Fr. Thomas Joseph White, a philosopher, theologian, author, and Dominican who teaches at the Angelicum in Rome, joins Pat to discuss many of the common (and often difficult) questions people have about religion in the modern age. How can we know that God exists? Is there a conflict between religion and science? Are there any objective moral norms? What about scandals in the church? And, how can we know if any one particular religion has gotten everything right?
These are fundamental questions which deserve a fundamental answer, and Fr. White takes on the challenge of discussing them all.
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Recommended Reading: The Light of Christ
If you enjoyed this interview, then be sure to grab a copy of Fr. White’s newest book, The Light of Christ, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ELoz1n
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Pat,
Fantastic interview… Fr. Thomas Joseph White was sincerely respectful and he showed great humility to all seekers of Truth. He was a great advocate for the Catholic faith.
ken
Makes me smile to hear you enjoyed this, Ken. And I agree: I’ve learned much from Fr. White, both in what he has to say, and how he says it. Thanks for tuning in.
Pat, I appreciate the enthusiasm you bring to your podcasts AND your dedication to bringing in interesting guests. As soon as I saw the topic, I knew I had to check it out. As a nontraditional college student, i.e. an oldster, I know college kids have a lot of questions about faith, religion, and spirituality. The only drawback to listening to this podcast is that now I want to buy Father White’s book. LOL. Loved the discussion about science vs. religion. I never knew about the contingency argument so this was a true eye-opener. Never heard about the brute fact argument either. As always, intellectually and spiritually enriching content Pat.
This interview has something for everyone, whether you are an athiest, agnostic, “spiritual but not religious” person, Christian or Non-Christian. The reason why I say this is because Fr. White’s humility, knowledge and compassion allows for an open space where something as potentially volatile and deeply personal as religion can be discussed…with no one being judged or demeaned for their beliefs. And also, I feel like the discussion allows for the listener to learn more about why they believe what they believe and possibly, where there is potential space in their relationship to God to explore their beliefs further.
As a Sikh converting to Catholicism, I highly recommend The Light of Christ…it’s a blend of explaining the reason for the validity of Catholicism and also allows for the Mystery to be revealed to the Reader…it’s sort of a light on the Path…and allows for the reader to walk that Path with signposts rather than a play-by-play of exactly what is to be discovered.
Thanks for the interview and looking forward to Fr. White’s return to a future show!
If Father White’s book is as interesting as his interview, I’ll have to check it out. I like discussions about the world’s religions when they are presented well and you don’t feel like you’re getting hit over the head with a hammer.
It’s hard to think of a time in my lifetime when there was such a search for answers to life. I think the information age has allowed people to access books and websites about religion and spirituality where they never could before. However, these same people don’t always have the right mindset to analyze and process this information (some do, but I think more don’t). That results in confusion which is why it’s good to have well-organized tomes to help people explore different faiths.
There’s a lot going on in the Catholic Church and people have questions about Catholicism and religion in general. I think this creates lots of opportunities for people from all faiths (such as Father White) to answer people’s questions and challenge their thinking about God and the universe in general.
As always Pat, i’m an avid follower of everything you bring to the table. Most especially your segments on these topics. Fr. Thomas definitely was able to clear out some of most common questions raised up today. With a lot going on today it’s important that these challenging questions are discussed. I appreciate your drive to get these things on podcast, Pat. Not everyone wants to delve into these kind of topics but I am lucky to be able to learn from you and the esteemed guests on your podcasts! More power and I’d definitely be checking out Fr. Thomas book!