Best Docet Podcasts (2024)

1
Early Church Heresies: Docetism 17:55

1M ago17:55

17:55

In this episode, we begin to explore heresies in the early church about Jesus starting with the heresy of docetism. We will look at what it is, why people would have believed it, how the Bible deals with it, and what it means for us today. Website: thechristianexplorer.org Facebook: facebook.com/thechristianexplorer Instagram: instagram.com/thechri…

1
4.11 The Heresies — Arianism: A Man Who Became a God 45:45

2d ago45:45

45:45

Arianism was the fourth century evolution of adoptionism, in which Arius made a concession to the mainstream by accepting a quasi-divinity in Jesus Christ. But this was an acquired divinity, an earned divinity, and a divinity that was less than that of the Father. The controversy led to the first worldwide (ecumenical) council of bishops, the Counc…

1
38: Evidence-based practice – What, where, why? 25:35

2d ago25:35

25:35

In optometry, exciting new products or treatments are constantly coming onto the market. As practitioners, we need to keep our knowledge up-to-date, so that we can offer solutions to our patients if they present with an ocular condition. But is the evidence strong enough to make a recommendation or to provide that treatment? In this episode, Michel…

1
4.10 The Heresies — Rebaptism and the Donatists 29:24

16d ago29:24

29:24

In the aftermath of the persecutions, controversies arose over the sacraments, which required clarification of the Church’s sacramental theology. Out of those controversies, new schisms emerged which had a correct understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity, but incorrect understandings of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church) and incorrect un…

1
4.9 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 2 (The Bad and the Ugly) 36:42

1M ago36:42

36:42

In this second part of a two-part series on Novatian of Rome, Dr. Papandrea discusses the flawed sacramental theology and ecclesiology of Novatian, which led to a schism that not only lasted for centuries, but created a new situation in which a faction could be orthodox with regard to the doctrine of the Trinity, yet not within the mainstream of th…

1
37: Immunology and allergy – A not so obvious link 26:59

1M ago26:59

26:59

Ocular allergy can be more complicated than the seasonal conjunctivitis that optometrists see frequently in practice. To treat allergic reactions effectively, it’s important to understand how the immune system works. In this episode, Michelle and Dr Peter Frampton, an optometrist at Aaron Optometrists in the North of England, discuss the four types…

1
4.8 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 1 (The Good) 37:27

1M ago37:27

37:27

Novatian of Rome is an extremely important, but conflicted, character in the early Church. On the one hand, he clarified and helped define the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, preparing the Church for the ecumenical councils. On the other hand, he was the central figure of a schism in a controversy over the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.…

1
4.7 The Heresies – Modalism: God as a Monad with Three Names 40:17

2M ago40:17

40:17

Modalism denies the distinctions between the three Persons of the Trinity, so that God is presented as, not a Trinity at all, but rather a monad with three names. Modalism can be expressed chronologically (the Father became incarnate as the Son) or functionally (the names describe activities like Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer), but either way, in mo…

1
4.6 The Heresies – The Enigma of Origen and Origenism 26:02

2M ago26:02

26:02

Whether Origen is considered a father of the Church, or a heretic, depends on whom you ask. But everyone agrees he may have been just a bit too smart for his own good. At best, he tried in vain to out-gnostic the gnostics, at worst, he was too influenced by gnosticism. In the end, the Fifth Ecumenical Council declared him a heretic. In this this ep…

1
36: SEN – The path to lifelong eyecare 28:01

2M ago28:01

28:01

Children with special educational needs (SEN) are 28 times more likely to have a problem with their vision—or how their brains interpret vision—than their peers. It’s essential that optometrists understand how to make appointments as successful as possible for SEN children and their families. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks Ellie Hughes, As…

1
4.5 The Heresies – Gnosticism: Christ as Cosmic Mind 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

The heresy of docetism evolved into a complicated web of schools of mythology, which we lump together under the name of gnosticism. These all still denied the real humanity of Christ, though in two distinct ways. Docetic gnosticism continued the trend of seeing Christ as a phantom, with no real tangible body. “Hybrid” gnosticism made concessions to…

1
Jesus is the Fullness of the Church - Ephesians 1:22-23 10:43

3M ago10:43

10:43

Paul ends the first chapter of Ephesians with the culmination of all the blessings we have in Christ: the church. In this episode, we consider how the church belongs to Jesus, and as such, is ordered according to Him. And we find that if we do our part in the church the way He intended, we will be tremendously blessed. Links: Website: ⁠thechristian…

1
35: Dry AMD – Hope on the horizon 27:54

3M ago27:54

27:54

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK, and the dry form is the most common type of the condition. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty visits a community practice in Harborne, Birmingham, to meet optometrist Bradley Warwick. Brad specialises in dry AMD, so Michelle and Brad discuss how to manage and c…

1
Appreciating the Incarnation 16:35

3M ago16:35

16:35

We start out on a series of explorations into who Jesus is and the many wrong views of him throughout history by exploring the incarnation. What does it mean for God to be with us? How is Jesus both divine and human? And what does that mean for us today? These questions and more are considered in this episode. Links: Website: thechristianexplorer.o…

1
4.4 The Heresies – Adoptionism: Christ as Anointed Prophet 47:29

4M ago47:29

47:29

In the third century, the heresy of the Ebionites evolved into a more general form of adoptionism, still denying the divinity of Christ, and now emphasizing his status as an anointed, but adopted, son of God, much like the kings and prophets of the Old Testament. Adoptionism is also known as “dynamic monarchianism,” in part for its claim that it wa…

1
4.3 The Heresies – Docetics & Marcionites: Denying Christ's Humanity 31:04

4M ago31:04

31:04

For the second heresy, Dr. Papandrea examines the opposite extreme from the first: these are the Docetics, including the most famous docetic teacher, Marcion and his followers. They concluded that Christ was a god, not necessarily different from the many other gods or demigods in the Greco-Roman pantheon, but that he was not really a human. Links F…

1
4.2 The Heresies – Judaizers and Ebionites: Denying Christ’s Divinity 32:05

5M ago32:05

32:05

Is Jesus Christ God? Is he a man? Is he both? Spoiler alert: the mainstream Church answered with the both/and, but the factions on the fringes tended to choose one or the other. For our first heresy, we take a look at the Ebionites, and their New Testament-era predecessors, the so-called Judaizers. These concluded that Jesus Christ was a mere human…

1
4.1 The Heresies - Introduction to the Series 20:45

5M ago20:45

20:45

I am honored to be picking up the Way of the Fathers podcast where my good friend, Mike Aquilina, left off. In season 4 of The Way of the Fathers, we’ll be looking at the heresies of the early Church, and how the Church fathers confronted and refuted them. This first episode is the introduction to the series, where I define some terms and tell you …

1
34: YAG and SLT – Optometrist-delivered laser treatments 28:42

5M ago28:42

28:42

Laser treatments are a great way for optometrists to learn new skills and add some variety to day-to-day practice. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty brings us into her YAG laser capsulotomy clinic in Birmingham, where she treats posterior capsule opacification (PCO) following cataract surgery. Michelle walks us through an appointment with a patien…

1
The future of Way of the Fathers: Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea in conversation 39:29

6M ago39:29

39:29

After 99 wonderful episodes by Mike Aquilina, Way of the Fathers is getting a new host! We are sad to see Mike go, but excited about his hand-picked successor, Jim Papandrea. In this conversation, Mike introduces Jim to the listeners and these two friends and collaborators talk about their love for all things Patristic. Please help CatholicCulture.…

1
3.13 Cities of God: Last and Lasting Lessons 22:02

6M ago22:02

22:02

Christianity conquered cities one by one, not by arms or propaganda, but by the quiet witness of ordinary lives well lived. Worldly power yielded before the prayers of the saints and the blood of the martyrs. What can we learn from the first evangelization as we work our witness today? Links Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, …

1
33: Cataract surgery – Understanding risks and managing complications 28:39

6M ago28:39

28:39

Over 400,000 cataract procedures are done every year in England alone and the surgery is also one of the most successful in modern medicine. But complications can still occur, for a number of reasons. With optometrists becoming ever more involved with cataract surgery patient pathways — from direct referral to postoperative care — in this episode, …

1
3.12 Cities of God: Carthage, African Christian Genesis 21:50

7M ago21:50

21:50

Western Christianity—Latin Christianity—began in Africa and made its way across the sea to Italy. All the great orthodox Latin writers of the first through third centuries were African. The distinctive western liturgy was likely a product of Roman Africa. Christianity came to Africa at a time of literary renaissance, and the Church is still the ben…

1
3.11 Cities of God: Ravenna, Capital on the Swamp 20:08

7M ago20:08

20:08

From Rome to Milan to Ravenna, the Western capital moved—searching for the site least vulnerable to barbarian incursion. And wherever the capital moved, money followed. And where there’s money, there’s monumental art, science, and literary culture. In Ravenna there were great figures such as Galla Placidia and Peter Chrysologus. Today, the early Ch…

1
32: Managing Myopia – Now and for the future 28:22

7M ago28:22

28:22

Myopia can be much more than just shortsightedness. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty speaks to her friend Kathryn, who has severe myopia, to find out how the condition can cause further ocular health problems, like macular degeneration. Two years ago on the podcast, we explored how optometrists should play an active role in myopia management usin…

1
3.10 Cities of God: Constantinople (Not Istanbul) 23:31

8M ago23:31

23:31

In a short span of time, in the fourth century, Byzantium made the leap from a relatively insignificant harbor city to the de facto capital of the world. Constantine moved there from Rome and gave his empire a new (and Christian) founding. He also laid the foundations for a political milieu that made “Byzantine” a byword meaning complicated, bureau…

1
3.9 Cities of God: Ejmiatsin and Christian Armenia 20:47

8M ago20:47

20:47

As if an interest in patristics isn’t strange enough, in this episode we’re getting still more exotic. We’re entering the world of Armenian patristics. We’re visiting the ancient city of Ejmiatsin—leaping over the barriers of language (and even alphabet) to encounter the heroes too often neglected in the histories. This is the story of St. Gregory …

1
3.8 Cities of God: Lugdunum, the French Connection 21:18

8M ago21:18

21:18

Faith came to France very early and very strong. It seems likely that traders brought the Gospel from distant Smyrna (modern Izmir in Turkey) to Lugdunum (modern Lyon). The blood of martyrs was seed. Blandina, a sickly slave, emerged from her trials an epic hero, honored forever. Irenaeus, the globetrotting scholar-bishop, arose as the second centu…

1
3.7 Cities of God: Edessa Starts with the Abgar Score 19:07

9M ago19:07

19:07

In Edessa—the borderlands of the Empire—we make our first encounter with Syriac Christianity. Its origins are shrouded in mist, and within the mist we meet the indistinct figures of heretics, saints, and a king who is both historic and mythic. LINKS Labubna, Acts of Addaeus (Addai), https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?r…

1
31: Diabetic Retinopathy – Screening & Treatment 26:44

9M ago26:44

26:44

Regular eye screening for the more than 4 million people in the UK with diabetes is essential. The chronic condition is difficult to manage, but high blood sugar over time can damage the blood vessels in the retina. These changes to the eye can be detected by retinal photography, yet diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness, because it …

1
3.6 Cities of God: Ephesus, a Church and Its Riots 21:08

10M ago21:08

21:08

Ephesus was home to one of the Wonders of the World; and it’s the setting for one of the most dramatic moments in the itineraries of the Apostles: the riot of the silversmiths. It was also the location of one of the most dramatic moments in the age of the Fathers: the riotous council that condemned Nestorius. LINKS Socrates Scholasticus, Church His…

1
3.5 Cities of God: Alexandria: Library and Lighthouse of Christian Learning 23:26

10M ago23:26

23:26

Alexandria was cultural capital of the ancient world — and the ancient Church. It had the greatest library on the planet and a state-subsidized community of scholars. It was the city where theology first developed as a science. The Alexandrians had their own distinctive way of interpreting Scripture, developed over centuries by giants: Clement, Ori…

1
30: Glaucoma – ISNT it suspicious? 27:33

10M ago27:33

27:33

Detecting and diagnosing suspect glaucoma isn’t an exact science, but the stakes are high—undetected or late-diagnosed optic nerve damage can lead to irreversible vision loss. Subtle changes in the optic nerve head can be confusing, though, so as an optometrist, being confident in your clinical decisions is essential. In this episode, Michelle Hanr…

1
3.4 Cities of God: Rome between Time and Eternity 22:51

11M ago22:51

22:51

No one would have guessed when Rome was founded that it would become anything important. But it became the capital of a vast empire and earthly center of the universal Church. It is the destination of the Acts of the Apostles — a place consecrated by martyrs' blood, a city to which the Fathers ventured as pilgrims, a city whose Church and bishop sp…

1
3.3 Cities of God: Antioch, the City of Lights 21:36

11M ago21:36

21:36

3.3 Cities of God: Antioch, 'First Called Christian' Antioch, in so many ways, was the place where the lights first went on. It was the first city in the ancient world to have street lamps and unending night life. It was the city where the disciples were first called Christians. And it blazed brightly for centuries, in the lives and words of the Fa…

1
29: Hydroxychloroquine – Potentially toxic, potentially blinding 27:59

12M ago27:59

27:59

One of the side-effects for patients who take hydroxychloroquine, or chloroquine, can be retinal toxicity. The drug is usually taken to help treat rheumatic disorders, but around 7.5% of people who take hydroxychloroquine for over five years are thought to develop retinopathy. That’s why regular monitoring of the eyes is essential. Typically, monit…

1
3.2 Cities of God: Jerusalem, the City of Origin 21:18

12M ago21:18

21:18

Jerusalem, the holy city — a city built with compact unity and beloved by the Apostles — was the first home of the Christian Church. Sacred to the Jews, it was for the early Christians a pilgrim destination. Melito and Egeria and Gregory of Nyssa visited there. Cyril reigned there as bishop. John of Damascus moved there. In any consideration of Chr…

1
Mike Aquilina Q&A on early Christianity 1:36:18

12M ago1:36:18

1:36:18

For those who missed the YouTube livestream Q&A with Mike Aquilina on May 8th, 2023, here is the audio. It was a lively conversation where Mike fielded viewer questions about important cities of the early Church, early evidence for papal primacy, the role of charity in the early Church, Origen, the providential role of easy travel for the spread of…

1
Livestream announcement 2:12

12M ago2:12

2:12

We'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James …

1
3.1 Cities of God: Introduction to Series 3 17:14

1y ago17:14

17:14

With this introductory episode we begin our exploration of the cities where the Fathers lived and taught. At first these were cities that raged against the Gospel and persecuted the Church. The Fathers brought them to faith. Each city was different from all the others—and each became more perfectly itself through its encounter with Jesus Christ. We…

1
28: Leadership and accountability in optometry – Essential not optional 29:12

1y ago29:12

29:12

Leadership in optometry can take many forms - from solving a patient’s complaint successfully, to managing a team of optometrists, to dealing with our busy workflows. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks Mat Pickering, the General Manager of Optegra UK, how optometrists can become leaders in the workplace. Michelle is the Optometrist Lead at Opt…

1
Patristic Pilgrims’ Progress 14:14

1y ago14:14

14:14

Christianity is the odd religion that does not require pilgrimage, but Christians do it anyway, and in great numbers, as they have since the earliest days of the Church. Many of the early Fathers made the journey to the holy sites. They trekked to the Holy Land to walk in Jesus’ footsteps and to Rome to honor Peter and Paul. How can we follow their…

1
The Mother of All Vigils 15:20

1y ago15:20

15:20

’Twas the night before Easter, and all through the Church every heart was stirring. The early Christians kept a Vigil that made a lasting impression. The symbols were elemental: fire, water, darkness, nakedness, music, dramatic preaching, surprising chalices, and more-than-marathon endurance. Prepare for your Easter Vigil by learning about theirs. …

1
27: Dry Eye? Think MGD and beyond 29:03

1y ago29:03

29:03

The impact of severe dry eye or ocular surface disease on quality of life has been compared to someone who’s had a renal transplant or unstable angina. In this episode, we hear how dry eye disease affected both the ocular and mental health of patient Dave Cannell. For optometrists, dry eye can be tricky to manage and patients may need to be refer…

1
Work of Human Hands: The Fathers and the Revaluing of Labor 22:14

1y ago22:14

22:14

Plato scorned manual labor. Aristotle believed that “no one who leads the life of a worker or laborer can practice virtue.” Plotinus, Celsus, and Herodotus agreed that work was ignoble and contemptible. Pagan religion reflected these precepts of the philosophers. In such a world, Christianity seemed revolutionary. The churches were full of laborers…

1
Sicily: The Fathers Long Before the Godfathers 20:27

1y ago20:27

20:27

To Plato it was an island paradise. To Cicero it was the beginning of the Roman Empire. To Basil it was a name synonymous with luxury. To Augustine it was a place of natural marvels: a mountain that burned perpetually, but was never consumed. To Gregory the Great it was a shrine to his favorite martyrs. Modern Christians know Sicily mostly from the…

1
26: Patient Mental Health – Eyes and minds 27:40

1y ago27:40

27:40

Mental health isn’t usually the first consideration in optometrists’ minds when they see patients. But with conditions like anxiety and depression on the rise, optometrists, as primary healthcare providers, should be on the lookout for mental health concerns and how to point patients in the right direction. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks o…

1
The Deep Roots of Consecrated Life 23:28

1y ago23:28

23:28

As long as there’s been Christian faith, there have been ascetics—athletes of prayer—and these athletes, both female and male, have sought ways to live in intentional community. Experiments in communal life went on in every corner of the Empire—in Egypt, Palestine, Rome, Cappadocia, Athens, Antioch, Africa—and involved the greatest names in the ear…

1
Denis & the Menaces: 3rd-century Pandemic, War, Climate Change 11:31

1y ago11:31

11:31

Denis (aka Dionysius) the Great, in the years he was bishop, faced many of the terrors of the ancient world, all while the empire was persecuting Christians to the death. He saw his congregations reduced by death and defection. He saw the ranks of the clergy reduced to just a handful of priests. Yet he lived to see the day when the Church of Alexan…

1
25: Visual Field Tests – When, why and what it can mean 26:35

1+ y ago26:35

26:35

Visual field tests can be invaluable when trying to explain a patient’s symptoms, like headaches, or detecting early disease, from glaucoma to stroke, or rarer neurological conditions, such as pituitary tumours. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks Stephen Freeman, an optometrist and lecturer at the University of Plymouth, when to be suspicious …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Docet Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide