Distinctive Christianity

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Paul Gottfried to discuss his book Leo Strauss and the Conservative Movement in America: A Critical Appraisal . Who was Leo Strauss, and why does he matter? Deeply influencing the conservative movement in America - what was Strauss’ distinctive interpretive approach to texts, including his understanding of “Jerusalem and Athens” as well as his distinction betwe...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Grant Havers to discuss his book Leo Strauss and Anglo-American Democracy: A Conservative Critique . Who is Leo Strauss, and why does he matter? One of the most important and influential philosophers of the twentieth century – Strauss is often seen as unquestionably conservative, committed to the reading of ancient philosophy and the retrieval of ancient wisdom. Str...

In this episode, we welcome Reverend Stephen Atkinson of CWINA (Christian Witness to Israel North America) to discuss his article “Reformation and Re-Embracement: A Brief History of the Puritan Hope for Israel” . We start with a discussion of the oft-erroneous “gentile narrative” of the earliest Christian church that has often obscured the Jewish Christ, the Jewish Twelve, and Jewish disciples. Ho...

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Richard Weikart to discuss his book From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany . We begin the interview with the question of methodology, and hear about the nuances needed to understand what is, and is not, being argued in the book. How does the historian accurately and responsibly track the impact of ideas, texts, and thinkers...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Robert Bowman to discuss his book Jesus’ Resurrection and Joseph’s Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism . How comparable, both in terms of content and credibility, are the visions of Joseph Smith and the apostle Paul? How fitting are the methods analyzing harmonies, differences and potential contradictions between the New Testament accoun...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler discuss and critique the official 2026 LDS Come, Follow Me manual’s coverage of Deuteronomy. Please read (and even listen ) to Deuteronomy ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual “Becoming Like God” ; “Are ‘Mormons’ Christian?” ; “Mother in Heaven” (Gospel Topics Essays) “Light of Christ” by Elde...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler discuss and critique the official 2026 LDS Come, Follow Me manual’s coverage of Numbers. Please read (and even listen ) to Numbers ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual “Two Lines of Communication” by President Dallin H. Oaks "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent" by Eld...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Philip Barlow to discuss his book Mormons and the Bible: The Place of the Latter-day Saints in American Religion . We start with diving into founding Prophet Joseph Smith’s relationship to and with the KJV Bible, and how we see it’s place in his prophetic project. From D&C 3 to the Book of Mormon to the “Inspired Translation” of the (KJV) Bible – how should we v...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler discuss and critique the official 2026 LDS Come, Follow Me manual’s coverage (or lack thereof) of Leviticus. Please read (and even listen ) to Leviticus ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual “The Law of Sacrifice” by Elder M. Russell Ballard D&C 13 Check out: Connecting Scripture New Testam...

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Kyle Beshears to discuss his book 40 Questions About Mormonism . Is Mormonism a “global religion”, and how do we balance the unity and diversity among the various branches of the Restoration Movement? What is some of the history and taxonomy of traditional Christian engagement with the LDS? What is the LDS priesthood, and how does it connect throughout the syst...

In this interview, we welcome Jeff Strong to discuss his book Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn From Them . What is disaffiliation, and how does it differ from inactivity? Drawing on extensive study and experience – as well as qualitative and quantitative research, we seek to understand truly what is happening when it comes to LDS disaffiliation, and why. Do we...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Shelby Fisher to discuss her book Tracy Y. Cannon: Tabernacle Organist and Pioneering Musician, 1879-1961 . Who was Tracy Young Cannon, and why does he matter? A highly-trained organist and accomplished musician, Tracy Cannon had a huge impact on the musical landscape of the LDS Community – both in his work as an educator, as well as his work on the General Music Co...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Daniel Stevens to discuss his book Songs of the Son: Reading the Psalms with the Author of Hebrews . Starting with the issue of how truly interconnected are the Old and New Testaments, we ask about how the Psalms should help us to see the Bible, in its diversity, as a unified whole. Is Christ Jesus objectively in the Psalms or is the New Testament often a collection...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Matt O’Reilly to discuss his book Free To Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification . What is biblical holiness – and how does biblical holiness relate to the Gospel of Grace? What does it mean to “be holy” as God is holy, and what is the role of God, the Holy Spirit in the sanctification of the believer? From the Garden of Eden to Isaiah 6, and from the “Holin...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Paul Gutacker to discuss his book The Old Faith in a New Nation: American Protestants and the Christian Past . Given a construct of “biblicism” - the standard narrative of American evangelicalism often assumes or involves the ahistoric and anti-traditional. Yet, as Dr. Gutacker both argues and writes: “American Protestants never read, or argued over, the Bible alone...

