Best Greatbooks Podcasts (2024)

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358: Melanchthon - Commentary on Romans 3:21ff 2:43:01

11d ago2:43:01

2:43:01

Tick, Tick, Boom. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Romans 3 while reading Philip Melanchthon’s commentary on Paul’s epistle. The main topics of conversation are the limitations of the law, faith that saves, gratuitous forgiveness and the living, and the present tense power of the gospel. SHOW NOTES: Commentary on Romans by Melanchthon, P…

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357: Kierkegaard - Fear and Trembling 2:11:08

18d ago2:11:08

2:11:08

Life Isn’t Fair, and The World Is Mean. In this episode, we discuss Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac while reading Kierkegaard’s commentary and comparing it to Martin Luther and Rene Girard’s comments. It’s a meta-meta episode, and one of us confuses Kierkegaard’s biography with that of Nietzsche for much of the episode. SHOW NOTES: Fear and Trembling …

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356: Francis Schaeffer - The Centrality of Death 2:58:45

25d ago2:58:45

2:58:45

We Can Be Heroes… In this episode, we discuss death and resurrection, hierarchy and authority, corporatism, Christian nationalism, self-sacrificial love, building a body without Christ as its head, the symbolism of salvation without the Lamb, pop culture tropes, the hero's journey, and teaching Christians not to doubt their salvation. SHOW NOTES: F…

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355: Jacques Ellul - Making the Church Worldly 2:19:15

1M ago2:19:15

2:19:15

Watching The World Go Down in History. In this episode of Banned Books, we read "False Presence of the Kingdom" by Jacques Ellul and discuss worldly Christianity, the lessons of history, the Machine, focusing on heavenly things to answer earthly questions, seeking the origin of things, and the dangers of being trapped in the present. SHOW NOTES: Ja…

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354: Jacques Ellul - Conforming the Church to the Modern World 1:59:20

1M ago1:59:20

1:59:20

It’s Hip to Be Square. In this episode, we discuss the errors of high anthropology, the kingdom of God, theology of glory, theology of the world, realized eschatology, adding “isms” to Christianity, the necessity of the embodied Word of God, John’s gospel, Colossians, and real antinomianism while reading False Presence of the Kingdom by Jacques Ell…

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353: Bede the Venerable - Transfiguration Homily for Lent 2:12:14

2M ago2:12:14

2:12:14

This Too Shall Pass. In this episode, we discuss temporary and eternal things, transfiguration, cosmic events, dancing on the liminal edge, mammon, profiteering, earthly vocations, the Trinity, and the music of the spheres. SHOW NOTES: Bede bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede Homilies on the Gospels: Book One - Advent to Lent (Volume 110) - Homi…

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352: Gregory of Nazianzus - Letter 58 To Basil 2:38:09

2M ago2:38:09

2:38:09

Dear Prudence. In this episode, we focus our discussion on prudence, temperance, and modesty regarding church, marriage, public discourse, and social media while reading Gregory of Nazianzus’ letters to Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa about their doctrine of the Holy Spirit and Basil's later death. SHOW NOTES: Gregory of Nazianzus Bio https://…

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351: Gregory of Nyssa - The Life of Moses 3:01:17

2M ago3:01:17

3:01:17

Get Down, Manna. In this episode, we discuss manna, the incarnation, liturgy, Christian life, materialism, techno-authoritarianism, modern feminism, divine election, hierarchy and authority, unity in multiplicity, and the power of God’s Word, all while reading The Life of Moses by St. Gregory of Nyssa. SHOW NOTES: Gregory of Nyssa - THE LIFE OF MOS…

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350: Aelfric and Basil - The Anglo-Saxon Hexameron 1:42:21

2M ago1:42:21

1:42:21

Break on Through (To The Other Side). In this episode, we discuss creation, the eating of forbidden fruit, cosmology, the meaning of things, Jesus clearing the way for us to enter back into paradise, and how the Bible ends up changing culture by translating God’s Word into the vernacular while reading The Hexameron of Basil the Great as preached by…

