Catholics talk about the "Sacred Heart of Jesus." There are images, paintings, and devotional prayers dedicated to it, and Pope Francis just released a 30,000 word encyclical about it. To Protestants or American Evangelicals, the language and images feel kind of weird. But what is it? Greg and Cory unpack the concept, imagery, history, and practices.

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The most sobering and somber subject in Christianity is Hell. Greg and Ed discuss what it is and why some souls end up there.

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The Catholic Church teaches that in addition to Heaven and Hell, there is a third possible destination for a soul upon death: Purgatory. Protestants reject this, but most don't really understand what Purgatory is and why it is vital to God's justice and the soul's journey toward full communion with Him.

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In this first of three episodes on the "Last Things," Greg and Ed explore what heaven is, and is probably not, like.

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Ed asks Greg how the Catholic liturgy evolved. Was the worship of the early Church more informal and unstructured? When did all the complex parts and pieces of the mass get added? Greg explains that the premise of the question is problematic, and that the worship of the early Church probably resembled a Catholic mass more than it did a non-denominational "worship gathering."

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Recently, Ed went to a Protestant Evangelical funeral, which was more of a "celebration of life." He asks Greg if Catholic funerals are different. Why and how?

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For secular folks this is Halloween, for Catholics it's the eve of All Saints Day, but for Protestants it's Reformation Day, when Martin Luther nailed his complaints against the Catholic Church to a cathedral door in Germany. Today, Protestants celebrate what they imagine is a heroic and prophetic scene. But as Greg explains in this snapshot, it's nothing to celebrate.

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Last year, Greg and Ed talked about Halloween. Since it's coming up, we thought it's worth revisiting the conversation. Can Christians participate? Are its origins really in the Catholic Church incorporating pagan Celtic rituals? And has the Church adopted pagan rituals throughout history, including Easter celebrations?

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