Intellectual Conservatism: Recent Episodes
Suan Sonna
The purpose of Intellectual Conservatism is to defend the true, good and beautiful things of life that are jeopardized in mainstream academia and society. On this page, you will find artwork, music, satire, academic papers, lectures and my own projects defending the duty of conserving these true, good and beautiful things.
Erick Ybarra REACTS to Gavin Ortlund - Did Emperors Actually Run the 7 Ecumenical Councils?
Erick Ybarra explains the theory of "penal substitutionary atonement", distinguishing it from Protestantism, and shows that the Fathers taught something like PSA.
Suan Sonna, Director of Apologetics for the Diocese of Bridgeport, teaches his first class on Good vs. Bad Apologetics.
Robert C. Koons and Christopher Tomaszewski discuss whether we are still persons after death. Rob says "Yes" and Chris says "No."
Stephen Boyce gives the case that Origen can possibly still be made a saint by the Catholic Church.
Jon D. Levenson, professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard University, discusses the Bible, Sola Scriptura, and Biblical Theology from a Jewish perspective warm towards Catholicism.
Suan Sonna gives a deep, moving talk about how to evangelize a secular and disenchanted world.
Isaac Hess reviews Joe Heschmeyer's (Catholic) debate with Jacob Hansen (Mormon), providing a formidable but good faith critiquie of Mormonism.
Suan Sonna talks about how anti-Catholicism helped Catholicism grow in the Western world.
I ask my top questions on Matthew to the world's leading scholar on the Gospel of Matthew.
Suan Sonna gives his case that there was a higher Mariology in early Christianity than expected if Protestantism were true.
Kyle King (Orthodox, former Catholic) and Ben Bollinger (Catholic, former Orthodox) debate whether clerical celibacy as practiced by Latin Catholics has a stronger basis in antiquity than the Eastern Catholic/Orthodox practice.
Fr. Brian Dunkle, SJ, a world-renowned Patristics expert talks about the First Council of Nicaea.
Eminent theologian Robert Fastiggi and Suan Sonna discuss the Catholic Church's teachings on the death penalty.
Dave Armstrong presents five Bible verses that are hard to reconcile with Protestantism.
Suan summarizes his recent research on icons, including new second century evidence, and how to find the weaknesses in Gavin Ortlund's case against images.
The "dream team", Erick Ybarra, Ben Bollinger, and Elijah Yasi respond to Seraphim Hamilton's case for Eastern Orthodoxy.
Hassan Ahmad and Suan Sonna discuss whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
Philosopher John Skalko discusses how one's belief (or lack thereof) in the afterlife might influence their stance on assisted suicide.
Profs. Grant and Tomaszewski discuss God's universal causality and human free will. Along the way, Prof. Tomaszewski questions whether some form of theological determinism best accords with Catholic dogmatic theology.
New Testament scholar Dale C. Allison Jr. discusses an alleged appearance of Mary in Zeitoun, Egypt which he considers the best documented miracle in history.
William Albrëcht, David Száraz, Gary Michuta respond to Gavin Ortlund on whether St. Jerome eventually accepted the Roman Catholic Old Testament.
Suan Sonna argues against Gavin Ortlund that not only is "a fallible list of infallible books" a disaster but that a case can be made from the canon to the infallibility of the Church on at least one occassion.
British Catholic Apologist Peter D. Williams argues that Protestants don't have the resources within their own system to justify any knowledge claim of the biblical canon.
Suan Sonna (Roman Catholic - Infernalist) and Hunter Coates (Eastern Orthodox - Univeralist) talk about Hunter's new book in defense of universalism "Grace Abounds: A Holistic Case for Universal Salvation".
Catholic Answers Apologist Dr. Karlo Broussard defends the practice of venerating and praying to saints.
Catholic theologian Matthew J. Ramage compares the approaches of Bart Ehrman and Pope Benedict XVI with respect to the study of Sacred Scripture. Along the way, Ramage discusses the Catholic Church's relationship to Biblical scholarship.
Erick Ybarra and Daniel Vecchio debate about Pope Francis' comments in Singapore about world religions.
