Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapters 7–9 (Condensed)

Augustine, Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 31 (Section 44)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 89, Article 1

Today we hear Irenaeus take direct aim at the Gnostic mythmakers, challenging their doctrine that this world is merely a flawed shadow of the Pleroma. With razor-sharp logic, he dismantles the contradictions in their theology: if this world is an image, what exactly does it reflect? And if it’s a shadow, where is the light? Augustine confesses his daily struggle with physical appetite, showing how easily bodily necessity becomes a cover for indulgence. Even when we eat for health, desire sneaks in. Finally, Aquinas addresses whether separated souls can still understand anything after death. His an ...