Banned Books

Featured text: "Theology is for Proclamation" — Gerhard Forde Did Jesus Have to Die For That Sermon? In this episode, we discuss Gerhard Forde's book "Theology is For Proclamation," specifically the focus and function of all Jesus' preaching and how it defines Christian preaching in every generation. SHOW NOTES: Forde - Theology is for Proclamation https://amzn.to/3SG7zu8   The Crucified God: 40th...

Featured text: "Confessions" — Augustine Blind Faith Is Worthless Unless It's Blind Faith in Us. In this episode, we discuss Augustine's Confessions, specifically Augustine's reflection on the Manichaeans and the effect God's Word had on his conversion to Christianity. SHOW NOTES: Augustine - Confessions https://amzn.to/3DFhBau SUPPORT 1517 Podcast Network  https://www.1517.org/podcasts/ Support t...

Featured text: "The Antichrist" — Friedrich Nietzsche We Are Live! In this episode, we recorded a live show at the Here We Still Stand 2022 conference, so of course, we read Nietzsche and discussed salvation. SHOW NOTES: Nietzsche - The Antichrist https://genius.com/Friedrich-nietzsche-the-antichrist-full-text-annotated SUPPORT 1517 Podcast Network  https://www.1517.org/podcasts/ Support the work...

Featured text: "Rules for Understanding the Sacred Scriptures" — Matthias Flacius Do You Read The Bible? What's Your Secret? In this episode, we discuss how to understand the Bible from Matthias Flacius' book, How to Understand the Sacred Scriptures. SHOW NOTES: Matthias Flacius - How to Understand the Sacred Scriptures https://amzn.to/3CDHs22   More Flacius https://amzn.to/3eeLJzH   Formula of Co...

Featured text: "More Than a Carpenter" — Josh McDowell It's A Bittersweet, Scientific Symphony of Atheism. In this episode, we discuss Josh McDowell's book, More Than A Carpenter, and the topic of belief, science, and atheism. Do science and faith contradict one another? Is atheism a reasonable position over-against belief in God? SHOW NOTES: Josh McDowell - More Than a Carpenter https://amzn.to/3...

Featured text: "More Than a Carpenter" — Josh McDowell Liar, Liar, Jesus Is A Lunatic? In this episode, we read More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell. We discuss the cultural-historical argument that Jesus was either a good moral teacher or a prophet, or whether he was a liar, lunatic, or Lord. SHOW NOTES: Josh McDowell - More Than a Carpenter https://amzn.to/3xQwXWy or http://www.voiceofthewatch...

Featured text: "Mere Christianity" — C.S. Lewis Does God Care Whether We're Good or Bad? We conclude our discussion of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. If Christians live in enemy territory, as Lewis writes, how does that affect the defense of our faith? Do we have free will, and why would God give us free will if he knew we'd eat from Eden's tree? What does conscience have to do with our relation...

Featured text: "Mere Christianity" — C.S. Lewis Let's Fight! In this episode, we read and discuss C.S. Lewis' popular book: Mere Christianity. What do Christians believe? How do we discuss religion, good and evil, God and the devil, and why Christianity isn't something anyone would ever think to invent? SHOW NOTES: C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Mere%20Christi...

Featured text: "Revelation" — Flannery O'Connor Singing in Tune, But Singing The Wrong Song... In this episode, we conclude our discussion of Revelation by Flannery O'Connor. How does a theologian of the cross reveal the truth to people who don't want to listen? Paradox, misdirection, and revelation. SHOW NOTES: "Revelation" From "Everything That Rises Must Converge" By Flannery O'Connor https://w...

Featured text: "Revelation" — Flannery O'Connor A Christ-Haunted Parable... In this episode, we discuss faith, segregation, and the Christ-haunted south as described by Flannery O'Connor in her short story, Revelation. What happens to us when we discuss race, gender, class, and culture apart from Christ Jesus? What does it mean that the churches are Christ-haunted? What happens when the churches a...

Featured text: "The Brothers Karamazov" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky You Silver-tongues Devil... We conclude our discussion of Dostoevsky's dialogue between Ivan Karamazov and the devil from the Brothers Karamazov. SHOW NOTES: The Brothers Karamazov - Book 11 - Chapter 9 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/28054/28054-h/28054-h.htm   Reds https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082979/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1   Biblia Pauperum...

Featured text: "The Brothers Karamazov" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky Speak if The Devil… In this episode, we discuss Ivan Karamazov's argument with the devil from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov. How do we recognize the evil one when he comes to us, mainly when he portrays himself as someone who wants what's best for us? SHOW NOTES: The Brothers Karamazov - Book 11 - Chapter 9 https://ww...

