The Ad Fontes Podcast

Is the Lord's Supper really a big deal in the Christian life? The Reformers thought so - arguably, more so than the Roman Catholics. Yet we seem to have lost that in the Reformed world today. This week, Onsi and Rhys and joined by Brad Littlejohn, President of The Davenant Institute (i.e. their boss) to talk about the distinctives and importance of the Reformed view of the eucharist. NOTE: mo...

That's right - aliens. Belief in extra-terrestrial lifeforms no longer belongs to society's fringes, but is widespread in academia and the scientific community. NASA are returning to the moon, and Elon Musk has made space great again. Does the Christian tradition have the resources to offer counsel in a world turning again to the stars? And what does this spreading belief tell us about m...

Some people think the revolutions of the 18th century can be blamed on Protesantism. Yet others think that Protestant churches are too often the handmaidens of the state. What gives? This week Onsi, Colin, and Rhys are joined by Dr. Miles Smith to discuss the history of Protestants and revolution, and what we can learn from Protestants of the past. NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.or...

St. Augustine is probably the Western church's greatest ever theologian, foundational for Protestants and Catholics alike. But didn't he say lots of weird (and bad) stuff about sex? And hasn't that had a long and damaging legacy? Springing off of a recent article of Onsi's, this week the hosts take a closer look at what Augustine said about sex and how the Reformation interpret...

Was the novel an inevitable result of Protestantism? And has the decline of mainline Protestantism led to the decline of the novel? Onsi, Colin, and Rhys bat these questions around this week, jumping off of Joseph Bottum's recent book The Decline of the Novel (reviewed by Rhys in the forthcoming edition of Ad Fontes! ) APOLOGY: the quality of some audio in this episode is below our usual stan...

Do the Bible, the church, and philosophers agree on what the soul is? Far from it. This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys ask how (if at all) we can fit together the contributions of Scripture, Aristotle, and Descartes to work out what the soul is, how much reason can know about it, and if it's immortal (before descending into metaphysical bickering). NOTE: b elow, for works and books discussed on...

So how about that secularity huh? What is secularity (if it even exists)? This week our hosts bat around some of the most famous analyses of "secularity" to see whether or nor they're found wanting. NOTE: b elow, for works and books discussed on the show, we link to the products on Amazon for ease. However, we would strongly encourage you to find an alternative bookseller from which...

Can anything be said about Easter that's not yet been said? Our hosts give it a good try in a wide-ranging conversation about whether the universe is a tragedy or a comedy! NOTE: Below, for works and books discussed on the show, we link to the products on Amazon for ease. However, we would strongly encourage you to find an alternative bookseller from which to purchase any books if possible. C...

What is classical education? Does it provide moral formation? Is it responsible for Boris Johnson? And why are Christians interested in it? This week Onsi, Colin, and Rhys looks at this ever-growing movement, which is a key interest of The Davenant Institute. They discuss some key texts by Leo Strauss, Augustine, and Dorothy Sayers can inform how Christians think about "classical education.&q...

Are reason and Scripture at odds with tradition? Can the Emperor tell church leaders to work out their differences? And is Martin Luther really "the Disney princess of the Reformation?" Onsi, Colin, and Rhys dig into all these questions and more this week as they talk about the Diet of Worms, where in 1521 Martin Luther was famously excommunicated. On its 500th anniversary, Worms still e...

In the debut episode of The Davenant Institute's Ad Fontes podcast, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys talk about Lent. Lent has enjoyed a revival among evangelicals of late. Ash Wednesday is even still the third most attended day of the year in Roman Catholic churches, after Christmas and Easter. We throw out (wild and baseless) speculation as to why that is: a need for reminders of mortality? The endles...