Isaac Hess, an ex-Mormon convert to Catholicism, critiques the presenation of Mormon apologist Jacob Hansen on Pints with Aquinas.
Philosopher Gregory Stacey addresses Protestant and Orthodox objections to purgatory from a philosophical-theological perspective.
Kipp Davis argues that the Conquest of Canaan did not happen as described in the Hebrew Bible.
Catholic philosophers Tyler McNabb and Gregory Stacey philosophically scrutinize the confidence of certain Protestants in sola scriptura.
Catholic philosopher Tyler McNabb addresses concerns over Pope Francis' comments in Singapore about whether all religions are paths to God.
Catholic theologian Matthew Ramage and Suan Sonna tackle the reality and specifics of the dark passages of the Bible, bringing along St. Thomas Aquinas and Pope Benedict XVI as guides.
Suan and Gideon discuss the relationship between the literal sense of scripture, the human and divine authorial intent, and Catholic doctrine. They closely discuss the issue of slavery in the Bible, clarifying and assessing Suan's position.
Suan discusses a possible theological reading of scripture that explains why God allowed for slavery passages in the Bible. Rather than denying that slavery is intrinsically evil or affirming that the Bible is errant, Suan finds a different avenue using resources only available to a Roman Catholic theologian.
Fr. Gregory Pine, OP explains how exactly Catholics venerate the blessed Virgin Mary without falling down the slippery slopes Protestants fear.
Thomas Farrar continues his case against Edward Fudge's arguments for annihilationism. Last time he covered the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple literature. He now addresses the conception of hell in the New Testament.
Thomas Farrar argues against Edward Fudge's case for annihilationism from the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Jewish literature.
Yale professor emeritus Harold W. Attridge discusses a class he, as a Roman Catholic New Testament scholar, taught at Yale about Catholics and the Bible.
New Testament scholar Jason Staples argues that Paul saw Gentile inclusion as part of the restoration of the northern kingdom Israel.
Dr. Michael Barber debunks some popular misconceptions about ancient Judaism and early Christianity.
Fr. John Ramsey (Orthodox) and William Albrecht (Catholic) debate the doctrine of original sin.
Suan Sonna presents two new arguments against Sola Scriptura, the Problem of Slavery and the Checks and Balances argument.
Dr. Michael R. Licona talks about why the gospels tell the same stories differently and what this means for the doctrine of inerrancy.
Profs. Timothy Pawl and Christopher Tomaszewski discuss the coherence of the Christology of the first seven ecumenical councils. What strategy is most effective for dealing with objections to the coherence of Christ being God and man?
In this episode, Suan Sonna explains why Protestants cannot begin with Protestantism as their default when investigating Catholicism. He shows how Protestantism is itself highly controversial, especially on the issues of sola scriptura and sola fide.
Suan Sonna talks to Michael Lofton about his (Michael's) approach to handling controversies in the Catholic Church.
Casey Chalk, author of The Obscurity of Scripture, discusses why we need a magisterium and cannot rely upon the supposed clarity of the Bible alone for our theological disputes.
Fr. Gale Hammerschmidt of St. Isidore's Catholic Student center answers questions from fans about spiritual matters. Fr. Gale confirmed Suan into the Church!
Michael P. Barber of the Augustine Institute debunks popular misconceptions about the New Testament.
Michael P. Barber of the Augustine Institute examines popular misconceptions that people have aobut the first Christmas.
Dr. Michael P. Barber of the Augustine Institute debunks multiple misconceptions that people often have about the Bible.
Fr. Anthony Giambrone, OP presents a view of Jesus and the historical critical method that is consonant with Church teaching.
Erick Ybarra discusses three famous episodes of papal failure and how to reconcile them with Catholic teaching on the papacy.
New Testament scholar Matthew J. Thomas and Catholic Apologist Gary Michuta discuss the case for the Catholic canon of the Old Testament from their respective approaches.
Michael Licona discusses why there are differences in the Gospels based on ancient writing conventions. He also touches on inerrancy and his forthcoming book.
