The Nathan Jacobs Podcast

Can Dogs Go to Heaven? Theology Explained

In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explores the simple question: do animals merely live and die, or is there reason to think they share in something more? Drawing from Scripture, the Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers, and the Christian understanding of creation, he examines death, immortality, and humanity’s role within the cosmos, arriving at an answer that is more nuanced than many expect. Please support the East West series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/HlAk0Jm8xd4 Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

God’s Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything?

In this episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explores one of the most famous questions in philosophy and theology: If God is all-powerful, are there limits to what He can do? Can God create a rock so heavy that even He cannot lift it? Dr. Jacobs unpacks the classical Christian understanding of omnipotence, logic, and contradiction — drawing from thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and the early Church Fathers.Please support the East West series: http://theeastwestseries.com/Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/======================================All the links:The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Is the Universe God's Body?

In this week's episode, Dr. Nathan Jacobs explains the Eastern Church Fathers’ view on the relationship between God and the world. The key to understanding the Eastern Christian position on whether the universe, or part of the universe, is equivalent with God lies with what's called the essence-energy distinction. Please support the East West series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Leave a comment on Youtube: https://youtu.be/gJpY--74zfg Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

What is Mount Athos like during Holy Week?

Dr. Jacobs returns to the podcast with a personal update on his time away, news about the upcoming East West Series, and reflections from Holy Week, Pascha, and Bright Week on Mount Athos. In this episode, he shares stories from Vatopedi Monastery, discusses miracles, relics, and monastic life, and offers insight into how these experiences challenge modern skepticism and deepen faith. Support the East West series: http://theeastwestseries.com/ Leave a comment on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIZVUy5v32M Breakwater Festival 2026 | 19–21 June | London: I’ll be speaking at Breakwater Festival 2026, a 3-day Estuary gathering focused on bringing online conversations into real-life dialogue and connection. This year’s theme, Cross Pollination: Conversing Across Religious Lines, explores how beliefs engage across difference in a pluralistic world. Join me and other speakers in London — Early Bird tickets are available now: https://www.thebreakwaternetwork.com/upcoming-event Chapters: 00:00 I'm back 00:13 Why I disappeared for Lent and Mount Athos 02:33 What this episode covers 03:00 East West Series update 04:53 Production timeline and release plan 05:54 Fundraising and pre-orders 07:16 Why the East West Series matters 09:35 Who the series is for: converts, inquirers, and online debate 11:45 Vatopedi Monastery endorsement announcement 14:05 Podcast facelift and rebrand 16:25 New 30-minute “Coffee with Dr. Jacobs” episodes 21:07 Topic requests, comments, and sharing 23:30 Website simplification and one-stop hub 24:20 Mount Athos reflections begin 25:45 Third trip to Mount Athos and Holy Week overview 28:05 Visiting Elder Paisios’ hermitage 30:32 Other monasteries and the capital of Athos 32:55 Daily monastic rhythm: Matins, Vespers, and Compline 35:19 Holy Week, Pascha, and the intensity of Athos 37:41 The washing of the feet service 40:09 Pascha procession and the all-night liturgy 42:31 Holy Week exhaustion and conversations with monks 45:00 Bright Week procession and blessing of the waters 47:25 Pizza on Mount Athos 49:48 Relics, miracles, and confronting modern skepticism 54:29 The Belt of the Virgin Mary 56:49 The True Cross and miraculous yeast 59:16 St. John Chrysostom’s incorrupt ear 01:04:00 The Panagia Paramythia miracle icon 01:08:44 Skepticism, belief, and re-enchantment 01:13:26 Why skepticism feels safe 01:15:41 Belief, faith, and how we live 01:20:23 Why people chase the paranormal 01:24:59 Culture, plausibility, and belief 01:34:40 Cyprus, Lazarus, and his relics 01:39:23 Great Lavra, John the Baptist, and Athanasius the Athonite 01:44:17 The bullet hole icon story 01:46:42 The disobedient monk and the blackened hand 01:53:46 Why Mount Athos belongs to the Virgin Mary 01:56:15 Final thoughts and East West Series support Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ ====================================== All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast Words for the algorithm: East West Series, Vatopedi, Mount Athos, Pascha, Holy Week, relics, miracles, church fathers, orthodoxy, monks.

How Humanity is Reconciled to God: Penal Substitution vs. the Early Church | with Fr. Joseph Lucas

Dr. Nathan Jacobs sits down with Fr. Joseph Lucas to discuss penal substitution atonement. The discussion examines the claim that penal substitution is the biblical and historic view of the atonement. Drawing on the writings of Cyril of Alexandria and other early Christian sources, Fr. Joseph Lucas explains how the Church Fathers understood sacrifice, sin, and the work of Christ very differently from later Western models. The discussion looks at the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, typology, and the meaning of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension. The result is a picture of atonement centered on purification, victory over death, and the transformation of human nature—not a transfer of punishment. This conversation also explores how differences in biblical interpretation led to very different conclusions about what the Cross accomplishes. Support the East West Series: https://theeastwestseries.com/ [https://theeastwestseries.com/] Bio: Archpriest Joseph Lucas is an Orthodox Christian priest, theological scholar, college professor, and practical philosopher. He received his PhD in Theology at Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (Netherlands) and his MDiv with Distinction in Church History and Patristics at St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Pennsylvania). He specializes in research pertaining to patristic exegesis and historical theology. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lt40zf4KpV8 Fr. Joseph’s parish in Miami: https://www.oca.org/clergy/Joseph-Lucas/ - His blog, Prudence and Piety: https://prudenceandpiety.com/ - His parish podcast, Apostolic Tradition: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlnsUX0xxfCfBWmQmrrQ8w - Fr. Joseph Lucas’ book: How to Read the Holy Fathers: A Guide for Orthodox Christians: https://store.ancientfaith.com/how-to-read-the-holy-fathers-a-guide-for-orthodox-christians/ - Another episode Dr. Jacobs and Fr. Lucas did together: https://youtu.be/3Yt5fItpy7U?si=0BRySP8VEQgv-9I9 Mentioned: - East Vs. West (Part 1) - Dr. Nathan Jacobs, Orthodox Miami: https://youtu.be/kVGkrtzx1DY?si=hmCwdH5YTN3hcpQn - Fr. Joseph’s appearance on The Symbolic World: https://youtu.be/0FuO88QVlN0?si=8UmUZF4Cc5ZmHD1X - Fr. John Behr’s book, The Case Against Diodore and Theodore: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Diodore-Theodore-Oxford-Christian/dp/0198800215 Dr. Nathan’s series on penal substitution: Part 1: https://youtu.be/WHx21LQncFI?si=Y-WaG636sATOZ03S Part 2: https://youtu.be/-MXLs6J2JBw?si=XxHHcXmqnjhx4G95 Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 00:18 - Start 01:27 - Introduction 03:11 - Fr. Joseph's work 05:24 - What is penal substitution atonement? 07:41 - Fr. Lucas' background 13:44 - Approaching St. Cyril of Alexandria on atonement 18:00 - St. Cyril's influences 23:09 - An incorrect exegesis 25:08 - The Father looking away from the Son 34:04 - Origen 35:18 - Christ acting in the Old Testament 39:39 - A discussion on the term sin 56:58 - Passover 01:00:28 - Substitution 01:03:20 - Presuppositions: early vs modern Christians 01:11:31 - Assuming our nature 01:15:19 - The blameless passions 01:24:35 - Testing vs temptation 01:29:59 - Justification and vindication 01:46:33 - Salvation is a mystery ========================== Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to written essays, exclusive lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and our book club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/ All the links: The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobs Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs Listen and please review the podcast elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast