Pope Francis has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. We are praying for his recovery, but it raises the question: what happens when a pope passes? Greg and Ed talk about the process of papal transitions. Support this ...
In practice, most Protestants believe that after justification we are called to grow in sanctification through good works, which is the Catholic position. So, what's this whole faith vs. works controversy really about? Greg w...
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Faith or Works? Part 10: Is the Church a Real Thing? (#311)
This is one of those age-old debates—“Once saved, always saved?” or can you lose your salvation? And who’s really fretting at night—Catholics, or our Protestant and Evangelical brothers and sisters? Support this ministry so m...
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Faith or Works? Part 9: Locked In or Left Guessing? The Truth About Eternal Security (#310)
Greg tackles one of the trickiest, most misunderstood words in Catholic theology: “merit.” The very mention of merit sets off alarm bells for many non-Catholics (and even some Catholics!), who suspect that we’re advocating a ...
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Faith or Works? Part 8: The Mystery of Merit (#309)
The whole Faith vs. Works debate really kicked off in 1517, when Martin Luther complained about the Catholic Church charging German peasants money for something called "indulgences." Since then, Protestants will pull this out...
We've been talking about how salvation is a multi-phase process, not a single event. It involves justification, which is entirely by grace through faith and repentance. It also involves sanctification, the journey towards hol...
Greg and Ed discuss their friend Danny, who is going through an extremely difficult experience. Ed realizes that before he began considering Catholicism, he didn't really have a way to make sense of this kind of suffering, bu...
Catholicism identifies three categories of sin: original, mortal, and venial. What are the differences? How are they addressed or overcome in salvation? And to which types are our good works applied? Support this ministry so ...
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Faith or Works? Part 5: Types of Sin and Whether We Can "Work Them Off" (#305)
Protestants teach that we have "imputed righteousness" because Christ, in a one-time legal transaction, swaps our guilt and debt for his innocence and perfect credit score. Based on the totality of scripture, Catholicism (and...
Greg explains that the "Romans Road," a handful of cherry-picked verses from the first half of Paul's Letter to the Romans, is the interpretive lens for man Protestants. They read the words of Jesus through this limited view ...
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Faith or Works? Part 3: Where to Begin—Jesus or Paul? (#303)
Greg takes the tired old cliche that Catholicism is a works-based religion in which we earn our way to heaven on our own steam by looking at some Bible stories that illustrate the Catholic position. Support this ministry so m...
This next installment of the Arguing with Protestants series, takes on the tired old cliche that Catholicism is a works-based religion in which we earn our way to heaven on our own steam. In this first installment of a series...
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Faith or Works? Part 1: Bringing the Receipts (#301)
This is the 300th episode of the podcast, released almost to the day on the third anniversary of the show. Greg explains that so many arguments with Protestants are endless and result in frustration because Protestants play "...
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Arguing with Protestants, Part 3: Proof Texting Proves Nothing (#300)
Protestant apologists claim that the Bible is the foundation, the beginning of the Church. Catholicism has always said the Church came first and the Bible arose from and derives its authority from the Church. So, which is it?...
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Arguing with Protestants, Part 2: What Came First, the Bible or the Church? (#299)
Protestant apologists like Wesley Huff claim that the Roman Catholic Church didn't exist in ancient times, that the early church was a sort of nondenominational, generic Christianity, a sort of proto-Protestantism. Greg respo...
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Arguing with Protestants, Part 1: "The Early Church Wasn't Roman Catholic!" (#298)
Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." In 1 Corinthians 9:27, St. Paul said that he did works of faith lest "after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." But in 2 Ti...
The author J.R.R. Tolkien was not only one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th century, he was also a devout Catholic. In a letter to his son, he described, "the one great thing to love on this earth." Greg explain what ...
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What's the Greatest Thing You Can Love on This Earth? (#296)
In the song, on the twelfth days of Christmas, his true love gave to him "12 drummers drumming." But in Catholicism, the twelfth day of Christmas is Epiphany. Among other things, it commemorates the visit of the "magi from th...
From the podcast vault, this is Greg's annual response to something that blows Protestant minds: Catholicism kicks off the new calendar year with the Solemnity Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. Why? To the Protestant mind, th...
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Starting the Year on the Right Foot: The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God (#294)
A reflection on Mary and the Messiah she gave birth to on this happy morn. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.co...
Every Christmas, we revisit this classic episode from the Considering Catholicism Podcast. Greg, Ed, and Cory discuss the disappearance of genuine Christmas carols. Why haven't any new ones been written in more than 100 years...
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A Considering Catholicism Classic: What Happened to Christmas Carols? (#292)
For thousands of years, Catholics used to celebrate Christmas communally with processions, public gatherings, pilgrimages, etc. But in America, especially over the last 50-100 years, Christmas traditions have become private, ...
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Traditional Catholic Christmas Celebrations (#291)
Greg shares an update on what's been going on behind the scenes and where the podcast is going next. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consi...
Lords a leaping? Maids a milking? Partridges in pear trees? What's the "12 Days of Christmas" and what does it have to do with Catholicism? Greg and Ed explain why Catholic Christmas lasts 12 days and what happens during them...
