Why Original Sin Is Actually Good News

In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. speaks with Fr. Michael Sherwin, O.P. about the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and the enduring questions surrounding natural rights, democracy, religious freedom, and the common good. Beginning with the famous words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” the discussion explores whether the principles at the heart of the American founding are truly self-evident, how human rights can be grounded, and what role religious and moral traditions play in sustaining democratic life. Drawing upon the thought of John Courtney Murray, Alasdair MacIntyre, Alexis de Tocqueville, Leo XIII, Pius XII, and John Paul II, Fr. Sherwin reflects on the relationship between natural law and rights, the challenges posed by secularization, and the ongoing debate over whether the American experiment strengthens or weakens religious faith. The conversation explores: - The Declaration of Independence and the meaning of “self-evident truths” - Whether natural rights are grounded in human nature or social convention - Equality, liberty, and the philosophical foundations of democracy - John Courtney Murray and the “American Proposition” - Alasdair MacIntyre’s critique of modern rights discourse - Why communities are necessary for recognizing and defending human dignity - The Catholic experience in colonial America and the Maryland Toleration Act - Religious freedom, pluralism, and the challenge of indifferentism - The contributions of Catholics to the American founding - Leo XIII, Pius XII, and the Catholic defense of ordered liberty - Tocqueville’s “habits of the heart” and the future of democratic societies- Why healthy local communities remain essential for political freedom 👉 Full transcript & show notes: https://media.angelicum.it/?post_type=online-series&p=8472&preview=true 📖 Angelicum Conversations is a new interview series from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Each episode features thoughtful dialogue on theology, philosophy, and culture—conversations that reflect the Angelicum’s mission of serving the Church through study, contemplation, and teaching. 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear your perspective. 👉 Explore more episodes in the Angelicum Conversations series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbhx2jnZ5Dd28o4qDsJVCldPx0C88zb4 🎥 Check out the Angelicum's new video series on Catholic Social Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbhx2jnZ5DeWHdT4MNq_UAY0ChkgM-wo 🎓 Learn more about the Angelicum: https://angelicum.it/ Chapters: 0:00 Preview 0:28 Introduction 2:04 “We Hold These Truths”: The Meaning of the Declaration 5:06 Are Human Rights Really Self-Evident? 11:35 Rights, Natural Law, and MacIntyre’s Critique 15:12 The Down Syndrome Example: How Rights Become Visible 20:35 John Courtney Murray and the American Proposition 24:29 Equality, Human Nature, and Opportunity 26:15 Catholics in Early America and the Maryland Experiment 33:42 Did Religious Freedom Lead to Secularization? 39:14 Catholicism and the American Experiment 45:29 Are Catholics a Threat to Democracy—or Is Democracy a Threat to Catholics? 48:17 Leo XIII, Pius XII, and Ordered Liberty 52:01 Tocqueville and the Habits of the Heart 55:24 Rebuilding Civic Culture and Democratic Institutions 1:00:25 Closing Remarks

In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Adrian Patrick McCaffery, O.P. speaks with Fr. Philip-Neri Reese, O.P. about his new book: "Aquinas on Metaphysics as a Science".As we trace the history of metaphysics, beginning with Aristotle and engaging with Hume's famous challenge that scholastic metaphysics deserves to be committed to the flames as well as with contemporary thought, one wonders whether there truly is a metaphysics that meets even the most rigorous standards of Aristotelian episteme without giving everything away. Fr. Reese examines, inspired by Hume’s clarion call, the history of metaphysics and its development. What is metaphysics? Throughout history, has it met Aristotelian standards to be considered a true science, or does a new problem arise at every turn? In attempting to answer these questions, the discussion becomes an opportunity not only to discuss metaphysics but also to explore methodology and the study of philosophy in its entirety. The discussion explores:- Hume's Challenge: Why the call to dismiss metaphysics still resonates among contemporary scientists and philosophers.- The Leaky Hull Problem: How Aristotle's ambiguous theory of being created a recurring crisis for metaphysicians from Al-Farabi to Avicenna.- Aquinas's Solution: How he reconciles rigorous Aristotelian science, subject matter, properties, and principles, with the study of being itself.- The Properties of Being: A provocative re-reading of Aquinas, challenging the long-standing identification of the transcendentals (one, true, good) as the properties of being.- Three Kinds of Questions: Distinguishing exegetical, systematic, and speculative approaches to reading any philosopher.- Analytic Thomism: What the term really means, and how it differs from contemporary engagement with the Thomistic tradition.- Advice for Young Scholars: Why learning Latin, paleography, and engaging the understudied commentatorial tradition remain essential.

In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Thomas Joseph White speaks with Fr. Simon Gaine about the latest document from the International Theological Commission, "Quo Vadis Humanitas?" (Where Are You Going, Humanity?). Drawing on theological anthropology, the conversation explores the future of the human race in the face of rapid technological shifts. Can science really offer us immortality? Or is our true destiny found elsewhere? Fr. Gaine examines the rise of transhumanism and posthumanism, contrasting these secular visions with the Christian hope of divinization where humanity is not left behind, but brought to its ultimate perfection in Christ. Ultimately, the conversation argues that human identity is both a gift and a task, steering toward Christ as the true accomplishment of history.

In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Philip-Neri speaks with Professor Thérèse Cory of the University of Notre Dame about Aquinas’s understanding of the verbum mentis, or “mental word.” What is a thought for Aquinas? Is the mind directed toward the world through an inner mental object—or is thinking better understood as a natural perfection of the intellect itself? Drawing on medieval philosophy, Trinitarian theology, and the history of Thomistic interpretation, Professor Cory explains why the verbum mentis has played such an important role in Catholic thought, and why she believes a dominant modern reading of Aquinas gets it wrong. The conversation explores Aquinas’s account of cognition, the development of the “immanent object” interpretation, the influence of early modern philosophy on later Thomism, and why recovering Aquinas’s original framework matters for theology today. 👉 Full transcript & show notes: https://media.angelicum.it/online-series/angelicum-conversations/episode-7-how-does-the-mind-know-reality/ 📖 Angelicum Conversations is a new interview series from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Each episode features thoughtful dialogue on theology, philosophy, and culture—conversations that reflect the Angelicum’s mission of serving the Church through study, contemplation, and teaching. 👉 Explore more episodes in the Angelicum Conversations series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbhx2jnZ5Dd28o4qDsJVCldPx0C88zb4 🎥 Check out the Angelicum's new video series on Catholic Social Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbhx2jnZ5DeWHdT4MNq_UAY0ChkgM-wo 🎓 Learn more about the Angelicum: https://angelicum.it/ Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:41 What Is the Verbum Mentis? 2:56 Is Thinking an Inner Language? 4:05 Concept, Definition, and Intellectual Achievement 5:56 Why the Verbum Mentis Matters for the Trinity 10:12 The Traditional “Immanent Object” Interpretation 13:59 Descartes and the Mind-World Gap 16:40 Neo-Scholasticism, Kant, and Later Thomism 18:38 Why Cory Thinks This Is Not Aquinas’s View 19:00 The Mind as a Nature Among Other Natures 21:45 Thinking as Part of the Natural World 25:28 Thought, Error, and Natural Perfection 28:45 So What Is the Verbum Mentis, Then? 34:53 Objections to the “Thought Interpretation” 38:16 Conclusion

In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Thomas Joseph White speaks with Fr. Michael Sherwin about the moral and spiritual crisis of modern culture—what they describe as a “Nietzschean wasteland.” Drawing on the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, Elizabeth Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre, and St. Thomas Aquinas, the conversation explores a central question of our time: If belief in God fades, can morality survive? Fr. Sherwin examines how contemporary culture often assumes a form of “self-created identity,” where individuals construct their own values and meaning. But does this lead to freedom—or to nihilism? The discussion explores: -Nietzsche’s diagnosis of modern moral collapse -The rise of self-creation and the “disembodied will” -Why modern ethics often lacks a foundation -The recovery of virtue through community and tradition -How Christian moral theology offers a path beyond nihilism Ultimately, the conversation argues that the answer to the “wasteland” is not withdrawal or domination, but a renewed quest for truth, virtue, and human flourishing.