The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

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The Most Importan...

Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle Episode: https://youtu.be/ZSf7o3Jel_g

Dr. Jacobs compares how Eastern and Western Christianity understand Christ's death on the cross, examining the theological differences that emerged over centuries. The discussion traces the Western development from Augustine through the Protestant Reformers and their focus on penal substitution, while exploring Eastern perspectives from church fathers like Gr...

Read the original letter: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/to-a-woman-who-lost-several-children

In this episode, Dr. Jacobs reads aloud a deeply personal letter written to "Etheline," a woman who had lost several children and sought theological perspective on suffering. The letter explores three key Eastern patristic doctrines: the distinction between God's antecedent and consequent will, the doctrine of synerg...

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In this Q&A episode, Dr. Jacobs addresses ten challenging questions about the problem of evil and divine foreknowledge. He tackles issues ranging from whether God's plan for salvation required evil acts, to how divine foreknowledge works when predicted events don't occur, to why Jewish and Christian traditions differ on ev...

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Why Would God Make the Damned? https://youtu.be/H2Ja5WeOo1A

In this episode, Dr. Jacobs examines the contrasting views on divine foreknowledge between Western and Eastern Christian traditions. He’ll explore the perspectives of Augustine, Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus from the Latin West juxtaposed against John of Damascus, Basil of Caesarea and Ori...

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In this sixth and final installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs explores the Eastern Fathers' understanding of The Fall, demonic influence, and animal suffering. The episode examines how the church fathers interpreted humanity's departure from divine communion and its consequences. The Eastern tradition frames suffering within creat...

https://www.academia.edu/41586437/The_Metaphysical_Idealism_of_the_Eastern_Church_Fathers

In this fifth installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs examines the patristic narrative, exploring how the early church fathers understood creation's purpose and humanity's relationship with the divine. The episode investigates the Genesis narrative through a patristic lens, revealing how creation was designed for communion an...

Dr. Jacobs gives feedback on the recently viral Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle clip with an Orthodox college student. You’ll get a rundown of some specific differences between Eastern and Western Christianity and why they can’t be ignored in discussions like this. Specifically you’ll hear about basic misunderstandings of grace and works. 

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

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Sp...

Dr. Jacobs explains the Eastern Christian understanding of Christ's descent into Hades, distinguishing it from Hell. The letter clarifies how Eastern Church fathers viewed Christ's descent as destroying death's power and liberating humanity. A comparison with Western theological perspectives reveals fundamental differences in how these traditions understand this doctrine.

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheN...

In this fourth installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs explores the complex relationship between divine providence and human freedom. What does it mean that God delegates subsovereignce to creation? And how does divine foreknowledge interact with human self-determination? Tune in as we examine biblical figures like Abraham, Job, and Saul alongside the desecration of goodness and the atheist's problem with evil. This epis...

In this third installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs lays the groundwork for understanding Eastern patristic theodicy. Why can God do no evil, despite having free will? And why don’t these conditions apply to humans? Tune in because this will lay the foundation for the finale episode on the problem of evil. 

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple ...

Go to 33:15 to skip the recap of the first installment  

In this second installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs looks at the notion that our world is an orchestral expression of divine goodness. But this insight reveals the uncomfortable fact that not all goods can co-exist and many goods are entangled with evils. So, though we may casually speak about the idea that God can do anything, the choices of providence are far m...

My Wild Ride to Orthodoxy https://youtu.be/yRYBsOXX3e0

Part 1 on Problem of Divine Hiddenness: https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY

Today Dr. Jacobs will examine the basic philosophical and theological elements of the Problem of Evil. He’ll explore perspectives from Christian tradition and philosophical discourse. The episode tackles key concepts including free will, divine permission, and whether a sinless world would be preferable.

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Find the original episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJHCg8xt_l8

The early church fathers went to great lengths to ensure that the followers of Christ did not innovate but rather perpetuate “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3), and this conversation seeks to understand what they meant, where we may have gotten off track, and what it means to become truly human through Christ.

Topics discusse...

This week’s episode, Jacobs delves into Jesus’ uncomfortable teachings  about wealth and salvation with guest Charles Lelon, an Orthodox Christian and private equity investor. The two tackle the question of whether the rich can be saved or must sell all they have to become poor to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

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Original article with citations: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation

Back to the theological letter series to explore a key distinction that's often missed: universal salvation isn't the same as apokatastasis. Dr. Jacobs dives into what early Christian thinkers really meant by these terms, untangling common misconceptions and showing why it matters for modern discussions of salvation. From t...

This week Dr. Jacobs gives a rundown of mystery in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. You’ll get definitions, how he thinks the misunderstanding devolved, and the Chuch Fathers’ on natural theology. You’ll also get a little side tangent about the future of Orthodoxy in America. 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40u...

Join us for Part Two of our Hollywood Taxidermy series, where Dr. Jacobs explores intellectual property and creative adaptation. Through the lens of natural law and rights theory, he'll examine what it means to faithfully adapt stories from page to screen while honoring creators' original visions.

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNathanJacobsPodcast

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://...

Part 1: https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY

Part 2: https://youtu.be/9B1G44hywd0

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In this third episode on the problem of divine hiddenness series, Dr. Jacobs takes a closer look at the premise. Is God truly hidden? Through anthropological and theological lenses, he investigates how...