194a: Luther - God’s will is to bless all nations... through Christ
Free Will Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be. In this episode, more from Luther’s Galatians lectures. This week, God’s will, free will, identity, and taking the moral low ground.
193b: Luther - Christ has made us free, not civilly, not physically, but divinely
Free For It All.This week on the podcast, we continue our Lenten series on Christian freedom in Martin Luther’s Galatians lectures. In this episode, Gospel, Satan, and competing freedoms.
193a: Luther - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free
Lent Is About Freedom.In this episode, we read Martin Luther’s 1525 Galatians commentary. Why is freedom a vulgar word to the old Adam? And we consider why freedom must be Lent's primary focus for Christians.
192b: Solzhenitsyn - Never knowingly support lies!
A spirit of timidity and a Spirit of courage. In this episode, we conclude our reading of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s Live Not By Lies. What happens when the church chooses a spirit of timidity in order to spare itself affliction? Also…
192a: Solzhenitsyn - “I am Violence! Make way, step aside, I will crush you!”
How Quickly They Forget. In this episode, we continue to read Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s Live Not By Lies. What happens when the church takes the easy path of learned helplessness?
191b: Solzhenitsyn - We lie to ourselves for assurance
Gag me with a spoon. In this episode, part two of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s essay, “Live Not by The Lies.” We consider herd mentality, our fear of standing up to unjust authority, and the secular indoctrination that infects the church.
191a: Solzhenitsyn - Things have almost reached rock bottom
Lies Taste Like Wonder-bread. In this episode, part one of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s essay, “Live Not by The Lies.” We discuss the two kingdoms, the need for Christ alone with no additives, and the importance of having an ethos.
190: Kennedy - The Gospel deals with all of life, because it comes to heal the whole man
Keep it Spiritual, Keep it Safe. In this episode, the conclusion to our discussion of Gerald Kennedy’s sermon, Communism in the Churches. Should churches mind their own business in regards to social and cultural matters? What happens when churches and…
189: Kennedy - A Christian stands for truth even when it hurts the most
White Bread with Bologna and Propaganda Spread. In this episode, we continue reading a sermon preached by Bishop Gerald Kennedy, on Communism in Churches (c. 1960). The discussion focuses on whether propaganda is more important than the truth.
188: Kennedy - This communist doctrine that God is something we can take or leave
Religion is Extra Important. In this episode, is religion an extra? How has the communist doctrine on religion influenced our society and the churches? When is it time for churches to preach against society, and to what end?
187: Gerald Kennedy - Contentiousness is not listed as Christian virtue
Red Dawn in the Church. In this episode, a sermon by Bishop Gerald Kennedy on communism in the churches. What did it mean in 1960, and what does it mean today, that religion is an opiate?
186: Christmas During the Civil War
Can We Just Have A Civil Christmas? In the episode, what was Christmas like during the Civil War? Puritans, holiday traditions, and why the Church is an incarnate Church.
185: Christmas after the Enlightenment
Have Yourself A Very Enlightened Christmas. In this episode, an examination of the impact of the Enlightenment on the Church, especially the preaching and traditions of Advent and Christmas.
184: Bowler - Christmas in Nazi Germany
It’s Christmas in Germany for Hitler. In this episode, a historical examination of Christmas in Germany during the Nazi regime, including new hymns, advent calendars, the emergence of Wotan, and Hitler’s Silent Night.
183: Sasse - The secular and the spiritual are indeed to be dearly distinguished
A shelter from pigs on the wing... In this episode, how do Christians interface with a godless state, love our neighbors without being complicit in promoting sin, and maintain the tension between the two kingdoms?
182: Sasse - The office of the governing authority belongs to God’s created order
You Know Who Else Misunderstood The Kingdom of God? Hitler! In this episode, we read Herman Sasse’s 1930 essay on The Social Doctrine of the Augsburg Confession and its Significance for the Present. We discuss the two kingdoms doctrine, peoples’…
181: Chesterton - Once abolish the God, and the Government becomes the God
Chairman Mao Loves Ice Cream. In this episode, G.K. Chesterton on what happens when we abolish God, and the government becomes the god. We discuss “unalienable rights endowed by the Creator.” The language of freedom and rights belongs to the…
179: Girolamo Savaronola - O you who have anything superfluous, give it to the poor!
The Pirates of Penance part 2. In this episode, we continue to examine Girolamo Savaronola’s sermon on penance. What happened in Florence that occasioned this sermon, and what can it teach us about church and society today?
178: Girolamo Savaronola - Do penance, Do it now!
The Pirates of Penance, part 1. In this episode, we look at pre-Reformation preaching. Girolamo Savaronola’s sermon on penance is read and discussed. What is penance, what effect did the sacrament of penance have on church and society, and what…
180: Whitford - The Church and State Have Existed in An Often Unhealthy Tension
It’s The Most Important Election of Our Lives, Until The Next Election. In this special election episode, Gillespie and Riley read David Whitford’s book, "Tyranny and Resistance," and discuss church, state, and the two kingdoms doctrine.
177: Clement of Alexandria - True martyrdom is the knowledge of the only true God
Stop Showing Off and Get Back in Line... In part two of our reading of Clement of Alexandria’s, The Praises of Martyrdom Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved, we discuss when martyrdom isn’t martyrdom and why the topic is…
176: Clement of Alexandria - Martyrdom: A Witness Both by Life and Word
Easy There, Fella, Everybody’s Gonna Get a Turn... In this episode, we begin a reading of Clement of Alexandria’s, "The Praises of Martyrdom Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved." What constitutes martyrdom for Christians? Where does the idea of…
175: Patrick Henry Reardon - Death is Sin Rendered Visible
This isn't a plus one... The second part of our episode on Patrick Henry Reardon's book, Christ in the Psalms. Taking a hard look at how we confuse the two kingdoms, avoid controversial topics in the church and the tragic…
174: Patrick Henry Reardon - Divine Wrath is not Some Sort of Irritation
This is not a drill... We return to Patrick Henry Reardon's book, Christ in the Psalms. In this episode, we consider Psalm 6 and the very real, earthly effects of God's wrath, along with political bookends.
173: Henry Patrick Reardon - The Moral Sentiments of the Psalms are Christian Sentiments
My God can beat up your god... The second part of our discussion of Christ in the Psalms, by Patrick Henry Reardon. What is the temptation when Christians assume that our enemies are God's enemies? How do we pray for…
