EPISODE · Nov 13, 2025 · 2H 8M
The True Christian Philosophy | The Metaphysics of the Ecumenical Councils
from The Nathan Jacobs Podcast · host Nathan Jacobs
Join Jacobs Premium: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/membershipThe book club (use code LEWIS): https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/offers/aLohje7p/checkoutThis is part two of a three-part series examining the philosophical commitments embedded in the seven ecumenical councils of early Christianity. In this episode, Dr. Jacobs explores the metaphysical foundations of Nicene and Constantinopolitan theology, including hyalomorphism, moderate realism, the doctrine of the hypostasis, and the distinction between creation and eternal generation. He’ll walk through how the early church fathers developed sophisticated philosophical positions on the nature of God, creatures, causation, and the individual that were integral to Christian theology rather than later Greek additions.All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:02:15 The Seven Ecumenical Councils wverview 00:04:42 No ancient divide 00:21:42 Ancient Christians saw Christianity as philosophy 00:29:39 Dispelling the progress narrative 00:38:21 The Arian disput & metaphysical commitments 00:39:16 What it means to be "created" 00:43:12 Hylomorphism: form & matter 00:52:24 Metaphysical realism and the law of contradiction 01:03:07 Are creatures material? 01:04:38 Biblical foundations for these commitments 01:09:20 From Nicaea to Constantinople 01:11:51 The doctrine of the hypostasis 01:14:00 Moderate realism: Aristotle vs Plato 01:23:10 The individual as its own reality 01:32:15 On "Not Three Gods" 01:42:32 The distinction of causes: begotten, not made 01:51:27 Efficient vs formal cause 02:00:05 Per se vs per accidens causality 02:02:39 Eternal generation & procession
What this episode covers
Join Jacobs Premium: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/membershipThe book club (use code LEWIS): https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/offers/aLohje7p/checkoutThis is part two of a three-part series examining the philosophical commitments embedded in the seven ecumenical councils of early Christianity. In this episode, Dr. Jacobs explores the metaphysical foundations of Nicene and Constantinopolitan theology, including hyalomorphism, moderate realism, the doctrine of the hypostasis, and the distinction between creation and eternal generation. He’ll walk through how the early church fathers developed sophisticated philosophical positions on the nature of God, creatures, causation, and the individual that were integral to Christian theology rather than later Greek additions.All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs00:00:00 Intro 00:02:15 The Seven Ecumenical Councils wverview 00:04:42 No ancient divide 00:21:42 Ancient Christians saw Christianity as philosophy 00:29:39 Dispelling the progress narrative 00:38:21 The Arian disput & metaphysical commitments 00:39:16 What it means to be "created" 00:43:12 Hylomorphism: form & matter 00:52:24 Metaphysical realism and the law of contradiction 01:03:07 Are creatures material? 01:04:38 Biblical foundations for these commitments 01:09:20 From Nicaea to Constantinople 01:11:51 The doctrine of the hypostasis 01:14:00 Moderate realism: Aristotle vs Plato 01:23:10 The individual as its own reality 01:32:15 On "Not Three Gods" 01:42:32 The distinction of causes: begotten, not made 01:51:27 Efficient vs formal cause 02:00:05 Per se vs per accidens causality 02:02:39 Eternal generation & procession
NOW PLAYING
The True Christian Philosophy | The Metaphysics of the Ecumenical Councils
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.