Welcome to Episode 100! This week, the boys take a step back and reflect on the last three years and tackle two questions: 1) what they expected to find in this podcast when they started it, and 2) what they ACTUALLY found in this podcast.

To all of our listeners, interviewees, and supporters: thank you for coming along with us for the last few years. We are supremely grateful for your friendship and support. Pray for us, and know of our prayers for you.

This week, the boys discuss a recent study regarding our culture’s inability to endure silence. They go over what this study says about modern man, what it says about our Church today, and what we can do to improve our “untutored minds.” Enjoy the episode, as well as the irony of us recording audio noise instructing you to eliminate noise.

THE STUDY: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6192/75.full (Note: a log-in is required, but subscription is free)

Recommended Reads: The Power of Silence, Robert Cardinal Sarah; Time for God, Jacques Philippe.

Two episode ago, our interviewee, Andy Cass, asked, the question: what’s the big deal with Mary? This week, with an eye toward Christmas, we devote an entire episode to that very question, doing a deep dive into all matters Mary.

Recommended Reads: Hail, Holy Queen, Scott Hahn; Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Brant Pitre; World’s First Love, Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen; Walking with Mary, Dr. Edward Sri; Catholicism and Fundamentalism, Karl Keating; Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli; Mary: The Church at the Source, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Papa Benny) & Hans Urs von Balthasar; There is No Rose: The Mariology of the Catholic Church; Fr. Aidan Nichols; Redemptoris Mater, Pope John Paul II; Introduction to Mary: The Heart of Marian Doctrine and Devotion, Mark Miraville; Catholic & Christian, Alan Schreck; The Teachings of the Church Fathers, John R. Willis.

This week, Brian and Eric address last week’s interview with Andy Cass, pastor of The Echo Church. They discuss a variety of topics—such as tact in evangelization, what it means to take pride in one’s Catholicism, the efficacy of sacraments, and the definition of love—all driving to the boys’ answer to Andy’s most important question: can we be friends? (Spoiler: the boys’ answer is “yes, qualified”)

NOTE: Andy asked a second question in his interview about what the big deal is with Mary. We touch briefly on it in this response, but have no fear: given the sheer magnitude (and importance) of that question, we are planning a full episode response to just that. Stay tuned.

A couple months ago, many Rochester residents received postcards in their mailboxes inviting them to attend worship at the brand-new Echo Church. The tagline on the postcard read, “We care about you more than stale religion.” This elicited a variety of strong reactions from our Rochester listeners, some of whom were interested in what was meant by “stale religion,” while others felt accused of being a part of a supposedly stale religion. In response to this, we reached out to Echo Church to see if they’d like to be interviewed, and they graciously agreed to meet with us.

This week’s episode, then, is Brian’s interview with Andy Cass, pastor at Echo Church. He and Brian discuss the “stale religion” postcards and their intention, as well as Andy’s own spirituality and vision for Echo Church. Finally, Andy asks a great question that hearkens back to the final interview of Season Two: can we be friends?

This week, Brian and Eric discuss the interview with Will Reilly. They tackle the idea of rules vs. relationship in religion, the notion of “legislating morality,” and Brian tells a hilariously horrifying story about Crossfit kidney failure. Enjoy it all (yes, even the kidney failure story)!

This week on the Passing Currents Podcast, you get the boys’ response to last week’s interview with Dave, which they recorded (perhaps unwisely) while driving back from a live show. In this episode, you’ll get to enjoy the following:

Explanations of why the boys believe in God!

The loud directional instructions of Brian’s GPS!

Fervent thank-yous to all the good people in Virginia, MN!

The sounds of the boys narrowly avoiding hitting a deer!

Explanations of why the Eucharist is “such a big deal” to Catholics!

Eric burns his tongue!

Explanations of why Jesus ain’t gonna show up and say, “Guys, guys, I was just speaking metaphorically!” (with regards to John 6)!

The sounds of the boys watching a man in a truck run a red light!

Discussion of whether or not Christianity stifles the honest pursuit of truth!

AND MORE!

Recommended Reads: The Hidden Manna, Fr. James T. O’Connor; The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel; The Mass of the Early Christians, Mike Aquilina; God is Near Us, Papa Benny; Theology and Sanity, Frank Sheed.

This week, Brian sits down with Dave, a friend with whom he disagrees often and respects immensely (remember, those two are not mutually exclusive qualities!). Dave walks us through his rejection of his fundamentalist Christian upbringing and his journey to atheism, as well as his views on Christianity’s effect on exploration and truth. Finally, he asks two fantastic questions regarding 1) why we believe God exists at all, and 2) what the heck is the big deal with the Eucharist? Enjoy!