30 YouTube Channels Catholics Should Know: Apologetics, Scripture, Theology & the Catholic Faith
The internet is filled with people telling Catholics what Catholics supposedly believe.
Some are thoughtful critics. Others confidently repeat caricatures about Mary, the Eucharist, salvation, the papacy, Scripture, and Church history. And sometimes a Catholic encounters an objection for the first time and assumes that because he does not know the answer, there must not be an answer.
That is a mistake.
There are excellent Catholic apologists, biblical scholars, theologians, priests, converts, historians, and educators producing material online today. There are also a few non-Catholic Christian apologists whose work Catholics can profitably use in defending Christianity itself.
Do not let someone who opposes Catholicism be the only person who gets to explain Catholicism to you.
Here are 30 YouTube channels and personalities I recommend.
The Best Places to Begin
1. Catholic Answers
If I had to recommend only one general Catholic apologetics resource, this would probably be it.
Catholic Answers brings together apologists such as Jimmy Akin, Trent Horn, Joe Heschmeyer, Karlo Broussard, and others. Its enormous archive addresses Protestant objections, atheism, Scripture, Church history, morality, the sacraments, the papacy, Mary, salvation, and practically every Catholic question imaginable.
Catholic Answers on YouTube
Catholic Answers website
2. Joe Heschmeyer — Shameless Popery
Joe Heschmeyer is one of my personal favorites.
He is particularly good at taking Protestant arguments seriously and examining them biblically and historically. His work on the early Church, papacy, Eucharist, Scripture, and Protestantism is especially valuable.
His books include The Early Church Was the Catholic Church, Pope Peter, and The Eucharist Is Really Jesus.
3. Trent Horn — The Counsel of Trent
Trent Horn is one of Catholicism's strongest contemporary debaters and apologists.
He regularly responds to atheists, Protestants, secular critics, and others while also discussing philosophy, morality, Scripture, abortion, Christianity, and Catholic doctrine.
His strength is not merely telling you what Catholics believe, but showing you how to construct an argument for it.
The Counsel of Trent on YouTube
4. Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin is something of a Catholic apologetics encyclopedia.
His work covers Scripture, theology, Church history, canon law, the Fathers, liturgy, and countless unusual questions. He is also particularly careful about distinguishing between actual Catholic doctrine and theological opinions Catholics are free to debate.
Jimmy Akin's website
Jimmy Akin material at Catholic Answers
5. Bryan Mercier — Catholic Truth
Bryan Mercier's Catholic Truth is straightforward, accessible apologetics aimed at ordinary Catholics.
He frequently addresses Protestant objections, misunderstandings about Catholic doctrine, conversion, Scripture, and practical questions about the faith.
This is an especially useful channel for Catholics who have suddenly encountered aggressive anti-Catholic arguments online and want understandable answers.
Catholic Truth on YouTube
Catholic Truth website
Catholic Apologetics and Protestant Objections
6. How To Be Christian
A direct and frequently humorous Catholic apologetics channel.
It is particularly good at breaking down biblical arguments and responding point-by-point to common Protestant objections.
How To Be Christian on YouTube
7. Voice of Reason
Voice of Reason has produced extensive Catholic apologetics material dealing with Scripture, Protestant objections, Catholic doctrine, and debates about Christianity.
8. Keith Nester
Keith Nester is a former Protestant pastor who became Catholic.
That makes his perspective particularly interesting when dealing with evangelical objections to Catholicism. His work explores Scripture, authority, conversion, prayer, and why he ultimately entered the Catholic Church.
9. Steve Ray
Steve Ray is another former evangelical Protestant who became Catholic.
He is especially strong on Scripture, baptism, Peter, the Eucharist, Church history, and the biblical geography of the Holy Land.
10. Gary Michuta — Apocrypha Apocalypse
This is my choice for number 30 and an especially appropriate addition to this list.
Gary Michuta is a veteran Catholic apologist whose specialty is one of the most important Catholic-Protestant disputes: the canon of Scripture and the Deuterocanonical books.
His Apocrypha Apocalypse project examines arguments against the seven Old Testament books contained in Catholic Bibles and digs deeply into the history of the biblical canon. Catholic Answers describes him as a veteran Catholic apologist and author of Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger.
Apocrypha Apocalypse on YouTube
If someone tells you, “The Catholic Church added seven books to the Bible,” Gary Michuta should be high on your viewing list.
The Bible and the Early Church
11. St. Paul Center — Scott Hahn
Scott Hahn has probably done as much as almost anyone in recent decades to introduce ordinary Catholics to serious biblical theology.
The St. Paul Center is outstanding for understanding covenants, typology, the Mass, Mary, the Eucharist, and the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
12. Dr. Brant Pitre — Catholic Productions
Brant Pitre is superb if you want to understand Christianity through its Jewish and Old Testament background.
His explanations of the Eucharist, Passover, Mary, the Messiah, the Passion, and Jewish expectations surrounding Jesus can completely change how you read the New Testament.
Catholic Productions on YouTube
13. William Albrecht — Patristic Pillars
William Albrecht specializes heavily in the Church Fathers, Marian doctrine, justification, ancient Christianity, and Catholic-Protestant debate.
His material is particularly helpful when someone claims that Catholic beliefs appeared hundreds of years after the Apostles.
14. Erick Ybarra
Erick Ybarra is particularly valuable for deeper historical questions involving the papacy, Church councils, Roman primacy, the Fathers, and Catholic-Orthodox disagreements.
This tends to be more advanced material, but it is worth exploring once you move beyond introductory apologetics.
15. Called to Communion — Dr. David Anders
David Anders is a former Presbyterian whose academic study of Reformation history played an important role in his journey into Catholicism.
Called to Communion is specifically useful for non-Catholics and Catholics dealing with Protestant questions.
Serious Theology, Philosophy and Church History
16. The Thomistic Institute
One of the best Catholic intellectual resources available free online.
Its Aquinas 101 series makes St. Thomas Aquinas, philosophy, metaphysics, morality, theology, and Catholic intellectual tradition understandable without watering everything down.
The Thomistic Institute on YouTube
17. Suan Sonna — Intellectual Catholicism
Suan Sonna's work brings together Catholic apologetics, philosophy, historical research, Thomism, papal arguments, and Protestant-Catholic dialogue.
This is a good next step if you want something more academic than introductory apologetics.
Intellectual Catholicism on YouTube
18. Michael Lofton — Reason & Theology
Reason & Theology is especially useful for questions about ecclesiology, councils, papal authority, magisterial teaching, Eastern Christianity, and Catholic-Orthodox relations.
19. Scholastic Answers — Christian Wagner
For readers who want to go considerably deeper into Thomism, scholastic theology, the Fathers, Latin theological sources, and historical Catholic doctrine.
Find Scholastic Answers on YouTube
20. Classical Theist
A useful resource for philosophy of religion, natural theology, St. Thomas Aquinas, arguments for God's existence, and the Catholic philosophical tradition.
Find Classical Theist on YouTube
Catholic Interviews, Conversations and Conversion Stories
21. Pints With Aquinas — Matt Fradd
Matt Fradd's channel features long-form conversations with theologians, philosophers, apologists, priests, converts, and other Catholic thinkers.
Some episodes are apologetic. Others explore Catholic spirituality, philosophy, culture, and contemporary controversies.
22. The Cordial Catholic
One of the useful things about The Cordial Catholic is its large number of conversations with converts.
You can hear people from evangelical, Reformed, Anglican, atheist, and other backgrounds explain how they came to Catholicism.
The Cordial Catholic on YouTube
23. Sean Hiller
Sean Hiller offers Catholic material through the perspective of seeing the world “through the lens of the Church.” His material also includes conversion-oriented discussions, including his family's experience with Protestant-Catholic questions.
Catholic Teaching and Formation
24. Ascension Presents
This is one of the best channels for ordinary Catholics who simply want to understand and live their faith better.
Fr. Mike Schmitz and other contributors explain Catholic doctrine, Scripture, morality, prayer, relationships, confession, the Eucharist, and everyday Christian life in very accessible language.
25. Bishop Robert Barron — Word on Fire
Bishop Barron is particularly effective at presenting Catholic Christianity to the modern secular world.
His work touches theology, philosophy, Scripture, atheism, culture, evangelization, movies, literature, and the great Catholic intellectual tradition.
26. Godsplaining
Dominican friars discussing theology, philosophy, spiritual life, Catholic culture, and contemporary issues.
It manages to be intellectually substantial without feeling like a university lecture.
27. Breaking in the Habit — Fr. Casey Cole, OFM
Fr. Casey Cole offers a Franciscan perspective on Catholic life, theology, vocation, prayer, Church practices, and common questions about Catholicism.
Breaking in the Habit on YouTube
28. The Father Leo Show — Fr. Leo Patalinghug
Fr. Leo Patalinghug combines Catholicism with conversation, culture, humor, food, current topics, and evangelization.
The show describes itself as “Dishing Out Faith, Culture, and Commentary,” and includes reaction videos and conversations with people from different backgrounds.
The Father Leo Show on YouTube
29. The Catholic Christian — Eric
The Catholic Christian describes its approach as “storytelling, scripture, and straight talk,” with a particular interest in apologetics and communicating Catholicism accessibly. Its site also contains material directly addressing Bible Alone and Protestant objections.
The Catholic Christian on YouTube
One Excellent Non-Catholic Christian Apologetics Channel
30. Inspiring Philosophy — Michael Jones
I want to make one distinction here:
Michael Jones is a Christian apologist, not a specifically Catholic apologist.
I am including him because Catholics can nevertheless benefit enormously from his work defending Christianity itself.
Inspiring Philosophy covers the Resurrection, reliability of the Gospels, atheism, the Trinity, philosophy, science and religion, the problem of evil, biblical objections, and arguments for the existence of God. Jones is the founder and director of Inspiring Philosophy, and even Catholic apologists such as Trent Horn engage with him on broader Christian apologetics.
Inspiring Philosophy on YouTube
When an atheist or skeptic attacks Christianity itself rather than Catholicism specifically, Inspiring Philosophy is often an excellent resource.
Where Should You Begin?
If your main concern is anti-Catholic Protestant arguments, start with:
Joe Heschmeyer, Trent Horn, Bryan Mercier, Catholic Answers, How To Be Christian, Gary Michuta, Keith Nester, and Steve Ray.
For the Bible and early Christianity, try:
Scott Hahn, Brant Pitre, William Albrecht, Gary Michuta, Erick Ybarra, and David Anders.
For deeper theology, philosophy, and Church history, move on to:
The Thomistic Institute, Jimmy Akin, Suan Sonna, Michael Lofton, Scholastic Answers, and Classical Theist.
For everyday Catholic formation:
Ascension Presents, Bishop Barron, The Father Leo Show, The Catholic Christian, Godsplaining, and Breaking in the Habit.
And for defending Christianity itself against atheism, skepticism, and objections to the reliability of Scripture:
Inspiring Philosophy is well worth adding to your subscriptions.
Don't Listen to Only One Side
If an anti-Catholic YouTuber tells you:
“Catholics worship Mary,”
find out what Catholics actually mean by Marian veneration.
If someone says:
“The papacy isn't biblical,”
listen to the Catholic arguments about Peter.
If someone says:
“The early Church wasn't Catholic,”
read the Fathers and listen to people who actually specialize in early Christianity.
If someone says:
“Catholics added books to the Bible,”
listen to Gary Michuta.
If someone says:
“Catholics don't read Scripture,”
spend some time with Scott Hahn, Brant Pitre, Joe Heschmeyer, Jimmy Akin, or Catholic Answers.
And if someone announces:
“Catholicism has been DESTROYED!”
because of one verse or one clever YouTube argument, remember something very important:
Not knowing the Catholic answer is not the same thing as there being no Catholic answer.
Read the critics.
Listen to objections.
Ask difficult questions.
But give Catholicism the courtesy of hearing its own case before deciding what Catholics believe.
Read Scripture.
Read the Catechism.
Study Church history.
Read the early Christians.
And keep asking questions.
The Catholic intellectual tradition is almost two thousand years old.
There is considerably more to it than a fifteen-minute video entitled “ROME EXPOSED!”
Women and Black Catholic Voices to Add to Your List
Catholic apologetics on YouTube is broader than the usual group of male debate channels. There are also excellent women and Black Catholic speakers who bring strong biblical teaching, catechesis, evangelization, and apologetics to the conversation.
What Laura Likes
Laura’s channel includes Catholic apologetics, Marian teaching, Catholic practice, and explanations of the faith from the perspective of a Catholic wife and mother. Her own site describes her YouTube work as part of a ministry aimed at helping people find and deepen the Catholic faith, and her archive includes explicitly apologetic material such as a defense of Mary as Mother of God.
The Religious Hippie — Amber Rose
Amber Rose produces accessible Catholic content on faith, Catholic identity, culture, apologetics, and life as a practicing Catholic. Her channel is especially useful for younger Catholics who prefer conversational, social-media-style presentations rather than formal debates.
The Religious Hippie on YouTube
Lizzie Answers
Lizzie is a Protestant-to-Catholic convert whose channel discusses theology, philosophy, Catholicism, other Christian traditions, and the reasons for her conversion. Catholic resource lists regularly recommend her channel specifically for Catholic-Protestant questions.
Sonja Corbitt
Sonja Corbitt is a Catholic Bible teacher whose work is especially strong on Scripture, prayer, spiritual formation, and learning to approach the Catholic faith biblically. Her ministry includes extensive Catholic video teaching and appearances on EWTN and other Catholic media.
Black Catholic Apologists and Evangelists
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is probably the strongest direct addition in this category.
His apostolate explicitly describes itself as a Catholic evangelization and apologetics organization, and his teaching covers Scripture, sacraments, prayer, marriage and family, Catholic doctrine, and evangelization. He is direct, energetic, and strongly biblical.
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers on YouTube
Fr. Josh Johnson
Fr. Josh Johnson is one of the most prominent Black Catholic priests producing regular online Catholic content.
His Ask Fr. Josh videos on Ascension Presents deal with Catholic teaching, moral dilemmas, prayer, relationships, discernment, and common questions about the faith. Ascension describes him as a regular presenter and host, while Black Catholic Messenger has highlighted his major presence on Catholic YouTube.
Fr. Josh Johnson on Ascension Presents
That Black Catholic Chick — Roxie Beckles
This is one of the strongest fits for what you are looking for because it is both a female-led Catholic channel and a Black Catholic apologetics/formation channel.
Roxie Beckles describes the channel as a Catholic evangelization and apologetics platform. Her videos deal directly with Catholic doctrine, Protestant objections, Marian teaching, Scripture and Tradition, Church authority, Catholic identity, Black Catholic history, reversion, and the Eucharist.
She has videos specifically addressing claims such as Catholicism being a “white religion,” whether Catholics worship Mary, why the Catholic Church is not simply another denomination, and why she returned to the Church after leaving it.
That Black Catholic Chick on YouTube
Why These Channels Belong on the List
Not every Catholic apologist has to specialize in formal debates over sola Scriptura or the papacy.
Some defend Catholicism through Scripture.
Some through history.
Some through philosophy.
Some through science.
Some through moral theology and Catholic social teaching.
And some are especially good at helping ordinary Catholics understand their faith well enough to explain it to someone else.
So alongside Joe Heschmeyer, Trent Horn, Jimmy Akin, Bryan Mercier, and the others, I would strongly recommend adding What Laura Likes, The Religious Hippie, Lizzie Answers, Sonja Corbitt, Stacy Trasancos, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Fr. Josh Johnson, Gloria Purvis, and Chika Anyanwu.
The Catholic apologetics world is much larger than one style, one background, or one kind of voice—and that is one of its strengths.
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