Help My Unbelief

Christmas is a time for giving and we are giving our listeners three fun Christmas gifts. We’re deeply thankful to all who have listened to or written us about Help My Unbelief in this first season. Though the holidays can be a difficult time for folks, we wish you all the hope of Christ’s entrance into this world. P.S. This is our last episode of 2019! We’ll see you back here in January 2020. Links: Find the Official Help My Unbelief Soundtrack and other relevant playlists on our new YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddut5-qGiCaKynBDXH8j7Q/playlists?view_as=subscriber Enter the “Time and Despondency” audiobook giveaway on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/helpmyunbeliefpodcast/ Give a Podcast for Christmas! Find the free gift card here: https://www.nicoleroccas.com/give-a-podcast/

One of the things that has caused Basil the most doubt over the years is what to do with the calling to the priesthood he's felt for most of his life. Does God even grant personal callings? If so, how can we be sure of our own calling? This episode is the first of several devoted to the intersection between vocations and doubts. Resources mentioned in this episode: κλήση (klisi) and πρόσκληση (prosklisi), Greek terms for "calling," are found roughly 148 times in the New Testament. They can be translated as to name, to invite, to ask to come, to call out. Matthew 22:1-14 (Parable of the wedding feast) "Paradox of Choice," a talk by Barry Schwartz Paradox of Choice (book) by Barry Schwartz Luke 14:25-35 (Cost of discipleship)

Basil talks with Nicole about the subject of her newest book, grieving infertility in the context of marriage. Infertility has been a part of their faith (and doubt) life for over five years. The episode ends with an excerpt of the book: Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019). You can find the book on the Ancient Faith Publishing website, on Audible.com, or wherever you order books from. Available in hardcopy, paperback, and audio formats.

When Nicole was 16, she read a book that rattled her faith: Talking to Heaven: A Medium's Message of Life after Death. For years, she has lived in fear of this book. In this episode, she re-reads the book to see if it will cause a new crisis of faith. Resources relevent to the episode: What are Toll Houses? Radiolab Podcast Episode “You Are The Judge” Elder Cleopa of Romania: How Satan Deceives People (The Patristic Heritage Book 1)

Last week, Basil and Nicole concluded that how we understand what faith is affects how we lose faith. On second thought, why even believe in the first place? In this episode we return to points made last week and re-examine them from a new perspective. Questions raised include: is Christianity a religion, worldview, or none of the above? What is a calling? And more... Listeners are invited to share with us what they think a "calling" is. What do you think a calling or vocation is? What do you feel called to in this life? Record a brief answer and send it to Basil and Nicole at [email protected] and we might feature it in an future episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Definition of calling: "a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence." (Merriam Webster Dictionary) Definition of vocation: "a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action."(Merriam Webster Dictionary) Two Greek words that sound similar but have different spellings and meanings: Κλήση (klisi, n.) = call (ex. see Romans 11:29) Κλίση (klisi, n.) = inclination