In this second trio of readings, we explore the foundation of authority, confessions of weakness, and the role of divine order in humanity’s origin. Irenaeus illustrates how every church that aligns with Rome and honors apostolic succession stands firmly against heretical innovation. Augustine reflects upon how human flattery can derail true devotion and lead us into spiritual poverty. Aquinas then brings it home with a meditation on how woman’s later creation is neither accidental nor secondary but an integral part of the human vocation—teaching unity, mutuality, and prefiguring the Church.

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 3

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 36 (Sections 58–59)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 92, Article 1

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#ApostolicTradition #Confessions #HumanDignity #ChurchFathers #HistoricalTheology

🎙️ Podcast Episode 1: Readings 1–3

Today’s readings walk us through the importance of apostolic continuity, the danger of pride, and the divine design of woman’s creation. Irenaeus, in Against Heresies (Book 3, Chapter 3), reminds us that the unbroken succession of bishops from the apostles to today is a living testimony against heresy. Augustine, in The Confessions (Book 10, Chapter 36, Sections 58–59), grapples with his lingering desire for human praise, contrasting it with God’s liberating humility (James 4:6; Luke 12:32). Aquinas, in Summa Theologica (Part 1, Question 92, Article 1), contemplates whether woman ought to have been created at the beginning—and concludes that her formation from man underscores unity, complementarity, and divine wisdom.

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 3

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 36 (Sections 58–59)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 92, Article 1

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

#Irenaeus #ChurchFathers #Confessions #SummaTheologica #ApostolicSuccession #Pride #Creation

In today’s readings, we see how curiosity, weakness, and identity each expose the soul’s struggle and God’s design. Irenaeus dismantles the false teachings of the Gnostics—those who claim we must experience every sin to be perfected, or that souls pass from body to body—and reaffirms that we are created uniquely, not recycled or fragmented. Augustine reflects on the thousand tiny distractions that disrupt our prayers and direct our hearts away from God, reminding us that even flies and lizards can reveal the shallowness of our attention. And Aquinas helps us see the wisdom behind the human form itself, not as a failed design but as a deliberate vessel suited to the soul’s higher calling—made for reason, humility, and worship, not power or speed (Psalm 148:5–6; Genesis 2:7; Matthew 13:43).

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapters 31–35

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 35 (Section 57)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 91, Article 3

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

#Irenaeus #ChurchFathers #Confessions #SummaTheologica #TheologyOfTheBody #Distraction #HistoricalTheology