Crash Course Catholicism

Latest Episodes:

Catechism 101: The Teleological Argument Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Why does nature behave in such consistent and purposeful ways? And can this tell us anything about the existence of God?

In this final episode of our series on St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways, we explore his Fifth Way, commonly known as the Teleological Argument.

Aquinas observes that things in nature consistently act towards particular ends, even when they have no intelligence or understanding of those ends themselves. From plants growing towards sunlight to the regular laws governing the natural world, Aquinas asks a deeper question: why is nature directed towards intelligible outcomes in the first place?

In this episode, we discuss:

- What the word "teleological" means

- Why Aquinas thinks nature acts towards particular ends

- Whether the laws of nature are enough to explain this apparent directedness

- Aquinas' famous analogy of the arrow and the archer

- Why natural things can act according to their own properties without being intelligent

- How Aquinas argues from this directedness to an ultimate intelligence

This episode concludes our series exploring St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways and his philosophical arguments for the existence of God. Across the five arguments, Aquinas begins with different features of the world around us – change, causation, contingency, degrees of perfection, and the directedness of nature – and asks what ultimately explains them.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of viewers. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:

Donate via PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2⁠⁠⁠

Support on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest⁠⁠⁠

Contact: ⁠⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠

123 - You Were Made for Relationship: Theology of the Body Pt. 4 Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

What if needing other people isn't a sign of weakness? What if it's actually part of God's design for the human person?

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into St John Paul II's Theology of the Body. We return to Genesis to explore the creation of Eve and two fundamental experiences of the human person: original unity and original nakedness.

Through Adam and Eve's encounter, John Paul II reveals what it means to be created male and female, why human beings are made for relationship, and how our bodies reveal a deeper calling to love, communion, and self-gift.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why the human person is made for relationship
Eve as 'helpmate'
What it means to be created male and female
John Paul II's concept of "original unity"
How difference can lead to unity rather than division
What the body reveals about our capacity for self-gift
How marriage is an image of the Trinity
Why the meaning of human existence is connected to love
What John Paul II means by "original nakedness"
The difference between looking at someone's body and truly seeing them as a person
What original unity and nakedness can teach us about our relationships today

John Paul II's reading of Genesis reveals that we aren't made simply to exist alongside one another. We are made to know and be known, to love and be loved, and ultimately to make a gift of ourselves to others.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2⁠⁠⁠

Support on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest⁠⁠⁠

Contact: ⁠⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠

Catechism 101: The Argument from Gradation Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we continue our series on St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways by exploring his Fourth Way: the Argument from Gradation, or Degree.

This is perhaps the most challenging of Aquinas' Five Ways. Beginning with the observation that things possess qualities like truth and goodness to varying degrees, Aquinas asks what makes these comparisons possible. Ultimately, he argues that these degrees of perfection point towards a reality that possesses maximal truth, goodness, and being.

In this episode, we discuss:

What Aquinas means by "degrees" of truth and goodness
Why goodness isn't limited to moral goodness
How truth and goodness are inseperable from existence
Why comparing degrees of perfection points towards a maximum
The difference between possessing a perfection partially and possessing it fundamentally
Why Aquinas thinks limited or "borrowed" being requires an ultimate source
Why the source of all being must be the source of everything else that exists

This episode is part of our series exploring St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways and the classical philosophical arguments for the existence of God.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2⁠⁠

Support on Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest⁠⁠

Contact: ⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠

122 - The World Can't Tell You Who You Are: Theology of the Body Pt. 3 Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Who are you when you strip everything else away? Before your job, your relationships, your achievements, and your possessions, what makes you you?

JPII argues that the question "Who am I?" is one of the most fundamental human questions. Through his experience of original solitude, Adam discovers that he is not just another animal, or a passive part of Creation. He is something else: a child of God.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why Jesus points us to Genesis to understand the true meaning of marriage and human sexuality
What it means to be created in the image of God
What the original human experience was like, prior to the Fall
What John Paul II means by "original solitude"
How Adam discovers his uniqueness among the rest of creation
Why the question "Who am I?" is fundamental to human experience
Why the world can't give us our identity
Why our relationship with God is our first and fundamental relationship
What original solitude can teach us about identity, silence, and prayer today

This episode is part of our series exploring St John Paul II's Theology of the Body. In the next episode, we'll continue through Genesis and explore the other two fundamental experiences of original man: original unity and original nakedness.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2⁠⁠

Support on Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest⁠⁠

Contact: ⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠

Catechism 101: The Argument from Contingency Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we continue our series on St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways by exploring his Third Way: the Argument from Contingency.

