In this interview, Matt sits down with the one and only Fr. Mike Schmitz. The conversation focuses on accepting who God made you to be — as it relates to getting older, detachment (even from good things), anxiety, fatherhood, the spiritual life and more.

Also discussed is fitness, the rising interest in Catholicism among young people today, Gen Z vs. Millennials, why Fr. Mike loves being a priest, the impact of Bible in a Year, God's love, grief, Fr. Mike's podcast, and the beauty or religious orders.

Ex-Satanist turned Catholic convert, Shayne Smith, returns for a wide-ranging conversation sharing his past involvement with the occult, thoughts on why the Catholic church is more popular than ever and insight into the life of a comedian. 

Ep. 576

Matt Fradd

Pints with Aquinas

Ep. 576 - From Witchcraft to Jesus Christ (Shayne Smith)

Stephen C. Meyer sits down with Matt to discuss evolution, intelligent design, and the collapse of New Atheism.

Ep. 575

📚Resources Mentioned:

The Story of Everything Film: https://www.thestoryofeverything.film

Bulk Tickets: https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/the-story-of-everything

Books by Stephen Meyer: https://stephencmeyer.org/books

More About Stephen: https://stephencmeyer.org

Ep. 575 - Is It Time to Rethink Darwinian Evolution? (Stephen C. Meyer)

Matt Fradd takes on one of the New Atheist movement's most popular catchphrases, "Do Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence?" and puts it to the test against the historical case for the resurrection of Jesus.

Do You Need Extraordinary Evidence to Believe in the Resurrection

Fr. John A. Perricone entered seminary in 1968 and watched from the inside as the Catholic Church underwent its most catastrophic crisis in modern history: heresy taught openly in classrooms, thousands of priests abandoning the faith, and a generation of bishops who did nothing to stop it. Today, he sees the tide turning with many returning to these previously discarded traditions of the Catholic Church.

Ep. 574

Theotokos Rosaries are available here: https://store.dailywire.com/collections/matt-fradd-pints-with-aquinas/products/rosary

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Ep. 574 - What the 1960’s Did to the Catholic Church and Why the Tide Is Finally Turning (Fr. Perricone)

Pints of Aquinas turns 10 years old today! From the very first podcast episode, “Who Are You, St. Thomas?” to praying to the good Lord that the elevator would work when Dr. Jordan Peterson arrived in Steubenville, Ohio.
To FINALLY having Dr. Brant Pitre on and joining The Daily Wire - thank you for being here along the way and praise God for good he is working through these conversations. All glory to God. Cheers.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin: (Fr. Andrew Dalton) Ep. 383 https://youtube.com/live/HAbuG-oVq1Q

Pints Turns 10! And We’re Taking Your Voicemails

In this conversation, Matt welcomes Sister Magnificat Rose and Sister Mary Grace of the Sisters of Life, a religious community founded in 1991 by Cardinal O'Connor to protect the sacredness of human life. The sisters share their vocation stories, the transformative encounters they have with strangers simply by wearing the habit, and the profound ministry they offer to women facing crisis pregnancies. The conversation weaves together deeply personal reflections on self-reliance, God's mercy, shame, community life, and what it means to truly see and receive every human person as sacred.

Ep. 573

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📚 More About Guests:

Sisters of Life: https://sistersoflife.org

Ep. 573 - Why Are So Many Young Women Becoming Nuns Today? (Sisters of Life)

Father Simon Esshaki, a Chaldean Catholic priest from San Diego with over 500K TikTok followers joins Matt to talk about why he became a priest, what celibacy actually means, confession and how to pursue sainthood no matter your state in life.

Ep. 572

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📚 Resources mentioned:

True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort: https://a.co/d/09d9YDsY

Litanies of the Heart by Jerry Crete: https://a.co/d/085DNhnW

Ep. 572 - Why the Ordinary Catholic Life Is So Beautiful (Fr. Simon Esshaki)

This episode’s mature themes may not be suitable for children. Catholic philosopher and epistemologist, Dr. Trent Dougherty, joins Pints to tackle the age-old question: what does it even mean to know something? The conversation weaves between rigorous philosophical debate - Descartes, Gettier, justified true belief and vulnerable personal territory where Dougherty shares his battles with the inner demons that plagued his pursuit of success.

Ep. 571

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📚 Resources Mentioned: 

Books

        •  Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Devout-Life-Image-Classics/dp/0385030096

        •  The Problem of Animal Pain by Trent Dougherty https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Animal-Pain-Creatures-Philosophy/dp/0230368484

        •  The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Discarded-Image-Introduction-Renaissance-Literature/dp/1107604702

        •  The Four Cardinal Virtues by Josef Pieper https://www.amazon.com/Four-Cardinal-Virtues-Josef-Pieper/dp/0268001030

        •  Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius of Loyola https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Exercises-St-Ignatius-Loyola/dp/0895550555

        •  The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Christ-Thomas-Kempis/dp/0385302754

        •  Against Heresies by Irenaeus (Church Fathers) https://www.amazon.com/Against-Heresies-Irenaeus-Lyons/dp/1614279551

Debates / Conversations

        •  The Bertrand Russell vs. Frederick Copleston Debate (1948 BBC) https://www.ditext.com/russell/debate.html

        •  Trent Dougherty and Tom Jump YouTube Conversation https://youtu.be/qw-ihYHwYUA?si=fEaxOKlwS_FOM4X_

Ep. 571 - Can You Actually Know Anything? Epistemology Explained for Normal People (Dr. Trent Dougherty)

Martin Shaw is a mythologist, storyteller, and New York Times bestselling author of Liturgies of the Wild: Myths That Make Us. Together, Matt and Martin discuss the power of fairy tales, the need for a quest, and a profound 101 night vigil in the woods that lead Shaw to Christianity. Whisky and cigars included.

Ep. 570

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📚 More About Dr. Martin Shaw: 

Liturgies of the Wild: Myths That Make Us: https://a.co/d/03ZWk5Qg

Learn More: https://drmartinshaw.com

Dr. Martin Shaw is a writer, mythographer, and Christian thinker who has authored seventeen books. He holds a visiting position at the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University and is a fellow of the Temenos Academy. He founded the Oral Tradition and Mythic Life courses at Stanford University and is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK. For thirty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites-of-passage guide, working with men and women seeking a deeper life.

Ep. 570 - Enchantment in a Disenchanted Age (Dr. Martin Shaw)

Catholic apologist, Brian Holdsworth, joins Matt Fradd to discuss Pope Leo's papacy, the loss of modesty in today's culture as well as the current attrition rate in the church, how to raise families in authentic community, and the role classical literature plays in human formation. 

Ep. 569

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💻 More About Brian Holdsworth: 

YouTube: Youtube.com/@BrianHoldsworth

The Gregory The Great Institute: Gregorythegreat.ca/

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Ep. 569 - Here's How to Build a Catholic Culture (Brian Holdsworth)

Dr. Thomas Madden, Professor of Medieval History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University, sits down to set the record straight on the Crusades. Demystifying one of history's most misunderstood chapters. Dr. Madden draws on 30 years of scholarship and archival work to trace the full arc of the Crusades from their origins in centuries of Muslim expansion to the catastrophic Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople. Whether you think the Crusades were an act of aggression, piety, or geopolitical chaos, this conversation will challenge what you thought you knew.

Ep. 568

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Dr. Thomas Madden's book "The Concise History of the Crusades" is available here: https://a.co/d/0jjYdCFm

Ep. 568 - Thank God for the Crusades! (Dr. Thomas Madden)

Catholic apologist Joe Heschmeyer stops by to discuss his debate with LDS apologist and the theological problems with LDS beliefs. Later on they discuss the toxic culture of online apologetics, dating advice and practical tips for breaking phone addiction.

Ep. 567

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Ep. 567 - Why Mormonism Denies God's Existence (Joe Heschmeyer)

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. joins Matt Fradd for an in-depth conversation about Eucharistic miracles, the real presence of Christ, and the spiritual life. Fr. Pine shares his research on miraculous hosts that have turned to human heart tissue, how to detect pride and narcissism in ourselves, and offers practical wisdom on prayer, the dangers of social media, and why showing up in God's presence, even with our mess, is what Jesus desires most.

Ep. 566

📲 Connect with Fr. Gregory:

The Thomistic Institute: https://youtube.com/@thomisticinstitute?si=-y9ceFdY8f1OT2zw

Godsplaining Podcast: https://godsplaining.org/

Your Eucharistic Identity: https://a.co/d/6i9wkEe

Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech: https://stpaulcenter.com/trainingthetongue

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Ep. 566 - Mind blowing Eucharistic Miracles (Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.)