Fr. Thomas Crean, OP and Erick Ybarra defend the Filioque on philosophical, historical, biblical, and theological grounds.
Suan explains the problem with "historical retrieval" as stated by Gavin Ortlund in this 5-minute case for Protestantism (2:43): "And to be sure many contemporary Protestants do have a shallow historical consciousness. But Protestantism as such is nothing other than an effort of historical retrieval. The magisterial reformers appealed to the church fathers just as much as, and sometimes more than, they appealed to scripture to oppose what they saw as the novel accretions and innovations of the medieval west." In short, historical retrieval eventually became the extreme secular form of the historical critical method.
The Cordial Catholic (Keith Little) shows that although Jerome taught that presbyters and bishops are equals, Jerome also shows that the apostles universally decreed that one bishop-presbyter should be placed over the other bishop-presbyters. In other words, the monarchical episcopate, the structure of the Catholic Church, has its origins in the apostles.
Alan Fimister, an atheist convert to Catholicism, argues that the Protestant reformation led to secularism.
Suan summarizes his position on Nicaea II and further defends his thesis. He shows that Nicaea II is simply silent on whether or not the apostles venerated icons like the 8th century iconodules. That's not the way of reasoning at the Council. Moreover, Suan explores the forgeries used at Nicaea II, finding them to not endanger any central teachings of the Council or his thesis.
Thomas Farrar argues for the deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit. We conclude by reflecting on the meaning and significance of the Trinity.
Thomas Farrar summarizes his previous presentation and provides MORE evidence that Jesus is God.
Erick Ybarra presents seven propositions on Melchizedek and the Last Supper that, together, constitute a case for transubstantiation. Erick discusses Paul's eucharistic texts and Orthodox and Protestant objections.
Joe Heschmeyer discusses how Pope Leo took down the robber council "Ephesus II" (449 AD) and what this means for the debate between Catholics and Orthodox on papal authority.
Seraphim Hamilton, an Orthodox biblical theologian, discusses his journey from theistic evolution to young earth creationism. Seraphim's views are not the host's own views.
Hassan Ahmad, a graduate of Princeton and current Harvard student, discusses his conversion from Islam to Roman Catholicism. He also explains why he didn't become Eastern Orthodox and Protestant.
How do you defend the Trinity? What are some pitfalls to avoid? Thomas Farrar discusses these vital points, including an overlooked early historical document in favor of the Trinity.
Suan talks to one of his classmates at Harvard University, Sea-Yun Pius Joung, who is also a brilliant Catholic thinker.
Ben Bollinger, a promising young Orthodox thinker, raises a new argument against sola scriptura. Suan, an ex-Protestant Catholic, offers some pushback.
Seraphim Hamilton discusses how Protestants and Orthodox/Catholics interpret the Bible differently and flaws in the Protestant hermeneutic.
Erick Ybarra responds to Gavin Ortlund's case against Vatican I based on Pope Vigilius and the witness of other scholars by providing the evidence for Vatican I in the first 1,000 years of Christianity.
In this presentation, Suan Sonna argues that there is a plausible case to be made of development from the apostles to Nicaea II on the matter of image veneration. Suan first responds to Gavin Ortlund's objection that Nicaea II rejects development in the cultic use of images from the apostles to the Council. Suan accomplishes this by examining the decree and sessions of the Council. The second section fills in the details on image veneration between the apostles and the Council, arguing that there has always been a cultic use of sacred images in Christianity.
According to the Bible and Second Temple Judaism, who or what is Satan? Thomas Farrar explores this question with immense clarity and rigor.
In this episode, Suan Sonna responds to a popular Protestant argument for sola scriptura: Jesus condemns traditions in Matthew 15 and Mark 7. Does this refute Catholicsm? No.
Suan Sonna comprehensively responds to Gavin Ortlund's case for sola scriptura in his debate with Trent Horn. Michael Lofton of Reason Theology hosted Suan.
Thomas Farrar talks about his journey from the Christadelphian sect to Catholicism. Along the way, we discuss his incredible life journey, his work in biblical scholarship, and especially the Peter-Eliakim argument for the papacy.
New Testament scholar Jason A. Staples discusses a subtle proof that Jesus referred to Himself as YHWH, the God of Israel.
The Catholic Brothers, Daniel and Steven, discuss their response to Gavin Ortlund's critique of icon veneration.
Tyler McNabb, a former Protestant philosopher, discusses his conversion and current research.
Check out his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@furtheringchristendom714
Fr. Christiaan Kappes and William Albrecht return to talk about their new book "The Complete Guide to the Papacy in the Bible". They discuss on this show multiple fascinating topics including Paul's rebuke of Peter and its consequences for the Early Church.
Suan Sonna responds to Gavin Ortlund on how to interpret the data on icon veneration (or lack thereof) in the Early Church.
Dr. Johny Joy, an expert on the Catholic magisterium, explains what papal infallibility is and is not.
In this episode, I sit down with Baptist New Testament scholar Timothy Rucker to discuss the keys of Jesus (Rev. 3:7), Peter (Matt. 16:19), and Eliakim (Isa. 22:22).
Erick Ybarra has recently published a masterpiece with Emmaus Road Publishing on the issue of the papacy. His book is geared towards Catholic and Orthodox audiences.
Michael Lofton (Reason & Theology) argues that the Formula of Pope Horsmidas is evidence of the Catholic conception of the papacy.
Hard universalism claims that it is IMPOSSIBLE that God could allow anyone to end up in hell. Fr. James Dominic argues against this thesis and explores the Catholic doctrine of hell.
Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC discusses his dissertation work on Matthew's gospel. He explores the question of what Matthew meant by "fulfillment." We even discuss issues related to the papacy and my Peter-Eliakim typological argument.
In this episode, I respond to objections that typology can't establish doctrine. In particular, I examine whether my own New Eliakim Typological argument for the papacy survives scrutiny.
Meet Olivia Rogers! She invited me to my first mass when I was Protestant... and now I'm entering the Dominican Order!!!
I talk to Amber Rose ("The Religious Hippie") about her reversion to Catholicism, her pro-life activism, and the meaning of the Latin mass to her.
Francis Beckwith discusses the legal context of Roe v. Wade, and why the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn the decision. We also discuss the emotional problem of abortion and Nancy Pelosi.
Philosophers Seth Hart and Matthew K. Minerd defend the reality of teleology in nature, especially biology, and the ramifications of this fact for ethics and the debate on God's existence.
Jimmy Akin reviews his debate with Steven Nemes on Capturing Christianity. Who is the rock of Matthew 16:18?
Suan Sonna responds to Gavin Ortlund's objections to the Isaiah 22:22-Matthew 16:19 typology for the papacy. Suan includes clips from Gavin's channel, their debate, and Suan's own commentary.
Suan Sonna describes his conversion in fuller detail at the Alcuin Institute of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.
Catholic philosopher, Joshua Sijuwade, offers a compelling account of what transubstantiation is precisely using cutting edge metaphysics.
Sebastian Morello, an accomplished student of Sir Roger Scruton, discusses the nature of beauty through the lens of St. Thomas Aquinas and Sir Roger.
Dr. Tomaszewski explores the question of whether we survive our own deaths, or if our souls survive but not us. We discuss the relevance of this question to intercession of the saints and the resurrection.
Who was Clement of Rome? Is he the episcopal successor of Peter? When was his first letter written? Does he teach apostolic succession? Find out with Biblical scholar Matthew J. Thomas!
Lawrence Feingold explains the relationship between Israel and the Church, and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
Fr. Thomas Joseph White and Gaven Kerr team up to explain and defend transubstantiation.
Christian Wagner and I discuss what St. John Henry Newman meant by "the development of doctrine."
Dr. Margaret Barker, founder of Temple Theology studies, argues that the Old Testament contains precursors for Marian veneration in the New Testament Church.
Joe Schmid and Rob Koons discuss whether causal finitism is true and if there are any theistic implications to the doctrine.
Trent Horn of Catholic Answers and the Counsel of Trent discusses 6 ways in which Protestants argue like atheists. His argument is not that Protestants are atheists, but that there are certain bad objections that should stop being used by Protestants against Catholicism.
A medical student, Alec Butenas, and philosopher, Daniel Vecchio, discuss a hylemorphic theory of mind where many of the operations are material (contra substance dualism) but some are immaterial (contra materialism).
Gaven Kerr, Matthew K. Minerd, and Christopher Tomaszewski discuss how God can love us if He has no real relation to the world (Kerr), is impassible (Minerd), and Christopher explains how the incarnation occurs under classical theism.
Michael Lofton, Matthieu Lavagna, and Suan Sonna discuss the teachings of the Catholic Church. In particular, how to interpret what the magisterium has said about Adam & Eve, contraception, how to identify the universal ordinary magisterium, and so much more!
Christian Wagner, the Militant Thomist, discusses his conversion from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism. Along the way, we discuss the perpetual virginity of Mary and his controversy with James White.
Gavin and I talk about his life and theological formation. We also discuss classical theism, hell, evolution, and other timely issues.
Joe Schmid and I discuss what role theoretical virtues play in the interpretation of scripture and settling doctrinal disputes between Protestants and Catholics.
Philosopher Daniel Bonevac presents his conservative political theory known as "Civilizational Consequentialism". Along the way, we discuss Plato's Republic, John Rawls' A Theory of Justice, free markets, necessary evils, healthcare, and more!
Elijah Yasi, Michael Lofton, and Erick Ybarra cite and defend three instances in the first millennium where the Vatican I claims are made: Pope Leo, Pope Agatho, Pope Hadrian respectively.
Fr. James Dominic Rooney critiques integralism and offers a different perfectionist theory of government in accordance with Catholic teaching.
I sit down with my good friend Pat Flynn to discuss his journey from atheism to Catholicism.
The Byzantine Scotist returns to talk about his journal from a nominal Jewish faith to a devout Orthodoxy to, finally, a rich Catholic faith.
The Byzantine Scotist explains the philosophy of John Duns Scotus and tackles questions on Palamism and Divine Simplicity.
Dr. Christopher J. Malloy, author of "Engrafted into Christ", defends the Catholic view of Justification against various Lutheran and broadly Protestant objections.
Michael Lofton clarifies the nature of papal authority and current controversies in the Catholic Church. We also address common Orthodox and Protestant misconceptions about Vatican I, papal infallibility, and the Pope's relationship to the Bishops.
In this episode, Pat Flynn joins me to review my debates with Gavin Ortlund and Serro Hamilton. I go into in-depth analysis of both of their arguments, and I present the case for why the Biblical arguments for the papacy succeed.
Dr. Michael Licona discusses his historiography or philosophy of history with respect to the New Testament. We discuss the resurrection of Jesus, miracles, and various forms of criticism.
Eminent New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine and I discuss the Jewishness of Jesus, removing stereotypes about Jewish people during the time of Jesus and even today, and what Dr. Levine would like to ask Jesus!
Biblical scholar Matthew J. Thomas discusses the life and witness of Irenaeus, including his teaching on justification and apostolic succession. We also discuss the dating of 1 Clement and historical epistemology.
Dr. Sebastian Morello, a former student of Sir Roger and a good friend, joins me to discuss the life and philosophy of his mentor. We explore Sir Roger's personality, aesthetics, politics, and religious philosophy. Sir Roger Scruton will forever be remembered as restoring conservatism to intellectual respectability among the likes of Edmund Burke.
Daniel Suazo (The Jewish Catholic) details his conversion from Judaism to Protestantism to Catholicism. He argues that Catholicism not only fulfills Judaism but allows him to be the most authentically Jewish he can be.
Gaven Kerr tackles 11 questions that Patrons and online viewers submitted. We talk about whether God's knowledge changes, the strongest objections to Thomism, how an immaterial God can create a material world, the metaphysics of transubstantiation, if Gaven could beat Conor McGregor in a fight, and much more!
Eastern Orthodox philosopher David Bradshaw and Roman Catholic philosopher Christopher Tomaszewski discuss Palamism and Thomism. The topics range from the Patristics to interpretations of St. Thomas Aquinas and heavy-hitting philosophy on virtual distinctions, modal collapse, and the energies of God.
