The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Nathan Jacobs

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

  1. 5D AGO

    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

    1h 21m
  2. FEB 5

    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

    1h 54m
  3. JAN 22

    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

    1h 52m
  4. JAN 1

    Free Will & Moral Responsibility | A Conversation with Dr. James Joiner

    Enroll in Dr. Joiner’s class: https://myprofer.com/courses Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com  Dr. James Joiner discusses libertarian free will, contrasting it with compatibilist and determinist positions through the lens of patristic theology and developmental psychology. The conversation examines Gregory of Nyssa's theological anthropology, the concept of synergistic cooperation in theosis, and cross-cultural evidence for the universality of free choice. Dr. Joiner argues that both ancient Christian thought and contemporary research support the view that human beings possess genuine self-determination, exploring implications for moral responsibility, bioethics, and the differences between Eastern and Western theological frameworks. 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 Other words for the algorithm…  free will, libertarian free will, compatibilism, determinism, Gregory of Nyssa, Cappadocian Fathers, patristic theology, Eastern Orthodox theology, church fathers, theological anthropology, theosis, deification, synergy, moral responsibility, praise and blame, developmental psychology, moral agency, self-determination, Christian anthropology, Christian East, Christian West, philosophy of religion, free will debate, moral psychology, bioethics, applied philosophy, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, patristics, Orthodox Christianity, Byzantine theology, ancient philosophy, Christian philosophy, systematic theology, philosophical theology, Aristotelian ethics, virtue ethics, moral philosophy, conscience, moral intuition, Augustine, Pelagianism, divine sovereignty, human freedom, image of God, imago Dei, salvation, soteriology, grace, divine grace, sanctification, spiritual formation, Desert Fathers, Maximus the Confessor, Origen, Irenaeus, moral development, character formation, passions, will and intellect, Thomas Aquinas, Thomism, Kant, autonomy, phenomenology, David Bentley Hart, Kallistos Ware, Vladimir Lossky, ecumenical councils, Nicene Creed, liturgical theology, mystical theology, apophatic theology, hesychasm, spiritual senses, nous, William James, neuroscience and free will, agent causation, Peter van Inwagen, Alvin Plantinga, natural law theory, Neoplatonism, Plato, metaphysics, causation

    1h 34m
  5. 12/18/2025

    How the Devil Tried to Steal Christmas | The True Story of the Nativity

    Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com  Join Jacobs Premium: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/membership The book club (use code LEWIS): https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/offers/aLohje7p/checkout You're to be familiar with the popularized details of the Mary and Nativity stories—the manger, the shepherds, the star. But this week, Dr. Jacobs takes you beyond the familiar Sunday school narrative to explore the robust early Christian tradition surrounding Mary's birth, her betrothal to the elderly widower Joseph, and the supernatural drama unfolding behind the scenes. This episode examines what the Church Fathers believed about the devil's frantic attempts to thwart the Incarnation, from his watchful surveillance of Israel's virgins to Herod's demonic massacre of the innocents. Dr. Jacobs traces the cosmic war between the powers of light and darkness, revealing how God orchestrated an elaborate divine ruse to veil the Messiah from Satan's gaze. Drawing from sources like the Gospel of James, Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, this deep dive recovers the fuller Christmas story that shaped Christian understanding for centuries. 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

    1h 58m
4.9
out of 5
66 Ratings

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A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

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