Intellect And Faith – The Inner Life – April 2, 2025

  • Father Michael Hurley joins Patrick to discuss Intellect and faith
  • When it comes to Jesus, we must care and we must mind (2:53)
  • What does the intellect teach us about the life of faith? The intellect is a human faculty that is a direct reflection of God. (4:04)
  • Faith should be accessible to us all (11:27)
  • Our capacity to love is finite. Do you want to grow in love? The only way to expand your love is to expand your mind? (14:48)
  • Break 1 (22:28)
  • The difference between the intellect, the will, and the passions? (23:51)
  • Dean – As we talk about reason and faith, we need to think about how can we make it accessible to all people? The illumination of God is so important. (27:35)
  • Email – Bob – Is supernatural faith necessary for salvation and are people who lack faith culpable for that lack of faith? (31:10)
  • Glen – There is a difference about learning about Jesus, and knowing Jesus. (33:43)
  • Break 2 (36:45)
  • Addressing the objection, “I just believe” or “I kind of know the faith already and you can’t teach me anything new about the Church”. (37:38)
  • Regina – What does Jesus mean when he says: ‘unless you become like little children, you cannot enter into the kingdom’. (41:33)
Patrick Conley was born, raised, and baptized in Wisconsin in a Protestant tradition. After meeting his wife, Kendra, through an Evangelical ministry at the University of Minnesota, they entered the Catholic Church in 2010. They listened to Relevant Radio, specifically The Inner Life, while preparing to enter the Church. Conley now holds a degree in theology from Oxford University and has served the Church in both academic theology and grassroots pastoral ministry. Conley teaches religion classes in a Catholic elementary school, serves as his parish Director of Religious Education, and is in formation for the permanent diaconate. He also hosts Practicing Catholic on Relevant Radio, exclusive to the Minneapolis area’s airwaves, and is a traveling presenter for the Catherine of Siena Institute apostolate. He lives in rural Wisconsin with his wife and their bulldogs, Georgie and Bingley.