The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Nathan Jacobs
  • 4.9 (85)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Weekly

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

  1. 6d ago

    Can You Perceive God? | How We Encounter the Divine Daily

    Is God imperceptible, accessible only through a blind leap of faith or complex logical inferences?In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs challenges the modern presumption that God is beyond human perception, demonstrating how we encounter the divine moment by moment. Drawing from Eastern Orthodox metaphysics and the teachings of the Eastern Church Fathers, Nathan outlines five distinct ways that humans perceive uncreated divine energies in daily life—from mathematics and morality to the experience of beauty and the holy.======================================Timestamps00:00 Is God Imperceptible?00:50 East-West Lecture Series Announcement02:07 The "What is Math?" Lesson04:20 The Case for Perceiving God Daily05:35 Architecture of Reality: Created vs. Uncreated06:13 Divine Ideas: From Philo to Augustine07:36 Matter and Form Explained09:06 Images, Archetypes, and Plato12:04 Essence vs. Energies of God16:10 Way 1: Mathematical and Logical Truths20:05 Way 2: Mind, Perception, and Transcendent Measures22:52 Way 3: Natural Law and Moral Perception25:00 Way 4: The Transcendental (Goodness, Beauty, Truth)28:53 Way 5: The Idea of the Numinous and Holy32:24 Conclusion: Why You've Been Seeing God All Along======================================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/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: On the Divine Energiers: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=TG--NK1ax2zWeenZAll 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

  2. Sep 24

    Why Is Mary Called "Mother of God"? | An Orthodox Explanation

    Why does the Eastern Orthodox Church give the Virgin Mary titles like Theotokos, Ever-Virgin, and Panagia?While these titles can often sound surprising—or even troubling—to Protestant and Western ears, they carry profound theological weight. In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs breaks down how the Eastern Church Fathers understood Mariology not as an afterthought, but as a direct mirror of Christology. From Nestorius’s original controversy at the Council of Ephesus to Ezekiel’s prophecy of the closed eastern gate, Nathan demonstrates how every major Orthodox title for Mary points squarely back to the person, nature, and victory of Jesus Christ.Rather than viewing Mary through the judicial lens of Western theology, this episode explores a therapeutic vision of salvation—one where Christ enters human death to heal our nature and raise us back to life.======================================Timestamps00:00 Introduction00:00:48 Announcement: The East-West Series Pre-Sale00:01:49 What Does Theotokos Mean?00:02:32 Why Mariology Is Christology00:03:33 The Nestorian Controversy and the Council of Ephesus00:04:18 Nestorius’s Metaphysics: Two Natures, Two Persons?00:06:21 Cyril of Alexandria’s Biblical Defense00:08:35 What Is the Ever-Virgin Doctrine?00:09:54 Addressing Objections: "Until" and Jesus’s "Brothers"00:12:43 Who Was James, the Brother of Jesus?00:13:09 The Early Christian Tradition of St. Joseph00:16:38 Polycarp, the Apostle John, and Sacred Tradition00:17:26 Ezekiel 44 and the Closed Eastern Gate00:19:10 Panagia: Is Mary Sinless?00:19:53 Eastern Orthodoxy vs. the Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception00:22:15 Blameless Passions, Death, and the Fall00:25:31 Did Mary Need a Savior?00:27:26 Judicial vs. Therapeutic Views of Salvation00:29:53 The Dormition: Mary as the Archetype of Resurrection======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:​W​as Mary Sinless? https://youtu.be/pB2zmkgXanE​ ​Resurrection Makes No Sense without Deification: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2kAll 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

  3. Aug 20

    Why Realism Contradicts Evolution | Creationism & The Eastern Church Fathers (Part 2) | ft. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone

    Are the theories of modern science and Christian theology fundamentally incompatible, or are both sides missing the bigger picture? In part two of his conversation with Dr. Chris Firestone, Nathan Jacobs tackles the complex debate surrounding creation, evolution, the age of the Earth, and patristic theology. Nathan breaks down why the traditional "death before the fall" objection misses the mark, how the Eastern Church Fathers understood time and eternity, and why his own philosophical commitment to realism leads him to reject macroevolution while remaining open to an ancient cosmos. They also discuss the philosophical assumptions built into early empirical science, the limits of scientific naturalism, and how an embryonic view of creation offers a compelling alternative model.======================================Timestamps00:00 Announcements & East-West Series Pre-Sale Deadline 03:39 Trailer: The East-West Series04:47 Time, Eternity, and the Eastern Church Fathers 09:05 God’s Essence vs. Divine Energies 11:27 Hermeneutics: Is the Genesis Text Deceptive? 15:04 The Philosophical Assumptions Behind Early Science 19:48 Reinterpreting Scientific Data Through Realism 22:23 The God of the Gaps and Confirmation Bias in Science 24:34 Finding a Middle Ground Between Scientism and Fundamentalism 31:15 Re-examining Death, Corruption, and Plants in Genesis 42:30 Privation vs. Negation: Are Animals Naturally Immortal? 52:03 Can Animals Attain Immortality Through Humanity? 55:12 The Fall of Angels as a Cause of Pre-Human Corruption 01:03:05 The Eschaton Transcends the Beginning: Eden vs. The Resurrection 01:05:23 A Realist Critique of Macroevolution 01:13:05 Why Scientific Induction Requires Philosophical Realism 01:21:53 An Alternative Model: The Cosmos as an Unfolding Organism======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Does Science Contradict Genesis? https://youtu.be/dK5wfxtlgMM?si=Fl25IA5LmoQ_wHa7All 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

