Considering Catholicism
The Catholic Church, its faith, culture, and history are explained clearly and simply for anyone curious about historic Catholicism. Faithful to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Episodes
Sacraments: You Can’t Unring the Bell (#477)
You cannot unring a bell. Once it has sounded, you can leave the room or cover your ears, but you cannot reach backward and make the ringing not have happened. That is the Catholic claim about the sacraments: they are not snapshots of a spiritual mood, and they are not memorials of a decision you once made. They are acts of Christ that do something real. Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders leav
Why Don't We Just Dedicate Babies? (#476)
Why don’t Catholics just dedicate babies the way so many evangelical churches do? In this episode we look carefully at the difference between a sincere baby dedication and the Catholic sacrament of baptism. Dedication is a beautiful public commitment by parents and the church to raise a child in the faith—but it leaves the child’s spiritual state unchanged. Catholic baptism claims something more:
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 7: The Church on Paper vs. the Church in the Pews (#475)
Thomas named a frustration many people feel when they look seriously at Catholicism: on paper and in history the Church looks strong, bold, and majestic, yet in many ordinary parishes and contemporary voices it can feel soft, embarrassed by its own doctrine, and eager to concede to the spirit of the age. In this final episode of the series, Greg takes that dissonance seriously. He distinguishes it
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 6: Why Should I Trust Your Pope? (#474)
Thomas named the papacy as one of the biggest speed bumps on the Road to Rome. The questions are familiar: Who made a man in Rome the boss of Christianity? What about the corrupt popes? Can he just make things up? In this episode Greg takes those questions head-on, beginning with Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16 and the early Church’s recognition of that office. He looks honestly at the mixed h
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 5: What Happens on the Altar in the Eucharist? (#473)
Thomas raised two related difficulties with the Mass: what the Catholic Church actually claims is happening on the altar, and how underwhelming or casual many ordinary parish celebrations can feel. In this episode Greg stays focused on the first question. Drawing on Scripture, the early Church, and the Church’s precise language of transubstantiation, he explains why Catholics insist that the whole
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 4: Why Would We Need Purgatory? (#472)
Thomas asked the natural follow-up question to the “broken window”: if forgiveness cancels the debt but the damage remains, what happens to that remaining damage after we die? In this episode Greg takes up the common Protestant objection that any further purification after death seems to add something to the finished work of the Cross. Drawing on the Catechism, Scripture, and the Church’s long pra
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 3: Why Do Penance if Christ Already Paid the Price? (#471)
Thomas asked a question that a lot of people carry quietly: if Christ has already paid the full price for our sins, why does the Catholic Church still talk about penance, temporal punishment, and making satisfaction? In this third episode of the Dear Doubting Thomas series, Greg takes up the “broken window” image Thomas used and the common Protestant retort that any further “doing” after forgivene
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 2: Why Confess to a Priest? (#470)
Thomas wrestled with a very practical and painful question: Why does the Church insist we confess our sins to a priest when we can just tell God directly? In this episode Greg addresses the deeper anxiety underneath that objection—the fear that we’ll never really know if we’re forgiven, and the two common dead-ends many people fall into: anxious uncertainty or a shrugging casualness toward sin. Dr
"Dear Doubting Thomas,..." Part 1: Is the Catholic Church for Real? (#469)
Thomas wrote with a question that sits underneath almost everything else: Can the Catholic Church really be trusted with its extraordinary claims? In this first episode of the series, Greg responds personally and honestly to that foundational doubt. Drawing from his own long journey out of self-selected Christianity and into the Church, he explores why there’s no comfortable middle ground, why the
Mary in the Dock, Part 7: Her Bodily Assumption into Heaven (#469)
In this final episode of the Mary in the Dock series, we examine the Assumption of Mary — the solemn teaching that, at the end of her earthly life, the Immaculate Mother of God was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. Many Protestants find this doctrine especially challenging, arguing that it lacks any biblical foundation and was simply invented by the pope when it was defined in 1950. We g
Mary in the Dock, Part 6: Her Perpetual Virginity (#468)
In this installment of Mary in the Dock, we put the claim of Mary’s perpetual virginity on trial. Many Protestants see the “brothers of Jesus” mentioned in the Gospels and the word “until” in Matthew 1:25 as decisive proof that Mary and Joseph had a normal married life after Jesus’ birth. We examine those objections carefully and then explore the Catholic response — from the broader biblical and J
How Do Altar Rails Make You Feel? (#467)
In recent years, a number of dioceses have moved to remove or ban altar rails, even as some younger priests have begun reinstalling them. These disputes often follow a familiar pattern: one side appeals to history and theology, while the actual arguments on the ground tend to revolve around how a practice makes people feel. This episode steps back from the usual arguments to examine why the langua
Who Is a "Christian?" (#466)
In the wake of the Pentagon’s recent effort to simplify its religious affiliation codes — and the resulting controversy when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was initially listed separately from other Christian groups — Utah senators Mike Lee and John Curtis publicly pushed back, insisting that Latter-day Saints are unequivocally Christian. The online debate that followed highlighte