In this episode, we welcome back and finish our interview with Bradley Campbell of God Loves Mormons (GLM) and the Mormonism Research Ministry (MRM). We ask Bradley about five more topics that indicate change over time in LDS teaching, what these changes indicate about the “official” teachings of the LDS church, and why it matters. Moreover, we discuss Joseph Smith’s King Follett Discourse, his mo...

In this episode, we welcome back and begin our interview with Bradley Campbell of God Loves Mormons (GLM) and the Mormonism Research Ministry (MRM). We ask Bradley about five more topics that indicate change over time in LDS teaching, what these changes indicate about the “official” teachings of the LDS church, and why it matters. Moreover, we discuss Joseph Smith’s King Follett Discourse, his mos...

In this episode, we welcome Tanner Talbot to discuss his LDS mission experience as documented in his article “The Arizona Tucson Mission Disaster: An LDS Church Cover Up?” . We begin with his upbringing in the LDS Church, as well as some of the cultural pressures and dynamics which are key to understanding the place and importance of serving an honorable full-time mission in and for the LDS church...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler discuss and critique the official 2026 LDS Come, Follow Me manual’s coverage of Exodus. Please read (and even listen ) to Exodus ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises” by Elder David A. Bednar “The Reflection in the Water” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Early...

In this episode, we welcome back Pastor Ed Romine to discuss his book The Booming Baritone Bell of England , specifically his third chapter: “The Christ-Centered Hermeneut: A Christ-Centered Hermeneutical Foundation for Spurgeon’s Evangelism”. What is Hermeneutics, and how should the methodological principles of interpretation be tuned to the type of text we are engaging with? Given Spurgeon’s vie...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Stephen Presley to discuss his book Irenaeus of Lyons: His Life and Impact . Who was Irenaeus (c. AD130-200), and why does he matter? From a deep engagement with the Bible, to a key figure in the development in both Biblical Theology and Apologetics – Irenaeus combines both the desire for rigorous analysis and pastoral care. What was his apologetic method, and how d...

In this episode, we welcome back Pastor Jason Wallace of Ancient Paths TV to discuss some of his recent video “The Patristic Roots of the Reformed Faith” . Who was John Henry Newman and what does he represent to so many who likewise seek certainty in the midst of a chaotic and fallen world? What was his actual argument on the development of doctrine, and what are some reasons Protestants should be...

In this episode, we welcome Pastor Matthew Johnston to discuss his chapter in the recent book The Nicene Creed titled: “The Person of Jesus Christ”. What does the Nicene Creed teach about Jesus of Nazareth, and how does it aid us in terms of both grammar and guardrails? At the same time, what does it mean over time as both heresies and orthodoxy develops, and how should one understand the place of...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler continue their discussion about, and critique of, the 2026 official LDS Come, Follow Me manual's coverage of Genesis. Please read (and even listen ) to Genesis ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual Messages of the First Presidency compiled by James Clark A Rational Theology by Elder John Wi...

In this episode, Casey and Skyler begin their discussion about, and critique of, the official 2026 LDS Come, Follow Me manual's coverage of Genesis. Please read (and even listen ) to Genesis ( ESV , KJV ) Come, Follow Me – Home and Church (Old Testament Manual) Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual Messages of the First Presidency compiled by James Clark A Rational Theology by Elder John Widts...