Red Letter Philosophy

Red Letter Philosophy is a philosophy of religion podcast exploring the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, and the mystery of God.

RLP Replay: What's So Good About Good Friday? 03/30/2024

RLP Replay: What's So Good About Good Friday? As we continue recovering from being under the weather, we bring you one of our Easter favorites. On this holiday episode of Red Letter Philosophy we ask the question, what’s so good about Good Friday? We also discuss the frame or boundary that is Holy Week. In the words of Peter Kreeft, “it takes boundaries to make anything interesting. If a picture didn't have a frame, it would trail off into vague, boring everything-ness. Life's most dramatic moments are her two frames: entrance and exit, beginning and end, birth and death.” /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/30603263

RLP Replay: The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde 03/17/2024

RLP Replay: The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde This St. Patrick’s Day finds us under the weather. Rather than miss the day, we offer/bring one of our St Patrick’s Day favorites. Is St. Patrick’s Day a celebration of the Irish; Irish history, Irish storytelling, Ireland herself, or is St. Patrick’s Day a celebration of a saint and of the one who molded the saint? We couldn’t decide. So, on this episode we offer you both one of Ireland’s finest sons and her greatest saint. We offer for your listening pleasure The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/30411138

World In My Eyes 03/01/2024

World In My Eyes In this episode we contemplate the problems of silence and unbelief through the eyes of Jean Paul Sartre and Frederick Nietzsche. Do these two great atheist philosophers agree, fundamentally, with the great Christian philosophers? Take up and listen. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/30184648

RLP Holiday: Love & Death 02/14/2024

RLP Holiday: Love & Death Every once in a while Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day; this episode is for such days. Love and death are visitors from another world, doors in the wall of the world. Join us as we contemplate love and death. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/29948498

Policy of Truth 02/02/2024

Policy of Truth After a three month hiatus, Red Letter Philosophy returns. The boys pick up their discussion of the problem of silence and the problem of unbelief. In particular, they look at an intriguing argument from famed author, Andrew Klavan. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/29766263

RLP Holiday: Memento Mori 11/01/2023

RLP Holiday: Memento Mori Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day: a trinity of holy and deathly days. In an increasingly secular age, these days become excuses to indulge the appetites: hedonism & ghoulishness. However, these days are days of profundity and depth when seen in the correct light. Join us as we contemplate mystery, death, and spirit in this episode of Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/28483187

Enjoy the Silence 10/20/2023

Enjoy the Silence Do we live on a silent planet? Are we merely insignificant specs of dust adrift in an indifferent cosmos? Or do we have reason to think otherwise? We’re on the road and searching for answers; join us, will you? /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/28373480

The Problem of Unbelief 09/15/2023

The Problem of Unbelief Do you struggle with belief? Are you disturbed by the apparent silence (or indifference) of the universe? If so, then this is the episode for you. Join us for a discussion of belief, silence, and much more in this first episode of season six. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/28039179

RLP Special: Death in the Grand Canyon (Refreshed) 08/25/2023

RLP Special: Death in the Grand Canyon (Refreshed) The Grand Canyon is a place where the veil between this world and the next world grows thin; a place where we learn to take life, but not ourselves, seriously. In this episode, we look again at the death and spookiness that surrounds the canyon. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27847188

RLP Special: Chance or the Dance (Refreshed) 08/11/2023

RLP Special: Chance or the Dance (Refreshed) In this episode, we continue our contemplation of a mystery. We began, two episodes ago, with G. K. Chesterton and his comment about seeing in “the light of the supernatural”. In the last episode we continued our musings with Peter Kreeft and his comments about the sea within. Now, we come to Thomas Howard and his comments about perception & reality. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27719070

RLP Special: The Sea Within (Refreshed) 07/28/2023

RLP Special: The Sea Within (Refreshed) The Summer of the supernatural continues. In this episode we revisit and refresh a pervious episode, The Sea Within. Perhaps the supernatural isn’t so far from the natural; perhaps what we call natural is supernatural from a certain point of view. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27589620

RLP Special: Life Is a Pigsty (Refreshed) 07/14/2023

RLP Special: Life Is a Pigsty (Refreshed) Approximately five years ago we posted our first episode. The episode was, and is, titled, Life Is A Pigsty. In this episode, we reexamine, and elaborate upon, that first episode. Morrissey, Chesterton, & the messiness of life, on this episode of Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27463077

Farewell & Adieu 06/30/2023

Farewell & Adieu In this episode of Red Letter Philosophy, we bid farewell to season five. We’ve been on a metaphysical journey through Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and contemporary philosophy. What conclusions can be drawn from our journey? Will we make it back home? “Tune in” and find out. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27331626

RLP Holiday: Fatherhood & Reality 06/16/2023

RLP Holiday: Fatherhood & Reality Is it, as Freud said, that we are projecting our fathers onto the face of God, or is it that we project our inner knowledge God onto the face of our fathers? Do our desires and expectations come from a higher place? In this episode of Red Letter Philosophy, we explore the relationship between fatherhood and reality. Take up and listen. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27166905

Thomas Howard: Chance or Dance? 06/09/2023

Thomas Howard: Chance or Dance? Is it that nothing means anything or that everything means everything? Two myths, two ways of understanding life and the world; the culmination of Augustine, Pascal, and our season: on this week’s Red Letter Philosophy. Take up and listen. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/27089928

