Pat Flynn and Ethan Muse explain and defend natural law theory while using an article by Matthew Adelstein ("Bentham's Bulldog" on Substack) as a springboard for the discussion.
00:00 - Introduction
03:12 - What Natural Law Theory Actually Says
06:01 - The Metaphysical Foundation of Natural Law
13:18 - Natural Law, Goodness, and Classical Theism
23:44 - Is Morality Just About Your Own Happiness?
36:57 - Can You Ever Violate a Natural Function for a Greater Good?
46:07 - Does Natural Law Collapse into Egoism?
56:04 - The "Evil Teleology" Objection
1:00:20 - Are Perverted Functions Always Wrong?
1:05:26 - Lying, Sexual Ethics, and the Plastic Straw Objection
1:11:22 - Final Thoughts
Pat's Substack: https://journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com/
Ethan's Substack: https://motivacredibilitatis.substack.com/
4 Sept 2026
Ep. #4 - Divine Simplicity: The Doctrine, the Arguments, and Objections
Pat Flynn and Ethan Muse explore the doctrine of divine simplicity, the motivation behind it, and how it can be defended from objections.
Time codes:
00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwQrIPwBghs) - Introduction 01:38 - Ethan's journey to classical theism 13:10 - What is divine simplicity? 23:20 - Distinctions, composition, and the trinity 41:05 - Why believe in divine simplicity? 1:04:40 - Can a simple God have distinct attributes? 1:16:28 - Does divine simplicity lead to modal collapse? 1:22:02 - Modal collapse, free will, and the PSR 1:34:53 - God's knowledge of a contingent world 1:49:33 - Final thoughts & recommended resources Pat's substack: https://journalofabsolutetruth.substa... Ethan's substack: https://motivacredibilitatis.substack...
23 Aug 2026
Ep. #3 - Papal Infallibility Isn't What You Think
In the third episode of Summa Contra Infallibility, Pat Flynn and Ethan Muse go deep into the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, what it means, what it doesn't mean, and how to understand important historical examples often invoked to disprove the doctrine.
00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDXn31l1xPE) Introduction
03:40 The surprising consistency of Catholic doctrine
08:55 What papal infallibility actually means
14:47 Indefectibility explained
20:03 The logic behind infallibility
20:39 What exactly is the Church?
30:33 The Church as a perfect society
35:54 Why indefectibility entails infallibility
37:40 Infallibility protects the Church from the Pope
46:21 Why the limits of infallibility aren't ad hoc
49:50 Authority vs. credibility
57:17 Did Israel need an infallible authority?
1:02:24 Infallibility in the Old Testament
1:05:24 Alleged counterexamples
1:06:32 Maximalist vs. minimalist errors
1:08:59 How often is papal infallibility used?
1:12:59 Documents aren't infallible—definitions are
1:17:39 Pope Honorius
1:22:38 The SSPX and Vatican II
1:26:10 How reliable must the Magisterium be?
1:30:14 Can the Novus Ordo be harmful?
1:34:17 Are canonizations infallible?
1:39:53 The death penalty
1:46:09 Natural law vs. the evangelical law
1:52:05 Vatican II and religious liberty
1:55:21 Does "error have no rights" contradict Vatican II?
1:58:44 What Dignitatis Humanae actually says
2:02:03 The limits of religious liberty
2:05:47 Does Vatican II reject integralism?
2:08:04 Why infallibility is evidence for Catholicism
2:10:32 Conclusion
23 Aug 2026
Ep. #2 - Everything Wrong with the Case Against Hell | Response to Randal Rauser
In the second episode of Summa Contra Everybody, Ethan Muse and Pat Flynn respond to Miles Donahue and Randal Rauser's recent case against Hell.
0:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtKyN35XZBA) Introduction
4:00 Who Has the Burden of Proof?
7:13 The "Easy" vs. "Hard" Problem of Hell
9:41 The Emotional vs. Intellectual Problem of Hell
17:27 Children, Mortal Sin, and "Maximal" Punishment
23:01 Do You Have to "Make Yourself Stupid" to Believe in Hell?
25:47 Can We Trust Our Moral Intuitions?
33:23 Catholic Authority, Miracles, and Hell
43:15 Whose Saints Are Better?
47:52 Are Human Beings Wicked Enough to Deserve Hell?
54:58 Original Sin, Determinism, and Culpability
1:02:38 Does Stealing a Pack of Gum Deserve Eternal Punishment?
1:13:08 Ignorance, Culpability, and Knowing God
1:16:17 Are All Sins Equally Severe?
1:20:33 What Mortal Sin Actually Is
1:24:12 Why Doesn't God Simply Rehabilitate Everyone?
1:35:08 Massa Damnata: Are Most People Damned?
1:41:57 Jesus, the Fewness of the Saved, and the Saints
1:50:33 Does Hell Make Creation a "Net Negative"?
1:56:56 Did Jesus Really Teach Eternal Hell?
2:06:22 Miles Donahue's Central Argument Against Eternal Hell
2:11:11 Is Retributive Punishment—or "Torture"—Wrong?
2:17:15 How Much Weight Should We Give Moral Intuitions?
2:22:03 The Noetic Effects of Sin
2:29:44 Do the Noetic Effects of Sin Undermine Catholicism?
2:34:01 Can We Appeal to Holy People as Moral Authorities?
2:43:09 Moral Disagreement and the Reliability of Intuition
2:49:27 Are There Different Degrees of Punishment in Hell?
2:55:03 Final Thoughts
Ethan's Substack: https://motivacredibilitatis.substack.com/
Pat's Substack: https://substack.com/@journalofabsolutetruth
22 Aug 2026
Ep. #1 - Why Naturalism Can't Trust Reason | The Argument from Reason
In the inaugural episode of Summa Contra Everybody, Pat Flynn and Ethan Muse explore the argument from reason.
Pat's Substack: https://substack.com/@journalofabsolu...
Ethan's Substack: https://substack.com/@ethanmuse
Pat's Book: The Best Argument for God
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
10 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
15 ratings
Contact Summa Contra Everybody
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Summa Contra Everybody?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
