The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Today we repost another episode from the Hank Unplugged podcast. They’ll tackle one of the most misunderstood aspects of Orthodox practice: the use of icons in worship. Together they examine the historical and biblical foundations for iconography, drawing on the teachings of John of Damascus and exploring how those who oppose icons might be missing key aspects of Christ's incarnation. The conversation moves from the practical role icons played in spreading the faith in pre-literate societies to their continued relevance and profound impact in today's world.  Original episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updb-fkGCwE All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (00:00) Intro (05:30) John of Damascas and his defense of icons  (08:55) Do those who are against icons, iconoclasts, have an inadequate view of the incarnation?  (16:40) Explaining the veneration of icons  (29:30) The historical role of icons in a world of illiteracy and oral traditions that didn’t have the biblical texts that we often take for granted today  (34:15) The appeal and potential profundity of icons in our world today as evangelical examples  (41:20) Does the Bible Answer Man’s son believe he has left the Christian faith?

Watch Dr. Nathan Jacobs and Bible Answer Man host Hank Hanegraaff explore Eastern Orthodox perspectives on faith, works, and Mary's role in Christianity. Together they unpack common misconceptions about Orthodox beliefs, diving deep into why Mary's significance extends far beyond being Jesus's mother, and how Eastern Christians view the relationship between faith and salvation. Originally aired on the Hank Unplugged Podcast on March 3, 2020.  Original episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IkWN4WgIKc All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (03:37) Why do some Evangelicals believe that Hank Hanegraaff left the Christian faith when he became Eastern Orthodox?  (07:37) Discussing the differing framework of faith and works in the East and the West  (20:47) We are not saved by good works, but for good works (23:42) Discussing the Dormition of the Mother of God, Mary  (26:37) The perpetual virginity of Mary  (34:47) The role of Mary in the Incarnation and the profound theological implications  (38:17) A preview of the next conversation in this podcast series with Nathan Jacobs on Sola Scriptura

Delve into the fascinating traditions surrounding the Virgin Mary and the Nativity story. Discover lesser-known details about Mary’s origins and her perpetual virginity. Explore the roles of the Magi and King Herod's dark intentions during Christ's early days. Uncover the intriguing connection between the devil and Christmas, presenting the devil as an original Grinch. Lastly, examine the concept of evil in Christian thought and the cosmic battle between good and evil in light of Christ's birth.

Dr. Jacobs is feeling some Christmas nostalgia today and wondered, "What is this feeling, so sudden and new?" To get to the bottom of this, of course, he's going to explore the topic of human nature and divine essence and energies. Diving back into the history of ideas and coming out the other side with the answer: all creation groans. All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:00) Christmas, longing, and nostalgia (00:10:39) What is the nature of man? (00:13:28) Aristotle, essance, and energies (00:18:06) Philo of Alexandria, essance, and energies (00:20:22) The communicable nature of God (00:26:06) Saint Paul and energia (00:30:04) Plato, Deuteronomy, images, and archetypes (00:37:57) The nature of creation (00:52:04) Man is a microcosm of all that God has made (01:09:03) How God’s energies interact in the world (01:21:31) The deeper feeling

Dr. Jacobs takes a look at the history of ideas through the lens of free will, from Socrates to the stoics to Augustine. He responds to Neil deGrasse Tyson and Charles Liu's scientific perspective on human choice. Find out in this episode if Dr. Jacobs believes in libertarian freedom. Also he gives a preview of his upcoming series on the problem of evil. Predestination Part 1: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-predestination?r=r1mfj Predestination Part 2: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-predestination-d60?r=r1mfj Predestination Part 3: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-predestination-cb9?r=r1mfj All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (00:00:00) Intro  (00:03:25) What is determinism?  (00:12:18) What is incompatibalism?  (00:14:31) Libertarian freedom  (00:19:07) Compatibalism  (00:29:49) Fate vs determinism  (00:32:09) Libertarianism in the ancient Pagan philosophers (Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and the epicureans) (00:35:08) Stoicism, libertarian freedom, and fatalism  (00:41:52) The church fathers and free choice (00:48:02) God is good (problem of evil teaser)  (01:06:38) Challenges of free will for the church fathers (foreknowledge and predestination)  (01:18:33) Dr. Jacobs’ opinion (01:29:06) Do Calvinists deny free will?  (01:33:43) The divide of philosophy and theology  (01:37:25) The philosophical case for free will  (01:58:23) Why people doubt free will  (01:59:57) The scientific case against free will (responding to Neil deGrasse Tyson, Charles Liu, & Chuck Nice on StarTalk)  (02:10:41) Leibniz, the Principle of Sufficient Reason, and equipoise (02:42:44) Things above and below reason 

Dive into a thought-provoking exploration of free will, where various perspectives like hard determinism and libertarianism are dissected. The discussion highlights the rejection of compatibilism by Eastern Church Fathers, emphasizing moral culpability and the need for contrary choice. You'll hear about how determinism interacts with human choice and the implications for virtue and self-determination. The idea that passions can influence but not fully dictate our choices adds depth to this fascinating philosophical debate.

Dive into a fascinating spiritual journey from LSD-infused creativity to a heartfelt conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy. The host reflects on the disillusionment with Western Christianity and shares transformative insights encountered through the Eastern Church Fathers. Experience the clash of hedonism and deep philosophical questioning as he grapples with faith, doubt, and the nature of consciousness. This exploration of art, faith, and community offers profound reflections on personal belief and the search for divine connection.

Dr. Jacobs tackles your philosophical and theological questions in today's episode. He answers audience comments on topics ranging from how humans participate with external reality beyond mere mental images, examines nature human nature versus shared traits, delve into divine foreknowledge via Jeremiah, discuss the doctrine of double effect and the trolley problem, and investigates classical perspectives on free will. From metaphysical realism to patristic traditions, this discussion offers fresh insights into age-old questions. Stay tuned for our upcoming series on the problem of evil later this month.  All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (00:01:55) The Most Important Question background  (00:03:03) Is Darwinism just nominalism applied to biology?  (00:26:39) How can materialism / utilitarianism co-exist with social engineering?  (00:38:23) How does realism apply to adoption?  (00:58:36) Participation vs. manifestation  (01:12:37) How could God know us before we existed?  (01:25:58) What is true freedom?  (01:40:24) The trolley problem and the doctrine of double effect  (01:44:49) Can realism and nominalism both be correct?  (01:52:00) What makes human nature unique from other shared traits?

Christ's Descent Into Hades part 1: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/hell-hades-and-christs-descent-part Christ's Descent Into Hades part 2: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/p/hell-hades-and-christs-descent-part-370 Documentary with Michael Heiser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThmF7OErkxY Dr. Jacobs takes a last look at Halloween topics. He'll cover classic questions like the origins of Halloween (are you a devil worshiper if you go trick-or-treating?), walk through what the church fathers said about where souls go after death (where exactly is Hades?), and examine some interesting parallels between alien encounters and the spiritual realm. He also discusses practical questions about haunted houses and spiritual encounters. Plus, you'll get a preview of the upcoming series on the problem of evil. All the links:  X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs (00:00:00) Intro  (00:02:22) Is Halloween a pagan holiday? Am I a devil worshiper for celebrating it?  (00:09:56) A genetic fallacy in the very question  (00:13:39) Defining “ghost” (00:16:16) Josephus and Philo of Alexandria on Hades  (00:20:09) Reading Biblical text literally — the thief on the cross (St John Chrysostom)  (00:24:41) How the church fathers read the Garden of Eden (Saint Basil of Caesarea and the Cappadocians)  (00:26:39) Where is Hades? Where is Paradise? (Saint Gregory of Nyssa and Saint Macrina)  (00:32:46) The Gospel of Nicodemus dialogue between the Devil and Hades  (00:34:24) The anthropomorphism of Hades  (00:37:31) Are all encounters with spirits demonic?  (00:41:58) Practical advice related to contact with spirits  (00:50:09) Participation of divine energies  (00:56:51) Relics and holy places  (01:00:39) Haunted houses  (01:09:22) The quest for re-mythologized world & the problem of divine hiddenness  (01:21:31) Live & dead options and cognitive minorities  (01:26:03) A materialist belief in aliens can be… like an intelligent design argument?  (01:29:17) The new alien religions (01:31:39) Spiritual patterns in alien interactions (01:34:01) Are aliens just spiritual entities?  (01:41:45) Vampires and Christian symbols then and now (01:51:38) Hollywood portrayal of demonic possession (02:00:13) Is demonic possession always oppressive?  (02:04:18) Are women possessed more often than men?  (02:05:10) Why does God allow demonic possession? 

In today’s episode, Dr. Jacobs offers his thoughts on the recent dialogue between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins, which covers a variety of topics, including archetypes, biblical inspiration, and the truth of Christianity. Dr. Jacobs remarks will focus on Peterson and a question he has long been wondering: Is Jordan Peterson a non-realist? All the links:  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thenathanjacobspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/ Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs