Banned Books

Featured text: "On Christian Doctrine" — Augustine Walk Like An Augustinian. In this episode, we discuss preaching while reading Augustine's, On Christian Teaching, where he explains the importance of heavenly wisdom, eloquence, and getting out of the way of God's Word. SHOW NOTES:   On Christian Doctrine https://ccel.org/ccel/augustine/doctrine/doctrine.xiii.html   Augustine Bio https://www.brita...

Featured text: "Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness" — Eugene H. Peterson Drowning The Branch Manager for Christ. In this episode, we discuss Jonah, ministry, and the aches and pains of church life while reading Eugene Peterson's book, Under The Unpredictable Plant. SHOW NOTES:   Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness https://amzn.to/3...

Featured text: "Medicine of Immortality and Antidote against Death" — Norman Nagel Honey, Where Did This Thing Come From? In this episode, we discuss the Lord's Supper, early church tradition, worship, and the question, "Where did this come from?" At the same time, we read Dr. Norman Nagel's essay, "Medicine of Immortality and Antidote against Death." SHOW NOTES:   Nagel obituary: https://reporter...

Featured text: "Cyprian Epistle 75" — Cyprian Who Controls Baptism? In this episode, we discuss the baptismal controversy in the early church. Cyprian, Novation, and a whole cloud of witnesses join us on the podcast this week. SHOW NOTES:   Cyprian Epistle 75 https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050675.htm Cyprian bio https://www.theopedia.com/cyprian Novatianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novatia...

Featured text: "On Free Will" — Anselm Riley Suffers An Aneurysm. In this episode, we discuss the topic of the will while reading Anselm's treatise on free will and its ramifications for faith, piety, and pastoral care. SHOW NOTES:   On Free Will https://faculty.fordham.edu/klima/Blackwell-proofs/MP_C41.pdf   Ontological Arguments https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments/ Moral inf...

Featured text: "The Book of Common Prayer 1662" — Thomas Cranmer Living on a Prayer! In this episode, we discuss the collects of Thomas Cranmer, which turns into a discussion of the collects of Veit Dietrich, which then turns into a discussion about a myriad of other topics regarding the Reformation teaching on prayer and vocation. SHOW NOTES:   The Book of Common Prayer 1662 https://www.churchofe...

And We Are Live! In this episode, we go live for Holy Week and answer listeners' questions: election, repentance, the church, law and gospel, and on and on we go. SHOW NOTES:   Formula - Epitome XI. Election https://thebookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-epitome/article-xi/ Sin and Confession on the Eve of the Reformation (Princeton Legacy Library, 1568) Hardcover – April 19, 2016 by Thomas N. Te...

Featured text: "The Two Kingdoms Distinction: An Analysis with Suggestion by JAMES ARNE NESTINGEN" — James Nestigen Distinct, But Not Divided. In this episode, we discuss the Christian doctrine of the two kingdoms and its consequences for the Christian life while reading James Nestigen's "The Two Kingdoms Distinction." SHOW NOTES:   The Two Kingdoms Distinction: An Analysis with Suggestion by JAME...

Featured text: "A Grief Observed" — C.S. Lewis Are We Just Rats in a Maze? In this episode, we discuss grief, mourning, death, and hope while reading C.S. Lewis's book, A Grief Observed. SHOW NOTES:   A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis https://amzn.to/3K62Gtl   A portrait of Joy Davidman https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/helen-joy-davidman-mrs-c-s-lewis-1915-1960-a-portrait/   SUPPORT : 1517...

Featured text: "The Joy of Eternal Life" — Philipp Nicolai I've Got That Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart. In this episode, we discuss death, rebirth, and eternal life as examined and explained in The Joy of Eternal Life by Philipp Nicolai. SHOW NOTES:   The Joy of Eternal Life https://amzn.to/3Jm0vQN Hymn Sing Happy Hour https://learn.1517.org/hymn-sing-happy-hour     SUPPORT : 1517 Podcast Networ...

Featured text: "The Problem of Suffering: A Father's Hope" — Gregory P. Schulz A Harsh & Necessary Conversation About Death. In this episode, we discuss death and resurrection concerning the death of a child from Gregory P. Schulz's book, The Problem of Suffering: A Father's Hope. SHOW NOTES:   Gregory P. Schulz - The Problem of Suffering: A Fathers Hope https://amzn.to/3T2FRJT   Hymn Sing Happy H...

Featured text: "Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel" — Norman Nagel Red, Red Wine… In this episode, we discuss Norman Nagel's Lenten sermon on Jesus' parable of the vineyard workers, focusing on the gift-giving God and what interferes with Jesus being a gift for us. SHOW NOTES:   Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel https://amzn.to/3mnaDAW 212-1 In the Name of Jesus: Sermons by Norman E. Nagel, Part 1 ht...

Featured text: "Christ's Church: Her Biblical Roots, Her Dramatic History, Her Saving Presence, Her Glorious Future" — Bo Giertz Say Hello to My Little Church! In this episode, we discuss Christ's church and all its vagaries and particularities as expressed in Bo Giertz's book, Christ's Church. SHOW NOTES:   Christ's Church: Her Biblical Roots, Her Dramatic History, Her Saving Presence, Her Glorio...

Featured text: "Commentary on Romans" — Philip Melanchthon Is It True, Or Is It Truly True? In this episode, we discuss election, true and false church, law, mercy, and why we can't stop judging the Gospel as we read Philip Melanchthon's 1541 commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans. SHOW NOTES:   Commentary on Romans by  Philipp Melanchthon https://a.co/d/bY23Uqv   SUPPORT : 1517 Podcast Network...

Featured text: "Luther's Outlaw God: Volume 3: Sacraments and God's Attack on the Promise" — Steven Paulson Predestination Is Sick! In this episode, we discuss Steven Paulson's book, The Outlaw God, focusing our conversation on double presentation, preaching God's electing promise to sinners, and the consequences of worshipping a philosophical-material god. What are the consequences for people who...

Featured text: "The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel Against the Wisdom of the World, Chapter 4, pages 20." — Robert Capon Dirt Naps Are For The Living. In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of Robert Capon's, The Foolishness of Preaching, focusing on preaching forgiveness, insisting that the dead reform their deadness, and the consequences of high anthropology. SHOW NOTES:  ...

Featured text: "The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel Against the Wisdom of the World, Chapter 4, pages 20." — Robert Capon Your Guilt Is Misplaced. In this episode, we discuss Robert Capon's book, The Foolishness of Preaching. We focus on Capon's argument for why death and resurrection must be preached for a sermon to be rightly called a Christian sermon, for it to be a Gospel proc...

Featured text: "The Death of the Saviour the End of All Sacrifices" — Friedrich Schleiermacher Isn't That A Daisy? In this episode, we discuss Friedrich Schleiermacher's Good Friday sermon, focusing on preaching the cross, where to locate sin, what effect the law has on our external works, and why a proclaimer is necessary to get the Gospel. SHOW NOTES:   The Death of the Saviour the End of All Sa...

Featured text: "A Protestant Evangelical Speaks to His Lutheran Friends" — Francis Schaeffer Francis & The Sunshine Band. In this episode, we discuss Francis Schaeffer's ecumenical address to Lutherans, the consequences of seeking church unity using legal categories, the dilemma with Christian purity, the distinction between the hidden and revealed church, and why it matters. SHOW NOTES: A Protest...

Featured text: "Loci Communes" — Philip Melanchthon Love Amongst The Cling-Ons. In this episode, we discuss Philip Melanchthon's Loci Communes, focusing our attention on justification, faith, love, and prayer. SHOW NOTES: Melanchthon and Bucer (Library of Christian Classics) by Wilhelm Pauck amzn.to/3Qh671w   The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia https://youtu.be/mY0xM26fCPA SUPPORT 1517...

Featured text: "What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem?" — Tertullian How I Met Your Other Mother. In this episode, we discuss Tertullian on Heresies, especially the relationship of philosophy to theology, and how to pastorally address heresies past and present. SHOW NOTES: 1 Clement 37 - http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html   Didache - https://legacyicons.com/content/d...

Featured text: "1 Clement" — Clement of Rome Welcome to the Church. Can I Take Your Order? In this episode, we discuss Clement of Rome on the Church, especially good order, fruits of faith, and why the congregation at Corinth shouldn't run off its pastors. SHOW NOTES: 1 Clement 37 - http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html   Didache - https://legacyicons.com/content/didac...

Featured text: "Introduction to St. Athanasius' "On the Incarnation"" — C.S. Lewis It's A Show, About Nothing! In this episode, we revisit and discuss C.S. Lewis' introduction to Athanasius, On the Incarnation. We end up doing a recap of the past year, which means Christmas movies, the incarnation, and lots and lots of rabbit trails on this episode of The Banned Books Podcast. SHOW NOTES: Introduc...

Featured text: "The Birth of Jesus" — R.C. Sproul Let's Not Talk About Love. In this episode, we discuss R.C. Sproul's Christmas sermon wherein he preaches on the Gospel of Luke chapter 2. The espresso kicked in early, and we read through the whole sermon before diving deep into the distinction between exposition and proclamation, so buckle up. Riley talks too much while Gillespie exercises patien...

Featured text: "A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs" — Early Church Fathers Is It Too Early for Jesus' Birth? In this episode, we read excerpts from various early church fathers on Jesus' birth, with a heavy emphasis on the historicity of God's incarnation. What part did earthly signs play in announcing Jesus' birth? Why did it matter to the early fathers that God was born on an actual day, in...