The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Nathan Jacobs
  • 4.9 (79)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Weekly

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

  1. 4d ago

    Why I Became Orthodox (Part 2) | Discovering the Church Fathers

    Part 2 of Nathan Jacobs’ journey into Eastern Orthodoxy. After years of studying philosophy and theology, Nathan began reading the Eastern Church Fathers for the first time. What hediscovered completely transformed his understanding of Christianity, leading him to explore the Orthodox Church and ultimatelyembrace the faith. In this episode, Nathan continues his personal story, explaining how the writings of St. Athanasius, the Cappadocian Fathers, andthe broader Orthodox tradition reshaped his understanding of God, salvation, deification, and the Christian life. ====================================== Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Encountering the Eastern Church Fathers 04:20 A Different Vision of God 08:20 A Christianity Unlike Anything I’d Known 09:21 Discovering the Theology of the Fathers 14:42 Deification and the Divine Energies 18:09 Eastern and Western Christianity Compared 23:28 Tracing the Orthodox Tradition 25:21 My First Visit to an Orthodox Church 26:18 The Beauty of Divine Liturgy 30:08 Wrestling with My Final Questions 31:04 Entering the Orthodox Church 32:12 The East and West Series ====================================== 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: Part 1: https://youtu.be/cWcVOvEu7dM?si=U4Y8eOXsEB9q5DAh Essence-Energies Episode: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ?si=8OOfJZxFUu3-CRDb 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

  2. 6d ago

    He Was Making a Horror Film... Until THIS Happened

    In this special collaboration episode, Thomas Thorogood sits down with Nathan Jacobs for an in-depth conversation. They dive into Nathan's experience making a horror film, the horror genre in general, Satan and demons in the Bible and church history, the nature of evil, and more. Opening music is 'Cinematic Time Lapse' by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay. Connect with The Nathan Jacobs Podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thenathanjacobspodcast?si=eeVQhaVEBEtu0Voc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Substack (The Theological Letters): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Connect with Thomas Thorogood (The Stir and Fry Podcast): YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCleEvOcQVTb5y2CeIixj0Gg/videos⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thorogood.thomas⁠ Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/ThomasThorogood⁠ Copyright Disclaimer: under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, allowance is made for 'exceptions to copyright' such as criticism, review, quotation, news reporting, caricature, parody, or pastiche. I 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.

  3. Jul 9

    From Heretic to Orthodox: Everything I Thought About Christianity Was Wrong

    Why would a philosopher become Orthodox? In this deeply personal episode, Nathan Jacobs shares the story of his journey from a Lutheran upbringing, through philosophy, skepticism, art, and years of intellectual searching, to discovering the Eastern Church Fathers and ultimately embracing Eastern Orthodoxy. This is not simply a conversion story—it is an account of how questions about truth, God, beauty, morality, and the nature of reality led to the Orthodox Church. Along the way, Nathan reflects on his spiritual awakening, his study of philosophy and theology, his encounter with the Church Fathers, and the profound impact of experiencing the Divine Liturgy for the first time. If you’re exploring Orthodoxy, interested in philosophy, or wondering why so many scholars and thinkers are finding their way to the ancient Christian faith, this conversation is for you. ====================================== Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:29 Turning East and My Story 01:33 Growing Up Lutheran 07:56 A Spiritual Awakening 17:17 Studying Philosophy and Christianity 27:42 Discovering Process Philosophy 45:09 Encountering the Eastern Church Fathers 01:16:45 My First Orthodox Church Experience 01:23:15 Entering the Orthodox Church ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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/ ====================================== 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

    From Heretic to Orthodox: Everything I Thought About Christianity Was Wrong

  4. Jul 2

    Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution?

    Is the theory of evolution truly incompatible with Christianity? Many assume the Church Fathers rejected evolution outright — but is that what they actually taught? In this episode, Nathan Jacobs examines the writings of the Eastern Church Fathers on creation, death, Genesis, and the age of the earth. Rather than asking whether evolution is scientifically true, this discussion explores whether Orthodox Christianity actually requires Christians to reject it. Drawing from figures such as St. John of Damascus, St. Irenaeus, St. Basil the Great, and other early Christian writers, Nathan explores what the Fathers believed about creation, corruption, the Fall, the image of God, and the purpose of humanity. If you’ve ever wondered whether evolution and Orthodox Christianity must be in conflict, this discussion offers a historical and theological perspective that is often missing from the conversation. ====================================== Timestamps: 00:00 Why Evolution and Christianity Are Seen as Opposed 01:19 The Two Biggest Objections to Evolution 04:09 Why the Eastern Church Fathers Matter 05:41 What “Death” Really Means 10:41 Was Death Present Before the Fall? 13:28 Are Animals Naturally Mortal? 22:15 Did Animal Death Exist Before Adam? 27:14 The Age of the Earth 31:13 Are the Days of Genesis Literal? 37:15 What the Church Fathers Actually Believed 40:57 Final Thoughts ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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: Essence-Energies Episode: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ Ressurection Episode: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? https://youtu.be/HlAk0Jm8xd4?si=BwTMvHqJ5ye3PXmK Why Do Christians Worship on Sunday? https://youtu.be/0wCnpitmfZg?si=7UUKhaIMZK1YSQHF  Substack on Evolution Part 1: https://theologicalletters.com/p/an-eastern-perspective-on-the-creation  Part 2: https://theologicalletters.com/p/an-eastern-perspective-on-the-creation-fd5 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

    Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution?

  5. Jun 25

    Are Icons Idolatry?

    Are the icons actually idols that violate the biblical prohibition on images? In this episode, Jacobs explores the historical debate surrounding this practice, highlighting how John of Damascus defended the use of images based on the Incarnation, along with his distinction between venerating holy objects and worshiping them. Finally, we look at whether these iconic practices were later deviations or deeply rooted within early Christianity. ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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:Essence-Energies Episode: https://youtu.be/lO1rAzvK3lQ Ressurection Episode: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2k Articles on John of Damascus: https://www.academia.edu/41586795/John_of_Damascus https://www.academia.edu/41586562/John_of_Damascus_and_His_Defense_of_Icons Letter on Early Christianity and Icons: https://theologicalletters.com/p/were-the-earliest-christians-iconoclasts?utm_source=publication-search 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

    Are Icons Idolatry?

  6. Jun 23

    From LSD to Orthodoxy: From Artist to Scholar to Filmmaker | ft. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone

    What happens when a profound, perspective-shifting experience forces a young artist to completely re-evaluate everything? In this deep-dive, long-form interview, Dr. Nathan Jacobs sits down with his long-time friend and mentor-turned-colleague, Dr. Chris Firestone, to unpack his journey from artist to philosopher, and ultimately to the world of filmmaking and mainstream Hollywood. ====================================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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/ ====================================== Dr. Nathan Jacobs & The Nathan Jacobs Podcast: The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: / thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: / nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://cabasilasinstitute.academia.edu/NathanJacobs Dr. Chris Firestone & The Firestone Files: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirestoneFiles Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-firestone-files/id1837011306 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheFirestoneFiles X (Twitter): https://x.com/FirestoneFiles TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefirestonefiles 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

    From LSD to Orthodoxy: From Artist to Scholar to Filmmaker | ft. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone

  7. Jun 18

    The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: On Divine Energies

    There is an essential doctrine at the heart of historic Christianity that was famously preserved by the Eastern Church Fathers but completely lost to the Western tradition: the Essence-Energies distinction. This video traces the history of this concept, moving from its philosophical origins in Aristotle through its development in Alexandrian Judaism and into the New Testament, culminating in the Church Fathers of the Christian East. The distinction proves to be the indispensable key to how the East understands the gospel, the Trinity, and the Incarnation, while also shaping less obvious doctrines, including the sacraments, veneration, divine revelation, and the nature of the Church itself.======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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:Episode on Resurrection: https://youtu.be/Pwgm-7d2O2kJacobs article on revelation: https://www.academia.edu/34403154/The_Revelation_of_God_East_and_West_Contrasting_Special_Revelation_in_Western_Modernity_with_the_Ancient_Christian_EastAll 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

    The Essential Doctrine the West Lost: On Divine Energies

  8. Jun 17

    Can the Non-Orthodox Be Saved? A Dialogue | ft. Drs. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone

    Our apologies to listeners for the late upload on this Tuesday episode! Is there salvation outside the boundaries of the Eastern Orthodox Church? As the internet remains ablaze with the recent theological clash between Gavin Ortlund and Jonathan Pageau over historic Orthodox exclusivity, the answer remains heavily contested. In this deep-dive dialogue, Drs. Nathan Jacobs and Chris Firestone cut through the online noise to unpack the exact theological and historical nuances underlying this question. From the Protestant desire to be grafted back into the historic tree to the cognitive dissonance Orthodox converts face regarding the salvation of non-Orthodox loved ones, this conversation tackles the tension head-on. Recorded before the recent social media debate exploded, this episode provides a refreshing, uncompromised, and deeply scholarly look at what Eastern Orthodoxy actually teaches about the church, its boundaries, and who can be saved. Welcome to a special crossover episode of the Nathan Jacobs Podcast and the Firestone Files! NOTE: This interview is identified as the third in a three-part series of interviews, which it is. But given its relevance to the recent Ortland-Pageau debate, we have chosen to drop it early. Be watching for part 2 in the series next Tuesday. ======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, 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/======================================Dr. Nathan Jacobs & The Nathan Jacobs Podcast: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/NathanAJacobsDr. Chris Firestone & The Firestone Files:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirestoneFilesApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-firestone-files/id1837011306Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheFirestoneFilesX (Twitter): https://x.com/FirestoneFilesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefirestonefilesListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

    Can the Non-Orthodox Be Saved? A Dialogue | ft. Drs. Nathan Jacobs & Chris Firestone
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4.9
out of 5
79 Ratings

About

A philosophy podcast exploring the issues of today.

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Jacobs
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nathan Jacobs
  • Show Website
    The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

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