Pope Leo, Saving Western Civilization, Artificial Intelligence, Aliens, and Demons
In this episode we smoke and review Chesterton Cigars and have an open dialogue about the new pope and our hopes for the future. To purchase a FABULOUS Catholic cigar, go to Chestertoncigars.com and pre-order for August 2025. HURRY, the cigars are going fast! Also be sure to follow Chesterton Cigars on Instagram at @chesterton_cigars SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL AND GIVE US A LIKE! 0:01 Chesterton Cigars Review9:30 Pope Leo’s Election and stated goals (Daniel’s initial reaction)12:55 Steven’s initial reaction to Pope Leo16:35 4 Promising Signs for this Pontificate24:57 Augustine’s Anthropology vs Modern Anthropology28:17 A healthy doctrine of creation34:12 Jesus is the reason for creation36:00 The Benedictine genius and liturgical communities40:26 What *is* Christianity…….really…43:57 Pope Leo and an authentically Catholic liturgical ethos49:50 Bishop of Charlotte’s letter LEAKED57:01 “Programs” won’t save us; mysticism will1:01:55 Vatican 2: What is the universal call to holiness?1:06:13 The pitfalls of iconoclasm and liturgical “reform” movements1:11:22 Ai: The old idols are back1:16:38 Aliens, UAP, and the Occult1:22:32 Everything is sacrament1:24:48 Pope Leo and speaking to our era1:28:18 Traditionis Custodes: What is the way forward for unity? 1:36:05 Conclusion and next episode in our First 500 Years Series
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1:39:48
The Quartodeciman Controversy: Why the Early Christians Divided Over Easter
Why did early Christians argue over the date of Easter?In this video, we explore the Quartodeciman Controversy, a major theological debate in the 2nd century that split early Christian communities. On one side were the Quartodecimans, who celebrated Easter on the 14th of Nisan—regardless of the day of the week—following Jewish Passover tradition. On the other were those like the Roman church, who insisted Easter should always be celebrated on a Sunday.We’ll break down: • What “Quartodeciman” means • Key figures like Polycarp, Pope Anicetus, Melito, Pope Victor, Polycrates, and Irenaeus • The dating method for Dominical Pascha vs Quartodecimen Pascha, and why one method eventually wins out • The character of Quartodecimen liturgy and its lasting impact on Christian traditionThis historical dispute isn’t just about dates and calendars—it reveals how early Christians defined their identity and tradition.
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The Apologists: Christianity as Philosophy
In this episode, the brothers discuss the rise of Christian philosophy in the second century among a group of writers known as “The Apologists.” While the Apostles were very successful in bringing both Jews, God fearers, and lower class pagans into the Christian movement, they were not able to significantly penetrate the philosophical classes of Greco Roman society. The Apologists of the second century, therefore, stepped in and framed the Christian faith in such a way that it became a serious interlocutor for the greatest philosophical minds of the day.
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What is Gnostic Christianity?
In this episode we discuss one of proto-orthodoxy’s most formidable challenges: the rise of the Gnostics. We often hear the word “Gnosticism,” and we think we know what it refers to, but here we dive into the Gnostic worldview and explain why these teachers were worthy of so much apologetic ink in the second century.
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1:36:27
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1:36:27
Marcionism and the Rule of Faith
In this installment of the First 500 Years series, the brothers take a journey through the life and thought of the church’s first major Heresiarch: Marcion of Pontus. Along the way, they propose fresh ways of understanding the origins of his doctrine and explain why he proved a formidable enemy for the earliest apologists as they began their struggle to preserve apostolic tradition.
After 15 years of Protestantism and almost a decade of early Christian studies in academia, these two brothers and reverts to the Catholic faith make the Bible, History, and Theology entertaining, educational, and accessible for a general audience.
Ireland