Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this episode, Anthony Alberino sits down with philosopher Pat Flynn to unpack his provocative paper, “Simply Put: The Argument for Divine Simplicity.” Flynn argues that divine simplicity isn’t an abstract relic of classical theology, but a conclusion that follows from clear and unavoidable conceptual truths: anything composite depends on prior parts, while what is ultimate depends on nothing. If God is truly ultimate, He cannot be composite.
Together, they explore Flynn’s streamlined argument, why attempts to reject simplicity either collapse back into it or diminish God’s ultimacy, and his taxonomy of common anti-simplicity strategies—from the “Blob” to the “Patchwork.” The result is a sharp, accessible defense of one of the most debated doctrines in philosophical theology.
In this episode, Anthony Alberino sits down with philosopher Pat Flynn to unpack his provocative paper, “Simply Put: The Argument for Divine Simplicity.” Flynn argues that divine simplicity isn’t an abstract relic of classical theology, but a conclusion that follows from clear and unavoidable conceptual truths: anything composite depends on prior parts, while what is ultimate depends on nothing. If God is truly ultimate, He cannot be composite.
Together, they explore Flynn’s streamlined argument, why attempts to reject simplicity either collapse back into it or diminish God’s ultimacy, and his taxonomy of common anti-simplicity strategies—from the “Blob” to the “Patchwork.” The result is a sharp, accessible defense of one of the most debated doctrines in philosophical theology.
