The Cordial Catholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Matthew J. Thomas to talk about this vitally important Early Church Father and the newest Doctor of the Church: St. Irenaeus and unpack his theology, his writings, and what he can teach us about the faith? And, we tackle the question, what does Irenaeus sound more like: Catholic or Evangelical? We discuss some of the issues in the Early Church: unity, baptism, the Eucharist, and apostolic succession.It's a wonderful deep-diving conversation with a great friend. I hope you love it!For more from Dr. Matthew J. Thomas, visit  the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology and the author of the incredible Paul's "Works of the Law" in the Perspective of Second Century Reception.For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. 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 Dr. John Bergsma from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and Dr. Michael Dauphinais from Ave Maria University to talk about their experiences crossing paths as John, a former Protestant pastor and Bible scholar, was on his way into the Catholic Church. What a fun discussion!John and Michael will share about their encounter, their conversations, their wrestling together with theology of Mary, Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, the Eucharist, apostolic succession, and more! It's the start of a bad joke, what happens when a Protestant Bible scholar and a Catholic Bible scholar walk into a cafeteria – but it's a wonderful story, too!To listen to Dr. Bergsma's full conversion story listen to Episode 67. Dr. Dauphinais has previously appeared on the show in Episode 124.For more from Dr. Michael Dauphinais check out his book The Wisdom of the Word. For more from Dr. John Bergsma visit 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, I'm joined by Catholic Answers apologist Joe Heschmeyer to talk about the Early Church – was the original, pristine Christian Church corrupted by Constantine? Did the Roman Emperor "romanize" the Christians? Joe and I dig into this premise and look at the earliest evidence of how Christians lived, worshipped, and what they believed to see what the Early Church looked like and if it really did, indeed, change when Constantine became Christian. We look at the first 200 years of Christianity and compare it to modern day Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism to see which looks most like the evidence. It's a fantastic conversation. For more from Joe, check out his previous appearances on this show. In Episode 83, Joe joins me to talk about the papacy. Joe also joined me, Austin Suggs from Gospel Simplicity, and baptist pastor Dr. Gavin Ortlund from Truth Unites for a discussion about the Early Church (Episode 92) and the Papacy (Episode 98). Check out Joe's website and the Catholic Answers store for his fantastic books, which are always on sale.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, speaker, author, and evangelist Kathryn Whitaker to talk about falling deeper in love with Christ in the Catholic Church. From her early days, roaming throughout different non-Catholic Christian churches to her decision to become Catholic – her radical attraction to a deepening relationship with Christ – her journey is a fantastic one, and she tells a great story!We talk about the sacraments, how to evangelize as a Catholic, how to handle scandal in the Church and keep your faith, and the role of learning and leaning into your faith as you go.Kathryn is a wonderfully open, honest, and engaging guest! To learn more about Kathryn visit her website where you can find links to her book, talks, and her social media accounts. Be sure to follow her on Instagram for some seriously great content.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 Kenny Burchard, Director of Development at The Coming Home Network, to talk about the Catholic practice of praying to saints.Kenny spent 33 years as a Charismatic, Evangelical Christian, more than twenty of those in full-time ministry, including planting and pastoring churches, before becoming Catholic in dramatic fashion and joins us here to unpack one of those big questions he had about the Catholic faith – and how he began to understand the ancient practice of asking those Christians, those saints before us, to pray for us. This is a fantastic conversation to begin to unwind some of those misconceptions and misunderstandings you, or those you know, may have about Catholicism. Kenny systematically unpacks the practice of intercessory prayer using the Bible and the Early Church. I hope you love it!Listen to Kenny's complete conversion story in Episode 110 of our show. You can also hear Kenny's wife's fantastic story when she also appeared on the program in Episode 129.For more from Kenny visit his website. Check out the Coming Home Network International as well.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, speaker, and star of the new show from Word on Fire, Rachel Bulman. Rachel joins me to unpack her incredible conversion story from the streets of the Philippines to Florida; from a place of deep love of Christ and an encounter at Mass that forever changed the course of her life – it's an incredible conversion!Listen, a hear about how Rachel's seeking after Jesus and being faithful to the voice of God led her to begin seriously investigating Catholicism while dating her now husband Jason. We talk about what drew her in, what she struggled with in her conversion – namely, confession and the Virgin Mary – and how she learned to love even those difficult bits of Catholicism. Such a wonderful conversation. To find out more about Rachel you can visit her website. And check out Meet the Bulman's from Word on Fire.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 Erick Ybarra, Catholic re-vert from Protestantism, author, and blogger to unpack his conversion story. Erick was raised Catholic, left for a Reformed Baptist church after an encounter with a university roommate, but came back to the Catholic Church, by way of Anglicanism, after he began an earnest search for the "true church" founded by Christ. Erick is an incredible guy and his faith journey is amazing. Erick's search for truth led him to some incredibly in-depth research in the areas of church history, ecclesiology, sola Scriptura, apostolic succession, and the Orthodox-Catholic schism. Erick's forthcoming book on the Orthodox-Catholic schism, from Emmaus Academic, is the result of his 10 years of research.This is a truly great conversation. Erick is compassion, kind, and cordial and his journey is one of honesty and faith seeking understanding. For more from Erick visit 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, I'm joined by Dr. Brett Salkeld, Archdiocesan Theologian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, author, and the co-host of the Thinking Faith podcast to discuss the Eucharist, the Real Presence, and Transubstantiation – with a special emphasis on how Evangelicals can understand this incredible belief, and how Catholics can explain it better. We discuss the Early Church's belief in the Real Presence, what happened to change (and not change!) beliefs during the Reformation, and how we can understand and explain the Eucharist in light of how most Evangelicals understand the teaching. A fantastic conversation! You can hear more from Dr. Salkeld by following him on Twitter and checking out the Thinking Faith podcast on all platforms.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 celebrated Catholic author, academic, and columnist Randy Boyagoda to talk about the Catholic imagination. How should Catholics uniquely see and interact with the world around them? How do Catholics truly live out their faith in the Public Square? What do authentic Catholics have to contribute to discussions within and outside of the Church? For more from Randy Boyagoda check out any of his fantastic books on Amazon or your local bookseller. His work includes the Scotiabank Giller Prize nominated Governor of the Northern Province;  Beggar's Feast, named a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice and nominated for the International Dublin Literacy Award; Original Prin and its sequel Dante's Indiana. Dr. Boyagoda is Vice-Dean, Undergraduate, of the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto and a professor in the Department of English. He is past  principal and vice-president of St. Michael's College in Toronto and writes for a number of publications including First Things,  Wall Street Journal, and the Catholic Register.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 one-and-only Rod Bennett, author and Early Church historian extraordinaire, to talk about the earliest witnesses to the Christian Church – the Early Church Fathers – and how they describe the worship, faith, and beliefs of the very first Christians ... and who look very Catholic indeed!We'll dig into evidence for belief in baptismal regeneration, the Eucharist and Real Presence of Christ, bishops and apostolic succession, and the primacy of Rome. We tackle the common idea that Constantine corrupted Christianity and "Romanized" the simple faith and we discuss why it matters that an Early Church Father wouldn't be accepted in most Protestant Churches. It's a great discussion!For more from Rod check out his books from Ignatius Press: Four Witnesses and Four More Witness as well as his publications from Catholic Answers: The Apostasy that Wasn't and Scripture Wars.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.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic