Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology

What to Do When There Is No Peace | Pentecost Sunday

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 20 and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The disciples are afraid, hiding behind locked doors. Yet Jesus comes to them, bringing peace and instituting the sacrament of confession.Even today, we can feel distant from Christ—held back by fear, sin, or shame. But the Gospel reveals a powerful truth: nothing can separate us from Jesus.St. Paul teaches that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” When we invoke the holy name of Jesus, we are not alone. The Spirit is already at work, drawing us into union with Christ.The name of Jesus is not just a word—it is a prayer, a presence, and a path to peace. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ectplus.org/subscribe [https://www.ectplus.org/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Jesus: No One "Has" Eternal Life | Seventh Sunday of Easter

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Christ’s words in John 17: “This is eternal life: that they should know you, the one true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”We often think of eternal life as a place or something we possess in the future. But Jesus reveals something deeper. Eternal life is not a location or an object. It is an act—knowing God.This knowledge is not abstract. It is real union with the living God, made possible through Jesus Christ. And it does not begin later. It begins now.The Christian life is not simply waiting for heaven. It is already a participation in eternal life, here and now, through knowing and loving God. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ectplus.org/subscribe [https://www.ectplus.org/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Books, Articles, and a New Initiative Coming August 15th

Executive Director Gideon Barr, General Editor Father Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., and Managing Editor Dr. Matthew Minard sit down for a progress update on the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology. The conversation covers new and forthcoming Catholic handbooks on creation, grace, science and religion, and confirmation, along with a preview of nearly twenty articles currently moving through the editorial pipeline on topics ranging from the hypostatic union to political authority. The team also takes stock of the ECT’s growing international reach, with scholars and translators now contributing from across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East — and Spanish translations running nearly in step with English publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ectplus.org/subscribe [https://www.ectplus.org/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Why the Commandments? | Sixth Sunday of Easter

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Christ’s words in John 14: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”At first glance, this can sound like a condition or a demand. But Jesus is not manipulating us or imposing external rules. He is revealing something deeper: love and obedience are inseparable.The commandments are not arbitrary restrictions. They express who Jesus is. Those who are united to Him begin to live as He lives.To love Christ is to be conformed to Him—and those who are conformed to Him naturally keep His commandments. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ectplus.org/subscribe [https://www.ectplus.org/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Was Jesus a Public Intellectual? | Fifth Sunday of Easter

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 14 and Christ’s response to St. Thomas: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In a world filled with competing voices, opinions, and interpretations of what it means to follow Jesus, the Gospel offers a striking simplicity.Jesus does not offer one path among many. He offers Himself. The confusion of the modern world cannot be resolved by more analysis or more perspectives, but only by returning to Christ.To follow Jesus is not to navigate endless options, but to remain with Him—the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ectplus.org/subscribe [https://www.ectplus.org/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]