The Mockingcast

Dynamite does one thing well: it blows stuff up. Dynamite is no more than an absorbent material, such as sawdust, soaked in a highly combustible chemical called nitroglycerin. The absorbent material makes the nitroglycerin much more stable. Attached to the nitroglycerin infused sawdust is either a fuse of a blasting cap. Once lit, the fuse or cap creates a small explosion that triggers the larger...

I don’t “read much” and I don’t “look the part” I’m not “seminary trained” or even “theologically inclined.” I don’t “know what ‘Pelagian’ means” and I “don’t look comfortable in front of an audience” I “sleep in my make-up” and “also with stuffed animals” I guess I “talk too much” and I “sweat when I’m nervous” and I “can’t remember names” because I’m “too concerned with myself” even though I “do...

It doesn’t take long at Mockingbird before one hears about… yes, here it comes… Law and Gospel. It is the name of the book after all. And while most of the fun is to be had in observing this versatile skeleton key to the human condition illustrated in everything from Finding Dory to David Bowie, or from Black Mirror to Axl Rose, the original Law/Gospel illustration, of course, came from Martin Lut...

We’re living in an age of “ subjective sovereignty ,” where life is “all the feels” and emotional offense is king. It is a time less describable by policy discord and differences of opinion, but instead by vindictive joy and holy rage . Arguments are couched in first-person noise—disagreements have the sting of personal attacks—which means the arguments are, on the whole, harder to argue or critiq...

Closing Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by David Zahl. Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by Nicole Cliffe (The Toast). Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Saturday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in New York City, given by Duo Dickinson. Delivered April 29th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Friday evening talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC, given by The Rev. Fleming Rutledge. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Friday afternoon talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC, given by Oliver Burkeman (The Guardian). Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church.

Second Friday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from Dr. Simeon Zahl. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Lost Doctrine of Sin.

Friday morning talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from The Rev. Sarah Condon. Delivered April 28th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Losing Battle of Being in Charge".

Opening talk at our 2017 Conference in NYC from The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman. Delivered April 27th, 2017 at St George's Episcopal Church. Subtitle: "The Secret of Mockingbird's Success".

<p>Our guest this week is Jeffrey Hanson, author of "Kierkegaard and the Life of Faith: The Aesthetic, the Ethical, and the Religious in 'Fear and Trembling'". Then the roundtable talks Yik Yak, the breeding grounds of resentment and more Melissa Febos.</p><p>Special Guest: Jeffrey Hanson.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Tony Jones. Tony is a theologian, author and the trade editor at Fortress Press. He's also a consultant on Hulu's popular serial drama "The Path". Then the roundtable talks happiness, headwinds and the Zacchaeus option. </p><p>Special Guest: Tony Jones.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Emily Esfani Smith. She's the author of The Power Of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. Then the roundtable talks tribalism, storytelling and failure.</p><p>Special Guest: Emily Esfahani Smith.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Adam Morton. Having successfully avoided the pitfalls of money and social standing, sometime Mockingbird contributor Adam Morton serves as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church and associate pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster, PA. His wife Tasha does more or less the same thing, but competently. Together they parent a very wide toddler. Adam is ino...

<p>This week's guest is Melissa Febos. She's the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Whip Smart (St. Martin’s Press 2010) and the forthcoming essay collection, Abandon Me (Bloomsbury 2017). Then the roundtable comes to you live from Texas at the mbirdtyler.com conference. </p><p>Special Guest: Melissa Febos.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Jason Micheli. Jason is a United Methodist pastor. He's the author of Cancer Is Funny: Keeping Faith in Stage-Serious Chemo. He's the co-host of the Crackers and Grape Juice podcast. Then roundtable talks loved, religion and death. </p><p>Special Guest: Jason Micheli.</p>

<p>This week our guest is Stephanie Butnick, co-host of Tablet Magazine's popular podcast Unorthodox. We have now had all three co-hosts as guests. We saved the best for last! Then the roundtable talks eating your way to immortality, atheist conversion studies and concludes with a story of what love is all about. </p><p>Special Guest: Stephanie Butnick.</p>

<p>In this special episode of The Mockingcast we give a preview of some of the content of Mockingbird's quarterly print magazine. Several contributors are featured including Dr. Helen Zoe Veit. She's the author of Modern Food, Moral Food. </p><p>Special Guest: Helen Zoe Veit.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Nadia Bolz-Weber. She is a pastor, author, speaker, fitness jedi and poster child for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Then the roundtable tackles fat shaming, date hating, food solidarity and the definition of a sermon.</p><p>Special Guest: Nadia Bolz-Weber.</p>

<p>Our guest this week is Carlen Maddux, author of A Path Revealed: How Hope, Love And Joy Found Us In A Deep Maze Called Alzheimer's. Then the roundtable talks "people analytics", living in bubbles and the foolish culture of the carnival. </p><p>Special Guests: Carlen Maddux, Lindy Jones.</p>

<p>This week our guest is Paul Walker. Paul is the Rector at Christ Episcopal Church, where Mockingbird is headquartered. He’s also a longtime friend of Mockingbird and spoke at the first Mockingbird conference in New York City. After our conversation with Paul the usual suspects talk about the death of the American dream, frames of mind and the stories we tell ourselves.</p><p>S...

<p>Our guest this week is Jennifer Underwood. Jennifer is a lawyer, wife and mother of 3. She  blogs at the Houston Moms Blog. Then the roundtable talks about profanity and honest, shame, forgiveness and Silence.</p><p>Special Guest: Jennifer Underwood.</p>

<p>Dr. Todd Brewer, New Testament Professor at General Theological Seminary, comes on the podcast to talk about Mockingbird’s best theology book list of 2016. Then the roundtable talks about, among other things, Good Riddance Day.</p>