In this episode, I explore the theology of the infancy narratives in Scripture, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who is both fully man and fully God. Drawing on insights from Pope Benedict XVI's book, he explores the genealogy of Jesus, the Annunciation, the virgin birth, the visit of the wise men, and more, high…

In this episode of Creedal, we discuss what the Incarnation reveals about human dignity and apply those lessons to the ongoing debate about assisted suicide in the UK. Zac provides a detailed overview of the proposed legislation on assisted suicide, arguing against it from both moral and policy perspectives, and highlighting the dangers of framing …

For the written version of this essay, check out: https://creedal.substack.com/p/the-six-going-infinite

In this episode, Zac and Larry discuss Larry's observations from the Synod on Synodality in Rome. 00:00 Introduction and Conference Reflections 05:07 Insights from the Synod on Synodality 10:00 Expectations vs. Reality of the Synod 15:00 The Role of Laypeople in the Church 20:04 Pope Francis and Progressive Catholicism 25:04 The Vatican's Approach …

In this episode, Zac discusses the recent election in the United States, focusing on the failures of the media and the Democratic Party, Trump's broad appeal, polling failures, and the state of conservatism. Sound Bites "I think there's room for optimism." "The media's framing backfired spectacularly." "We need to have interesting conversations." "…

In this conversation, Zac and Andrew discuss Andrew's book (co-written with David Paul Baird and Rev. Michael Ward) entitled 'Popcorn with the Pope.' We delve into specific films on the list, such as 'Au Revoir Les Enfants' and 'Babette's Feast', discussing various themes and ideas from each. Relatedly, we also discuss concerns about the impact of …

Today on the show Zac teams up with longtime guest Larry Chapp to talk about why young people are leaving the Church. It's a great conversation, and to follow more of Larry's work, head to gaudiumetspes22.com.

In this conversation, Zac and Alex discuss the limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on human flourishing. They explore the role of intuition and embodiment in human understanding, and explore a Christian account of the development of understanding via the Sacraments. They also delve into the concept of emergent consciousness a…

I've got an exciting announcement today--sign up for my newsletter below! My newsletter: https://creedal.substack.com/ I'd love to speak at your event: https://creedal.substack.com/p/speaking Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFd938A6-eKlgbAwAvvwMuQ My upcoming debate at New Polity: https://newpolity.com/events/2024…

In this episode, Zac and Andrew discuss various news articles in the 'Fake News' segment and then dive into a close read of an article by L.M. Sacasas titled 'Secularization Comes for the Religion of Technology.' They explore the concept of secularization and how it applies to the religion of technology, as well as the implications for society. 00:…

Today we're breaking down five Super Bowl commercials, including one that Zac describes as "the worst commercial I have ever seen." Kia EV9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7BJc96lI4 Microsoft Copilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaCVSUbYpVc&ab_channel=Microsoft Temu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Od0aOse1wc&ab_channel=Temu He Gets Us: htt…

My conversation with Dr. Larry Chapp today discusses the recent teaching edict of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: Fiducia Supplicans. The document attempts to clarify the pastoral meaning of blessings, particularly in relation to "irregular unions," but falls short on several fronts. We discuss some of our issues with the document, inc…

Merry Christmas! My apologies for the lack of production as of late, but I've got some exciting things to announce early next year. I'll be back in your podcast feed before long--lots of interesting conversations to still be had, and I'm just getting started! If you'd like to read the homily: http://ww1.antiochian.org/node/21955 Glory to Jesus Chri…

Today on the show we tackle our usual "misinformation" segment before diving into "BAPism" the absurd ideology espoused by followers of a mysterious internet persona known as "Bronze Age Pervert." Using Graeme Wood's latest article as a starting point, we discuss the ideology and a few of its grievous errors before articulating the beginning of an …

Today on the show, Tsh Oxenreider joins me to talk about literature, the craft of writing, converting to Catholicism, switching to dumbphones, and more. Discussed on the show:Tsh's Substack: https://thecommon.place/Tsh's website: https://www.tshoxenreider.com/Tsh's new book: https://a.co/d/0s1bJey (coming Aug 29, 2023)Tsh's previous appearance on V…

Today on the show, a longtime friend of the podcast--Casey Chalk--joins me to talk about his latest book, "The Obscurity of Scripture." Buy Casey's book (and write a review): https://a.co/d/bImrguj

The return of What a Week w/Andrew Petiprin!

