This is part 2 of 3 talks by Dr. Nathan Jacobs about the "nones", the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades.

In this talk, Nathan Jacobs argues that many who leave are not rejecting God, per se, but a particular vision of God shaped by Western theological developments. Exploring themes like grace, freedom, divine goodness, fatalism, and anthropology, he contrasts key Western trajectories with the vision of the Eastern Church Fathers. The result is a compelling case that Orthodoxy does not suppress the moral and spiritual intuitions of today’s seekers — it fulfills them.

Watch part 1: The Modern Religious Debate Lost Its Audience: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Coming up next

01:28 - East West series

02:36 - Introduction

05:18 - What the nones believe

10:39 - Rejecting Western Christianity

14:12 - Augustine

18:40 - The nature/Grace divide

25:42 - Protestantism & predestination

31:48 - God's will

39:36 - Competing goods

46:17 - Our world is spiritual

59:02 - Return to talk

59:51 - Man as microcosm

01:01:51 - Was man made mortal or immortal?

01:06:11 - Energies

01:15:02 - What happens after death

01:18:06 - The remedy for divine hiddenness

01:24:34 - Q&A: On trusting your intuitions about God

01:29:21 - Q: Anxiety of the participants

01:30:58 - Q: What about Jesus?

01:33:11 - Q: Discussions about the Trinity

01:36:07 - Q: Using the halo in the documentary

01:40:06 - Q: Do nones go to other religions?

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In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explores the rise of the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Drawing from his research, interviews, and the documentary, Becoming Truly Human, he examines the beliefs, intuitions, and spiritual instincts that shape this rapidly expanding demographic.

Far from simple atheism, the world of the “nones” is complex, morally serious, and often deeply spiritual. This lecture begins a three-part series unpacking who they are, what they believe, and how meaningful dialogue might be possible.

This is part 1 of 3 on the religiously unaffiliated, or "nones".

Do you want to watch the Becoming Truly Human documentary? Watch it along with other exclusive content on Jacobs Premium. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount on the highest tier. There's also monthly Q&As and book club meetings: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/store

Life Itself movie trailer (excluded due to copyright): https://youtu.be/b5kwtJkUdpA?si=xw-ismXHDk6-SIh9

Timestamps:

00:00 - Opening

06:09 - Introducing Dr. Nathan Jacobs

09:16 - Becoming Truly Human

16:37 - Outline

19:56 - Trailer for documentary

21:44 - Misconceptions

25:43 - The modern religious debate

30:06 - The numinous

38:52 - What nones believe: 1. Karma

43:22 - Things happen for a reason

46:45 - Life Itself

51:47 - What nones believe: 2. A higher power

53:07 - The moral objection to Christianity

57:21 - What are the nones rejecting?

01:00:11 - Belief in paranormal

01:01:29 - What the nones believe: 3. Spirituality

01:05:27 - What the nones believe: 4. Afterlife

01:11:27 - Q&A: Discerning between intuition and feeling

01:14:18 - Q: Family issues among the nones

01:16:53 - Q: Mental health concerns

01:18:58 - Q: Sample selection

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

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Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

YouTube link to this same episode: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E

What do we mean when we say "God"? This week’s episode is part 2 of tracing the concept from ancient pagan philosophy through Plato and Aristotle to uncover how modern assumptions about God emerged—and why many of them are far from obvious. This sets the stage for exploring deeper East–West differences in how God, goodness, and divine knowledge are understood. Part 1 is recapped in the first 10 minutes.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/soThpk45aI0

Listen to part 1: Defining "God" | The Evolution of a Word: https://youtu.be/MU0CFOFOq-A?si=tbzaT4PSiR1nm7Qf

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Recap

09:36 - The ancient view of God

35:34 - Disagreement among the pagans

01:02:16 - Why this is important for us today

01:21:12 - Essence and energy

01:42:59 - Conclusion and ramifications

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All the links:

The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com In this week's episode, Dr. Jacobs looks at how the term "God" has evolved throughout Western intellectual history, from ancient Platonism through medieval scholasticism to contemporary religious pluralism. He walks through the development of divine simplicity and perfect being theology in Latin Christianity, showing how Augustine's engagement with Neoplatonism and the scholastic tradition that followed shaped the assumptions we still carry today about divine nature. The episode considers how this theological inheritance continues to influence debates about religious pluralism, rational religion, and the question of whether different faith traditions are actually referring to the same being when they use the word "God."All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro00:04:27 Augustine and God 00:15:46 Divine simplicity & perfect being theology 00:36:19 The rise of rational religion 00:53:55 Religious pluralism & the transcendent God

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com

Today, Dr. Jacobs tackles the common objection: Was ancient Christianity infiltrated by Greek philosophy, such that it required a reformation or restoration? The answer is a resounding no. Follow Dr. Jacobs as he tracks the history through Old and New Testaments, German Idealism, and of course, a little realism and nominalism dusted on top for good measure.

