Satan, the Devil, and the Evolution of Evil: From the Divine Council to the Cosmic Devil of Modern Christianity

Gnosticism: Christianity's First Great Heresy?

In this episode of The Unintentional Heretic, we explore Gnosticism—the ancient Christian movement that taught salvation comes through awakening to the divine spark within—and the profound influence of Platonic philosophy, the Demiurge, Valentinus, Marcion, and the battle for the soul of early Christianity. Along the way, we ask a question that remains surprisingly relevant today: is the goal of spirituality to escape the world, or to discover the sacredness of creation, embodiment, and ordinary human life?

Why Did Christianity Become Obsessed with Sex? Desire, Embodiment, and the Sacredness of Creation

For centuries, Christianity wrestled with a profound question: are our bodies, desires, and passions obstacles to God or places where God is revealed? In this episode of The Unintentional Heretic, we explore how Greek dualism, Augustine, monasticism, and purity culture shaped Christian attitudes toward sex—and why many Christians today are rediscovering the sacredness of creation, embodiment, and desire itself.

Jesus Said “Follow Me,” Not “Worship Me”: When Christianity Became a Religion About Christ Instead of the Way of Christ

In this episode of The Unintentional Heretic, we explore how Christianity gradually shifted from being a movement centered on following the way of Jesus to a religion increasingly focused on worshiping Jesus and defining correct belief about him. While creeds, doctrine, and institutions have great value, their purpose is ultimately to lead us into lives shaped by mercy, compassion, justice, and love—the very things Jesus emphasized when he said, “Follow me.”

Is the Bible Inerrant? Scripture, Authority, and the Evolution of Truth

In this episode of The Unintentional Heretic, Greg explores the history and evolution of biblical inerrancy, distinguishing it carefully from literalism while examining how modern Christianity came to equate certainty with faithfulness. Drawing on church history, biblical scholarship, theology, and personal experience, the episode argues that Scripture can remain deeply inspired, authoritative, and spiritually transformative without requiring every passage to function as a historically or factually flawless account.

Satan, the Devil, and the Evolution of Evil: From the Divine Council to the Cosmic Devil of Modern Christianity

This episode explores the fascinating evolution of Satan from “the accuser” within the divine council of ancient Israel to the cosmic devil of modern Christianity, revealing how ideas about evil, suffering, and spiritual conflict developed across centuries of Jewish and Christian history. Along the way, the episode examines the serpent in Eden, Persian dualism, apocalyptic literature, Revelation, Dante, Milton, psychology, and scapegoating — ultimately arguing that theology evolves as humanity wrestles with the mystery of evil and the deeper call toward love over fear.