Episodes

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Learn why set prayers and saint intercessions enrich heartfelt devotion, with Catechism quotes and saint insights, then explore essentials like Our Father and Hail Mary with origins and uses. Greg contrasts with evangelical spontaneous emphases, reflecting on unity. This episode equips your OCIA prayer life, bridging words to divine dialogue. Donate with PayPal! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com Recommended Episodes: T...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Another installment of the series "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome." In this episode, Greg introduces the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Discover the CCC’s history as John Paul II’s "sure norm," its four-pillar structure (Creed, Sacraments, Morality, Prayer), unmatched value for authoritative answers, and versatile use in study or reference. Greg contrasts with Protestant fragmented sources, offering reflections on unified truth. This episode empowers your OCIA with the CC...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] What if the Christianity you’ve known is like the shadows on the wall in Plato’s cave—flat, limited, and only a fraction of the real thing? In this episode, Greg explores how Protestantism, since Luther’s reforms, has often shrunk the faith’s vision of God, the Church, sacraments, saints, and salvation, leading to today’s minimalist pop Christianity. Through compelling examples and personal reflections on his own Road to Rome, he contrasts this with Catholicism’s expansive, ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] The Considering Catholicism Podcast launches "OCIA: The Bridge to Rome," a series designed to illuminate the path into the Catholic Church. In this inaugural episode, discover how OCIA serves as the bridge across the Tiber River for those on their Road to Rome, offering a holistic journey of faith formation rather than a simple class. Greg breaks down key terms, the ancient origins of the process, and the stages from inquiry to full initiation, making it accessible for curio...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg shares a story from a golf outing where an awkward stranger handed him a Gospel pamphlet asking, "Am I Going to Heaven?" He praises the bold evangelism of Protestants but critiques the pamphlet's narrow "faith alone" view, offering a fresh Catholic perspective on how baptism and grace transform us to perform good works (for a deep dive into the Catholic position on this debate, see the "Faith or Works?" series, episodes #301-311. Contrasting Protestant urgency with Cath...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In the final part of "The Church and Her Fathers," Greg introduces key Church Fathers—their lives, writings, teachings, and accomplishments—highlighting their unity on core Catholic doctrines despite minor disagreements. He explores how they represent the early, developing Church, maturing over centuries while preserving its identity, and stresses continuity to today. Greg shares why engaging the Fathers converts Protestants, including Newman's famous quote, and wraps the se...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In Part 3 of "The Church and Her Fathers," Greg tackles an anti-Catholic X post dismissing the Church Fathers as mere “fragments” of history, connecting it to the series’ exploration of the Church’s visible nature and biblical roots. He exposes the flaws in claims about “lost voices” and late Christianity, highlighting the Fathers’ diverse origins and doctrinal unity as evidence of the Catholic Church’s continuity. Drawing from his Protestant past, Greg shows how the Fathers...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In part two of the series on the Church, Greg delves deeper into Catholic teachings from the Catechism, emphasizing the Church as both visible and invisible, human and divine. He explores the three-fold nature—the Church Militant on earth, Suffering in purgatory, and Triumphant in heaven—with direct quotes from CCC 954 and insights from Doctors like Aquinas and Augustine on their interconnected unity through the Communion of Saints. Addressing Protestant listeners, Greg expl...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In Part 1 of a four-part series called “The Church and Her Fathers,” Greg dives into a pet peeve: why evangelicals insist on calling early Christianity a “movement” instead of “the Church.” Tracing the term’s modern origins in missions and Reformation biases, he calls it infantile and passive-aggressive anti-Catholicism. With a strong biblical rebuttal, Greg shows how this language contradicts Scripture’s clear use of “church” and invites listeners to reconsider the visible,...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this second part of the baptism series, Greg Sshifts to adults and older children, explaining when infant rules end (around age seven per canon law) and how personal intention takes over. He outlines the OCIA process for unbaptized catechumens, adaptations for ages 7-18, and recognition of most Protestant baptisms if Trinitarian. Canon law is walked through step-by-step, with practical US insights and unusual cases like emergency baptisms or impediments for those in unrep...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this first part of a two-episode series on Catholic baptism, Greg explores the doctrinal heart of the sacrament, explaining why infants are baptized and how it aligns with Scripture and ancient Church tradition. He clarifies that baptism brings regeneration—being "born again"—with references to the Catechism and Bible, while contrasting it with common Protestant views. The episode then dives into canon law's guidelines for infant baptism, including requirements for parent...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Cory dive into the often-confusing generational conflicts simmering in many Catholic parishes, where aging baby boomers shaped by 1960s and 70s pop culture clash with younger millennials and Gen Z seekers craving transcendence and tradition. They explore how boomers emphasized horizontal community and cultural relevance, leading to beige churches and casual liturgies, while today's converts yearn for vertical worship, smells and bells, and a countercultural faith ro...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Cory revisit the challenges parents of small children face in bringing their children to Mass. In Episode #360, Greg had responded to a listener named Claire who shared that teaching her kids to sit still and pay attention in Mass was a struggle, and asked why Catholic Churches didn't have the same kind of dynamic "kid's church" programs that contemporary evangelical churches do. Cory, as a parent of four small children, had some additional thoughts. Donate with Pa...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this lively conclusion to a three-part series looking at myths about Catholicism, Greg and Ed the Protestant unpack how "Hollywood"—from Reformation-era propaganda to modern films, novels, and TV—ingrains unconscious biases against Catholicism through tropes like fat, greedy bishops, ugly scheming monks, mean ruler-wielding nuns, and spooky cathedrals that twist sacred awe into dread. They challenge the pervasive vibe that nobody truly believed the faith, portraying it as...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this engaging opener to a two-part series, Greg and Ed the Protestant dive into how "Hollywood"—a catch-all for mass media from Reformation propaganda to modern movies, music, and novels—subtly shapes our perceptions of reality, including Christianity and Catholicism. At the secret compound, they explore how repeated tropes in popular culture groove neural pathways, bypassing rational thought to instill unconscious biases, as illustrated by examples from Plato's warnings ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg lays the intellectual foundation for how the "noble savage" trope, rooted in Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, converges with the Reformation’s Black Legend to demonize Catholicism in popular culture. Tracing the noble savage from ancient Greece to Romanticism, he shows how it idealizes the "exotic other" as pure while portraying the Church as corrupt, amplified by Protestant propaganda that cast Catholic Spain as uniquely cruel. This narrative oversimplifies histor...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg shares a listener's email from Dylan, whose honest conversation with his former Calvinist pastor turned into a one-sided barrage of critiques without real engagement. Drawing from his own Protestant past, Greg explores why so many Catholic-Protestant debates devolve into unconstructive patterns, using the hilarious Monty Python "Argument Clinic" sketch (https://youtu.be/ohDB5gbtaEQ?si=vjz-JsE0vZ18zDqH) as a spot-on illustration and real-life examples like misconceptions...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg Smith responds to a listener's email expressing shock at perceived anti-Semitism in Catholic online spaces. He clarifies the Catholic Church's official teachings on Judaism and the State of Israel, emphasizing respect, shared roots, and a balanced call for peace amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Greg distinguishes between binding doctrines on faith and morals versus prudential political judgments, critiques inconsistencies in how some Catholics approach these issues, and ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg responds to a listener's heartfelt email about her journey toward Catholicism and a major hesitation: how the Church approaches children's ministry compared to engaging evangelical programs. Drawing from his consulting experience with megachurches, Greg critiques the entertainment-focused model, shares data on high youth dropout rates, and explains Catholic teachings on family worship as the "domestic church." He offers practical advice for parents facing pew battles, e...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg responds to listener Shandra's heartfelt question about the Catholic Church's historical involvement in injustices like the transatlantic slave trade and the subjugation of Ireland. Drawing from his own conversion journey as a former Protestant, he shares a thought experiment: What if the Church hadn't existed as a societal force? Exploring real historical "control groups" from Eastern Christianity and analogies like C.S. Lewis's grumpy Christian, Greg argues the Church...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Building on Part 1's takedown of KJV-onlyism, Greg delves into the heart of Bible translation debates in this thought-provoking conclusion, examining three key issues: faithfulness to ancient manuscripts (spotlighted by the Johannine Comma), the doctrinal weight of unique words like "full of grace" in Luke 1:28, and dynamic equivalence with modern language and inclusive phrasing. These choices are often shaped by theological agendas, exposing the inherent weaknesses of sola ...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this first installment of a two-part series, Greg responds to a fundamentalist chain letter claiming the King James Version (KJV) is the only true Bible, unpacking its bizarre mindset and deep anti-Catholic roots from the Reformation era. Greg refutes the claims with historical facts, manuscript evidence, and theological insights, showing why the KJV is a valuable but flawed translation. He then guides listeners through trusted Catholic Bible options like the NABRE, RSV-C...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Continuing their conversation Secret Compound, Greg and Ed tackle the deeply personal challenges of considering Catholicism when opposition comes from within the home, particularly from a spouse. Responding to a listener's email about navigating a Protestant spouse and a complex marriage situation, they explore the emotional and spiritual dilemmas of pursuing the Catholic faith in a divided household. Greg emphasizes the Catholic Church’s teaching that salvation is fullest w...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Ed the Protestant return to the Secret Compound and dive into the real challenges faced by those considering Catholicism, especially when it means navigating opposition from friends, family, or fellow Protestants. They explore the emotional and social costs of pursuing the Catholic faith, drawing from listener emails about anti-Catholic sentiments and personal struggles. Greg shares his own experience of losing professional relationships upon converting, while Ed re...