The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Sign up for Jacobs Premium: thenathanjacobspodcast.comIn this postscript to his anthropology and ethics series, Dr. Jacobs examines why people experience discomfort when confronted with moral assessments that challenge their preferred behaviors or beliefs. He draws parallels between objective aesthetics and ethics, arguing that humans possess default intuitions about justice and fairness that create psychological tension when their actions conflict with moral reality. Dr. Jacobs discusses the problems of confirmation bias and social pressure in ethical reasoning, advocating for beginning moral inquiry with foundational metaphysical questions rather than applied ethics. The episode concludes with practical considerations for personal ethical development, distinguishing between philosophical assessment, political implications, and pastoral guidance in the gradual cultivation of virtue.All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:01:24 Objective aesthetics 00:05:25 The human yearn for justice 00:15:39 Resisting confirmation bias 00:23:26 Analyzing at level 4 00:26:59 The cognitive minority 00:36:52 Deciding how to live00:40:19 Politics and morality 00:43:06 Forming in virtue 

We dive once more into the differences between Eastern and Western Christianity. This time, Dr. Jacobs tackles the nature-grace divide. He’ll trace how Augustine's anti-Pelagian framework created a nature-grace divide in the Latin West, where human nature is seen as inherently incapable of pleasing God without supernatural assistance. In contrast, the Eastern tradition maintains that humans as icons of God possess a natural connection to divine grace through the image-archetype relationship. The analysis covers how these differing anthropologies lead to distinct understandings of total depravity, synergy, and the relationship between creature and Creator.All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro00:01:22 Recap & roadmap 00:10:08 The Pelagian controversy00:15:55 Hierarchy of loves00:20:22 Augustine's pursuit of truth00:28:19 Adam & Eve (original sin)00:35:45 The root of total depravity00:40:02 Divine volunteerism00:51:09 Monistic views emerge00:54:40 Medieval "faculty psychology"01:08:22 Imago Dei (Image of God) nuances01:11:30 Divine essence and energies01:23:36 Insights from Plato01:29:50 Man as icon of God01:39:14 Grace in the Christian West01:54:48 The faculty psychology problem02:12:40 Doctrine of the Logoi02:25:40 Idiosyncratic teleology02:30:52 Wrapping up the series

Our culture often frames debates on homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion as a simple clash between “Christians vs. progressives.” But the real story runs deeper. In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs tackles three of today’s most pressing ethical and cultural issues, examining them through the great traditions of moral philosophy—Natural Law, Deontology, Divine Command Theory, and Utilitarianism.Dr. Jacobs shows how these systems evaluate questions of morality and why Christianity brings a unique clarity to the conversation. By exploring the metaphysical roots of ethics and Christian anthropology, he demonstrates why most philosophical systems arrive at conclusions radically different from today’s cultural consensus.Please Like and Subscribe! Follow Dr. Jacobs and his work: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

In this fourth installment of our series on Ethics & Anthropology, Dr. Nathan Jacobs traces the evolution of Realism from ancient philosophy through John Locke and even Woody Allen, asking what this tradition missed about the true nature of reality. How does Christianity reframe the conversation on Realism, and why does it matter for ethics, anthropology, and our understanding of the world?Please Like and Subscribe! Follow Dr. Jacobs and his work: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

In this third installment of our four-part (or 5-part 😬) series on Ethics & Anthropology, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explores Moral Philosophy and the enduring debate over Providence vs. Chaos in the history of philosophy and metaphysics. Is history guided by a divine hand, or is it nothing more than accident and chance?All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

What happens when morality is unmoored from its metaphysical foundations? In part two of the Anthropology series, Dr. Nathan Jacobs traces the slow unraveling of moral philosophy—from its classical roots in virtue and teleology to its modern preoccupation with utility and consequence.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:05:22  Pagan philosophy and human polarities00:35:38 Augustine and the Nature-Grace Divide00:55:06 Medieval faculty psychology: intellect and will01:04:52 From Medieval Scholasticism to Modern Philosophy01:11:56 The rise of empiricism and materialism01:29:46 The empiricist challenge to Providence 01:41:18 Contemporary culture's nominalist foundation01:47:53 The hedonistic definition of happiness 01:52:47 Modern anomalies in historical perspective 02:02:05 Passion over reason 

