Theology Episodes

May 28, 2025

Capitalizing Christ in Thirteenth-Century Scholasticism | Prof. Boyd …

Prof. Boyd Taylor Coolman examines the thirteenth-century scholastic doctrine of “capital grace,” showing how Alexander of Hales, Hugh of Saint Victor, and the Summa Halensis developed a pneumatologically-centered account of Christ as the head of the Church, which Aquinas later systematized, emphas…

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May 27, 2025

How Does Christ Save Us? Making Sense of the Atonement | Prof. Ross M…

Prof. Ross McCullough systematically explores the major models of the atonement-including Christus Victor, ransom theory, and divinization-showing how each interprets Christ’s saving work and how Aquinas’s distinctions can help organize these diverse approaches into a coherent theological architect…

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May 26, 2025

Contemplating Personhood and the Trinity | Fr. Timothy Bellamah, O.P.

This lecture was given on November 23rd, 2023, at Dominican House of Studies. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speaker: Fr. Timothy Bellamah, O.P. was bor...

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May 6, 2025

The Trinity: The Heart of Christian Life | Dr. Edmund Lazzari

Dr. Edmund Lazzari defends the coherence and relevance of the Trinity by addressing Thomas Jefferson’s objections through Thomistic philosophy, emphasizing divine revelation’s role in understanding God’s triune nature.

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April 25, 2025

John Henry Newman's Conception of the Development of Doctrine | Prof.…

Prof. Chad Pecknold analyzes John Henry Newman’s theological legacy, focusing on doctrinal development, conscience as a divine imperative, and his impact on the Second Vatican Council and modern Catholic-Protestant dialogue.

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April 24, 2025

Do We Need Marian Apparitions? | Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

Fr. Gregory Pine explores the theological necessity of Marian apparitions through the lens of Catholic doctrine, explaining how they relate to the central mystery of the Incarnation and the proper hierarchy of truths in Christian faith.

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April 23, 2025

Nicaea’s ‘Christological surplus, or, How to remember the creed’ | Pr…

Prof. Lewis Ayres examines how the Nicene Creed functions as a generative and interpretive “cipher” within Christian tradition, tracing its roots to the adaptation of Second Temple Jewish imaginative worlds and the development of early rules of fai...

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April 21, 2025

Hope: The Pilgrim's Virtue | Prof. Michael Wahl

Prof. Michael Wahl explores the theological virtue of hope as essential for Christian pilgrimage, distinguishing it from mere passion by examining how hope directs us toward God as our ultimate, difficult yet attainable good.

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April 18, 2025

What Has the Historical Jesus to Do with the Church's Christ? | Fr. I…

Fr. Isaac Morales explores the relationship between the historical Jesus and Church's knowledge of Jesus, cautioning against relying too heavily on ever-changing historical reconstructions while emphasizing recurrent themes to discover the authenti...

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April 17, 2025

On the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist | Fr. Dominic Langevi…

Fr. Dominic Langevin explores the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, explaining transubstantiation, its scriptural basis, historical development, and the significance for Christian life.

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April 15, 2025

Why Are There Two Sacraments of Healing, Penance and Anointing of the…

Prof. Roger Nutt explores the theological significance of the sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick as healing encounters that address both sin and its temporal consequences, emphasizing the Christian's journey toward a good death in ligh...

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April 14, 2025

Divine Providence as Fulfilled in Christ | Fr. Timothy Bellamah, O.P.

Fr. Timothy Bellamah explores divine providence as God's vision and causation of all things fulfilled in Christ, explaining that Christ's incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection serve as God's ultimate response to the problem of evil, particularly the suffering of the innocent.

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April 11, 2025

Coming to Know God Through Creation: A Biblical Perspective | Fr. Jor…

Fr. Jordan Schmidt explores biblical creation accounts, emphasizing their theological depth and historical context to reveal how the created world serves as a pathway to knowing God and understanding divine revelation.

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March 28, 2025

Sharing in Divine Goodness by Grace | Fr. John Mark Solitario, O.P.

Fr. John Mark Solitario explores the transformative power of grace offered by Christ, emphasizing the perfection of charity and voluntary poverty as a means to participate in divine goodness and a sure path to eternal life.

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March 27, 2025

What Exactly Is the Hypostatic Union? | Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.

Fr. Dominic Legge explores the intricacies of the hypostatic union, focusing on Aquinas's understanding of how the divine and human natures are united in the person of Christ, while navigating various Christological heresies.

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