Featured text: "Moby-Dick" — Herman Melville Welcome to The Terrordome. In this episode, we read and discuss "The Sermon" from Moby Dick. What is a preacher's responsibility to his congregation in his preaching? What happens when the Gospel is talked about but never preached? What happens when Jonah is preached without Christ at the conclusion of the sermon? SHOW NOTES: Moby Dick by Herman Melvill...

Featured text: "Young Goodman Brown" — Nathaniel Hawthorne Was It Only A Dream? We conclude our reading and discussion of "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathanial Hawthorne. What happens when sin, death, and Satan are unaddressed by Christians, and especially the churches? What kind of damage does hypocrisy do to a community, congregation, and our Christian relationships? SHOW NOTES: Young Goodman Brown...

Featured text: "Young Goodman Brown" — Nathaniel Hawthorne Good Christian People? In this episode, we read and discuss the parable of Young Goodman Brown, a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne. What happens when Christians don't have a Gospel preacher? What happens when we carry our guilt and are tempted by the devil? How do we distinguish between God and the devil? SHOW NOTES: Young Goodman Brown...

Featured text: "The Grand Inquisitor" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky It's For Your Own Good. We conclude our reading and discussion of Dostoevsky's, The Grand Inquisitor. What are we willing to sacrifice to accept the devil's offer of miracles, mystery, and authority? Why do we surrender to temptation, and what do we expect are the consequences? What can we learn from Jesus' rejection of the devil's temptat...

Featured text: "The Grand Inquisitor" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky Happiness in Slavery. We continue to read and discuss the parable of the Grand Inquisitor in Fyodor Dostoevsky's, The Brothers Karamazov. In this episode, the Grand Inquisitor details why Jesus' rejection of Satan's temptations in the wilderness doomed humanity. SHOW NOTES: The Grand Inquisitor By Fyodor Dostoyevsky https://stephenhicks.or...

Featured text: "The Grand Inquisitor" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky Why? Why? Why? We read and discuss Dostoevsky's parable of the Grand Inquisitor. What happens when we discuss evil and the work of the evil one apart from God's Word, his preacher, and Christ's cross? SHOW NOTES: The Grand Inquisitor By Fyodor Dostoyevsky https://stephenhicks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DostoevskyF-Grand-Inquisitor-text...

Featured text: "Before the Law" — Franz Kafka Gatekeepers & Madmen. We read and discuss two parables, by Franz Kafka and Friedrich Nietzsche. What happens when people don't have a preacher sent by the Holy Spirit to declare forgiveness? Without the Gospel, where does the law end? SHOW NOTES: Before the Law by Franz Kafka https://www.kafka-online.info/before-the-law.html   Friedrich Nietzsche, The...

Featured text: "Parable of the Geese & the King and Maiden" — Søren Kierkegaard Humble Kings & Flightless Geese. We read and discuss two parables by Soren Kierkegaard. In this episode, the purpose of parables, the condescension of God, and why there's no forgiveness in Kierkegaard's parables. SHOW NOTES: The Minister's Black Veil - Nathaniel Hawthorne https://www.owleyes.org/text/ministers-black-v...

Featured text: "The Minister's Black Veil" — Nathaniel Hawthorne The God Behind The Veil. In this episode, we read Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Minister's Black Veil, and discuss the hidden God, divination, and the mirror of the law. SHOW NOTES: The Minister's Black Veil - Nathaniel Hawthorne https://www.owleyes.org/text/ministers-black-veil   The Withertongue Emails: A Pastor's Satanic Temptation,...

Featured text: "London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann" — Johann Hamann Killer-Comforter-Praying Spirit. We conclude our reading and discussion of Johann Hamann's London Writings. In this episode, we focus particularly on the Advocate and prayer. SHOW NOTES: London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann https://ballastpress.com/sho...

Featured text: "London Writings" — Johann Hamann It's What You Can't See That Can Kill You. We continue our reading and discussion of Johann Hamann, The London Writings, focusing primarily on spiritual warfare and how it manifests in daily life and pastoral ministry. SHOW NOTES: London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann https://ballastpress.com/shop/ols/products/l...

Featured text: "London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann" — Johann Hamann Two Books, One Condescending God. In this episode, we discuss the exegesis of Johann Hamann. What are the implications for Christians when God's Spirit and Word translate us into the church and the world? SHOW NOTES: London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Haman...

Featured text: "London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann" — Johann Hamann How long? Not Long. In this episode, we introduce the works of Johann Georg Hamann, specifically the London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann. SHOW NOTES: London Writings: The Spiritual & Theological Journal of Johann Georg Hamann https://ballastpress.com/...