St. Augustine: My Love Is My Gravity 05/26/2023

St. Augustine: My Love Is My Gravity St. Augustine’s wrote that “Amor meus, Pondus meum”; My love is my gravity. Perhaps our search for what truth and reality is not only an intellectual search? Perhaps the heart can have reasons of which reason knows nothing? In this episode we take up these questions. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26958105

RLP Holiday: Monica's Tears 05/12/2023

RLP Holiday: Monica's Tears The essence of Motherhood: a metaphysical question. Motherhood is surely many things, but if it is anything, it is also surely a kind of life, a life of prayer. A mother is one who raises her mind and heart to God on behalf of her family, and that is something worth noting and celebrating. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26819160

David Hume & Belief in God, Pt. II 05/05/2023

David Hume & Belief in God, Pt. II Hume, contrary to popular belief, never intended to destroy belief in God. He only meant to destroy a certain conception of belief, and belief in God. In this episode we contemplate Hume’s criticism of, and argument for, belief in God. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26752281

David Hume & Belief in God 04/21/2023

David Hume & Belief in God The English philosopher and mathematician, W. K. Clifford, famously wrote that, “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.” Clifford’s approach to belief has come to dominate the way many intellectuals approach matters of belief, especially belief in God. In this episode we argue that Clifford neglected his Hume. Hume’s approach to belief and God shows Clifford’s ethic to be vacuous and incoherent. Take up and listen. Hume, belief, and God on this episode of Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26609964

RLP Holiday: Faith & Reason 04/07/2023

RLP Holiday: Faith & Reason In honor of Holy Week, this week’s episode is devoted to the mystery of faith. In keeping with this season, we contemplate this mystery with a Modern philosopher, Blaise Pascal. Enjoy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26474259

David Hume: Hume's Cave 03/24/2023

David Hume: Hume's Cave Philosopher Peter Kreeft wrote that David Hume was, “the most formidable, challenging, and difficult to refute skeptic in the history of human thought. His logic is powerful.” In this episode we taste the fruits of Hume’s empiricism. Have the empiricists helped us to overcome radical skepticism? Are we closer to touching the true, the good, and the beautiful? /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26326023

RLP Holiday: The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde 03/17/2023

RLP Holiday: The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde Is St. Patrick’s Day a celebration of the Irish; Irish history, Irish storytelling, Ireland herself, or is St. Patrick’s Day a celebration of a saint and of the one who molded the saint? We couldn’t decide. So, on this episode we offer you both one of Ireland’s finest sons and her greatest saint. We offer for your listening pleasure The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26257281

David Hume: Party Guy 03/10/2023

David Hume: Party Guy David Hume was the last of the great British Empiricists. He is the empiricist, nay, the philosopher of the Enlightenment, outside of perhaps Kant, who has exhibited the most influence over contemporary philosophers. He was also a party guy. Join us as we drink in some Hume and find out why he was (and is) such a big deal. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26185743

Bishop George Berkeley: To Be Is To Be Perceived 02/24/2023

Bishop George Berkeley: To Be Is To Be Perceived Bishop George Berkeley was one of the three great British Empiricists. His view, Esse Est Percipi (To be is to be perceived), is as infamous as Descartes’ view, Cogito Ego Sum (I think, I am). In this episode we imbibe the thoughts of one of the most peculiar philosophers of all-time. Drink up! /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/26031552

RLP Holiday: The Heart of the Matter 02/10/2023

RLP Holiday: The Heart of the Matter Philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote that, “the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” In this episode we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day by contemplating the heart. In particular, we read and reflect upon H.P. Lovecraft’s poem, "A Garden". /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25887849

John Locke: Are You Experienced? 02/03/2023

John Locke: Are You Experienced? John Locke was first of the great British Empiricists. Locke, and the empiricists who came after him, rejected the philosophy of the rationalists. In this episode, we uncork the empiricists, and drink in their philosophy. Truth, reality and Locke, on this week’s Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25818687

G. W. F. Leibniz & God 01/20/2023

G. W. F. Leibniz & God Why is there something rather than nothing? This is a perennial philosophical question; a question taken up, perhaps most famously, by the Enlightenment rationalist, Leibniz. Leibniz and God, on this episode of Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25666791

G. W. F. Leibniz & The Mystery of Existence 01/06/2023

G. W. F. Leibniz & The Mystery of Existence Meet G. W. F. Leibniz. Leibniz is known as the last “universal genius”. What does Leibniz have to say about truth and reality? Is he worth imbibing? In this episode, we take up these question. All aboard the Red Letter Express. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25521966

RLP Holiday - Christmas Belief: Lessons from The Polar Express 12/24/2022

RLP Holiday - Christmas Belief: Lessons from The Polar Express What does it mean to believe? Is belief a virtue? This week we celebrate Christmas by pondering Christmas belief. In particular, we ponder these questions aboard The Polar Express. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25423287

Baruch Spinoza & The Mystery of Existence 12/16/2022

Baruch Spinoza & The Mystery of Existence 17th century philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, wrote, “nothing exists from whose nature some effect does not follow.” Spinoza, a philosophical child of Descartes’, sought to draw out the logical implications of Descartes’ philosophical revolution. Monism, pantheism, and Spinoza on this week’s episode of Red Letter Philosophy. /episode/index/show/astrangefire/id/25346424

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