I've spent the last seven years learning about Catholicism, and I like to think I've learned a bit along the way. However, there are more topics to research than there is time in the day, and, inevitably, a host of secondary and tertiary issues have come up that confused me but I haven't had the time to properly research.

So, in this episode, I sat down with Catholic Answers apologist and author Joe Heschmeyer to talk about these topics and see if he could help me make sense of them.

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out Joe's channel:  @shamelesspopery

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00:00 Intro
01:01 The Brown Scapular
13:42 Plenary Indulgences
29:55 Mortal Sin
52:13 Jesuits
54:50 Catholic Social Teaching
01:00:39 Natural Family Planning
01:13:56 Eucharistic Miracles
01:19:57 Female Deacons
01:21:41 Mass Stipends
01:24:54 Is Catholicism Good News?

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The Lord's Prayer is a centerpiece of the Christian tradition. Most Christians have memorized it and many pray it daily. But the very familiarity of the Lord's Prayer can mask its depth.

In this video, I'm going to take you through the Lord's Prayer line-by-line, looking at what St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, Tertullian, and Origen have to say about this prayer which they believed contained the entire gospel.

Book mentioned: https://amzn.to/3LjsK7N
Augustine's Sermon: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160307.htm
Bible/Church Fathers Resource: https://churchwritings.com

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Church History in a Year Reading Guide: https://shop.gospelsimplicity.com/products/church-history-in-a-year-a-reading-guide-through-2-000-years

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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Nathan Jacobs, a philosopher, theologian, and filmmaker, to discuss the core differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, tracing the roots of divergences in thinking between the East and West.

His channel:  @TheNathanJacobsPodcast
His course: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/the-east-west-series
His Substack: https://theologicalletters.com/

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In this interview I'm joined by Dr. Michael Peppard, Professor of New Testament, Early Christian Studies, Religion and Public Life at Fordham University, to discuss his new book, How Catholics Encounter the Bible. 

Over the course of the interview, we talk about why Catholics don't read the Bible the way Protestants do, the interplay of liturgy and Scripture, and what's great, and not so great, about the Catholic lectionary. 

Dr. Peppard's book: https://amzn.to/4jkPmBp
Dr. Peppard's other writings: https://www.michaelpeppard.com/

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Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

*Links in the description may be affiliate links, in which I receive a small commission when people use those links to make a purchase. 

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In this interview I'm joined by Dr. Brandon Smith to discuss his book, Taught by God: Ancient Hermeneutics for the Modern Church. We talk about how Christians have read Scripture over the course of history, what we can learn from the way the Fathers, the Reformers, and others read Scripture. We also talk about what this looks like in a Protestant context.

Smith earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Baptist University, an M.A. in Theological and Biblical Studies from Criswell College, and a Ph.D. in Theology from Ridley College (Melbourne). He is the author of numerous books, book contributions, and journal articles. His books include The Trinity in the Book of Revelation (IVP Academic, 2022), The Biblical Trinity (Lexham, 2023), and Taught by God (B&H Academic, 2024).

Read the Book: https://amzn.to/4qcvdQ6
Check out his channel:  @churchgrammar

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In this interview I'm joined by Craig Truglia to discuss his book, The Rise and Fall of the Papacy, in which he goes through the evidence for and against the papacy century by century throughout the first millennium of the church. Over the course of the conversation, we discuss the nature and extent of the Bishop of Rome's role in the early church, whether there was a bishop in Rome during the first century, and much more.

Read the Book: https://amzn.to/4pXQJYw
Craig's Channel:  @OrthodoxChristianTheology

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Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

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In this interview I'm joined by Dr. Richard DeClue, Professor of Theology at the Word on Fire Institute, to discuss Catholic ecclesiology. Specifically, we dive into the idea of eucharistic ecclesiology which looks at ecclesiology through the lens of the eucharist. Along the way, we discuss what implications this has for ecumenism, and how this illuminates why Orthodox churches are considered churches while Protestant churches are "ecclesial communions" according to Catholic teaching.

Dr. DeClue's Articles on these Topics: https://archive.stpaulcenter.com/05-nv-12-1-declue/
https://www.ect.org/en/article/eucharistic-ecclesiology?previousUri=%2Farticles%3F%23alphabetized

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In this interview I'm joined by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser to discuss how our Christian spirituality changes with age, and what we need most in our final years of life. 

Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., is President-Emeritus of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas, where he remains a full-time faculty member and Professor of Spirituality. In 1982, he began writing a column “In Exile” which is carried in Catholic newspapers worldwide. He is the author of many award-winning books including The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire, and his newest book Insane for the Light is now available.

Read his new book: https://amzn.to/4rwo9iA
Learn more about Fr. Ron: https://ronrolheiser.com

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In this episode, I'm joined in-person by Casey Chalk, author of The Obscurity of Scripture, to discuss the topic of perspicuity. Along the way, we examine what the doctrine means, how much it covers, and whether the Catholic paradigm works better. 

Get the book: stpaulcenter.com/obscurityofscripture

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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Barnabas Aspray, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary's Seminary, to discuss his recent book, On the Significance of Religion for Immigration Policy. Over the course of the topic, we touch on Christian Nationalism, Catholic Social Teaching, and why Christians today disagree on the topic of immigration. 

Read Dr. Aspray's Book for Free: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/106156
Dr. Aspray's Article on Jesus as a Refugee: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/moth.12883
Dr. Aspray's Podcast: https://faithatthefrontiers.com/
Article on the book: https://www.regent-college.edu/resources/2025/november/on-the-significance-of-religion-for-immigration-policy.php

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Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity  
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

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