Episodes

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Why do Catholics make such a big deal about Mary? For many Protestants exploring Catholicism, the Blessed Virgin is the last hill to climb. In this episode, Greg dives into the four Marian dogmas—Mother of God, Perpetual Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and Assumption—through the lens of Mary as the New Eve. Discover how her role unlocks a deeper understanding of Scripture and the Gospel, pointing us to Jesus in a way that’s both ancient and illuminating. Perfect for OCIA c...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this episode of OCIA: The Bridge to Rome, we unpack the communion of saints—the living, eternal family that unites the Church on earth with the triumphant saints in heaven. Drawing from the Apostles’ Creed and Scripture (Hebrews 12:1, Revelation 5:8, Luke 16:19-31), we show how the “dead” are truly alive in Christ, aware and interceding for us. Former Protestants will find clear answers to the objection that saints can’t hear us, with biblical evidence from the Transfigur...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this milestone 400th episode, Greg and Ed celebrate at the Secret Compound, munching on gas station pizza and sipping celebratory beverages. They reflect on the incredible journey of Considering Catholicism, from its humble beginnings to a podcast that’s touched countless lives, including Ed’s ongoing path toward Catholicism. Greg shares the challenges of keeping the show authentic amidst pressures to conform and announces exciting changes, including a new Patreon platfor...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Can you prove God exists like a math theorem? Greg shares his journey from a debate-obsessed college kid to a Catholic who sees belief differently. In this episode, he challenges the idea that faith is about airtight arguments, exploring five compelling reasons to believe—from the universe’s beginning to humanity’s universal sense of the transcendent. Whether you’re a skeptic, a curious non-Catholic, or a Catholic rediscovering your faith, this episode invites you to weigh t...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Catholic Social Teaching, rooted in Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, is meant to guide Catholics in building a just society, but today it’s often a battleground for political agendas. In this episode, Greg reflects on preparing a lecture for his Catholic adult education course, exploring why CST divides progressives and conservatives and how technology like AI complicates its application. Drawing from Rerum Novarum’s timeless principles—dignity, common good, su...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this follow-up to episode #396 in the OCIA: The Bridge to Rome series, Greg takes listeners on a virtual tour of a Catholic church, revealing how its consecrated spaces—from the narthex’s sacred pause to the sanctuary’s holy altar—incarnate the Mass’s eternal worship. Through personal stories, like his clash with a megachurch architect over a church-turned-brewpub, Greg contrasts Catholic sacred space with Protestant functionality, showing how every relic, candle, and fon...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this episode of the "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" series, Greg explores the Catholic Mass as the central act of worship, explaining its purposes, structure, and profound biblical roots. He contrasts it with Protestant services, highlighting how the Mass engages the whole person—mind, heart, and body—while saturating participants with Scripture in ways that debunk common myths. Drawing from his own journey as a former Protestant pastor, Greg addresses objections like "re-sacr...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] When a Protestant or non-Catholic wants to join the Catholic Church, they often hit a surprising snag: If they’re divorced and remarried, the Church requires an annulment for that first marriage—even if it wasn’t Catholic. Why? In this episode, Greg dives into listener questions about this tough scenario, explaining why the Church presumes all marriages valid (Canon Law 1060: “Marriage enjoys the favour of law. Consequently, in doubt the validity of a marriage must be upheld...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome: Scripture, Tradition, and the Catholic Bible" explores how God’s revelation flows through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, guarded by the Magisterium. Greg shares his journey from Protestant sola scriptura to embracing the Catholic Bible’s 73-book canon, including the deuterocanonicals, rooted in the Septuagint and affirmed by early Church councils. He contrasts Catholic complementarity with evangelical Bible-only approaches, debunking myths about "...

ONATE WITH PAYPAL] Join Greg and Ed the Protestant at the secret compound in the Piney Woods for a heartfelt and candid conversation as Ed shares a long-awaited update on his journey toward Catholicism. With the 400th episode of Considering Catholicism approaching, Ed reflects on nearly four years of exploring the faith alongside listeners, responding to a listener’s email from Steve, who faces similar challenges as a Protestant considering the Catholic Church. Greg and Ed dive into the emotiona...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Ed the Protestant dive into a lively discussion about the fading concept of sin in contemporary Protestant and Evangelical churches. They explore how the gospel’s power hinges on the reality of bad news—sin’s eternal consequences—before the good news can shine. Ed shares his recent experiences at a modern evangelical church, where sermons focus on self-improvement and "living your best life" rather than confronting sin head-on. Greg argues that this shift turns past...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] This episode in the series "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" dives into the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds as vibrant summaries of the Gospel. Greg shares his journey from a deconstructed Evangelical hipster “fellowship” to embracing the Creeds’ role in guarding the apostolic faith against heresies, drawing from the Catechism and early Church fathers like St. Irenaeus and St. Athanasius. He contrasts Catholic creedal unity with evangelical “no creed but Christ” and subjective faith st...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg delves deeper into the Catholic mystical tradition, defining mysticism as a profound union with God and tracing its history from early Church fathers to modern saints. Highlighting figures like St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, St. Padre Pio, St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, and St. Joan of Arc, he explores visions, ecstasies, and miracles that far surpass contemporary Pentecostal experiences in depth and transformative power. Cont...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this first part of a series on the Holy Spirit’s role in extraordinary experiences, host Greg Smith explains charismatic gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, and healing, addressing questions from curious listeners. Drawing from Scripture and the history of Pentecostalism, including the Azusa Street Revival and more extreme manifestations like holy laughter and snake handling, he demystifies these phenomena for Catholics, Protestants, and secular ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Discover the Spirit’s role and how sacraments like Baptism and Eucharist use matter—water, bread, oil—to effect divine change, rooted in Scripture and the Catechism. Greg contrasts Catholic efficacious sacraments with evangelical symbolic ordinances, highlighting their incarnational power. This episode enriches your OCIA journey, guiding you to experience God’s grace through material signs. Donate with PayPal! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consider...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Building on his episode about Michelangelo's Creation of Adam (#385, "God's Finger"), Greg shifts focus to the nearby Deluge panel on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, where Noah's Ark resembles a Roman basilica, symbolizing the Church as salvation in a perishing world. Contrasting modern views of the Church as a social club or cultural mirror, he unpacks biblical typology from Genesis to Peter’s boat miracles and Jonah’s fish. This episode emphasizes the Catholic Church as the ar...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg continues the series "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" by exploring the Church as Christ’s living Body and instrument of grace. Discover its nature as the Body of Christ, People of God, and Temple of the Holy Spirit, its threefold mission, hierarchical structure, and four marks, drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, and Lumen Gentium. Greg contrasts the Catholic view of a visible, apostolic Church with evangelical emphases on an invisible fellowship, offering reflections for ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Dive into Michelangelo's iconic Creation of Adam fresco and uncover how it flips the secular view of religion as humanity's quest for the divine. Greg explores the Christian narrative of God reaching down to redeem a fallen world, debunking misconceptions about Catholicism as "works-based" salvation. Using the metaphor of a drowning man grasping a life preserver, he explains grace as God's initiative and our cooperative response. This episode invites curious seekers and redi...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Building on the chivalry episode's exploration of masculine ideals, Greg humbly unpacks the complementary feminine genius as by St. John Paul II in four key qualities—receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity—and integration with bold action through scriptural quotes and teachings. He integrates these concepts with examples of heroic women like Deborah, Judith, Esther, Mary, and saints including Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Joan of Arc, Teresa of Ávila,...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" continues by focusing one the main character in the Gospel story: Jesus Christ. Delve into the Incarnation—Jesus as fully divine and human in hypostatic union—and His redemptive mission through life, death, resurrection, and ascension, with insights from Scripture and the Catechism. Greg contrasts Catholic sacramental Christology with evangelical atonement emphases, offering reflection prompts to bridge perspectives. To go deeper, check out these e...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg explores the medieval Catholic ideal of chivalry—a powerful blend of manly courage, martial skill, and Christian virtue aimed at defending the vulnerable and imitating Christ. He defines the term's origins and meaning, drawing on etymology and historical context. Featuring quotations from sources like Ramon Llull's "Book of the Order of Chivalry," St. Bernard of Clairvaux's writings on the Templars, and Thomas Aquinas on fortitude, Greg unpacks how this vision integrate...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome" continues by describing the Gospel story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Greg unpacks the grand narrative of salvation history as the foundation of the Catholic faith. Explore how the Bible's story—from Genesis' perfect creation through the Fall, God's redemptive covenants, and Jesus' Paschal Mystery to Revelation's ultimate restoration—invites you personally into God's plan. Want to dig deeper? Check out episode #187: What is the B...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this sequel to “The Art of Dying, Then and Now” (#379), Greg delves deeply into the Catholic concept of a "good death," drawing from the Catechism and tradition. He explains how death is transformed by Christ, details the essential sacraments like reconciliation, anointing, and viaticum, and covers practices such as prayers to St. Joseph and communal commendations. Extending to funeral rites, Greg contrasts the resurrection-focused Catholic liturgy with secular or evangel...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this episode, Greg explores the stark contrasts between the medieval Catholic guide "Ars Moriendi" and contemporary secular books on "The Art of Dying." He breaks down the historical steps for a faithful death—overcoming temptations, sacraments, and communal rituals—against modern focuses on autonomy, pain management, and legacy-building in hospices. Reflecting on why the Catholic approach offers eternal hope amid today's medicalized views, Greg invites listeners to consi...