Where Peter Is (#465)
In a world flooded with thousands of competing voices — each claiming to represent “biblical Christianity” with their favorite proof texts — how do you actually tell authentic, orthodox Christianity from heresy? From the Gnostics and Arians of the early centuries to today’s endless online teachers and influencers, the problem is as old as the Church itself. In this episode we explore one of the cl
Mary in the Dock, Part 5: The Immaculate Conception (#464)
In Episode 5 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, Greg Smith puts the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception on trial. Protestants often object that it has no clear biblical basis, appears to contradict “all have sinned” in Romans 3:23, and was a late invention that elevates Mary in ways that compete with Christ. Greg gives these objections a full and fair hearing before deli
Mary in the Dock, Part 4: The Ark of the New Covenant (#463)
In Episode 4 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant on trial. Protestants often charge that this is fabricated typology with no explicit New Testament warrant, that it’s eisegesis used to justify later Marian dogmas, and that it risks over-elevating Mary in ways that compete with Christ. Greg giv
Development of Doctrine in Real Time: Live Debates and Clear Boundaries (#462)
The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 2
Picking up right where Part 1 left off, Greg and Cory apply the principles of authentic development to some of today’s most contested questions. They examine recent papal teaching on capital punishment and just war as examples still unfolding in the life of the Church, then look at three proposals (female ordination, Communion for those in irr
What Development of Doctrine Really Is (And Isn’t) (#461)
The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 1.
In this first part of our conversation with Cory, we explore the beautiful Catholic understanding of how doctrine develops. Far from “making things up” or changing with the culture, the Church deepens her grasp of the unchanging deposit of faith handed on by the apostles. Greg and Cory unpack Saint John Henry Newman’s classic idea, trace its
Mary in the Dock, part 3: Is Mary the New Eve? (#460)
In Episode 3 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Eve on trial. Protestants often object that it’s typology overreach with no explicit New Testament warrant, risks elevating Mary at Christ’s expense, and developed too late under possible pagan influence. Greg gives the strongest objections a full, fair hearing, th
Mary in the Dock, Part 2: Mother of God — Blasphemy or Biblical Truth? (#459)
In Episode 2 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as Mother of God (Theotokos) on trial. Many modern evangelicals recoil at the title, calling it blasphemous or idolatrous and unknowingly echoing the ancient Nestorian heresy that split Christ in two. Greg gives the strongest Protestant objections a full, fair hearing — the l
Mary in the Dock, Part 1: Is Devotion to Her Idolatry? (#458)
In the powerful opening episode of the new series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic practice of Marian devotion on trial. Are prayers like the Hail Mary and the Rosary, asking for Mary’s intercession, and venerating her images really idolatry — or are they biblical, Christ-centered honor for the Mother of our Lord? Greg gives the strongest Protestant o
Mystery, Magic, and the Search for Meaning (#464)
In this unscripted, freewheeling conversation recorded at the secret compound, Ed shares the profound shift happening in his heart as he prepares to enter OCIA and come into full communion with the Catholic Church. He reflects on how years of Protestant experience left him with a flattened faith — where baptism, communion, and even basic Christian practices became optional or merely symbolic — and
Why I’m Not Giving Hot Takes on the New AI Encyclical (Yet) (#463)
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical today — Magnifica Humanitas — addressing the dignity of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and rapid technological change. In this short update episode, Greg reflects on the long anticipation for this document (echoing Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum), shares what we’ve already covered on the podcast and in our adult education
The Sexual Subtext Behind So Many Anti-Catholic Arguments (#462)
Greg dives into a surprising pattern that keeps surfacing in Catholic-Protestant conversations: why so many objections to Catholicism quickly circle back to sex, sexuality, and gender. From the intense pushback on Mary’s perpetual virginity and clerical celibacy, to contraception, the male-only priesthood, divorce, and the endless cultural tropes about “sexy nuns,” repressed priests, and naughty C
Moral Theology, Part 3: Prudential Judgments (#461)
In the final part of this three-part series, Greg takes the philosophical foundation from Episode 1 and the moral schematics from Episode 2 and applies them directly to four very ordinary, everyday situations: money lending and usury, lying versus legitimate deception, disciplining children (including spanking), and gambling. Using the categories of intrinsically evil acts, prudential judgment, an
Moral Theology, Part 2: Tools and Norms (#460)
In the second part of this three-part series, Greg builds directly on the foundation laid in “The Anatomy of Evil” and moves into the practical schematics the Church has spent two thousand years refining. He walks through the key categories of Catholic moral reasoning: universal, unchanging principles rooted in human dignity and the natural law; intrinsically evil acts whose object is always disor
Moral Theology, Part 1: The Anatomy of Evil (#459)
In a world of loud moral arguments and social-media slogans, real precision often gets lost. In this three-part series, Greg unpacks one of the most attractive features of Catholic moral theology: its remarkable clarity around evil as a privation (not a substance), intrinsically evil acts, prudential judgment, and authentic development of doctrine.