Today on the show, entrepreneur, artist, and filmmaker Matheus Bazzo joins me to talk about his companies, how to make great films, the importance of storytelling, and much more. For more info on Lumine, head to www.lumine.tv

Today on the show, I welcome my friend Alex Fogassy, Air Force officer and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. We talk about: "What is Artificial Intelligence?" The difference between Narrow AI and AGI What the limitations and threats are of Narrow AI What developments in these domains (or lack thereof) portend for our future The parall…

Today on the show, my good friend Larry Chapp joins me to talk about Cardinal Cupich's amateurish foray into the realm of moral theology, replete with misappropriations of the late Pope Benedict XVI's thought. We discuss what's really going on behind the scenes, Cardinal McElroy's recent piece, the Universal Call to Holiness, and much more. Mention…

Seminary, Faithfulness, and Moving East w/John Monaco Today on the show, Duquesne doctoral candidate and theologian John Monaco joins us to talk about his experience in seminary, remaining faithful in a church that is often faithless, and moving east--to the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Apologies for the lengthy delay since my last episode! Today is a solo show--I share some life updates (nothing major--just very busy lately!), ask for your feedback on what you want to hear on the show in 2023, talk about some recent developments in the news, and share some of the things I most appreciate about Pope Benedict XVI, who entered into …

Today on the show we take a break from our regular programming to talk about antisemitism and the dangers of its counterfeit gospel. Using Ye's recent remarks about Hitler as a launching point, we discuss the rise of antisemitism on the political right and dissect Mit Brennender Sorge's, Pope Pius XI's encyclical to Germans in 1937, to talk about w…

On this week's installment, we banter a bit about film and storytelling and do a food-themed Misinformation segment before diving into our close read for the week: an interview of Fen de Villiers in the European Conservative. Then we wrap with our recommendations for the week (linked below). Breakthrough: https://europeanconservative.com/articles/i…

This week, we dive into Wes Anderson's masterpiece Rushmore before covering a misinformation segment that includes art vandalism, a malady called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, and Heidi Klum's halloween costume. Then we do a close read of Kat Rosenfield's debut piece in National Review and uncover what it reveals about the state of American politic…

Today on the show, Andrew Petiprin rejoins for What a Week to talk about the crisis of our boys and how we can help them. We also revisit last week’s postliberalism discussion and talk about the strange case of John Fetterman, who concealed a serious medical condition from voters in Pennsylvania. Mentioned on the show: Alzheimer’s Study: https://ww…

Today on the show we review listener feedback before diving into a misinformation segment that features ice cream, Richard Nixon, The Simpsons, and mosquito magnets. Then we turn to Michael Hanby’s critique of post liberalism before wrapping up with some recommendations. Mentioned on the show: “Are We Postliberal Yet” by Michael Hanby: https://newp…

Today on the show, we discuss the State Fair of Texas, John Fetterman’s absurd Senate candidacy, Elon Musk, the American Federation of Teachers, and Roger Scruton. Links for things mentioned on the show: Misinformation:New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/10/us/politics/biden-exaggeration-falsehood.htmlSaving Ukraine: https://twitter.com…

NOTE: A previous version of this podcast had distorted volume levels on the audio tracks. If you have volume issues on your episode, delete the file and redownload. That should fix the problem! Our apologies for the error. --Today on the show, lawyer and author Jeremy Christiansen joins me to talk about growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of L…

Today on the show, Andrew and I talk about the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and who might be responsible (and whether or not you can ask who might be responsible), nuclear war and what a time it is to be alive, abolishing the family, serial tree killers, Joan of Arc doing slam poetry, and the social contagion of TikTok-fueled imagined (or exaggerated) il…

On today's episode of Creedal, I'm joined by Dr. Abigail Favale of the University of Notre Dame. Abigail shares her intellectual journey from exvangelical feminist scholar to faithful daughter of the Church, and shares a helpful summary of the intellectual history of feminism that brought us to the radical conclusions of today's gender identity ide…

Today on the show we welcome special guest Lauren Spohn to join us in banter about the British monarchy, which pub in Oxford is the best (!), wandering through medieval libraries, and the dangers of "progress." Andrew also leads a misinformation segment featuring Matthew McConaughey, Weird Al Yankovic, and Harrison Ford. Resources: Peter Thiel on t…

Today on the show, Andrew Petiprin and I talk about Queen Elizabeth II before embarking on a misinformation segment about racially-motivated layoffs (yikes), blaming September 11 on the rage of white men, and the Department of Treasury auditing tax-delinquent IRS agents. Then we break down Ed Feser’s recent piece, “Perfect World Disorder,” before l…

Today on the show, Andrew and I talk about: The importance of owning your own DVDs and CDs Blank Street Coffee, the stranger-than-parody coffee shop taking over NYC (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/dining/blank-street-coffee.html) "What We Owe the Future" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1541618629) Slate Star Codex's review of the same (https://astra…