Aquinas begins with a simple but profound observation: the things we encounter in the world don't have to exist. You exist, but you could have failed to exist. The same is true of trees, mountains, planets, stars, and everything else we encounter in the created world. Philosophers describe things like these as contingent beings.

But if everything were contingent, i.e. if everything depended upon something else for its existence, then what ultimately explains why anything exists at all? Aquinas argues that contingent beings must ultimately depend upon a Necessary Being: a reality that does not receive its existence from anything else and cannot fail to exist.

In this episode, we discuss:

What "contingency" means in philosophy
The difference between contingent and necessary beings
Why things in the world don't contain the reason for their own existence
Why a collection of contingent beings cannot ultimately explain itself
Aquinas' argument for the existence of a Necessary Being
Why the Argument from Contingency does not require the universe to have a beginning in time
How Aquinas' Third Way differs from the Argument from Motion and the Argument from Efficient Causality
How Aquinas' first three Ways point towards the same ultimate reality from three different starting points

This episode is part of our series exploring St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways and the classical philosophical arguments for the existence of God. The First Way begins with change and leads us to an Unmoved Mover. The Second begins with efficient causality and leads us to a First Efficient Cause. And the Third begins with contingent existence and leads us to a Necessary Being.

Whether you're interested in philosophy, Catholic theology, apologetics, metaphysics, or the relationship between faith and reason, I hope these episodes help make Aquinas' thought more accessible and encourage you to explore his arguments for yourself.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: ⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2⁠

Support on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest⁠

Contact: ⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠

Catechism 101: The Argument from Efficient Causality Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we explore St Thomas Aquinas' Second Way, also known as the Argument from Efficient Causality. This is a classic cosmological argument for the existence of God.

Aquinas begins with a simple observation: everything we encounter in the world has a cause. Houses are built by builders, paintings are painted by artists, and trees grow from seeds. But if every cause depends on another cause, where does the chain ultimately begin? Aquinas argues that there must be a First Efficient Cause that gives existence and causal power to everything else.

In this episode, we discuss:

What an efficient cause is
Why nothing can be the efficient cause of itself
The difference between temporal and hierarchical chains of causation
Why Aquinas rejects an infinite regress of essentially ordered causes
Peter Kreeft's "borrowed book" analogy
How the Second Way differs from the Argument from Motion
What Aquinas means by a First Efficient Cause
Why this argument points toward God's existence without yet establishing every Christian belief about God

This episode is part of our series on St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways and the classical arguments for the existence of God. Whether you're interested in philosophy, Catholic theology, apologetics, metaphysics, or the relationship between faith and reason, I hope these episodes help make Aquinas' thought more accessible and encourage you to explore these remarkable arguments for yourself.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest

Contact: www.caitlinwest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/

Catechism 101: The Argument from Motion Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we explore St Thomas Aquinas’ First Way, also known as the Argument from Motion. This is one of the most influential philosophical arguments for the existence of God.

Building on our introduction to cosmological arguments, we unpack Aquinas’ reasoning step by step. What does he mean by “motion”? Why does every change require a cause? And how does observing change in the world lead Aquinas to conclude that there must be an Unmoved Mover upon whom everything else depends?

In this episode, we discuss:

What Thomas Aquinas means by “motion”
The difference between potentiality and actuality
Why nothing can move itself from potential to actual
How chains of simultaneous cause and effect differ from causes stretching through time
Aquinas’ distinction between primary and secondary causes
Why an infinite hierarchical series of causes cannot explain change
The meaning of the Unmoved Mover
Why Aquinas’ First Way is a philosophical argument for God’s existence, and not yet a complete proof of every Christian belief about God

This episode is part of our series on St Thomas Aquinas’ Five Ways and the classical arguments for the existence of God. Whether you’re interested in philosophy, Catholic theology, apologetics, metaphysics, or the relationship between faith and reason, I hope these episodes help make Aquinas’ thought more accessible and encourage you to explore his arguments for yourself.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of viewers. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating through the following links:

Donate via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2

Support on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest

Contact:
www.caitlinwest.com

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/

121 - How AI is Changing Warfare | Magnifica Humanitas Part 5 Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

How is artificial intelligence changing war, and what does the Catholic Church have to say about it?

