Banned Books

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...

Featured text: "Sermon for Christmas Afternoon, Luke 2:1-20 (Luther's Works, Vol. 51)" — Martin Luther It's Addressed To You. Open It! In this episode, we discuss Martin Luther's sermon on Luke 2 for Christmas afternoon. What's the consequence of the "to you" and "for you" of Luke's Gospel message for Christians? SHOW NOTES: Sermon for Christmas afternoon, Luke 2:1-20; Luther's Works, Volume 51: S...

Featured text: "Proof of the Apostolic Preaching" — Irenaeus Ted, Just Admit It! He's Always Been The Lamb. In this episode, we discuss Irenaeus' Proof of Apostolic Preaching and what he has to say to those who make a show of faith but deny the incarnation of the Son according to the witness of Scripture. SHOW NOTES: Proof of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus https://amzn.to/3uzkgxg   SUPPORT 15...

Featured text: "Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah (Law) Fulfills its Goal in Yeshua (Jesus) by Eitan Bar, Seth Postell, Erez Soref" — Eitan Bar Torah! Torah! Torah! In this episode, we discuss the book, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah (Law) Fulfills its Goal in Yeshua (Jesus). This time it's all about how to read and exegete the Scriptures to reveal the purpose and goal of the...

Featured text: "On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin" — Augustine Who's Running the Verbs of Grace? In this episode, we discuss Augustine's defense of God's grace against the Pelagians, with a healthy dose of Reformation theology added for seasoning. SHOW NOTES: Augustine - On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15061.htm   SUPPORT 1517 Podcast Network...

Support 1517 this Giving Tuesday.

Featured text: "The Purpose of Christmas" — Tim Keller They Call Me… Tim. In this episode, we discuss Tim Keller's sermon, The Purpose of Christmas. Does it matter that Jesus' birth is a historical fact? What's the difference between an eyewitness account and a legend? What are we really preaching at Christmas, and why should anyone care? SHOW NOTES: Tim Keller - The Purpose of Christmas https://w...

Featured text: "The Christological Controversy (Sources of Early Christian Thought) by Richard A. Norris" — Nestorius Divide by Two, but Add by One. In this episode, we discuss Nestorius' sermon on whether Mary was Theotokos or not and what happens when one tries to comment on the two natures of God using Greek philosophy to exegete Scripture. SHOW NOTES: Nestorius - First Sermon Against The Theot...

Featured text: "The Message of the Prophets" — Gerhard von Rad God Doesn't Do Prophet-sharing. In this episode, we discuss Gerhard von Rad's explanation of a prophet's freedom and lack of choice regarding his call and proclamation. What's at stake for preachers, and all Christians, when God calls us to speak a specific word, to a specific people, at a specific time according to his decision? SHOW...

Featured text: "On the Flesh of Christ" — Tertullian God Has No Skin in The Game? In this episode, we discuss Tertullian's argument against Marcion about God's being born flesh and blood in his treatise, On The Flesh of Christ. What's at stake when well-meaning Christians disembody God and, consequently, Christians? SHOW NOTES: Tertullian bio https://www.theopedia.com/tertullian   Tertullian - On...

Featured text: "The Epistle to the Romans" — Karl Barth What We've Got Here Is Failure to Communicate. In this episode, we discuss Karl Barth's Roman's commentary, which cast a long and influential shadow over much of twentieth-century theology, and what it can teach today. SHOW NOTES: The Epistle to the Romans https://amzn.to/3E1xZSZ   SUPPORT 1517 Podcast Network  https://www.1517.org/podcasts/...

Featured text: "The Christological Controversy (Sources of Early Christian Thought)" — Irenaeus The Stuff That Heresies Are Made Of. In this episode, we discuss Ireneaus' attack on the Marcionite and Gnostic heresies, which sought to divide Christ's two natures, and the ramifications of this teaching for the churches today. SHOW NOTES: The Christological Controversy (Sources of Early Christian Tho...