Shows / Summa Made Simple
Summa Made Simple
St. Thomas Aquinas was a super-smart 13th-century Italian philosopher and priest who blended faith with logic to explore big ideas about God, the universe, and how we should live our lives. His epic book, the Summa Theologica, is like a detailed roadmap tackling thousands of tough questions on theology, ethics, and human nature—and if you want to dive in without the headache, the "Summa Made Simple" podcast breaks it all down into fun, straightforward episodes that make it click for anyone…
Episodes
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 47: Fornication And The“We’re Not Hurting Anyone” Argument - Part 2
If children need years of guidance and formation, then another question follows: what kind of relationship is capable of sustaining that…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 46: On Fornication And The“We’re Not Hurting Anyone” Argument
Click here to become a paying subscriber.“If two consenting adults want to have sex, and they’re not hurting anyone, what’s the problem?”It’s one of the most…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 45: The Argument Against Aquinas Part 2
An elderly couple can’t have children. Is their sexual relationship therefore sinful? If not, why would contraception be different?Part 2 takes that apparent…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 44: The Argument Against Aquinas Part 1
If a sexual act cannot result in child-bearing, is it sinful? What happens when you ask AI to produce the strongest possible case against St. Thomas…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 43: The Logic Behind Sexual Morality Part 2 - Why Sex Has Boundaries
Modern debates about sex often begin with personal choice. Aquinas begins somewhere else entirely: with purpose.In this episode, he continues his exploration…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 42: The Logic Behind Sexual Morality Part 1
Why does Christianity distinguish between different kinds of sexual sins? Is it just tradition, or is there a coherent way of thinking behind it?In this…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 41: The Daughters of Lust, Part 3: How Lust Takes Over Your Words
“Hidden pride? Manifest lust.” - St. Josemaria Escriva.In Part 3, we answer the four challenges raised at the start, and discover something new: lust doesn't…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 40: The Daughters of Lust Part 2 - Rashness, Thoughtlessness, and Messed Up Priorities
In the 1997 film, “The Devil’s Advocate”, lawyer John Milton (Al Pacino) is Satan tempting his son Kevin (Keanu Reeves) to join him in his ambition to rule…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 39: The Daughters of Lust Part 1 - How Lust Blinds the Mind
Saint Thomas teaches that every capital vice spawns a whole army of smaller sins in its wake — he calls them the “daughters” of that vice. In this three-part…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 38: Every Vice Has A Boss
Some bad habits arrive alone. Others bring an entire entourage.Aquinas calls these “capital vices”—the vices that lead the others. Lust, he argues, is one of…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 37: Why Some Choices Matter More Than Others
Not every decision has the same consequences.Some choices affect only you. Others shape families, futures, and generations yet to come.In this episode, Aquinas…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 36: The Desire That Makes You Stupid
Most bad decisions don’t start with bad intentions.According to Aquinas, some desires have a unique power: they don’t just influence your choices—they can…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 35: Virginity or Marriage - Which Is Better?
In this episode of Summa Made Simple, we explore one of the most challenging and frequently misunderstood questions in the Summa Theologiae: Is virginity more…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 34: Is Virginity a Virtue? Aquinas on Chastity, Marriage, and Heroic Virtue
What exactly makes virginity a virtue?In this episode of Summa Made Simple, we continue our exploration of chastity and virginity through a series of…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 33: The Virtue That Makes No Sense Today
NOTE: This episode deals with adult themes and may not be suitable for younger audiences. Listener discretion is advised.Virginity sounds outdated…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 32: Your Desires Make A Terrible God
NOTE: This episode deals with adult themes and may not be suitable for younger audiences. Listener discretion is advised.What happens when every craving gets…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 31: You Knew Where This Was Going
“It just happened” is one of the most comforting—and dangerous—stories we tell ourselves.Because in reality, most outcomes are set in motion long before the…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 30: Drunkenness Isn’t the Worst Vice. Here’s Why.
Common sense says the greater the chaos a vice causes, the worse it must be. Aquinas disagrees. This episode explores why drunkenness can be seriously sinful…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 29: Drunk… But Not Guilty?
Here’s a claim that sounds wrong at first: not all drunkenness is a sin.Drawing on Thomas Aquinas, this episode draws a hard line between what happens to you…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 28: The Real Problem With Alcohol
Everyone argues about alcohol. Almost no one defines the real problem.Drawing from Thomas Aquinas, this episode cuts through the noise: alcohol isn’t…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 27: The 6 Hidden Effects of Gluttony
Gluttony doesn’t end when the meal does.According to Thomas Aquinas, it leaves behind six lasting effects—what he calls the “daughters” of gluttony. And they…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 26: The 5 Forms of Gluttony (That Have Nothing to Do with Overeating)
Most people think gluttony means one thing: eating too much.Aquinas disagrees.In this episode, we break open a far sharper insight:gluttony has five distinct…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 25: When Your Plate Becomes Your God
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 24: You Can Fast Your Way Into Sin
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 23: The Toddler Running Your Life
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 22: The Sin Nobody Warned You About
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 21: The Dictatorship of Desire
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 20: The Virtue That Saves Your Soul From Chaos
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 19: The Virtue That Maximizes Pleasure
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 18: The Enemies of Perseverance
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 17: Why Most People Don't Finish
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 16: Patience Is Not What You Think
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 15: When Big Spending Is A Virtue
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 14: When Your Heart Shrinks
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 13: The Real Reason We Fight, Sulk, and Never Apologize
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 12: The Trap of Vainglory
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 11: When Ambition Turns Toxic
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 10. The Sin of Presumption: The fallacy behind "my body, my choice".
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Ep 9. How to Grow Great: The Practical Side of Magnanimity
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 8. The Hunger for Honor
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 7. The Faces of Resilience
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 6. The Sin of Fear
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 5. Martyrdom at Your Doorstep
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Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 4: When Doing Good Doesn't Feel Good
Doing good is supposed to make us feel good , right?WRONG!Let's be honest. Doing good doesn't always give us a warm fuzzy feeling. In fact, it often down-right…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 3: Catching Feelings
Feelings often get in the way of things and mess things up. So why even have them if they cause so much trouble?Find out in this Episode of "Summa Made…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 2: Fortitude And Endurance
If someone cuts in ahead of you at the supermarket checkout counter, is it more courageous to call them out or to grin and bear it?The answer may surprise you…
Summa Made SimpleSumma Made Simple Episode 1: So What If Fortitude Is A Virtue?
If fortitude WERE NOT a virtue, what would that mean for you and me?A bleak and miserable existence!Welcome to Episode 1 of Summa Made Simple. In this Episode…