Episode 1, “The Anatomy of Evil,” explores how hu
10 Years Catholic: What We’re Grateful For, and What Still Surprises Us (#457)
In this special conversation episode, Greg sits down with his friend and longtime collaborator Cory to mark the 10th anniversary of the night they both entered the Catholic Church together at the Easter Vigil in 2016. They share what they’re most grateful for after a decade—everything from the life-shaping rhythm of the sacraments and liturgical year, the communion of saints, the beauty that feeds
Just How Depraved Are You? (#456)
In this candid monologue, Greg retraces his own path from campus-ministry apologetics at a liberal university into the tight, intellectually satisfying world of Calvinism—training in a Calvinist seminary, embracing TULIP, and finding real comfort in the doctrine of Total Depravity. He walks through what made that system feel so compelling at the time: its logical clarity, its honest reckoning with
"I Never Said You Stole His Money:" Why “Bible Alone” Doesn't Work (#455)
What if the way we’ve been taught to read the Bible is actually creating the very divisions we see today?
In this episode of Considering Catholicism, host Greg Smith shares his experience from classical Calvinist seminary training 40 years ago — investing in 22 volumes of Calvin’s commentaries and the massive Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English lexicon because exegesis was required to stay within t
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 4: Our Destiny Lies Beyond the Machines (#454)
This is Part 4 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.”
As artificial super-intelligence seems ready to out-perform us on every measurable scale, the Catholic Church gives us a breathtaking final answer: our destiny is not obsolescence or a hive-mind upload. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, destined one day to judge angels and i
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 3: Will AI *Really* Change the World? (#453)
This is Part 3 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.”
Everyone says AI is going to completely remake human civilization. Greg agrees it will change many things — work, education, medicine, daily routines — just as farming, the Industrial Revolution, and the internet did before it. But here’s the deeper question: Will AI really change the w
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 2: The Problems AI Can’t Solve (#452)
This is Part 2 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.”
In a world that increasingly measures human worth by output, efficiency, and market utility, the Catholic Church insists our dignity is ontological—not something we earn or lose when technology changes. Greg examines the curious paradox of the lesser crown: we are made a little lower th
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 1: Why the Devil Envies You (#451)
This is Part 1 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.”
