In this episode of The Catholic Theology Show, Dr. Michael Dauphinais speaks with Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press and longtime contributor to the Catholic apologetics movement. Together, they reflect on the rise of Catholic apologetics in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, a time marked by doctrinal confusion, limited catechetical resources, and strong evangelical critiques of the Catholic faith.

Brumley shares his personal journey from unaffiliated theism to evangelical Christianity and ultimately to Catholicism, highlighting how historical research, Scripture, and engagement with early Church writings led him to embrace the Catholic Church. The conversation explores the challenges Catholics faced before the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the impact of Catholic Answers, and the importance of clear, reasoned explanations of the faith.

The discussion then turns to contemporary apologetics, including the influence of digital media, responses to the New Atheism, the renewed interest in Christianity among young people, and the importance of presenting both rational arguments and the broader narrative of salvation. Brumley and Dauphinais emphasize that apologetics serves evangelization by removing intellectual obstacles and inviting people into a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.

The episode concludes with reflections on faith and reason, the renewal of biblical literacy among Catholics, current cultural challenges, and the enduring mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel with clarity, confidence, and charity.

Resources:

Links to Mark Brumley's books

How not to Share Your Faith: https://a.co/d/04lPO6My

The Seven deadly Sins of Apologetics: https://shop.catholic.com/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-apologetics-digital/

Websites:

https://ignatius.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22959487649&gbraid=0AAAAAD_ZLxiTtemBbEjN2GDeUyZQM44VP

https://www.catholic.com/profile/mark-brumley

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Ave Maria University is committed to providing a liberal arts curriculum based on Catholic principles and thought. We strive to enlighten students intellectually and spiritually, to prepare them for a life well lived.

In this episode of The Catholic Theology Show, Dr. Michael Dauphinais is joined by Dr. Paul Gondreau, professor of theology at Providence College, for an in-depth conversation on the full humanity of Jesus Christ and its implications for Christian anthropology, masculinity, femininity, and moral life. Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas, Scripture, and the Catholic tradition, Dr. Gondreau explains how affirming Christ as fully human—and fully male—counters ancient and modern forms of docetism and defends the goodness of creation, embodiment, and sexual difference.The discussion explores Christ’s human emotions, passions, and affectivity, the scandal of particularity in the Incarnation, and why Jesus’ maleness matters without marginalizing women. Together, they examine how Jesus radically reorients relationships between men and women, elevates women as disciples, and calls men to moral self-governance, chastity, and rightly ordered aggression. The conversation also addresses contemporary cultural confusion around sexuality, masculinity, and femininity, showing how Christ reveals authentic human flourishing through virtue and grace.

Dr. Gondreau shares personal insights from his work in Catholic moral theology, his experiences as an extra on The Chosen, and his teaching on marriage and sexual ethics. The episode concludes with reflections on the beauty of the Church’s vision of marriage, the role of virtue in healing disordered desires, and how Christ fully reveals the human person by perfecting, not negating, our humanity.

Resources:

Links to Paul Gondreau's Books

https://a.co/d/01MM7FGg

https://a.co/d/08XpAmlC

Catholic Mass Times App | Find Catholic Churches Near Me:

The most popular app worldwide for finding Catholic Mass times near me. Confession times. Adoration. 110,000+ churches. Updated in 2025:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...https://catholicmasstimes.com/

▶ Help support Ave Maria University and this podcast by joining the Annunciation Circle: https://hubs.li/Q03312J80▶ Learn more about Ave Maria University: https://hubs.li/Q032PhpS0

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Ave Maria University is committed to providing a liberal arts curriculum based on Catholic principles and thought. We strive to enlighten students intellectually and spiritually, to prepare them for a life well lived.

In this episode of The Catholic Theology Show, Dr. Michael Dauphinais speaks with Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and author of A Blessing in Disguise: Miracles of the Seven Sorrows Rosary. Drawing from her harrowing experience of hiding for three months while much of her family was murdered, Immaculée reflects on how suffering became a place of encounter with God rather than abandonment. She shares how meditation on the Passion of Christ and the sorrows of Mary sustained her hope, preserved her dignity, and anchored her faith amid profound darkness.The conversation centers on the Seven Sorrows Rosary and the Marian apparitions at Kibeho, Rwanda, officially approved by the Church. Immaculée explains how this devotion leads believers more deeply to Christ by contemplating His suffering through the heart of His mother. She emphasizes the distinction between accepting suffering and approving the evil that causes it, showing how forgiveness and prayer freed her from hatred, healed her mind, and restored her capacity to love. Together, Dr. Dauphinais and Immaculée explore prayer as a living relationship, the dangers of faith without ongoing prayer, and Mary’s role as a spiritual mother who guides souls toward healing, hope, and redemption. The episode offers a profound meditation on suffering transformed by grace, rooted in lived testimony and Catholic theology.Resources:Link to Immaculee's Book: Left to Tellhttps://a.co/d/0hE6penS The Power of Faith in Suffering w/ Immaculée Ilibagiza | Ep. 92https://youtu.be/dh8YOvoZ018Why Do We Need Marian Consecration? with Dr. Mark Miravalle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=603zUdzyYmY&pp=ygUlbWFyayBtaXJhdmFsbGUgY2F0aG9saWMgdGhlb2xvZ3kgc2hvdw%3D%3DCatholic Mass Times App | Find Catholic Churches Near Me:The most popular app worldwide for finding Catholic Mass times near me. Confession times. Adoration. 110,000+ churches. Updated in 2025:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...https://catholicmasstimes.com/