The Cordial Catholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Cameron Riecker, a Catholic apologist, speaker, and YouTuber to share his thoughts on a variety of topics including discernment, evangelizing our Protestant brothers and sisters, common Evangelical misunderstandings of Catholicism, Mary's role in the Church, and much more. It's a great conversation and Cameron is a phenomenal apologist and a wonderful guy! For more from Cameron check out his YouTube channel and make sure to subscribe while you're there! Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Nathan Lancaster, a campus missionary completely sold out for Jesus Christ and His Church – with a fantastic passion for his faith and a great story to tell! First, Nathan talks about his incredible story of deeper conversion to Christ through campus ministry. Then, Nathan and I dive into what's going on on college and university campuses around North America, what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, what it's like to do missionary work on the frontlines, where Nathan sees the Church headed, and why young people (and old people, too!) are turning more and more towards the sacred and traditional aspects of Catholic liturgy, worship, and practice. If you'd like to support Nathan and his missionary work please visit his website. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by the incredible Ken Kopelson to tell what I think is one of the most unique and amazing conversion stories I've ever heard. Raised in a conservative Jewish home, Ken began asking questions about Christianity when a family member converted and began to share about Christ. Those discussions sparked a radical conversion to Christ and 45 years of serving as God's "errand boy" across all manner of ministries, crisscrossing the world, to go where God sent him – and do what God wanted him to do. Then, prompted by the desire to plant a new church and found a new denomination that got back to Christian roots, Ken began to explore the Early Church. And, remarkably, discovered that it was Catholic. This is an utterly fascinating journey. I hope you enjoy it! Check out Ken's amazing book Sent Out: How My Journey as "God's Errand Boy" Totally Changed My Life. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Brandon Eaves and Chris Kellam, two former Evangelical seminarians, to talk about how, as Evangelicals studying Scripture, they discovered the Biblical basis for the papacy and the Catholic view of justification. Brandon and Chris, two good friends with a great dynamic, explain how many of their misconceptions about Catholicism were dismantled as they looked into Scripture, the witness of the Early Church, and in the actual practice of the Catholic faith. How the papacy makes sense from Scripture and in our experience of Early Christianity. And how the understanding of justification by the Protestant Reformers isn't rooted in history – and how Protestants and Catholics are often saying the same things using different words when they talk about justification, salvation, and sanctification. Chris and Brandon have both been on the show to share their conversion stories. You can find these on our YouTube channel or look for episodes 248 and 242. For reading material, Chris and Brandon suggested: You can listen Brandon's new podcast Doxa everywhere podcasts are found. For more from Brandon follow him on Twitter. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by the incredible Austin Molt, an Evangelical pastor, who's invited me to try and convert him to Catholicism – in 60 minutes! Austin, the pastor of New Vintage Church in Richland, WA, introduced himself to me a while back and we struck up an online friendship. He's doing and has done some great, deep thinking about the Catholic faith and invited me, in 60 minutes or less, to try to convert him to Catholicism. Of course, that's impossible! But we do talk about elements of my own conversion story like authority, the Early Church, and the papacy. Plus, Austin shares some of his biggest questions about things like apostolic succession, the usefulness of creeds and confessions, and the Marian dogmas. It's an incredible, cordial conversation and was so good we've already agree to do it again. For more from Austin visit his YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my new friend Joseph Dinesh from the incredible JD Catholic Engage YouTube channel to talk, first of all, about his amazing faith journey and then to dig into some of the anti-Catholic misunderstandings and misconceptions that Protestants have about Catholicism. JD's journey is one of a passionate young man converted away from the nominal Catholicism he was raised in, into a vibrant Evangelical faith only to come storming back into the Catholic Church through some serious movements of the Holy Spirit in his life and a discovery of the truths of Catholicism he never really knew. It's an amazing story! We also dig into some of the biggest anti-Catholic misconceptions JD hears like issues about hell, how Catholics and Protestants understand salvation, purgatory, and much more. To learn more about Joseph visit his YouTube channel. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Soren and Ever Johnson. Soren, a convert to Catholicism, and his wife, raised in a large Catholic family, are pioneering authentic Catholic communities in parishes across the world. They join me to discuss the "Evangelical sacrament" of fellowship and the need to bring authentic community to Catholics. We talk about the importance of doing life together, the reality of fellowship in Catholic parishes today, and practical steps to begin to make the home into a true Domestic Church and the incredible impact this kind of a shift can have on the family. Plus, the counter-cultural witness of authentic Catholic community and the deep need for creating compelling communities for non-believers and non-Catholic Christians to see. An amazing conversation. For more about the Trinity House initiative visit their website and YouTube channel. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Scott Oakland, a former Baptist pastor, a Reformed and Lutheran elder and, finally, a grateful Catholic convert. Scott shares the story of how his love for the Bible and his quest to find the Church founded by Christ drew him ever deeper in towards the ancient Catholic Church. From a Baptist pastor, questioning his beliefs about infant baptism, to a Reformed Calvinist, steeped in the theology around predestination, to a Lutheran elder, holding on to a deep belief in the sacraments but, ultimately, unable to deny to truth of the Catholic faith. This episode is a fantastic one. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Douglas Beaumont, a former Evangelical seminarian professor and a convert to the Catholic faith, to unpack how trying to decipher the "Evangelical essentials" led to his conversion. Dr. Beaumont, a student of the late Evangelical theologian Dr. Norman Geisler, studied deeply into the history of the Church, the Bible, and tried to identify the "essentials" that all Evangelical Christians held in common. Using the Bible as the sole infallible rule for faith, could Protestants come to a conclusion on what were the most important parts of the Gospel? Could Protestants agree on how we're saved? What baptism was for? When to baptize? What happened at the Lord's supper? And many more theological points. It was on this journey, studying under one of the greatest minds in Evangelical Christianity, that Dr. Beaumont came to realize that finding the "Protestant Essentials," what united all Protestants together, was an impossible task. To find more from Dr. Beaumount visit his website and check out his fantastic YouTube channel as well. Dr. Beaumont also has a great video on the Evangelical Essentials as well as two articles: Can the Grammatical-Historical Method of Interpretation Determine Christian Orthodoxy?Is Christian Orthodoxy a Logical Deduction? Norman Geisler's Failed Attempts at Preserving Orthodoxy Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests. To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by the legendary, pioneering Christian musician John Michael Talbot to share his incredible journey into the Catholic faith. John Michael is a natural born storyteller so you'll want to buckle up for this story; from encountering Christ in an Evangelical context as a country rock musician, to wrestling with denominationalism, questions about the Early Church, and a draw towards charismatic, mystical prayer traditions – the conversion journey here is incredible, and only half the conversation! We also talk about the Eucharist, the draw of Christian unity, the problem with individualism in Christianity, and the proper posture for Catholics to be cordial, welcoming, and hold fast to the Catholic faith. Plus, we talk about the incredible faith community John Michael founded, and has lived in, The Little Portion Hermitage. For more from John Michael Talbot visit his website where you can find links to his music, his books, and more information about his ministry. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by veteran Catholic apologist Tom Nash to talk about the biblical basis for the Catholic Church. How can we use the Bible to explain the origins of the Catholic Church? We dig into apostolic succession, the centrality of the Mass, Jesus' desire for Christian unity in John 17 (and how to accomplish this), and some of the Church-dividing problems with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Plus much, much more. Tom is a veteran apologist with a lot to say and this episode is absolutely packed to the rafters. For more from Tom check out his book To Whom Shall We Go? from Emmaus Road Publishing and visit Catholic Answers to see his decades worth of content and contributions. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by the legendary Brandon Eaves to talk about his journey from Evangelical Christianity through to the Catholic Church. Brandon, who you've heard about on this show before, has an incredible story to tell. After the Catholic conversion of a close friend, Brandon began to ask questions about the Catholic Church – what would compel such an intelligent, Spirit-filled person to become Catholic, of all things. And was in Brandon's pursuit of those answers that he began to unwind his own misconceptions about Catholicism, ask pointed questions about his own beliefs, and eventually realize that in order to follow Christ completely, he needed to become Catholic. It's an amazing story and Brandon is an incredibly humble story teller. You can listen Brandon's new podcast Doxa everywhere podcasts are found. For more from Brandon follow him on Twitter. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by two of the most fantastic guests of all time Caleb and Natali Perkins from Shema Culture to talk about their conversion journey, their incredible ministry, and how they see the Holy Spirit dismantling the barriers between Catholics and Protestants right before their eyes. In this epic, 2-hour long conversation, Caleb and Natali unpack what it was that first drew them into Catholicism, what it was like quitting their jobs to pursue the calling of God to begin their ministry, and all of the incredible miracles (and there are an absolute ton!) that brought them deeper and deeper into their Christ-given calling to lead worship, and bring unity to the Body of Christ. There is so much in this conversation to encourage and provoke, from their fearless pursuit of God, to the incredible Holy Spirit-led movement they're leading, to the drive to dialogue and wrestle alongside of their Protestant friends and families when the tough questions come up. Man alive, it's all in here! For more from Caleb and Natali check out Shema Culture and all of the incredible work they're doing there. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. James Prothro to talk about the historical and biblical roots of the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation. Where does the idea of the Sacraments come from? Where do we see the roots of repentance, reconciliation, and forgiveness in the Old Testament? What about penance? And how do these historical roots connect to how Catholics practice the Sacrament of Reconciliation – commonly called Confession – today. Dr. Prothro gives a through treatment of this incredibly important sacrament linking it all the way back to the Garden of Eden and the beginning of mankind and explaining – all the way to today – why confessing our sins to a priest is one of the greatest gifts God gave his followers, and mankind. For more from Dr. Prothro you can follow him on Twitter and his published material on Academia. Check out his book The Bible and Reconciliation: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration from Baker Academic. He also recommended The Sacrament of Reconciliation by Dr. Robert Fastiggi and the following Scriptures, for context: 2 Corinthians 5-6 and the Gospel of Luke (focusing on the Parable of the Prodigal Son). For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Gerard Figurelli, a former pastor, radio host, apologist, and a student under some of the very best Evangelical minds in North America, to tell his incredible story of his return – his reconciliation – with Rome. Raised Catholic, Gerard received all of the sacraments but never really felt connected to Christ until a radical encounter in a Baptist church. From there, Gerard spent decades working in pastoral ministry and studying under some of the greatest Evangelical teachers including the late Dr. Norman Geisler at Southern Evangelical Seminary and Dr. Francis Beckwith at Baylor University. Both Dr. Geisler – and SES itself – and Dr. Beckwith figure prominently in Figurelli's journey – Figurelli was working as a Teaching Assistant under Beckwith when Beckwith had his own return to the Catholicism of his upbringing. In this episode we dig into what prompted Figurelli and his wife to begin re-examining their Evangelical faith, how learning about Christianity drew them both deeper towards Catholicism in particular, and the role of Scripture and the Early Church Fathers. It's a fantastic conversation! For more from Gerard visit his YouTube channel. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by one of my heroes, Early Church scholar Dr. Thomas Scheck to unpack his amazing story of growing up Catholic, leaving the faith for Evangelical Christian, and then coming storming back to the Church after 17 years away. It's a great journey! Listen as Dr. Scheck explains why an encounter with two Baptist roommates in college fired him up for a relationship with Christ, his time as an Evangelical missionary with his wife in Germany, and his struggles and successes as an Evangelical pastor for almost ten years. And, of course, what ultimately led Dr. Scheck, his wife, and many of his children back to the Catholic Church. I'm so grateful for a chance to have this conversation and Dr. Scheck is a wonderful storyteller. For more from Dr. Scheck visit his page at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Studies. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by one of the most remarkable guests I've ever had on the show, Daniel Dinneen, an Instagram evangelist, to talk about his amazing journey through addiction, loss, and a sinful lifestyle into his total dedication to Christ, His Church, and the work of his online ministry. Once you begin this episode you aren't going to want to stop. Daniel's story is amazing and his honesty in telling it – his not holding anything back – will leave you speechless. To hear how God has worked and what Daniel has come through, what lessons he has learned, and what he hopes to share with others – it's amazing stuff. We also talk about dispelling misconceptions about Catholics online, what obstacles Daniel has encountered most often in his work (spoiler alert: it's kind of demons), and where Daniel sees points of unity and hope and how God is working in the unique space that Daniel finds himself. It's a truly remarkable conversation and I'm so glad to be able to bring it to a wider audience. Please find and follow Daniel on Instagram. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Chris Kellam, a former pastor, an Evangelical seminarian, and a Catholic convert to share his absolutely amazing journey of conversion. Chris' story is one of a serious Evangelical Christian – a pastor, working on his Master's degree at seminary – realizing that not every Christian agreed on some of the theology and belief he took for granted. It began, for Chris, when he started working as a youth pastor at a church that practised infant baptism – something he'd never considered before – and began a deep biblical search into baptism, a search which led Chris to the Early Church Fathers, the practice of the very first Christians, and the beliefs of the Protestant Reformers – all to try and track down where Chris' own beliefs came from and why other Christians believed differently. And that's just the beginning. Questions about baptism led Chris to questions about what the "essential" beliefs were for Christians, why some of these beliefs were missing from the Early Church, and exactly what he ought to believe as a Christian after all. Oh, and the conversion of a close friend and fellow seminarian to Catholicism comes out of left field, too! It's such a remarkable story. You can find and follow Chris on Twitter. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by the wonderful Dr. Mark Giszczak from the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology to talk about suffering. It's a perennial topic and, as I suggest in this episode, one of the top reasons that I hear about for people leaving the Catholic faith. Why does God allow so much suffering? What's the difference between human-caused suffering and natural disasters and sicknesses? How is suffering just? And, incredibly, how does the Catholic faith actually propose the best framework for understanding evil and suffering – something that atheists simply can't explain. This and much more in this week's episode. For more from Dr. Giszczak check out his book Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know from the Augustine Institute and Ignatius Press. And visit Dr. Giszczak's website, Catholic Bible Student. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Izabela Ciesinska to talk about her incredible faith journey and her wonderful new book. Raised nominally Catholic, Izabela wandered into the New Age movement as a young adult and eventually into atheism, deciding that there can't possibly be a God until she was struck by incredible, natural beauty on a road trip with some friends. Suddenly confronted by inexplicable beauty Izabela began a winding journey to discover its source, journeying back through the New Age movement, through Prosperity Gospel preaching as a Protestant, and finally back to the life-giving sacraments found in the Catholic Church. Izabela's story is fascinating and her perspective – as a filmmaker, author, and creator – is a profoundly interesting one. In addition to her journey we talk about the role of media, how to reach and impact children with rich stories, the role of ego, darkness, and evil in the media we consume, and the power of prayer. It's a great conversation. For more from Izabela visit her website. And check out her wonderful new book from Ascension Kids, The Little Donkey and God's Big Plan. For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page. All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me. If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page. Thank you to those already supporting the show! This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patron Co-Producers. Thanks to Eli and Tom, Kelvin and Susan, Stephen, Victor and Susanne, Phil, Noah, Nicole, Michelle, Jordan, Jon, James, Gina, and Eyram. Support the Show. Find and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media: Instagram: @cordialcatholic Twitter: @cordialcatholic YouTube: /thecordialcatholic Facebook: The Cordial Catholic TikTok: @cordialcatholic