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Questions answered this episode:I work for a small Christian university... how can I prepare to teach Theology of the Body to a Protestant audience when JP2's writings feel dense and I'm limited in time and resources?After discovering my husband's hidden struggles with pornography and masturbation, how can I walk with him toward a true relationship with Christ while dealing with my own feelings of betrayal?I'm about to get married and just found out I'll have my period on my honeymoon. Is it OK for Catholic couples to have sex during menstruation?ResourcesCOURSE SCHEDULEOur Bodies Tells God's Story BookJohn Paul II's Letter to ArtistsGod Is Beauty Book---Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II's beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.---
Wielu wierzyło, że JP2 lub Franciszek odmienią Kościół katolicki i zawróci go ku wartościom biblijnym. Nic takiego się jednak nie stało. Za JP2 brylowali w Watykanie zboczeńcy w rodzaju Degollado i McCarricka. A dzisiaj rządzi Kościołem wychowanek tych zboczeńców. Co Ty możesz z tym zrobić? Do czego wzywa Cię Bóg w Biblii? #kościółkatolicki #papież #nauczaniepastora ----------------------------------------------------
Wielu wierzyło, że JP2 lub Franciszek odmienią Kościół katolicki i zawróci go ku wartościom biblijnym. Nic takiego się jednak nie stało. Za JP2 brylowali w Watykanie zboczeńcy w rodzaju Degollado i McCarricka. A dzisiaj rządzi Kościołem wychowanek tych zboczeńców. Co Ty możesz z tym zrobić? Do czego wzywa Cię Bóg w Biblii? #kościółkatolicki #papież #nauczaniepastora ----------------------------------------------------
Wielu wierzyło, że JP2 lub Franciszek odmienią Kościół katolicki i zawróci go ku wartościom biblijnym. Nic takiego się jednak nie stało. Za JP2 brylowali w Watykanie zboczeńcy w rodzaju Degollado i McCarricka. A dzisiaj rządzi Kościołem wychowanek tych zboczeńców. Co Ty możesz z tym zrobić? Do czego wzywa Cię Bóg w Biblii? #kościółkatolicki #papież #nauczaniepastora ----------------------------------------------------
W najnowszym odcinku Cebul na Torcie porozmawialiśmy między innymi o:- Cłach, które Donald Trump nałożył na praktycznie cały świat (Rosja się jakoś nie załapała). - Wizycie jednego z najbliższych współpracowników Putina (Kiriłł Dmitriew) w Waszyngtonie.- Reakcjach polskiej (i nie tylko) prawicy na skazanie Marine Le Pen.- Trzaskowskim chwalącym JP2. - Mentzenie chwalącym dyktatury (i np. Pinocheta). I o tym, jak to pewne organizacje będą musiały oddać pieniądze, które dostały z Funduszu SprawiedliwościZachęcamy do wspierania nas na Patronite:https://patronite.pl/Podkast_Dezinformacyjny
Tom Riello on the 20th anniversary of the passing of JP2, Amanda Teixeira takes a Catholic perspective of finances, and Dr. Robert Royal takes a look at the horizon
Today we cover GEOPOLITICAL TOPICS - the INTEL Agencies and their relationship to the Churches and CULTS and religions in general! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/join Send Superchats at any time here: https://streamlabs.com/jaydyer/tip Get started with Bitcoin here: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/jaydyer/ The New Philosophy Course is here: https://marketplace.autonomyagora.com/philosophy101 Set up recurring Choq subscription with the discount code JAY44LIFE for 44% off now https://choq.com Lore coffee is here: https://www.patristicfaith.com/coffee/ Orders for the Red Book are here: https://jaysanalysis.com/product/the-red-book-essays-on-theology-philosophy-new-jay-dyer-book/ Subscribe to my site here: https://jaysanalysis.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ Follow me on R0kfin here: https://rokfin.com/jaydyer Music by Amid the Ruins 1453 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt7Iy8GlmdPwy_Tzyx93bA/joinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jay-sanalysis--1423846/support.
In this episode of the Ever Be podcast, host Mari Wagner dispells common misconceptions about Mary's role in Catholicism and the significance of the Rosary. She explains how honoring Mary is different from worshipping her, using teachings from St. Louis de Montfort, JP2, and the Catechism. Mari discusses Mary's intercession, the importance of the Rosary as a meditative prayer, and Mary's unique role as the Queen of Heaven and the Immaculate Conception. She also provides practical tips on incorporating the Rosary into daily life and emphasizes the timeless relevance of this devotion.00:00 Introduction and Overview02:04 Misconception 1: Do Catholics Worship Mary?08:06 Misconception 2: The Rosary is Mindless Repetition13:07 Misconception 3: Mary is Just Another Woman16:49 Misconception 4: The Rosary is Outdated18:31 Practical Ways to Deepen Your Devotion24:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts------Episode SponsorsAscension Press Rosary in a Year - Learn more, listen, and download the free Rosary in a Year prayer plan at https://ascensionpress.com/MariRIYWest Coast Catholic - westcoastcatholic.co------Follow Along:Ever Be Podcast InstagramMari Wagner Instagram West Coast Catholic Instagram
Call (913) 390-3672 and leave a message for the podcast! — Clark and Laura answer listener questions about the Mass, JP2, and bad leaders, then tackle shifts in cultural and secular worldviews in this episode of The Simpleton Podcast. Also in this episode: • Is the Mass supposed to be inspiring? • Why do some people defend bad priests? • JP2 and mishandled situations • Louisiana molasses • Personal, cultural, and worldly changes — Chapters: 0:00 Intro & episode preview 1:00 Is the Mass supposed to be inspiring? 15:05 Why do some people defend bad priests? 21:40 JP2 and mishandled situations 27:09 Louisiana molasses 28:02 Paradigm shifts: personal, cultural, and worldly 54:39 Closing thoughts (and some hope) — You can also find the audio version of the podcast almost anywhere you stream podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more). Just search "The Simpleton Podcast", or go to https://anchor.fm/simpletonpodcast. The Simpleton Podcast is also on YouTube, Rumble and Odysee: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yxkdpR6KBo&list=PL6J5x7lptOXsnTAQRah4MhOOZwuttVNtb Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/asimplehouseU Odysee: https://odysee.com/@asimplehouseU — Send us feedback! Email: asimplehouse@gmail.com A Simple House is a Catholic ministry that serves project and Section 8 neighborhoods in southeast Washington, DC and Kansas City, MO. Missionaries strive to meet the material and spiritual needs of the poor while living a simple religious life. Each missionary attends daily Mass, says morning and evening prayer from the Catholic Church's Liturgy of the Hours, and makes time for personal prayer and scripture study. Visit https://www.asimplehouse.org/ to learn more about A Simple House and The Simpleton Podcast. YouTube - A Simple House: https://www.youtube.com/@asimplehouse.catholic YouTube - A Simple House U (home of The Simpleton Podcast): https://www.youtube.com/@ASimpleHouse_U Facebook: @asimplehouse | https://www.facebook.com/@asimplehouse Instagram: @asimplehouse.catholic | https://www.instagram.com/asimplehouse.catholic — Thank you to Kelly Franzen & Ben Friedman from Totus Media for editing and producing The Simpleton Podcast. Totus Media is a media production company based out of Central Iowa. Totus Media is an Iowa digital media production company, social media management firm, wedding videography business, and digital marketing agency. Visit https://www.totusmedia.co/ to learn more. — #catholic #podcast #religion
Questions Covered: 01:30 – One of my family members is now a Sedevacantist and doesn't recognize JP2. How can I help guide him back? 08:32 – Why does the placement of Maccabees in the bible vary depending on the bible? 15:12 – In Genesis it says God's presence dwelled in the presence of the garden of Eden and since marriage/sex is the manifestation of our desire to be in union with God, then why did Adam yearn for a partner/Eve? 18:12 – Does the bible mention miscarriages in Numbers? 20:59 – Does a bankruptcy also forgive the moral obligation to pay off the debt? 29:12 – What are the reasons that orthodox Jews don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah? 35:09 – In my psych class we were told that you can detect violent behavior in young children that could manifest itself if it goes unchecked. What would be the ethical stance on hospitalizing them for life? 42:47 – Does the bible say anything about how to approach relationships with the in-laws? 46:34 -Did Fatima want us to be enrolled in the scapular? Do you need to get a scapular blessed? 49:10 – Is it possible for the devil to steal souls from purgatory? 50:30 – I see that the Anglican Church is going to have a female archbishop, should we end dialogue with them? 51:49 – Why do Catholics honor the Sabbath day on Sundays? …
Gender confusion in today's culture might seem like a curveball, but in this episode, Dr. Greg explores the unexpected opportunity it provides for the Church—and for each of us—to deepen our understanding of what it truly means to be man and woman. Discussed in this episode: Why understanding complementarity is key to healing personal and cultural wounds; How the relationship between man and woman provides access to the face of God; Why healing the wounds between men and women is essential for restoring communion with God; The mystery of how man and woman together image God's love; How JP2's Theology of the Body revolutionizes our view of human dignity; Why male and female differences are essential to imaging God; The critical distinction between mutual self-gift and hierarchical domination in relationships; How original sin distorted trust between man and woman and between humanity and God; The role of divinization in the Christian understanding of humanity's destiny; What Sr. Prudence Allen and JP2 reveal about integral sex complementarity; The biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of male and female complementarity; How equal dignity and differentiation coexist in the Catholic vision of gender; The dangers of reducing man and woman to rigid roles versus embracing integral identity; How historical pendulum swings between equality and differentiation have shaped gender views; How marriage reflects and points to the ultimate communion with God. Resources mentioned or relevant: Mulieris Dignitatem by Pope St. John Paul II Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) Previous episodes on gender complementarity: Episode 202: Complementarity Without The Competition: Why We Need Each Other Episode 201: Is Leadership of the Family a Man's Job? with Special Guest Barbra Bottaro Episode 200: Leaked Audio from a Groundbreaking Franciscan University Conference Keynote to Celebrate Our 200th Episode! Episode 99: Diversity, Gender, and the Genius of Women, w/ Simone Rizkallah Flight from Woman by Karl Stern The Catholic Genius of Integrated Masculinity and Femininity Maria Fedoryka at Hildebrand Conference The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Femininity by Carrie Gress Doctrinal Note USCCB 2023 Female and Male He Resurrected Them edited by Jennifer Morel Need help? Schedule a free consultation to discuss your next best step; Feeling called to help others? Learn more about our Certification program (CPMAP): CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism; Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych; Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available; Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more; Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych Instagram: @catholicpsych X: @CatholicPsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
Do you know the limitations of St. Thomas Aquinas' “pre-microscope” view on gender, and how it is still influencing the Church today? In this special episode on the feast of Pope St. John Paul II, Dr. Greg unpacks why JP2's teachings on gender, identity, and what it means to be human are exactly what the Church—and the world—needs right now. Discussed in this episode: The limitations of Aquinas' “pre-microscope” view on gender and how it still influences erroneous views of gender roles; The “truth bomb” of JP2 that reshapes our understanding of gender, identity, and the dignity of the human person; The shift from a “pre-microscope” to “post-microscope” view of gender and why it matters; JP2's teachings as a foundational response to today's trans and gender identity confusion; Why mutual submission between men and women is essential to true equality; How Protestant approaches to gender often swing between extremes: complementarianism vs. egalitarianism; The Catholic response is a “both/and” approach in contrast to “either/or” pendulum swings; How JP2's insights into human dignity answer today's questions on gender and identity; Why Pope St. John Paul II is considered the most impactful Catholic psychologist of the 20th and 21st centuries; Why JP2's teachings serve as a lighthouse through today's “isms” and ideological shifts; Why understanding true human dignity is essential to addressing gender confusion. Resources mentioned or relevant: The Personalism of John Paul II by Dr. John Crosby Person and Act by Pope St. John Paul II Please share your feedback and questions: drgreg@catholicpsych.com Previous podcast series on the psychology of JP2: Episode 180: The Psychology of JP2: A Bold Proposal Episode 182: Delving Deep into the Human Experience Episode 183: The Lead Domino Effect: Transformation Begins with a Blueprint Episode 184: Secrets to Succeeding in Marriage Learn more about gender complementarity: Blog article: Celebrating the Differences of Men and Women Blog article: God Created Us to Need Each Other Episode 149: A New Approach to the Gender Crisis 4-part series on Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? Mulieris Dignitatem – JP2's apostolic letter on the dignity and vocation of women Witness to Hope by George Weigel – An in-depth biography exploring John Paul II's life, influence, and vision Learn more about the Theology of the Body: Man and Woman He Created Them (original text by JP2) Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West TOB Books and Resources by Jason Evert Theology of the Body Institute Need help? Schedule a free consultation to discuss your next best step; Feeling called to help others? Learn more about our Certification program (CPMAP): CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism; Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych; Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available; Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more; Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych Instagram: @catholicpsych X: @CatholicPsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
John Paul II traveled quite a bit while a Cardinal in Poland; the political context of where he was allowed him to keep before the world an awareness of the plight of the polish Church, gaining respect among Church leaders as well as political leaders. Deacon Harold shares more on how JP2 can help shape your faith. Also looking into Soulful Psalm 21.
