Banned Books

Featured text: "Live Not By Lies - Alexander Solzhenitsyn" — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 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 doing standing up to unjust authority, and the secular indoctrination that infects the church. SHOW NOTES: Live Not By Lies - Alexander Solzhenitsyn http://www.orthodoxyt...

Featured text: "Live Not By Lies - Alexander Solzhenitsyn" — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 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. SHOW NOTES: Live Not By Lies - Alexander Solzhenitsyn http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/arti...

Featured text: "Communism and the Churches" — Gerald Kennedy 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 Christian organizations avoid controversy in order to maintain the status quo? Does the...

Featured text: "Communism and the Churches" — Gerald Kennedy 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. SHOW NOTES: Gerald Kennedy - Communism in the Churches https://wallbuilders.com/sermon-communis...

Featured text: "Communism and the Churches" — Gerald Kennedy 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? SHOW NOTES: Gerald Kennedy - Communism in the Churches https://wallbuilders.com/sermon-communism-churches-c-1960/#...

Featured text: "Communism and the Churches" — Gerald Kennedy 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? Also, we start with a debrief highlighting our brief hiatus. SHOW NOTES: Gerald Kennedy - Communism in the Churches https://wallbuilders.com/sermon-comm...

Featured text: "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. SHOW NOTES: Christmas During the Civil War https://civilwarsaga.com/christmas-during-the-civil-war/   Children of Men (2006) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Men   How War-...

Featured text: "What was the Enlightenment, and what impact did it have on Christianity?" 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. SHOW NOTES: What was the Enlightenment, and what impact did it have on Christianity? https://www.gotquestions.org/Enlig...

Featured text: "Christmas in Nazi Germany" — Kate Bowler 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. SHOW NOTES: Christmas in Nazi Germany - Bowler https://blog.oup.com/2016/09/christmas-in-nazi-germany/ Masquerade ball https:...

Featured text: "The Social Doctrine of the Augsburg Confession and its Significance for the Present" — Hermann Sasse 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? SHOW NOTES: The Social Doctrine of the Augsburg Confession and its Si...

Featured text: "The Social Doctrine of the Augsburg Confession and its Significance for the Present" — Hermann Sasse 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' station in life, and the need for pub...

Featured text: "Collected Works: Vol. XX" — G.K. Chesterton 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 law. And we finish with Chesterton's prompt to consider fraud. SHOW NOTES: Collected Works: Vol. X...

Featured text: "O you who have anything superfluous, give it to the poor!" — Girolamo Savonarola 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? SHOW NOTES: "PENITENZA, PENITENZA…!" http://www.elfinspell.com/ChurchHistory/Pe...

Featured text: "Do Penance, Do It Now!" — Girolamo Savonarola 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 effect does it have on us at present? SHOW NOTES: "PENITENZA, PENITENZA…!" http://www.elfinsp...

Featured text: "Tyranny and Resistance: The Magdeburg Confession and the Lutheran Tradition" — David Mark Whitford 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. SHOW NOTES: Tyranny and Resistance: The Magdebur...

Featured text: "The Stromata" — Clement of Alexandria 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 more relevant today than ever. SHOW NOTES: CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (c. 150-c. 215) from The Miscellanies (Strom...

Featured text: "Martyrdom: A Witness Both by Life and Word" — Clement of Alexandria 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 martyrdom originate, and is it still a relevant topic f...

Featured text: "Christ in the Psalms" — Patrick Henry Reardon 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 consequences of not taking everything captive to Christ. SHOW NOTES: Christ in the Psalms - Patrick Henry Reardon ht...

Featured text: "Christ in the Psalms" — Patrick Henry Reardon 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. SHOW NOTES: Christ in the Psalms - Patrick Henry Reardon https://amzn.to/3jNYDSN   Siege of Magdeburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...

Featured text: "Christ in the Psalms" — Patrick Henry Reardon 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 and against ourselves at the same time? What's happened to our piety that we are afraid to make demands of God? SHOW NOTE...

Featured text: "Christ in the Psalms" — Patrick Henry Reardon Why Christians are commanded to pray down curses upon their enemies. This episode, Christ in the Psalms, by Patrick Henry Reardon. What's an imprecatory psalm? Why are we taught by Scripture to pray imprecatory psalms, but have largely excluded such prayers from our churches? How does psalm 5 point us to Jesus and culture simultaneously...

Featured text: "Learning in War-Time" — C.S. Lewis The Enemies at the Gate. We conclude our reading and discussion of C.S. Lewis' speech on Learning in War-time. More reflection on the three enemies, excitement, frustration, and fear. SHOW NOTES: C.S. Lewis - "Learning in War-time" https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lyp9GcHj67VLTHpWtZ6aGk6Hpvf8JAIa/view   170: C.S. Lewis - The three enemies which wa...

Featured text: "Learning in War-Time" — C.S. Lewis Know Your Enemy! C.S. Lewis explains why excitement, frustration, and fear can drive us to errs in judgment about ourselves, society, and God. SHOW NOTES: C.S. Lewis - "Learning in War-time" https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lyp9GcHj67VLTHpWtZ6aGk6Hpvf8JAIa/view   170: C.S. Lewis - The three enemies which war raises up against the scholar https://w...

Featured text: "Learning in War-Time" — C.S. Lewis Sometimes You Just Have to Hit The Reset and Start Over... Sometimes You Don't. What happens to the church and society when we are incapable of critical thinking? Can we learn from our failures, and the attacks of our enemies? What happens to society when Christ isn't publicly preached against sin, death, and the devil. SHOW NOTES: C.S. Lewis - "L...

Featured text: "Learning in War-Time" — C.S. Lewis Steel Our Christian Hearts. We continue with C.S. Lewis' speech on Learning in War-Time. How important is it for Christians and society to read good books, to learn from our opponents, and to stand up for the truth? SHOW NOTES: C.S. Lewis - "Learning in War-time" https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lyp9GcHj67VLTHpWtZ6aGk6Hpvf8JAIa/view   167: C.S. Le...