Does God exist? This is one of the great questions, and Thomas Aquinas takes it head on with his famous “Five Ways” or “Five Proofs” for the existence of God.
Following St. Paul, the Book of Wisdom, and ancient pagan philosophers, St. Thomas firmly believed that God’s existence could be known without biblical revelation. Using only “natural reason,” he sought to offer in the Five Ways philosophically rigorous proofs for God’s existence.
In this course, we will unpack each proof over several short episodes, outlining how they work, adding context, and answering objections. With a little study, you’ll find that Aquinas’ proofs are not only profound, but even life changing.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of our life in Christ. In this sacrament, Jesus Christ is truly present: body and blood, soul and divinity. The Eucharist communicates the life of grace and incorporates us into Christ’s body. But, how is this possible? How is Jesus truly present? And how can we receive Him worthily and well at Mass? We’ll explore these questions and more in this intensive course on the Eucharist.
Baptism is the sacrament that marks us as Christians and opens the door for us to receive the other sacraments. But, how does this sacrament work? What do the various parts of the rite mean? Why do we need to be baptized to be saved? We’ll answer these questions and more in this deep-dive course on the sacrament of Baptism.
The seven sacraments of the Church are extensions of Christ’s presence in the world. He gave them to us so that we can encounter him at every point in our lives.
But, what are the sacraments really? Where did they come from? How do they work? And why do we need them? There are answers to these questions, and learning them can change your life.
Guided by St. Thomas, we’ll explore the Church’s sacramental riches in this course so that you can better experience their transforming power in your life.
Evolutionary theory has raised many questions among Catholics and other Christian believers. In this course, we will walk through how to understand various creation accounts in the Bible. We will also thoughtfully provide Thomistic responses to questions concerning the emergence of life, the creation of man, and what we know about Adam and Eve.
How can we understand what is apparently random and left to chance in the physical world? Are creation and evolution compatible? In this course, we’ll examine the distinctions between primary and secondary causality, present a nuanced response to the question of evolution, and seek to understand randomness and chance in light of Divine Providence.
Creation isn’t really what you think it is! In this course, we will explain what creation is, explore the Catholic origins of the Big Bang theory, and provide a Thomistic “theory of everything.” We’ll also learn about the groundbreaking contributions of several Catholic scientists throughout history.
What role does belief play in science? What is faith? Does belief in miracles and traditional dogmas require us to deny scientific evidence, or abandon the scientific method? In this course, we will examine what faith is, the harmony of faith and reason, and the role belief plays in science.
Has modern science made faith in God impossible? Does belief in miracles and traditional dogmas require us to deny scientific evidence, or abandon the scientific method? Does Schrodinger’s cat invalidate the principle of non-contradiction?
The Catholic faith does not need to fear contemporary science. In fact, great believing minds have steered the scientific project until today, and still have much to say about the harmony of science and divine faith.
In this course, we will begin to examine the relationship between faith, science, and the search for wisdom, answering common objections along the way.
Jesus Christ instituted the sacraments to give us a share in His life. In this introductory course on the sacraments, we will explore what the seven sacraments are, provide an overview of how each unites us to Christ, and examine how the sacraments relate to the last things.
Christ is man’s way back to God, through His Incarnation, all the deeds and sufferings of His life, and the sacraments that He instituted to give us a share in that life. In this course, we will explore the beginning of the third section of the Summa Theologiae, which charts out who Christ is and our life in Him, according to St. Thomas Aquinas.
In this course, we will examine the second part of the Summa Theologiae, which ends by filling out what it means to live the good life on the way to God. It proceeds through the theological virtues that come from God himself, to the cardinal or moral virtues that are proportionate to our nature, and ends with a theology of the different states of life for human beings.
In this course, we will explore the treatises on vices and sin, law, and grace, found in the second part of the Summa Theologiae. First, we will cover the distinction between vice and sin, the effects of sin, what original sin is, and the difference between mortal and venial sin. Then, we will examine what God gives us to help us live a virtuous life and avoid sin: law and grace.
When we consider the good life, many questions arise due to the complexity of human existence. St. Thomas Aquinas simplified the drama of human happiness and misery using one powerful concept: virtue. The intellectual, moral, and theological virtues structure our acts and make us good, and even empower us to cooperate with the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
We were made to be happy with God forever. How do we get from our basic inclination to happiness to the life of grace? In this course, we will explore the second section of the Summa Theologiae. We will begin with happiness and beatitude, pass through the interior dimensions of the moral act, and discuss habits, art, and virtue.
This course will investigate the origins, nature, and purpose of angels and demons, and how they interact and influence the world around us. This course will also investigate the nature of man: specifically, the nature and relationship between body and soul, and the various powers of the soul.
This course will investigate how God creates and sustains or conserves all of reality. The viewer will come to understand God’s wise plan for creation. This Divinely ordered plan is called providence. The viewer will also see why evil is permitted and why it does not contradict God’s providence.
One of the greatest questions ever asked is whether God exists. In this course, we will first address arguments for the existence of God, including St. Thomas’ Five Ways, or Five Proofs for the Existence of God. Then, we will study God Himself: how we know Him, and what we can know about Him. Finally, we will cover the Trinity.
Everyone needs some introduction to the basic vocabulary and concepts that St. Thomas Aquinas uses in his philosophical and theological works. These lessons will give you a basic confidence to navigate St. Thomas’s way of thinking and teaching. Terms like “act and potency,” “form and matter,” “efficient and final cause,” will become clearer, and prepare you to follow Aquinas on his many paths to the one Truth.
Who is St. Thomas Aquinas, and what sets him apart from every other intellectual guide? This course aims to introduce the viewer to this exemplary scholar-saint and to shed light on the reasons for his enduring legacy and importance in the great Catholic Intellectual Tradition. This course will help you navigate his works, and join Aquinas in pursuit of Truth.
