Through the Church Fathers

Through the Church Fathers

di C. Michael Patton

Storia Cristianità

Stagione 2

Introduction to Athanagoras: A Plea for the Christians

Podcast Description In this episode we step into the late second century with Theophilus of Antioch as he writes a personal and reasoned defense of the Christian faith to his pagan friend Autolycus. Theophilus shows that Moses and the Hebrew prophets are far older than Homer and the Greek poets, contrasts the absurdities of pagan mythology with the coherent account of creation in Scripture, and demonstrates the moral and historical superiority of Christian teaching. Alongside Augustine’s account of moving from proud philosophical speculation to humble embrace of Christ the Mediator, and Thomas Aquinas’s explanation of consent as the will’s approval of the means proposed by reason, these readings invite us to consider the reliability of God’s Word and the ordered freedom of the human will in responding to truth. Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — To Autolycus, Books 1–3 (excerpts from the full work) Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 20 (Section 26) 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

Through the Church Fathers: May 15

Podcast Description In this episode Tatian presses his argument to its climax. He uses Egyptian, Chaldean, and Phoenician records to prove that Moses lived centuries before Homer and the Trojan War, making Christian teaching far older than Greek philosophy or literature. He catalogs the Argive kings to demonstrate the timeline and concludes with a personal testimony of his own conversion from Greek learning to the “barbaric philosophy” of the Scriptures. Augustine rejoices that God allowed him to encounter the Platonists first so that the contrast with Holy Scripture would humble him and teach him the difference between proud speculation and humble confession. Thomas Aquinas explains that consent is the act of the will by which it approves the means proposed by reason, standing between counsel and choice and preparing the way for decisive action. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 38–42 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 20 (Section 26) 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 (The three primary readings are already formatted per the 2026 rules and ready for the main content of the episode.)

Through the Church Fathers: May 14

Podcast Description In this episode Tatian continues his unsparing critique of Greek culture. He ridicules the statues erected to tyrants, adulterers, and prostitutes, exposing the moral bankruptcy behind pagan art and the hypocrisy of those who slander Christian women while honoring far worse figures. He speaks as an eyewitness who has examined these things firsthand, then turns to the antiquity of Moses, using Chaldean, Phoenician, and Egyptian records to prove that Christian teaching predates Greek philosophy and literature by centuries. Augustine describes how he initially viewed Christ merely as an exemplary wise man and struggled to grasp the mystery of the Word made flesh, until he saw in the Mediator the humble way that lifts the proud by first becoming low. Thomas Aquinas explains that counsel is the act of reason by which we deliberate about the means to an end, preparing the way for free and rational choice. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 34–37 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 19 (Section 25) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 14 (Articles 1–6 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 (The three primary readings are already formatted per the 2026 rules and ready for the main content of the episode. Let me know if you want the full combined document or any adjustments to the podcast description.)

Through the Church Fathers: May 13

Podcast Description In this episode we see the bold confidence of early Christian apologetics. Tatian demonstrates that Christian teaching predates Greek philosophy and literature by comparing timelines with Moses and Homer, condemns the divisive and immoral nature of Greek laws and customs, and vigorously defends the dignity and chastity of Christian women against pagan mockery and the worship of shameful statues. Augustine recounts his soul’s longing for God and the moment he embraced Christ the Mediator as the humble way to the unchangeable Truth. Thomas Aquinas explains that choice is an act of the will guided by reason, whereby we select the means ordered to an intended end. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 31–33 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 18 (Section 24) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 13 (Articles 1–6 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 (The three primary readings are already formatted per the 2026 rules and ready for the main content of the episode. Let me know if you want the full combined document or any adjustments.)

Through the Church Fathers: May 12

Podcast Description In this episode we witness the sharp contrast between empty human wisdom and the power of divine truth. Tatian boldly condemns the unjust hatred shown toward Christians, rejects the contradictory and immoral laws of the Greeks, recounts his own conversion through the simple yet divine writings of the barbarians, and resolves to resist the devil by embracing the one true God. Augustine describes his soul’s ascent from changeable bodies and phantasms to a trembling glimpse of the unchangeable Truth above his mind, only to be pulled back by the weight of carnal habit. Thomas Aquinas explains that intention is an act of the will directed toward an end, ordering all means under that single purpose while remaining free and rational. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 27–30 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 17 (Section 23) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 12 (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 11

Podcast Description In this episode we confront the emptiness of pagan culture and philosophy. Tatian exposes the absurdity of Greek theater, the contradictions and vanities of the philosophers, and the futility of their borrowed wisdom, calling Greeks to abandon empty traditions and follow the Word of God. Augustine shows that evil is not a substance but a perversion of the will turned away from the Supreme Good. Thomas Aquinas explains how the will naturally inclines toward the good yet remains free in its choice among particular goods, never forced or necessitated to any single option. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 24–26 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 16 (Section 22) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 10 (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 (The three primary readings are already formatted per the 2026 rules and ready for the main content of the episode. Let me know if you want the full combined document or any adjustments.)

Through the Church Fathers: May 10

Today’s Readings Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 20–23 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 15 (Section 21) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 9 (Articles 4–6 Combined) Tatian presses hard against a world that trusts appearances, exposing how easily people give credit to created things while ignoring the Creator, and how what looks like wisdom or culture can actually be corruption dressed up for applause . Augustine then pulls the argument deeper, showing that everything that exists has its being in God, and that error begins the moment we misjudge reality—treating what is not as though it were. Aquinas brings the precision: the will is not controlled by external forces, nor by the stars, nor by circumstances, but is moved by God in a way that does not destroy freedom but grounds it. Put together, these readings confront a single issue from three angles—what is really moving your life? If you give that power to illusions, passions, or systems, you will be carried along without knowing it. But if God is the one who moves you, then your freedom is not lost—it is finally anchored in what is real. 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 #Tatian #Augustine #Aquinas #ChristianTheology #Discipleship

Through the Church Fathers: May 9

Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 17–19 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 5, Chapter 14 (Section 20) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 9 (Articles 1–3 Combined) You can see a common thread running through all three readings today: the danger of trusting the wrong source of power, knowledge, and movement. Tatian exposes the illusion of healing and wisdom apart from God, arguing that what people call medicine or spiritual insight often masks demonic deception that enslaves rather than frees . Augustine turns inward and shows how even intellectual error—being displeased with God’s creation—can fracture reality itself, leading to false views of God and the world. And then Aquinas brings precision to it all: the will is not random, nor purely driven by passion or external force, but is moved in an ordered way—by what we understand as good, influenced by our desires, and directed by our own choosing toward an end. Together, these readings force a hard question: what is actually shaping your decisions? Is it truth, illusion, passion, or something deeper? Because if the will follows what appears good, then everything hinges on whether you are seeing clearly or being quietly led astray. 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 #Tatian #Augustine #Aquinas #ChristianTheology #Discipleship

Through the Church Fathers: May 8

In today’s readings from Tatian (Address to the Greeks, Chapters 13–16), Augustine of Hippo (The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 13 [Section 19]), and Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 6 [Articles 1, 4, 6, 8]), we see a unified vision of human responsibility and dependence on God: Tatian argues that the soul must be united to the Spirit to truly live and that what many attribute to fate or unseen forces is instead the result of deception and moral failure , Augustine clarifies that all creation is good and that what we perceive as evil is often a lack of harmony within a larger order established by God, and Aquinas explains that human acts are truly voluntary, showing that the will cannot be forced, that fear complicates but does not eliminate responsibility, and that ignorance excuses only when it is not chosen. Together, these readings press us to reject both fatalism and excuse-making, reminding us that while we depend entirely on God for life and truth, our choices still matter and carry real responsibility. Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 13–16 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 13 (Section 19) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 6 (Articles 1, 4, 6, 8) 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 #Tatian #Augustine #ThomasAquinas #FreeWill #Soul #Responsibility #EarlyChurch #ChristianTheology #Truth #ThroughTheChurchFathers

Stagione 2

Through the Church Fathers: May 7

Here’s your podcast paragraph—tight, integrated, and aligned with your rules: In today’s readings, Tatian presses hard against the idea of fate, arguing that human life is not determined by the stars but shaped by free will, and that the real problem is not destiny but sin—something we ourselves have chosen, and therefore something we are responsible to reject . Then Augustine of Hippo clarifies the nature of evil itself, concluding that it is not a substance but a deprivation of good, and that everything that exists is good insofar as it exists, since all things come from God. Finally, Thomas Aquinas brings these ideas to their conclusion by explaining that perfect happiness cannot be attained in this life or by our own power, but must be given by God, and once truly possessed, it cannot be lost. Together, these readings strip away two common illusions—that we are controlled by fate and that we can fix ourselves—and replace them with a harder but clearer truth: we are responsible for our condition, dependent on God for our fulfillment, and called to a happiness that lies beyond what we can achieve on our own. 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 #Tatian #Augustine #ThomasAquinas #FreeWill #Happiness #Evil #EarlyChurch #ChristianTheology #Truth #ThroughTheChurchFathers

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