Banned Books

Featured text: "Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness" — Eugene H. Peterson Just My Imagination. In this episode, we read Eugene Peterson's book, Under the Unpredictable Plant, and discuss theological imagination at length. What are the consequences when the church takes its cues from a culture with no imagination? Can Christians tell biblical stories without a theol...

Featured text: "On the Mysteries" — Ambrose Plug In, Baby. In this episode, we read St. Ambrose's work, On the Mysteries, enjoying his exegesis and defense of the body and blood of Jesus. We also discuss recognizing patterns in the Bible, testing the spirits who want to separate out the heavenly from the earthly, and the importance of symbol and meaning for Christian comfort. SHOW NOTES:   Ambrose...

Featured text: "Mystagogical Catecheses" — Cyril of Jerusalem Let's Get Weird. This episode discusses Cyril of Jerusalem's mystagogical catechesis, especially the Lord's Supper. We converse about the biblical patterns of the sacraments, anointing, and the higher truth about Jesus as bread from heaven. SHOW NOTES:   Cyril - Catechetical Lectures https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3101.htm   SUPPORT...

Featured text: "Commentary on Galatians (1535)" — Martin Luther Everybody's Working for the Weekend. In this episode, we continue our Lenten tradition of reading Luther's Galatians commentary in March, discussing past and present idolatry and why we keep falling for the same sales pitches from the same gods. SHOW NOTES:   Martin Luther's Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle To the Galatians (1535) htt...

Featured text: "The Spirit of Acedia" — John Cassian Hey, You Guys! In this episode, we discuss the dominant spirit of our age, acedia, by reading and discussing St. John Cassian's exposition of acedia in The Institutes. SHOW NOTES:   The Spirit of Acedia From the Institutes of John Cassian https://www.pathsoflove.com/acedia/cassian-acedia.html#10.1   John Cassian bio https://orthodoxwiki.org/John...

Featured text: "Homily on the Gospel of St. John Chapter Six" — John Chrysostom There's Power in the Blood. In this episode, we read a homily on John's Gospel, the power of Christ's blood, and a whole lot of symbolism in John Chrysostom's exegesis. SHOW NOTES:   St. John Chrysostom HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN https://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0345-0407,_Iohannes_Chrysostomus,_Homilies_...

Featured text: "Christ Died for the Sins of Christians Too" — Rod Rosenbladt Sure Shot. In this episode of Banned Books, we read Rod Rosenbladt's essay, Christ Died for the Sins of Christians Too. We talk about theological mentors, the Reformation, law and Gospel, justification, sanctification, the Church, and where we find our comfort at all times, in all places. SHOW NOTES:   Christ Died for the...

Featured text: "Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel" — John Kleinig The Chairman's Intent. In this episode of Banned Books, we converse about the Gospel, ritual, and how and why God embodies his grace while reading John Kleinig's article, Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel. SHOW NOTES:   Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/RitualsandtheEnactmentoftheGos...

Featured text: "Heretics" — G.K. Chesterton Simple Man. In this episode of Banned Books, we read G.K. Chesterton and discuss everything from simple living to the death and resurrection of Christ as the foundation of reality, the higher meaning of cups, and why a tomato is just a tomato. SHOW NOTES:   G.K. Chesterton - Heretics https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/470/pg470-images.html#chap10 Biogr...

Featured text: "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien" — J.R.R. Tolkien Keep The Beat. In this episode, we converse about good and bad sermons as defined by J.R.R. Tolkien. We discuss cosmology, truth, love, and why how we use words matters. SHOW NOTES:   63 To Christopher Tolkien, 24 April 1944 (FS 19), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/the_letters_of_j.rrtolkien.p...

Featured text: "Pastoral Rule" — Gregory the Great The Art of Noise. In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of pastoral care — the art, the discipline, and the experience of pastoral care — while reading The Rule of Gregory the Great. It's all about church leadership and pastoral ministry in this week's episode of Banned Books. SHOW NOTES:   Rule of St. Gregory https://www.newadvent.org/fath...

Featured text: "George MacDonald - Unspoken Sermons" — George MacDonald The Man Who Sold The World. In this episode, we discuss what attachment to things rather than Christ gets us while reading George Macdonald's Unspoken Sermons. The conversation leads us through the topics of higher and lower things, bread-making, willing and wanting, God-gifted vocations, and how to properly end a sermon. SHOW...

