Classical Theism Podcast by John DeRosa

04.15.2024

Ep. #262 - Divine Names; Is God Really Creator and Lord? w/ Ryan M. Hurd

Why bother to make technical distinctions in how we speak about God? How does St. Thomas Aquinas categorize the ways of speaking about God? Is it true that according to Aquinas, God is only Lord and Creator in our minds...

04.08.2024

Ep. #261 - The Important Catholic Intellectual You've Never Heard Of w/ Dr. Joseph Stuart

Who was Christopher Dawson? What made him such an important Catholic intellectual in the 20th century? What was the main focus of his work? How is his work relevant for those doing apologetics? Dr. Joseph T. Stuart joins the show...

03.25.2024

Ep. #260 - Natural Theology & the Reasonableness of Faith w/ Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P.

Is atheism a simpler theory than theism? What are the strongest arguments for God's existence? Is apologetics a hopeless enterprise because motivated reasoning and confirmation bias are inherently involved? Where does the Incarnation and Trinity fit into our apologetics project?...

03.18.2024

Ep. #259 - The Reliability of the Old Testament w/ Dr. John Bergsma (+Live Q&A)

Many critics say the Old Testament is unreliable because it contains (i) empirical claims that have been scientifically falsified, (ii) historical claims that are entirely unsubstantiated, (iii) and moral claims that are eminently repugnant. To the contrary, Dr. John Bergsma...

03.04.2024

Ep. #258 - Divine Simplicity & Ultimate Explanation w/ Dr. Tomaszewski (w/ Live Q & A)

What is the doctrine of divine simplicity (DDS)? What's in Dr. Tomaszewski's new book about the topic? How does DDS play a role in ultimate explanation? What is the relation between DDS and revealed theology? What should we think about...

02.24.2024

BONUS|Artificial Intelligence & the Human Condition w/ Heather Foucault-Camm

What is artificial intelligence? To what extent should we be concerned about the proliferation of large language models like Chat GPT? How should Catholics think about the use and spread of this technology? What does it reveal about the human...

02.16.2024

Ep. #257 - The Theology & Authorship of the Pentateuch (Live Show) w/ Dr.'s Morrow, Mastnjak, and Schmiedicke

What are the most important theological themes of the Pentateuch? Does the Pentateuch teach philosophical monotheism or rather some form of henotheism? Who wrote the Pentateuch? What are the most important lines of evidence regarding debates over Mosaic Authorship? Can...

02.14.2024

Ep. #256 - Answering 12 BIG Questions about Fiducia Supplicans w/ Michael Lofton

What is the document of Fiducia Supplicans all about? Does it contradict previous Church teaching? Can Catholics criticize it? Why would the Church issue a document that is so prone to abuse? In this episode, we're joined by Michael Lofton...

02.02.2024

Ep. #255 - Revisiting Divine Hiddenness w/ Dr. Gavin Ortlund

What is the problem of divine hiddenness? Is God a bad parent who doesn't show his presence to his children? How can Christian theists respond to skeptics who press arguments from hiddenness? Dr. Gavin Ortlund joins us to expand on some...

01.22.2024

Ep. #254 - Principles of Catholic Theology (book 1) w/ Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P.

What is theology? How did the theological methods of Karl Barth and Fr. Karl Rahner differ from the scholastics and neo-scholastics? What is a mystery and what is its role in theology? Can theology make progress and how does that...

01.14.2024

Ep. #253 - Is God a Vindictive Bully? w/ Prof. Paul Copan

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...

01.07.2024

Ep. #252 - Did Vatican II change Catholic teaching on the Church's nature? w/ Dr. Chris Malloy

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...

12.31.2023

Ep. #251 - Philosophy in the Catholic Tradition w/ Dr. Jim Jacobs (+New Year's Giveaway)

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...

12.18.2023

Ep. #250 - Principles of Catholic Epistemology w/ Fr. James Brent O.P. (plus Live Q & A)

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...

12.08.2023

Ep. #249 - The Bible's Foundation = The Pentateuch w/ Dr. Nathan Schmiedicke (an FSSP seminary professor)

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...

11.23.2023

Ep. #248 - Answering 5 Big Atheistic Objections w/ Pat Flynn

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...

11.20.2023

Ep. #247 - Does God get angry? w/ Ryan M. Hurd

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...

11.10.2023

Ep. #246 - Arguing for an Unmoved Mover w/ Dr. Daniel Shields

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...

10.27.2023

Ep. #245 - The Historicity of the Gospels w/ Fr. Giambrone O.P.

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...

10.17.2023

The Best Argument for God (part 2) w/ Pat Flynn

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...

10.14.2023

BONUS|A Quick Look at Laudate Deum w/ Jimmy Akin

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...

10.08.2023

Ep. #244 - The Best Argument for God (part 1) w/ Pat Flynn

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...

10.02.2023

Ep. #243 - A Fresh Look at the Evidence for Christ w/ Jimmy Akin

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...

09.22.2023

Ep. #242 - The Most Important Book of Scripture w/ Steve Ray

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...

09.12.2023

Ep. #241 - Should Catholics be proponents of intelligent design? w/ Dr. Jay Richards

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...

09.02.2023

Ep. #240 - The Old Testament, Polygamy, Slavery, & Mosaic Authorship w/ Dr. Morrow

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...

08.31.2023

BONUS|Apologetics, Pop-culture, & Comics w/ Mike Schramm

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...

08.22.2023

Ep. #239 - Do the Gospels reliably transmit Jesus's teaching? w/ Gary Michuta

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...

08.07.2023

Ep. #238 - Roundtable on Christ's Atonement w/ Dr. Joy, Chris Plance, & Gomer

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...

08.02.2023

Ep. #237 - Catholicism & the Science Classroom w/ Dr. Kenneth Kemp

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...

07.26.2023

Debate Debrief on Deuteronomy 21 w/ Jake Buscher

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...

07.19.2023

Ep. #236 - What is Classical Theism? w/ Dr. Edward Feser

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...

07.04.2023

Ep. #235 - Debate: Harper v. DeRosa - Is Deuteronomy 21 immoral and uninspired?

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...

07.03.2023

Ep. #234 - Magisterial Reversals & No Salvation Outside the Church w/ Michael Lofton

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...

06.26.2023

Ep. #233 - Modern Gender Theory: Origins & Critique w/ Dr. Favale

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...

06.09.2023

BONUS|Renewing Catholic Education (+Conference feat. Ed Feser) w/ Dr. Alex Lessard

What is Catholic education? Why is it in need of renewal? Can't we learn the methods of science and mathematics in a secular setting? If so, how would Catholic education view these subjects differently? Dr. Alex Lessard joins us to...

05.30.2023

Ep. #232 - Does Dignitatis Humanae contradict the 19th century Popes? w/ Dr. Michael Dunnigan

What is the apparent conflict between Dignitatis Humanae and 19th-century Papal teaching? What is Michael Dunnigan's solution to the conflict? How can we properly reconcile particular passages in Quanta Cura with Dignitatis Humanae? Dr. Michael Dunnigan joins the show again...

05.27.2023

Ep. #231 - A Catholic Guide to Gender Discussions w/ Jason Evert

What is the important terminology to know in discussions on gender? Is gender merely a social construct? What does the evidence say regarding differences between males and females? How should Catholic schools respond to gender issues? How should Catholics respond/react...

05.22.2023

Ep. #230 - Case Studies in Papal Infallibility w/ Dr. John P. Joy

How can we know when a Pope has spoken infallibly? What are the conditions that must be met? Did Pope Leo XIII speak infallibly in Providentissimus Deus? Did the Pope speak infallibly in Humanae Vitae or Evangelium Vitae? What should...

05.16.2023

Ep. #229 - Does the Kalam Argument work? Jimmy Akin vs. Jordan Carstensen

Is the Kalam cosmological argument sound? In particular, is there a successful philosophical argument for the finitude of the past? Jordan Carstensen (grad student at Holy Apostles College) argues in the affirmative. Jimmy Akin, who affirms the scientific evidence supporting...

04.18.2023

A Tribute to Dr. Kevin Vost (1961 - 2023) w/ Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn and I discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Kevin Vost. We mention the aspects of his character and his work that drew us to him. Pat shares a few personal stories, and John explains Dr. Vost's morning...

04.17.2023

Ep. #228 - The Gospels as Truthful Testimony w/ Dr. Lydia McGrew

Why think the Gospels present truthful testimony? What are undesigned coincidences and how to they point to Gospel authenticity? How can we harmonize discrepancies in Gospel accounts? Dr. Lydia McGrew joins us to discuss these topics and more. The Classical...

04.02.2023

Ep. #227 - The Nature & Origin of Persons w/ Dr. Josh Rasmussen

What are you really? What is a person? How can reason and science shed light on these questions? How can persons originate? Dr. Josh Rasmussen joins us to discuss his new book-length investigation into these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast...

03.13.2023

Ep. #226 - Did Moses Write the Pentateuch? w/ Dr. John Bergsma

Who really wrote the Pentateuch? What are the arguments for the Documentary Hypothesis? Why don't those arguments succeed? What evidence supports an ancient Pentateuch? Dr. John Bergsma joins us to address these topics. The Classical Theism Podcast aims to defend...

03.06.2023

Ep. #225 - The Irreducibility of the Human Person w/ Dr. Mark Spencer

What are persons? Why are persons "irreducible" and what does that mean? Can we argue from human persons to the existence of God? What was the De Auxilius debate and where does Dr. Spencer come down on that in his...

02.21.2023

BONUS|Catholic Bible Translations & the ESV w/ Dr. Mark Giszczak

Why are there so many different Catholic Bible translations? How did the Catholic ESV come about? Why is an essentially literal translation come about? Dr. Mark Giszczak joins the show to discuss these questions and mroe.

02.13.2023

Ep. #224 - Collected Articles on God's Existence w/ Dr. Kerr

What is metaphysics? How does a Thomist approach God's existence? Can one prove God's existence using the real distinction between essences and their acts of existence? How does Dr. Kerr respond to several objections including the issue of existential inertia?...

01.30.2023

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