In the final part of our series on Pope Leo's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, we explore Chapter 5 and the conclusion of the encyclical, examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping warfare, global conflict, and the pursuit of peace.

Pope Leo argues that the digital revolution is transforming the nature of war through cyberattacks, information manipulation, autonomous systems, and AI-assisted military decision-making. Yet he also offers a profoundly hopeful alternative: the call to build a "civilisation of love" rooted in justice, charity, dialogue, and the dignity of every human person.

In this episode, we discuss:

* How AI is changing the nature of modern warfare

* The dangers of autonomous weapons and AI-driven military decisions

* The dangers of reducing human beings to statistics and "collateral damage"

* The rise of a "culture of power" and the normalisation of conflict

* How algorithms and social media can fuel polarisation and division

* Pope Leo's reflections on Just War Theory in the modern world

* Nuclear deterrence, disarmament, and international cooperation

* The ethical principles that should govern AI in warfare

* What Pope Leo means by a "civilisation of love"

* Five practical ways Christians can become peacemakers in the digital age

* Why Jesus Christ, and not artificial intelligence, is the model of perfect humanity.

This is the final episode in our chapter-by-chapter journey through Magnifica Humanitas. Whether you're interested in AI ethics, Catholic Social Teaching, theology, philosophy, international relations, or the future of technology, I hope this series has encouraged you to read the encyclical for yourself and reflect more deeply on what it means to remain fully human in the digital age.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest

Contact: www.caitlinwest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/

Catechism 101: The Cosmological Argument for God's Existence Aug 02, 2026

Show notes

How do we know that God exists? Can reason lead us to God?

In this episode, we begin a new series exploring one of the most famous arguments for the existence of God: St Thomas Aquinas’ cosmological argument.

Before diving into Aquinas’ First Way, we take a step back and look at the big picture. What exactly is a cosmological argument? How does it work? And why did Aquinas think that observing the ordinary world around us could lead us to the existence of a First Cause or Unmoved Mover?

In this episode, we discuss:

What a cosmological argument is
Why we often reason from visible effects to invisible causes
Aquinas’ observations about change, causation, and contingent existence
The difference between temporal and hierarchical causes
What Aquinas means by a First Cause or Unmoved Mover
Why Aquinas is not yet trying to prove every Christian belief about God
How this overview prepares us for Aquinas’ First Three Ways

This is the first episode in a series unpacking St Thomas Aquinas’ arguments for the existence of God. Whether you’re interested in philosophy, theology, apologetics, or simply wrestling with life’s biggest questions, I hope these episodes help make Aquinas’ thought more accessible and encourage you to explore these remarkable arguments for yourself.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2

Support on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest

Contact:
www.caitlinwest.com

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/

120 - Truth & Freedom Under Threat | Magnifica Humanitas Part 4 Jul 26, 2026

Show notes

In Part 4 of our series on Pope Leo's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, we explore Chapter 4, which describes how artificial intelligence is reshaping truth, work, and freedom.

Pope Leo warns that AI is not simply changing the tools we use. Instead, it is transforming the way we seek truth, the way we work, and the way we exercise our freedom.

In this episode, we discuss:

* How AI is amplifying disinformation and blurring the line between truth and opinion

* Why Truth is a common good and not a tool for power

* The importance of education, critical thinking, and digital sobriety

* Why work is so important for humans

* How AI should support human work rather than replace the human person

* How digital technologies can weaken our freedom

* The hidden human cost of AI, including exploitation, modern slavery, and digital colonialism

This is Part 4 of our chapter-by-chapter journey through Magnifica Humanitas. Whether you're interested in AI ethics, Catholic social teaching, philosophy, technology, or the future of humanity, I hope these reflections encourage you to read the encyclical for yourself and discover the Church's hopeful vision for placing technology at the service of the human person.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6WSCLFHLCDXH2

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/caitlinwest

Contact: www.caitlinwest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected