Doctrine Episodes

Ed was deeply moved by Greg's explanation of the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary back in Episode #29, and wrote an article about how it impacted him. In this follow-up conversation, they explore what "To Jesus Through Mary" really means.

Protestant theology flat-out rejects Catholic Eucharist doctrines. Why? And how should Catholics respond to the objections of their Protestant friends and family?

In our ongoing series on the Eucharist, Greg and Cory explore why the Eucharist is also called "Holy Communion," and why that communion is a miracle, not just a vague sense of community.

In a series of ongoing conversations about the miracles of the mass and the Eucharist, Greg and Cory try to explain exactly what the Church teaches about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

In this ongoing series on the Eucharist, Greg and Cory talk about miracles, how the priest acts in the person of Christ, and the invocation of the Holy Spirit during the mass.

Every Catholic mass is nothing short of a miracle. As part of our series on the Eucharist, Greg and Cory discuss how the field of "metaphysics" helps us to wrap our minds around how the supernatural intervenes in the natural world during the celebration of the mass.

The whole Old Testament points towards the Gospel, and so it is full of hints, clues, and foreshadows of the Eucharist. Part of the series of episodes on the Eucharistic Revival.

Ed asks Greg if Catholics can lose their salvation once they join the Church (Part 2 of 3 about Salvation).

In the first of a series of lessons on the Eucharist, Greg explains why it's such big deal to Catholics when it's only a medium-sized deal to Protestant Evangelicals.

The bishops of America are deeply concerned that too few Catholics understand, believe in, or take the Eucharist in a "coherent" way. And so, they have launched a three-year "Eucharistic Revival." In this first episode in a regular feature on the Eucharist, Cory and I discuss the why, what, and how of this revival.

Who is, or isn't, "Catholic?" What do you have to believe or do to "be Catholic?" What about people who don't or won't do those things? Are they still Catholic?

In Episode 32, I answered Ed's question, "Why do Catholics have a pope?" But we kept going, and covered the everything from whether the pope can make up new doctrines, to megachurch pastors, to why Pope Francis seems to meddle in politics, and whether papal infallibility means he can tell me who will win the Super Bowl.

Ed asked why Catholics have a pope, which seems crazy to them. I gave him an answer that most "cradle Catholics" wouldn't typically give.

My Protestant friend Ed finally got around to asking me about the biggest problem that Protestants have with Catholicism: the Virgin Mary.

Greg's Protestant friend Ed brings up all the arguments that he's heard that Catholicism isn't real Christianity.

Is Catholic devotion to the saints pagan idolatry? Greg and his Protestant friend Ed talk about the saints.

Greg and his Protestant friend Ed talk about the sacrament of confession and reconciliation.

My Protestant friend Ed and I talk about the difference between salvation and sanctification, and how our Catholic good works aren't intended to save us, but they are intended to make us stronger.