Today on "What a Week," we discuss listener Justin's feedback for us on the purpose of art (and the travesty of an "AI Rapper"), and we do a misinformation segment that covers Meghan Markle, Bank of America, predatory lending, and California coping with climate change. Then we do a deep dive into an article in Tablet Magazine on "The Debasement of …

On today's installment of What a Week, special guest Bobby Mixa joins Andrew and I to talk through the news of the week. We discuss: Baseball Parks and Fields (and garish stadiums) Gummy Bears Wind Turbines Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" Installment The decline of the University and Federal student loan bailouts And much more! Links mentioned: Willia…

On today's installment of What a Week, we run a misinformation segment that covers Queen Elizabeth I, Joan of Arc, Anthony Fauci, the shelving of Batwoman (at a cost of $90 million to Warner Brothers), and more. Then we talk about "progress studies," reviewing this 2019 essay from Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen: https://www.theatlantic.com/scienc…

Today on the show, my friend Larry Chapp rejoins me for a discussion about Desiderio Desideravi, the Pope's comments on the development of dogma, moral theology, and more. Larry's article on Desiderio Desideravi: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/desiderio-desideravi-connecting-some-papal-dotsLarry's article on Proportionalism and the Pope: h…

On today's installment of What a Week, we run a misinformation segment that covers electoral politics, atomic bombs, Prince Harry, Jim Harbaugh, and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Then we talk about architecture, drawing on @WrathofGnon's work on his Substack (article links below). We finally share some recommendations--links below. The Alluring City (https://…

Today on the show, I'm welcoming Andrew Petiprin for the first of many installments of our new weekly show. We discuss:Alana Newhouse's "Everything is Broken": https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/everything-is-broken Emma Green's Roe article in The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-education/what-the-end-of-roe-v-wad…

Today on the show, my friend Nathan Crankfield of Seeking Excellence joins me to talk about the challenges of growing up in a biracial family, his journey from dyed-in-the-wool Democrat to registered Republican, his thoughts on Black Lives Matter and the state of national politics, converting to Catholicism, and much more. Tune into the Seeking Exc…

Today on the show, author Jessica Hooten Wilson joins me to talk about her latest book, The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints. We talk about how imagination shapes the moral life, George Bernanos, Disney movies, and more. Buy Jessica's book: https://www.eighthdaybooks.com/product/125590/The-Scandal-of-…

Today on the show, Fr. Bonaventure Chapman joins me for a spirited discussion about our shared Anglican backgrounds, conversion to Catholicism, joining the Dominican order, the sovereignty of God, and film. He'll be back for more, I hope--so write in your questions for next time! zac@creedalpodcast.com…

Today on the show, I talk about the development of my thinking on Uvalde since I wrote my Substack piece, raise the basic questions that demand answers in Uvalde, share listener feedback from my Roe episode, and briefly talk about Juneteenth. My Substack piece: https://creedal.substack.com/p/uvalde-and-the-death-of-courageThe Texas Tribune piece: h…

Today on the show, my friend Larry Chapp rejoins me to talk about Pope Francis' partial embrace of proportionalism (or at least of proportionalists), his recent comments about "restorationists" in America who reject the Second Vatican Council, and what we should do about it (hint: it starts with "Universal" and ends with "Holiness"!). Read Larry's …

Today on the show we talk about the leaked draft opinion that could spill the end of the Roe regime, Archbishop Salvator Cordileone's declaration that Nancy Pelosi cannot present herself for communion, bad arguments for abortion, good arguments against abortion, and more. Send me feedback: zac@creedalpodcast.com…

What is Prudence and why do we need it? Today on the show, Fr. Gregory Pine, OP joins us to talk about his newest book, Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly. We talk about the importance of Prudence, the relationship between intellect and will, how to select spiritual disciplines for oneself, how to manage life with those who don't share your …

Today on the show, author Kat Rosenfield joins me to talk about the death of intimacy. We discuss Twitter, the importance of real human touch, the effects of pornography on human relationships, the displacement of the real with the virtual, and much more. To read Kat's article on The Death of Intimacy, head here: https://unherd.com/2022/01/the-deat…

Today on the show, we dive into the historical accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus. Is it real? What are the alternative explanations for the Resurrection accounts? How do those explanations hold up under the weight of the evidence? (Spoiler: they don't!) Some resources if you're interested in further reading: Handbook of Christian Apologetics (K…

Today on the show, Shaun Blanchard joins me to talk about what changed and what changed at Vatican II, and how the discontinuities hold real meaning for our understanding of ecclesiology (but not necessarily in the way that we might be tempted to think). Shaun is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Newman Studies, and the author …