Through the Church Fathers

Through the Church Fathers

por C. Michael Patton

Historia Cristianismo

Temporada 2

Through the Church Fathers: May 25

Today’s Readings Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 13–15 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 5 (Section 11) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 25 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Your inner life is not random—it follows a pattern, just like creation itself. Theophilus shows that God did not build the world from below like men do, but from above, bringing order out of nothing and structuring everything with purpose, even using creation itself as a pattern of resurrection and truth while exposing the instability of human philosophies . Augustine then pulls you inside that order and shows the real battle: two wills fighting within the same person, one shaped by truth, the other by habit, both pulling in opposite directions. That tension is not theoretical—it is lived experience. Aquinas then explains why it feels this way: your emotions are not scattered impulses but a chain reaction, beginning with what you love and unfolding into desire, hope, fear, and action. Put together, the message is clear—God made the world ordered, your soul reflects that order, but your struggle comes from competing loves that set the whole chain in motion. Change the starting point—what you love—and everything else begins to change with it. Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Theophilus #Augustine #Aquinas #ChristianTheology #Discipleship

Through the Church Fathers: May 24

Today’s readings move from creation, to conversion, to the battle for the human heart. Theophilus of Antioch marvels at the wisdom of God revealed in the six days of creation and contrasts the beauty of divine truth with the empty eloquence of pagan philosophy. Augustine then opens his soul and describes the terrifying bondage of habit, showing how sinful desire hardens into custom, and custom into necessity, until the soul feels chained by its own divided will. Aquinas brings these themes together by asking whether the passions themselves are good or evil. His answer is profound: the passions are not enemies to destroy, but powers to be rightly ordered. Fear, desire, sorrow, anger, hope, and love become virtuous or destructive depending on whether they are governed by reason, grace, and the love of God. Together, these readings reveal that the Christian life is not merely about outward behavior, but about the transformation and healing of the inner person. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapter 12 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 5 (Section 10) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 24 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ThroughTheChurchFathers #TheophilusOfAntioch #Augustine #ThomasAquinas #Confessions #SummaTheologica #ChurchHistory #ChristianTheology #Virtue #Passions

Through the Church Fathers: May 23

Today’s Readings Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 11–12 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 4 (Section 9) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 23 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Creation is not random, your desires are not random, and your transformation is not random—everything today pushes against the idea that life is chaotic or driven by impulse alone. Theophilus walks through the six days of creation to show that God orders everything with purpose, wisdom, and structure, declaring it all “very good,” and warning that human philosophy only imitates truth while mixing it with error . Augustine then turns inward and shows how that same God draws people out of blindness, not just individually but through influence—how one changed life can ignite many others, and why the conversion of the visible and influential carries such weight. Aquinas completes the picture by showing that even our inner emotional life is structured: what feels like chaos is actually ordered movement, where simple desire becomes struggle when difficulty enters, and where love stands at the root of it all. Put together, the message is clear—God orders creation, God draws the heart, and even your internal battles follow a pattern. You are not as scattered as you feel. Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 22

Podcast Description In today’s reading Theophilus of Antioch continues exposing the confusion of pagan thought. He shows how poets like Homer and Hesiod, along with the philosophers, contradict one another on the origin of the world and the nature of the gods. Some deny creation altogether, others speak of providence yet undermine it, and all fail to give a coherent account of who made all things. In contrast, the prophets, inspired by the Holy Spirit, consistently teach that God created everything out of nothing through His Word, and that matter itself was brought into being by Him. We also hear Augustine ponder the strange law of joy: that the greater the preceding pain or danger, the sweeter the recovery. He sees this pattern in human experience—from battle, storms, and illness to the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and prodigal son—and marvels at how God Himself rejoices more over one repentant sinner than over many who never wandered. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book II, Chapters 8–10 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 3 (Section 8) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 22 (Articles 1–3 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 21

Podcast Description In today’s reading Theophilus of Antioch sharply critiques the contradictory teachings of Greek poets and philosophers. He shows how Homer and Hesiod offer wildly different accounts of the origin of the world and the gods, exposing their inconsistencies and failure to identify the true Creator. Theophilus argues that the gods of mythology are clearly later than the world they are said to rule, and that the philosophers’ ideas about uncreated matter or a God who ignores the world fall far short of the living God who creates all things out of nothing. We also hear Augustine marvel at the mysterious joy that fills the soul—and heaven itself—when a sinner who seemed lost is restored, greater even than the steady joy over those who never strayed far. He illustrates this with the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, showing how greater danger and greater recovery produce deeper rejoicing. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book II, Chapters 5–7 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 3 (Section 7) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 21 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 20

