Catechism 101: How Faith Works episode artwork

EPISODE · May 25, 2026 · 14 MIN

Catechism 101: How Faith Works

from Crash Course Catholicism · host Dr Caitlin West

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 itWhy faith is a gift from God The four things that have to happen to make an act of faithWhy the will matters just as much as the intellectWhy God is the most credible source there is.TIMESTAMPS0:00 — Introduction2:11 — Why we can't force faith3:39 — The ocean metaphor4:44 — Breaking down an act of faith7:56 — Why the information source matters13:25 — What to do if you're struggling to believeCRASH COURSE CATHOLICISMA 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-worksSUPPORT THE PODCASTThis 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate via PayPal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#HowFaithWorks #CatholicFaith #CatholicTeaching #Catechism #Catholicism

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 itWhy faith is a gift from God The four things that have to happen to make an act of faithWhy the will matters just as much as the intellectWhy God is the most credible source there is.TIMESTAMPS0:00 — Introduction2:11 — Why we can't force faith3:39 — The ocean metaphor4:44 — Breaking down an act of faith7:56 — Why the information source matters13:25 — What to do if you're struggling to believeCRASH COURSE CATHOLICISMA 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-worksSUPPORT THE PODCASTThis 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate via PayPal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#HowFaithWorks #CatholicFaith #CatholicTeaching #Catechism #Catholicism

NOW PLAYING

Catechism 101: How Faith Works

0:00 14:35

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

The Course Mentors Podcast The Course Mentors Hey there, future course creator!Ever feel like turning your know-how into an online course is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded? Well, grab your headphones because "The Course Mentors Podcast" is here to be your secret weapon!Meet Aimee and Odette (that's us!), your new best friends in the course creation world. We've been in the trenches for over a decade, and for the last five years, we've been rocking the online course space. Now we're here to spill all our secrets in bite-sized, 15-20 minute episodes that'll fit perfectly in your coffee breaks.No fluff, no filler - just real, actionable advice that'll take you from "um, what's a landing page?" to "holy moly, I just hit six figures!". We're talking everything from crafting your course to marketing it like a pro and building a business that'll have you pinching yourself.Whether you're dreaming of ditching the 9-to-5 grind, adding a sweet extra income str Song Against Songs, The by G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936) LibriVox LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 recordings of The Song Against Songs by G. K. Chesterton. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for October 16, 2011.Chesterton was a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighing around 21 stone (130 kg; 290 lb). His girth gave rise to a famous anecdote. During World War I a lady in London asked why he was not 'out at the Front'; he replied, 'If you go round to the side, you will see that I am.' On another occasion he remarked to his friend George Bernard Shaw: "To look at you, anyone would think a famine had struck England". Shaw retorted, "To look at you, anyone would think you have caused it". P. G. Wodehouse once described a very loud crash as "a sound like Chesterton falling onto a sheet of tin."( Summary from Wikipedia ) Tim Packer's Hungry Artist Podcast Tim Packer Canadian Artist Tim Packer interviews successful artists about their creative journey. This is a podcast by artists for artists. The in depth conversations will help aspiring artists plot their own course to achieve the life they dream of. Listeners will discover how these artists were able to buck the odds and create a successful career as an artist. CLO Level 3 Lessons Chinese Learn Online (CLO) Learn Mandarin Chinese with our unique structured immersion course. Each lesson continues where the previous one left off. Level 1 lessons are conducted mainly in English. Later levels in the course will be conducted in Chinese that was taught in earlier levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Crash Course Catholicism?

This episode is 14 minutes long.

When was this Crash Course Catholicism episode published?

This episode was published on May 25, 2026.

What is this episode about?

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...

Can I download this Crash Course Catholicism episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!