Shows / Considering Catholicism
Considering Catholicism
Catholic Church, faith, culture, and history are explained clearly and simply for anyone curious about historic Catholicism. Faithful to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Episodes
- Considering Catholicism
Sacraments: You Can’t Unring the Bell (#477)
You cannot unring a bell. Once it has sounded, you can leave the room or cover your ears, but you cannot reach backward and make the ringing not have happened…
- Considering Catholicism
Why Don't We Just Dedicate Babies? (#476)
Why don’t Catholics just dedicate babies the way so many evangelical churches do? In this episode we look carefully at the difference between a sincere baby…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 7: The Church on Paper vs. the Church in the Pews (#475)
Thomas named a frustration many people feel when they look seriously at Catholicism: on paper and in history the Church looks strong, bold, and majestic, yet…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 6: Why Should I Trust Your Pope? (#474)
Thomas named the papacy as one of the biggest speed bumps on the Road to Rome. The questions are familiar: Who made a man in Rome the boss of Christianity?…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 5: What Happens on the Altar in the Eucharist? (#473)
Thomas raised two related difficulties with the Mass: what the Catholic Church actually claims is happening on the altar, and how underwhelming or casual many…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 4: Why Would We Need Purgatory? (#472)
Thomas asked the natural follow-up question to the “broken window”: if forgiveness cancels the debt but the damage remains, what happens to that remaining…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 3: Why Do Penance if Christ Already Paid the Price? (#471)
Thomas asked a question that a lot of people carry quietly: if Christ has already paid the full price for our sins, why does the Catholic Church still talk…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas..." Part 2: Why Confess to a Priest? (#470)
Thomas wrestled with a very practical and painful question: Why does the Church insist we confess our sins to a priest when we can just tell God directly? In…
- Considering Catholicism
"Dear Doubting Thomas,..." Part 1: Is the Catholic Church for Real? (#469)
Thomas wrote with a question that sits underneath almost everything else: Can the Catholic Church really be trusted with its extraordinary claims? In this…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 7: Her Bodily Assumption into Heaven (#469)
In this final episode of the Mary in the Dock series, we examine the Assumption of Mary — the solemn teaching that, at the end of her earthly life, the…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 6: Her Perpetual Virginity (#468)
In this installment of Mary in the Dock, we put the claim of Mary’s perpetual virginity on trial. Many Protestants see the “brothers of Jesus” mentioned in the…
- Considering Catholicism
How Do Altar Rails Make You Feel? (#467)
In recent years, a number of dioceses have moved to remove or ban altar rails, even as some younger priests have begun reinstalling them. These disputes often…
- Considering Catholicism
Who Is a "Christian?" (#466)
In the wake of the Pentagon’s recent effort to simplify its religious affiliation codes — and the resulting controversy when The Church of Jesus Christ of…
- Considering Catholicism
Where Peter Is (#465)
In a world flooded with thousands of competing voices — each claiming to represent “biblical Christianity” with their favorite proof texts — how do you…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 5: The Immaculate Conception (#464)
In Episode 5 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, Greg Smith puts the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception on trial. Protestants often…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 4: The Ark of the New Covenant (#463)
In Episode 4 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant on…
- Considering Catholicism
Development of Doctrine in Real Time: Live Debates and Clear Boundaries (#462)
The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 2 Picking up right where Part 1 left off, Greg and Cory apply the principles of authentic development to…
- Considering Catholicism
What Development of Doctrine Really Is (And Isn’t) (#461)
The Acorn and the Oak: Development of Doctrine, Part 1. In this first part of our conversation with Cory, we explore the beautiful Catholic understanding of…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, part 3: Is Mary the New Eve? (#460)
In Episode 3 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as the New Eve on trial…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 2: Mother of God — Blasphemy or Biblical Truth? (#459)
In Episode 2 of the series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic doctrine of Mary as Mother of God (Theotokos) on…
- Considering Catholicism
Mary in the Dock, Part 1: Is Devotion to Her Idolatry? (#458)
In the powerful opening episode of the new series Mary in the Dock: Ordinary or Extraordinary?, host Greg Smith puts the Catholic practice of Marian devotion…
- Considering Catholicism
Mystery, Magic, and the Search for Meaning (#464)
In this unscripted, freewheeling conversation recorded at the secret compound, Ed shares the profound shift happening in his heart as he prepares to enter OCIA…
- Considering Catholicism
Why I’m Not Giving Hot Takes on the New AI Encyclical (Yet) (#463)
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical today — Magnifica Humanitas — addressing the dignity of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence…
- Considering Catholicism
The Sexual Subtext Behind So Many Anti-Catholic Arguments (#462)
Greg dives into a surprising pattern that keeps surfacing in Catholic-Protestant conversations: why so many objections to Catholicism quickly circle back to…
- Considering Catholicism
Moral Theology, Part 3: Prudential Judgments (#461)
In the final part of this three-part series, Greg takes the philosophical foundation from Episode 1 and the moral schematics from Episode 2 and applies them…
- Considering Catholicism
Moral Theology, Part 2: Tools and Norms (#460)
In the second part of this three-part series, Greg builds directly on the foundation laid in “The Anatomy of Evil” and moves into the practical schematics the…
- Considering Catholicism
Moral Theology, Part 1: The Anatomy of Evil (#459)
In a world of loud moral arguments and social-media slogans, real precision often gets lost. In this three-part series, Greg unpacks one of the most attractive…
- Considering Catholicism
10 Years Catholic: What We’re Grateful For, and What Still Surprises Us (#457)
In this special conversation episode, Greg sits down with his friend and longtime collaborator Cory to mark the 10th anniversary of the night they both entered…
- Considering Catholicism
Just How Depraved Are You? (#456)
In this candid monologue, Greg retraces his own path from campus-ministry apologetics at a liberal university into the tight, intellectually satisfying world…
- Considering Catholicism
"I Never Said You Stole His Money:" Why “Bible Alone” Doesn't Work (#455)
What if the way we’ve been taught to read the Bible is actually creating the very divisions we see today? In this episode of Considering Catholicism, host Greg…
- Considering Catholicism
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 4: Our Destiny Lies Beyond the Machines (#454)
This is Part 4 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” As artificial super-intelligence seems ready…
- Considering Catholicism
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 3: Will AI *Really* Change the World? (#453)
This is Part 3 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” Everyone says AI is going to completely remake…
- Considering Catholicism
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 2: The Problems AI Can’t Solve (#452)
This is Part 2 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” In a world that increasingly measures human…
- Considering Catholicism
Imago Dei in the Age of AI, Part 1: Why the Devil Envies You (#451)
This is Part 1 of our four-episode series “What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Imago Dei in the Age of AI.” In a world racing toward artificial…
- Considering Catholicism
The Real Reason the Catholic Church Ordains Only Men (#450)
In this episode Greg unpacks one of the most emotionally charged questions on the road to Rome: why does the Catholic Church ordain only men to the priesthood?…
- Considering Catholicism
Elders or Priests? Why Catholic Authority Isn’t Earned—It’s Entrusted (#449)
In the New Testament, Paul gives clear qualifications for presbyteroi—elders—who must be the husband of one wife, manage their household well, and hold fast to…
- Considering Catholicism
Blessed Triduum 2026: Gratitude, Love, and a Peek at What's Coming (#448)
On Holy Thursday, Greg sits down with a warm, personal message for listeners as the Church begins the Sacred Triduum. He explains the meaning, etymology, and…
- Considering Catholicism
Holy Week in Jerusalem: Walking Where the Gospels Happened (#447)
In this re-released classic from the vault, Greg shares fresh impressions and profound insights from his recent pilgrimage to Jerusalem and its surroundings…
- Considering Catholicism
Easter in Jerusalem: The Garden Tomb vs. the Real Empty Tomb (#446)
This Easter, millions are posting from Jerusalem’s peaceful Garden Tomb saying “This feels like the real one.” But just down the street sits the Church of the…
- Considering Catholicism
From Babel to Pentecost: Why We Still Need Latin at Mass (#445)
Why do some Catholics want more Latin even in the regular Sunday Mass? In this episode, Greg explores how praying familiar parts like the Pater Noster or…
- Considering Catholicism
Irish Guilt vs. Italian Joy: Why Catholicism Holds Both Sin and Forgiveness Perfectly (#444)
Greg revisits the famous (but legendary) story of Martin Luther hurling an inkwell at the devil to prove his sins were "forgiven and forgotten," a tale he once…
- Considering Catholicism
Livestream: Walking the First Holy Week in Jerusalem – Sunday March 22 | 7 PM EST
Two weeks before Easter we’re doing something special. Join Greg for a livestream webinar. He’ll open the Gospels and Google Earth and walk the actual route…
Considering CatholicismOCIA: The Bridge to Rome — Easter Vigil Mass (#443)
Ever wondered what actually happens at the Easter Vigil—the "Super Bowl of the Catholic liturgy" where catechumens are baptized, confirmed, and receive their…
Considering CatholicismOCIA: The Bridge to Rome — The Sacraments of Initiation (#442)
In this episode of the OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg and Cory dive into the heart of what OCIA is ultimately aiming for: the Sacraments of…
- Considering Catholicism
The End of Ed the Protestant (#441)
After four years of raw, honest conversations, Ed the Protestant returns with big news that longtime listeners have been praying for and waiting to hear. What…
- Considering Catholicism
Done with Church? (#440)
Ever feel completely done with church—burnt out, over it, ready to sleep in on Sundays and call it quits on the whole evangelical scene? You're not alone. In…
- Considering Catholicism
When No Means Yes: The Ancient Case for Lent (#439)
Greg unpacks the often-misunderstood practice of asceticism—the spiritual training of saying "no" to ourselves so we can say a bigger "yes" to God. Far from…
- Considering Catholicism
The Sacrament That Ends the Secret: Talking Confession with Ed (#438)
Greg sits down with his longtime Protestant friend Ed to tackle one of the biggest hurdles for many coming from evangelical backgrounds: the Sacrament of…
- Considering Catholicism
Stylistic Differences at Mass: Chant, Contemporary, Traditional, and Everything In Between (#437)
In this follow-up conversation with Cory, we unpack why you can walk into one Catholic parish and experience a reverent, chant-filled Mass with Latin elements…
- Considering Catholicism
Mass Anywhere: Exploring Parishes, Oratories, Campus Chapels, and Missions (#436)
In this conversation with Cory, we dive into the practical side of Catholic life: where you can actually go to attend Mass. We start with the basics—your local…
- Considering Catholicism
Stuff Jesus Never Said (#435)
Ever heard someone shrug off a clear Church teaching by saying, “Well, Jesus never said that”? It’s a line that’s been used for centuries to challenge Catholic…
- Considering Catholicism
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome – Trusting the Church, Part 2: Submission of Intellect and Will (#434)
In the second part of this two-episode series, Greg moves from the initial Profession of Faith to the lifelong Catholic posture of religious submission of…
- Considering Catholicism
OCIA: The Bridge to Rome – Trusting the Church, Part 1: The Profession of Faith (#433)
In the first part of this two-episode series on trusting the Church, Greg walks listeners through the solemn Profession of Faith that candidates make when…
- Considering Catholicism
OCIA: The Stations of the Cross (#432)
In this episode of our “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome” series, Greg takes listeners on a journey through the Stations of the Cross, sharing his unforgettable…
Considering CatholicismComing Feb 15: Our First Live Webinar – Egeria’s Epic Pilgrimage Proves the Early Church Was Catholic!
Get ready for something brand new on the Considering Catholicism Podcast! On Sunday, February 15 at 7:00 PM Eastern, we’re launching our first-ever live…
- Considering Catholicism
OCIA: The Scrutinies and Mass Dismissals (#431)
This “OCIA: The Bridge to Rome episode,” explains the Lenten practices of scrutinies and dismissals for those preparing for Catholic initiation. Drawing from…
- Considering Catholicism
OCIA: Lent (#430)
In this installment of our "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" series, we look at Lent—the Catholic Church's 40-day season of preparation for Easter. Drawing from…
- Considering Catholicism
When You Oppose the Pope's Poltics, Part 3 (#429)
The Hundred Years’ War split Catholic Europe, with popes and bishops backing different sides in a brutal conflict between England and France. A teenage peasant…
- Considering Catholicism
When You Oppose the Pope's Politics, Part 2 (#428)
In 1302 a devout lay Catholic was sentenced to death by a papal legate for refusing to surrender his city’s freedom to foreign control. He spent his life in…
- Considering Catholicism
When You Oppose the Pope's Politics, Part 1 (#427)
What do faithful Catholics do when the Vatican’s diplomatic choices seem to conflict with love of country or local sovereignty? It’s not a new question. For…