From Presbyterian Pastor to Catholic Convert: Chad Pirotte INTERVIEW | The Simpleton Podcast

The Simpleton Podcast | Catholic Culture, Mission, and Politics with Clark Massey and Laura Hehman

Chad Pirotte is a theologian, full-time carpenter, public speaker, writer, and avid pipe smoker. Chad was a Presbyterian pastor for 10 years before becoming Catholic. Clark sits down with Chad for a discussion on conversion, theology, and why Catholicism drew him in.

Also in this episode:

• Pipe smoking

• The significance of suffering

• "Hot rod" Evangelicalism

• Reformed theology & Presbyterianism

• "Being a Chad"

Find more of Chad's work at groundedcatholic.com.

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Chapters:

0:00 Start

0:24 Smoking pipes and crying

1:25 Introducing: Chad Pirotte

3:10 Chad and Clark's pipe smoking evangelization

9:02 Chad's (triple) conversion story

14:07 Reformed theology, Protestantism, and philosophy

19:10 What does a "deeper conversion" mean?

20:52 Life in Protestant seminary & getting involved with a Korean-American church

23:57 A brief tangent on Taiwanese culture and heritage

25:19 How did Chad become Catholic? And the role of suffering

27:42 Do evangelicals neglect the reality of suffering?

29:40 What authors, works, or ideas (infused theology) helped Chad in his conversion?

33:27 How Chad's church's stance on homosexuality affected his pastorship

34:34 What does an ordination mean in the Presbyterian church?

36:34 All the factors that led to Chad's first big step toward Catholicism

39:04 RCIA: how Chad became a present-day Catechist

45:11 Chad's ministry "Grounded Catholic"

50:00 How Chad's wife Carrie led him toward Catholicism

52:38 The "hot rod" origins of Evangelical Protestantism?...

57:33 ...and how it relates to Catholicism's "approach"

58:39 Was Vatican II good for the Church?

1:00:09 The Church fathers and the speed of culture now

1:02:05 "Being a Chad"

1:04:21 The Church's care for the poor

1:05:11 groundedcatholic.com!

1:05:51 Outro

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