In a world racing toward artificial super-intelligence that threatens to out-think and out-perform us at almost every task, the Catholic Church points us back to an older drama: super-intelligences were here first — and the brightest of them burned with envy when God crowned ordinary fl
The Real Reason the Catholic Church Ordains Only Men (#450)
In this episode Greg unpacks one of the most emotionally charged questions on the road to Rome: why does the Catholic Church ordain only men to the priesthood? Drawing from his own painful experience in the Christian Reformed Church’s ordination battles of the 1990s, he shows how the debate shifts dramatically once you realize priestly authority is not about qualifications but about Christ acting
Elders or Priests? Why Catholic Authority Isn’t Earned—It’s Entrusted (#449)
In the New Testament, Paul gives clear qualifications for presbyteroi—elders—who must be the husband of one wife, manage their household well, and hold fast to sound doctrine. When Greg was a Protestant pastor, that seemed to describe exactly what church leadership should look like under sola scriptura. So where do Catholic priests come from? In this first part of a two-episode series, Greg tackle
Blessed Triduum 2026: Gratitude, Love, and a Peek at What's Coming (#448)
On Holy Thursday, Greg sits down with a warm, personal message for listeners as the Church begins the Sacred Triduum. He explains the meaning, etymology, and profound significance of these three holy days that form the very heart of our Catholic faith—the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ lived out as one great mystery. Along the way he offers gratitude to supporters, apologizes for
Holy Week in Jerusalem: Walking Where the Gospels Happened (#447)
In this re-released classic from the vault, Greg shares fresh impressions and profound insights from his recent pilgrimage to Jerusalem and its surroundings, timed perfectly for Holy Week. Walking the Via Dolorosa, kneeling in Gethsemane, touching the stone of the crucifixion and the slab in the empty tomb, he explores how experiencing these historic sites makes Christianity's central claims inesc
Easter in Jerusalem: The Garden Tomb vs. the Real Empty Tomb (#446)
This Easter, millions are posting from Jerusalem’s peaceful Garden Tomb saying “This feels like the real one.” But just down the street sits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—venerated for 1,700 years—and 2025 archaeology just uncovered 2,000-year-old olive trees and grapevines exactly where John 19:41 said the garden would be. In this solo monologue, we unpack the history, the biases, and what thi
From Babel to Pentecost: Why We Still Need Latin at Mass (#445)
Why do some Catholics want more Latin even in the regular Sunday Mass? In this episode, Greg explores how praying familiar parts like the Pater Noster or Sanctus in the Church’s historic tongue undoes a bit of the Tower of Babel’s confusion and brings us closer to the unity Pentecost began. Drawing on Scripture, saints, and even a funny Tolkien family story (yes, he loudly answered in Latin when e
Irish Guilt vs. Italian Joy: Why Catholicism Holds Both Sin and Forgiveness Perfectly (#444)
Greg revisits the famous (but legendary) story of Martin Luther hurling an inkwell at the devil to prove his sins were "forgiven and forgotten," a tale he once preached as a Protestant pastor. He contrasts Luther's extreme swing—from crushing monastic guilt to the infamous "sin boldly" advice—with the goofy online quip about "Irish guilt" vs. "Italian joy" in Catholicism. The episode unpacks how t
Livestream: Walking the First Holy Week in Jerusalem – Sunday March 22 | 7 PM EST
Two weeks before Easter we’re doing something special. Join Greg for a livestream webinar. He’ll open the Gospels and Google Earth and walk the actual route Jesus took Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday — gate by gate, hill by hill, garden by garden. You’ll see exactly where He slept in Bethany, which path He took down the Mount of Olives, where the Upper Room almost certainly was, and why t
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome — Easter Vigil Mass (#443)
Ever wondered what actually happens at the Easter Vigil—the "Super Bowl of the Catholic liturgy" where catechumens are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Eucharist? In this second part of our OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg and Cory walk you through the whole nighttime journey: the dramatic Service of Light with the new fire and Paschal candle procession, the breathtaking Exsultet
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome — The Sacraments of Initiation (#442)
In this episode of the OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg and Cory dive into the heart of what OCIA is ultimately aiming for: the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. They explain how these three sacraments bring a person into full communion with the Catholic Church, marking the gateway to the Christian life as a death-and-rebirth in Christ, a strengthening by the
The End of Ed the Protestant (#441)
After four years of raw, honest conversations, Ed the Protestant returns with big news that longtime listeners have been praying for and waiting to hear. What started as burnout on modern church life in episode #8 has led to a profound shift—one that changes everything for Ed and challenges all of us to count the cost of following Christ fully. Greg and Ed unpack the weight of real commitment, the
Done with Church? (#440)
Ever feel completely done with church—burnt out, over it, ready to sleep in on Sundays and call it quits on the whole evangelical scene? You're not alone. In this raw, honest conversation, Greg and his longtime Protestant friend Ed open up about hitting that wall after decades in the contemporary American church world: the constant cultural chasing, overstimulation, theological flip-flops, leaders
When No Means Yes: The Ancient Case for Lent (#439)
Greg unpacks the often-misunderstood practice of asceticism—the spiritual training of saying "no" to ourselves so we can say a bigger "yes" to God. Far from misery or earning salvation, Lent's self-denial (fasting, giving things up) is biblical discipline, modeled by Jesus in the desert and echoed throughout Scripture, that builds freedom, self-mastery, and deeper union with Christ. Greg contrasts