Więzienie za oblanie farbą pomnika Jana Pawła II? Sąd stwierdził: Jan Paweł II ma w polskim Kościele nieformalny status drugiej najważniejszej osoby po Bogu. Ksiądz diler we Wrocławiu? Próbował użyć "pigułki gwałtu"? #IPPTVNaŻywo #polityka #JP2 #katolik ----------------------------------------------------
In this conversation with Dr Ralph C. Martin we discuss the life changing impact of the Word of God. The reverse is also true. Most problems in the Church are related to how one views the Bible. Meet a Catholic professor who believes that we have an inerrant Bible that contains the Word of God. Dr Martin teaches at Sacred Heart Seminary and president of Renewal Ministries. Under Pope Benedict XVI he was advisor for evangelism. Are the Scriptures sacred vehicles that contain the reliable Word of God? Or is the Bible a collection of fallible human writers who were inspired to write things about God as they imagined him from below?How you see the Holy Scriptures has a direct impact on morality and doctrine. Professor Martin believes that Christians benefit from clarity. That Rome preaches an empty hell these days, if there is one, seems in flagrant contradiction with the message of Jesus. That many in the Church teach that morality does not matter as long as one is true to his feelings, is evaluated as a grave mistake in Scripture, which says that no fornicator, robber or person who continues to commit homosexual acts will inherit the kingdom of God. In the 1970's Dr Martin warned against the collapse of Biblical authority in the Church in A Crisis of Truth. First a series of talks, it was published in 1982. He spoke clearly and forcefully on the crisis that was beginning to pervade the Church, which was ultimately a crisis of authority. Is God in control of religion and morality? Or are we allowed to created our own? While there was a temporarily move towards Biblical authority under pope JP2 and Benedict 16, this was mostly not the case in catholic education. By the 2020 the crisis had also permeated the ecclesiastical hierarchy. To address these circumstances, Ralph wrote his book: “A Church in Crisis, pathways forwards.” In this conversation he tells us about the transforming power of the Word of God in his life. The Bible is not theory, but the living Voice of God, an instrument that he uses to make you grow spiritually and morally: trusting in the Father, through the Word, applied by the Holy Ghost. As to critical scholarship, Ralph Martin's message is: Take care which voices you listen to and decide to trust. There are scholars who profess the Scriptures as the inerrant and reliable Word of God. Have faith in God, and: “Keep on!”
In S2E6 of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discuss minutes 1h18m43s through 1h37m of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, & a few new toys. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
Send us a Text Message.Join James, Peter, and Theresa Martin as they delve into their transformative book, The Rule: St. John Paul II's Rule for a Joy-Filled Marriage of Divine Love. Discover how this rediscovered rule helps couples live out the truths of Humanae Vitae and navigate today's anti-Christian culture through the power of conjugal spirituality, heroic virtue, and the healing grace of God's love. The Martins highlight the critical need for a faith-filled community and discuss the Wojtyla Community & Institute, which supports married couples on their journey.This episode explores the commitment and challenges of marriage, emphasizing sacrifice, selflessness, and the continuous grace of the sacrament. Hear how JP2's vision has profoundly influenced the Martins and their ministry. Men, tune in to be inspired and equipped to lead your marriage towards heaven with wisdom and a renewed sense of mission.Make sure and check out the Wojtyla Community and Institute!Read The Martins' Book to find a joy-filled marriage based on the teachings of JP II!TakeawaysThe Rule - A guide for living out *Humanae Vitae* and conjugal spirituality.Heroic Virtue - Essential for growing in holiness amid cultural challenges.Faith-Filled Community - Crucial for support and fostering strong marriages.Marriage as a Journey - Involves sacrifice, selflessness, and leading each other to heaven.Real-Life Impact - Showcased through Peter and Theresa Martin's ministry experiences.What to Chew On"God is working through you to heal the other.""Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.""God planned for you and your spouse to be together before you even met."Please prayerfully consider supporting the podcast on our Patreon page. to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible! Thank you for your prayers and support. As always, please pray for us! We are men who strive daily to be holy, to become saints and we cannot do that without the help of the Holy Ghost! Subscribe to our YouTube page to see our manly an Mystic Monk CoffeeFor the best cup of coffee for a great cause, Mystic Monk Coffee is the choice for you! TAN Books - Become a Saint! TAN is offering 15% off to you! Use code "manlycatholic" at checkout to help support the podcast. Support the Show.Mystic Monk Coffee → For the best coffee for a great cause, we recommend Mystic Monk Coffee. Roasted with prayer by the Carmelite Monks in Wyoming, Mystic Monk Coffee has the ultimate cup waiting for you. See more at mysticmonkcoffee.comTAN Books → TAN has been one of the most well-known and respected Catholic publishers for a long time. Their objective? To make men and women saints. Take 15% off your order and help support the podcast by using the code “manlycatholic” at checkout. Visit TAN Books for more! Contact us directly at themanlycatholic@gmail.com. Support the show on Patreon
What are the “secrets to success” for dating, marriages, and relationships? In this episode, Dr. Greg discusses the profound and practical wisdom in JP2's book Love and Responsibility. Part 4 of our series on the psychology of Pope John Paul II. Discussed in this episode: Personalistic norm: the most misunderstood principle in marriages and family dynamics A surprising and different way to understand love Dating mistake: Why it is backwards to look for the right person with a list of checkboxes The one question to ask during dating and the discernment of marriage Why a spouse's infidelity does not change your vow or “break the marriage” Using a person as a means to an end vs loving a person Sexual complementarity and the two dualist errors harming marriages: rigorism and libidinism Tenderness: JP2 takes us a step further than empathy in relationships The correct understanding of “marriage as a remedy of concupiscence” Resources mentioned or relevant: Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) Series on the psychology of JP2: Episode 180: The Psychology of JP2: A Bold Proposal Episode 182: Delving Deep into the Human Experience Episode 183: The Lead Domino Effect: Transformation Begins with a Blueprint Resources on dating and marriage: Marriage Mini-Course: A Free CatholicPsych Resource Episode 127: “I'm Gonna Want to Divorce You” Episode 131: The #1 Threat to Marriage Blog article: The One Most Important Quality to Look for in a Spouse Episode 122: There Is No Real Marriage Therapy Learn more about gender complementarity: Blog article: Celebrating the Differences of Men and Women Blog article: God Created Us to Need Each Other Episode 149: A New Approach to the Gender Crisis 4-part series on Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? How does the error of dualism impact your life? Blog article: You're No Angel, But Neither Am I Blog article: Who Are We? And What Heals Us? Episode 41: What Is Integration Anyway? Learn more about JP2's Theology of the Body: Man and Woman He Created Them (original text by JP2) Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West TOB Books and Resources by Jason Evert Theology of the Body Institute Please share your feedback and questions (drgreg@catholicpsych.com) and share this podcast episode with Catholic mental health professionals Need help? Schedule a free consultation with someone on our team to discuss how we can support you Want to help? Learn more about our Certification program: CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych Instagram: @catholicpsych X: @CatholicPsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
In S2E5 of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discuss minutes 60 through 1h18m43s of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, a few new toys & ASMR Corner. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
A continuation of our series on the psychology of Pope John Paul II. In this episode, Dr. Greg discusses JP2's blueprint of the human person and how it is the answer to all the problems we face today. When it comes to transforming our culture, this is the lead domino that will knock over every other domino. Discussed in this episode: What it means to have a blueprint of the human person Every moment of our humanity is impacted by the teachings of Pope John Paul II (JP2) JP2 answers the questions of contemporary man For therapists and psychologists, the practical implications of having a blueprint of the human person Why JP2 is the most important psychologist of the last 200 years (more important than Freud, Brene Brown, Jordan Peterson, and literally any other) Catholic therapists have to be experts of consciousness The proper understanding of the terms “self realization” and “self actualization” The difference between self knowledge and self awareness How addiction limits human freedom The philosophy of JP2 as the most effective approach to a contemporary understanding of the human person JP2's work uniquely marries together two philosophical systems: Thomistic Philosophy and Phenomenology Why the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas alone is not enough to convert most people today Ways to join the mission to bring the psychology of JP2 to mainstream society Resources mentioned or relevant: Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) Writings, speeches, and encyclicals of Pope St. John Paul II Setting the Stage: Early Plays of St. John Paul II Series on the psychology of JP2 on the Being Human podcast: Episode 180: The Psychology of JP2: A Bold Proposal Episode 182: Delving Deep into the Human Experience Gaudium et Spes Theology of the Body: Man and Woman He Created Them (original text by JP2) Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West TOB Books and Resources by Jason Evert Theology of the Body Institute Please share your feedback and questions (drgreg@catholicpsych.com) and share this podcast episode with Catholic mental health professionals If you are a Catholic mental health professional, join the waiting list for Fellowship, a practical way to deeply connect the dots between your identity as a therapist and a Catholic Need help? Schedule a free consultation with someone on our team to discuss how we can support you Want to help? Learn more about our Certification program: CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych Instagram: @catholicpsych X: @CatholicPsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
A continuation of our series on how the psychology of JP2 is the answer to our modern world gone sideways. In this episode, Dr. Greg Bottaro and philosopher Dr. John Crosby delve deep into the human experience through the lens of Dietrich von Hildebrand and Pope John Paul II. Discussed in this episode: Why a psychology of JP2 is what the world needs to move forward from the mess we're in What it means to “meet someone where they are” The difference between our conscious and subconscious, and how this affects our human acts The difference between reflective consciousness and reflexive consciousness Reflexive consciousness as “an experience of myself from within” (interiority) Without reflexive consciousness, an individual is a stranger or spectator to himself/herself Self-determination vs the dangers of determinism even within one's spiritual life Coercion vs freedom and other parenting challenges in passing on the faith to our children The importance of the philosophy and work of Dietrich von Hildebrand Personal anecdotes of von Hildebrand as a professor of philosophy and a confessor of the faith Phenomenology and the subjective experience of the person The lived experience of one's own subjectivity as an important dimension of the blueprint of the human person Resources mentioned or relevant: Learn more about the Hildebrand Project and the books, events, and resources available Support the work of the Hildebrand Project The Art of Living by Dietrich von Hildebrand with Alice von Hildebrand Learn more about Alice von Hildebrand Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) Past Being Human podcast episodes: Episode 180: The Psychology of JP2: A Bold Proposal Episode 174: Healing or Harm? Unveiling the Truth about Bad Therapy Episode 173: Unmasking Disintegration: Examining the APA's Stance on Gender Identity If you are a Catholic mental health professional, join the waiting list for Fellowship, a practical way to deeply connect the dots between your identity as a therapist and a Catholic Need help? Schedule a free consultation with someone on our team to discuss how we can support you Want to help? Learn more about our Certification program: CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych Instagram: @catholicpsych X: @CatholicPsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
Welcome to Episode 180 of the Being Human Podcast: The Psychology of JP2: A Bold Proposal In this week's episode, Dr. Greg explores a bold new proposal for a Catholic standard of mental health rooted in the psychology of St. John Paul II. Dr. Greg entreats all Catholic psychologists and therapists to mine the treasures of JP2's Personalism in order to offer hope, clarity, and healing in an increasingly confused and suffering world. Discussed in this episode: Why St. John Paul II's psychology is more brilliant, effective and important to study than any other psychologist (including Freud) The significance of human dignity and personhood in mental health care How the teachings of JP2 can combat the modern mental health crises Pitfalls of a solely scientific approach to mental health The big difference between subjective criteria for mental health and a clear standard for mental health (and why there is no standard for mental health) Being a Catholic psychologist does not mean simply being Catholic in the secular study of psychology Anyone saying they are doing Catholic therapy should be an expert in both the science of psychology and the philosophy of psychology How a model that integrates the spiritual and material dimensions of the human person offers deeper insights and more effective care compared to secular models Find out how you can contribute to and benefit from a Catholic standard of mental health Resources mentioned or relevant: Please share your feedback (drgreg@catholicpsych.com) and share this podcast episode with Catholic mental health professionals If you are a Catholic mental health professional, join the waiting list for Fellowship, a practical way to deeply connect the dots between your identity as a therapist and a Catholic Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla Person and Community by Karol Wojtyla Writings, speeches, and encyclicals of Pope St. John Paul II Setting the Stage: Early Plays of St. John Paul II Past Being Human podcast episodes: Episode 174: Healing or Harm? Unveiling the Truth about Bad Therapy Episode 173: Unmasking Disintegration: Examining the APA's Stance on Gender Identity Episode 145: What Does It Mean to Be Healthy? Episode 124: A Letter to Catholic Mental Health Professionals Episode 123: Fake Science and Real Compassion Episode 121: How the APA is Schizophrenic Episode 81: The Lies of the American Psychological Association Episode 72: The DSM Disease (Part One) Read more on the CatholicPsych blog: What Does Catholic Psychology Mean? More on Catholic Psychology Learn more about our Certification program: CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism Need help? Schedule a free consultation with someone on our team to discuss how we can support you; Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych; Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available; Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more; Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Follow us on Instagram: @catholicpsych Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
In S2E4 of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discuss minutes 45 through 60 of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, a few new toys & ASMR Corner. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
In S2E3 of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discus minutes 30 through 45 of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, & ASMR Corner. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
In S2E2 of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discuss the latest JP movie news, minutes 15 through 30 of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, the latest toy haul, and feedback from our previous episodes & ASMR Corner. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
In the season two premiere of the podcast Digory, Aravis, Sara, & Michael discuss minutes 1 through 15 of The Lost World Jurassic Park, JP2, the latest toy haul, and feedback from our previous episodes & ASMR Corner. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lifeuhfindsawaypod/ Like, Subscribe & Write A Review to help unlock Behind the Scenes extras.
Questions Covered: 04:28 – Are the merits gained through acts of charity lost if a person commits mortal sin? 06:16 – Where did disease and death come from? 14:49 – What’s the proper response when I’m invited to a protestant church service? 17:50 – Why were the Church Fathers not able to agree on the number of sacraments? 22:22 – Why are we as Catholics allowed to embalm our deceased loved ones? 41:43 – In what tense do you read the book of Revelation, past present and future? Regarding Rev 12, how is it possible that Mary experienced birth pains if she was sinless? 51:46 – Which prayers can I accept from other people? For example, prayers from St. JP2 to someone satanic? …
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In episode 7, Teresa Morris and Will Wright discuss how virtue is the mean between excess and deficiency. They talk about how virtue relates to spiritual life. Teresa explains Plato's analogy of the Cave, Mumford and Sons, G.K. Chesterton, and Dr. Peter Kreeft are brought up. This conversation has a few tangents, but all of them are worthwhile. Give it a listen! Listen to episode 7 and then join us as a free or paid subscriber here at https://gooddistinctions.com/Rough TRANSCRIPT of the Video:Will Wright:Welcome back to Good Distinctions. I'm Will Wright.Teresa Morris:and I'm Teresa Morris.Will Wright:And good distinctions are...Teresa Morris:the spice of life.Will Wright:So today, Teresa, we are talking about virtue. I'm glad that you're with me because I don't have a lot of it. I'm working on it, but I would like to grow in virtue. So hopefully this conversation will be helpful to everyone that's watching. So let's dive right into it. First of all, let's define what is a virtue.Teresa Morris:Hmm. I wish the answer was as simple as just being able to give what is a particular virtue or what is the overall definition of virtue. I will give the definition of virtue that I tend to think is maybe the best one. And then perhaps we can kind of talk about why people have different opinions on why that may or may not be a good definition. So virtue was initially proposed by Aristotle and Aristotle essentially said that virtue is a habit of excellence and that it's a mean between two extremes of excess and deficiency. So his proposal was that people should be trying to live a virtuous life and where virtue falls, if you think about kind of like a line, virtue falls right in the middle. and you want to be oriented towards this kind of middle ground and you're not trying to fall to one of the other sides of excess or deficiency. So you don't want to be too much of something but you also don't want to be lacking in something or deficient in something. So virtue is kind of that middle ground of excellence that we're trying to cultivate.Will Wright:So we could say in Medio stat Virtus, which is Latin. I don't know why I know the phrase in Latin. Aristotle spoke Greek. Anyway, it means in the middle stands the virtue, right? And so that's what we're getting at. I think it's hilarious when asking a philosopher anything because you're gonna get a very philosophical answer. No, it was very beautiful. And I'm excited to unpack that. I would just like to offer. I guess the theological answer would be what's in the catechism, right? So the virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to the good.So I'm not thrilled with that definition as like the end all be all. I don't think it includes exactly what you mentioned of excellence as being the mean between excess and deficiency. But I think we should start by unpacking that real quick. So It's habitual, which means it's a habit.It's something that we have to do. And it's something that we have to habituate and make part of our routine, something that we need to practice. Later, I think we'll definitely talk about the difference between the theological virtues and the cardinal virtues and moral virtues, because there's a huge distinction to be made there. But putting a pin in that, habitual. So it needs to be habitual, but it also needs to be firm. Right, it's not wishy washy. You can't just... You know, you're walking down the road and you see a kid walking towards the street and there's a car coming and you go and you reach out your hand half-heartedly, grab the back of their shirt and say, hey, don't do that. That doesn't make you a brave person. That doesn't make you courageous. That makes you basic borderline minimum human.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:You're not a monster.Teresa Morris:Yeah, right.Will Wright:So good for you. You know, everybody's, well, I didn't kill anybody. Like that's not a very good metric for whether you're a good person or not. But anyway, so it needs to be firm. It needs to be something that you practice every day. You wake up and you say, I'm gonna be courageous today. If there's an opportunity where I need to practice courage, I'm going to. And then disposition, so disposing ourselves towards the good, which ultimately is God, and being in accordance with natural law and the eternal law.Teresa Morris:Yeah, I think something that is is helpful about the concept of virtue is, you know, what you're saying is that it's a habit. It's a really hopeful view of morality. It's a really hopeful view of building character because it's saying that we have the capacity to improve upon ourselves. So sometimes people are like, well, I'm just not built that way. Or I'm just like not a good person. Or I'm not given when other people are given, which may or may not be true, right? Like we're all given different gifts. We're all given different upbringings that can dispose us to different virtues or not. but the proposal that virtue is a habit inherent in that idea is that you have this capacity to work on yourself and build up this habit. So it's not something that you're just gonna wake up and you're like yeah today I'm gonna be courageous and you're just gonna automatically be that way. It takes practice and it's something that requires intentionality and eventually it becomes our natural mode of being. So spoiler alert for Nicomachean ethics at the end of Nicomachean ethics, Aristotle is asking this question of like, well, how do we even get here, right? That if we can say, here's this list of virtues that we have determined are important to strive for. How do we get from point A to point B? Point A saying, I see that this is a good thing. Point B being this is integrated into my life. And what he says is you have to surround yourself with virtuous people and learn through imitations. So if I find in myself a lack of something where I'm like, I just wish that I was more honest, or I wish that I was more courageous, or I wish I understood chastity better. It's not that I have to white-knuckle my life and just force myself into those things.Will Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:What I should do is I should say, who do I know that lives these well. Who do I know who's really courageous? Who do I know who's really honest? Who do I know who lives chastity beautifully? And I look at how they're living and I just kind of imitate them. It's kind of like how children learn, right? It's like when we're teaching children how to speak, we're like, say, da-da, and then we're trying to get them to imitate it. That's how humans just naturally learn is we're given a model for something and we kind of like act it out until we can do that. So It's, I love the concept of building virtue as a habit because it connects us to community and it says you're not supposed to do this on your own. This idea of becoming a good person isn't solitary. You're not doing this in isolation. You do this by imitating the people around you. And it takes time because habits take time to build and that's okay. It's not something that we should feel discouraged about which I think sometimes in ethics or in just the process of becoming a good person. it's easy to get discouraged because it's like, oh my gosh, I failed again. I woke up and I made this decision to be this way and I missed the mark and virtue ethic says that's okay. Habits take time to build just like anything.Will Wright:And we will mess up. And it's not just about aiming for the good, it's about the reality that God is the greatest good and that we're in a relationship with Him. And so, when we encounter good, whether it's in ourselves or in someone else, we're encountering the spark of the divine, we're encountering the image of God in that. And so, it's not... Like you say, it's not just picking ourselves up by our bootstraps and white-knuckling it. We're not Pelagians. The Pelagian heresy is that we can will ourselves to heaven, that we don't need grace. Well, that's a huge lie. Of course we need grace. But grace builds on nature. It perfects nature, as St. Thomas says. So if that's true, and it is, then by surrounding ourselves with good people, good friends and allowing God to show us to those people. Right? Saying like, Lord, I need better friends. Like lead me to them.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:And then allowing him to sort of put these people in our lives. At least that's been my experiences. I have these people come into my life that I never would have gone out of my way to find. And I mean, even I know we talked about this in Episode One, but like how I met, how I found myself moving from North Carolina to Phoenix was very unexpected. Well, now I know all these wonderful people. And I have a bunch of wonderful friends in North Carolina as well. And it's just beautiful. The Lord has led me through this different pathway and journey. And I know these people have made me better. But in the past, when I've had some friends who didn't always live up to virtue, didn't always have the same orientation as me towards the good and towards what is true and beautiful, I felt myself sliding backwards because I really believe that we can't be stagnant. There is no stagnation. We're either moving forward or we're moving backwards. And that's just a function of the fact that we're alive and in time. Right.Teresa Morris:Right.Will Wright:Right, the good, the virtue. So, right, if we have good friends, they will lift us up, which is what you were saying. And I think there's... lot to be said about grace building on nature and allowing God into that mix. So it's not all or nothing. I think that's kind of what I wanted to get at is for anyone listening who's thinking, okay, well, it's a habit that I need to firmly dispose myself towards. So it seems like I need to put forth effort. But then you're saying, well, it's not something that you just white-knuckle. Well, okay, then how do I do it?Well, I think it's this mystery of synergy. Between God acting and giving us grace and us cooperating and responding to that grace.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm, definitely. And I really like what you said about how the people that you surround yourself with really affect us and that. one of the prayers that we can pray is, Lord, give me people in my life who are going to aid in my flourishing because he wants that for us. And that flourishing is something that was really important for the Greeks, this concept of eudaimonia, which is virtue is oriented towards that, that it's not existing for its own sake, it's not even existing for this consequence in society, it's existing for our own flourishing. And... that we do become like the people we surround ourselves with. Even in social psychology, people talk about how you become like the five people you spend the most amount of time with, which is why it really matters who you choose as friends. It matters who you choose to marry because you're going to become like those people. It's why I love teaching because I want to be like my students. I think that they're wonderful and I want to be more like them for the most part. And so we can't let ourselves be unaffected by the people that we are surrounded by and so that it's possible to change and to become like the people that were surrounded by. IWill Wright:It reminds me that there's a narrative to our lives that God is writing ultimately. And then there's a meta-narrative that we all fit into. There's one true story. One of my friends is a filmmaker and he talks about this a lot, that all good stories exist within the one true story, the story that God is writing, this meta-narrative, which is exactly the opposite of postmodernism. that there actually is meaning and that we can plug ourselves into that. But I've also heard, especially those who follow Carl Jung, especially like Jordan Peterson, for example, talks a lot about how we play this set of games over time. And it's really a rehearsing of behaviors to play the meta game or the meta narrative. And that's how, like what you were talking about with the kids watching. other people and figuring out how to play the game, so to speak. And he doesn't mean that in a cynical way. It's just how do I navigate my life? How do I navigate interpersonal relationships with others in an effective way where I will be flourishing?Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:And that idea of you eudaenomia that you brought up, would it be would it be acceptable in your mind to equate that? And I've made this I'll go ahead and say I've made this case. So feel free to push back. that eudaenomia, that true real blessedness, that true lasting happiness is synonymous with what Jesus is talking about in the Beatitudes.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm. I would say so. And I think ultimately that concept, I mean like everything is fulfilled in the beatific vision, right? That like all of these ideas of happiness, flourishing, excellence are ultimately fulfilled in our experience of an encounter with Christ. And that helps us then having this sense of, oh, this is the ultimate vision for our lives. This is where ultimate fulfillment is coming from. Helps us then. orient all our other actions towards that type of excellence to say like this is this is the primary goal and So it helps order all those other things. So I would say that the Beatitudes are an orientation towards virtue and excellence because it's not just Here's here are the things that you can't do. It's not just a list of behaviors It's an orientation towards goodness and an orientation towards excellence. And I think that's what You can say this about virtue from a philosophical sense, or you could say this about virtue in a theological sense, which I think could be attributed to the Beatitudes, like you're saying, that it's not this question of what should I do, which can be a really stark view of doing ethics or just living your life, of what should I do or what should I avoid? And here's this list of things that I can and can't do, but it's who do I want to be? What type of person do I want to be?Will Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:And I think that's what. eudaenomia offers, I think that's what the Beatitudes offers, it's this proposal for what type of person do you want to be and it's an orientation of the heart and it's an integrated vision of how to act. It's not just I'm going to will this thing and just you know do this because I feel like I have to but it's a movement of the heart towards something good and something excellent.Will Wright:Dr. Peter Kreeft has a brilliant lecture on this, where he talks about the Beatitudes and he brings up the concept of eudaenomia, but he also brings up GK Chesterton's biography of St. Francis of Assisi. And he says that it's the line about coming out of the cave, walking on your hands, seeing the world hanging upside down and understanding dependence when we know the maker's hand, comes from an encounter with God in which we turn all of our expectations on our on its head, which is really what Jesus is saying in the Beatitudes. These are these are nuts, really. first look at them they go, what are you talking about, blessed are to the poor in spirit? I don't want to be poor in spirit, I want to be rich in spirit.Teresa Morris:Right.Will Wright:But what it's saying is no you need to be humble, you need to empty yourself in order to be filled with God. And then he walks through Peter Crave walks through the rest of the Beatitudes and shows how it's an inversion of a lot of the things that we think we want, like conquestTeresa Morris:Right.Will Wright:of nature, freedom from pain,Teresa Morris:Yeah.Will Wright:et cetera. So it's really fascinating. Incidentally,Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:Mumford and Sons the Cave is, you know, that exact line from the Chesterton biography of St. Francis of Assisi, and it's awesome. So go listen to the Cave, everyone.Teresa Morris:it's such a good song. I also thought for the longest time before I read that work by GK Chesterton, that he was talking about Plato's cave, which is my heathen philosophical viewpoint of the world,Will Wright:HaTeresa Morris:Which you can kind of say that it's both, but it really is much more the sense of Christ turns everything upside down and has, you know, this proposal of paradox for the way that Christians should live their life.Will Wright:But why couldn't it be Plato's cave?Teresa Morris:It could be. It can be both, I think. I think they're really, yeah, I mean, you walk out of the cave and you're shocked at how the world looks. You're like, oh my gosh, all these things that I thought were just shadow, like there's actually a real flower. There's a real this. And it feels like the world is upside down because it's not shadow, it's real.Will Wright:Alright, professor, I think it's time. I think we need to take the time rather to explain the cave analogy. Just a little bit, just a little bit, because people listening, I'm sure not everyone has been exposed to this. Not everybody's read the Republic. So what have you got?Teresa Morris:Okay, yeah, so there's this famous analogy in Plato's Republic where the Plato's Republic is trying to determine what it means to be a just person and it's doing that by giving this analogy of what it means to have a just city and a just city is this analogy for a person and in that he talks about uh he gives this analogy of what it means to to live a good life and what it looks like to finally understand what a good life is and to experience it. So that everyone is born into this cave and they're facing the back wall of the cave. So you're just looking at this blank wall and you're in chains and the sun is behind you on the outside of the cave. So everything that you're seeing is just a shadow. So like a dog walks by and you see a shadow of a dog or a tree is growing, you see a shadow of a tree. A bird flies by, you see a shadow of a bird. And that's what you think the world is, because that's all you're ever exposed to. And then at a certain point, someone breaks out and they leave the cave and they go outside and the sun is illuminating everything and they realize, oh my gosh, this thing that I thought was a dog, this shadow is actually a dog, this tree is actually a tree and this bird is actually a bird. And you're experiencing everything in reality and it's so much better and so much more intense than what the shadows were. And that's kind of the experience of doing philosophy is your... experiencing the really real. And so then that person goes back into the cave and they're trying to tell everyone about it and they're like, oh my gosh it's so much better out there, I promise. And you would think everyone would be like, yeah, that sounds great. Let's go. And what they actually do is they say, no, you're crazy. I don't actually want to experience that. And they stay in the cave and they actually end up killing the philosopher. So it's really not a great look for philosophers because it's sort of a sad ending. But it's this idea that reality is worth experiencing, that truth is worth experiencing and encountering, even if you're kind of put to death for it, that it's worth standing for truth, even if everyone around you doesn't think that that's worthwhile. So in the song, the reason when I was first listening to Mumford was actually my freshman year of college when I was first studying philosophy and I heard that song and I was like, this is Plato's cave. It's this experience of walking out of this cave and the world is opposite of what you thought it was. It's so different than what you had thought and it's so much better. than what you had ever dreamed it could be. And that's, I think, life of virtue and truth that can be experienced just through kind of morality and philosophy, but even more so, exponentially more so, is that experience of a life with Christ, where all of these natural inclinations or desires that I have that I could make an argument for justifying and saying, well, I can reason my way to that, this is how I should act. Christ says, sure, but I'm actually going to propose something that might maybe even seem unreasonable to you. That is really crazy. That is, you know, you should totally humble yourself and you, you know, so all these things Christ proposes is this world flipped upside down.Will Wright:Well, and how prophetic in a sense when I'd never thought about it in this context, but Jesus is wisdom incarnate. He is the word. He is the logo. So of course he was put to death, right?Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:He is like, he's coming into the cave and saying, yeah, all those shadows aren't real. Let's have the real thing, which I think you're reading of the cave. The song is very much in line with what St. Augustine would have thought. I mean, he was a big fan of Plato. He saw the world of forms as heaven as being in the mind of God and So How does that this might be a little bit tangential, but I think it's worthwhile How does that transition from that transcendence of Plato to the more eminent philosophy of Aristotle? How do you get from Plato who's the teacher to Aristotle who's the student because there's usually In the sense that you have that famous painting of Plato pointing up and Aristotle pointing down. So what's that about?Teresa Morris:Yeah, I think that Aristotle, you know, Aristotle kind of rejected this concept of the forms that were just participating in these ultimates that Plato really was proposing. And that I think upon an initial reading, in a lot of ways can sound like Christianity in some senses, which is why I think Augustine really took to that. Aristotle was a bit more focused on what does this mean for human behavior. and that he saw a tension between a proposal of absolutes and forms, and that there's a bit of a disconnect between saying here's just these objectives that we're looking at, and he was struggling to find the in-between, this kind of virtuous mean between well you can say that you know there's a there's an objective virtue or there's objective goodness, but what that looks like for an individual person might be different from person to person. So for example, he thought that there was a truth in saying, there's objective goodness, there's objective beauty, but the way that you and I are going to engage with those things is going to be different. So what it looks like for you to be courageous, we can say courageous or being courageous is a mean between. the excess of recklessness and the deficiency of cowardice. But how that's lived out in my life and your life might be different or how you might be courageous in a particular situation is going to need to be different from me. So an example of this is like, if I need to talk to, if I need to be courageous to a boss and I need to stand up for myself in a work setting, what courage might look like for me is going to be different than what it would look like for you in a work setting standing up to a boss. So it might be courageous for me to write an email standing up for myself, whereas for you, that might not be courageous. The courageous thing would be to walk into someone's office and have a conversation. So AristotleWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:saw more of a nuance, whereas Plato was much more hard-lined in these forms and were just participating in these objectives. And Aristotle kind of saw that there was a difference in how those things were lived out from person to person. So I think his sense of human behavior. and looking at individual human behavior and the cultivation of virtue in the individual, kind of accounted for, yeah, the distinct way that people can live their lives in accordance with these objective truths.Will Wright:which we would see as being in accordance with the natural law, which is our participation in the eternal law in reality as it is. SoTeresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:I don't, I don't see a huge gap in retrospect. Like obviously if you're thinking through it as Aristotle, without the light of Christ to fill in the gaps.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:I mean, I could see the, the world of forms, for example, as being in the mind of God, butTeresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:God is simple, like divine simplicity, that he doesn't have parts and pieces and attributes. He is. Period. Right? He is, He exists as essence is existence. So if that's the case, then our participation in those perfections is a participation in reality as God made it. And ultimately in him, because in him, we live and move and have our being. So I think ultimately there their views are reconcilable, at least in my mind, to a large extent, because they show us that there is a standard, there is an objective reality. But then, I don't know, I'm kinda like, I'm thinking through this as we go, but it seems like the way that you explained Aristotle seems very subjective or relativistic. And I know that that's not true. So how would you respond to somebody who maybe is moral relativist at heart, who's who hears what you say and say, see, it's different, it's completely different. So stop trying to compare me to you and there is no standard.Teresa Morris:Yeah.Will Wright:So how would you respond to that?Teresa Morris:Yeah, I would say that there's a difference between when we're talking about goodness in a metaphysical sense, which I think you could say that Plato is kind of, when he's talking about the forms, he's kind of talking more about metaphysics and, you know, what is goodness itself, whereas Aristotle is focused on the cultivation of goodness within a person and that he thinks those two things are distinct and that they're not opposed to each other, but what it looks like to choose the good in terms of action is different than what goodness is. in this metaphysical sense. So he does think that virtue is more than just fulfilling certain roles, or it's just doing what I personally think is good. He does think that it's the acquiescence of a person towards something objective, that there is something outside of myself that I'm trying to achieve. I'm trying to be. courageous or I'm trying to be honest or whatever. And it's something beyond myself that I'm trying to then orient myself towards. So he doesn't think that the individual gets to decide what the virtue is, but that the individual gets to decide how to get there. And so he is in no way saying that society should be composed of individuals who get to determine. what is good or what virtue is because the consequence of that is just moral and coherence in societyWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:that we can't have that and Aristotle is not proposing that. But what he is proposing is that it's not insignificant how an individual's heart and will is formed to be a good person in society. That it really does matter who the individuals are. It's not just follow these set of rules. that it's a transformation of the person. So in that sense, it's subjective because it's a subjective way of living out these objective virtues. But it's not subjective or relative in the sense that you get to determine what that is. It's just that for you, how you're living it out is subjective because you personally have free will and you personally have to choose it.Will Wright:because it pertains to you as the subject. So what's the difference between subjective and relative? Because I feel like these are often conflated,Teresa Morris:they are.Will Wright:usually by people who are not moral relativists, usually people who say there is only objective truth.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:And I met more than one person who claims this. And at first I thought to myself, well, that's absurd. Of course there's subjective truth. But then as we got talking more, I was more and more confused and I wasn't sure of myself and I was like, well, maybe it is just objective truth, but it's objective for you. Like preferences, for example, like is it true that I like pepperoni and bacon pizza? Yes. Is it true that is the only pizza to like? No. So it doesn't matter because for me, I love pepperoni and bacon pizza. And so that seems subjective in that I, the subject like this certain type of pizza. But if somebody else is looking at that and whether they know it or not, if they make that claim, you know, Will likes pepperoni and bacon pizzaObjectively, are they correct? Yes.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:So that seems like an objective truth.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:So I thought that was a pretty darn good argument. I didn't have a response to it. So I'd love to know.Teresa Morris:Yeah.Will Wright:I'm not a philosopher. I'm not an ethicist. So...Teresa Morris:Yeah,Will Wright:what do you say?Teresa Morris:I think that we use the term objective truth way too freely. And I think that there are objective truths and personal preferences being true in the moment isn't an objective truth. We can say right now it is objectively true. that you like your pizza however you like it. But that's not an objective truth because objective truth is unchanging. SoWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:something that is in this moment objectively true isn't an objective truth because that could change. Whereas objective truths are unchanging. So I think weWill Wright:I love that.Teresa Morris:Use that term way too freely. And I think that if we just say, we're going to reserve the term objective truth for things that are unchanging, it actually frees us to then distinguish between things that are. subjective and they can be subjectively true and something can be true and not be an objective truth. So I think that the difference between, so I think that's important. And then the difference between subjective versus relative. Subjective just means it pertains to the subject. So things that pertain to the subject can change, right? My preferences can change. But that's different than saying something is relative. Something is relative just means like It's just relative to the person and there's nothing objective that will ever be responded to. So it's just what's true for you and that's different than what's true for me or what you think is good is fine. You know, what makes you happy or what you think is beautiful or whatever is totally different. It's relative. We don't need to agree. There's no common ground. When we're talking about subjective, I really think that when we speak about the subject, it's a really sacred thing. And this is the philosophy of personalists, the philosophy of JP2. which is that the subject matters, and the subject really matters to God, that it's not just, I'm just an iteration of a human, and I just amWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:an iteration of flesh and blood, and I'm just equally loved and here I am existing, it's that God uniquely loves each of us as subjects. And Augustine actually, I think in some ways, is the first personalist in this sense because he talks about the subjective nature of the mind. that when we recognize in ourselves a desire to know other things, it leads us towards something objective, right? That I crave beauty or I crave truth, and that leads me to something objective. I go towards something else. But when the mind begins to think of itself, it's already arrived at the answer. So there's something subjective there. Nothing else can touch my mind. It's my own. And so the subject just refers to the person, the subject. and the subject can encounter something objective. The subject could choose to be relative, but those two things are totally distinct. That relative is more a concept, if you would think of like relative in relation to other people, thatWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:it's just something I think about in terms of society. Things are relative, we can't agree on anything, and there's no common ground, there's no foundation, where a subject is personal. It's what is my experience. of being oriented towards objective truths.Will Wright:I think a lot of the times we use the term relative in directly when we're talking about morality, that it's moral relativism. So one of the things that you mentioned was that objective truth doesn't change ever. I love that, it's very helpful. So how does that square up? And again, maybe this is tangential to our virtue conversation, but I think, I like it, we're gonna keep going. So how does that square up with like scientific truths? things that are observable in nature. For example, the acceleration due to gravity is such here on earth because of the mass of the earth and yada, right?Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:If we go to a different planet, gravity is gonna be a little different.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:But those are still scientifically observable things if the mass, and really what we're saying is that the force exerted because of mass and the electromagnetic. field and all the other things that go into the, I am not a scientist, so I'm way out of my depth here, but my understanding is that the coefficients related to physics exist in such a way as to hold all things together here, but that in some far-flung part of the universe, those coefficients might be totally different, and they might even change. So it seems like a lot of the things that we observe in nature are subject to change. And of course they are because of like entropy and matter being created, not created, it's neither created nor destroyed, but it's changed. So with all of that change, of course there's gonna be a change in composition and like eventually everything's gonna, I guess explode, I don't know, or just drift further apart and go and be frozen. There's all kinds of different theories, but how do we square objective truth when we're not talking about morality with something like a scientific fact because it seems like a lot of people today being scientific See, you know all these things that we learn by science that's truth that's fact But it based on what you said about objective reality not changing that seems to not mesh up at all if that makes senseTeresa Morris:Hmm. I guess I just would not, maybe this is too simple or reductionistic of an answer, but I just don't have a problem in saying that scientific facts don't need to be categorized as objective truths. And I think it goes back to, I really tend to lean towards saying something is objectively true versus an objective truth. And I just think that perhaps they're just far fewer objective truths than maybe we think that there are. And perhaps all of those things just are things that are true in relation to God, right? That like who he is and who we are in front of him. I am a created being. That's an objective truth. That's never going to change. I am loved by my creator. That's an objective truth. That's never going to change. My creator is love itself. That's never going to change. So I think that objective truths have to do more with the nature of God and who we are in relation to him, whereas scientific facts, we can say, are facts that are currently objectively true. And that leaves room for those things to change. And I think that the tendency to identify those as objective truths is a product of the enlightenment, that the enlightenment really pushes us to only trust things that are proven and to say that something that is proven is an objective truth. And I think you can say, yeah, I can prove that this is objectively true, but that might not be true in 200 years, or it might not be true on Mars. And we can alter those things, right? What has been considered true in science 500 years ago, we're like, oh, shoot, that's not actually true. Or it's true in one circumstance and not in another. Or even just saying, you know, 50 years ago, humans can't survive on Mars. That was an objective truth. And that is going to change where it will be true to say that humans can survive on Mars. And so there's that area of scientific fact. I just don't think that we need to say that those are objective truths. I think we can say some things are objectively true and that leaves room for that to change, but we don't need to make them harden fast eternal truths.Will Wright:No, absolutely. And the reason I brought it up is because I have met so many people who are so entrenched in scientific thought, that they think there really is no other source of truth,Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:which is perhaps a product of the Enlightenment. I think it's even further back than that. But it seems like there's this deep sort of abiding sense that philosophy doesn't matter. And especially metaphysics. I mean, I've spoken to people who I went to college with, for example, who call themselves moral relativists, accept that label. One has a PhD in public health, which I think, you know, like, it would be really important for you to understand philosophy or metaphysics, but he rejects metaphysics. Like he said that in a conversation one day, he said, I don't believe that metaphysics exists.Teresa Morris:HmmWill Wright:I said, well, I don't believe that you exist. Conversation over. No, just kidding. No,Teresa Morris:This is all fakeWill Wright:it was just really hard to wrap my head around that because if we don't have good first principles, if we don't have good philosophical groundings, then there's gonna be things that we see in science where science just becomes completely relative. And I will use thatTeresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:word relative because it says, well, this is what I think. And so I'm just sort of gonna manifest the simulation of that. It'sTeresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:like looking at the wall of the cave and saying there's the reality and the shadows. So these things, like you said, that were created beings that were loved by our creator, those are unchangingTeresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:objective facts. The fact that I'm a man and you're a woman, for example, never going to change. We can try to change it. We can scientifically make all these things. This is why I think that the transgender ideology is so insidious. Is not because. of individual people sort of trying to hoodwink someone. I don't think that's the case at all. I think that they've lost the mooring of philosophy so long ago, I guess not that long ago, 10 years maybe, five, 10 years. But without that philosophical foundation, what's to stop somebody from saying, well, I feel like this, so I'm going to be it. And so I have a lot of compassion for that. I don't have a lot of compassion when it comes to some of the practical concerns that come from, especially related to children, but also adults when it comes to cross-sex hormones and genital mutilation and all these other horrible things that are happening, I think that's inexcusable. But I wonder, because I think this all pertains when we talk about virtue is, how do we approach something like that and push back in a way that's not horribly rude. We don't want to be rude, right? But we also can't back down from something that's important because I've heard a lot of people put it this way. I've heard a lot of people say, well, why do you care so much? You know, it's not it's not you. So what does it matter? And then the other person generally will respond in some iteration of, well, because I care about truth. I just feel like there's something seriously missing from that conversation. There's a huge disconnect between the two.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:So anyway, we're probably gonna get this video pulled off of YouTube, but continue.Teresa Morris:Yeah, well I think that the one of the big pieces that's missing from all of these conversations, whether it's a conversation about morality or scientific advancement or any type of medical intervention or whatever, or just the lack of virtue in general in society, is that we've lost a sense of looking to the telos of a thing. So we have removed this teleological view of the world, which is this question of what is something made for? What is it oriented towards? And when we take that away, then really you do provide this permission to do whatever you want, because you're not oriented towards anything, and you don't know what you're made for. So if we are able to return to this teleological vision of humanity, where we recognize where we are. So even just saying, you know, here we are in 2023, what has worked for morality in the past isn't going to necessarily work today. Like it is okay to say we do need a new vision for how to integrate these objective truths. But the truth of what it means to be human has not changed and what human beings are oriented towards has not changed. But I think we've really lost that. And I thinkWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:I think that was something that the Enlightenment really just rejected was this sense of teleology and you know we're not really oriented towards anything so as long as I can prove that it exists in this moment then that's all that really matters. So this question of what is the goal and what is the purpose of every human being that exists and even to go further and to say that there is a goal and a purpose of every person because some people don't even believe that. And so asking that question first and foremost. And then when it comes to these questions of, you know, medical interventions and transitioning and whatnot, I think it's, you know, some people really are, they really care about truth and the integration of truth in society and the capacity for society to take truth seriously, even just to, you know, be able to put something in front of another person and trust that they're gonna acknowledge that that's there, right, that we've kind of lost this sense of, are we even looking at the same thing? ItWill Wright:Yeah.Teresa Morris:seems like we're not even able to acknowledge that. And that's an important, that's really important to return to a society that can acknowledge that truth exists and that we can agree on it. But also I think perhaps the part that's missing that I think this concept of virtue gives is this sense of, yeah, I care about truth, but I care about my fellow man because we belong to one another. That I'm not an isolated person, I'm made for community, I'm made for relationship. So what is causing an ache in another person, this question of, you know, Who am I? Right? Which is thisWill Wright:Hmm. Fundamental.Teresa Morris:any struggle, right? Yeah, that all of us have this question of gosh, who am I? Am I made for something? What am I made for? I want to know it. And there are all these horrible answers that society gives of, oh, well, maybe if you change this, you'll have this answer and you'll know who you are then. And so I, yes, I care about truth, but I think the deeper response is I really care about the integration of truth in the hearts of my fellow man.Will Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:And I want them to have an answer to this question of who am I and an answer to these struggles. And there is an answer, but what's being proposed to them is so flawed. And if we're able to say, actually this answer is present in your being, thatWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:it's ingrained in your being, you don't need to alter who you are to find this answer that it's already ingrained in your existence. which is a return to metaphysics, I think we would maybe get farther in society because just saying we care about truth, that's good, but it doesn't then look to, okay, but there's still all these people struggling to integrate it. So I think that when we really care about truth, we're also caring about the people who are hearing the truth and able to integrate it into their lives.Will Wright:Well, in a postmodern world where words only have meaning in relation to the words around them, to say, well, I care about what's true, you can have so many providers, whether it's through cowardice or through actually believing this stuff, to say, well, when I have a patient come to me who says that they are actually in point of fact, a man, even though they are biologically a woman, I have to affirm that that's truth. That's their truth. That's what they believe. And so I take them at their word. Now, nowhere in medicine or psychology since its inception have we ever accepted only what the patient says as the criteria for diagnosis, but leaving that aside, and that's a huge problem, but leaving that aside, it's so easy to sort of play this word game. So I think everything you say, I'd absolutely... excuse the pun, I would affirm that. But how do we reintroduce metaphysics into the conversation? Cause I think that's the crux of what you're saying. And I agree. That's what's missing is how do we help people see that there is an objective reality and that things do have an ontological basis in the world. I guess I should, okay, what's ontology? Let's start there. WhatTeresa Morris:Yeah.Will Wright:is an ontological reality? Ontology is one of my favorite words and it's like a will write drinking game with my friends.Teresa Morris:How many? Take a shot every time. Yeah, ontology refers to being. So an ontological view of the world is referring to the being of things. And so the fact that humans are a different type of being than God is, I have a different ontology.Will Wright:and fun words like quiddity.Teresa Morris:so, look at you.Will Wright:I love, I love, I love scholastic terminology. It's fun. Just means..Teresa Morris:It is fun.Will Wright:.. whatness, right? Like what is it? Anyway.Teresa Morris:Yep.Will Wright:Yeah. Super important though. It's cause if we don't know what a thing is, how can we even talk about it? So in a world where the majority, not even the majority, I won't make that claim where a lot of people are rejecting philosophical principles and metaphysics. How can we talk about anything in an intelligent way? So anyway, sorry for that digression, so going back to that first question I asked, how do we reinsert metaphysics back into the conversation in an intelligible way?Teresa Morris:Yeah. Well, what's interesting is like I kind of think metaphysics is sneaking into Social consciousness a little bit if you look at this movement of spirituality You know even just like new age things people are recognizing that there's something beyond the physical going on Even though their answer to that, you know, like astrology or whatever is incorrect There is this desire that people are recognizing in themselves that they're more than just the physical world and that there's something to being human beyond just my physical reality. And I think that's a really beautiful and a really hopeful thing that people are kind of getting into these, really spiritual views of the world. Even if you just look at psychology, psychology is so big right now on how the body retains memories of our experiences. There's something metaphysical to that. where there's something beyond what I'm currently experiencing that my body might be remembering and physically encountering that isn't actually happening to me right now. That's a crazy proposal, but that's in a lot of modern psychology, which just brings us back to this idea that there's something beyond myself. There's something beyond just the fact that I have a body. So I think that... that desire to understand the world in a metaphysical sense, that desire to know that there's something beyond just this is already really present in social consciousness. And I think that's very hopeful. So I think taking that desire, helping people name what that is, right? It's not just like, oh, I want to be able to predict my life three months from now, or I think it's fun to ask people what sign you are. but that there's actually a true desire where that's coming from and saying, name that desire. What is it? What are you really seeking? And once people can name it, then we can kind of start proposing a true response to it. But I think that metaphysics, that view of reality is already sneaking back in. I think you can only stay stuck in a purely materialistic viewpoint for so long before the human... gets tired of it and says, I know there's something more. And so that knowledge and that seeking is already present. And I think that we can just say, okay, yeah, cool. That's great. You're there. You're recognizing this desire. Let's name that and let's orient ourselves to perhaps a more fulfilling answer.Will Wright:Well, even the new atheists who were so popular in the late 90s, early 2000s, like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, have gone completely relativistic at this point. I mean, Richard Dawkins being a quite adept biologist, a horrible philosopher. I mean, the God delusion is full of ridiculous things.Teresa Morris:Oh yeah, it's so bad.Will Wright:My favorite one in that is when he says that, I mean, because I mentioned divine simplicity earlier. He gets God completely wrong because he says, look at all the biodiversity. So God must be the most complex being there is. And it's like, no, you're going the wrong way, homie. You go the other direction. He's the most simple being. And that's just basic metaphysics, but he can't wrap his head around it. But now a lot of the things he's putting out there are just completely relativistic. And so I think you're dead right on that. Like you can't live in that materialist naturalist view without doing severe harm to your mind. And I mean that in a very real sense, I mean that literally. Because if we look, like you were saying with the psychological research recently, there's been a lot of work in neuroscience towards what is consciousness.Teresa Morris:Right?Will Wright:And they've made little to no headway over decades because they never will, because the mind is bigger than the brain, come to find out. So it's fascinating that from a scientific standpoint, it's sort of affirming what we've always held. Like for example, the hylomorphic reality of body and soul, that we are more than just our bodies and that our mind is more than just our brains. It's more than just chemicals firing. Cause with the new age things, I have some students who would wear crystals and things like this. And I had a conversation with one girl one day, If you're listening to this, you know who you are and you know, I love you She was like, well, you know, they give off energy.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:And the girl next to her goes, that's b******t. You know what she said? Anyway, she was like, that's ridiculous. No way. Come on, the rocks. And I'm like, Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. And she was like, well, I feel different when I'm, I feel like there's forces around me that are working on me and doing different things in my life. I'm like, yeah, those might be demons. So can you be careful?Teresa Morris:Yeah, be careful.Will Wright:It's not always demons, but there are supernatural forces at work. Angels and demons do exist.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:Um, you know, God is real and actually trying to reach her heart. Um, so I told her, I said to her that night, uh, I said that night, I want you to go home and I want you to take off the crystals and just ask God to be present to you in a way that you'll understand that's it. And then just, just maybe lie in bed and just be ready to, to listen. And, uh, she came back a couple of days later and, um, We're back in class in his guitar class, so we weren't doing much of anything. And whatever. Anyway, we wereTeresa Morris:Shout out to Guitar Class.Will Wright:it's a great class. They learned so many things about guitar, but it afforded us time to talk. Anyway, so she didn't have all of her crystal stuff on, andTeresa Morris:Hmm.Will Wright:I was like, what? What's going on with that? And she said, well, God talked to me, so I... I think I shouldn't wear these crystal things anymore because they'reTeresa Morris:I guess.Will Wright:probably not good for me and they're probably just rocks. And I said, that'sTeresa Morris:Aw.Will Wright:awesome. But then that led to another conversation about, you know, the Catholic church teaches what is true. And then the girl who was saying that it's ridiculous that rocks have energy was saying, well, I'm only really Catholic because my parents are Catholic. And how do I know that any of this is true? Everybody else has different religious beliefs. But anyway, all of that to say.Teresa Morris:Good question.Will Wright:in these great conversations, what never came up was the idea that God did not exist. What never came up was the idea that the supernatural didn't exist. Well, that's huge. And so, just to affirm what you were saying, I'm seeing that as well, especially with the teens, is that the idea of atheism is just completely foreign to them. Now, whether that's a pseudo-like neo-paganism, or new age stuff, whatever. I find that very optimistic and heartening as well, because the Catholic Church is really good at evangelizing pagans.Teresa Morris:Yeah,Will Wright:It's kind of our thing, it'sTeresa Morris:historically,Will Wright:what we do. SoTeresa Morris:yeah.Will Wright:I think we need to step it up on that. And like you say,Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm.Will Wright:propose the truth, give words to what people are already experiencing. I love that approach. Because if we just keep fighting... I mean, basically we'd be fighting the culture war until we die.Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm. Right.Will Wright:Um, which I'm not sure what you think about this, but I, I find the culture war to be completely tedious.Teresa Morris:Yeah, and largely unaffected. LikeWill Wright:Hmm.Teresa Morris:I think that we're not really making a ton of headway on it. And it's also, it can I think lead to a lot of naval gazing. We can talk about this at a different time, but I think it can become,Will Wright:No,Teresa Morris:we've become out own gods. I think, if we just are like, yeah, our mission in life is to engage in the culture war, it's like, well then that's about me and how I'm. I'm changing the culture and it's not about, am I actually trusting that Christ can transform someone's heart and actually propose Christ to them and not just constantly be battling sets of ideas and whatnot. But yeah, I think it's so true, I found this as well in teaching younger generations that it's so fascinating because I feel like when I was being taught in high school, there was this huge battle against atheistic ideas. And it's just, we don't really have that now. That there really is, they have this sense of there's something beyond themselves and they are very spiritual. And I think that that's, yeah, it's super hopeful. And even the idea that, you know, like she has these rocks, like she wants something. physical like Catholicism understands that too. That's why we have the Eucharist because Christ is like I get that you guys need physical things like you guys really thrive being able to touch something like you're embodied persons and you know God knows that and he doesn't discount that and how he encounters us so even that you know I think there's something sweet in you know people who want to you know be touching crystals and stuff that there's this sense of yeah I'm embodied and my connection to the divine is somehow through something physical too. And the Eucharist gives that response that, yeah, that's okay. That's actually a really beautiful desire and Christ meets that desire. Yeah,Will Wright:The Catholic, uh, thinker, Louis Bouyer, I paraphrasing him because I don't remember the exact quote, but he said that if the church is only invisible, then that's not the church. And I, I love that because it shows just how embodied Catholicism is, whether it's the Eucharist or whether it's sacramentals or beautiful churches, uh, or God awful modernist concrete buildings that still have the mass offered in them. Um, you know, that's showing that embodiment can go both ways, but it's, it's so utterly true that we are body and soul, uh, like Peter Kreeft says, we're in sold bodies or we're embodied souls. Either way you slice it. We have both. Right. Um, he also makes the interesting, uh, sort of a realization that if we are bodies without souls, then we're zombies. And if we're souls without bodies, then we're ghosts.Teresa Morris:It does, yeah.Will Wright:So, you know, I don't want to be a zombie or a ghost. I'd prefer to be a full real life human being.Teresa Morris:Person, yeah.Will Wright:So practically, tangibly living this out, just kind of returning to this idea of virtue as the mean between two extremes. Let's, because we're nearing around an hour. So let's end by walking through practically with a couple of examples, what this would look like. But before we do that, I just want to make one caveat on the theological virtues, because I think that's really, really important distinction for us and a lot of people don't understand this. The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity are God's life dwelling within us. We receive them as an indwelling in baptism. Before baptism, they're working around us because God is wooing us to the sacraments. He's drawing us to himself, but we receive them in our soul. as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in baptism and then amplified and elevated in confirmation But those gifts of faith to know the faith to know the things of God what is revealed hope to the sure and certain hope of heaven if we are Friends of God and doing what he says following his commandments as Jesus says and then charity Which is the only one that will remain in the end is the very love of God the glue that holds all things together the ground of being itself Faith, hope and charity are not something that you and I can grow in on our own. We cannot practice them like we do the rest of the virtues. They are a gift to be used or squandered. And the way that we increase in them is by asking for more of them. So if we use those gifts that we've been given of faith, hope and charity well, and we ask God for a greater share in His divine life, and we're living life for virtue, then He'll give us more faith, hope and charity. And this can keep going forever. And this is the growth in holiness. But the other virtues, the cardinal virtues so-called, because cardine means hinge in Latin, so all the other virtues hinge on temperance, justice, fortitude, and prudence. And those four cardinal virtues sort of are something that we can work on. We are able to intentionally enter into them daily, habitually, firmly. Disposing ourselves to the good and working on them and all of the moral virtues Sort of come underneath those. So like for example justice has a sub virtue, which is piety which has another sub virtue, which is patriotism or Love of father and mother so like the cardinal virtues are here and then all the moral virtues sort of branch off from those So I feel like that's super important to just at least mention is the theological virtues. We can't grow in them on our own We receive more of them, we ask for more of them. But when it comes to the cardinal virtues and the moral virtues, let's just walk through a couple of examples of those. So generosity, for example, what would the excess and deficiency of generosity be?Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm. Yeah, so again, like generosity is this mean between two extremes. So it's like this middle ground. So the access of generosity would be, you know, giving way too much of your time, having no boundaries, giving, giving too much of your time or your belongings or whatever. And, and, and yeah, being overly giving the deficiency would be like scrupulosity, like you're not giving anything, you're being stingy. And so you want this middle ground of an adequate understanding of what you can give and giving adequately from that place. One thing I do want to mention, even as I'm talking about this, it's easy to talk about excess and deficiency by saying an excess is too much of something, a deficiency is not enough. But when we're looking at virtue as a mean between these extremes, the mean, it's the same concept as in math where it's an average of something. And if something's an average, you cannot max it out. So you can't actually have too much of an average. That doesn't make sense. So I'm using these terms of like, you're being too generous, you're not being generous enough. But if you're actually virtuous, it's not possible to be too virtuous because you're already in the realm of a mean. So it's actually not possible to be too generous or too courageous or too kind that if you actually are in a place where it's no longer generosity, it's not actually that it's too generous, it's something else entirely.Will Wright:Well, and that goes back to what you were saying about it being a subjective instantiation of virtue, right? That it's going to depend on the circumstances. So to give a little bit more flesh to the generosity thing, if I have $10 that I'm making on a given day and I owe $5 to pay my bills and house my family and I have to pay $2 for food, obviously this is like pre-Biden's America. Um, sorry, was that too political? Anyway. let's say inflationTeresa Morris:Timestamp.Will Wright:before terrible inflation anyway. So $5 for housing, $2 for food, and then I've got $3 leftover and say I give $2 of that to the church for tithing and $1 to feed a homeless person who I see on the way home. That would be well ordered because I'm paying my bills. I'm fulfilling my duties as afather and husband, right? Now, if I'm going home and I, take my $10 and I give all of it to that homeless person I encountered on the way home, that's not generosity. That's that'sfoolish. Thatwould be the deficient. That would be the excess, right? It's nolonger generosity, because I'm actually not fulfilling my duty to my family.Teresa Morris:Right.Will Wright:I'm not paying my bills, which are just I'm not feeding my family, which is my obligation. So I think that that's theright way to look at it is what you're saying is that That's no longer generosity. That's something else entirely.Teresa Morris:Right.Will Wright:That's extravagance in a sense.Teresa Morris:Yeah, which then goes back to this point about what type of person do I want to be? It's not just this set of rules of this is what I should do in these circumstances. It's who am I, right? So if someone is a father and a husband, there are certain duties that come with that. And so it's not just, you know, whereas if that was me, you know, if as a single person, I have more capacity to, you know, give to people in need because I don't have these corresponding duties to the type person that I'm currently called to be. So again, it is the subjective sense of things, but when you're subjectively living it, you have to look at who am I called to be in this moment or in this season of my life and what are the duties that come with that. I think another example that I love giving, which I think is kind of fun is, I think it's Aquinas talks about pleasantness being the virtue corresponding to like playing games. or sports, which I think could also be sportsman-like conduct is sort of the virtue. And so if you have too much of that, if you're in excess, that would be something like being a pushover. You're not actually competing and it's not really fun because you're just letting people walk all over you and you're not really being competitive, you're not trying. The deficiency of that would be something like unsportsman-like conduct or being a bully and your entire goal is just to dominate. and to win and you're not actually engaging in healthy competition. So that's a fun one too if you just think about playing a sport or being in competitions at work or whatever that's fun and you know when it's pleasant and you know when you're like I just don't want to be around this person. This has become something else entirely. We're not actually engaging as persons andit's no longer pleasant because people aren't being, aren't conducting themselves well. So that's also a fun one.Will Wright:Yeah, there's a lot of moral virtues. There's actually quite a few. So we can go through 18 of these and still not be done. So I think we've kind of hit the main points. But as a kind of final thought, I would just say, you know, because there's so many, we can't intentionally focus on all of them.So what's the best strategy to grow in virtue? Because it needs to be something that's intentional. We're striving for excellence. But we also don't want to go to the access of even that, right? Of wanting to grow in virtue. This idea of, I guess that would be fortitude, maybe even prudence, temperance. Really it's all of them, justice.Teresa Morris:Two million.Will Wright:I mean, all the cardinal virtues come into play in what I'm suggesting here. So what's a, what's a practical way that we can move forward in a life of virtue?Teresa Morris:Mm-hmm. One of the things I always talk to my students about when I'm first introducing this idea because it can it can seem either overwhelming or super exciting where you're like, oh my gosh Yeah, I really want to be a virtuous person and then it can become sort of a self-help thing where it's like I got to change my whole life and you know, I'm gonna be I'm gonna dominate I'm gonna be like the best virtuous personWill Wright:Be the best version of yourself... Sorry... Hate that phrase. Anyway, we're not talking about that right now. I feel like every conversation video I'm dunking on some famous Catholic person. I'm sorry, Matthew KellyTeresa Morris:We l
In today's REWIND episode, you'll hear Episode 10! In this episode, we talked to St. John Paul about having kids and we ask when the best time to have kids is. We are reminded about the gift that kids are, we talk about the difference that Fertility Awareness, Fertility Awareness Based Methods, and Natural Family Planning have made in our decision to have our 5 children, and Monica shares a little bit about how she came to learn FA/NFP.Interested in learning more about FA/NFP download our Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning CheatLINKSHere are some of the things we mentioned in today's episode:Address of St. John Paul to teachers of NFPThank you all for your ongoing support. We love what we do, and we pray that it is a blessing to you and your families. If you are benefitting in someway from what we're doing, here are some ways you can support our show:Go To Joseph: 10 Day Consecration to St. JosephGo To Joseph For ChildrenGive your relationship a checkupLearn more about our marriage and family ministryConnect with us and send us a message on InstagramSupport us on PatreonRECOMMENDED RESOURCESHere are some of our favorite books and resources that will support your marriage, family, and faith. *Full disclosure these are affiliate links, which means we get a little kickback if you purchase it, but it's at no additional cost to you.Love and Responsibility by JP2: https://amzn.to/3HhJ4ywTheology of the Body by JP2:https://amzn.to/3Hk9ZtE5 Love Languages by Dr Gary Chapman: https://amzn.to/3AJI9nUDaring Greatly by Brene Brown: https://amzn.to/32JotnATotal Money Makeover by Dave Ramey: https://amzn.to/3HiRpllSt. John Paul and his 5 loves by Jason Evert: https://amzn.to/3g9ctPBThe Porn Myth by Matt Fradd: https://amzn.to/3KXpABvWould you prefer to listen to these books instead? visit https://www.audibletrial.com/twobecomefamily for a free 30-day trailSupport the show
Today we will cover the recent Alexandria document which, much like Chieti, admits many contentions Orthodox have leveled for centuries. Is this consistent however with Vatican 1's claims? Snek and David join me to discuss.
