That’ll Preach

Dr. Matt Hoskin of the Davenant Institute joins the show to talk about how Protestants can benefit from the Desert Fathers. The Desert Fathers left civilization in order to seek God with a single mind. They fasted, took vows of celibacy, and fought the occasional demon. Our modern eyes look at the Desert Fathers with cynicism, but that betrays a lack of understanding on our part of the spiritual r...

Pastor Chris Castaldo of New Covenant Church , Naperville joins us to talk about reasons why Protestants convert to Roman Catholicism. In this episode we discuss the psychological, theological, and sociological factors that compel Protestants to “cross the Tiber” to Rome as well as the ways the Protestant tradition fills those needs. Chris draws upon decades of writing about and dialoguing with Ca...

In this episode we discuss Martin Luther’s theological breakthrough that set the stage for the Reformation. He did not set out to start a movement, but rather wanted to debate with integrity and honesty the malpractice of the Roman Catholic church. This desire led him down a path that pit him against the Catholic church, the Pope, and the Holy Roman Emperor himself. Luther’s breakthrough reverbera...

John Henry Newman once remarked that, “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.” Dr. Michael Haykin of Southern Seminary disagrees. Join us for a fascinating conversation on what Church Fathers like Cyprian, Athanasius, Augustine, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Clement, and others thought about baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and polity. We also talk about common misconceptions about the Church Father...

We’re starting a new series on Protestantism in honor of Reformation day. In this episode we discuss the appeal of Roman Catholicism in a post-Christian age and the necessity of the Protestant Reformation. We talk about common misunderstandings Protestants have of Catholics as well as ways Catholics misrepresent Protestants. We also talk about the most divisive doctrine in Christendom: the Papacy....

We welcome Pastor Steven Lee of the North Church in Minneapolis, MI to share his insights on the subject of conflict within the church. We discuss the importance of feedback among leaders and staff as well as the importance of having a thick skin when engaging difficult topics. Steven shares his own experience of leading a large church through the complexities of race, politics, COVID, and an asso...

Dr. Gray Sutanto of Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington DC joins us to discuss the relevance of Herman Bavinck's theology of revelation in today’s post-Christian world. Herman Bavinck, the renowned Dutch theologian of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has much to teach us about divine revelation in a contemporary context. Dr. Sutanto breaks down Bavinck's rich theological ideas and d...

We are privileged to have Dr. James Strasburg as our guest to help explore a compelling facet of American history: the profound influence of theological perspectives concerning the "end times" or "eschatology." Our discussion commences with a historical overview of the theological landscape. During America's nascent years, the prevailing theological outlook was one of postmillennialism, characteri...

Mike Glodo of Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando joins us to discuss his new book The Lord Bless You and Keep You: The Promise of the Gospel in the Aaronic Blessing. We discuss the role of the benediction in the church service and how it assures God’s people of his love for them. The Aaronic blessing also contains within it a rich biblical theology of “faces” and how our eternal hope rests in...

Our special guest, Dr. Guy Waters, a distinguished theologian and professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, brings his deep insights and extensive knowledge to the subject of death. Dr. Waters is a widely respected figure in the world of Reformed theology, known for his thoughtful and compassionate approach to complex spiritual matters. In this podcast episode, we delve into the profound topic o...

Rev. Michael Petty of St. Peter's Anglican church joins us for an informative podcast on spiritual formation. We discuss a variety of topics from developing a life of prayer, reading Scripture in community, engaging Christians with their spiritual gifts, and the causes and cures for pastoral burnout. Michael also shares personal anecdotes of the ways in which spiritual disciplines of prayer, Scrip...

In this episode of That'll Preach we take an intriguing journey into the heart of biblical scholarship to scrutinize the reliability of the Old Testament. Join us as we engage in a captivating conversation with distinguished Old Testament scholar, Professor Peter Lee, from RTS (Reformed Theological Seminary). We delve deep into the questions that have sparked both curiosity and debate for centurie...

Pastor Les Newsom of Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Mississippi joins us to talk about the importance of preaching in the formation of Christians in the church. He goes into the way he thinks through connecting the Bible with the congregation though imagination and rhetoric. He also speaks to the need for preaching in the midst of an increasingly hostile world towards Christianity. This epi...

Welcome to another episode of "That'll Preach"! In this thought-provoking installment, we dive into a topic that has ignited centuries of debate and reflection: "Has the Church Replaced Israel?" Join us as we explore the historical and theological dimensions of this complex issue, shedding light on its significance within Christianity. Dr. McDermott, a renowned theologian, offers his profound insi...

On this episode of That'll Preach we will hear from Dr. Greg Allison of Southern Seminary on the differences between Roman Catholic and Protestant approaches to Scripture, authority, and tradition. Allison argues that Catholicism's "three stools" of Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium stand at odds with the classic Protestant vision of Sola Scriptura. He also busts myths about the unity of t...

We wrap up our series on Chesterton's classic Orthodoxy by exploring the common arguments against Christianity. Chesterton does not argue from a standard apologetics approach, but instead utilizes common sense to show how our faith in Christianity rests not upon one "slam dunk" argument, but rather the accumulation of a thousand little pieces of evidences. He also challenges common agnostic/atheis...

In this episode we look at Chesterton's profound exploration of the essence and allure of orthodox Christian beliefs. He celebrates the paradoxical nature of truth, highlighting how orthodox Christianity, with all its enchanting mysteries, brings a fresh vitality to the world. Chesterton argues that while modernity may be filled with wild and wasted virtues, true orthodoxy unites the material and...

Our series in Orthodoxy continues as we look at Chesterton's interesting perspective on wealthy people, the aristocracy, and placing too much trust in the government. He also points out the fundamental flawed assumption of progressivism: that things left to themselves will progress rather than decay. "Open-mindedness" does not automatically lead to "progress" and neither does revolution lead to be...

Dr. Michael Lynch of the Davenant Institute joins us to discuss the controversial topic of the atonement. Theologians throughout church history have debated over the nature and extent of Jesus's death on the cross. Did God unjustly punish an innocent man? Did Jesus's death make forgiveness of sins actual or merely possible? How do we understand theological words like "imputation" and "penal substi...

We continue our series in Chesterton's classic Orthodoxy by looking at his famous chapter on the paradox of Christianity. Chesterton writes about how the strangeness of Christianity bolsters its credibility as truth. We should not expect divine revelation to make complete sense to our minds. He also points out that the hostility of the modern world towards Christianity reveals its compelling power...

Bryan and Paul discuss chapter five of G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy entitled "The Flag of the World". In this chapter, Chesterton explains why we must love a place before we critique it and the freedom that God gives to mankind. He takes shots at naturalism and so-called "progress" by helping us understand how Christianity revolutionized the world. He also digs into the paradox that true love for t...

Dr. Jonathan Pennington of Southern Seminary (SBTS) joins us to talk about his new book Come and See: The Journey of Knowing God Through Scripture. We talk about three ways of reading Scripture well: informationally, theologically, and transformationally. Each of these stages challenges us to grow in our understanding of the word of God in practical and tangible ways. We read informationally by us...

We’re back in Chesterton’s Orthodoxy looking at his take on how fairy tales inform our virtues and teach us about joy. Our modern craving for novelty reveals a weakness rather than a strength for God continues to do the same things over and over again, but finds joy in them. Children find joy in repetition because they do not lose their wonder for the world through cynicism. We also look at how de...

We continue our discussion of G.K. Chesterton's book Orthodoxy with his third chapter on how modernity's abandonment of Christianity not only lets vices go wild, but also virtues. We also discuss how Chesterton identifies modern false humility that remains skeptical about everything except its own skepticism. Here are some solid quotes from chapter three: "The modern world is full of the old Chris...

Ryan Hurd from the Davenant Institute joins us to talk about the "spiritual" and "literal" readings of Scripture. Evangelicals often misunderstand the "literal" sense as referring only to the historicity of the Bible. But the church throughout the ages understood the literal sense in terms of the "letters" of the text in addition to its historicity. The "literal" and "spiritual" readings do not op...