Podcasts · Religion & Spirituality

Catholic Answers Focus

Catholic Answers

300 episodes

Catholic Answers Focus, the world's premier podcast on Catholic apologetics, helps you explain and defend the Catholic Faith. If you want to take a deep dive into the reasons behind Church teaching, Catholic Answers Focus is for you.

Episodes page 2 of 6

  1. #486 Anger Management in Apologetics - Dr. Ray Guarendi

    Defending the Faith can take an emotional toll. Rather than turn to bitterness, the person who engages with those who attack the Faith will be most effective with some distance and calm. Psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi…

  2. #485 African Roots of the Church - Mike Aquilina

    Mike Aquilina, author of Africa and the Early Church, explains the African roots of much of what we now take for granted in Christianity. His work reminds us of an age when Christianity spread quickly in all directions…

  3. #484 The Seal of Confession - Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau

    Once again, legislatures in some states are considering bans on the seal of confession. We asked the chaplain of Catholic University of America, Father Aquinas Guilbeau, to explain why we have the seal, and why…

  4. #483 How Should a Catholic Think About Anti-Semitism - Joe Heschmeyer

    Anti-Semitism is the bigotry that never rests. And these days, there are Catholics in the public sphere once again proposing degrading ideas regarding Jews. How is a Catholic to understand Catholic/Jewish history in a…

  5. #482 The Truth About Justification - Tim Staples

    Faith or works or faith plus works or just lots of good works? How are we justified before God? Tim Staples explains the Catholic understanding of the role of grace before all else. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome again…

  6. #481 The Controversies Around Religious Freedom - Michael Lofton

    What is religious freedom? Did the Church err about religious freedom at Vatican II? Michael Lofton from “Reason and Theology” tackles one of the great controversies of the council. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to…

  7. #480 Confirmation: A Misunderstood Sacrament - Simone Rizkallah

    Why is it so difficult to explain the Sacrament of Confirmation? And why does the Latin Church seem to offer it just at the wrong time? Simone Rizkallah digs into the controversy. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to…

  8. #479 The New Hidden Relativism - Karlo Broussard

    With the strident morality of modern movements such as “Me Too,” it would seem that relativism has been replaced with moralism. Well, maybe not, says Karlo Broussard in his latest book, “The New Relativism.” In this…

  9. #478 Getting Started in Apologetics - John Martignoni

    Having started from scratch himself, John Martignoni explains how to get started as a Catholic apologist. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding and defending…

  10. #477 The Practice and Morality of In Vitro Fertilization - Dr. Craig Turczynski

    Dr. Craig Turczynski, the former director of in-vitro fertilization, andrology, and hormone assay laboratories at Louisiana State University Medical Center-Shreveport explains how IVF is done, and why it raises grave…

  11. #476 Racism and Sola Scriptura - Don Johnson

    American racism was given the power of religious fervor by those who thought the Bible alone provided the rule of faith. Don Johnson, author of “Twisted Unto Destruction: How ‘Bible Alone’ Theology Made the World a…

  12. #475 The Mass in the Early Church - Joe Heschmeyer

    Modern people often have an unrealistic view of “development” in the early Church, thinking that ideas such as the divinity of Christ or practices such as the celebration of the Mass were products of early Church life…

  13. #474 How to Understand St. Paul - David Anders

    Many Catholic/Protestant doctrinal differences have their roots in misreadings of the Apostle Paul. EWTN’s David Anders explains the relatively simple message of Paul and why modern ideas of Paul so often miss the…

  14. #473 Can Jesus Really Heal Addictions? - Scott Weeman

    Scott Weeman, founder of Catholic in Recovery, sits down with us to talk about how Jesus is the answer to finding healing from addiction. Cy Kellett: Hello and welcome to Focus the Catholic Answers Podcast for living,…

  15. #472 Who Can Receive Communion? - Msgr. Eugene Morris

    Recently there has been controversy over who can and can’t receive communion. Msgr. Eugene Morris joins us to help clarify this important question and gives us the proper parameters when knowing who can and cannot…

  16. #471 How The Moral Law Led Me to Catholicism - Tim Staples

    Tim Staples has shared his conversion story around the world, but one part of that story is of particular importance today: How the moral teaching of the Church, far from driving everyone away, often provides a…

  17. #470 Why Is the Filioque a Big Deal to Eastern Orthodox? - Michael Lofton

    Michael Lofton, from the Reason and Theology podcast, gives us a primer on the words that many people think are the main divider between Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Does the question about whether the Holy Spirit…

  18. #469 The Manliness of Religion - Karlo Broussard

    In the Western societies, fewer men than women practice religion. Karlo Broussard argues that, at least in part, this means they are likely failing at the hard work of manliness. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to…

  19. #468 Remembering Cardinal Pell - Monica Doumit

    His sudden death and final writings have put Australian Cardinal George Pell into the headlines around the world. Given his importance, we went down under to get insights into his view of the Catholic role in today’s…

  20. #467 Why Did John Write His Gospel? - Tim Staples

    Tim Staples shares the story of the dark figure early Church writers say motivated John to clarify the truth about Jesus Christ. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living,…

  21. #466 Racism and Critical Race Theory - Edward Feser

    Philosopher Edward Feser has read the major texts of critical race theory and has some concerns. He joins us for a discussion of his newest book, All One in Christ: A Catholic Critique of Racism and Critical Race…

  22. #465 Why Parishes Don’t Work - JD Flynn

    For most people, the Parish is where the Catholic Church happens. But something is not quite right in parish life. JD Flynn, founder of pillarcatholic.com, digs into why today’s parish is not quite what it could be.…

  23. #464 Was Vatican II Merely Pastoral? - Michael Lofton

    Sometimes the Second Vatican Council gets a weak defense: “Well, it was just a pastoral council, so why worry about it?” Michael Lofton, from Reason and Theology, asks whether this defense is true? Is Vatican II really…

  24. #463 The Argument That Led Me Out of Mormonism - Jeremy Christiansen

    Jeremy Christiansen, author of From the Susquehanna to the Tiber: A Memoir of Conversion from Mormonism to the Roman Catholic Church, joins us for a conversation about arguments against Mormonism. Which will work and…

  25. #462 Transgenderism and the Need for Community - Jason Evert

    Jason Evert from chastity.com joins us for a discussion of transgenderism from a Christian perspective. Most importantly, what is driving the current mania for switching genders, and how might a disciple of Christ…

  26. #461 Ethical Finance and Investing - Deacon Frank Reilly

    Jesus spoke a great deal about money and wealth, but how do we apply his teaching in a world of complex financial interconnectedness? Deacon Frank Reilly, the founder of Reilly Financial Advisors, now a part of…

  27. #460 Catholic Social Teaching in Action - James Cavnar

    The term “social justice” can make lots of people roll their eyes. But the teachings of Christ have profound social dimensions. So how does a Catholic view of social development differ from the world’s? We asked Jim…

  28. #459 The Church Oppresses Women DEBUNKED - Simone Rizkallah

    Modern secular people have forgotten the role of the Catholic Church in lifting humanity out of ignorance, violence, poverty, and disease. Perhaps most forgotten, is the Catholic contribution to an embrace of the…

  29. #458 God as Mother - Joe Heschmeyer

    At times the Bible uses feminine imagery for God, so why do we not refer to God as mother? Joe Heschmeyer considers whether the modern Church should reconsider the masculine in reference to God. Cy Kellett: Hello, and…

  30. #457 No. The Bible Does Not Support Abortion. - Trent Horn

    Trent Horn, author of Why We’re Pro-Life, digs into some of the Bible verses that people use to support abortion. Turns out, the Bible is pro-life. Go figure… Find out how you can get free copies of Why We’re Pro-Life…

  31. #456 Was Genesis Re-interpreted After Scientific Discoveries? - Jimmy Akin

    Did Science Kill the Biblical Worldview? Astrophysicist (not historian) Neil deGrasse Tyson gives a little history lesson about how science forced Christians to give up the biblical worldview. Is this real history, or…

  32. #455 Is “Christofascism” a Thing? - Joe Heschmeyer

    Joe Heschmeyer joins us for a look at the growing popularity of the word “Christofascism.” What does it refer to, and are Catholics who want to spread the Faith guilty of it? ...

  33. #454 Does the Church Encourage Superstition? - David Anders

    Dr. David Anders joins us for an in-depth look at the accusation that the Catholic Church is superstitious. The Catholic relationship to superstition might at times be complicated, but the complications have a very…

  34. #453 Doing Catholic Apologetics with Muslims - Charbel Raish

    Charbel Raish, founder and chief executive of Parousia, one of Australia’s leading Catholic media apostolates joins us for a discussion of his early embrace of Islam and his subsequent rediscovery of Catholic Faith.…

  35. #452 The Sinister Plot of the Transgender Movement - Don Johnson

    Today’s children face many new adversities that past generations could never have imagined. Filmmaker, Don Johnson sits down to discuss his new film Dysconnected, and the truth behind this radical movement thats being…

  36. #451 Did God Really Make Men and Women Equal? - Deborah Savage

    Theologian Deborah Savage, currently teaching at Franciscan University in Steubenville, delves into the Hebrew wording of Genesis 1 and 2 to uncover new and liberating insights into God’s revelation of the meaning of…

  37. #450 Can Catholics Follow Astrology? - Jimmy Akin

    Can Catholics follow astrology? Jimmy Akin, host of Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World, joins us to discuss the Catholic approach to astrology. Does the Bible forbid it? Can a Catholic follow the daily horoscope? Is there…

  38. #449 St. Cyprian of Carthage’s Advice on Enduring Persecution - Ben Safranksi

    What can our forebears teach us about dealing with persecution? In this bonus episode, we ask theologian Ben Safranski how one very important early Christian – Cyprian of Carthage – dealt with Roman persecution in some…

  39. #448 Meeting the Rapture Challenge - Karlo Broussard

    Are Christians going to be taken up and out of the world before the big trouble with the anti-Christ begins? Catholics say no, that is a false view of God’s revelation regarding the end times. Our guest, Karlo…

  40. #447 Was Sodom and Gomorrah Really About Homosexuality? - Mary Healy

    The Bible has relatively few passages about homosexuality, and modern thinkers have found ways to explain some of them away. For example, is Genesis 19 really about homosexuality or is it really about a failure of…

  41. #446 Can Artificial Intelligence Have a Soul? - Jimmy Akin

    At Google, some employees are starting to think the computers have come alive. How might a Catholic understanding of souls help us explore the matter? Jimmy Akin joins us for what turns out to be a bit of a hilarious…

  42. #445 Traditions of Men (in the Bible) - Karlo Broussard

    What exactly does it mean when Christ accuses the Pharisees of abandoning the commandments of God in favor of traditions of men? What are the implications for us? Karlo Broussard explores the proper place for…

  43. #444 The Secret History of Transubstantiation - William Albrecht

    The term transubstantiation has been used for centuries within the Church but does it actually men? William Albrecht, co-author of The Secret History of Transubstantiation joins us to explore its true meaning. ...

  44. # Did Mary Have Other Children? - Tim Staples

    Every so often the debate over Mary having other children comes up. Tim Staples, author of Behold Your Mother, joins us to debunk this claim. Cy Kellett: Tim Staples, Catholic apologist. Thank you for being with us on…

  45. #442 Was God’s Wife REMOVED From the Bible? - Jimmy Akin

    Tik Tok seems pretty sure that the God of the ancient Hebrews had a wife, an idea that perhaps would debunk the Jewish story of covenant with the One Lord God. We asked Jimmy Akin, author of The Bible Is a Catholic…

  46. #441 What the Webb Telescope Tells Us About God’s Creation - Karin Oberg

    Have you seen the recent images from the James Webb Telescope? Catholic convert and Harvard astrochemist, Karin Öberg joins us to examine the recent images and what they tell us about God, the beginnings of our…

  47. #440 Was the Sabbath Changed from Saturday to Sunday? - Joe Heschmeyer

    Seventh Day Adventists claim that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday centuries after the life of Jesus. Joe Heschmeyer, author of The Early Church was the Catholic Church, joins us to debunk this claim.…

  48. #439 The Prosperity Gospel is DANGEROUS - Tim Staples

    What do Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, and Jesse Duplantis have in common? They all promote a form of Christianity that preaches a good and easy life. Tim Staples breaks down the reasons why the prosperity gospel is…

  49. #438 Is Hell Empty? - Michael Lofton

    Is hell empty? Michael Lofton joins us to answer the question that seems to be surrounded by controversy in many Catholic circles. Cy Kellett: Will hell ever be empty? Michael Lofton is next. Hello, and welcome to…

  50. #437 Hope and Life After Prison - Joe Gilbreath

    Former inmates often struggle adjusting to everyday life. In this episode, we talk to Joe Gilbreath, founder of RiseUp Industries and Mike Lucero on bringing hope to those adjusting to life after prison.…

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