Tertullian argues that Christians must not wander endlessly through speculation and novelty, but must seek the truth until they find what Christ and the apostles taught and then hold fast to it. He fiercely rejects the idea that philosophy or endless inquiry should reshape the faith, insisting instead that the “rule of faith” delivered by the Church is fixed and sufficient. Augustine then turns inward, searching through the depths of memory for God, only to discover that God transcends every image, emotion, and faculty of the mind itself while still graciously dwelling within memory from the moment He was first known. Finally, Aquinas explores justice in commerce, condemning fraud, hidden deceit, and usury while defending honest trade ordered toward the common good. Together, these readings examine truth, faithfulness, memory, commerce, and the danger of turning human desire, curiosity, or greed into substitutes for the simplicity and justice of God.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Prescription Against Heretics Chapters 10–13

Augustine — The Confessions Book 10, Chapter 25 (Section 36)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica Part 2–2, Questions 77–78

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Tertullian launches a fierce attack against the philosophical roots of heresy, arguing that pagan speculation and endless curiosity corrupt the simplicity of apostolic Christianity. He asks the famous question, “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” and insists that believers must seek the truth until they find Christ and then hold fast to what has been delivered rather than endlessly chasing novelty and speculation. Augustine then reflects on memory and truth, confessing that wherever he found truth, there he found God Himself, because God is Truth itself and dwells continually within the memory of the believer. Finally, Aquinas examines the destructive power of sinful speech, warning that tale-bearing, derision, and malicious cursing wound charity by dividing friendships, spreading contempt, and quietly destroying trust within human community. Together, these readings explore truth, false teaching, memory, charity, and the danger of words that corrupt the unity of the Church and of human fellowship.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Prescription Against Heretics Chapters 7–9

Augustine — The Confessions Book 10, Chapter 24 (Section 35)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica Part 2–2, Questions 74–76

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Podcast Description

Thank you for walking with us through the Church Fathers this past year. Your presence, your questions, and your support have made this work possible. In the coming year we turn to some of the great commentaries of Church history—those careful, patient expositions of Scripture that formed the minds and hearts of generations of believers. I would love to hear your thoughts as we begin this next stretch of the journey. You can share your opinions, ask questions, and help carry the work forward through the links below.

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Podcast Description

In a world quick to speak and slow to listen, three voices from the early Church and medieval period confront the dangers of false teaching, the human love of deception, and the destructive power of sinful speech. Today we explore how heresies divide the Church, why people resist truth even while craving happiness, and why careless words—especially reviling and backbiting—can inflict wounds deeper than any sword.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Prescription Against Heretics, Chapters 4–6

Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 23 (Section 34)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Questions 72–73

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Tertullian opens Prescription Against Heretics by arguing that heresies should not shock Christians, because Scripture itself foretold that false teaching would arise as a testing and proving of genuine faith. He warns believers not to judge truth by the apparent success or popularity of heresy, nor by the fall of respected leaders, but by perseverance in the apostolic faith itself. Augustine then reflects on humanity’s universal desire for happiness, concluding that true happiness is nothing less than joy in the truth—which ultimately means joy in God himself. Finally, Aquinas examines the role of advocates in public justice, defending the legitimacy of legal defense while insisting that no advocate may knowingly cooperate with falsehood or corruption. Together, these readings explore truth, perseverance, justice, and the difficult calling to remain faithful in a world filled with deception and compromise.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Prescription Against Heretics Chapters 1–3

Augustine — The Confessions Book 10, Chapter 23 (Section 33)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica Part 2–2, Question 71

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Tertullian defends marriage against Marcion’s attack on the goodness of creation, arguing that chastity only has meaning when marriage itself is honored as a good gift of God. Augustine then defines the happy life not as the pursuit of earthly pleasures, but as rejoicing in God himself, insisting that every human longing for happiness ultimately points toward the Creator. Finally, Aquinas examines truth and justice in public judgment, teaching that neither the accused nor witnesses may lie even to avoid suffering, because justice collapses when truth becomes negotiable. Together, these readings confront the goodness of creation, the true source of happiness, and the moral necessity of truthfulness before God and neighbor.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Against Marcion Book 1, Chapter 29

Augustine — The Confessions Book 10, Chapter 22 (Section 32)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica Part 2–2, Questions 69–70

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Tertullian confronts the danger of a god who never judges, arguing that a god without justice ultimately destroys morality, discipline, and even the meaning of salvation itself. Augustine then turns inward, reflecting on why every human being longs for happiness and joy, recognizing that all people pursue the same end even while seeking it in radically different ways. Finally, Aquinas examines how justice must function publicly through lawful judgment, proper accusation, and sufficient evidence, insisting that truth and order must remain together if society is to avoid tyranny and corruption. Together, these readings explore judgment, happiness, conscience, justice, and the human longing for what is truly good.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Against Marcion Book 1, Chapters 27–28

Augustine — The Confessions Book 10, Chapter 21 (Section 31)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica Part 2–2, Questions 67–68

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Today’s readings move through memory, divine justice, and the right use of earthly things. Tertullian argues that God cannot be reduced to mere passive goodness stripped of judgment, emotion, and justice. A god who forbids evil yet never punishes it, he says, would ultimately permit the very evil he claims to oppose. Augustine then reflects on the mystery of happiness and memory, asking how we can long so deeply for the happy life unless we somehow already know it within ourselves. Aquinas concludes by examining bodily harm, theft, and property, teaching that created goods exist for the preservation of life and the common good, while also warning that violence, greed, and injustice corrupt both persons and society. Together, these readings ask whether goodness can truly exist apart from truth, justice, and rightly ordered love.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — The Five Books Against Marcion, Book 1, Chapters 25–26

Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 21 (Section 30)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Questions 65–66

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Today’s readings explore what it means for God’s goodness and human justice to be truly complete. Tertullian continues his assault on Marcion’s theology by arguing that a god who saves only a few—and even then saves only their souls while abandoning the body—cannot be called perfectly good. Augustine then reflects on the strange experience of remembering what we had forgotten, showing how memory searches within itself until the lost thing is recognized again. Aquinas turns to justice and the sanctity of human life, warning against favoritism that corrupts judgment and explaining the moral seriousness of murder, self-defense, and the lawful protection of society. Together, these readings ask whether goodness, memory, and justice can ever remain partial without becoming distorted.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — The Five Books Against Marcion, Book 1, Chapter 24

Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 19 (Section 28)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Questions 63–64

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Today’s readings explore memory, goodness, and justice from three different angles, yet all arrive at the same question: what does it mean for something to be truly right? Augustine reflects on how lost things can only be found if they remain somehow preserved within memory, leading him to marvel at the mysterious depths of the human mind and its longing for God. Aquinas then turns to justice in human relationships, warning against favoritism that bends judgment away from what is due and insisting that true repentance requires restitution wherever harm has been done. Together, these readings remind us that both truth and goodness demand order: memory must preserve what is lost, judgment must remain impartial, and justice must restore what has been wrongly taken.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — The Five Books Against Marcion, Book 1, Chapter 23

Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 18 (Section 27)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Questions 61–62

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