Image via PIGAMA / Shutterstock.

If you've ever felt hopeless watching someone you love walk away from the faith, this conversation is pure gold. Guest host Brooke Taylor sits down with Joseph Enabnit, a former militant atheist turned devout Catholic, to unpack one of the most unexpected, beautiful, and inspirational conversion stories you’ll hear in a long time. You can listen to the entire conversation here.

Joseph grew up in a devout evangelical family in small-town Iowa; by college, he’d swung hard into atheism, joining a group of self-described “freethinkers.” At the time, he was all in on the neopagan, edgy-intellectual way of life... but something started to crack. 

What did it?
It was a Shakespeare speech. At an atheist conference, Joseph watched a speaker read part of the St. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V., and he wept. Everyone else in the room was cringing because they saw this speech as something too right-wing. He was crying. Something deep in his heart awakened, and he suddenly knew: 👉 “I don’t want to be an atheist anymore.”

-He realized he wasn't like the other atheists around him who had become so progressive. 

-He had a love for marriage.

-He formed a life-changing bond with his godfather who also happened to be a Catholic professor and also a Tolkien scholar.

-He started reading the Latin Mass missal before ever attending a liturgy.

-He had a conversation with a priest who told him that JPII was familiar with phenomenology; that greatly surprised him. 

-And then... finally attending a Traditional Latin Mass was where everything changed.

When Joseph saw the consecration at that first Mass, he remembered Tolkien’s words to his son: “I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament…”
And that was it.
The Real Presence. The beauty. The truth. The reverence.
He wanted in. And he came home to the Catholic Church, bringing his wife and family with him. 

The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.

Image via PIGAMA / Shutterstock.
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If you've ever felt hopeless watching someone you love walk away from the faith,&nbsp;this conversation is pure gold. Guest host Brooke Taylor sits down with Joseph Enabnit, a former militant atheist turned devout Catholic, to unpack one of the most unexpected, beautiful, and inspirational conversion stories you&rsquo;ll hear in a long time. You can listen to the entire conversation <a href="https://relevantradio.com/2025/08/from-atheist-to-apostle/">here</a>.
Joseph grew up in a devout evangelical family in small-town Iowa; by college, he&rsquo;d swung hard into atheism, joining a group of self-described &ldquo;freethinkers.&rdquo; At the time, he was&nbsp;all in on the neopagan, edgy-intellectual way of life... but something started to crack.&nbsp;
What did it? It was&nbsp;a Shakespeare speech. At an atheist conference, Joseph watched a speaker read part of the&nbsp;St. Crispin&rsquo;s Day speech from Henry V., and he wept. Everyone else in the room was cringing because they saw this speech as something too right-wing. He was crying. Something deep in his heart awakened, and he suddenly knew:&nbsp;👉 &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be an atheist anymore.&rdquo;
-He realized he wasn't like the other atheists around him who had become so progressive.&nbsp;
-He had a love for marriage.
-He formed a life-changing bond with his godfather who also happened to be a Catholic professor and also a Tolkien scholar.
-He started reading the&nbsp;Latin Mass missal before ever attending a liturgy.
-He had a conversation with a priest who told him that JPII was familiar with phenomenology; that greatly surprised him.&nbsp;
-And then... finally attending a Traditional Latin Mass was where everything changed.
When Joseph saw the consecration at that first Mass, he remembered Tolkien&rsquo;s words to his son: &ldquo;I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament&hellip;&rdquo; And&nbsp;that was it. The Real Presence. The beauty. The truth. The reverence. He wanted in. And he came home to the Catholic Church, bringing his wife and family with him.&nbsp;
<hr>
The&nbsp;best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It&rsquo;s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out <a href="https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/">here</a>.

Life can get busy, and it's easy to miss out on the captivating moments from your favorite Relevant Radio shows. But now, we've got you covered! "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" brings you the crème de la crème of Relevant Radio's programming. We carefully curate and compile the most engaging and relevant content from the past week, just for you! Get ready to catch up on faith, culture, current events, and personal growth, all in one convenient and easily accessible podcast. It's like having a front-row seat to the most compelling moments from Relevant Radio's diverse range of shows. So, whether you're an active Relevant Radio listener or new to our programming, "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" is your passport to a world of knowledge, growth, and inspiration.

Life can get busy, and it's easy to miss out on the captivating moments from your favorite Relevant Radio shows. But now, we've got you covered! "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" brings you the crème de la crème of Relevant Radio's programming. We carefully curate and compile the most engaging and relevant content from the past week, just for you! Get ready to catch up on faith, culture, current events, and personal growth, all in one convenient and easily accessible podcast. It's like having a front-row seat to the most compelling moments from Relevant Radio's diverse range of shows. So, whether you're an active Relevant Radio listener or new to our programming, "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" is your passport to a world of knowledge, growth, and inspiration.

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