Podcast Description In today’s reading Theophilus of Antioch continues his direct appeal to his friend Autolycus, explaining why he writes this second book—to expose the emptiness of pagan worship and to make the truth plain from Autolycus’s own histories. He shows how absurd it is that handmade statues and images are despised while being crafted but instantly treated as gods once purchased and placed in temples. He questions what has become of the old gods—why Olympus is deserted, why Jupiter’s tomb is shown in Crete, and why the gods seem confined to one place instead of being everywhere present like the true God. Theophilus then critiques the philosophers, exposing their contradictory and impious opinions about God, matter, and creation. We also hear Augustine reflect on the surprising joy that comes when a soul long despaired of is saved—greater than the steady joy over those who never wandered far—illustrated by the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, where heaven itself rejoices more over one repentant sinner. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book II, Chapters 1–4 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 3 (Section 6) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 20 (Articles 1–5 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 19

Podcast Description In today’s reading Theophilus of Antioch gives a personal testimony of his own conversion, explaining how the fulfilled prophecies of Scripture overcame his former skepticism and led him to believe in the resurrection and final judgment. We then hear Augustine recount the dramatic conversion of Victorinus, the celebrated Roman rhetorician, who, though advanced in years and honored by the world, publicly humbled himself before the Church and confessed Christ despite the scorn of his pagan friends. We close with Thomas Aquinas clarifying that the goodness of the will depends not on sincere intention alone, but on whether it wills what is truly good according to right reason and God’s law. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book I, Chapter 14 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 2 (Sections 3–5) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 19 (Articles 1–10 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 18

Podcast Description In today’s reading we continue with Theophilus of Antioch as he boldly exposes the absurdities of pagan idolatry, distinguishes between the honor due to earthly kings and the worship due to God alone, explains why followers of Jesus are called Christians, and offers vivid, everyday examples—from seeds and seasons to the moon itself—to strengthen faith in the resurrection of the dead. Alongside this we hear Augustine in the Confessions candidly describing the tension in his own soul: drawn to the beauty of God’s house yet still tightly bound by the pull of secular life and the desire for marriage. We conclude with Thomas Aquinas laying out the foundational principles for moral theology, showing that a human act is truly good only when its object, its end, and its circumstances are all rightly ordered. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book I, Chapters 10–13 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 1 (Section 2) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 18 (Articles 1–11 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 17

Podcast Description In this episode we hear Theophilus of Antioch invite his pagan friend Autolycus to behold the one true God through the order and beauty of creation. He points to the regular seasons, the movement of the stars, the provision for all living things, and the instinct given to animals, showing that these works reveal God’s wisdom and providence. He then explains that we shall see God when we put on immortality and that faith is the foundation for all true knowledge. Theophilus contrasts this with the immoral myths of the pagan gods, exposing the emptiness of idolatry. Alongside Augustine’s account of consulting Simplicianus as he wrestled with how to live the Christian life, and Thomas Aquinas’s teaching on command as the act of reason that directs the will toward execution, these readings call us to move from admiration of God’s works to personal faith, cleansing, and obedient action. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book I (Chapters 6–9) Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 1 Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 17 (Articles 1–9 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Through the Church Fathers: May 16

Podcast Description In this episode we listen to one of the earliest Christian voices speaking directly to a skeptical pagan friend. Theophilus of Antioch, bishop of Antioch in the late second century, writes to Autolycus with patience and clarity, answering his mockery of the Christian faith. He shows that the one true God cannot be seen with physical eyes until the soul is cleansed from sin, describes the invisible God through His works and providence, and sets forth the divine attributes in language that is both simple and profound. Together with Augustine’s testimony of finding in the Scriptures what he could not find in the Platonists, and Thomas Aquinas’s teaching on consent as the will’s approval of the means proposed by reason, these readings invite us to consider how the human heart must be purified before it can truly behold God and how the will moves toward the good through counsel, consent, and choice. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book I Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 21 (Section 27) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 15 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

16 de 69