Dr. Jacobs explores how ancient pagan philosophers understood human nature and the good life, examining key thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to the Stoics and Epicureans. The discussion covers metaphysical dualism, the nature of the soul, and competing views on happiness and virtue. This is a series on anthropology, part 1 of 4. 00:00:00 Intro 00:07:04 Metaphysical dualism00:09:25 Empedocles 00:10:33 Plato 00:14:29 Pantheism 00:15:03 Heraclitus 00:18:52 Evil is a privation or distortion 00:22:13 The human experience of polarity 00:27:24 Four levels of discourse 00:33:46 Manichaeism & Gnosticism (extreme metaphysical dualism)00:37:15 Plato & Socrates’ nature of the soul 00:54:35 The body and the afterlife 01:00:27 Epicureanism 01:08:31 Happiness and pleasure 01:14:43 The ethics of the stoics 01:37:29 The ethics of Plato and Aristotle 

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $175 audit     🎓$400 college creditDr. Jacobs examines how different traditions understand the Eucharist, transubstantiation. consubstantiation, and real presence. He explores the Orthodox concept of the divine energies through communion and discusses how Eucharistic participation connects to broader questions of transformation and cultural renewal, and how to harness the transformative power of the Eucharist. All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:02:58 What is transubstantiation? 00:11:57 What is consubstantiation? 00:18:29 The problem with transubstantiation 00:23:40 The problem with consubstantiation 00:32:02 Memorialist, reformed, and real presence views00:35:30 Imbibing the energies of God 00:44:49 The doctrine of resurrection 00:52:21 Transelementalism 00:58:39 God communicates holiness 01:02:13 Problems with evidentialist apologetics01:13:52 Transformation of culture01:22:33 Why don’t we see more transformations? 

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $175 audit     🎓$400 college creditDr. Jacobs explores the foundations of Eucharistic doctrine, examining the most prominent sacramental views, and the relationship between Christ's divine and human natures. The discussion covers divine attributes, divine simplicity as understood by the Eastern Fathers, and the Incarnation. This episode establishes the groundwork for understanding Eastern versus Western approaches to sacramentalism.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:07:58 Various views of the Eucharist 00:13:20 Christ’s divinity, humanity, and the Eucharist00:23:44 What are divine attributes? 00:46:49 The Eastern Fathers on divine simplicity01:00:47 The Incarnation 01:07:36 Alchemy, transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and real presence

Follow Dr. Dell on Instagram @dr.adamdell Dr. Dell’s book discussed on the podcast has not yet been released, but we will try to get him back on the podcast when it is!  Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ course Intro to Philosophy: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $175 audit     🎓$400 college credit 00:00:00 Intro 00:07:01 What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)? 00:18:30 Metaphysics and therapy00:30:36 The 6 core principles of ACT 00:43:24 Some examples 00:55:42 The importance of confession 01:17:59 The self — Eastern church fathers vs ancient philosophers 01:33:24 Resonance with the Orthodox Church 01:45:26 Are the principles of ACT rooted in reality? 01:50:50 The ideal role of a therapist vs a priest 02:25:17 Improving therapy 

Find Fr. De Young on his podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits/Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $175 audit     🎓$400 college credit Dr. Jacobs talks with Fr. Stephen De Young about some of the stranger parts of David's story that don't make it into Sunday school lessons. They talk about why God ordered the destruction of the Amalekites, how giants ended up fighting for the Philistines, and whether David and Goliath were actually related. It's a fascinating look at the biblical world through an Orthodox lens.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:02:53 David as an outcast 00:14:50 The preserved traditions surrounding David 00:23:59 Taking text and tradition to turn it into story 00:31:27 Sunday school David — fact or fiction? 00:51:14 The destruction of the Amalekites 01:15:39 Samuel 01:23:57 Divine regret and foreknowledge 01:32:40 Are David and Goliath cousins? (And other relational questions regarding giants) 01:46:29 How did the giants end up amongst the Philistines? 01:57:41 David existed in a post-apocalyptic time 02:08:25 Magic and divination in the traditions of David

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $300 audit     🎓$500 college credit Substack article: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/does-jesus-claim-to-be-god?r=r1mfjBegotten Not Made Part 1: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/creed-0?r=r1mfj

