Crash Course Catholicism

In this first episode of our series on Pope Leo's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, we explore what the Catholic Church has to say about artificial intelligence, the digital revolution, and what it means to be truly human.
Pope Leo argues that AI is not simply another technological innovation. It is reshaping the way we work, communicate, think, and even understand ourselves. Drawing on the biblical stories of the Tower of Babel and Nehemiah, he challenges us to build a future rooted not in pride or efficiency alone, but in human dignity, communion, and the common good.

This episode covers:
Why Pope Leo compares aspects of the digital age to the Tower of Babel
How AI is transforming society and human relationships
The difference between unity and uniformity
Why technology is neither inherently good nor inherently evil
The Catholic understanding of AI and human dignity
How Christians can remain deeply human in an increasingly digital world
This is Part 1 of our chapter-by-chapter journey through Magnifica Humanitas. Whether you're interested in Catholic social teaching, AI ethics, technology, philosophy, or theology, I hope these reflections encourage you to read the encyclical for yourself and join the conversation.
Question for listeners:
How can we remain “profoundly human” in the age of artificial intelligence?
00:00 – Introduction
01:12 – Why We're Reading Magnifica Humanitas
03:15 – The Lay of the Land: AI and the Digital Revolution
06:48 – Big Tech Today Has More Power Than Governments
09:36 – We Must Act Now, Before a Crisis
10:31 – The Tower of Babel vs. Nehemiah
14:26 – Unity vs. Uniformity
18:07 – The “Babel Syndrome”
20:48 – The “Way of Nehemiah”
23:36 – We Are All Responsible for What Happens Next
25:15 – The Morality of AI Depends on How We Use It
26:33 – Remaining Profoundly Human
27:37 – What’s Coming in Part 2

This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of viewers. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:
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Faith is more than intellectual belief. If we think about it, even the devil technically *believes* in God. So what does true faith actually look like?
In this episode of Catechism 101, we talk through four key signs of faith from the Catechism: Faith is free, active, overflowing, and dynamic.

This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of viewers. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:
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What does it mean to be a human person? What does love actually look like? What does the body reveal to us about God and the meaning of life?
Theology of the Body isn't just about sex. It's about what it means to be human.
In this episode, we explore some of the foundational ideas that St. John Paul II returns to again and again in his catechesis. We introduce key themes including the dignity of the body, the meaning of love, JPII's famous claim that the opposite of love isn't hate: it's use.

This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of listeners. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:
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References and further reading/listening/viewing:
St. John Paul II:
Theology of the Body
Love and Responsibility
Redemptor Hominis
Theology of the Body in Simple Language
⁠Gaudium et Spes
Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae⁠
Theology of the Body Institute
Christopher West:
"⁠What Is the Theology of the Body? | Introduction to Theology of the Body⁠"
Our Bodies Tell God's Story
Good News About Sex and Marriage
The Ask Christopher West Podcast
"This is the Opposite of Love"
Fr Mike Schmitz,
Theology of the Body Crash Course (pdf)
Theology of the Body Crash Course (video)
The Thomistic Institute, "Theology of the Body: An Overview"
St Paul Centre, "⁠What's the Point of Theology of the Body? Dr. Scott Hahn Explains⁠"

How does faith actually work?
There's a gap between logically knowing something is true and actually believing it. In this episode of Catechism 101, we unpack exactly what it takes to cross that gap.

This episode covers:
The difference between knowing something is true and actually believing it
Why faith is a gift from God
The four things that have to happen to make an act of faith
Why the will matters just as much as the intellect
Why God is the most credible source there is.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Introduction
2:11 — Why we can't force faith
3:39 — The ocean metaphor
4:44 — Breaking down an act of faith
7:56 — Why the information source matters
13:25 — What to do if you're struggling to believe

CRASH COURSE CATHOLICISM
A series on Catholic teaching and why it makes sense.
▶ Previous episode — What Is Faith?: https://youtu.be/dSs_AxrpiKE
▶ Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw6henAD9rk0-RxLqLoqycLVftmfFo9-r
▶ Read the blog post: https://www.caitlinwest.com/post/how-faith-works

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#HowFaithWorks #CatholicFaith #CatholicTeaching #Catechism #Catholicism

What is the Theology of the Body? Why was it developed, and why is it still relevant today?
In this episode, we begin our next deep dive (!) by telling the story of the development of ToB. From the fallout of the sexual revolution to Humanae Vitae and Pope St. John Paul II’s revolutionary vision of the human person, we ask why TOB remains one of the Church’s most important teachings today.
This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of listeners. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:
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References and further reading/listening/viewing:
Humanae Vitae
Christopher West: "What Is the Theology of the Body? | Introduction to Theology of the Body"
Godsplaining, "Does Christian Marriage Really Have Two Ends?"