Anda Rottenberg: po co nam sztuka i Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej? Czy będziemy burzyć pomniki JP2? Anda Rottenberg - wywiad, w którym rozmawiamy o tym czym jest sztuka współczesna? Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej - Warszawa i cała Polska żyje tym projektem, czy to odpowiedni budynek? Jak uczyć się historii sztuki? Jan Paweł 2 jest jednym z przykładów pochopnie stawianych pomników, czy będziemy z czasem je burzyć? Historia sztuki - wykłady, jakich udziela się w szkołach, są często nudne, jak sprawić, by zainteresować Polaków sztuką? Rozmawiamy przy okazji premiery książki Andy Rottenberg "Rozrzut". Dobrego słuchania, Karol Paciorek / Imponderabilia
Welcome to Episode 117 of the Being Human Podcast: Catching Foxes Interview w/ Dr. Greg: Getting Modern Therapy Right (Part 1) There's a twist on this week's episode: we're sharing an interview with Dr. Greg! Catching Foxes podcast hosts Luke and Gomer - both college friends of Dr. Greg - recently interviewed him for their popular show and gave us permission to re-publish the conversation*. In this first part of their two-part long-form discussion, they zero in on some of the problems with modern therapy, discuss the importance of integrating faith into the practice of psychology, and look at the way that “parts work” can help. *Mature Content Discussed in this episode: What's missing from modern psychology? The way that Cartesian dualism has influenced the field of psychology; The lack of a standard in mental health; Dr. Greg's experience of experimenting with a new model of accompaniment; How a blueprint of the human person as outlined by JP2 can be used to approach psychological disorders; What happens when mental health struggles impact areas of our spiritual life? Internal Family Systems theory (or “parts work”) and the way that it fits with Pope St. John Paul II's anthropology; “Parts work” (IFS theory) as a way to practically and experientially understand God's mercy. Resources mentioned or relevant: Listen to more Catching Foxes episodes at catchingfoxes.fm; Read about Catching Foxes hosts, Luke and Gomer; An introduction to Internal Family Systems theory (BH Episode #35); Understanding “parts work” from a Catholic lens (BH Episode #34); Need help? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with someone on our team to discuss how we can support you; Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych; Learn about IDDM (Mentorship), our new model of accompaniment; Register for our upcoming Open House to learn more about the new CPMAP certification! Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available; Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, the Catholic Mindfulness Virtual Retreat, courses, prayer resources, and more; Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE's - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more! Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you! Rate, review and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!
Questions Covered: 01:47 – Why do Catholics believe you can pray to the dead when the bible says the opposite? 12:22 – Why does the Church believe that Mary is sinless? 18:08 – Were the Assumption of Mary and JP2's declaration on the male only priesthood fall under ex cathedra? 23:00 – Could you help explain why we use relics? 32:32 – Why do we use the phrase “Mother of God” instead of “Mother of God Incarnate” in the Hail Mary prayer? 43:23 – If you’re in a relationship with someone who is going through RCIA, why do you have to be married to them to be their sponsor? 51:52 – Why do we Catholics find it easier to accept scientific discoveries over protestants if we have a lot of the same materials? …
Everyone's been talking about New Year's resolutions, but did you include your relationship in your goals for 2023? In today's episode we talk about relationship goals and don't mean adding more date nights. So glad you're here, lets jump in!Guiding quote from JP2: "The sacrament of marriage is the specific source and original means of sanctification for Christian married couples and families. It takes up again and makes specific the sanctifying grace of Baptism. By virtue of the mystery of the death and Resurrection of Christ, of which the spouses are made part in a new way by marriage, conjugal love is purified and made holy: "This love the Lord has judged worthy of special gifts, healing, perfecting and exalting gifts of grace and of charity."SUPPORT OUR MINISTRYThank you all for your ongoing support. We love what we do, and we pray that it is a blessing to you and your families. If you are benefitting in some way from what we're doing, here are some ways you can support our show: Support us on Patreon!Our BooksGo To Joseph: 10 Day Consecration to St. JosephGo To Joseph For ChildrenFREE RESOURCESFertility Awareness Cheat SheetRelationship Check-UpOur MinistryAbout UsConnect with us and send us a message on InstagramYouTube ChannelEpisode Music by Alex_MakeMusic from PixabaySupport the show
What does JP2 have to say about the top 4 New Years Resolutions of 2022? Let's jump in and make 2023 great!Here are some quotes:“what is man, is not a rational animal composed of a soul and of a body? The soul, then, taken by itself, is not then, a man? No, this is the soul of a man. Then is the body a man? No, but it must be said that this is the body of a man. Because of this, neither the soul, nor the body, on their own, is a man, but rather, he who we call by this name is that which is born from the union of. Thus, when the Christian thinker of this century, Emanuel Mounier says that man is ‘a body in the same way that he is spirit: entirely body and entirely spirit' he is not saying anything new, but simply restating the traditional thought of the Church. -JP2“Once again the Apostle Paul has reminded us of this: “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor 9: 25). Every Christian is called to become a strong athlete of Christ, that is, a faithful and courageous witness to his Gospel. But to succeed in this, he must persevere in prayer, be trained in virtue and follow the divine Master in everything.” JP2“It is important however that what we propose, with the help of God, should be profoundly rooted in contemplation and prayer. Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of "doing for the sake of doing". We must resist this temptation by trying "to be" before trying "to do". In this regard we should recall how Jesus reproved Martha: "You are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful" (Lk 10:41-42). In this spirit, before setting out a number of practical guidelines for your consideration, I wish to share with you some points of meditation on the mystery of Christ, the absolute foundation of all our pastoral activity.” -JP2 Yes, dear brothers and sisters, our Christian communities must become genuine "schools" of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly "falls in love". -JP2SUPPORT OUR MINISTRYThank you all for your ongoing support. We love what we do, and we pray that it is a blessing to you and your families. If you are benefitting in some way from what we're doing, here are some ways you can support our show: Support us on Patreon!Our BooksGo To Joseph: 10 Day Consecration to St. JosephGo To Joseph For ChildrenFREE RESOURCESFertility Awareness Cheat SheetRelationship Check-UpOur MinistryAbout UsConnect with us and send us a message on InstagramYouTube ChannelEpisode Music by Alex_MakeMusic from PixabaySupport the show
Questions Covered: 08:58 – Why do we go to a priest to confess our sins? 15:10 – Splendor of Truth, JP2 includes deportation as inherently immoral. Can you help clarify why he says that? 19:50 – Lumen Gentium says Catholics and Muslims worship the same God. Could you elaborate? 33:35 – How was the Magnificat record in scripture? 36:23 – Is Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father as a human being or a spiritual being? 45:27 – In the Bible it says that God is with us. How is this different from saying he is with us in the Eucharist? 49:01 – As a practicing Catholic I would like to learn more about responsible parenthood. When is it appropriate to practice NFP? 52:02 – Follow up comment on Muslim question: My son in law is Muslim and they do believe in Jesus and the one to come at the end to save us, but they just don't believe that He's God. …
Questions Covered: 05:45 – Sedevacantist claim that St. Lucia’s letter confirming the consecration with JP2 was forged. Is this true? Was the 3rd secret of Fatima fully revealed? Did Padre Pio know the full 3rd secret of Fatima? 15:44 – What breaks Sunday rest? Does ordering pizza or going to Disney World break it? 28:39 – I'm converting to Catholicism but live in a rural area where RCIA is not available. I was allowed to have 1 on 1 sessions with an associate pastor. What can I do to make sure I get the most out of my situation? 33:48 – Gen 3:16 God says Eve's pain will be intensified. How is this possible if pain was a result of the fall? Does this mean that they weren't seeing the beatific vision before the fall? 40:31 – What did Jesus mean when he told his disciples to go buy swords but later condemned Peter when he used the sword? 46:50 – Was there really an imposter of Sister Lucia? The pictures look different at different times. 49:12 – Why are we so relaxed with the 4th commandment but strict on theology of the body? …