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The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Nathan Jacobs
63 episodes
4 days ago
A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.
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Philosophy
Society & Culture
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All content for The Nathan Jacobs Podcast is the property of Nathan Jacobs and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.
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Philosophy
Society & Culture
Episodes (20/63)
The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
The Slow Death of Morality | How Modern Ethics Sold Its Soul | Part 2 of 4

What happens when morality is unmoored from its metaphysical foundations? In part two of the Anthropology series, Dr. Nathan Jacobs traces the slow unraveling of moral philosophy—from its classical roots in virtue and teleology to its modern preoccupation with utility and consequence.


All the links:

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:05:22  Pagan philosophy and human polarities

00:35:38 Augustine and the Nature-Grace Divide

00:55:06 Medieval faculty psychology: intellect and will

01:04:52 From Medieval Scholasticism to Modern Philosophy

01:11:56 The rise of empiricism and materialism

01:29:46 The empiricist challenge to Providence 

01:41:18 Contemporary culture's nominalist foundation

01:47:53 The hedonistic definition of happiness 

01:52:47 Modern anomalies in historical perspective 

02:02:05 Passion over reason 

Show more...
1 week ago
2 hours 16 minutes 10 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
The Pagan Blueprint For the Good Life | Plato, Aristotle, & the Stoics

Dr. Jacobs explores how ancient pagan philosophers understood human nature and the good life, examining key thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to the Stoics and Epicureans. The discussion covers metaphysical dualism, the nature of the soul, and competing views on happiness and virtue. This is a series on anthropology, part 1 of 4. 


00:00:00 Intro 

00:07:04 Metaphysical dualism

00:09:25 Empedocles 

00:10:33 Plato 

00:14:29 Pantheism 

00:15:03 Heraclitus 

00:18:52 Evil is a privation or distortion 

00:22:13 The human experience of polarity 

00:27:24 Four levels of discourse 

00:33:46 Manichaeism & Gnosticism (extreme metaphysical dualism)

00:37:15 Plato & Socrates’ nature of the soul 

00:54:35 The body and the afterlife 

01:00:27 Epicureanism 

01:08:31 Happiness and pleasure 

01:14:43 The ethics of the stoics 

01:37:29 The ethics of Plato and Aristotle 

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2 weeks ago
1 hour 58 minutes 34 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Transformed by the Eucharist | Body or Bread? | Part 2 of 2

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $175 audit  

   🎓$400 college credit


Dr. Jacobs examines how different traditions understand the Eucharist, transubstantiation. consubstantiation, and real presence. He explores the Orthodox concept of the divine energies through communion and discusses how Eucharistic participation connects to broader questions of transformation and cultural renewal, and how to harness the transformative power of the Eucharist. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:02:58 What is transubstantiation? 

00:11:57 What is consubstantiation? 

00:18:29 The problem with transubstantiation 

00:23:40 The problem with consubstantiation 

00:32:02 Memorialist, reformed, and real presence views

00:35:30 Imbibing the energies of God 

00:44:49 The doctrine of resurrection 

00:52:21 Transelementalism 

00:58:39 God communicates holiness 

01:02:13 Problems with evidentialist apologetics

01:13:52 Transformation of culture

01:22:33 Why don’t we see more transformations? 

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3 weeks ago
1 hour 38 minutes 40 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Understanding the Eucharist | Sacramentalism East vs West | Part 1 of 2

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $175 audit  

   🎓$400 college credit


Dr. Jacobs explores the foundations of Eucharistic doctrine, examining the most prominent sacramental views, and the relationship between Christ's divine and human natures. The discussion covers divine attributes, divine simplicity as understood by the Eastern Fathers, and the Incarnation. This episode establishes the groundwork for understanding Eastern versus Western approaches to sacramentalism.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:07:58 Various views of the Eucharist 

00:13:20 Christ’s divinity, humanity, and the Eucharist

00:23:44 What are divine attributes? 

00:46:49 The Eastern Fathers on divine simplicity

01:00:47 The Incarnation 

01:07:36 Alchemy, transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and real presence

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4 weeks ago
1 hour 9 minutes 51 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Therapy & the Eastern Church Fathers | Merits & Demerits of Secular Therapy | with Dr. Adam Dell

Follow Dr. Dell on Instagram @dr.adamdell

 

Dr. Dell’s book discussed on the podcast has not yet been released, but we will try to get him back on the podcast when it is! 


 Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $175 audit  

   🎓$400 college credit 


00:00:00 Intro 

00:07:01 What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)? 

00:18:30 Metaphysics and therapy

00:30:36 The 6 core principles of ACT 

00:43:24 Some examples 

00:55:42 The importance of confession 

01:17:59 The self — Eastern church fathers vs ancient philosophers 

01:33:24 Resonance with the Orthodox Church 

01:45:26 Are the principles of ACT rooted in reality? 

01:50:50 The ideal role of a therapist vs a priest 

02:25:17 Improving therapy 

Show more...
1 month ago
2 hours 33 minutes 4 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
On David, Giant Slayer | Not Your Mama’s Sunday School Story | With Fr. Stephen De Young

Find Fr. De Young on his podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits/


Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $175 audit  

   🎓$400 college credit 


Dr. Jacobs talks with Fr. Stephen De Young about some of the stranger parts of David's story that don't make it into Sunday school lessons. They talk about why God ordered the destruction of the Amalekites, how giants ended up fighting for the Philistines, and whether David and Goliath were actually related. It's a fascinating look at the biblical world through an Orthodox lens.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:02:53 David as an outcast 

00:14:50 The preserved traditions surrounding David 

00:23:59 Taking text and tradition to turn it into story 

00:31:27 Sunday school David — fact or fiction? 

00:51:14 The destruction of the Amalekites 

01:15:39 Samuel 

01:23:57 Divine regret and foreknowledge 

01:32:40 Are David and Goliath cousins? (And other relational questions regarding giants) 

01:46:29 How did the giants end up amongst the Philistines? 

01:57:41 David existed in a post-apocalyptic time 

02:08:25 Magic and divination in the traditions of David

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1 month ago
2 hours 20 minutes 58 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Does Jesus Claim to Be God? | A Closer Look at Nicene Trinitarianism

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $300 audit  

   🎓$500 college credit 


Substack article: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/does-jesus-claim-to-be-god?r=r1mfj

Begotten Not Made Part 1: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/creed-0?r=r1mfj


Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 20 minutes 47 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Consciousness, Reality, and the Human Condition | What It Means to Be Human

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $300 audit  

   🎓$500 college credit


Ep. 12 The AI Episode: https://youtu.be/4hcTK9ye0KE

Ep. 09 The Case for Realism: https://youtu.be/tmFTsJRs5dg  

Ep. 29 Man’s Place in the Cosmos: https://youtu.be/uohc2aWOJbw


Another round of some of our favorite and underrated episode endings that you may have missed. We’ll dive into AI and consciousness, why Christianity is committed to philosophical realism, and an exploration of nostalgia through philosophical and theological lenses. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro

00:2:03 Is AI conscious? What is Mind? 

00:38:05 Christianity is a realist religion. 

01:11:07 Man is a microcosm for all God’s creations & how God interacts with the world 

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 47 minutes 11 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
A Second Round on Penal Substitution | Misunderstanding the Bible and the Fathers

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


   📖 $300 audit  

   🎓$500 college credit 


Part 1 on Penal Substitution: https://youtu.be/WHx21LQncFI


Dr. Jacobs continues his examination of Eastern and Western atonement theology by analyzing key theological concepts through both traditions' interpretive lenses. The episode explores how East and West understand sin, wrath, and Christ's role as mediator, and finally, addressing the philosophical problems Dr. Jacobs identifies with penal substitution theory. 


00:00:00 Intro 

00:13:54 Delineating the Latin West / Christian East

00:20:07 Roadmap for the episode 

00:26:31 Interpretive lenses when reading scripture or the church fathers 

00:32:30 “Sin” East and West 

00:36:44 “Wrath” East and West

00:44:53 “Mediator” East and West 

00:59:32 Anachronism in reading biblical text (Leviticus 16) 

01:05:23 Other language in scripture 

01:11:05 The debtor metaphors relating to Christ

01:14:48 What are we made to become? 

01:35:40 Penal substitution is philosophically problematic — Justice & Mercy 

01:47:57 Problem 2 — “I love Jesus, but God the Father is terrifying”

01:52:38 Christ & the torments of Hell

01:56:38 How could anyone else be condemned? 

02:03:13 Does retributive justice set the world right?  

Show more...
2 months ago
2 hours 14 minutes 44 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
A Reality Check for Crazy Times | Longing for More than Nominal Culture

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/

   📚 Click “Join as a student”

   📚 Fill out registration 

   📚 Verify your email 

   📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu

   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy 

   📚 Auditors can register immediately 

   📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration


📖 $300 audit  

🎓$500 college credit  


The Most Important Question - https://youtu.be/nVmPIMg4St4

Longing, Nostalgia, & Spiritual Simplicity - https://youtu.be/kABn890L3es

The Ideology of Hell - https://youtu.be/G1lrYYqg5qY

Archetypes, Inspiration, & Christianity - https://youtu.be/qjBjTJHbEkI


Today we replay some of our favorite endings. The episodes can get kind of long and we hate for listeners to miss some of Dr. Jacobs’ best work in his wrap-ups. You’ll find commentary on the culture war, realism, nominalism, longing and nostalgia, and some thoughts to help you stay grounded in these unprecedented times. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:06:26 Clip 1 (The culture war, homosexuality, transgenderism, feminism, rights) 

00:30:15 Clip 2 (How can I miss something I’ve never had? Daryl Dixon’s question from The Walking Dead) 

01:03:03 Clip 3 (The pitfalls of uplifting the individual. Originally a commentary on Tucker Carlson and Aleksandr Dugin) 

01:46:40 Clip 4 (Using Christianity as utilitarian instead of a feature of reality. Response to Jordan Peterson, Alex O’Connor, and Richard Dawkins)

Show more...
2 months ago
2 hours 21 minutes 32 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Penal Substitution: East vs West | Perspectives on the Atonement

Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle Episode: https://youtu.be/ZSf7o3Jel_g


Dr. Jacobs compares how Eastern and Western Christianity understand Christ's death on the cross, examining the theological differences that emerged over centuries. The discussion traces the Western development from Augustine through the Protestant Reformers and their focus on penal substitution, while exploring Eastern perspectives from church fathers like Gregory of Nyssa. Dr. Jacobs analyzes these competing views of atonement and their implications for how Christians understand salvation and God's justice.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:01:43 The average understanding of the crucifixion 

00:06:03 The Western evolution (Latin West and Protestant Reformation) 

00:31:01 The Christian East and the Church Fathers 

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 18 minutes 41 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
To a Mother on the Loss of Her Children | A Theological Letter on Suffering

Read the original letter: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/to-a-woman-who-lost-several-children


In this episode, Dr. Jacobs reads aloud a deeply personal letter written to "Etheline," a woman who had lost several children and sought theological perspective on suffering. The letter explores three key Eastern patristic doctrines: the distinction between God's antecedent and consequent will, the doctrine of synergy and divine energies, and Christ's descent into Hades. Dr. Jacobs applies these theological frameworks to questions of child loss, divine goodness, and God's presence in suffering. The letter demonstrates how Eastern Orthodox theology addresses the problem of evil through a lens of divine pursuit and redemptive purpose.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Show more...
2 months ago
40 minutes 39 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
God & the Fate of Judas, Natural Disasters, and Other Evils | Your Questions on the Problem of Evil

Get notified when registration Dr. Jacobs’ class goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9


In this Q&A episode, Dr. Jacobs addresses ten challenging questions about the problem of evil and divine foreknowledge. He tackles issues ranging from whether God's plan for salvation required evil acts, to how divine foreknowledge works when predicted events don't occur, to why Jewish and Christian traditions differ on evil as privation of good. Dr. Jacobs also examines whether ethical frameworks create false dilemmas, explores the concept of a malicious deity, and clarifies Eastern Orthodox views on body-soul unity. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro

00:02:26 Question 1: Did God’s plan for Christ require evil/sin? 

00:22:06 Question 2: How did God know Keilah would betray David if it never happened?

00:31:59 Question 3: Is the God vs. evil debate a false dilemma between deontology and utilitarianism?

00:53:57 Question 4: Does the story of Jesus healing the blind man demonstrate God as a utilitarian? 

01:07:06 Question 5: If you would stop someone you loved from being hurt, why wouldn’t God? 

01:23:22 Question 6: Natural disasters and the problem of evil (and why doesn’t God get rid of demons?) 

01:33:37 Question 7: Do Jewish sources actually view evil as a privation of good?

01:38:58 Question 8: Why doesn't anyone argue that evil exists because of a malicious God?

01:44:02 Question 9: Are there evil archetypes? 

01:49:28 Question 10: Is the Eastern Orthodox view of body-soul a hard dualism or psychosomatic holism?


Question 1:Human evil is a consequence of freedom, not divine planning. Yet the crucifixion required specific acts of evil: unjust torture and execution of Christ. How do you reconcile this? If God's plan needed these acts of injustice, doesn't this complicate the idea that evil is merely a byproduct of free choices?

Question 2:In 1 Samuel 23, God tells David that Keilah will deliver him to Saul. David leaves and isn't captured. If God knows the future because it happens, how does He know Keilah will betray David? Educated prediction based on knowing their hearts?

Question 3:You contrast human utilitarian decision-making with God's. But in the "baby Hitler" example, isn't the reasoning based on "don't kill innocent people"? Could this be another false dilemma?

Question 4:If God isn't utilitarian, how does Jesus say about a blind man that he wasn't blind because of sin but to show God's glory? Isn't that God choosing evil to make good?

Question 5:If you could stop your child from being *****, would you? If so, why wouldn't God?

Question 6:How might natural disasters fit into this discussion?

Question 7:You say "Jewish and Christian response" about evil's etiology, but Rabbinical tradition rejected evil as privation of good. Where do you see this in Jewish sources—that God allows evil for free agents but doesn't will it?

Question 8:Why haven't I heard the problem of evil handled by positing a malicious God? Why doesn't anyone argue evil exists because "God" is malicious and sadistic?

Question 9:Are there evil archetypes? If evil is distortion, every "evil archetype" is distortion too. Can archetypes as universal forces really be distorted?

Question 10:Dr. Jacobs speaks of strict body-soul dualism as separate parts. However, Eastern Orthodox position seems holistic—soul and body inseparable. Since the Fathers predated modernist splits, didn't they have a unified view of personhood?

Show more...
3 months ago
2 hours 2 minutes 38 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Does God Know the Future? | Contrasting East & West

Get updates when class registration goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9

Why Would God Make the Damned? https://youtu.be/H2Ja5WeOo1A


In this episode, Dr. Jacobs examines the contrasting views on divine foreknowledge between Western and Eastern Christian traditions. He’ll explore the perspectives of Augustine, Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus from the Latin West juxtaposed against John of Damascus, Basil of Caesarea and Origen from the Christian East. Dr. Jacobs clears up misconceptions and shows that the Eastern Church Fathers were not open theists. The answers from the east may surprise you. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:06:58 The various views of divine foreknowledge 

0015:16 The Latin West on foreknowledge 

00:41:39 The Christian East on foreknowledge 

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes 30 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
The Fall, Demons, Animal Pain, & the 8th Day of Creation | The Eastern Fathers & the Problem of Evil

Get updates when class registration goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9


In this sixth and final installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs explores the Eastern Fathers' understanding of The Fall, demonic influence, and animal suffering. The episode examines how the church fathers interpreted humanity's departure from divine communion and its consequences. The Eastern tradition frames suffering within creation's journey toward the 8th Day—a restoration and fulfillment beyond fallen existence. This final episode synthesizes the patristic view of evil's nature and God's redemptive plan for all creation.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 25 minutes 20 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
The Purpose of Creation | The Eastern Fathers & The Problem of Evil | Part 5 of 6

https://www.academia.edu/41586437/The_Metaphysical_Idealism_of_the_Eastern_Church_Fathers


In this fifth installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs examines the patristic narrative, exploring how the early church fathers understood creation's purpose and humanity's relationship with the divine. The episode investigates the Genesis narrative through a patristic lens, revealing how creation was designed for communion and participation in divine life. Learn how partaking in the divine will offers a framework for understanding evil not as God's creation, but as a privation of good. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs


00:00:00 Intro 

00:10:22 The nature of God 

00:41:58 God & Creation 

01:02:32 Why even create creatures with free will? 

01:05:31 The Genesis creation narrative 

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 25 minutes 3 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle on Orthodoxy | Defining (part of) the East-West Divide

Dr. Jacobs gives feedback on the recently viral Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle clip with an Orthodox college student. You’ll get a rundown of some specific differences between Eastern and Western Christianity and why they can’t be ignored in discussions like this. Specifically you’ll hear about basic misunderstandings of grace and works. 


All the links: 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs 

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3 months ago
2 hours 8 minutes 50 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Christ’s Descent into Hades | A Theological Letter

Dr. Jacobs explains the Eastern Christian understanding of Christ's descent into Hades, distinguishing it from Hell. The letter clarifies how Eastern Church fathers viewed Christ's descent as destroying death's power and liberating humanity. A comparison with Western theological perspectives reveals fundamental differences in how these traditions understand this doctrine.


All the links: 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs 

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4 months ago
40 minutes 37 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Providence in the Eastern Church Fathers | Problem of Evil | Part 4 of 5 

In this fourth installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs explores the complex relationship between divine providence and human freedom. What does it mean that God delegates subsovereignce to creation? And how does divine foreknowledge interact with human self-determination? Tune in as we examine biblical figures like Abraham, Job, and Saul alongside the desecration of goodness and the atheist's problem with evil. This episode lays crucial groundwork for understanding the synergistic nature of providence before our final exploration of theodicy.


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs 


00:00:00 Intro 

00:02:13 The rational ordering principle

00:13:17 What is the individual? 

00:32:05 Divine foreknowledge 

00:40:08 Abraham, Job, & Saul 

00:52:06 Providence: blueprint or synergy? 

01:01:29 The desecration of goodness

01:08:28 The atheist’s evil problem 

01:18:51 So why doesn’t God intervene? 

01:34:30 God delegates subsovereignce  

01:46:06 A critical feature of providence 

01:49:51 What DOES God do? 

01:56:49 The divine energies 

02:16:40 The synergistic nature of providence 

02:27:17 Engaging in self-determination


Other words for the algorithm… 


Leibniz, A defense of God, Epicurus, David Hume, Heraclitus, The Problem of Pain, The Problem of Divine Hiddenness, Christianity, Eastern Christianity, Orthodox Christian, Christianity, Evangelical, Protestant, Catholicism, Catholics, pantheism, Empedocles, body-soul dualism, metaphysical dualism, Manichaeism, Augustine of Hippo, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Nicene Creed, The Arian Dispute, Christology, Seven Ecumenical Councils, Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Jordan Peterson, Pints With Aquinas, Christian apologetics, theology, Alex O'Connor, John of Damascus, Alvin Plantinga, modal logic, Scholastics, the consequent will of God, Origen, complex goods, Theism, philosophy of religion, natural theology, moral philosophy, ontological argument, teleological argument, cosmological argument, ancient philosophy, patristics, church fathers, suffering, existentialism, free will, determinism, sovereignty, divine attributes, omnipotence, omniscience, benevolence, theological ethics, moral evil, natural evil, comparative religion, religious epistemology, divine justice, meaning of suffering, spiritual formation, rationalism, empiricism, atheism, agnosticism, William Lane Craig, Ravi Zacharias, Bishop Barron, apologetics debate, philosophical theology, Thomas Aquinas, divine providence, spiritual warfare, eschatology, redemptive suffering, qualified omnipotence

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4 months ago
2 hours 35 minutes 58 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
Groundwork for an Eastern Patristic Theodicy | The Problem of Evil | Part 3 of 4

In this third installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs lays the groundwork for understanding Eastern patristic theodicy. Why can God do no evil, despite having free will? And why don’t these conditions apply to humans? Tune in because this will lay the foundation for the finale episode on the problem of evil. 


All the links: 

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs 


00:00:00 Intro 

00:05:18 The narrative of the problem of evil 

00:18:29 A refresher: goodness, evil, and the great chain of being

00:33:03 If God has free will and can’t commit evil, why can’t humans do the same? 

01:02:55 The permissive will of God 

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4 months ago
1 hour 37 minutes 11 seconds

The Nathan Jacobs Podcast
A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.