All the links: 

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

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Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

00:00:00 Intro 

00:02:05 The case for Hellenistic or Platonized Christian baggage 

00:06:49 German idealism 

00:15:21 Hegel and the Church Fathers 

00:20:08 The leftist Hegelians, atheism, and Christianity 

00:26:18 The protestant application

00:30:42 Open theism 

00:35:16 Hebrew ideas vs Greek ideas 

00:42:00 Mathematical truth vs Philosophical truth

00:50:07 Realism and nominalism 

00:56:03 The Septuagint and the Jewish shift away 

01:03:58 Are the Church Fathers platonists? 

01:19:19 Idealism in Old Testament studies 

01:25:11 Cases in the New Testament 

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com 

Dr. Jacobs delivers a lecture on Nicene Trinitarianism, examining the metaphysical foundations established by the Cappadocian Fathers at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople. He explains the Greek terms ousia and hypostasis, addresses common analogies and heresies, and clarifies the eternal generation of the Son and procession of the Spirit. Jacobs contrasts the Eastern approach with Western developments in Augustine and medieval scholasticism, particularly regarding divine simplicity, the filioque, and the nature-person distinction. He concludes by discussing how these theological differences continue to shape East-West Christian relations.

All the links: 

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

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Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

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Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Enroll in Dr. Joiner’s class: https://myprofer.com/coursesContribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com Dr. James Joiner joins us again to take a hard look at the scientific studies claiming to disprove free will and asks whether they actually hold up under scrutiny. He and Dr. Jacobs will walk through the various science experiments and their interpretations, pointing out the methodological problems and conceptual missteps that weaken determinist arguments. All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Enroll in Dr. Joiner’s class: https://myprofer.com/courses

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com 

Dr. James Joiner discusses libertarian free will, contrasting it with compatibilist and determinist positions through the lens of patristic theology and developmental psychology. The conversation examines Gregory of Nyssa's theological anthropology, the concept of synergistic cooperation in theosis, and cross-cultural evidence for the universality of free choice. Dr. Joiner argues that both ancient Christian thought and contemporary research support the view that human beings possess genuine self-determination, exploring implications for moral responsibility, bioethics, and the differences between Eastern and Western theological frameworks.

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Other words for the algorithm… 

free will, libertarian free will, compatibilism, determinism, Gregory of Nyssa, Cappadocian Fathers, patristic theology, Eastern Orthodox theology, church fathers, theological anthropology, theosis, deification, synergy, moral responsibility, praise and blame, developmental psychology, moral agency, self-determination, Christian anthropology, Christian East, Christian West, philosophy of religion, free will debate, moral psychology, bioethics, applied philosophy, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, patristics, Orthodox Christianity, Byzantine theology, ancient philosophy, Christian philosophy, systematic theology, philosophical theology, Aristotelian ethics, virtue ethics, moral philosophy, conscience, moral intuition, Augustine, Pelagianism, divine sovereignty, human freedom, image of God, imago Dei, salvation, soteriology, grace, divine grace, sanctification, spiritual formation, Desert Fathers, Maximus the Confessor, Origen, Irenaeus, moral development, character formation, passions, will and intellect, Thomas Aquinas, Thomism, Kant, autonomy, phenomenology, David Bentley Hart, Kallistos Ware, Vladimir Lossky, ecumenical councils, Nicene Creed, liturgical theology, mystical theology, apophatic theology, hesychasm, spiritual senses, nous, William James, neuroscience and free will, agent causation, Peter van Inwagen, Alvin Plantinga, natural law theory, Neoplatonism, Plato, metaphysics, causation

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You're to be familiar with the popularized details of the Mary and Nativity stories—the manger, the shepherds, the star. But this week, Dr. Jacobs takes you beyond the familiar Sunday school narrative to explore the robust early Christian tradition surrounding Mary's birth, her betrothal to the elderly widower Joseph, and the supernatural drama unfolding behind the scenes. This episode examines what the Church Fathers believed about the devil's frantic attempts to thwart the Incarnation, from his watchful surveillance of Israel's virgins to Herod's demonic massacre of the innocents. Dr. Jacobs traces the cosmic war between the powers of light and darkness, revealing how God orchestrated an elaborate divine ruse to veil the Messiah from Satan's gaze. Drawing from sources like the Gospel of James, Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, this deep dive recovers the fuller Christmas story that shaped Christian understanding for centuries.

All the links: 

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

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Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com 

Join Jacobs Premium: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/membership

The book club (use code LEWIS): https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/offers/aLohje7p/checkout

This episode explores the Eastern patristic understanding of Christmas through the doctrines of divine energies, synergy, and man as microcosm. Drawing on Aristotle, Philo of Alexandria, and Church Fathers like Athanasius, the discussion examines why all creation groans for the incarnation and how Christ's becoming creature rebuilds the bridge between God and cosmos. The incarnation is presented not merely as a legal transaction but as the initiation of cosmic healing—a "good infection" that restores humanity's mediating role and allows all creation to partake of divine nature.

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