2 Prominent Princeton University Philosophy Doctoral Students Convert to Catholicism - Why Joseph Schmid and Noah McKay Converted and How Miracles Played a Big Role

Joseph Schmid and Noah McKay, two prominent philosophy doctoral students at Princeton University, made major waves in the intellectual and religious communities by converting to Catholicism. [1, 2]

The two scholars, who specialize in highly technical areas of philosophy, followed distinct intellectual paths that ultimately led them to the same destination within the Catholic Church. [1, 2]


1. Joe Schmid’s Return to Faith

Joe Schmid was widely known in the online philosophy community for running an agnostic-themed YouTube channel called Majesty of Reason, where he frequently hosted debates and explored arguments for and against the existence of God. [1]

• The Transition: Having previously drifted into agnosticism/atheism, Schmid spent years examining the philosophical data. Earlier in the summer, he announced his return to the Catholic faith. [1, 2]
• The Case for God: Alongside his conversion, Schmid released a massive, seven-hour video defending the existence of God, detailing the rigorous intellectual shifts and personal sacrifices that accompanied his decision. [1]

2. Noah McKay’s Conversion From Protestantism

Noah McKay, a Ph.D. student specializing in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion, announced his conversion shortly after Schmid. [1, 2]

• The Background: Unlike Schmid, McKay stated he "was never an atheist" and had always been at least mildly confident that God existed. He initially comes from a Protestant background. [1, 2]
• The Intellectual Hurdles: For years, McKay wrestled with classic philosophical dilemmas, including the problem of evil, the problem of divine hiddenness, and difficulties surrounding biblical interpretation. [1, 2]
• The Turning Point: He was initially convinced of general theism through fine-tuning arguments in physics, arguments from consciousness, moral knowledge, and natural beauty. [1]

The Role of "Vindicatory Miracles"

What makes both of their conversion stories particularly fascinating to the philosophy community is the heavy emphasis they placed on empirical evidence for miracles. [1, 2]

McKay, in particular, noted that while general philosophical arguments brought him to believe in God, it was evidence for "vindicatory Catholic miracles"—specific, documented contemporary miracles that point toward distinctively Catholic teachings—that made the Catholic Church "irresistible" once he fully evaluated the data. During his period of intense discernment, McKay also noted that praying the Rosary played an important role in his spiritual journey. [1, 2, 3]