#80 | Have We Become More Secular?

#80 | Have We Become More Secular?

Are we really living in a secular age? In this episode of Noll’s Nephew, we examine our contemporary religious landscape through the lens of Strange Rites. While traditional religious affiliation may be declining, the human search for meaning, identity, ritual, and belonging has not disappeared; it has simply been remixed. Drawing on theology and cultural analysis, this episode explores why the human person cannot escape worship and what this means for evangelization in a world that is spiritual, but often disconnected from truth.

#79 | Should Catholics Drink?

Is drinking a sin? In this episode of Noll’s Nephew, we examine alcohol through the lens of virtue theology, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Catechism. The Church does not condemn alcohol itself. Creation is good, but she does warn against excess. Drunkenness becomes sinful when it impairs reason and undermines temperance, the virtue that orders pleasure toward the good. We explore the difference between moderate enjoyment and the deliberate loss of self-control, along with the spiritual and social consequences of excess.

# 78 | The Cross Triumphant Part 1

This episode explores how the Cross, once a scandal and symbol of death, becomes the source of hope and glory through Christ’s Resurrection. Beginning with Luke 9:23, we see that Jesus calls His followers to take up their cross even before Calvary, inviting them into redemptive suffering. In Gethsemane, Christ embraces the cup the Father does not remove, revealing that salvation comes through suffering, not around it. Through Scripture and saints, we learn that our crosses are not wasted; they are transformed into eternal victory.

#77 | Preparing for Lent

Lent is more than “giving something up.” In this episode of Noll’s Nephew, we explore the theology behind the Church’s forty-day journey into the desert. Drawing from Scripture and the Church Fathers, we examine how Lent renews our baptismal identity, disciplines disordered desire through fasting, and reorders love through prayer and almsgiving. The desert is not punishment but formation, participation in Christ’s own preparation for the Cross and Resurrection. Lent trains freedom, deepens charity, and prepares the heart for Easter. This episode invites you to enter the season intentionally, with clarity, courage, and a renewed hunger for holiness.

#76 | Flirt To Convert? Dating Non-Catholics

Should Catholics date non-Catholics? In this episode of Noll’s Nephew, we explore the idea sometimes jokingly called “flirt to convert.” Without giving a simple yes or no, this conversation looks at the theology of marriage, the importance of unity of faith, and the real spiritual risks and possibilities involved. Relationships can be places of witness and grace, but emotional attachment can also lead to quiet compromise. We discuss evangelization, freedom, discernment, and the difference between loving a person and treating them like a project. If dating is part of your life, this episode invites serious reflection, not romantic naivety, about faith.