Audio Catholic Courses

Audio Catholic Courses is an audiobook-style app from As Written Productions that collects lectures on Thomistic philosophy, moral theology, the saints, political theory, and Scripture. The lecturers and content are in line with the official teaching of the Catholic Church. It runs on iPhone and iPad with a single purchase.

You get a library of recorded course lectures, organized by subject. Some are full multi-part courses on something like the Summa or the moral theology of St. Alphonsus. Others are shorter standalone talks on a saint or a Scripture passage. You can play, pause, queue up the next lecture, and download for offline listening. The free sample lets you try a few lectures before committing to the full library.

What I appreciate is the seriousness. Most Catholic audio content online is either homilies or apologetics — both useful, both pitched at a popular level. This is more like sitting in on a seminary classroom. The lecturers don't water things down. If you want to actually understand what St. Thomas means by act and potency, or how the moral object of an action is determined, this is where you go.

Good fit for a serious adult Catholic — someone in formation, a permanent deacon candidate, a catechist who wants to teach with real depth, or a layman doing his own theological reading. Also useful for long drives or yard work, when you've got an hour of attention and want to feed your mind.

It's not for beginners. If you've never read the Catechism cover to cover or aren't sure what natural law means, start somewhere gentler — Bishop Barron's Catholicism series, the Catechism on audio, or even a parish RCIA. Come back to this app when you want the deeper layer. The interface is also bare-bones — this is a content app, not a polished media player.

Free sample with paid content, from As Written Productions. Available on the App Store: Audio Catholic Courses. A real intellectual resource for Catholics who want to go past the introductory shelf.