Classical Theism Podcast

I was recently honored to be on the Classical Theism podcast with some of my heroes. Had a great talk with John DeRosa about the alleged Great Apostasy. Enjoy!

Christianity and the Apostasy Narrative

Introduction Because all Christian groups believe they were ultimately founded by Jesus Christ, all who wish to be considered legitimate need to explain why they did not exist prior to their (actual) founding date. The gap is usually explained by what I call an “apostasy narrative.” An Christian apostasy narrative is a tale of how the Church…

Was There a Great Apostasy?

Introduction Some kind of “apostasy narrative” is required to explain why a group that did not exist for nearly 2,000 years can consider itself the true expression of Christianity. Obviously, if the Church founded by Jesus did not go into apostasy, there would be no excuse to create a new group or “restore” what was “lost.” Unlike…

Mormonism and the Apostasy Narrative

Introduction I had two young Mormon (LDS / Latter-Day Saint) missionaries come by my house the other day. Although I have had many meetings with Mormon missionaries in the past, this time I wanted to take a different tack than before. I wanted more than a contentious theological response that basically boiled down to “I have beliefs that disagree…

What is “Full Communion With the Catholic Church”?

Introduction When people become Catholic they often describe it as “coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.” That might sound like an obtuse description of the event, but it is actually both accurate and important in its details. This is because Catholics consider all validly baptized Christians to be “in the Church” even if…