The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Nathan Jacobs
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A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    What is Mount Athos like during Holy Week?

    Dr. Jacobs returns to the podcast with a personal update on his time away, news about the upcoming East West Series, and reflections from Holy Week, Pascha, and Bright Week on Mount Athos. In this episode, he shares stories from Vatopedi Monastery, discusses miracles, relics, and monastic life, and offers insight into how these experiences challenge modern skepticism and deepen faith. Support the East West series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Leave a comment on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIZVUy5v32M Breakwater Festival 2026 | 19–21 June | London: I’ll be speaking at Breakwater Festival 2026, a 3-day Estuary gathering focused on bringing online conversations into real-life dialogue and connection. This year’s theme, Cross Pollination: Conversing Across Religious Lines, explores how beliefs engage across difference in a pluralistic world. Join me and other speakers in London — Early Bird tickets are available now: https://www.thebreakwaternetwork.com/upcoming-event Chapters: 00:00 I'm back 00:13 Why I disappeared for Lent and Mount Athos 02:33 What this episode covers 03:00 East West Series update 04:53 Production timeline and release plan 05:54 Fundraising and pre-orders 07:16 Why the East West Series matters 09:35 Who the series is for: converts, inquirers, and online debate 11:45 Vatopedi Monastery endorsement announcement 14:05 Podcast facelift and rebrand 16:25 New 30-minute “Coffee with Dr. Jacobs” episodes 21:07 Topic requests, comments, and sharing 23:30 Website simplification and one-stop hub 24:20 Mount Athos reflections begin 25:45 Third trip to Mount Athos and Holy Week overview 28:05 Visiting Elder Paisios’ hermitage 30:32 Other monasteries and the capital of Athos 32:55 Daily monastic rhythm: Matins, Vespers, and Compline 35:19 Holy Week, Pascha, and the intensity of Athos 37:41 The washing of the feet service 40:09 Pascha procession and the all-night liturgy 42:31 Holy Week exhaustion and conversations with monks 45:00 Bright Week procession and blessing of the waters 47:25 Pizza on Mount Athos 49:48 Relics, miracles, and confronting modern skepticism 54:29 The Belt of the Virgin Mary 56:49 The True Cross and miraculous yeast 59:16 St. John Chrysostom’s incorrupt ear 01:04:00 The Panagia Paramythia miracle icon 01:08:44 Skepticism, belief, and re-enchantment 01:13:26 Why skepticism feels safe 01:15:41 Belief, faith, and how we live 01:20:23 Why people chase the paranormal 01:24:59 Culture, plausibility, and belief 01:34:40 Cyprus, Lazarus, and his relics 01:39:23 Great Lavra, John the Baptist, and Athanasius the Athonite 01:44:17 The bullet hole icon story 01:46:42 The disobedient monk and the blackened hand 01:53:46 Why Mount Athos belongs to the Virgin Mary 01:56:15 Final thoughts and East West Series support Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Words for the algorithm: East West Series, Vatopedi, Mount Athos, Pascha, Holy Week, relics, miracles, church fathers, orthodoxy, monks.

    1hr 59min

  2. 5 MAR

    How Humanity is Reconciled to God: Penal Substitution vs. the Early Church | with Fr. Joseph Lucas

    Dr. Nathan Jacobs sits down with Fr. Joseph Lucas to discuss penal substitution atonement. The discussion examines the claim that penal substitution is the biblical and historic view of the atonement. Drawing on the writings of Cyril of Alexandria and other early Christian sources, Fr. Joseph Lucas explains how the Church Fathers understood sacrifice, sin, and the work of Christ very differently from later Western models. The discussion looks at the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, typology, and the meaning of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension. The result is a picture of atonement centered on purification, victory over death, and the transformation of human nature—not a transfer of punishment. This conversation also explores how differences in biblical interpretation led to very different conclusions about what the Cross accomplishes. Support the East West Series: https://theeastwestseries.com/ Bio: Archpriest Joseph Lucas is an Orthodox Christian priest, theological scholar, college professor, and practical philosopher. He received his PhD in Theology at Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (Netherlands) and his MDiv with Distinction in Church History and Patristics at St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Pennsylvania). He specializes in research pertaining to patristic exegesis and historical theology. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lt40zf4KpV8 Fr. Joseph’s parish in Miami: https://www.oca.org/clergy/Joseph-Lucas/ - His blog, Prudence and Piety: https://prudenceandpiety.com/ - His parish podcast, Apostolic Tradition: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlnsUX0xxfCfBWmQmrrQ8w - Fr. Joseph Lucas’ book: How to Read the Holy Fathers: A Guide for Orthodox Christians: https://store.ancientfaith.com/how-to-read-the-holy-fathers-a-guide-for-orthodox-christians/ - Another episode Dr. Jacobs and Fr. Lucas did together: https://youtu.be/3Yt5fItpy7U?si=0BRySP8VEQgv-9I9 Mentioned: - East Vs. West (Part 1) - Dr. Nathan Jacobs, Orthodox Miami: https://youtu.be/kVGkrtzx1DY?si=hmCwdH5YTN3hcpQn - Fr. Joseph’s appearance on The Symbolic World: https://youtu.be/0FuO88QVlN0?si=8UmUZF4Cc5ZmHD1X - Fr. John Behr’s book, The Case Against Diodore and Theodore: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Diodore-Theodore-Oxford-Christian/dp/0198800215 Dr. Nathan’s series on penal substitution: Part 1: https://youtu.be/WHx21LQncFI?si=Y-WaG636sATOZ03S Part 2: https://youtu.be/-MXLs6J2JBw?si=XxHHcXmqnjhx4G95 Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 00:18 - Start 01:27 - Introduction 03:11 - Fr. Joseph's work 05:24 - What is penal substitution atonement? 07:41 - Fr. Lucas' background 13:44 - Approaching St. Cyril of Alexandria on atonement 18:00 - St. Cyril's influences 23:09 - An incorrect exegesis 25:08 - The Father looking away from the Son 34:04 - Origen 35:18 - Christ acting in the Old Testament 39:39 - A discussion on the term sin 56:58 - Passover 01:00:28 - Substitution 01:03:20 - Presuppositions: early vs modern Christians 01:11:31 - Assuming our nature 01:15:19 - The blameless passions 01:24:35 - Testing vs temptation 01:29:59 - Justification and vindication 01:46:33 - Salvation is a mystery ========================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