Robert C. Koons and Jordan B. Cooper discuss Dr. Koons' defense of the Catholic position on justification. Rob, a former Lutheran, and Jordan, an active Lutheran theologian, discuss a wide girth of topics related to scripture and Christian theology.
Michael Lofton discusses the evidence for the Catholicism from the Church Fathers, the scriptures, and his own experience.
Robert C. Koons and Matthew J. Thomas team up to discuss the doctrine of justification in response to Lutheran scholar Jordan B. Cooper. They explore the Old and New Perspectives on Paul, and where the Reformation erred.
World-class scholar Lee Martin McDonald discusses the formation of the New and Old Testament canons, and guides listeners through New Testament historiography and theology.
Suan Sonna and Ty Nienke debate whether or not the papacy is true. I (Suan) argue that Christ established a successional Petrine ministry that is supreme and infallible.
Suan Sonna and Ty Nienke debate whether or not sola scriptura is true. I (Suan) argue that it is false, because (1) there are valid extra-Biblical apostolic traditions, and (2) Christ established a new Rabbinic authority that is infallible and successional.
Steven Nemes and Suan Sonna discuss the concept of magisterial infallibility. Steven, a Protestant, argues that infallible theological knowledge is not possible, whereas Suan argues that Christ established an infallible magisterium in scripture that we are to trust.
Ryan Mullins and Gaven Kerr engage in a 2-hour discussion on the nature of God, covering issues like divine simplicity, immutability, timelessness, impassibility, and omniscience. This conversation is unique, however, in that they spend lots of time discussing their methodological bedrock.
Steven Nemes proposes an original way of understanding anthropocentric ontology that engages realism, naturalism, empiricism, skepticism, and other schools of thought. He argues that human beings are not accidents in the cosmic order but that consciousness is integral to reality itself.
Fr. Gregory Pine sits down with Suan to talk about the nature of God, whether or not he's ever considered not being Catholic, and the secret to happiness.
Christopher Tomaszewski and Gil Sanders take on Ryan Mullins and Joe Schmid's Aloneness argument against Classical Theism. In this 2-hour episode, both guests provide a thorough explanation and defense of divine simplicity, intrinsic/extrinsic change, possible worlds, and why the aloneness ultimately fails. Moreover, they get at the heart of the disagreement between classical theists and theistic personalists.
Patrick Lee and I discuss whether or not the embryo is a moral subject and a distinct individual from his or her mother. Is the embryo a moral subject - a person - worthy of our respect? May we use vaccines developed from aborted fetal cell lines? These and other questions are explored in this episode.
Gaven Kerr discusses St. Thomas Aquinas' metaphysics of creation, including the finitude of the universe, analytic philosophy, God's freedom, and existential inertia. Kerr also discusses his new book on the resurrection, which will discuss Christ's body and what our resurrection bodies will be like - among other issues!
Steven Nemes and Daniel Vecchio offer their ontological arguments for the existence of God. Steven's is a unique argument from phenomenological and scholastic premises, while Daniel incorporates these insights into a more analytic argument. This discussion is revolutionary in its scope and depth.
Steven Nemes and I discuss the relationship between the God of classical theism and time. We talk about the incarnation, William Lane Craig's presentism and his kalam argument, and the price one pays for believing God is temporal.
In this episode, Gaven Kerr and Joe Schmid debate the De Ente argument. After clarifying St. Thomas Aquinas' famous argument, Joe presents a flurry of objections and questions. Kerr addresses these including existential inertia.
Daniel Vecchio and Tyler Journeaux present five abductive arguments for the Trinity which will be released in a forthcoming paper. The arguments are based on the nature of love, justice, creation, beauty, and elegance. We address various objections to the Trinity from unitarian and Islamic perspectives along with divine simplicity's relationship to the doctrine.
Robert C. Koons presents and defends the best arguments for the existence of God - the Leibnizian and Kalam Cosmological arguments, the Ontological argument, the Teleological argument, the argument from Intuition, and the argument from scientific realism.