Through the Church Fathers

Podcast Description
In this episode we confront the emptiness of pagan culture and philosophy. Tatian exposes the absurdity of Greek theater, the contradictions and vanities of the philosophers, and the futility of their borrowed wisdom, calling Greeks to abandon empty traditions and follow the Word of God. Augustine shows that evil is not a substance but a perversion of the will turned away from the Supreme Good. Thomas Aquinas explains how the will naturally inclines toward the good yet remains free in its choice among particular goods, never forced or necessitated to any single option.
Today’s Readings: Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 24–26
Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 16 (Section 22)
Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 10 (Articles 1–3 Combined)
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Today’s Readings
Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 20–23 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 15 (Section 21) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 9 (Articles 4–6 Combined)
Tatian presses hard against a world that trusts appearances, exposing how easily people give credit to created things while ignoring the Creator, and how what looks like wisdom or culture can actually be corruption dressed up for applause . Augustine then pulls the argument deeper, showing that everything that exists has its being in God, and that error begins the moment we misjudge reality—treating what is not as though it were. Aquinas brings the precision: the will is not controlled by external forces, nor by the stars, nor by circumstances, but is moved by God in a way that does not destroy freedom but grounds it. Put together, these readings confront a single issue from three angles—what is really moving your life? If you give that power to illusions, passions, or systems, you will be carried along without knowing it. But if God is the one who moves you, then your freedom is not lost—it is finally anchored in what is real.
Explore the Project:
Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton
Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com
Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org
#ChurchFathers #Tatian #Augustine #Aquinas #ChristianTheology #Discipleship

Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 17–19 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 5, Chapter 14 (Section 20) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 9 (Articles 1–3 Combined)
You can see a common thread running through all three readings today: the danger of trusting the wrong source of power, knowledge, and movement. Tatian exposes the illusion of healing and wisdom apart from God, arguing that what people call medicine or spiritual insight often masks demonic deception that enslaves rather than frees . Augustine turns inward and shows how even intellectual error—being displeased with God’s creation—can fracture reality itself, leading to false views of God and the world. And then Aquinas brings precision to it all: the will is not random, nor purely driven by passion or external force, but is moved in an ordered way—by what we understand as good, influenced by our desires, and directed by our own choosing toward an end. Together, these readings force a hard question: what is actually shaping your decisions? Is it truth, illusion, passion, or something deeper? Because if the will follows what appears good, then everything hinges on whether you are seeing clearly or being quietly led astray.
Explore the Project:
Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton
Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com
Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org
#ChurchFathers #Tatian #Augustine #Aquinas #ChristianTheology #Discipleship

In today’s readings from Tatian (Address to the Greeks, Chapters 13–16), Augustine of Hippo (The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 13 [Section 19]), and Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 6 [Articles 1, 4, 6, 8]), we see a unified vision of human responsibility and dependence on God: Tatian argues that the soul must be united to the Spirit to truly live and that what many attribute to fate or unseen forces is instead the result of deception and moral failure , Augustine clarifies that all creation is good and that what we perceive as evil is often a lack of harmony within a larger order established by God, and Aquinas explains that human acts are truly voluntary, showing that the will cannot be forced, that fear complicates but does not eliminate responsibility, and that ignorance excuses only when it is not chosen. Together, these readings press us to reject both fatalism and excuse-making, reminding us that while we depend entirely on God for life and truth, our choices still matter and carry real responsibility.
Today’s Readings:
Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 13–16
Augustine — The Confessions, Book 7, Chapter 13 (Section 19)
Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 6 (Articles 1, 4, 6, 8)
Explore the Project:
Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton
Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com
Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org
#ChurchFathers #Tatian #Augustine #ThomasAquinas #FreeWill #Soul #Responsibility #EarlyChurch #ChristianTheology #Truth #ThroughTheChurchFathers

Here’s your podcast paragraph—tight, integrated, and aligned with your rules:
In today’s readings, Tatian presses hard against the idea of fate, arguing that human life is not determined by the stars but shaped by free will, and that the real problem is not destiny but sin—something we ourselves have chosen, and therefore something we are responsible to reject . Then Augustine of Hippo clarifies the nature of evil itself, concluding that it is not a substance but a deprivation of good, and that everything that exists is good insofar as it exists, since all things come from God. Finally, Thomas Aquinas brings these ideas to their conclusion by explaining that perfect happiness cannot be attained in this life or by our own power, but must be given by God, and once truly possessed, it cannot be lost. Together, these readings strip away two common illusions—that we are controlled by fate and that we can fix ourselves—and replace them with a harder but clearer truth: we are responsible for our condition, dependent on God for our fulfillment, and called to a happiness that lies beyond what we can achieve on our own.
Explore the Project:
Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton
Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com
Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org
#ChurchFathers #Tatian #Augustine #ThomasAquinas #FreeWill #Happiness #Evil #EarlyChurch #ChristianTheology #Truth #ThroughTheChurchFathers