The Cordial Catholic

In this episode, I'm joined by Casey Chalk, a Catholic convert/revert and author of The Obscurity of Scripture, to talk about one of the great big problems with the bedrock of Protestantism and the interpretation of Scripture. We're talking about the Protestant doctrine of the clarity of Scripture – the perspicuity of Scripture – or the idea that the Bible is so clear that any Christian can understand it for themselves. This idea, which Chalk argues is foundational to Protestant Christianity, is faulty at its core. This is a fun episode; about as edgy and controversial as we get on this show but digging deeply into something that both Chalk, as a convert, and myself ran into in our search for how to understand the Bible. Chalk presents some compelling evidence that, we hope, will help Protestant's to evaluate their worldview, and take a second look at Catholicism.For more from Chalk visit his website, and find his fantastic book The Obscurity of Scripture: Disputing Sola Scriptura and the Protestant Notion of Biblical Perspicuity from the St. Paul Center. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode, I'm joined by my good friend Keith Nester and his wife Estelle to talk about their Catholic journey. Keith and Estelle met as Keith was beginning his work as a Protestant pastor; work that would take up 22 years of life his. Estelle, raised Catholic but not practising, was happy to follow Keith into Evangelical Christianity, to get married, raise kids, and live and serve as a pastor's wife. So, what was it like when Keith began feeling the tug towards Catholicism?Their journey is an amazing one and their honesty and love for one another and our Lord just shines through this conversation. For all spouses going through a conversion journey, or thinking about one, this is absolutely the best thing to listen to and I hope it encourages you greatly!For more from Keith please check out our extensive back catalogue – he's appeared may times – and find him online on his website and YouTube channel. Also, check out the Rosary Crew where Keith and his community pray the rosary every single day (for over 1,000 days and counting). Not bad for a Protestant pastor.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by author, radio host, podcaster, and mother extraordinaire, the wonderful Katie Prejean McGrady, to talk about the ridiculous, terrible, and downright crappy ways Catholics can (and do) share the faith.Katie is an incredible human being and puts herself out there, on the radio and social media, every single day. She's an evangelizer, authentic to the core, and not afraid to share what she's thinking; and this is a topic she's thought lots about. She shares some of her experiences, great stories, and awesome life lessons. We talk about some of the awful interactions we've had online (and in person) and how to do BETTER when it comes to sharing our faith and being a Catholic, seeking after the Kingdom, on social media and in the pew. For more from Katie check out her website – everything you need to know is there!Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by The Miracle Hunter, Michael O'Neill, to share some of his fantastic insights and stories from years of gathering, cataloging, and investigating miracles around the world. Miracles, for me as an Evangelical Christian, were one of those things that challenged my paradigm – especially when it came to miracles involving the Eucharist, apparitions of Mary, and the prayers of the saints, things we didn't believe in as non-Catholic Christians. This week, we dig deeply into some of these incredibly fascinating stories and Michael explains how the Catholic Church investigates miracles, how it declares some authentic, and what that means for believers everywhere. For more from Michael check out his website.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, for our 200th episode, I'm joined by Catholic Answers Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin to share some of the reasons why the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura is problematic – and what a reasonable alternative, in the Catholic Church, may be! For me, as an Evangelical struggling with divisions over the interpretation of Scripture within my own faith communities,  the very bedrock of my faith – the Bible as the sole, infallible rule of faith – became a real point of concern. Could this really be what Christ envisioned for his Church? Jimmy shares some of his concerns, answers some of mine, and explains why even the most innovative and modern formulations of Sola Scriptura, from the top Evangelical apologists, fail some pretty basic tests. For more about Jimmy visit his website. Also see Catholic Answers. And, check Jimmy Akin's book The Bible is a Catholic Book. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my friend – the guy who got me into podcasting in the first place! – Matt Pana to talk about the Kingdom of God. Matt was raised Catholic in a Filipino-American household but drifted into Evangelical Christianity as a young adult. He came enthusiastically back into the practice of Catholicism after being exposed to Catholic apologists like Patrick Madrid and Scott Hahn and, today, joins me to share a bit about that journey and how the Catholic Church understands, and embodies, what Jesus describes as the "Kingdom of God."  For more from Matt, check out on social media @mattpana and check out Deep Cuts on the Array of Hope Network, a wonderful show he hosts on pop culture and Catholicism.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, in one of the most enjoyable episodes to date, I'm joined by Daniel and Steven from The Catholic Brothers to talk about their journey out of and back into the Catholic faith. Raised in a devout Catholic home, Daniel and Steven unpack exactly what drew them out of the Catholic faith and into Evangelical Christianity, then Anglicanism, and finally back into full communion with the Catholic Church. It's an amazing story that touches on some of the beautiful experiences of Evangelical Christianity, the need for an authority structure in Anglicanism, and, eventually, the authentic witness of the Early Church Fathers for the truth of Catholic Christianity. This episode is just jam-packed and Daniel and Steven are fantastic storytellers with an excellent story to tell.For more from The Catholic Brothers check out their podcast (available everywhere) and their YouTube channel. The work is top-notch.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Catholic convert Mike Sharp to tell the incredible conversion journey him and his wife experienced – culminating in their decision to join the Catholic Church!Mike's journey touches on so many interesting points like the insufficiency of Sola Scriptura, the Early Church and apostolic succession, the liturgy, the Eucharist, confession, authority, and so much more. You name it, Mike wrestled with it, and his thoughtful, deeply spiritual engagement with all of these topics makes this one of the best conversion stories out there. Mike absolutely nails it and by the grace of God has come through this amazing experience with a great story to tell. I think you're going to love it. For more from Mike visit his website and check out his podcast, Sharpened Iron, everywhere you find podcasts.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined once again by the incredible Mike Aquilina, church historian extraordinaire, to talk about the African roots of the Catholic Church. Mike unpacks some of the interesting – and surprising – roots of things we take for granted in Catholic Christianity: the liturgy, the Latin language, some of our most important developments of doctrine and dogma and, of course, some of the most important thinkers in Early Christianity. Mike has a great take on Church history, great insights, and great stories to well. I hope you enjoy it!For more from Mike check out his latest book Africa and the Early Church: The Almost-Forgotten Roots of Catholic Christianity. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Lauren Bacon. Lauren is an "expected Catholic convert" and the wife of John Bacon, a former Anglican priest, and a previous guest on this show. John's own story featuring exorcisms, a friendship with Dr. David Anders, miracles, and the Early Church – and, this week, we hear it from his spouse's perspective!Lauren joins us to tell her own unique conversion story and walks us through what it was like to meet someone destined for ministry, ordained an Anglican priest, only to have God take their relationship with Himself and with one another in a completely different direction. It's a story about faithfulness, trusting God, and thirsting after the Truth! With lots of twists, turns, and miracles along the way. It's a great conversation.To listen to her husband John Bacon's episode look for Episode 167: An Anglican Priest Encounters Catholicism (w/ John Bacon) on your favourite podcasting app.For more from Lauren check out her Instagram page.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Catholics living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic