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What did the Christian East and the Christian West share in common before the divide? This episode is a special free preview of Episode 2 of our new 33-episode docuseries, The Great Christian Divide: East & West (formerly known as the East-West Series). To purchase full access to the entire 33-episode series—and receive a limited-time bonus of a free one-year membership to Logos Cinema ($130 value)—visit: http://theeastwestseries.com  This episode sets the shared inheritance of the Christian East and West against the backdrop of ancient pagan philosophy. Dr. Jacobs unpacks how early Christians—both Greek and Latin—radically broke from Homeric myths, Platonism, and Stoicism on creation ex nihilo, divine freedom, providential history, the true nature of evil as privation, and the shocking scandal of the Incarnation. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 A Special Announcement & Series Preview 01:09 How to Get the Full Series (+ Logos Cinema Bonus) 02:03 Jacobs Premium Membership 03:45 The Common Creed: "I Believe in One God" 05:39 Philosophy vs. Theology: A Modern Myth 07:05 Ancient Philosophy as a Search for God 09:42 Church Fathers on Pagan Philosophy (Chrysostom, Augustine, Basil) 11:23 The Real Flaw of Pagan Wisdom 13:09 The Pagan Philosophical Backdrop 14:08 Providentialists vs. Non-Providentialists 17:26 Realism vs. Nominalism in the Ancient Mind 20:07 Extreme Realism, Immanent Forms, and Divine Ideas 21:46 East and West Agree: Genesis and Realism (Origen, Augustine) 24:30 What Made the Christian God Radical to Pagans? 26:39 Divine Providence in History, Not Just Structure 28:13 The Problem of Evil: The Three Pagan Views 32:26 Creation Out of Nothing (Ex Nihilo) and Time 35:26 The Christian View of Evil as Privation 37:35 Free Will, Self-Determination, and Corruption 40:54 The Most Radical Claim: The Incarnation and Restoration 42:24 What Lies Ahead in The Great Christian Divide ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant links: On Divine Energies: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=b0ssoVjZpgzXmTcB Resurrection Makes No Sense Without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k?si=X7dn7khCLSpTjWmf Are Icons Idolatry? https://youtu.be/MqJHp5iY7is?si=oIqx6LvX-KVP6D6w All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: /thenathaniacobspodcast X: https://x.com/Nathan.JacobsPod Facebook: /nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

How can departed saints hear our prayers, and how could they possibly manage thousands of requests at once? While many assume prayer to the saints is an unbiblical or late medieval invention, early Christian evidence reveals the practice was woven into the church's lived worship from the earliest centuries. In this episode, Nathan Jacobs examines the historical and biblical grounds for intercession—from second-century catacomb graffiti and ancient liturgies to the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils. Nathan addresses common Protestant and modern objections, reframing how we understand heaven, time, and the veil, while revealing how Eastern patristic views on the Holy Spirit, eternity, and the divine energies explain how creatures partake in God's capacity to hear and field prayers. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Can the Saints Hear Us? 00:48 Announcements: Jacobs Premium & The East-West Series 02:32 Dogma vs. Kerygma: Reading the Silence of the Fathers 05:07 Liturgical Evidence: Chrysostom, Basil, and Saint James 07:07 First-Century Images & Third-Century Catacomb Graffiti 08:44 Apocrypha & The Acts of Paul and Thecla 09:32 Biblical Evidence: God of the Living & The Book of Revelation 11:34 The Cry of Dereliction and Ancient Jewish Tradition 13:06 Ecumenical Councils: Nicaea II and Non-Chalcedonians 16:00 Councils That Prayed to Saints: Jerusalem & Constantinople 16:33 The Fathers Speak: Ignatius, Clement, Origen, and Cyprian 19:14 Misunderstood Proof Texts: Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen 21:13 Objection 1: How Do Saints Know What Is Happening? 22:08 The Ministry of Angels 22:31 East vs. West: Where Do the Saints Actually Go? 24:25 The Holy Spirit and Mystical Knowledge 26:30 Objection 2: How Can They Handle Millions of Prayers? 