What is Truth?

In this episode of What is Truth?, Jonathon Fessenden interviews The Metaphysics of Martyrdom (January 29, 2026)

In this interview, we explore The Metaphysics of Martyrdom by J. Marianne Siegmund, a profound philosophical and theological reflection on martyrdom as more than heroic death—it is an act of metaphysical witness. Drawing from Sacred Scripture, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. John Paul II, Siegmund presents martyrdom as a convergence of free will, grace, truth, and love, where the human person bears witness to reality itself.

Rather than viewing martyrdom merely as suffering or political resistance, this conversation uncovers its deeper meaning: a participation in being, where fidelity to truth, goodness, and beauty is sealed through self-gift. We examine how martyrdom reveals the dignity of the human person, the nature of moral freedom, and the ultimate victory of divine love over violence and death.

This discussion is for anyone interested in Catholic philosophy, metaphysics, moral theology, and the mystery of sanctity, especially in a world increasingly hostile to truth.

The Metaphysics of Martyrdom by J. Marianne Siegmund | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of What is Truth? Jonathon Fessenden interviews Matthew Mark McWhorter on the Truth behind the So-Called Apocrypha (October 8, 2025)

Why did Protestants remove parts of Scripture from the original Bible? In this powerful conversation, Jonathon Fessenden sits down with Matthew Mark McWhorter to uncover the truth behind the so-called Apocrypha—the ancient books and passages that were part of the early Church’s Bible but later rejected during the Reformation.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK, CLICK THE LINKS BELOW Free preview: https://canoncrossfire.com/#:~:text=Free%20Look%20Inside%20The%20Book Free to seminarians: https://canoncrossfire.com/free-to-seminarians General purchases: https://canoncrossfire.com/purchase-canon-crossfire

In this episode of What is Truth? Jonathon Fessenden interviews Thom Brucie on his book Obsidian Mirth (October 20, 2025)

The characters in Thom Brucie’s Obsidian Mirth fall into a dilemma where loss and betrayal entangle the need for forgiveness and love. Their choices reveal what distinctions lie between knowing one’s self and knowing another, choices that expose that small moment tottering between life-affirming hope and the despair of meaninglessness. This is a heart-rending and beautiful story, and these characters will hover at the outskirts of your thoughts like whispering ghosts of past kinships.

Obsidian Mirth by Thom Brucie | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of What is Truth? Jonathon Fessenden interviews Drago Dimitrov, CEO & Co-Founder of Holy Habits, on How to Ignite Real Spiritual Transformation (September 23, 2025).

 In this conversation, which occurred in August, 2025, we explore:

• Why Catholics often struggle to live out their desire for holiness
• The power of daily habits in shaping your soul
• How the Holy Habits App is helping thousands grow closer to Christ

Discover the Holy Habits App: https://holyhabits.co/app?source=missiodei Follow Drago Dimitrov on Substack: https://substack.com/@dragodimitrov

Whether you’re a devout Catholic or just beginning to seek God, this episode will challenge and inspire you to live your faith with purpose and passion.

In this episode of What is Truth? Jonathon Fessenden interviews Ray Williams on Autogynephilia & God's Grace (September 13, 2025)

In this powerful and unfiltered, iinterview, Ray Williams confronts the controversial topic of autogynephilia—a subject often ignored in mainstream discussions of gender identity. Once living as transgender, Ray shares the hidden struggles behind his experience, the psychological reality of autogynephilia, and the emptiness of gender ideology. Ray courageously explains how these issues led him down a destructive path, and how God’s grace ultimately called him back. His journey of de-transitioning and returning to the Catholic faith reveals the truth that absolute freedom comes not from self-invention, but from living in harmony with God’s design. This interview explores: What autogynephilia is and why it’s such a controversial but critical part of the gender debate The psychological, emotional, and spiritual wounds behind transgender ideology Ray’s de-transition testimony and return to the Catholic Church How the sacraments and the love of Christ restored his true identity Ray’s story is a bold reminder that Christ alone gives lasting healing and peace.  Read more of Ray’s work: Ray Williams Substack Twitter www.twitter.com/RayAlexWilliams

In this episode of What is Truth?, Jonathon Fessenden interviews Fr. Thomas Morrow on God's Design for Marriage: Theology, Love, and Sacrifice (June 8, 2025)

In this episode of What is Truth?, Jonathon Fessenden interviews Dr. Chris Reilly on his book AI and Sin: How Today’s Technology Motivates Evil (May 22, 2025)

Artificial intelligence technology (AI) motivates persons’ engagement in sin. With this startling argument drawn from Catholic theology and technological insight, Christopher M. Reilly, Th.D. takes on both critics and proponents of AI who see it as essentially a neutral tool that can be used with good or bad intentions. More specifically, Reilly demonstrates that AI strongly encourages the vice of instrumental rationality, which in turn leads the developers, producers, and users of AI and its machines toward acedia, one of the “seven deadly sins.” The third section of the book offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of the many moral problems caused by AI. It concludes with recommendations for overcoming the 21st century scourge of AI-induced acedia.

AI and Sin: How Today’s Technology Motivates Evil by Dr. Christopher Reilly | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of What is Truth?, Jonathon Fessenden interviews Dr. George Mychaskiw on his book Follow the Science: A Catholic Physician’s Contemplations on Faith, Medicine, and the Catholic Church with forewords by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland and Charles C. Camosy, PhD

Do you ever wonder if the scientific world has lost its compass?Does it seem like the Catholic Church is increasingly irrelevant in a culture of death and secular self-interest?Is there no behavior too outrageous, offensive or preposterous enough for a civilized society to protest?In this book, Dr. George Mychaskiw, a faithful Catholic, pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist takes an unvarnished, direct and unapologetically Catholic look at some of today’s most important bioethical and episcopal issues, including:

• The common arguments supporting abortion on demand and why they are simply invalid.
• The irrational and non-scientific basis for gender ideology.
• The modern slavery of in vitro fertilization and surrogacy.
• The contemporary genocide against the disabled, elderly and other “inconvenient” people.
• Perversion of politics and the criminal justice system.
• The silent and cowardly Catholic Church.

And many more.  This is a call to arms.  A plea and guidebook for taking back the culture of death, restoring respect for life and motherhood, and setting the Church in its place as the standard-bearer for ethical behavior.  Society is in decline and, unless prompt action is taken, it will collapse to a Hobbesian dystopia that is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.


Follow the Science: A Catholic Physician’s Contemplations on Faith, Medicine, and the Catholic Church | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of What is Truth, Jonathon Fessenden interviews Matthew Tsakanikas on his book A Catechesis on Deification, Transfiguration & the Luminous Mysteries (April 21, 2025)

This book is a catechetical exploration of Christian deification, deeply rooted in the theological insights of Saint Athanasius and other Church Fathers. The work connects the mysteries of the Rosary with the transformative grace offered through Christ, focusing particularly on the Luminous Mysteries as a lens for understanding humanity’s participation in the divine life.

Central to the book is the concept of deification, described as the process by which humans become “partakers in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Dr. Matthew A. Tsakanikas emphasizes that deification does not imply losing one’s humanity but rather elevating it through grace, living in God’s will, and growing in love and virtue. Drawing on biblical passages, he demonstrates how the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ make this elevation possible.

The book revisits key moments in salvation history, such as the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed the glory of divine light to his disciples, and the Eucharist’s institution, portraying these events as glimpses of the divine kingdom. Tsakanikas also explores discipleship in Mary, the Rosary’s role in cultivating divine intimacy, and the unity of Scripture’s Old and New Testaments.

Through theological reflection and practical devotion, Tsakanikas invites readers to embrace their divine calling, entering into Christ’s transformative love.

A Catechesis on Deification, Transfiguration & the Luminous Mysteries by Matthew A. Tsakanikas, STD | En Route Books and Media

In this episode of What is Truth?, Jonathon Fessenden sits down with Caitie Crowley, author of Stepping Up!: How Christ Turned My Pain & Suffering into Hope & Joy. Caitie shares her powerful testimony of redemptive suffering, healing, and forgiveness, revealing how Christ transformed her deepest struggles into a source of grace. We discuss the meaning of suffering in the Christian life, the power of faith in hardship, and how true healing begins with surrender to God’s will. Whether you're facing your own trials or seeking a deeper understanding of redemptive suffering, this conversation will inspire and uplift you.  

WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?Caitie Crowley was in a traumatic car accident on her way home from work and almost lost her life. She couldn’t walk for 10 months. She took that time to write about her experiences and how her faith in God carried her through her pain. This book takes the reader through Caitie’s physical struggle of learning to walk again and her interior struggle of learning to walk with God through the cross. Through Him, you can find hope when it appears hopeless.

Stepping Up! | En Route Books and Media