Featured text: "The Family Altar: Brief Daily Devotions" — Frederick Herzberger The God Who Stole Christmas. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Christmas Eve and Christmas Day readings, prayers, hymns, and traditions. We also have a lot of fun jesting and critiquing time-held hymns and traditions. We talk translations, history, worship, and why Christmas is the best time to embrace the en...

Featured text: "Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel: From Valparaiso to St. Louis" — Norman Nagel Won't Get Fooled Again. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss all things Advent - repentance, John the Baptist, preaching Christ, pastoral care to the afflicted and the unrepentant, and how to get to hell - while reading Norman Nagel's Advent 3 sermon. SHOW NOTES:   Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel...

Featured text: "The End of the World" — Martyn Lloyd-Jones All Day and All of the Night. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Advent and the second coming of Jesus Christ while reading a sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Along the way, we talk about the symbols and meaning of Christmas, how preaching a biblical sermon doesn't mean it's a gospel sermon, and why that matters. SHOW NOTES:   Transc...

Featured text: "The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church" — Ælfric Sober Up, He's Coming! In this episode of the Banned Books podcast, we read Aelfric's Advent homily while discussing decorating churches for Christmas, the importance of symbolism for the Christian faith, what a tide is, and why the books Genesis and Revelation reference everything regarding faith and life. SHOW NOTES:   The Homilies...

Featured text: "On the Song of Songs" — Bede We Need More Mother's Milk & Pomegranate Seeds. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss the Song of Songs and read the seventh-century monk, Bede, who takes us on a wild ride through the text; we converse about exegesis, cosmology, the church, why the meaning of words matters, how to read the Bible like an early medieval theologian, and why the stor...

Featured text: "Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, Past and Future" — John Piper The Parable of the Lawless, Polygamist Groom. In this episode, we discuss the parable of the ten virgins as preached by John Piper. We converse about law and promise, red herrings, who's wise and foolish in the parable, the bondage of the will and the doctrine of election, and the consequences for hearers of such parabolic...

Featured text: "Sermons to the Basel Prisoners" — Karl Barth In this episode, we discuss preaching to those in prison, the consequences of sin, and the power of the gospel. We read excerpts from Karl Barth's prison sermons and converse about preaching, pastoral care to the vulnerable, where Jesus locates himself for the preaching of the Gospel, and how we can all "set the captives free" through th...

Featured text: "Loser Takes All: The Victory of Christ" — Gerhard Forde I'm A Loser, Baby, So Why Don't You Resurrect Me? In this episode, we discuss the difference between our ideas of Jesus as a "winner" who gives us big wins in life versus Jesus, who wins by losing to sin, death, and the devil. We read Gerhard Forde's article "Loser Takes All" and consider how we bend Jesus to our ideas of sati...

Featured text: "Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls" — Harold Ristau One More Movie Reference Ought to Do It. In this episode, we discuss God's Word and Armor. We return to Harold Ristau's book, Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls, to converse about God's Word, ministry, being a soldier in the army of Christ, and angelic backup, and we make many movie references as we go! SHOW NOTES:   S...

Featured text: "Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls" — Harold Ristau In this episode, we discuss spiritual warfare and its effects on clergy and laity alike. We read Harold Ristau's book to discuss the realities of spiritual warfare, what's at stake, and what happens when we take seriously what the Bible teaches us about the unseen and seen war raging around us. SHOW NOTES:   Spiritual Warfar...

Featured text: "Prayer: Pre-Reformation to the Present" — Ken Korby Saddle Up! This episode discusses prayer and spiritual warfare while reading Dr. Ken Korby's essay, Prayer: Pre-Reformation to the Present. We converse about the purpose and goal of prayer, what Jesus is doing when we pray, and how the Holy Spirit acts in and through prayer. SHOW NOTES:   Text—Christians at Prayer, p. 113 https://...

Baptized, Confirmed, and Ordained. In this episode, we discuss the early Lutheran formulation of calling and ordination of pastors and preachers. What is ordination, when does it happen, are their rules and rites that must be followed, and much, much more! SHOW NOTES:   The text: https://bannedbooks.libsyn.com/71708669689__f28ba2aa-7a7a-4579-abb3-d145fcc87f98pdf     SUPPORT : 1517 Podcast Network...

Featured text: "The Right and Power to Judge all Teaching and to Call, Appoint, and Dismiss Teachers" — Martin Luther You can call me any day or night. Call me! In this episode, we read Martin Luther's verbosely titled treatise, "That a Christian Assembly or Congregation has the Right and Power to Judge all Teaching and to Call, Appoint, and Dismiss Teachers, Established and Proven by Scripture."...