27:33 Time vs. Eternity: How Angels and Saints Experience Reality 29:19 The Divine Energies: Partaking in the Divine Nature 31:46 Final Blessing & Conclusion ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant links: On Divine Energies: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=b0ssoVjZpgzXmTcB Resurrection Makes No Sense Without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k?si=X7dn7khCLSpTjWmf Are Icons Idolatry? https://youtu.be/MqJHp5iY7is?si=oIqx6LvX-KVP6D6w All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: /thenathaniacobspodcast X: https://x.com/Nathan.JacobsPod Facebook: /nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Are ghosts real, or are apparitions simply demonic deceptions? While Western Christianity and Catholicism traditionally view postmortem souls as immediately departing to distinct physical destinations, the Eastern Church Fathers offer a far more complex and surprising perspective. In this episode, Nathan Jacobs explores the sharp divide between literal and allegorical approaches to postmortem realities, examining how Church Fathers like St. Macrina, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. John Chrysostom addressed the phenomenon of earthbound spirits. From Plato's influence on Alexandrian theology to modern pastoral advice from contemporary saints like St. Paisios, this discussion reveals whether ghosts are considered real, demonic, or a matter of theological opinion (theologoumenon) in Eastern Orthodoxy. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Are Ghosts Real? 00:01:21 The Western and Protestant View on Ghosts 00:02:36 Allegorical vs. Literal Approaches in Early Judaism 00:03:34 Two Models of Hades: Josephus vs. Philo of Alexandria 00:04:40 Physical Locations vs. Spiritual Realities 00:05:08 Depictions of Hades: Subterranean Cave or Sentient Monster? 00:06:19 Hades in early Christian Literature (Gospel of Nicodemus) 00:07:24 St. Gregory of Nyssa on the Rich Man and Lazarus 00:09:24 St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom on Paradise 00:11:42 Do Eastern Church Fathers Believe in Ghosts? 00:12:04 St. Macrina and St. Gregory of Nyssa on the Soul 00:13:02 St. Macrina’s Argument Against a Subterranean Hades 00:14:41 Why Death is a Gift: The Pottery Metaphor 00:16:32 Passion-Bound Spirits: How Ghosts Exist 00:17:47 Platonic and Alexandrian Roots of the Earthbound Soul 00:18:51 St. John Chrysostom’s Rejection of Ghosts 00:19:24 Ghosts as a Theologoumenon (Theological Opinion) 00:20:26 Contemporary Views: St. Nektarios, Seraphim Rose, and St. Paisios 00:21:13 Practical Pastoral Wisdom on Apparitions 00:22:38 The East West Series Overview ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: /thenathaniacobspodcast X: https://x.com/Nathan.JacobsPod Facebook: /nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Are the Oriental Orthodox and non-Chalcedonian churches actually Monophysite heretics? While many assume the Oriental Orthodox heresy is a settled matter of church history, scholar and historian of ideas Dr. Nathan Jacobs offers a far more nuanced assessment. In this episode, Nathan unpacks the Christological controversies surrounding the Council of Chalcedon, exploring why the non-Chalcedonians rejected the council, how their theology remains strictly Cyrilline, and the subtle Nestorian concerns hidden within Pope Leo’s Tome. Rather than a fundamental conflict over the nature of Christ, this discussion reveals how linguistic misunderstandings, Latin theological influences, and centuries of historical division created a rift that persists to this day. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:00:15 Last Chance for the East West Series Offer 00:01:48 Logos Cinema & Supporting Eastern Orthodox Media 00:02:42 Scholar vs. Official Church Stance 00:03:37 The Great Schism vs. The First Millennium Schism 00:04:32 Ecumenical Councils as Curators of Faith 00:06:45 Chalcedon and the Non-Chalcedonian Resistance 00:08:10 Are Non-Chalcedonians Monophysite? 00:09:00 Understanding the Centaur Metaphor (Mingled Natures) 00:10:46 Why Oriental Orthodox Christology Is Cyrilline 00:12:33 The Nestorian Controversy: Two Natures vs. Two Persons 00:15:07 Cyril of Alexandria on Human Nature 00:17:11 Theotokos: Why Mary's Title Matters 00:19:17 Is "One Nature" a Monophysite Term? 00:22:08 The Real Reason for Rejection: Pope Leo’s Tome 00:23:40 Augustine’s Influence on Personhood (Persona vs. Hypostasis) 00:26:30 Two-Person Exegesis in Western Theology 00:28:53 Why Non-Chalcedonians Were Suspicious of Leo's Tome 00:30:15 Did Chalcedon Compromise with Nestorianism? 