Podcast Overview

Author

453: Athanasius - Against the Wiles of Satan

09/12/26

13 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

The Cost of Discipline. In this episode, we sit with St. Athanasius and his writings on the life of St. Antony. How did Christians in the 4th century view spiritual warfare and affliction? What is the relation of discipline to prayer, piety, and resisting temptation? What did 4th century Christians think about virtues and vices, and whether they were (or weren’t) related to the Christian life? Is it better for Christians to seek a place of solitude or community when focusing on heavenly things versus worldly things? How does Mammon factor into this? What does Scripture teach about the evil one, demons, dark powers, and evil spirits? Do we as modern Christians agree with Athanasius and Antony’s views about spiritual warfare, and if not, why? This and much, much more on this week’s episode.
- Spiritual Disciplines
- Repentance
- Wisdom
- Angels
- Fasting
- Conscience
- Idolatry
- Good Works
- Hell
- Sacrifice
- Sanctification
- Holiness
- Obedience
- Satan
451: Listener Question on the Work of the Holy Spirit

08/29/26

13 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

All Apologies. In this episode, we respond to another listener question. What does it mean to “sit with a text” and yet be prepared at all times to give an apology for the hope that is in us? How does the Holy Spirit work in and through believers to testify to the truth about Jesus? Does the Spirit work through non-Christians, and if so, how and to what purpose? How has modern Christian evangelism differed from pre-modern evangelism and apologetics? What do the gospels teach us about the character of evangelism? This and much, much more in this week’s episode.
448: Marquart - Luther and Theosis

08/07/26

9 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

As Alive As You Need Me to Be. In this episode, we sit with Rev. Dr. Kurt Marquardt and listen as he teaches us about theosis, deification, justification, Christology, myth and ethics, materialism and rationalism, sacramentality, vocation, relational versus philosophical exegesis, sanctification, glorification, and much, much more.
439: Rose - Explanation of UFO Phenomena

05/15/26

12 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

UFOs are Rebel Angels. In this episode, we read Father Seraphim Rose’s “classic” text, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, about the true nature of UFOs and the nefarious origins of modern narratives about extraterrestrials, spaceships, what’s “out there” in the universe, and so on. What do Christians have to say to a culture that is awash with UFO sightings and prolifically promises to “reveal the truth about UFOS”?
Demons Are Real But Christians Don’t Need to Be Afraid

04/10/26

5 mins

By Caleb Keith | Bruce Hillman | Adam Francisco

Contemporary Christianity often ignores or understates the realities and existence of spiritual warfare and spiritual beings. The naturalistic Western world views these things as superstitious. How can Christians talk about the existence and work of demons without being sensationalized?
- The Christian Life
- Practical Theology
Acts 19:1-20 (Episode 429)

02/24/26

3 mins

By Daniel Emery Price | Erick Sorensen

Have You Heard of the Holy Spirit?
428: Postman - A great narrative... has sufficient credibility, complexity, and symbolic power to enable one to organize one's life around it

02/14/26

12 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

We Don’t Need No Education. In this episode, we read The End of Education by Neal Postman, discussing the mechanisms of public education, religious catechesis, the influence of the Enlightenment and psychoanalysis on contemporary learning, and what happens when fiction replaces truth as the basis of meaning. This and much, much more on today’s show!
424: Kleinig - The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Divine Service

01/16/26

8 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

In this episode, we learn about the Holy Spirit and the Divine Service from Dr. John Kleinig. In particular, we discuss how Christ gives the Spirit to the church through his word, how Christ institutes the divine service and empowers it with God’s Spirit, and how the church receives the Holy Spirit by faith in God’s word as it is proclaimed and enacted in the divine service. The conversation revolves around the central question: How then can we be sure that the Spirit is at work in our worship?
- Holy Spirit
- Liturgy
- Worship
- Faith
How Education Problems Affect Handing Down the Faith

12/30/25

4 mins

By Caleb Keith | Scott Keith | Adam Francisco | Bruce Hillman

Reading and education outcomes in the United States have been declining for decades. In this episode, the Thinking Fellows examine how these trends have impacted Christian education and what Christians can contribute to America’s education crisis.
- Education
- Catechesis
The CHA Christmas History Edition Presents: Hark the What? Angels and the Christmas Story

12/06/25

6 mins

By Daniel van Voorhis

Weekend Edition for December 6-7, 2025
419: C.S. Lewis - All that Christianity adds to Paganism is the cure

12/05/25

9 mins

By Christopher Gillespie | Donavon Riley

Pagan Neart, Christian Soul. In this episode, we read C.S. Lewis’ “A Christmas Sermon for Pagans.” Why does the post-Christian person need to become pagan again to be prepared to hear the gospel? How has a mechanistic view of nature led us to kill each other? Why do we reject the good news that Jesus ended the need for guilt-offerings, sin-sacrifices, and fear about the afterlife? What happened as a consequence of moderns pushing heavenly truth out of the material world? What is the message of Christmas that offers a cure for all that ails us?
The Gift of Holy Scripture with Jonathan Linebaugh

09/09/25

9 mins

By Kelsi Klembara

Kelsi is joined by Jonathan Linebaugh to discuss his new book, The Well that Washes What it Shows: An Invitation to Holy Scripture.