Author

  1. 443: O'Connor - The blind, prophetical, unsentimental eye of acceptance, which is to say, of faith

    book
    06/12/26
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    Pretty Girls Make Graves. In this episode, we sit with Flannery O’Connor’s introduction to A Memoir of Mary Ann, A memoir of a little girl who lived for 12 years at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home in Atlanta, Georgia. Written by the nuns at the home, with a substantial introduction by Flannery O'Connor. This is a deeply moving meditation on pain, suffering, loss, and why the good hides himself behind the grotesque.
    443: O'Connor - The blind, prophetical, unsentimental eye of acceptance, which is to say, of faith

  2. The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: Christianity and Time (Magazine)

    book
    06/06/26
    7 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Weekend Edition for June 6-7, 2026
    The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: Christianity and Time (Magazine)

  3. 442: Giertz - A Shepherd's Letter

    book
    06/05/26
    11 mins
    By Donavon Riley | Christopher Gillespie
    We’re in This Together. In this episode, we sit with Bo Giertz and read his open letter to the churches — A Shepherd’s Letter. As translator, Bror Erickson says of the opening section (we read on the show), “Crises and Sources of Strength”: “Christians had been systematically persecuted by the Nazis, and this systematic persecution continued in soviet countries. However, in Western Europe, church leaders like Bo Giertz saw how increasing industrialization was also assisting an increasing secularism. There were huge population shifts into the city, and people lost track of the church even as the church lost track of the people during these shifts. Some political parties were also actively hostile to the church. The trends toward secularism and atheism in the West have continued, of course, and have also become a point of consternation for believers even to this day. This age has not ceased to be evil since Paul designated it as such in Gal. 1:4. So the church continues and will continue to suffer crises, and so the essay “Crises and Sources of Strength” takes on a sort of timeless dimension that way.
    442: Giertz - A Shepherd's Letter

  4. The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: A Brief History of Singing in the Early Christian Church

    book
    04/18/26
    5 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Weekend Edition for April 18-19, 2026
    The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: A Brief History of Singing in the Early Christian Church

  5. 436: Schuldheisz - Luther and the Lion

    book
    04/17/26
    12 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley | Sam P. Schuldheisz
    The Lutherans, the Lion, and the gifts of Narnia. In this episode, we talk with Pastor Sam Schuldheisz about his forthcoming book, Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism. We discuss how Lewis (and other Inklings) can help us catechize children and adults, how stories lead us deeper into the biblical narratives, and vice versa. How can great myths and stories be employed in Christian apologetics when seen through Christian liturgy and sacraments? Now is the best time to reintroduce great Christian authors, great myths, and great stories, and the best of all stories — the gospel of Jesus Christ — can carry us out of our churches into a world that’s wounded and can’t find true healing that only Christ can give.
    436: Schuldheisz - Luther and the Lion

  6. The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: The Easter Mailbag 2026

    book
    04/04/26
    5 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Weekend Edition for April 4-5, 2026
    The CHA Weekend Edition Presents: The Easter Mailbag 2026

  7. Friday, April 3, 2026

    book
    04/03/26
    11 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Today on the Christian History Almanac, we look at the historical development of “Good Friday.”
    Friday, April 3, 2026

  8. Thursday, April 2, 2026

    book
    04/02/26
    11 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Today on the Christian History Almanac, we take a look at the history of Maundy Thursday.
    Thursday, April 2, 2026

  9. 435: Andersen - Ritual as the Whole Way of Life

    book
    04/02/26
    13 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    The Power of Ritual! In this episode, we learn from David Andersen about Christian ritual. What’s the purpose and goal of ritual? How does Christian ritual differ from other religious rituals? Where do we find ritual and ceremony outside “religious” observances? When we forget or ignore ritual and ceremony, what is the effect on individuals, groups, and societies? That and much, much more in this episode of the podcast.
    435: Andersen - Ritual as the Whole Way of Life

  10. 433: Von Schenk - The Crucifixion

    book
    03/19/26
    8 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    What’s Love Got to do With It? In this episode, we read Berthold von Schenk’s The Presence, discussing sacrifice, sacrament, human will, anthropology, the cross, Lent, Easter, Love, and the consequences of the crucifixion for worship, faith, and Christian living. Why does our focus determine how we view these things? What is the “telos” of the Lord’s Supper, and where does it lead us? How does it change us?
    433: Von Schenk - The Crucifixion

  11. The CHA Weekend Edition Presents—Christianity on the Airwaves: A Brief History of Christian Radio in America

    book
    03/07/26
    5 mins
    By Daniel van Voorhis
    Weekend Edition for March 7-8, 2026
    The CHA Weekend Edition Presents—Christianity on the Airwaves: A Brief History of Christian Radio in America

  12. 431: Kleinig - The Mystery of Christ and Cosmic Restoration

    book
    03/06/26
    9 mins
    By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley
    Cosmic Debris. In this episode, we read Dr. John Kleinig on Christ and cosmic restoration. We then discuss how and why Christians confuse mysteries with secrets, what happened to the mystagogues, and why the mystery of the Christian faith has to do with the hidden presence of Christ with us here on earth and our restoration by his restoration of all creation. This episode, as Kleinig himself writes, is about how we can best commend the Christian faith to post-modern people, which is when we ourselves are captivated imaginatively by the wonder of it and live in the mystery of it.
    431: Kleinig - The Mystery of Christ and Cosmic Restoration