Catholic apologist Trent Horn opens up about his wife's brain tumor, the toxicity plaguing online Catholic discourse, and why he now sends his scripts to critics before publishing. This wide-ranging conversation covers everything from dating culture and Gen Z struggles to practical advice for Protestants considering Catholicism. A candid, honest discussion about faith, suffering, and how to evangelize with both truth and love.

Ep. 565

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Ep. 565 - Two Boomers Complaining About The World (Trent Horn) |

Who was St. Valentine, and what does his feast day have to do with the commercialized holiday we celebrate today? Matt Fradd explores the fascinating (and surprisingly murky) history of the patron saint of love, sharing moving stories of his faith, courage, and martyrdom from early Church tradition.

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Who Was St. Valentine Anyway?

Sister Mary Rachel, OP, Director of Novices for the Nashville Dominicans, joins Pints With Aquinas host Matt Fradd to discuss how to identify your vocation, obedience to your call, and what to do if you haven't found yours yet. Sister provides a joyful and peaceful witness to the beauty and importance of female religious life as part of a healthy Church.

Ep. 564

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🙏 Connect with the Nashville Dominicans: https://www.nashvilledominican.org

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Ep. 564 - Just A Lovely Conversation With A Beautiful Nun (Sr. Mary Rachel, O.P.)

In a rare virtual episode His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan joins Pints With Aquinas host, Matt Fradd, to discuss his private meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the war on the Latin Mass, Europe's demographic transformation, and why young people are flooding back to traditional Catholicism. His Excellency delivers powerful and unflinching analysis of the Catholic Church's current crisis while offering profound hope for the future.

Ep. 563

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📖 Books mentioned:

Salve Regina: https://a.co/d/90GoKV6

Catechism of the Catholic Church: https://a.co/d/8pkyg64

A Man for All Seasons: https://a.co/d/gQDTtPJ

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Ep. 563 - The Church Crisis No One’s Talking About, and How We Win (Bishop Athanasius Schneider) |

Daniel Suazo @thejewishcatholic, joins Pints With Aquinas host, Matt Fradd, to share his extraordinary journey from Judaism to the Catholic Church. Daniel, who lives in Tokyo, Japan, discusses his Jewish heritage, his deep dive into Judaism, and the theological discoveries that ultimately led him to Christ.
This episode explores the connections between ancient Judaism and Catholicism, common misconceptions about the Talmud, Christian Zionism and dispensationalism, and how Catholics can better evangelize their Jewish friends.

Ep. 562

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📱Follow Daniel: 

YouTube: Youtube.com/@TheJewishCatholic

Instagram: Instagram.com/thejewishcatholic/

📖 Books mentioned:

    •  Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre: https://a.co/d/fDh8EVY

    •  Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Brant Pitre: https://a.co/d/4ofPIBs

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Ep. 562 - From Judaism to Christ: A Convert’s Quest for the True Israel (Daniel Suazo)

Dr. Brant Pitre joins Host of Pints With Aquinas, Matt Fradd to present compelling historical evidence for the reliability of the New Testament, Jesus' claims to divinity, and the resurrection. Drawing from ancient manuscripts, Jewish prophecy, and Old Testament fulfillment, Dr. Pitre makes a powerful case for Christianity for believers and skeptics alike.

📚 Get Dr. Pitre's Books:

      •  The Case for Jesus - https://a.co/d/coHBKmd

      •  Jesus and Divine Christology - https://a.co/d/0Vx7mjw

      •  Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist - https://a.co/d/fDh8EVY

      •  Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary - https://a.co/d/4ofPIBs

🔗 LEARN MORE: https://www.brantpitre.com, https://www.CatholicProductions.com

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Ep. 561 - Yes, Jesus Is God and You Should Be Catholic (Dr. Brant Pitre)

In this interview, Matt sits down with William Albrecht for a discussion about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the biblical foundations for our beliefs about Mary, what Protestant Reformers (particularly Luther) believed about Mary, what Catholics get wrong about Mary, plus Eastern Orthodoxy, the papacy, and more! Enjoy!

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Ep. 549 - Accepting Who God Made You to Be (Fr. Mike Schmitz) |

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