Son of a Preacher Man. In this episode, we conclude our study of Martin Luther’s Smalcald Articles, discussing the office of the keys and confession. We go through and sum up the previous episodes — the gospel, the mass, repentance, sin, and the law — then sit with the function and power of the forgiveness of sin. What is the office of the keys for? Where does it come from? Who gets to use the keys? Then, we talk over confession and its consequences for pastoral care and its effect on the churches.

Don’t Look Back in Anger. In this episode, we continue reading Martin Luther’s Smalcald Articles, focusing on contrition, repentance, and freedom. Why does the law need to terrify and leave us hopeless? How does attention to the self lead us into death and hell? What happens when belief is preached as something “we do” rather than something “done to” us? Likewise, when repentance is self-activated and self-actuated, what are the consequences for our daily lives? This and much, much more on this episode of the show.

Forgiveness is not ours to manufacture. It is ours to proclaim.

Christian spirituality is not a flight from the world, but a deep dive into its brokenness.

We don’t need another brand. We need a people who remember who they are. And that’s us, Gen-X.

What I was missing—what so many are missing—is a Church that doesn’t just speak about Christ, but delivers him.

A dead son is found alive and through reconciliation God’s salvation changes everything for the brothers and for the entire world.

In the upside-down wisdom of God, the place of the cross becomes the place of life, absolution, and triumph.

You May Be Right… In this episode of Banned Books, we read Anselm of Canterbury’s Meditation on Sin and Penance. We discuss the consequences of sin, the Fountain of Mercy, Jesus’ excuses, the doctrine of simul iustus et peccator, theological presuppositions, and how we speak influences our behavior.

In this episode of Tough Texts, Daniel Emery Price and Scott Keith take a look at Matthew 27:1-10, offering a nuanced perspective on a figure often vilified in Christian tradition.

Let your soul grieve, yes, but don’t let it be eaten alive by worry.

This is an excerpt from “Confession and Absolution” by John T. Pless in Common Places in Theology: A Curated Collection of Essays from Lutheran Quarterly, edited by Mark Mattes, (1517 Publishing 2023).