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This week Dr. Jacobs tackles the Eastern Orthodox perspectives on hell, divine providence, and human nature at Northern Arizona University. This conversation explores how Eastern patristic theology differs from Western Christianity on topics including original sin, the fall of man, Christ's descent into Hades, and the possibility of universal salvation. Jacobs traces his journey from philosophical opposition to Christianity through his discovery of the Church Fathers, addressing common objections to Christian theology based on moral intuitions and examining whether eternal damnation contradicts God's goodness. We also have a little tag on Mormonism and the Great Apostasy at the end.

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Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:07 Background on Dr. Jacobs

00:14:56 The standard Western view of hell

00:18:33 The Eastern patristic perspective

00:32:19 God’s providence and goodness

00:40:06 Death & Hades in Eastern thought

00:49:19 Death as both enemy and mercy

00:53:50 Genesis & the fall

01:13:06 Universal salvation & God’s will

01:35:03 Steel-manning nominalism

01:38:53 Christ not knowing the day or hour

01:46:03 Mormonism & the Great Apostasy

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Act Two Podcast

Introduction

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