Episodes

Ed asks about the Crusades: did the Catholic Church really launch brutal wars of colonization, invading Muslim ancestral lands with hordes of Catholic knights to rape, pillage, and steal the Middle East? Greg explains that mu...

In the last snapshot ("The End of Ordinary Time"), Greg pointed out that the Catholic Church has a major feast to celebrate the end of ordinary time and the liturgical year. That feast is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Chris...

Ordinary Time is coming to an end, very soon. If that sounds alarming and weird to you, then listen to this short explanation of the Catholic conception of time, and the cycles and landmarks that ought to define our lives. Bu...

Ed the Protestant asks about the Catholic Church's commitment to charity and the poor. Greg explains where that comes from and the related but very different concept of Catholic Social Justice. Support the podcast: https://gi...

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to consideringcatholicism@gmail.com ): "I'm a recent convert to Catholicism, but my wife is still Protestant. We disagree over which church to raise our children in. ...

What does the Catholic Church teach about Satan and demons? Is he, or are they, the opposing force in the universe to God and angels? What do they know? What can they do? Can they possess us? What is an exorcism? Greg and Cor...

This iconic motto is all over merchandise at the University of Notre Dame. Non-Notre Dame fans find it arrogant and annoying. But most don't realize that it's a double entendre, and that the real meaning, the deeper meaning, ...

What does the Catholic Church teach about what evil actually is? Is it the opposite of good, like light/dark or yin/yang? Is it moral failing? Being outside of God's will? A social construct? Greg and Cory explain that in Cat...

In this snapshot, Greg discusses why it's important to take death seriously in a culture that doesn't, and takes comfort in Catholicism which offers a coherent, comprehensive, and mature approach to death, dying, and remember...

For secular folks this is Halloween, for Catholics it's the eve of All Saints Day, but for Protestants it's Reformation Day, when Martin Luther nailed his complaints against the Catholic Church to a cathedral door in Germany....

Greg and Ed discuss the concept of happiness and the responsibility to cultivate happiness in one's life. Pursuing immediate gratification does not lead to genuine happiness, but rather, pursuing goodness, truth, and beauty c...

Snapshots are a type of episode: around 10 minutes on a single topic. Today, Greg follows up on a recent episode about whether UFOs are aliens, angels, or something else. What should Christians, and Catholics in particular, b...

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to consideringcatholicism@gmail.com! ): How do I overcome my distrust of the Catholic Bible (the "deuterocanonical books)? Can salvation be lost? What if I commit a m...

Greg and Ed have an honest talk about what stewardship means. Because our life is a gift, God expects us to try and become the best possible versions of ourselves that we can be. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter...

Greg was traveling in the Rocky Mountains last week, and revisited a contemporary evangelical Protestant church that he attended sometimes before he converted to Catholicism. These are his reflections on the differences that ...

Greg and Ed talk about Halloween. Can Christians participate? Are its origins really in the Catholic Church incorporating pagan Celtic rituals? And has the Church adopted pagan rituals throughout history, including Easter cel...

What are angels? How are they different from us? What do they do? What are the types or categories? Do we have a guardian angel, and what does he do? Greg and Cory unpack the nature of these spiritual beings. Please support t...

UFOs are in the news again, as Congress holds hearings about what the government knows about them. How should Christians feel about this issue? What does the Catholic Church teach? And how do we make sense of it. Greg and Cor...

Greg and Ed discuss one of the most divisive issues between Catholics and evangelicals: infant vs. believer baptism. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to ed...

So you or your friends or family are looking for a new church. How do you pick one? Is it like standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store, surveying the various colors, textures, shapes, and tastes, and finding one tha...

Ed the Protestant had breakfast with three of his friends, and they couldn't understand his attraction to Catholicism. From their perspective, it seems full of mystical rituals instead of being straightforward, simple, and ra...

What must someone believe as infallible "dogma" in order to be "in the Catholic faith?" How does that differ from doctrines, teachings, and recommended beliefs? There are important but subtle differences that carry different ...

An invitation to take a free online course with Greg Smith about Catholic church history (and some other updates about the podcast). Sign up for the class at LANEcatholic.org The conversation with Cory about knowledge, belief...

Christianity makes truth claims, like that Jesus rose from the dead. But what if we aren’t sure? Greg and Cory discuss the difference between certain knowledge, confident belief, and the mystery of saving faith.