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $300 audit     🎓$500 college creditEp. 12 The AI Episode: https://youtu.be/4hcTK9ye0KEEp. 09 The Case for Realism: https://youtu.be/tmFTsJRs5dg  Ep. 29 Man’s Place in the Cosmos: https://youtu.be/uohc2aWOJbwAnother round of some of our favorite and underrated episode endings that you may have missed. We’ll dive into AI and consciousness, why Christianity is committed to philosophical realism, and an exploration of nostalgia through philosophical and theological lenses. All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro00:2:03 Is AI conscious? What is Mind? 00:38:05 Christianity is a realist religion. 01:11:07 Man is a microcosm for all God’s creations & how God interacts with the world 

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration   📖 $300 audit     🎓$500 college credit Part 1 on Penal Substitution: https://youtu.be/WHx21LQncFIDr. Jacobs continues his examination of Eastern and Western atonement theology by analyzing key theological concepts through both traditions' interpretive lenses. The episode explores how East and West understand sin, wrath, and Christ's role as mediator, and finally, addressing the philosophical problems Dr. Jacobs identifies with penal substitution theory. 00:00:00 Intro 00:13:54 Delineating the Latin West / Christian East00:20:07 Roadmap for the episode 00:26:31 Interpretive lenses when reading scripture or the church fathers 00:32:30 “Sin” East and West 00:36:44 “Wrath” East and West00:44:53 “Mediator” East and West 00:59:32 Anachronism in reading biblical text (Leviticus 16) 01:05:23 Other language in scripture 01:11:05 The debtor metaphors relating to Christ01:14:48 What are we made to become? 01:35:40 Penal substitution is philosophically problematic — Justice & Mercy 01:47:57 Problem 2 — “I love Jesus, but God the Father is terrifying”01:52:38 Christ & the torments of Hell01:56:38 How could anyone else be condemned? 02:03:13 Does retributive justice set the world right?  

Sign up for Dr. Jacobs’ college course: https://myprofer.com/   📚 Click “Join as a student”   📚 Fill out registration    📚 Verify your email    📚 Navigate to “Course Registration” in the side menu   📚 Find 180 Introduction to Philosophy    📚 Auditors can register immediately    📚 For college credit, fill out the long form and wait for approval before registration📖 $300 audit  🎓$500 college credit  The Most Important Question - https://youtu.be/nVmPIMg4St4Longing, Nostalgia, & Spiritual Simplicity - https://youtu.be/kABn890L3esThe Ideology of Hell - https://youtu.be/G1lrYYqg5qYArchetypes, Inspiration, & Christianity - https://youtu.be/qjBjTJHbEkIToday we replay some of our favorite endings. The episodes can get kind of long and we hate for listeners to miss some of Dr. Jacobs’ best work in his wrap-ups. You’ll find commentary on the culture war, realism, nominalism, longing and nostalgia, and some thoughts to help you stay grounded in these unprecedented times. All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:06:26 Clip 1 (The culture war, homosexuality, transgenderism, feminism, rights) 00:30:15 Clip 2 (How can I miss something I’ve never had? Daryl Dixon’s question from The Walking Dead) 01:03:03 Clip 3 (The pitfalls of uplifting the individual. Originally a commentary on Tucker Carlson and Aleksandr Dugin) 01:46:40 Clip 4 (Using Christianity as utilitarian instead of a feature of reality. Response to Jordan Peterson, Alex O’Connor, and Richard Dawkins)

Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle Episode: https://youtu.be/ZSf7o3Jel_gDr. Jacobs compares how Eastern and Western Christianity understand Christ's death on the cross, examining the theological differences that emerged over centuries. The discussion traces the Western development from Augustine through the Protestant Reformers and their focus on penal substitution, while exploring Eastern perspectives from church fathers like Gregory of Nyssa. Dr. Jacobs analyzes these competing views of atonement and their implications for how Christians understand salvation and God's justice.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:01:43 The average understanding of the crucifixion 00:06:03 The Western evolution (Latin West and Protestant Reformation) 00:31:01 The Christian East and the Church Fathers 

Read the original letter: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/to-a-woman-who-lost-several-childrenIn this episode, Dr. Jacobs reads aloud a deeply personal letter written to "Etheline," a woman who had lost several children and sought theological perspective on suffering. The letter explores three key Eastern patristic doctrines: the distinction between God's antecedent and consequent will, the doctrine of synergy and divine energies, and Christ's descent into Hades. Dr. Jacobs applies these theological frameworks to questions of child loss, divine goodness, and God's presence in suffering. The letter demonstrates how Eastern Orthodox theology addresses the problem of evil through a lens of divine pursuit and redemptive purpose.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

Get notified when registration Dr. Jacobs’ class goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9In this Q&A episode, Dr. Jacobs addresses ten challenging questions about the problem of evil and divine foreknowledge. He tackles issues ranging from whether God's plan for salvation required evil acts, to how divine foreknowledge works when predicted events don't occur, to why Jewish and Christian traditions differ on evil as privation of good. Dr. Jacobs also examines whether ethical frameworks create false dilemmas, explores the concept of a malicious deity, and clarifies Eastern Orthodox views on body-soul unity. All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro00:02:26 Question 1: Did God’s plan for Christ require evil/sin? 00:22:06 Question 2: How did God know Keilah would betray David if it never happened?00:31:59 Question 3: Is the God vs. evil debate a false dilemma between deontology and utilitarianism?00:53:57 Question 4: Does the story of Jesus healing the blind man demonstrate God as a utilitarian? 01:07:06 Question 5: If you would stop someone you loved from being hurt, why wouldn’t God? 01:23:22 Question 6: Natural disasters and the problem of evil (and why doesn’t God get rid of demons?) 01:33:37 Question 7: Do Jewish sources actually view evil as a privation of good?01:38:58 Question 8: Why doesn't anyone argue that evil exists because of a malicious God?01:44:02 Question 9: Are there evil archetypes? 01:49:28 Question 10: Is the Eastern Orthodox view of body-soul a hard dualism or psychosomatic holism?Question 1:Human evil is a consequence of freedom, not divine planning. Yet the crucifixion required specific acts of evil: unjust torture and execution of Christ. How do you reconcile this? If God's plan needed these acts of injustice, doesn't this complicate the idea that evil is merely a byproduct of free choices?Question 2:In 1 Samuel 23, God tells David that Keilah will deliver him to Saul. David leaves and isn't captured. If God knows the future because it happens, how does He know Keilah will betray David? Educated prediction based on knowing their hearts?Question 3:You contrast human utilitarian decision-making with God's. But in the "baby Hitler" example, isn't the reasoning based on "don't kill innocent people"? Could this be another false dilemma?Question 4:If God isn't utilitarian, how does Jesus say about a blind man that he wasn't blind because of sin but to show God's glory? Isn't that God choosing evil to make good?Question 5:If you could stop your child from being *****, would you? If so, why wouldn't God?Question 6:How might natural disasters fit into this discussion?Question 7:You say "Jewish and Christian response" about evil's etiology, but Rabbinical tradition rejected evil as privation of good. Where do you see this in Jewish sources—that God allows evil for free agents but doesn't will it?Question 8:Why haven't I heard the problem of evil handled by positing a malicious God? Why doesn't anyone argue evil exists because "God" is malicious and sadistic?Question 9:Are there evil archetypes? If evil is distortion, every "evil archetype" is distortion too. Can archetypes as universal forces really be distorted?Question 10:Dr. Jacobs speaks of strict body-soul dualism as separate parts. However, Eastern Orthodox position seems holistic—soul and body inseparable. Since the Fathers predated modernist splits, didn't they have a unified view of personhood?

Get updates when class registration goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9Why Would God Make the Damned? https://youtu.be/H2Ja5WeOo1AIn this episode, Dr. Jacobs examines the contrasting views on divine foreknowledge between Western and Eastern Christian traditions. He’ll explore the perspectives of Augustine, Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus from the Latin West juxtaposed against John of Damascus, Basil of Caesarea and Origen from the Christian East. Dr. Jacobs clears up misconceptions and shows that the Eastern Church Fathers were not open theists. The answers from the east may surprise you. All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:06:58 The various views of divine foreknowledge 0015:16 The Latin West on foreknowledge 00:41:39 The Christian East on foreknowledge 

Get updates when class registration goes live: https://forms.gle/pKYCWnHA1gToDxZv9In this sixth and final installment on the Problem of Evil, Dr. Jacobs explores the Eastern Fathers' understanding of The Fall, demonic influence, and animal suffering. The episode examines how the church fathers interpreted humanity's departure from divine communion and its consequences. The Eastern tradition frames suffering within creation's journey toward the 8th Day—a restoration and fulfillment beyond fallen existence. This final episode synthesizes the patristic view of evil's nature and God's redemptive plan for all creation.All the links: X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastSubstack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs