Podcast in Philosophy

There is a common assumption in Christianity that at the fall, man lost a supernatural gift of grace, but retained his natural faculties intact and unscathed – including the faculty of reason. In this episode, Joe Boot explains that the biblical distinction is not nature and grace, but wrath and grace: those who belong to Christ and those who war against Him.

As we continue this short series on Thomas Aquinas, it’s important to consider his dominant influences; chief among these is the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. This episode considers Aristotle’s contributions to the field of philosophy, and dwells on his ideas about the nature of man.

Where do we locate the starting point for human thinking? Descartes famously identified human nature with thought: “I think, therefore I am.” However, the “I” who thinks must find its foundation in something prior to thought. The Christian perspective locates the root of thinking in the heart, which makes a religious choice about the origin of all things.

This episode introduces the idea that aspects of reality hang together like pearls on a thread, and explains how philosophical assumptions inform and direct our everyday activities.