  4. Aug 13

    How Could the Angels Fall? | Why Satan Turned Against God

    If the angels existed in the presence of God and beheld His divine glory, how could Satan—or any angel—possibly choose to turn away from Him?We explore what the Eastern Church Fathers teach about the nature of angels, their free will, the angelic hierarchy, and the fall of Satan. Nathan​ examines five factors that help explain how beings created in communion with God could nevertheless rebel against Him, including pride, envy,​ intellectual passions, and the possibility of God's pedagogical withdrawal.Along the way, Nathan discusses the nine orders of angels, competing patristic explanations for Satan's rebellion, why some Fathers connect his fall to​ the creation of humanity, and what angelic freedom can teach us about our own relationship with God.======================================Timestamps00:00 How Could an Angel Fall?00:47 What Is an Angel?02:09 Angels as Created Beings03:21 Free Will and Self-Determination04:23 Angels as Ministering Spirits05:10 How Angels Mediate God's Energies07:18 How Creatures Participate in God08:39 The Hierarchy of Angels09:06 The Nine Orders of Angels10:23 What Does the Fall of Angels Mean?13:13 How Could Angels Reject God?15:50 Five Factors Behind the Fall16:38 Not All Angels Experience God Equally17:32 The Intellectual Passions18:33 Pride, Envy, and Satan's Rebellion19:38 Did Satan Fall Because of Humanity?21:15 How Satan Led Other Angels into Rebellion22:39 Divine Hiddenness and Free Will24:56 Do Angels Leave God's Presence?25:17 Why God May Withdraw His Presence26:58 How the Angels May Have Been Tested27:26 Final Thoughts======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:C​an the Devil be Saved? https://youtu.be/1nIJhti5hqw​ ​​Is Rational Unbelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY​Is Non-Resistant Unebelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/9B1G44hywd0​Is God Truly Hidden: https://youtu.be/R4Y0JBZtrRMAll 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

  5. Aug 11

    Does Science Contradict Genesis? | ft. Drs. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone (Part 1)

    Must a Christian reject modern science to hold a faithful view of Genesis? In Part 1 of this two-part collaborative episode, Dr. Chris Firestone (The Firestone Files) sits down with Dr. Nathan Jacobs (The Nathan Jacobs Podcast) in Nashville to tackle the contentious, heavily polemical debate surrounding creation, Young Earth Creationism, and evolution.Moving past the rigid false dichotomies often found online, Firestone and Jacobs draw from their shared philosophical training and the rich history of the early Church—including the Eastern Church Fathers like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Irenaeus. They explore how theology categorizes dogma versus theologoumena (theological opinion), how the Alexandrian school of allegorical reading functioned, and whether ancient authors like St. Paul accepted the science of their era without making it a test of orthodoxy.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Framing the Debate 03:08 Evolution, Creation, and the Modern Online Polemics 05:18 Personal Backgrounds: Hugh Ross, Genesis, and Modern Science 10:25 The High Demand: Does Faith Require Rejecting All Science? 14:15 Moving Beyond the False Dichotomy (Young Earth vs. Evolution) 18:00 The Dogmatism of Secular Science vs. Unyielding Fundamentalism 21:50 Dogma, Heresy, and Theologoumenon (Theological Opinion) 27:18 Protestant Fundamentalist Assumptions in Modern Creationism34:38 Philosophy of Creation: Divine Omnipotence and Divine Deception 42:33 Did Physics and Biology Function Differently Before the Fall? 48:48 Alvin Plantinga, Modal Logic, and Disarming Polemical Objections01:00:18 Substantive Consensus vs. Ancient Scientific Views in the Fathers 01:15:24 Storytelling, Inerrancy, and How the Bible Approached History 01:31:08 The Alexandrian School, Genesis Oddities, and the "Eighth Day"======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/4BugOwStHqg​Why I Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/IBwZBDlu8CAGod's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg All 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

  6. Aug 6

    Why Would God Create Someone He Knows Will Be Damned?

    If God knows the future, why would He create someone who will ultimately reject Him? This is one of the deepest questions in Christian theology, and one that was asked by a 15​-year-old Orthodox Christian. In this episode, Nathan Jacobs​ reads one of his favorite theological letters, exploring how the Eastern Church Fathers—especially St. John of Damascus—approach God's​ foreknowledge, human freedom, divine goodness, and the mystery of damnation. Rather than offering a simplistic answer, this discussion challenges many common assumptions​ about God's knowledge of the future and reveals a​ profoundly hopeful vision of God's unwavering love for every person He creates. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:48 A Letter to Agatha 02:39 The Common Assumption About Damnation 04:20 The Eastern Church Fathers' Answer 05:10 Why We Exist 07:03 God's Knowledge and Creation 08:51 Why God Doesn't "Choose the Saved" 09:27 Why Not Simply Avoid Creating the Damned? 11:04 God Always Chooses the Good 12:08 Outcomes vs. Goodness 14:44 King Saul and Divine Justice 16:26 The "Future Hitler" Thought Experiment 18:11 Free Will and God's Omnipotence 19:27 Can God Make a Square Circle? 21:55 Abraham and Isaac 24:20 Damnation Is the Creature's Choice 25:20 Christ's Victory Over Hades 27:18 A Prison Without Bars 29:01 Hope for Universal Salvation? 30:30 St. Sophrony's Final Reflection ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: God's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg ​ From Heretic to Orthodox: https://youtu.be/cWcVOvEu7dM​  On Apokatastasis and Universal Salvation: https://open.substack.com/pub/nathanajacobs/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web All 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

  7. Jul 30

    Can the Devil Be Saved? | What the Church Fathers Actually Taught

    Can the devil be saved? While many Christians assume the answer is obvious, the Eastern Church Fathers offer a far more nuanced discussion than most people realize. In​ this episode, Nathan Jacobs explores the five major positions found within the Christian East on whether Satan and the fallen angels can ultimately be​ redeemed—and what these views reveal about God's goodness, providence, and the nature of salvation. Rather than focusing on speculation, this conversation examines how the Fathers reasoned through the question and why their answers consistently​ point back to the infinite love of God. ====================================== Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:00:50 Theology vs. Theological Opinion 00:01:32 Five Views on the Devil's Salvation 00:03:04 Why Most Fathers Say No 00:03:19 St. Paisios and Praying for the Devil 00:04:37 St. Ammonios on God's Will 00:06:21 St. John Chrysostom and the Unpardonable Sin 00:07:21 St. Maximus the Confessor 00:08:54 St. Symeon the New Theologian 00:10:19 Why John of Damascus Says It's Impossible 00:11:23 Death as Mercy 00:16:46 Why Angels Cannot Be "Remade" 00:19:53 Can the Devil Be Saved? 00:20:18 Pseudo-Dionysius on Corruption 00:22:55 Origen and Universal Salvation 00:26:51 Gregory of Nyssa and St. Isaac the Syrian 00:28:26 The Five Positions Summarized 00:30:25 What the Fathers Agree On 00:31:09 God's Providence and Love 00:35:29 The Common Thread 00:36:13 A Final Story from St. Sophronius ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ ====================================== Relevant Links: ​God's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg​ On Apokatastasis and Universal Salvation​: https://open.substack.com/pub/nathanajacobs/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web All 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

  8. Jul 28

    The REAL Reason Movies Go Wrong

    Thomas Thorogood interviews Dr Nathan Jacobs about his work on the Amazon series 'House of David', the principles of writing a good story, the role of storytelling in theology and some mind-bending quick-fire questions.More from Nathan Jacobs...The Nathan Jacobs Podcast on YouTube:   / @thenathanjacobspodcast  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUt...Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/MUSIC'Keep Climbing' by The SoundingsTIMESTAMPS00:00:00 Trailer00:01:29 House of David00:17:28 What Makes a Good Story?00:31:28 The Writing Process00:46:18 The Role of Storytelling in Theology00:57:16 Storytelling Approaches to the Problem of Evil01:12:11 Quick-Fire Questions01:12:28 What are Ghosts?01:15:42 What does Nathan Like/Dislike About Protestantism?01:23:04 What are UFOs?01:31:43 What is Remote Viewing and is it Dangerous?01:42:30 Keeping Up With Nathan's Work-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright Disclaimer: under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, allowance is made for 'exceptions to copyright' such as... Criticism, review, quotation and news reportingCaricature, parody or pasticheI believe that the use of content in this video/thumbnail is fair use. If any content owners would like to dispute this, I will be glad to immediately remove the content in question. I do not wish to infringe on anyone's content ownership.

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4.9
out of 5
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About

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Jacobs
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nathan Jacobs
  • Show Website
    The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

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