00:32:45 Why Does the Schism Persist Today? ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: ​Resurrection Makes No Sense without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=i_XIBd5lpsoYhTCj All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: /thenathaniacobspodcast X: https://x.com/Nathan.JacobsPod Facebook: /nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Description Do miracles actually violate the laws of physics or suspend the order of nature? In modern philosophy—from David Hume and Baruch Spinoza to Gottfried Leibniz—a miracle is almost always defined as a divinely ordained exception to natural physical laws. But is this how the Eastern Church Fathers understood miraculous events? In this episode, Nathan examines why the traditional Orthodox view of miracles is radically different from the modern paradigm. By exploring Byzantine iconography, hymnody, biblical accounts (like Daniel in the Lions' Den), and patristic theology, Nathan demonstrates how miracles are primarily a restoration of nature rather than a violation of it. Drawing on the essence-energies distinction, synergy, and the four traditional types of miracles, he reveals how understanding miracles through the divine energies changes how we recognize God's active presence in the world every day. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Defining Miracles: Modern vs. Patristic 00:00:36 The East West Series & Logos Cinema Announcement 00:03:01 The Modern Debate: Hume, Spinoza, and Leibniz 00:06:31 Newtonians, Voluntarism, and Laws of Nature 00:07:34 Do Miracles Violate Physics? Observations from the Christian East 00:08:21 Angelic Interventions in Iconography, Hymnody, and Scripture 00:10:30 The Mount Athos Miracle: Restoration, Not Violation 00:12:35 The Incarnation and the Healing of Human Nature 00:15:39 Four Types of Non-Restorative Miracles Explained 00:16:30 1. Multiplication: Bread from Bread 00:17:36 2. Acceleration: Jonah's Plant and Mount Athos Yeast 00:18:51 3. Creation Obeying Its Creator: Fig Trees and Rocks Opening 00:20:11 4. Metamorphosis & the Plasticity of Matter 00:21:26 Three Patristic Terms: Sign, Power (Dunamis), and Wonder 00:22:40 Essence vs. Energies in the Church Fathers 00:24:21 Synergy: The Fire and Iron Analogy 00:28:00 Angels and Saints as Conduits of Divine Power 00:29:19 Connecting Signs, Wonders, and Divine Energy 00:32:55 Minor Miracles: Why You See Miracles Every Day 00:35:28 Conclusion ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: ​Resurrection Makes No Sense without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=i_XIBd5lpsoYhTCj All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: /thenathaniacobspodcast X: https://x.com/Nathan.JacobsPod Facebook: /nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Is God imperceptible, accessible only through a blind leap of faith or complex logical inferences?In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs challenges the modern presumption that God is beyond human perception, demonstrating how we encounter the divine moment by moment. Drawing from Eastern Orthodox metaphysics and the teachings of the Eastern Church Fathers, Nathan outlines five distinct ways that humans perceive uncreated divine energies in daily life—from mathematics and morality to the experience of beauty and the holy.======================================Timestamps00:00 Is God Imperceptible?00:50 East-West Lecture Series Announcement02:07 The "What is Math?" Lesson04:20 The Case for Perceiving God Daily05:35 Architecture of Reality: Created vs. Uncreated06:13 Divine Ideas: From Philo to Augustine07:36 Matter and Form Explained09:06 Images, Archetypes, and Plato12:04 Essence vs. Energies of God16:10 Way 1: Mathematical and Logical Truths20:05 Way 2: Mind, Perception, and Transcendent Measures22:52 Way 3: Natural Law and Moral Perception25:00 Way 4: The Transcendental (Goodness, Beauty, Truth)28:53 Way 5: The Idea of the Numinous and Holy32:24 Conclusion: Why You've Been Seeing God All Along======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: On the Divine Energiers: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=TG--NK1ax2zWeenZAll the links:The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Why does the Eastern Orthodox Church give the Virgin Mary titles like Theotokos, Ever-Virgin, and Panagia?While these titles can often sound surprising—or even troubling—to Protestant and Western ears, they carry profound theological weight. In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs breaks down how the Eastern Church Fathers understood Mariology not as an afterthought, but as a direct mirror of Christology. From Nestorius’s original controversy at the Council of Ephesus to Ezekiel’s prophecy of the closed eastern gate, Nathan demonstrates how every major Orthodox title for Mary points squarely back to the person, nature, and victory of Jesus Christ.Rather than viewing Mary through the judicial lens of Western theology, this episode explores a therapeutic vision of salvation—one where Christ enters human death to heal our nature and raise us back to life.======================================Timestamps00:00 Introduction00:00:48 Announcement: The East-West Series Pre-Sale00:01:49 What Does Theotokos Mean?00:02:32 Why Mariology Is Christology00:03:33 The Nestorian Controversy and the Council of Ephesus00:04:18 Nestorius’s Metaphysics: Two Natures, Two Persons?00:06:21 Cyril of Alexandria’s Biblical Defense00:08:35 What Is the Ever-Virgin Doctrine?00:09:54 Addressing Objections: "Until" and Jesus’s "Brothers"00:12:43 Who Was James, the Brother of Jesus?00:13:09 The Early Christian Tradition of St. Joseph00:16:38 Polycarp, the Apostle John, and Sacred Tradition00:17:26 Ezekiel 44 and the Closed Eastern Gate00:19:10 Panagia: Is Mary Sinless?00:19:53 Eastern Orthodoxy vs. the Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception00:22:15 Blameless Passions, Death, and the Fall00:25:31 Did Mary Need a Savior?00:27:26 Judicial vs. Therapeutic Views of Salvation00:29:53 The Dormition: Mary as the Archetype of Resurrection======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:​W​as Mary Sinless? https://youtu.be/pB2zmkgXanE​ ​Resurrection Makes No Sense without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2kAll links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Are the theories of modern science and Christian theology fundamentally incompatible, or are both sides missing the bigger picture? In part two of his conversation with Dr. Chris Firestone, Nathan Jacobs tackles the complex debate surrounding creation, evolution, the age of the Earth, and patristic theology. Nathan breaks down why the traditional "death before the fall" objection misses the mark, how the Eastern Church Fathers understood time and eternity, and why his own philosophical commitment to realism leads him to reject macroevolution while remaining open to an ancient cosmos. They also discuss the philosophical assumptions built into early empirical science, the limits of scientific naturalism, and how an embryonic view of creation offers a compelling alternative model.======================================Timestamps00:00 Announcements & East-West Series Pre-Sale Deadline 03:39 Trailer: The East-West Series04:47 Time, Eternity, and the Eastern Church Fathers 09:05 God’s Essence vs. Divine Energies 11:27 Hermeneutics: Is the Genesis Text Deceptive? 15:04 The Philosophical Assumptions Behind Early Science 19:48 Reinterpreting Scientific Data Through Realism 22:23 The God of the Gaps and Confirmation Bias in Science 24:34 Finding a Middle Ground Between Scientism and Fundamentalism 31:15 Re-examining Death, Corruption, and Plants in Genesis 42:30 Privation vs. Negation: Are Animals Naturally Immortal? 52:03 Can Animals Attain Immortality Through Humanity? 55:12 The Fall of Angels as a Cause of Pre-Human Corruption 01:03:05 The Eschaton Transcends the Beginning: Eden vs. The Resurrection 01:05:23 A Realist Critique of Macroevolution 01:13:05 Why Scientific Induction Requires Philosophical Realism 01:21:53 An Alternative Model: The Cosmos as an Unfolding Organism======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Does Science Contradict Genesis? https://youtu.be/dK5wfxtlgMM?si=Fl25IA5LmoQ_wHa7All links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

If the angels existed in the presence of God and beheld His divine glory, how could Satan—or any angel—possibly choose to turn away from Him?We explore what the Eastern Church Fathers teach about the nature of angels, their free will, the angelic hierarchy, and the fall of Satan. Nathan​ examines five factors that help explain how beings created in communion with God could nevertheless rebel against Him, including pride, envy,​ intellectual passions, and the possibility of God's pedagogical withdrawal.Along the way, Nathan discusses the nine orders of angels, competing patristic explanations for Satan's rebellion, why some Fathers connect his fall to​ the creation of humanity, and what angelic freedom can teach us about our own relationship with God.======================================Timestamps00:00 How Could an Angel Fall?00:47 What Is an Angel?02:09 Angels as Created Beings03:21 Free Will and Self-Determination04:23 Angels as Ministering Spirits05:10 How Angels Mediate God's Energies07:18 How Creatures Participate in God08:39 The Hierarchy of Angels09:06 The Nine Orders of Angels10:23 What Does the Fall of Angels Mean?13:13 How Could Angels Reject God?15:50 Five Factors Behind the Fall16:38 Not All Angels Experience God Equally17:32 The Intellectual Passions18:33 Pride, Envy, and Satan's Rebellion19:38 Did Satan Fall Because of Humanity?21:15 How Satan Led Other Angels into Rebellion22:39 Divine Hiddenness and Free Will24:56 Do Angels Leave God's Presence?25:17 Why God May Withdraw His Presence26:58 How the Angels May Have Been Tested27:26 Final Thoughts======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:C​an the Devil be Saved? https://youtu.be/1nIJhti5hqw​ ​​Is Rational Unbelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY​Is Non-Resistant Unebelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/9B1G44hywd0​Is God Truly Hidden: https://youtu.be/R4Y0JBZtrRMAll links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Must a Christian reject modern science to hold a faithful view of Genesis? In Part 1 of this two-part collaborative episode, Dr. Chris Firestone (The Firestone Files) sits down with Dr. Nathan Jacobs (The Nathan Jacobs Podcast) in Nashville to tackle the contentious, heavily polemical debate surrounding creation, Young Earth Creationism, and evolution.Moving past the rigid false dichotomies often found online, Firestone and Jacobs draw from their shared philosophical training and the rich history of the early Church—including the Eastern Church Fathers like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Irenaeus. They explore how theology categorizes dogma versus theologoumena (theological opinion), how the Alexandrian school of allegorical reading functioned, and whether ancient authors like St. Paul accepted the science of their era without making it a test of orthodoxy.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Framing the Debate 03:08 Evolution, Creation, and the Modern Online Polemics 05:18 Personal Backgrounds: Hugh Ross, Genesis, and Modern Science 10:25 The High Demand: Does Faith Require Rejecting All Science? 14:15 Moving Beyond the False Dichotomy (Young Earth vs. Evolution) 18:00 The Dogmatism of Secular Science vs. Unyielding Fundamentalism 21:50 Dogma, Heresy, and Theologoumenon (Theological Opinion) 27:18 Protestant Fundamentalist Assumptions in Modern Creationism34:38 Philosophy of Creation: Divine Omnipotence and Divine Deception 42:33 Did Physics and Biology Function Differently Before the Fall? 48:48 Alvin Plantinga, Modal Logic, and Disarming Polemical Objections01:00:18 Substantive Consensus vs. Ancient Scientific Views in the Fathers 01:15:24 Storytelling, Inerrancy, and How the Bible Approached History 01:31:08 The Alexandrian School, Genesis Oddities, and the "Eighth Day"======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/4BugOwStHqg​Why I Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/IBwZBDlu8CAGod's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg All links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

If God knows the future, why would He create someone who will ultimately reject Him? This is one of the deepest questions in Christian theology, and one that was asked by a 15​-year-old Orthodox Christian. In this episode, Nathan Jacobs​ reads one of his favorite theological letters, exploring how the Eastern Church Fathers—especially St. John of Damascus—approach God's​ foreknowledge, human freedom, divine goodness, and the mystery of damnation. Rather than offering a simplistic answer, this discussion challenges many common assumptions​ about God's knowledge of the future and reveals a​ profoundly hopeful vision of God's unwavering love for every person He creates. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:48 A Letter to Agatha 02:39 The Common Assumption About Damnation 04:20 The Eastern Church Fathers' Answer 05:10 Why We Exist 07:03 God's Knowledge and Creation 08:51 Why God Doesn't "Choose the Saved" 09:27 Why Not Simply Avoid Creating the Damned? 11:04 God Always Chooses the Good 12:08 Outcomes vs. Goodness 14:44 King Saul and Divine Justice 16:26 The "Future Hitler" Thought Experiment 18:11 Free Will and God's Omnipotence 19:27 Can God Make a Square Circle? 21:55 Abraham and Isaac 24:20 Damnation Is the Creature's Choice 25:20 Christ's Victory Over Hades 27:18 A Prison Without Bars 29:01 Hope for Universal Salvation? 30:30 St. Sophrony's Final Reflection ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: God's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg ​ From Heretic to Orthodox: https://youtu.be/cWcVOvEu7dM​  On Apokatastasis and Universal Salvation: https://open.substack.com/pub/nathanajacobs/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Can the devil be saved? While many Christians assume the answer is obvious, the Eastern Church Fathers offer a far more nuanced discussion than most people realize. In​ this episode, Nathan Jacobs explores the five major positions found within the Christian East on whether Satan and the fallen angels can ultimately be​ redeemed—and what these views reveal about God's goodness, providence, and the nature of salvation. Rather than focusing on speculation, this conversation examines how the Fathers reasoned through the question and why their answers consistently​ point back to the infinite love of God. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:00:50 Theology vs. Theological Opinion 00:01:32 Five Views on the Devil's Salvation 00:03:04 Why Most Fathers Say No 00:03:19 St. Paisios and Praying for the Devil 00:04:37 St. Ammonios on God's Will 00:06:21 St. John Chrysostom and the Unpardonable Sin 00:07:21 St. Maximus the Confessor 00:08:54 St. Symeon the New Theologian 00:10:19 Why John of Damascus Says It's Impossible 00:11:23 Death as Mercy 00:16:46 Why Angels Cannot Be "Remade" 00:19:53 Can the Devil Be Saved? 00:20:18 Pseudo-Dionysius on Corruption 00:22:55 Origen and Universal Salvation 00:26:51 Gregory of Nyssa and St. Isaac the Syrian 00:28:26 The Five Positions Summarized 00:30:25 What the Fathers Agree On 00:31:09 God's Providence and Love 00:35:29 The Common Thread 00:36:13 A Final Story from St. Sophronius ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: ​God's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg​ On Apokatastasis and Universal Salvation​: https://open.substack.com/pub/nathanajacobs/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Thomas Thorogood interviews Dr Nathan Jacobs about his work on the Amazon series 'House of David', the principles of writing a good story, the role of storytelling in theology and some mind-bending quick-fire questions.More from Nathan Jacobs...The Nathan Jacobs Podcast on YouTube:   / @thenathanjacobspodcast  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt...Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/MUSIC'Keep Climbing' by The SoundingsTIMESTAMPS00:00:00 Trailer00:01:29 House of David00:17:28 What Makes a Good Story?00:31:28 The Writing Process00:46:18 The Role of Storytelling in Theology00:57:16 Storytelling Approaches to the Problem of Evil01:12:11 Quick-Fire Questions01:12:28 What are Ghosts?01:15:42 What does Nathan Like/Dislike About Protestantism?01:23:04 What are UFOs?01:31:43 What is Remote Viewing and is it Dangerous?01:42:30 Keeping Up With Nathan's Work-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright Disclaimer: under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, allowance is made for 'exceptions to copyright' such as... Criticism, review, quotation and news reportingCaricature, parody or pasticheI believe that the use of content in this video/thumbnail is fair use. If any content owners would like to dispute this, I will be glad to immediately remove the content in question. I do not wish to infringe on anyone's content ownership.

In my previous episode, I explored whether the Eastern Church Fathers actually reject the theory of evolution. In this follow-up, I answer a different question entirely: Do I reject evolution—and if so, why? Rather than appealing to the age of the earth or death before the Fall, this discussion examines the philosophical foundations of evolution through the lens of realism, a metaphysical framework embraced by the Eastern Church Fathers. Along the way, I respond to common objections, clarify my views on Young Earth Creationism, and explain why these conversations matter for Orthodox theology. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:00:53 Two Questions About Evolution 00:01:58 Why I Reject Evolution 00:02:40 Realism vs. Nominalism 00:05:01 Essential vs. Accidental Properties 00:06:31 The Problem with Evolutionary Change 00:12:20 Why Nominalism Undermines Science 00:16:14 The Church Fathers and Realism 00:19:11 "According to Their Kind" 00:20:55 Responding to Common Objections 00:22:18 Old Earth vs. Young Earth 00:27:06 The Consensus of the Fathers 00:31:48 What Kind of Consensus Matters? 00:36:01 Theology vs. Science 00:42:15 The Orthodox Mind and Philosophy 00:45:14 What the Fathers Actually Handed Down 00:47:20 Can You Be Orthodox and Young Earth? 00:49:08 Responding to More Objections 00:57:12 Is Young Earth Creationism Possible? 01:00:03 The Real Danger ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links:​ Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/4BugOwStHqg​ The Most Important Question: https://youtu.be/nVmPIMg4St4 The Truth About Why Do Christians Worship on Sunday:  https://youtu.be/0wCnpitmfZg Misunderstanding Mystery: https://youtu.be/VlWiYFfHTeY The True Christian Philosophy | The Metaphysics of the Ecumenical Councils: https://youtu.be/sFWp2QQzUFA All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Can we trust our minds to know reality? This clip is taken from Nathan Jacobs' most recent interview with Thomas Thorogood and features a reaction to a discussion between Destiny and T.K. Coleman on The Minimalists podcast. Their exchange raises a profound philosophical question: what makes our reasoning faculties trustworthy in the first place? Nathan explores properly functioning faculties, Descartes' skepticism, moderate foundationalism, and the crucial distinction between realism and nominalism. Along the way, he argues that every act of perception, reasoning, language, and scientific inquiry already presupposes realism, making it impossible to consistently live or argue as a nominalist. If you've ever wondered whether we can genuinely know reality—or what our ability to reason tells us about the nature of the world—this discussion offers a compelling introduction to some of philosophy's deepest questions. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 — A Debate About Objective Morality 06:24 — Why Our Faculties Matter 09:21 — Properly Functioning Faculties 09:48 — Hard vs Moderate Foundationalism 10:19 — Descartes and Radical Doubt 13:09 — Why Skepticism Cannot Be Lived 14:24 — Trusting Our Faculties 16:26 — The Most Important Question in Philosophy 17:26 — Realism vs Nominalism 19:14 — Why Perception Depends on Realism 20:34 — Why Logic Depends on Realism 22:17 — Why Everyone Lives Like a Realist 23:14 — Realism and Providence 24:07 — Morality, the Numinous, and Human Experience 25:52 — Every Argument Presupposes Realism 26:56 — Living Consistently With Your Worldview ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: Thomas Thorogood Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNu3mGq6HhU The Most Important Question: https://youtu.be/nVmPIMg4St4 All links: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast