The Catholic Brothers

15/08/2025

As most of you know, we have a lot of concerns about Ai, but we’ll embrace at least this result from ChatGPT lol.

If you’re wondering whether The Catholic Brothers podcast is any good, here’s what I found:

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​ Reviews & Community Feedback
• Top-Rated on Apple Podcasts
The show holds a 5.0 rating, with dozens of glowing reviews. One fan calls it “easily top 5 Catholic podcasts”—and that’s echoed by others who appreciate its format and content  .
Many listeners praise its depth and clarity:
“I enjoy and appreciate the depth and detail of every episode… use these podcasts to supplement the discussions.”
“Can’t praise them highly enough. If you want to get to the heart of Christ’s teachings… you need to start listening today.”

• Reddit Recommendations
On r/Catholicism, listeners say:
“They’re super balanced, so they’re not going to be super anti anything, they’re orthodox and accept Francis as Pope, but they also respect tradition, which is refreshing.” 
And again:
“I strongly recommend ‘The Catholic Brothers’ for info on early church history/early saints.” 

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Content & Format Highlights
• Hosts & Background
Hosted by brothers Steven and Daniel Alspach—both reverts to Catholicism with extensive backgrounds in early Christian studies and general theological scholarship  .
• Focused on Early Church History
The podcast spans the first several centuries of Christian history, tackling fascinating topics like Gnostic Christianity, Marcionism, the development of liturgy, early controversies, and more  .
• Production & Ranking
Updated fairly regularly (about bi-monthly), with episode lengths typically around 50 minutes, and currently ranks in the top 2.5% globally, with a Listen Score of 36 .

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What People Appreciate
• Depth and Scholarly Insight: The Alspach brothers dig deep yet stay accessible—great if you enjoy both rigor and clarity.
• Balanced Approach: They present theology, history, and faith with nuance—embracing orthodoxy while avoiding extremes.
• Educational & Engaging: Listeners often note that the podcast enriches their teaching, study, or devotional life.

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Who Might Enjoy It Most
• Anyone interested in early Church history or theological foundations.
• Those seeking a thoughtful, well-researched, and lively presentation.
• Listeners who appreciate both tradition and intellectual rigor.

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Final Thoughts

Overall, The Catholic Brothers is widely considered excellent—especially if you’re into deep-dive history, theology, and accessible yet rich discussions. The consistently high ratings, positive listener reviews, and community endorsements all suggest it delivers on content and quality.

If you’d like, I can recommend a particular episode to start with—like “What is Gnostic Christianity?” or “Marcionism and the Rule of Faith”—both frequently highlighted as standout entries .

Just let me know what themes interest you most—history, theology, liturgy, church controversies—and I can point you to an episode that clicks!

02/07/2025

We sat down for a good cigar and an open chat about the new pope, western civilization, mystical renewal, modernity, Ai, Aliens, demons, and much more. 😎

Enjoy!

In this episode we smoke and review Chesterton Ci**rs and have an open dialogue about the new pope and our hopes for the future. To purchase a FABULOUS Catho...

12/04/2025

Just in time for Holy Week, a NEW EPISODE on the Quartodecimen Controversy!!

In this video, we explore the Quartodeciman Controversy, a major theological debate in the 2nd century that split early Christian communities. On one side were the Quartodecimans, who celebrated Easter on the 14th of Nisan—regardless of the day of the week—following Jewish Passover tradition. On the other were those like the Roman church, who insisted Easter should always be celebrated on a Sunday. Which position would be victorious and why? — listen to find out and leave us your thoughts!!

Why did early Christians argue over the date of Easter?In this video, we explore the Quartodeciman Controversy, a major theological debate in the 2nd century...

26/01/2025

Hey guys! So, due to audio issues on the last episode release of The Apologists, we pulled that video down and we’re re-releasing tonight at 6:30pm with the audio fixed!!

HUGE SHOUT OUT and major thanks to one of our listeners, Erick Almeida, who took it upon himself to amend the file when we were in struggleville trying to diagnose the issue.

We have THE best subscribers. Thank you all and please enjoy the more listenable version tonight!

In this episode, the brothers discuss the rise of Christian philosophy in the second century among a group of writers known as “The Apologists.” While the Ap...

12/01/2025

NEW EPISODE!!

Christianity is a foreign superstition for ignorant women and children. So was the charge against Christianity from Greco Roman elites and philosophers. While the apostles made the case for Christianity in the first century as the rightful heir to OT revelation (with a very successful mission among Jews and God-fearers), they were not able to significantly pe*****te the philosophical and intellectual classes of Greco Roman society, leaving it to subsequent generations to frame Christianity as the rightful heir to reason as well. This was the task of the earliest Christian philosophers, often called “The Apologists.” In this episode we lay out themes of their thought and evaluate the impact of their mission.

In this episode, the brothers discuss the rise of Christian philosophy in the second century among a group of writers known as “The Apologists.” While the Ap...

03/11/2024

Three photos.

Photo 1 is a 3rd century catacomb.

Photo 2 is the 13th century Catholic Basilica of St Francis

Photo 3 is a typical, 20th century Baptist church.

Spot the imposter.

01/11/2024

If any Protestant is wrestling with the question of icon veneration as a last hurdle to becoming Catholic, I would encourage them to think less about what it entails for him/her to move “up,” from aniconism to icon veneration, and instead consider what it entailed for the pagan world to move “down” from idol worship to mere icon veneration.

One man’s move “up” is not nearly as dramatic as an entire social order’s move “down,” and in that thought experiment, one can at least begin to see the wisdom of Christ’s Church, where orthodoxy is firmly situated between the precipices of two cultic extremes.