Featured Course

This course explores how humor can be a means of sanctification. Through the cardinal and theological virtues, you will discover the clear connections between comedy and Catholicism. Catholicism helps direct comedy to its proper end, while comedy sheds light on how to live a better Catholic life. And on top of that, you will learn a few practical tips for writing better jokes.

Jeremy McLellan, both a Catholic and professional standup comedian, has spent years performing for a variety of audiences. Along the way, he's been consumed with the questions he’ll be addressing in this series. Is there a uniquely Catholic understanding of comedy? Is humor part of the Catholic life? Can humor make us better people? Can jokes be a tool for evangelism? Should comedians be political? Are some jokes too offensive or too soon? Is nothing sacred? And, most importantly, is political correctness ruining comedy?

In this course, Dr. Matthew Nelson explains how to engage people who are confident in their nonbelief but willing to seriously consider reasons for believing in Christianity.

Dr. Christopher Baglow of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute of Church Life considers the mysteries of the Catholic Faith in dialogue with scientific discoveries, allowing us avoid the shallowness that John Paul II says debases the Gospel and leaves us ashamed before history.

This course introduces us to some of the richest insights of the Catholic intellectual tradition. We confront the problem of evil amidst God's good creation and confront fundamental questions: What makes being human so special? How might modern science become a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block to understanding what we believe?

Dr. Tod Worner laments that his education was mostly lacking in reading classic literature. Only after obtaining his degree did Dr. Worner start to read the great books, and he came to realize the profound wisdom therein. In this course, Dr. Worner shares the wisdom he has learned from classic literature, and why all of us should read them.

In this course, Dr. Jennifer Frey teaches us about what true happiness is and how morality and virtue play a part in achieving it. Referring to Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and modern figures like Elizabeth Anscombe, Dr. Frey demonstrates the link between morality and the meaning of life. All people seek meaning in life and as evangelists, we must be able to discuss the depth of this universal question.

How do we share the Faith in a culture where many people don’t understand what we mean by words like ‘sin’ or ‘salvation’ – and where the media constantly bombards us with the idea that the teachings of the Church are irrelevant, outdated, or bigoted?

All too often, people aren’t even interested in hearing about the Faith! Especially when we seek to reach young people or bring back those who have left the Church, we must find ways to communicate more effectively – in short, to make our arguments meaningful. Here, the imagination is essential but often neglected.

In this course, Dr. Holly Ordway focuses on the role of the imagination in apologetics, showing how attention to language and meaning can make the work of catechesis and evangelization much more effective.

The narrative that science and Christianity are enemies is false. Not only are they not enemies but Christianity helped science develop beyond the limits imposed on it by ancient cosmologies. In this course, Dr. Trasancos introduces evangelists to the basics of science and why there is no conflict between science and Christianity.

There are many myths about the Catholic Church that are popular in today's culture. In the following course, Dr. Christopher Kaczor highlights the big seven myths, distinguishing fact from fiction about Catholicism. This course will help you better address many controversial topics from contraception to women and the priesthood.