Clarence Talk & Dippin' Sauce

May Pope Francis rest in peace. In this episode we look at his last encyclical Dilexit nos and also discuss his mark on the Church.

We're back! In keeping with the times, the Church discusses AI and so must we.The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in partnership with the Dicastery for Culture and Education published an article on Artificial Intelligence Antiqua et nova. Check it out!

Merry Christmas! In this episode we look at the great St. Athanasius On the Incarnation. It is a masterpiece on why Jesus had to come and be among us. Check it out!

Three years after recording our first episode (never released) we have gained the courage to record it again. In this episode we dig into the first chapter of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's (Pope Benedict XVI) Introduction to Christianity. Check it out!

Perhaps the Greeks have a more complete way of discussing what the English calls love. Here we discuss C. S. Lewis' The Four Loves. Check it out!

Back to the Old Testament! Today we discuss how the Book of Job may address the problem of evil among other things.

C.S. Lewis is certainly one of our favorite authors. In this episode we pull out various theological nuggets from the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Did Jesus exist? How good are the Gospel accounts? What did non-Christians say about him? Luke Timothy Johnson's The Real Jesus addresses these questions and more. Check it out!

Catholic Teddy Roosevelt vs. Materialism. G.K. Chesterton was a British author who was great at defending the faith. His book Orthodoxy is a great work considered, by many, to be on the Mount Rushmore of modern Catholic books. Check it out!

St. Ignatius of Antioch is a powerhouse figure in the history of Christianity. In this episode we analyze his letter to the Romans that he wrote before his martyrdom. Check it out!

C.S. Lewis is one of our favorites. In this episode we cover his discussion of glory and our immortality. Check it out!

The incessant demand for another garage sale episode was heard. And so, we bring you these knowledge nuggets. We hope you enjoy!

Summer is here! In this episode we bring you a discussion of an underrated document from Pope Francis on the call to holiness in today's world, Gaudete et exsultate. In this Apostolic Exhortation, he discusses how we are to interact in the modern age and even brings up heresies that are still festering. Check it out!

In this episode we dive into The Seven Deadly Sins: Sayings of the Fathers of the Church edited by Kevin Clarke. If you've ever wondered where Church Teaching regarding the deadly sins comes from, this episode is for you! Check out the book

Today we look at how the saints give us steps to achieve our happiness using Robert Ellsberg's The Saints' Guide to Happiness: Practical Lessons in the Life of the Spirit. Check it out!

Here we look at Constantine's contribution to Christianity as well as his understanding of the Church Hierarchy. Peter J. Leithart guides us in his Defending Constantine He is a key figure in Church history. Check it out!

Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Or is He? Today we look at several doubts to Christ's resurrection using Gerald O'Collins' Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus Check it out!

Perhaps it's time to return to the basics. Don't miss this. Bp. Robert Barron and his Word on Fire ministry have done amazing things in educating people on the beauty of Catholicism. Here we talk about his big launching piece Catholicism, which was also a multi-part dvd series. Get Catholicism

We really get cooking around 25min, but we do get somewhere solid. Promise. Here, using David B. Perrin's essay, we talk about the reality of mysticism that every Christian is called to embrace. Definitely a good Lenten reflection topic. Get Christian Spirituality

We do laugh a little in this episode. Here we cover topics like the Early Church, Orthodox vs. Catholic, and Papal Infallibility. Get The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism

Here we discuss the incredible Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (aka St. Thérèse of Lisieux), Doctor of the Church. She has been very instrumental in Johannes' spiritual life in recent months. She is definitely worth getting to know. Get her autobiography Story of a Soul This is the version we used with a forward written by Bp. Robert Barron. You can also find her autobiography for free online

Merry Christmas! This is a big moment for us. In this episode we dive into Christ's infancy narratives using the book by one of the greatest theologians of the last 100 years, if not ever - Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). This is an incredible read and packed with solid insight. Check it out!

In this episode we look at 2 Timothy. This Epistle shows us an example of Apostolic Tradition and how Church leaders should handle themselves. 2 Timothy is good instruction for all of us. Check it out!

In this episode we look at the life of a lesser known mystic, St. Anthony of the Desert. He lived an incredible mystical life and his cave is still used by monks today! Check out his story!

Back by popular demand! Jared and Johannes dive back into the epic garage sale find and discuss various random topics.

Most people know about the story of Abraham going to (almost) sacrifice his son Isaac, but do we know the rest? Join us as we expose Abraham, the father Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Here we discuss one of the earliest non-Biblical Christian writings. It shows us the faith of some of the earliest Christians. It is a short read so be sure to check it out!

Do church buildings matter? In Heaven in Stone and Glass, Bishop Robert Barron tells us why. This week we discuss the importance of beauty in churches... and gargoyles. Get the book here!

Prophets help us stay on track in a life for God. So, do we listen to the people that are proclaiming the end times? Join us as we look to figure this out using Early Christianity: A Brief History by Joseph H Lynch. Get the book here

We've reached a milestone! In this episode we have our first guest and first author on the podcast. We interviewed Charles G. Hamilton Jr. who tells us his mindset in writing this children's book and his incredible conversion story. We hope you enjoy! Get the book: A Lamb's Tale

Today we look at Early Christianity: a Brief History and how the Early Church reacted to Donatism, a controversy involving the people that handed over Scripture to the Roman authorities, which often resulted in torture and execution of Christians in the area. Lynch, Joseph H. Early Christianity: A Brief History. Oxford University Press, 2010. 

Today we explore lessons from the future. Looking at Brave New World, we analyze what may already be happening and what could be. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. 

We're back! Today we dive into the incredible story of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr. This story is taken from Early Christian Fathers Richardson, Cyril C, et al., editors. Early Christian Fathers. Schuster, Simon &, 1996. 

Today we dive into St. Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. Parts of this letter are quite familiar and parts of this letter are somewhat controversial and require deeper analysis. We hope you enjoy! 1 Corinthians

We go back to the Garage Sale! This time it is slightly more organized (maybe). Either way, back when we recorded this it was our fifth episode of the day so, pardon us if we are slap happy, unless you find it enjoyable, in that case we are glad.

We're back! Sorry for this crazy hiatus. It was completely unintentional. In this episode we talk about truth, drone strikes, and bioethics based on Jared's old professor's book. Check it out! Kim, A. (2015). An introduction to Catholic ethics since Vatican II. Cambridge University Press. 

Happy Easter!!! Yes, it's still Easter. Christ is Risen! Alleluia! We conclude our journey through the Book of Acts in this episode. Join us as we go through the earliest parts of Paul's ministry and the Council of Jerusalem. Acts 9-22 using the NABRE translation

Happy Easter!!! Christ is Risen! Alleluia! In this episode we discuss the beginnings of the Christian movement from Pentecost to Saul's Conversion. Acts chapters 2-9 using the NABRE translation

We wish you a blessed Triduum. Join us in reflecting on the remainder of Christ's Passion in time for the Triduum, the most sacred time of the year. We pray you have a blessed Triduum and a blessed Easter! Matthew 27:1-28:8 NAB

We hope your Lent has been a good one. This week we dive into the Passion Narrative of Matthew beginning with a quick view at the verses regarding Jesus in the desert. We pray you have a blessed rest of Lent as we prepare for Easter.

This week we take a dive into the Nicene Creed. We had fun with this episode. We hope that you will use our discussion to help your understanding of the Profession of Faith that we make every Sunday at Mass. Nicene Creed Apostles' Creed

Thank you so much for tuning in! It means a lot to us. Join us as we review the first year of Deus Books. Tell us how we're doing on Instagram @deusbookspodcast

Happy (belated) New Year!!! Today we discuss where Christ is in relation to culture. H. Richard Niehbuhr walks us through various models Christians have practiced regarding their relationship with culture in response to where they see Christ. This is definitely a relevant discussion in a world of many polarizing thoughts. Check it out! Niebuhr, H. R. (2003). Christ & culture. HarperCollins World.

This time we're doin' it live. Jared found some really cool Catholic books at a garage sale and we begin to unpack them. Johannes attempted to find something to bring to the table and failed. But, we think the discussions from the garage sale find are intriguing. Let us know if you'd like more like this!

Happy New Year! Following our conversation about everyday Catholicism, we felt it important to discuss the sacraments and why they are vital to Catholicism. In his book, Sacramental Theology, Herbert Vorgrimler makes the case that God's interaction with humans must be sacramental. The Sacraments are vital to the spiritual life. Using this book we broadly discuss how the Power of God works in the Sacraments. Check it out! Vorgrimler, H. (1992). Sacramental theology. (L. M. Maloney, Trans.). The Liturgical Press.

"In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1). Merry Christmas!!! Today, we go through the Vatican II document on the Word of God, Dei verbum. Sacred Scripture is of critical importance to the life of a Christian because in it God reveals Himself to us. Dei verbum

We wish you a blessed Advent! What actually is the Catholic Church? Today, we look at the Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam, who seeks to show the laity what the faith is, what it is for, and the need to protect it. This book started some great discussion that we hope will help you understand more about the faith. Get the book here! Adam, K., & McCann, J. (2016). The spirit of catholicism. Martino Publishing.

We wish you a blessed Advent! Advent is a great time to do some good self reflection as we await the Second Coming. In this episode we will do this at the parish level by asking, how can we make parish life better? Our conversation is guided by Fr. James Mallon's Divine Renovation. In this book, Fr. Mallon lays out ways that parishes can overcome some of the failings of the status quo and move them back to executing the mission Christ gave it. https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Renovation-Bringing-Maintenance-Mission/dp/1627850384/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TPGNEPAS9J90&keywords=divine+renovation+by+james+mallon&qid=1669673469&sprefix=Divine+ren%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1 Mallon, J. (2014). Divine renovation: Bringing your parish from maintenance to mission. Twenty-Third Publications.

In this episode it is time to get real with yourself and God. Today we return to Thomas Merton in his arguably most famous work, New Seeds of Contemplation. In this book, Thomas Merton addresses the ways to have a real relationship with God in response to everyday life through solid prayer and action. Definitely worth checking out. https://www.amazon.com/New-Seeds-Contemplation-Thomas-Merton/dp/0811217248/ref=sr_1_1?crid=272FCO7SNRP8R&keywords=new+seeds+of+contemplation+by+thomas+merton&qid=1668221690&sprefix=New+Seeds+of+%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1 Merton, T. (2007). New seeds of contemplation. New Directions.

Just in time for Halloween, we bring you our discussion on the late Fr. Gabriele Amorth's An Exorcist Explains the Demonic. You'll notice we begin this episode with the St. Michael Prayer. This is because we will be diving into demonology and how Satan and his demons operate according to the Vatican's former chief exorcist's experiences. This book is definitely worth reading if you'd like to know more about demons. https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-Explains-Demonic-Antics-Fallen/dp/1622823451?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Amorth, G., Stimamiglio, S., & Fasi, C. J. (2016). An exorcist explains the demonic: The antics of satan and his army of fallen angels. Sophia Institute Press.

A faithful widow is the main character in today's story, which is provided by the Book of Ruth from the Old Testament. Ruth is a non-Israelite that remains faithful to her Israelite mother-in-law and is a key figure in the line of David. One of the shorter books in the Old Testament, it is an easy and quick read but filled with important insights that we discuss in this episode.