The Sacrament That Ends the Secret: Talking Confession with Ed (#438)
Greg sits down with his longtime Protestant friend Ed to tackle one of the biggest hurdles for many coming from evangelical backgrounds: the Sacrament of Confession (or Penance and Reconciliation). Ed shares his lifelong comfort—and unease—with keeping sins "just between me and God," while Greg explains how the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person or place of Christ) with the authority Ch
Stylistic Differences at Mass: Chant, Contemporary, Traditional, and Everything In Between (#437)
In this follow-up conversation with Cory, we unpack why you can walk into one Catholic parish and experience a reverent, chant-filled Mass with Latin elements, then go to another and hear contemporary music or a more conversational style—yet both are fully valid Catholic Masses. We explain the Roman Missal (the "script" of the Mass), the difference between the unchanging Ordinary and the variable
Mass Anywhere: Exploring Parishes, Oratories, Campus Chapels, and Missions (#436)
In this conversation with Cory, we dive into the practical side of Catholic life: where you can actually go to attend Mass. We start with the basics—your local territorial parish—and then explore all the other valid options, from oratories at monasteries and religious houses, to campus chapels, military chapels, mission churches in rural or underserved areas, and even parishes that serve specific
Stuff Jesus Never Said (#435)
Ever heard someone shrug off a clear Church teaching by saying, “Well, Jesus never said that”? It’s a line that’s been used for centuries to challenge Catholic doctrines, practices, and now even basic moral truths. In this snapshot episode, Greg takes on the argument head-on—whether it’s Protestants questioning sacraments, liturgy, or the priesthood, or (more alarmingly) some Catholics and clergy
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome – Trusting the Church, Part 2: Submission of Intellect and Will (#434)
In the second part of this two-episode series, Greg moves from the initial Profession of Faith to the lifelong Catholic posture of religious submission of intellect and will to the Church’s authentic magisterium on matters of faith and morals. Drawing from forty years of ministry experience, he contrasts the deepening crisis of trust and doctrinal fragmentation in Protestantism with the stability
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome – Trusting the Church, Part 1: The Profession of Faith (#433)
In the first part of this two-episode series on trusting the Church, Greg walks listeners through the solemn Profession of Faith that candidates make when entering full communion with the Catholic Church—usually right before Confirmation at the Easter Vigil or a regular Mass. He explains the exact words spoken (“I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclai
OCIA: The Stations of the Cross (#432)
In this episode of our “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome” series, Greg takes listeners on a journey through the Stations of the Cross, sharing his unforgettable experience praying them on Jerusalem's Via Dolorosa at dawn amid echoing Muslim calls to prayer. He explores the devotion's rich history from early Christian pilgrimages and St. Helena's discoveries to Franciscan popularization and St. John Paul I
Coming Feb 15: Our First Live Webinar – Egeria’s Epic Pilgrimage Proves the Early Church Was Catholic!
Get ready for something brand new on the Considering Catholicism Podcast! On Sunday, February 15 at 7:00 PM Eastern, we’re launching our first-ever live livestream webinar — and you’re invited. Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/ConsideringCatholicism/events/150105481
In this exclusive Patron-only event, we’ll follow Egeria, the incredible 4th-century Spanish woman who crossed empires to pra
OCIA: The Scrutinies and Mass Dismissals (#431)
This “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome episode,” explains the Lenten practices of scrutinies and dismissals for those preparing for Catholic initiation. Drawing from the OCIA ritual and early Church tradition, he explores how dismissals restore ancient discipline for reflecting on God's Word, and scrutinies (with their minor exorcism prayers) offer healing deliverance from sin's influence for the unbaptiz
OCIA: Lent (#430)
In this installment of our "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" series, we look at Lent—the Catholic Church's 40-day season of preparation for Easter. Drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, and early Church history (from pre-Nicene fasts to Nicaea's formalization), Greg explores its biblical foundations in Christ's desert temptation, distinctive practices like Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross, liturgica
When You Oppose the Pope's Poltics, Part 3 (#429)
The Hundred Years’ War split Catholic Europe, with popes and bishops backing different sides in a brutal conflict between England and France. A teenage peasant girl named Joan followed voices she believed were from God telling her to fight for her occupied homeland — even when that put her at odds with churchmen allied with the English. Tried and burned by an ecclesiastical court, she appealed to
When You Oppose the Pope's Politics, Part 2 (#428)
In 1302 a devout lay Catholic was sentenced to death by a papal legate for refusing to surrender his city’s freedom to foreign control. He spent his life in exile, wrote the Divine Comedy, placed popes in Hell for political corruption — and died in full communion, now praised by recent popes as a gift to the Church. Part 2 shows how Dante distinguished the divine office of Peter from fallible poli
When You Oppose the Pope's Politics, Part 1 (#427)
What do faithful Catholics do when the Vatican’s diplomatic choices seem to conflict with love of country or local sovereignty? It’s not a new question. For 150 years the popes formed a strategic alliance with the rising superpower France, invited French armies into Italy, and branded resisting Catholic cities as disobedient. Even the young St. Francis rode out on the pro-papal side. Part 1 of a c
From the Vault: Can Catholics Be Patriotic? (#426)
Greg and Ed the Protestant explore a tension many feel today—does belonging to the truly universal ("catholic") Church mean we have to downplay or even apologize for loving our particular homeland, culture, and people?
Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas's teaching about patria (fatherland) and the virtue of piety, the Incarnation of Christ in a specific time and place, and their own experiences traveli
Why Three Little Words Have Split Christianity for 1,000 Years (#425)
Greg and Cory dive into "the Filioque clause"—those three controversial words ("and the Son") added to the Nicene Creed in the West—and explores why it became a flashpoint for the Great Schism of 1054. Triggered by Pope Leo XIV's recent visit to Nicaea (ancient Nicea) for the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, they break down the famous triangle diagrams illustrating Eastern and Western
OCIA: Catholic Moral Theology (#424)
In this installment of the "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" series, Greg explores Catholic moral teaching, starting with the shared love of the Ten Commandments across Christian traditions. He then unpacks what sets Catholicism apart: natural law as God's design knowable by reason, rejecting total depravity for a wounded-yet-redeemable human nature, distinctions in sin (mortal vs. venial, temptation vs.
OCIA: The Liturgical Calendar (#423)
In this episode of the OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, we dive into the Catholic liturgical calendar—what it is, how it works, and why it matters for anyone exploring the faith. Discover how the Church sanctifies time through seasons like Advent, Lent, and Easter, unfolding the mysteries of Christ's life year after year. Perfect for OCIA participants as a supplement, curious non-Catholics preview
Meet Jacob: A Millennial's Road to Rome, Part 2 (#422)
In Part 2 of our conversation, Jacob opens up about the final stretch of his road to Rome—approaching the Tiber with an 80% conviction, navigating the challenges of a supportive but non-converting spouse, and raising young children in a spiritually divided household. He reflects candidly on the RCIA (now OCIA) experience: the intellectual satisfaction of answered questions, the paradoxical beauty
Meet Jacob: A Millennial’s Road to Rome, Part 1 (#421)
Greg introduces Jacob, a 34-year-old software engineer (working in AI), husband, and father of soon-to-be-four who's recently come into the Catholic Church after a rich intellectual and spiritual journey from evangelical Protestantism. Jacob shares how reading the early Church Fathers, St. John Henry Newman, and even deep mystical works like St. Teresa of Ávila's Interior Castle gradually broke do
From the Vault: "Our Duty to Improve (#420)
As New Year's Eve approaches and many of us think about resolutions, we're pulling a classic episode from the vault: "Our Duty to Improve."
In this candid conversation recorded a few years ago, Greg and Ed the Protestant reflect on a question that's both practical and deeply doctrinal: Does God expect us to become better versions of ourselves?
Drawing from Scripture (like the Parable of the Talent
How a 16th-Century Pope Saved New Year’s Day (#419)
Most of us flip to January 1 without a second thought, but that date only works because Pope Gregory XIII fixed a 1,600-year drift in the old Roman calendar. The problem wasn’t just inconvenience—it threw Easter off by ten days, threatening the Church’s ability to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on the right Sunday. Gregory convened Jesuit astronomers, skipped ten days in 1582, and gave the world
The Star, the Gifts, the Surrender (#418)
They weren’t kings, there weren’t necessarily three, and they brought a funeral spice—Greg unpacks the Magi like you’ve never heard. Matthew 2 meets the Church Fathers as pagan astrologers from Rome’s rival empire trek west, hijacked by a divine star, and end up worshiping a Jewish child. Explore the prophetic gifts, the reversal of Babel, and why Epiphany reveals Christ to the nations. Perfect fo
Greg's Christmas Message 2025
Greg wishes all his listeners a blessed Christmas, shares his gratitude for their support, and looks ahead to the new year.
SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus conten
The Ox, the Donkey, and the Baby Jesus (#417)
Standing in Bethlehem's ancient cave, it's easy to see why tradition loves the image of the Lamb of God born among temple lambs—yet every nativity scene adds an ox and donkey the Gospels never mention. In this Christmas reflection, Greg explores how early Fathers like Origen and Ambrose saw Isaiah 1:3 fulfilled in these humble beasts recognizing their Creator while humanity missed Him. Discover la
The Real Christmas Starts in a Womb: the Annunciation Over the Nativity (#416)
Ever wonder why Catholics make a big deal about the Annunciation on March 25, nine months before Christmas? In this episode, Greg dives into the heart of the Incarnation, contrasting the evangelical focus on the nativity manger with the ancient Church teaching that God truly became man at conception. Exploring Luke 1, the Catechism, and early Fathers, he unpacks Mary's pivotal fiat, the theology o
Debunking the "Christmas is a Pagan Holiday" Meme (#415)
Every December the same claim pops up: Christmas is just repackaged Roman paganism—Saturnalia with a cross on top. But when you actually read what third-century Christians wrote, the story falls apart. Greg walks through the real reason the Church landed on December 25 (spoiler: it starts in Rome around 204 AD), dismantles the Saturnalia and Sol Invictus objections with primary sources, and shows
The Pope vs. the Shriners: What’s the Real Problem with Freemasonry? (#414)
Everyone’s seen the Shriners in their tiny cars and funny hats, but why has the Catholic Church been warning against Freemasonry for almost 300 years — and still considers it an excommunicable offense? In this episode Greg and Cory unpack the real origins of Freemasonry (hint: it’s got nothing to do with actual bricklaying), its Enlightenment roots, its deistic “Great Architect” religion, and why
Fractal Equations and the Creator Who Signed His Work (#413)
A peer-reviewed paper claims a glowing, seated-Buddha fractal generated from the Mandelbrot set is hidden in the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Tutankhamun’s mask, and masterpieces across cultures—proof of simulation, aliens, or the collective unconscious. Greg explains what fractals and the Buddhabrot actually are, shows why the overlays are genuinely uncanny, and then pivots to the fa
The Green Book (#412)
Greg and Ed explore the difference between worship that is objectively real and worship designed to produce feelings, using C.S. Lewis’s famous critique of “The Green Book” as their launching point. They contrast a contemporary evangelical Christmas Eve production—where success is measured by how moved the audience feels—with the Catholic Midnight Mass, where Christ’s sacrifice is offered whether
Divine Mysteries: The Immaculate Conception (#411)
December 8 is the Solemn Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and every year we hear the same two objections: “Pius IX invented the Immaculate Conception in 1854” and “God can’t apply the Cross backward in time.” In this episode Greg walks line-by-line through the primary sources—from St. Ephrem in 373 to Martin Luther still preaching it in 1527—and shows why both claims collapse the moment you ope
Dvine Mysteries: Theotokos (#410)
What does it mean to call Mary the “Mother of God”? In this episode, Greg dives into the ancient debate at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) over the term Theotokos and why it’s a cornerstone of Christian orthodoxy. Far from just being about Mary, this doctrine safeguards the truth of the Incarnation—that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Greg unpacks common Protestant objections, addresses misunder
Further Up and Further In (#409)
What if the Christianity you’ve always known is only the shallow end of a vast, ancient ocean? In this candid, burrito-fueled conversation (yes, really), Greg and Ed the Protestant unpack the longing that pulled Greg all the way home to the Catholic Church: a restless hunger to go “further up and further in,” deeper into the heart of the Church. From a worship leader who couldn’t imagine Catholics
Divine Mysteries: Logos, Christ, Pantoccrator, Returning King (#408)
In Part 3 of Divine Mysteries, Greg lets five explosive Scripture passages—John 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2, Hebrews 1, and Revelation—paint the full portrait of the eternal Son, from Creator-Logos to Returning Conqueror. Then he explores how the Christian East’s majestic Pantocrator and the West’s tender Sacred Heart are two complementary lenses on the same Chalcedonian Christ. Perfect for Wes
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