Through the Church Fathers

C. Michael Patton
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Daily

Join Through the Church Fathers, a year-long journey into the writings of the early Church Fathers, thoughtfully curated by C. Michael Patton. Each episode features daily readings from key figures like Clement, Augustine, and Aquinas, accompanied by insightful commentary to help you engage with the foundational truths of the Christian faith. Join Our Community: Read along and engage with others on this journey through the Church Fathers. Visit our website. Support the Podcast: Help sustain this work and gain access to exclusive content by supporting C. Michael Patton on Patreon at patreon.com/cmichaelpatton. Dive Deeper into Theology: Explore high-quality courses taught by the world’s greatest scholars at Credo Courses. Visit credocourses.com. Let’s journey through the wisdom of the Church Fathers together—daily inspiration to deepen your faith and understanding of the Christian tradition.

  1. Through the Church Fathers: June 15

    8h ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 15

    In today’s episode, we bridge the gap between ancient prophecy and the internal witness of the soul. We join Justin Martyr as he takes Trypho on a tour of the Hebrew Scriptures, arguing that the "mystery" of Christ is hidden in plain sight within the Psalms—revealing a King who is both a suffering servant and an eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek. We then find Augustine in a moment of providential transition; as his lungs begin to fail under the strain of his teaching duties, he finds a "blessed excuse" to finally lay down the burden of public rhetoric and retreat into the stillness of God’s presence. Finally, Thomas Aquinas provides the philosophical foundation for the moral life, defining "Natural Law" not as a set of arbitrary rules, but as the way every rational soul participates in the ordering wisdom of God. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 29–34 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 9, Chapter 2 (Section 4) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 94 (Articles 1–6 Combined) Understanding the Natural Law To better grasp Thomas Aquinas’s teaching today, it is helpful to see how he categorizes the different "layers" of God's governing wisdom. Eternal Law: The foundational wisdom of God that governs the entire universe.Natural Law: The "rational creature's share" in that eternal law. It is the light of reason within us that helps us distinguish good from evil.The Primary Principle: "Good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided."Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Augustine #JustinMartyr #Aquinas #NaturalLaw #Prophecy #Psalms #Assurance #TwoAdvents

    15 min
  2. Through the Church Fathers: June 14

    1d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 14

    In today’s episode, we explore the deep relationship between law, identity, and the heart. We continue with Justin Martyr as he argues that the external rites of the old covenant were signs given for a season, but that the true "spiritual circumcision" is now available to all nations through Christ. We then witness a quiet but firm transition in the life of Augustine, as he describes his decision to withdraw from his public career as a teacher of rhetoric to focus on his new life in God—balancing his desire for peace with a careful concern for his public witness. Finally, Thomas Aquinas provides the philosophical backbone for our discussion, defining the very essence of law as a rational ordering for the common good, rather than a mere arbitrary command. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 23–28 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 9, Chapter 2 (Sections 2–3) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 90 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Augustine #JustinMartyr #Aquinas #CircumcisionOfTheHeart #EternalLaw #CommonGood #Conversion

    11 min
  3. Through the Church Fathers: June 13

    2d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 13

    In this episode, we explore the sharp tension between outward religious signs and the inner reality of the heart. We join Justin Martyr as he delivers a stinging critique of the accusations spread against the early Christians, arguing that the Mosaic Law—including circumcision, the Sabbath, and food restrictions—was never intended as eternal righteousness, but as a temporary discipline for a rebellious people. We then witness the profound liberation of the soul in Augustine’s Confessions, as he celebrates the "sweetness" of casting away the trifles of his old life to find his true rest in Christ. Finally, we turn to Thomas Aquinas for a precise anatomical look at the nature of sin, defining it not just as a mistake, but as a voluntary choice to turn away from the ultimate Good in favor of something lesser. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 17–22 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 9, Chapter 1 (Section 1) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 71 (Articles 1–6 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Augustine #JustinMartyr #Aquinas #Conversion #TrueCircumcision #NatureOfSin

    11 min
  4. Through the Church Fathers: June 12

    3d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 12

    In today’s episode, we move from the internal crisis of conversion to the theological foundations of a new life. We continue Justin Martyr’s dialogue with Trypho, where the philosopher-saint challenges the reliance on outward signs—like circumcision and ritual fasting—insisting instead on the "water of life" and a "circumcision of the heart." We then return to the garden in Milan, where Augustine’s conversion becomes a communal celebration as his friend Alypius joins him in faith and his mother, Monica, sees her decades of prayers answered in a way that exceeded her every hope. Finally, Thomas Aquinas provides the framework for this transformation, defining the "Theological Virtues"—faith, hope, and charity—as gifts infused by God that allow the soul to reach for an end far beyond the grasp of human reason alone. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 12–16 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 12 (Section 30) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 62 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Augustine #JustinMartyr #Aquinas #TheologicalVirtues #Faith #NewCovenant

    11 min
  5. Through the Church Fathers: June 11

    4d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 11

    In this episode, we witness two of the most pivotal "turning points" in Christian history: Justin Martyr’s intellectual awakening at the seashore and Augustine’s emotional collapse in a Milanese garden. We explore Justin’s vigorous defense against Trypho, where he redefines the soul not as inherently divine but as a gift from God, and where he presents Christ as the "New Law" that supersedes the old. We then move to Augustine’s famous moment of crisis, where a child’s chant breaks the final chains of his indecision. Finally, we turn to Thomas Aquinas to define what exactly was being formed in these men: virtue, the stable habit of the soul that turns a difficult choice into a natural way of being. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 5–11 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 12 (Section 29) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 55 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #Augustine #JustinMartyr #Aquinas #ChristianPhilosophy #Virtue #Conversion

    12 min
  6. Introduction to Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho

    5d ago ·  Bonus

    Introduction to Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho

    The question is no longer whether Christianity can survive in the Roman world—it’s whether it truly fulfills the promises of Israel. In today’s reading from Dialogue with Trypho, Justin Martyr shifts from defending the faith to pressing it inward, engaging a thoughtful Jewish interlocutor on the meaning of Scripture itself. This is not a speech but a sustained debate, where the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms are brought forward again and again to answer one central question: if the Scriptures are true, who is Jesus? What emerges is an early, raw, and sometimes uncomfortable attempt to define the relationship between the Church and Israel—one that forces us to wrestle with how the Old Testament is read in light of Christ and whether that claim can actually stand. Today’s Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho (Abridged), Introduction Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org #ChurchFathers #JustinMartyr #DialogueWithTrypho #TheologyUnplugged #ChristianDiscipleship

    3 min
  7. Through the Church Fathers: June 10

    5d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 10

    The search for truth can begin in philosophy, but it cannot end there. In today’s reading from Dialogue with Trypho (Abridged), Justin Martyr recounts his journey through the schools of philosophy before being confronted with a deeper question: can God truly be known through reason alone, or must He reveal Himself? As the dialogue unfolds, the limits of human speculation are exposed, pointing toward a truth that must be received rather than constructed. That same tension reaches its breaking point in The Confessions, where Augustine of Hippo stands in the garden, overwhelmed by the weight of his sin, crying out, “How long, Lord?” (Psalm 13:1), until the moment comes when delay can no longer be justified. Finally, in Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas explains why that moment matters—because our lives are not shaped by isolated choices, but by habits formed over time, revealing that transformation is not merely about deciding differently, but about becoming different. Readings: Justin Martyr — Dialogue with Trypho (Abridged), Chapters 1–4 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 12 (Section 28) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 49 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

    10 min
  8. Through the Church Fathers: June 9

    6d ago

    Through the Church Fathers: June 9

    History is not merely a collection of myths, but a record of God’s unfolding work in the world. In today’s readings, we see how the internal struggle for virtue and the external record of history both point toward the same divine order. Theophilus of Antioch strips away the claim that Christianity is a "new" invention by aligning the biblical timeline with the great epochs of Rome and Babylon, proving that the prophets predate the very poets the Greeks adored. This historical grounding finds its personal counterpart in Augustine’s visceral struggle with the flesh, where the "chaste dignity of Continence" mocks his self-reliance to lead him toward a strength found only in God. Finally, Thomas Aquinas provides the intellectual framework for these emotions, showing that even a passion as volatile as anger can be rightly ordered under reason to serve the cause of justice. From the expansive scale of world empires to the quiet silence of a garden in Milan, these texts remind us that our faith is anchored in both historical fact and the disciplined life of the soul. #ChurchFathers #ChristianHistory #StAugustine #ThomasAquinas #Apologetics #FaithAndReason Today’s Readings: Theophilus of Antioch — Theophilus to Autolycus, Book 3, Chapters 27–30 Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 8, Chapter 11 (Section 27) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 42 (Articles 1–4 Combined) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

    13 min
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out of 5
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About

Join Through the Church Fathers, a year-long journey into the writings of the early Church Fathers, thoughtfully curated by C. Michael Patton. Each episode features daily readings from key figures like Clement, Augustine, and Aquinas, accompanied by insightful commentary to help you engage with the foundational truths of the Christian faith. Join Our Community: Read along and engage with others on this journey through the Church Fathers. Visit our website. Support the Podcast: Help sustain this work and gain access to exclusive content by supporting C. Michael Patton on Patreon at patreon.com/cmichaelpatton. Dive Deeper into Theology: Explore high-quality courses taught by the world’s greatest scholars at Credo Courses. Visit credocourses.com. Let’s journey through the wisdom of the Church Fathers together—daily inspiration to deepen your faith and understanding of the Christian tradition.

Information

  • Creator
    C. Michael Patton
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    560
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © C Michael Patton 2024
  • Show Website
    Through the Church Fathers

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