    1hr 55min

  3. 26 FEB

    A Guide for Christians to Engage Non-Believers

    This is part 3 of 3 talks by Dr. Nathan Jacobs about the "nones", the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades and about which Dr. Jacobs has done research, culminating into the documentary called Becoming Truly Human.Watch part 1: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E?si=8uHdje7CpTHNAa8v Watch part 2: https://youtu.be/XPlTK33zmcs?si=sY32QQCva2QGPpCK In this talk, Dr. Nathan A. Jacobs discusses how we, as believers, can engage the “nones” and “dones”. He explains why the religiously unaffiliated don't talk about religion, and argues that the real crisis isn’t simply atheism, but disillusionment and cultural hypnosis. A major threat to our faith, as with so many aspects of human life, is our technology and the sense it can create of being a cognitive minority. How can we talk about religion with people who are disaffiliated? How can we help families and members of our own church to prevent disillusionment?Do you want to watch the Becoming Truly Human documentary? Watch it along with other exclusive content on Jacobs Premium. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount on the highest tier of support: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5_LcdMbopjgTimestamps:00:00 - Preview01:43 - Introduction to this series01:50 - Start of talk02:32 - The secret believer05:59 - A safe space to talk08:26 - Nones rarely talk about religion11:51 - Ask them about their journey16:45 - Addressing their presuppositions22:43 - Taste and see25:48 - The dones27:50 - Keeping Orthodox folks from leaving the church29:27 - A reading from Narnia39:28 - A cognitive minority43:56 - Digital experience48:24 - Approaching research about the dones55:54 - Q&A and discussion56:16 - Q: On resources58:45 - Q: Why does the Orthodox also produce nones and dones?01:07:23 - Q: Why people leave church despite believing01:12:37 - Q: Open to differences01:15:43 - Q: Humility and listening01:16:41 - Q: Catechesis01:19:39 - Q: Moral problems with the Bible======================================All the links:The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

    1hr 25min

  4. 19 FEB

    The Religiously Unaffiliated Did Not Reject God — They Rejected Western Christianity

    This is part 2 of 3 talks by Dr. Nathan Jacobs about the "nones", the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades. In this talk, Nathan Jacobs argues that many who leave are not rejecting God, per se, but a particular vision of God shaped by Western theological developments. Exploring themes like grace, freedom, divine goodness, fatalism, and anthropology, he contrasts key Western trajectories with the vision of the Eastern Church Fathers. The result is a compelling case that Orthodoxy does not suppress the moral and spiritual intuitions of today’s seekers — it fulfills them. Watch part 1: The Modern Religious Debate Lost Its Audience: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Do you want to watch the Becoming Truly Human documentary? Watch it along with other exclusive content on Jacobs Premium. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up next 01:28 - East West series 02:36 - Introduction 05:18 - What the nones believe 10:39 - Rejecting Western Christianity 14:12 - Augustine 18:40 - The nature/Grace divide 25:42 - Protestantism & predestination 31:48 - God's will 39:36 - Competing goods 46:17 - Our world is spiritual 59:02 - Return to talk 59:51 - Man as microcosm 01:01:51 - Was man made mortal or immortal? 01:06:11 - Energies 01:15:02 - What happens after death 01:18:06 - The remedy for divine hiddenness 01:24:34 - Q&A: On trusting your intuitions about God 01:29:21 - Q: Anxiety of the participants 01:30:58 - Q: What about Jesus? 01:33:11 - Q: Discussions about the Trinity 01:36:07 - Q: Using the halo in the documentary 01:40:06 - Q: Do nones go to other religions? ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

    1hr 41min

  5. 12 FEB

    The Modern Religious Debate Lost Its Audience

    In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explores the rise of the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Drawing from his research, interviews, and the documentary, Becoming Truly Human, he examines the beliefs, intuitions, and spiritual instincts that shape this rapidly expanding demographic. Far from simple atheism, the world of the “nones” is complex, morally serious, and often deeply spiritual. This lecture begins a three-part series unpacking who they are, what they believe, and how meaningful dialogue might be possible. This is part 1 of 3 on the religiously unaffiliated, or "nones". Do you want to watch the Becoming Truly Human documentary? Watch it along with other exclusive content on Jacobs Premium. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount on the highest tier. There's also monthly Q&As and book club meetings: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/store Life Itself movie trailer (excluded due to copyright): https://youtu.be/b5kwtJkUdpA?si=xw-ismXHDk6-SIh9 Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening 06:09 - Introducing Dr. Nathan Jacobs 09:16 - Becoming Truly Human 16:37 - Outline 19:56 - Trailer for documentary 21:44 - Misconceptions 25:43 - The modern religious debate 30:06 - The numinous 38:52 - What nones believe: 1. Karma 43:22 - Things happen for a reason 46:45 - Life Itself 51:47 - What nones believe: 2. A higher power 53:07 - The moral objection to Christianity 57:21 - What are the nones rejecting? 01:00:11 - Belief in paranormal 01:01:29 - What the nones believe: 3. Spirituality 01:05:27 - What the nones believe: 4. Afterlife 01:11:27 - Q&A: Discerning between intuition and feeling 01:14:18 - Q: Family issues among the nones 01:16:53 - Q: Mental health concerns 01:18:58 - Q: Sample selection ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs YouTube link to this same episode: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E

    1hr 21min

  6. 5 FEB

    Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims Worship the Same God?

    What do we mean when we say "God"? This week’s episode is part 2 of tracing the concept from ancient pagan philosophy through Plato and Aristotle to uncover how modern assumptions about God emerged—and why many of them are far from obvious. This sets the stage for exploring deeper East–West differences in how God, goodness, and divine knowledge are understood. Part 1 is recapped in the first 10 minutes. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/soThpk45aI0 Listen to part 1: Defining "God" | The Evolution of a Word: https://youtu.be/MU0CFOFOq-A?si=tbzaT4PSiR1nm7Qf Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our C.S. Lewis book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Recap 09:36 - The ancient view of God 35:34 - Disagreement among the pagans 01:02:16 - Why this is important for us today 01:21:12 - Essence and energy 01:42:59 - Conclusion and ramifications ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

    1hr 54min

  7. 29 JAN

    Defining "God" | The Evolution of a Word

    Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com In this week's episode, Dr. Jacobs looks at how the term "God" has evolved throughout Western intellectual history, from ancient Platonism through medieval scholasticism to contemporary religious pluralism. He walks through the development of divine simplicity and perfect being theology in Latin Christianity, showing how Augustine's engagement with Neoplatonism and the scholastic tradition that followed shaped the assumptions we still carry today about divine nature. The episode considers how this theological inheritance continues to influence debates about religious pluralism, rational religion, and the question of whether different faith traditions are actually referring to the same being when they use the word "God."All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro00:04:27 Augustine and God 00:15:46 Divine simplicity & perfect being theology 00:36:19 The rise of rational religion 00:53:55 Religious pluralism & the transcendent God

    1hr 4min

  8. 22 JAN

    Did Greek Philosophy Corrupt Christianity? On Greek, Jewish, and Christian Theologies

    Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com Today, Dr. Jacobs tackles the common objection: Was ancient Christianity infiltrated by Greek philosophy, such that it required a reformation or restoration? The answer is a resounding no. Follow Dr. Jacobs as he tracks the history through Old and New Testaments, German Idealism, and of course, a little realism and nominalism dusted on top for good measure. All the links:  Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs 00:00:00 Intro  00:02:05 The case for Hellenistic or Platonized Christian baggage  00:06:49 German idealism  00:15:21 Hegel and the Church Fathers  00:20:08 The leftist Hegelians, atheism, and Christianity  00:26:18 The protestant application 00:30:42 Open theism  00:35:16 Hebrew ideas vs Greek ideas  00:42:00 Mathematical truth vs Philosophical truth 00:50:07 Realism and nominalism  00:56:03 The Septuagint and the Jewish shift away  01:03:58 Are the Church Fathers platonists?  01:19:19 Idealism in Old Testament studies  01:25:11 Cases in the New Testament

    1hr 52min
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About

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Jacobs
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nathan Jacobs
  • Show Website
    The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

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