as adopting various penance practices or the rules around eating meat on Fridays.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt. 6
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how Jesus performed miracles on His own authority, unlike the prophets who needed to perform miracles in the name of God.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt. 5
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss why Christ’s empty tomb reinforced the growing authority of early Christians and led to the Jewish leaders claiming the body had been stolen.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt 4
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the desire to remain faithful to Judaism separated early Christians because the concept of a resurrected Messiah conflicted with Jewish teaching.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt 3
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the many movements based on those claiming to be the Messiah did not endure past their deaths. Hear why Christianity did not follow this same path.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt. 2
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss the truth within Paul’s list of witnesses to the Risen Lord, and how all who corroborate with his testimony that Jesus is alive increases its validity.
The Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection, Pt. 1
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how evidence of the Resurrection can be found in the common elements described in the Gospel narratives about Jesus’ risen appearance to the apostles.
The Historical Evidence for Jesus, Pt. 8
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the use of specific identifiable people or places, like Pontius Pilate or the city of Nain, help prove the historical accuracy of the Gospels.
The Historical Evidence of Jesus, Pt. 7
Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how the Gospels maintain the use of first century Palestinian terms, rooting the Gospels in the time of Christ, then authenticating the Bible.
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