If the Eucharist is just a symbol, Flannery O'Connor said, "to hell with it" — and she was right. This episode walks through why the Real Presence is the entire Catholic faith in miniature, traced from Ignatius of Antioch in 107 AD through the saints to the sobering Pew finding that two-thirds of American Catholics believe the Eucharist is only symbolic.
Apr 24
Aquinas vs. The Algorithm
In this reflection, we explore the astonishing intellectual and spiritual life of St. Thomas Aquinas — the thirteenth-century Dominican friar who wrote over eight and a half million words, synthesized Christian thought with Aristotle, and gave the Church the Summa Theologica. All ... Show More
6m 54s
Mar 2019
Byzantines, Sassanians, and Holy Emperors
In our final episode of the season, we wrap up our theme of Empires of Faith. We start out with some shout outs and then present a brief timeline of the Roman and Byzantine Empire. We discuss the Romanization of Christianity and the Christianization of the Roman Empire. We talk a ... Show More
52m 48s
Jan 2025
Christian Stoicism (Can You Be a Stoic Catholic?)
Stoicism has its roots in Ancient Greece and Rome (300 BC) but it's seen a resurgence on social media in recent years. Stoic virtues like prudence, fortitude, and self-control can be very attractive, and Christians might wonder, "is Stoicism compatible with my faith?" The answer ... Show More
9m 9s
Feb 2020
What Do We Do with the Bible & Tradition?
Richard Rohr, in conversation with Brie Stoner and Paul Swanson, talk about their relationships to the Bible, the Perennial Tradition, and what we can glean from how Jesus read the Hebrew texts. The transcript for this podcast can be found here. Visit cac.org/podcast to listen to ... Show More
1h 24m
Mar 2019
Judaism, Christianity, and Messianic Kings
In this episode we explore the history of Israelite religion under Hellenism and the Roman empire. We examine the ways in which Judeans responded to, absorbed, and resisted Hellenic culture resulting in messianic movements, the Sadducee sect, Pharisee sect, and Essene sect. We in ... Show More
46m 31s