About this episode

Greg Smith applies moral theology to everyday situations in the final part of a three-part series.

In the final part of this three-part series, Greg takes the philosophical foundation from Episode 1 and the moral schematics from Episode 2 and applies them directly to four very ordinary, everyday situations: money lending and usury, lying versus legitimate deception, disciplining children (including spanking), and gambling. Using the categories of intrinsically evil acts, prudential judgment, and authentic development of doctrine, he walks through concrete examples—medieval usury versus modern payday loans, the Nazis-at-the-door dilemma and broad mental reservation, parental decisions about spanking, and state-sponsored gambling—so you can see exactly how the object of the act, the privation of the good, and the virtue of prudence work in real life. You’ll come away with clear, practical tools for reasoning through complex moral questions with the mind of the Church instead of slogans or partisan talking points. Whether you’re a Protestant pastor sorting through moral theology, a curious investigator exploring Catholicism, or a Catholic wanting to think more precisely about everyday decisions, this episode shows how the Church’s two-thousand-year habit of careful moral…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Smith

Topics covered

• moral theology
• prudential judgments
• everyday situations
• Catholic reasoning
• ethical dilemmas

Keywords

• moral theology
• prudential judgment
• usury
• lying
• spanking
• gambling
• Catholicism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Catholicism, Church

Books & works: Considering Catholicism

More episodes of Considering Catholicism

• Mary in the Dock, Part 2: Mother of God — Blasphemy or Biblical Truth? (#459) · June 1, 2026 · 30 min
• Mary in the Dock, Part 1: Is Devotion to Her Idolatry? (#458) · May 29, 2026 · 35 min
• Mystery, Magic, and the Search for Meaning (#464) · May 26, 2026 · 42 min
• Why I’m Not Giving Hot Takes on the New AI Encyclical (Yet) (#463) · May 25, 2026 · 16 min
• The Sexual Subtext Behind So Many Anti-Catholic Arguments (#462) · May 20, 2026 · 39 min
• Moral Theology, Part 2: Tools and Norms (#460) · May 11, 2026 · 21 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Considering Catholicism podcast page.