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349: Martin Luther - The Song of Habakkuk 2:55:13

3M ago2:55:13

2:55:13

Who Stole The Soul? In this episode, we finish our discussion of Luther’s commentary on Habakkuk, talking about history, what happens when the Word walks amongst us, what a blessing is, earthly matters of vocation and calling, and churches as islands of salvation. SHOW NOTES: Luther's Works, Vol. 19: Lectures on the Minor Prophets II https://amzn.t…

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348: Martin Luther on the Prophet Habakkuk 2:54:54

3M ago2:54:54

2:54:54

Love Will Keep Us Together. In this episode, we discuss the Song of Habakkuk, Martin Luther’s commentary on the song, Jesus as the foundation of reality, why mirrors are dangerous, trans-humanism, pop culture, church architecture, consumerism, why liturgy is an expression of the truth, how the Holy Spirit covers all things in meaning, and how the s…

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347: Bornkamm - The God of the Old Testament 3:21:43

3M ago3:21:43

3:21:43

Day Trippin’. In this episode, we talk about Easter, altars, cosmic mountains, church history, open fonts, restored virtue, saints, angels, powers of darkness, idols, icons, images, searching for the truth, and how Jesus is the archetype of all archetypes, and in between we read Luther on the Old Testament by Heinrich Bornkamm. SHOW NOTES: Luther a…

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346: Irenaeus - On the Passion 2:02:54

3M ago2:02:54

2:02:54

Passion. In this episode, we read Irenaeus on Christ’s passion and discuss Holy Week, the consequences of following Christ, what happens when things lack clear definition, and the consequences for the Church. SHOW NOTES: Proof of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus, Saint, Bishop of Lyon https://archive.org/details/proofofapostolic0001iren/page/90/…

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345: Peterson - We Live in a World Filtered Through the Imagination 2:35:42

4M ago2:35:42

2:35:42

Just My Imagination. In this episode, we read Eugene Peterson’s book, Under the Unpredictable Plant, and discuss theological imagination at length. What are the consequences when the church takes its cues from a culture with no imagination? Can Christians tell biblical stories without a theological imagination? What happens when the earthly and hea…

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344: Ambrose - The mystical feast of the altar of the Lord 3:08:59

4M ago3:08:59

3:08:59

Plug In, Baby. In this episode, we read St. Ambrose’s work, On the Mysteries, enjoying his exegesis and defense of the body and blood of Jesus. We also discuss recognizing patterns in the Bible, testing the spirits who want to separate out the heavenly from the earthly, and the importance of symbol and meaning for Christian comfort. SHOW NOTES: Amb…

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343: Cyril of Jerusalem - Mystagogical Catechesis 2:04:41

4M ago2:04:41

2:04:41

Let’s Get Weird. This episode discusses Cyril of Jerusalem’s mystagogical catechesis, especially the Lord’s Supper. We converse about the biblical patterns of the sacraments, anointing, and the higher truth about Jesus as bread from heaven. SHOW NOTES: Cyril - Catechetical Lectures https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3101.htm SUPPORT: Support 1517 ht…

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342: Luther - Now the Works of the Flesh are Plain 2:14:39

4M ago2:14:39

2:14:39

Everybody’s Working for the Weekend. In this episode, we continue our Lenten tradition of reading Luther’s Galatians commentary in March, discussing past and present idolatry and why we keep falling for the same sales pitches from the same gods. SHOW NOTES: Martin Luther's Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle To the Galatians (1535) https://shop.1517.o…

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341: John Cassian - The Spirit of Acedia 2:20:14

5M ago2:20:14

2:20:14

Hey, You Guys! In this episode, we discuss the dominant spirit of our age, acedia, by reading and discussing St. John Cassian’s exposition of acedia in The Institutes. SHOW NOTES: The Spirit of Acedia From the Institutes of John Cassian https://www.pathsoflove.com/acedia/cassian-acedia.html#10.1 John Cassian bio https://orthodoxwiki.org/John_Cassia…

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340: St. John Chrysostom - Homily on the Gospel of St. John Chapter Six 1:36:53

5M ago1:36:53

1:36:53

There’s Power in the Blood. In this episode, we read a homily on John’s Gospel, the power of Christ’s blood, and a whole lot of symbolism in John Chrysostom’s exegesis. SHOW NOTES: St. John Chrysostom HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN https://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0345-0407,_Iohannes_Chrysostomus,_Homilies_on_The_Gospel_Of_John,_EN.pd Abs…

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339: Rosenbladt - Christ Died for the Sins of Christians Too 2:47:09

5M ago2:47:09

2:47:09

Sure Shot. In this episode of Banned Books, we read Rod Rosenbladt’s essay, Christ Died for the Sins of Christians Too. We talk about theological mentors, the Reformation, law and Gospel, justification, sanctification, the Church, and where we find our comfort at all times, in all places. SHOW NOTES: Christ Died for the Sins of Christians Too https…

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338: Kleinig - Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel 2:12:27

5M ago2:12:27

2:12:27

The Chairman’s Intent. In this episode of Banned Books, we converse about the Gospel, ritual, and how and why God embodies his grace while reading John Kleinig’s article, Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel. SHOW NOTES: Rituals and the Enactment of the Gospel http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/RitualsandtheEnactmentoftheGospelKleinig.pdf John Klei…

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337: Chesterton - Heretics: On Sandals and Simplicity 2:53:22

6M ago2:53:22

2:53:22

Simple Man. In this episode of Banned Books, we read G.K. Chesterton and discuss everything from simple living to the death and resurrection of Christ as the foundation of reality, the higher meaning of cups, and why a tomato is just a tomato. SHOW NOTES: G.K. Chesterton - Heretics https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/470/pg470-images.html#chap10 B…

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336: Tolkien - On Christian Preaching 2:00:53

6M ago2:00:53

2:00:53

Keep The Beat. In this episode, we converse about good and bad sermons as defined by J.R.R. Tolkien. We discuss cosmology, truth, love, and why how we use words matters. SHOW NOTES: 63 To Christopher Tolkien, 24 April 1944 (FS 19), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/the_letters_of_j.rrtolkien.pdf There is No L…

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335: Gregory the Great - Pastoral Rule 2:23:37

6M ago2:23:37

2:23:37

The Art of Noise. In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of pastoral care — the art, the discipline, and the experience of pastoral care — while reading The Rule of Gregory the Great. It’s all about church leadership and pastoral ministry in this week’s episode of Banned Books. SHOW NOTES: Rule of St. Gregory https://www.newadvent.org/fathers…

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334: MacDonald - The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity 2:26:30

6M ago2:26:30

2:26:30

The Man Who Sold The World. In this episode, we discuss what attachment to things rather than Christ gets us while reading George Macdonald’s Unspoken Sermons. The conversation leads us through the topics of higher and lower things, bread-making, willing and wanting, God-gifted vocations, and how to properly end a sermon. SHOW NOTES: George MacDona…

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333: Herzberger - The Family Altar at Christmas 2:01:28

7M ago2:01:28

2:01:28

The God Who Stole Christmas. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Christmas Eve and Christmas Day readings, prayers, hymns, and traditions. We also have a lot of fun jesting and critiquing time-held hymns and traditions. We talk translations, history, worship, and why Christmas is the best time to embrace the enchanting absurdity of Jesus — …

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332: Norman Nagel - The Lord has more than one Elijah 1:34:03

7M ago1:34:03

1:34:03

Won’t Get Fooled Again. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss all things Advent - repentance, John the Baptist, preaching Christ, pastoral care to the afflicted and the unrepentant, and how to get to hell - while reading Norman Nagel’s Advent 3 sermon. SHOW NOTES: Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel: From Valparaiso to St. Louis by Norman Nagel …

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331: Martyn Lloyd-Jones - The End of the World 2:04:38

7M ago2:04:38

2:04:38

All Day and All of the Night. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Advent and the second coming of Jesus Christ while reading a sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Along the way, we talk about the symbols and meaning of Christmas, how preaching a biblical sermon doesn’t mean it’s a gospel sermon, and why that matters. SHOW NOTES: Transcript of Ser…

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330: Aelfric - The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church 2:21:49

7M ago2:21:49

2:21:49

Sober Up, He’s Coming! In this episode of the Banned Books podcast, we read Aelfric’s Advent homily while discussing decorating churches for Christmas, the importance of symbolism for the Christian faith, what a tide is, and why the books Genesis and Revelation reference everything regarding faith and life. SHOW NOTES: The Homilies of the Anglo-Sax…

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329: Venerable Bede - On the Song of Songs 2:26:23

8M ago2:26:23

2:26:23

We Need More Mother’s Milk & Pomegranate Seeds. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss the Song of Songs and read the seventh-century monk, Bede, who takes us on a wild ride through the text; we converse about exegesis, cosmology, the church, why the meaning of words matters, how to read the Bible like an early medieval theologian, and why the…

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328: John Piper - Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, Past and Future 1:39:26

8M ago1:39:26

1:39:26

The Parable of the Lawless, Polygamist Groom. In this episode, we discuss the parable of the ten virgins as preached by John Piper. We converse about law and promise, red herrings, who’s wise and foolish in the parable, the bondage of the will and the doctrine of election, and the consequences for hearers of such parabolic sermons. SHOW NOTES: Jesu…

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327: Karl Barth - How to Preach to Prisoners 1:42:00

8M ago1:42:00

1:42:00

In this episode, we discuss preaching to those in prison, the consequences of sin, and the power of the gospel. We read excerpts from Karl Barth’s prison sermons and converse about preaching, pastoral care to the vulnerable, where Jesus locates himself for the preaching of the Gospel, and how we can all “set the captives free” through the power of …

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326: Forde - Loser Takes All, the victory of Christ 1:34:13

9M ago1:34:13

1:34:13

I’m A Loser, Baby, So Why Don’t You Resurrect Me? In this episode, we discuss the difference between our ideas of Jesus as a “winner” who gives us big wins in life versus Jesus, who wins by losing to sin, death, and the devil. We read Gerhard Forde’s article “Loser Takes All” and consider how we bend Jesus to our ideas of satisfaction, safety, and …

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325: Ristau - The Word and Armor of God 2:58:36

9M ago2:58:36

2:58:36

One More Movie Reference Ought to Do It. In this episode, we discuss God’s Word and Armor. We return to Harold Ristau’s book, Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls, to converse about God’s Word, ministry, being a soldier in the army of Christ, and angelic backup, and we make many movie references as we go! SHOW NOTES: Spiritual Warfare: For the …

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#179- Burckhardt's The Greeks and Greek Civilization 2:21:44

9M ago2:21:44

2:21:44

Scott and Karl read "The Greeks and Greek Civilization" which sums up the relevant lectures the notable Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt first gave in 1872. Karl says, "I now have a little portable guide to all the Greek literature that I want to read." Scott adds, "Burckhardt explains what might be going on around the world around Socrates that al…

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324: Ristau - Demonic Games and Mental Health 2:45:19

9M ago2:45:19

2:45:19

In this episode, we discuss spiritual warfare and its effects on clergy and laity alike. We read Harold Roseau’s book to discuss the realities of spiritual warfare, what’s at stake, and what happens when we take seriously what the Bible teaches us about the unseen and seen war raging around us. SHOW NOTES: Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls (…

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323: Korby - Prayer: Pre-Reformation to the Present 2:23:04

9M ago2:23:04

2:23:04

Saddle Up! This episode discusses prayer and spiritual warfare while reading Dr. Ken Korby’s essay, Prayer: Pre-Reformation to the Present. We converse about the purpose and goal of prayer, what Jesus is doing when we pray, and how the Holy Spirit acts in and through prayer. SHOW NOTES: Text—Christians at Prayer, p. 113 https://archive.org/details/…

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#178- Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle 2:20:58

10M ago2:20:58

2:20:58

Beyond producing a body of pioneering research in thermodynamics, Faraday left an educational legacy: his great lectures on the “Chemical History of a Candle.” Originally published in 1861, this series of six lectures showcases Faraday's ability to clearly display scientific principles to a general population, landing him the reputation of one of t…

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322: An Early Lutheran Ordination 1:52:37

10M ago1:52:37

1:52:37

Baptized, Confirmed, and Ordained. In this episode, we discuss the early Lutheran formulation of calling and ordination of pastors and preachers. What is ordination, when does it happen, are their rules and rites that must be followed, and much, much more! SHOW NOTES: The text: https://bannedbooks.libsyn.com/71708669689__f28ba2aa-7a7a-4579-abb3-d14…

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321: Luther - The Right and Power to Judge all Teaching and to Call, Appoint, and Dismiss Teachers 2:36:06

10M ago2:36:06

2:36:06

You can call me any day or night. Call me! In this episode, we read Martin Luther’s verbosely titled treatise, “That a Christian Assembly or Congregation has the Right and Power to Judge all Teaching and to Call, Appoint, and Dismiss Teachers, Established and Proven by Scripture." We discuss ordination, church authority, the doctrine of the pastora…

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#177- Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam Part 2 1:01:03

10M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Tune in for Part Two of Scott and Karl's discussion on Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal. Published in 1965, it remains the only book du Berrier ever produced and a crucial resource on the history of Indochina and our government's policies in Vietnam. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com.…

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320: Whitford - Tyranny and Resistance 2:36:50

10M ago2:36:50

2:36:50

Resistance to Tyranny is Obedience to God. In this episode, we discuss tyranny and resistance while reading a book of the same title by Reformation scholar David Mark Whitford. What is tyranny? When are Christians called to resist tyranny, and what does that entail? Are there any standards by which a Christian may judge whether a government serves …

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319: Graff - Baalism in the Life of the Church 2:46:53

10M ago2:46:53

2:46:53

We Need to Get Ba’aled Out. In this episode, we read Warren Graff’s article, "Baalism in the Life of the Church," and discuss the roots of Baal worship in Israel and its consequences for Israel and churches today. Pastor Warren Graff (Grace Lutheran Church, Albuquerque) holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno, a…

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#176- Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam Part 1 1:13:53

11M ago1:13:53

1:13:53

In 1965, the Birch Society's publishing house, Western Islands, printed du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam. While hard to come by, it remains the most authoritative source in English on the crucial history of Indochina up to that point and is indispensable for an understanding of the tragic consequences of our government's …

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318: Nestigen - Luther on Marriage, Vocation, and the Cross 2:55:26

11M ago2:55:26

2:55:26

All In The Family. In this episode, we discuss marriage, vocation, and cute theology of the cross. How can Luther’s teaching and preaching on marriage and vocation help Christians at present waist the temptations of the world and Satan, which pervert and disrupt God’s will for marriage? What does baptism have to do with marriage? How does Luther’s …

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317: Löhe - Pastoral Care of the Sick 2:24:07

11M ago2:24:07

2:24:07

Spiritual War, What Is It Good For? In this episode, we discuss pastoral care to the healthy and sick and spiritual warfare while reading Wilhelm Loehe’s book, The Pastor. SHOW NOTES: The Pastor - Wilhelm Loehe https://www.amazon.com/Pastor-Wilhelm-Loehe/dp/0758650272 Three Books on the Church - Wilhelm Loehe Drei Bücher von der Kirche https://amzn…

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