Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied

Become more Stoic. Build resilience and virtue with ancient philosophy.

Author: Caleb

Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay discuss how to build resilience, develop virtue, and make sense of the world through Stoic philosophy. One episode a week. Get the Stoa app: www.stoameditation.com/pod [https://www.stoameditation.com/pod] Get the Stoa Letter: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe [https://www.stoaletter.com/subscribe?utm_sourcepodcast_description] www.stoaletter.com
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: Education, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Society & Culture

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

What Stoics Find in the New Testament (Episode 222)
Tuesday, 10 March, 2026

Michael picks up the New Testament for the first time and does something unusual: he treats Jesus not as a religious figure, but as a philosopher. A contemporary of the Stoics and Epicureans, teaching in the same era, competing for the same minds. The results are surprising.Some of Jesus’ core teachings land hard from a Stoic lens. Vice lives in desire, not action. The cowardly adulterer is worse than the bold one — he has two vices instead of one. Virtue demands the right reason, not just the right deed. Film your charity for Instagram and you’ve already collected your reward. Turn the other cheek isn’t passive — it’s radical character consistency. And loving your enemies? If you only love your friends, you’re not doing anything impressive. Everyone does that.But then things get complicated. What’s the ethical function of miracles? Why does faith matter if the Stoics demand knowledge? And if heaven promises a hundredfold return on your sacrifice, doesn’t Christianity collapse into delayed hedonism?Michael and Caleb wrestle with all of it — the overlaps, the tensions, and the parts that don’t resolve neatly.(03:00) Reading Jesus as a Philosopher(07:30) Vice Lives in Desire, Not Action(12:30) Virtue Requires the Right Reason(17:00) Turn the Other Cheek(22:00) Love Your Enemies(28:00) Cast the First Stone(37:30) The Danger of Appearances(41:30) Where a Stoic Pushes Back(51:20) Ted Chang and the Literature of FaithDownload the Stoa app (it’s a free download): https://stoameditation.com/podIf you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we’ll set you up with a free account.Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations:https://ancientlyre.com/ Get full access to The Stoa Letter at www.stoaletter.com/subscribe