Through the Church Fathers

Through the Church Fathers

di C. Michael Patton

Storia Cristianità

Stagione 2

Through the Church Fathers: June 4

God speaks clearly, the soul resists deeply, and sorrow presses us toward what we truly love. Today’s reading from moves from divine clarity to human conflict to inner formation. Theophilus lays out the law of God in its fullness—one God, one standard, calling for righteousness, mercy, and repentance, showing that truth is not hidden but revealed plainly (Deuteronomy 6:4). Augustine then exposes the real problem: not ignorance, but division—the soul is not split into two natures, but weakened by sin, warring within itself as it both wills and refuses the good (Romans 7:17). Aquinas then explains what that conflict produces: sorrow is not meaningless—it constricts, humbles, teaches, and redirects the soul, depending on how it is ordered (2 Corinthians 7:10). Together, these readings leave no room for excuse: God has spoken, the problem is within, and even our pain is shaping the direction of our lives. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 3, Chapters 9–12 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 10 (Section 22) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 37 (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: June 3

The greatest battle is not out there—it is within, where truth is known, the will is divided, and the heart is pulled by what it loves. Today’s readings trace that conflict from three angles. In Theophilus, the collapse of false wisdom is exposed, as philosophers contradict themselves and even justify what is evil, revealing that error cannot sustain itself (1 Corinthians 3:19). Augustine then brings us into the inner war, where the mind commands but cannot fully obey itself—a terrifying picture of a divided will that both desires and resists the good (Romans 7:21–23). Aquinas completes the picture by showing that both sorrow and pleasure are not random—they flow from what we love, shaping our action, either weighing us down or drawing us forward depending on whether our love is rightly ordered (Psalm 1:2). Together, these readings press one unavoidable truth: your life is being shaped right now—not just by what you know, but by what you delight in and what you grieve. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 3, Chapters 6–8 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 9 (Section 21) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Questions 35–36 (Combined Selections) 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 #Augustine #Aquinas #TheologyUnplugged #ChristianDiscipleship

Through the Church Fathers: June 2

False voices collapse under their own weight, the will collapses under its own division, and the soul collapses under the weight of what it loves. Today’s reading from exposes three layers of truth: Theophilus tears down the authority of pagan thinkers, showing that those who claim wisdom contradict themselves and even justify evil; Augustine then turns inward, revealing the terrifying reality that knowing the good is not the same as willing it—that the soul can command the body more easily than it can command itself (Romans 7:18–19); and Aquinas completes the picture by explaining that sorrow itself is not meaningless—it is the weight of evil pressing on what we love, sometimes paralyzing us, sometimes driving us toward repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). Together, these readings force a sobering conclusion: error is loud, the will is weak, and sorrow reveals exactly where our heart is anchored. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 3, Chapters 1–5 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 8 (Section 20) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 35 (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 #ChurchFathers #Augustine #Aquinas #TheologyUnplugged #ChristianDiscipleship

Through the Church Fathers: June 1

The truth has a way of exposing everyone—even those who try to avoid it. Today’s reading brings together an unlikely chorus: Greek poets, biblical prophets, a restless sinner in a garden, and a theologian dissecting the power of pleasure. In Theophilus, even pagan voices testify to judgment, justice, and divine oversight—truth leaking through culture whether people want it or not. Augustine then turns inward, showing the real battlefield is not out there but within the divided will, where knowing the good is not the same as choosing it (Romans 7:15). Aquinas finally gives us the mechanism: pleasure itself shapes our attention and action—what we delight in will either strengthen us toward God or pull us away from Him (Psalm 37:4). Together, these readings force a hard realization: truth is not the problem—our will is. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 37–38 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 8 (Section 19) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 33 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers Patreon Credo Courses Credo Ministries #ChurchFathers #Augustine #Aquinas #TheologyUnplugged #ChristianDiscipleship

Through the Church Fathers: May 31

Podcast Description In this episode we see the prophets calling God’s people to holiness while a restless heart wrestles with its own delay. Theophilus of Antioch urges us to examine the prophets, who consistently taught one God, the rejection of idolatry, and a moral life that leads to eternal reward. He shows how the prophets—simple shepherds and uneducated men—spoke with one voice about creation, the unity of God, and the folly of idols. Augustine continues his intense inner struggle. Listening to the story of radical conversion, he confronts his own long delay in surrendering to God. At thirty-two years old he still begged for chastity “but not yet,” afraid that God might answer too quickly and take away the sins he still wanted to enjoy. Thomas Aquinas explores the causes of pleasure, explaining that true delight comes from the presence and recognition of a good that fits our nature, especially when we are actively engaged in what is proper to us. Together these readings confront us with the call to holiness, the danger of delay, and the deep joy that comes when the soul rests in what is truly good. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — Theophilus to Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 34–36 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 7 (Sections 17–18) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 32 (Articles 1–8 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 #AugustineConfessions #ThomasAquinas #Holiness #InnerStruggle #PleasureAndJoy #EarlyChurchFathers

Through the Church Fathers: May 30

Podcast Description In this episode we journey from the rebuilding of civilization after the flood to the inner turmoil of a soul confronted by God. Theophilus of Antioch recounts the rise of cities and kings after the flood, the building and destruction of the Tower of Babel, the confusion of languages, the spread of the human race across the earth, and the superiority of Christian truth taught by the Holy Spirit over all pagan historians and poets. Augustine describes the moment when Pontitianus’s story pierced his heart. While listening, God turned him to face himself, forcing him to see his own foulness and wretchedness. At thirty-two years old, he had still not found the truth, and he could no longer hide from the reality of his sin. Thomas Aquinas examines delight (joy), explaining that it is the repose of the appetite in a good that is truly possessed—the completion and rest that follows desire. Intellectual joys surpass bodily pleasures because they rest in higher goods. Together these readings trace the movement of history after the flood, the personal confrontation with sin, and the soul’s ultimate rest in attained good. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — Theophilus to Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 31–33 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 7 (Section 16) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 31 (Articles 1–8 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 #AugustineConfessions #ThomasAquinas #TowerOfBabel #DelightAndJoy #ChristianHistory #EarlyChurchFathers

Through the Church Fathers: May 29

Podcast Description In this episode we explore the origins of human nature, the consequences of the fall, and the surprising power of desire. Theophilus of Antioch explains that God made humanity neither mortal nor immortal by nature, but free and capable of both—able to choose life through obedience or death through disobedience. He then traces how death entered the world through Cain’s murder of Abel and how early human culture, including cities, polygamy, and music, began in the line of Cain. Augustine recounts the powerful story of two imperial officials at Trier who, while reading the life of Antony the Great, were suddenly converted and renounced their worldly ambitions to serve God—along with their fiancées who likewise dedicated themselves to virginity. Thomas Aquinas clarifies the relationship between love and desire: desire is the movement of the appetite toward a good not yet possessed, always flowing from love, even when that love is misplaced. Together these readings illuminate freedom, the entry of sin and death, the call to radical discipleship, and the deep structure of human longing. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — Theophilus to Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 27–30 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 6 (Section 15) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 30 (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 #AugustineConfessions #ThomasAquinas #HumanNature #DesireAndLove #EarlyChurchFathers #ChristianTheology

Through the Church Fathers: May 28

Today’s Readings Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 23–26 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 6 (Section 14) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 29 (Articles 1–6 Combined) What you reject reveals what you love. Theophilus makes it clear that the fall did not come from something evil in creation, but from disobedience—man turning away from what was truly good, even when everything around him testified to God’s truth . Augustine then shows how that same reality plays out in real life: truth can sit right in front of you—open on the table, spoken about, even admired—yet still remain unfamiliar and ungrasped, while others around you are already living in its power. Aquinas brings the final clarity—hatred is not its own starting point; it is born from love. You push things away because they threaten what you value most. Put it together and the conclusion is sharp: your strongest reactions—what you resist, avoid, or even despise—are not random. They are the shadow cast by your loves. If you want to understand your life, don’t just look at what you pursue—look at what you refuse. 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 27

Today’s Readings Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 20–22 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 6 (Section 13) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 28 (Articles 1–6 Combined) What you love does not stay contained—it takes hold of you and begins to shape everything. Theophilus shows that from the very beginning, man was placed in a world of goodness, yet fell not because of ignorance, but because something appeared desirable and was chosen against God’s command, setting the pattern for every human failure . Augustine then reveals what that looks like from the inside: still living the same life, doing the same work, but inwardly groaning, pulled by a growing desire for something higher while still bound to what is familiar. Aquinas explains the mechanism behind it all—love unites you to what you pursue, fills your thoughts, pulls you out of yourself, and makes you vulnerable to whatever happens to that object. Put it together and the conclusion is unavoidable: you are not just influenced by what you love—you are reshaped by it. What you give your heart to will determine the direction of your life long before your actions make it visible. 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

Stagione 2

Through the Church Fathers: May 26

Today’s Readings Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 16–19 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 5 (Section 12) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 26 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Everything begins with what you love—and that determines everything that follows. Theophilus shows that creation itself is not only ordered but meaningful, filled with patterns, types, and purpose—from the waters that point to regeneration to the dignity of man made in the image of God, set above all creation . Augustine then exposes the human condition at its core: not ignorance, but divided love—knowing what is better, yet clinging to what is easier, trapped by habit and delayed obedience, saying “presently” while remaining unchanged. Aquinas brings clarity to both: love is the first movement of the soul, the quiet moment when something is recognized as good, and from that single point flows everything else—desire, fear, joy, action. Put it together, and the problem becomes unmistakable: you don’t struggle first because of lack of discipline, but because of competing loves. Change what you love, and the entire chain 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

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