The Extraordinary Story with Tom Hoopes

Plato’s Cave and The Light of Christ | S1 E22

Plato's story of the Cave is the enduring allegory of our fallen ignorance. Discover how the light of Christ leads us out of the Cave.

Jesus Prays the ”Our Father” | S1 E21

How do we pray? How do we talk to God? Jesus gives His answer in the "Our Father" prayer. In his childhood, Tom Hoopes prayed in earnest, but in adulthood, the "Our Father" caused a crisis of faith. Hear how he worked through this crisis to a deeper understanding of The Lord's Prayer.

The Sermon on the Mount | Are We the Light of the World? | S1 E20

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that Christians are the, "salt of the earth," and, "the light of the world." So why is the world so tasteless and dark? In this episode, we examine how Jesus intuited the lessons of moral psychology, and how He guides us through His own extraordinary story.

The Beatitudes in The Gospel of Luke | S1 E19

Luke's Beatitudes rather than showing us a different set of Beatitudes, gives them a new depth. They are Jesus' guide to who we are and how to live like Him.

The Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew | S1 E18

The Beatitudes are the grand summing up of Jesus' message. Jesus goes up a mountain like a new Moses, and transforms the covenant with the Israelites. He broadens this promise to all nations, and gives them a new promised land: The Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus Conquers Sickness, Sin, and Opposition | S1 E17

This week, The Extraordinary Story gets real. Tom Hoopes discusses the crisis of confession, and the dropping of many sacraments during the pandemic. He draws a parallel between our present moment in the Church, and the opposition to Christ's ministry; when Jesus made clear that he intended not only to heal the sick, but to forgive sinners.

Christ’s Ministry | A New King in Town | S1 E16

Jesus of Nazareth explodes onto the scene like an action hero, circumventing the assumptions of his day and capturing the imagination of the crowds. Jesus began his project of changing the world by serving the people next door. We can continue His project by serving the people next door to us.

The Samaritan Woman | S1 E15

Jesus' longest conversation in the gospel is with a poor sinner. Discover how His meeting with the woman at the well shows us how Christ approaches us in our own lives, and how we should respond.

Nicodemus is Born Again | S1 E14

Nicodemus, comes to Jesus by night and discovers His powerful message. In this episode, Tom Hoopes pits the enlightenment against the light of Christ. He compares Descartes' famous axiom, "I think, therefore I am," against, "The Word became flesh," from The Gospel of John. And there's really no comparison.

The Wedding Feast at Cana | S1 E13

Jesus turns water into wine. By performing this miracle, He gives us a loving and joyous sign of His divinity. He signals the queenship of His mother, Mary, who in turn, shows us how we may perform our humble role in the laity.