Best Zach Ferguson Podcasts (2024)

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112: Dr. Matt Warner was Cancelled at a Conservative College (With Dr. Paul Hoard) 1:07:15

16d ago1:07:15

1:07:15

Dr. Matt Warner joins the VCW to talk about being fired from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN for what he describes as unspoken political expectations. Outside activists found old social media posts by him (involving posts about LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter and criticism of Tucker Carlson) and they pressured college board members to let this professor…

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Lucy Turnbull — Urbanism, YIMBYism, and Solutions to Australia's Housing Crisis (Bonus Live Episode) 46:43

21d ago46:43

46:43

Lucy Turnbull is an urbanist, businesswoman and philanthropist. She was the first female Lord Mayor of Sydney, from 2003-4. From 2015-20, she was the inaugural Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission, tasked with delivering strategic planning for the whole of metropolitan Sydney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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111: Meg Wise Deconstructed at John MacArthur's Church 1:26:27

23d ago1:26:27

1:26:27

Meg Wise joins the VCW hall to talk about her experiences at John MacArthur's Church in Los Angeles County, CA. She talks about their response to the COVID pandemic and the scandal involving MacArthur publicly shaming a woman whose husband was sexually abusing their kids. Follow Meg Wise: On X/Twitter: _nomadic_soul Read A Deconstruction Chronicle …

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Bryan Caplan — The Economics of Housing Abundance 1:50:14

1M ago1:50:14

1:50:14

Bryan Caplan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University. A bestselling author, his books include The Case Against Education, Open Borders, and Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Deregulation. Full transcript available at: josephnoelwalker.com/bryan-caplan-155 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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110: Jason Kirk: Hell is a World Without You and Nevaeh is Just Heaven Spelled Backwards 1:13:02

2M ago1:13:02

1:13:02

Burn this episode to the top blank CD on your spindle and throw it in your anti-skip discman, because writer and podcaster Jason Kirk joins the VCW hall to talk about his new novel, Hell is a World Without You, a coming-of-age story set in early 2000s evangelical youth group culture, and chock full of the rapture anxiety, purity culture, retreats, …

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The Return of Mickey Finnegan AKA Swagglehaus Comics 1:32:42

3M ago1:32:42

1:32:42

Welcome back Spec-Taters to episode 104 of the Spec Tales podcast. This week, we welcome back our friend Mickey Finnegan, or better known on YouTube Swagglehaus Comics. Mickey joins us to to discuss his new comic series SANITY: Rise of the Occult. We also get a full update on Mickey's new grail tale and the cautionary details behind an online trade…

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109: The Ballot and the Bible: Kaitlyn Schiess 1:03:31

3M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Co-Host of the Holy Post podcast, Kaitlyn Schiess stops by the VCW hall to talk about her new book, The Ballot and the Bible. She discusses points of American history and how the Bible was interpreted on multiple sides of an issue by Christians- sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, and sometimes for really ugly evil. Support the show on Patreon: …

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108: Jewish Voices for Peace: Dr. Alice Rothchild and Abby Brockman 1:10:34

3M ago1:10:34

1:10:34

With Israel's brutal war against Gaza still raging, Dr. Alice Rothchild and Abby Brockman join the VCW hall to talk about the horror of Israel's war, to talk about their interactions with Palestinian people and the hospitality they experienced as well as speaking about their perspectives on Jewish faith and values. Read Dr. Rothchild's articles: Th…

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107: Theologizin' Bigger With Trey Ferguson 1:04:59

3M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Pastor Trey Ferguson joins the VCW hall to talk about Theologizin' Bigger, his new book out now. We talk about theology and imagination, Biblical inerrancy including the 1978 Chicago statement, an Ark in Kentucky and much more. Get Pastor Trey's book right here: https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/theologizin-bigger/ Listen to The New Living Treys…

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106: Our Favorite Movies of 2023 Part 2 with Jeffrey Overstreet and Dr Mary McCampbell 1:54:34

4M ago1:54:34

1:54:34

Part 2 of the big annual pre-Oscars dive into our favorite movies of the year and the Oscar nominees. Part 2 covers the top 7 films on each our our top 10 lists, which we'd started going through toward the end of Part 1. Jeffrey Overstreet returns and brings with him new VCW guest Dr Mary McCampbell, an author, professor, and speaker who focuses on…

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Happy Patreoniversary — A Full Episode of Floppies Just For You 1:11:19

4M ago1:11:19

1:11:19

We're celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Spec Tales Patreon. Because of our dedicated and generous Scärce Army members, we've been able to update the show's artwork, create JJ the Spec Tater-Tot, and literally give away thousands of stickers to comic fans around the world. This week, we're sharing an episode of our Patreon-exclusive series…

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105: Our Favorite Movies of 2023 Part 1 with Jeffrey Overstreet and Dr Mary McCampbell 1:33:52

4M ago1:33:52

1:33:52

Our big annual pre-Oscars dive into our favorite movies of the year and the Oscar nominees is back! Jeffrey Overstreet returns and brings with him new VCW guest Dr Mary McCampbell, an author, professor, and speaker who focuses on the theological significance of popular music, film, and literature. Subscribe to Mary's Substack The Empathetic Imagina…

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The Masks Come Off — A Comic Whale Tale Shows Our True Colors 58:08

4M ago58:08

58:08

No guest this week, but that doesn't mean we're taking it easy on the mics. We've got multiple recent pickups that you need to sprint to the shelves (or digital shelves) to get your hands on. We've got a comic book whale tale detailing two of the most epic L.B. Cole covers on the planet. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Subscribe to our Patreon to help Spec Tales…

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To Speculate or Not to Speculate — Zach Mitchell Breaks Down The Comic Collecting Landscape 1:36:10

4M ago1:36:10

1:36:10

We're back for a throwback-style episode with one of our original listeners and Instagram comic collector friends, Zach Mitchell from Zach's Comics. Together, we dive head-first into the state of the comic book world, including the speculation market, gatekeeping collectors, and riding the financial waves. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Subscribe to our Patreon…

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104: Warren Throckmorton on David Barton's Christian Nationalist Lies 1:04:09

4M ago1:04:09

1:04:09

Warren Throckmorton returns to the VCW hall to talk about his new podcast Telling Jefferson Lies, a companion to the recently released updated version of his 2012 book with Michael Coulter, Getting Jefferson Right. We talk about the conservative pseudo-historian David Barton, and how he distorts history to uphold and further a White Christian Natio…

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103: Mason Mennenga Sinks Into the Youth Group Couch 1:10:09

4M ago1:10:09

1:10:09

Dave reveals that he has moved from "still an evangelical" to "committed Christian", and Mason Mennenga joins the show to talk about process theology, being funny online, heavy Christian music, purity culture, and of course, Veggie Tales. Follow Mason Mennenga and get into his work including podcasts, YouTube videos and more by going to his website…

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The Kickin' Roundtable with Mario Candelaria, James Ferguson & Christof Bogacs 1:22:31

5M ago1:22:31

1:22:31

From the biggest names in the industry to the indie creators just trying to see their vision come to life, Kickstarter has fully established itself as a major player in the comic book world. This week we bring on three veteran comic kickstarters to discuss the trending platform and their upcoming projects. To learn more about Mario and James' proje…

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102: God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Dr. Leah Payne 1:07:10

5M ago1:07:10

1:07:10

Dr Leah Payne joins the show to talk about the her brand new book God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Also, Zach reveals the results of his research into exactly when and where in Disneyland Carman became a Christian. Buy Leah's book: https://www.amazon.com/God-Gave-Rock-Roll-You/dp/0197555241 Support the show …

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Spec Tales Episode 100 — Grail Tales: Where Are They Now? 1:37:02

5M ago1:37:02

1:37:02

To celebrate our 100th episode of Spec Tales, we decided to look back and see where a few of our most memorable Grail Tales are now. Have no fear, we still bring the heat with some extra special recent pickups and speculation comics, too! Thank you for all the support over the last 100 episodes — we're looking forward to the next 100. SUPPORT THE S…

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Eisner Winner Kelly Thompson Chats The Cull, Comics, Grails, and Pennywise the Dancing Clown 1:54:36

5M ago1:54:36

1:54:36

Back from our happy holiday hiatus and ready for a big new year! This week, Eisner-winning writer Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Jem and the Holograms) joins us to discuss her latest work — The Cull. But we don't stop there. Our conversation with Kelly bounces from comic topic to topic with tons of inside baseball info on how the sausage …

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Breaking News One-Shot: Jay Stephens and Gold Key Comics Make A Big Announcement 53:16

6M ago53:16

53:16

Acclaimed animator, and comic book creator Jay Stephens (Dwellings) and Gold Key chief creative director Arnold Guerrero join Jake & Jesús for this very special breaking news one-shot episode of Spec Tales. We know we told you we'd be back in late January, but we had to take a break from our break to share this incredible news and a new grail tale …

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2023 Retrospective — A Listener Interviews Me 1:47:48

6M ago1:47:48

1:47:48

In this special episode, the tables are turned as I'm interviewed by a listener of the show, DJ Thornton from Sydney. We reflect on the progress of the show in 2023, what I learned from this year's guests, and what's in store for 2024. Full transcript available at: josephnoelwalker.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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David Deutsch & Steven Pinker (First Ever Public Dialogue) — AGI, P(Doom), & The Enemies of Progress 1:55:40

6M ago1:55:40

1:55:40

At a time when the Enlightenment is under attack from without and within, I bring together two of the most thoughtful defenders of progress and reason, for their first ever public dialogue. Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. I think of him as providing the strongest empirical defence of the Enlightenment (…

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2023 Year-End Cleanup — Our Favorite Comics and Grails of the Year 1:14:11

6M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

Believe it or not, we're already halfway through season three of Spec Tales. However, before we take the next 6 weeks off, we have to wrap up the year with our favorite comic books and grails of 2023. So, saddle up the reindeer and join us for one last ride before the ball drops. We can't wait to tell you all about the surprises we have in store fo…

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101: Holly Jolly X'masu and Christmas Underground: Scott Leopold and Jim Goodwin 1:07:51

6M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

Niche Christmas music enthusiasts Scott Leopold of the Japanese Christmas music podcast "Holly Jolly X'masu" and Jim Goodwin of the contemporary indie rock Christmas music blog "Christmas Underground" help spread some Christmas cheer around the VCW hall by podcasting loud for all to hear. Scott shares a couple of his favorite songs he's covered on …

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One True Nerd King Phil Taylor Blows Our Collector & Speculator Minds 1:28:59

7M ago1:28:59

1:28:59

You've heard of the one true king of the North, but have you heard of the One True Nerd King? Of course you have, his nerdtastic social posts have garnered millions of views and laughs. His comic-culture brain is on full display in this week's episode as he schools us in every segment. He even drops some never-before-considered speculation knowledg…

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100: Leaving the Fold with Dr Marlene Winell 1:10:17

7M ago1:10:17

1:10:17

Dr. Marlene Winell is the author of the highly influential book Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion, and originated the term "Religious Trauma Syndrome", which she defined as "the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the…

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THE Comic Book Presser Chris Myers Grade Bumps Spec Tales 1:14:46

7M ago1:14:46

1:14:46

Pressing and cleaning comic books isn't witchcraft or magical restoration — but for Chris Myers The Comic Book Presser, it's an art. This week, Chris and the guys deep dive into some of the intricacies of how pressing and cleaning can help the hobby pay for itself. However, Chris isn't just a presser, he's also a lifelong collector with an incredib…

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Shruti Rajagopalan — On Spotting Talent, And Making Sense of Rising India 2:45:00

7M ago2:45:00

2:45:00

Shruti Rajagopalan is an Indian-American economist. She leads the Indian political economy research program and Emergent Ventures India at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She also hosts the Ideas of India podcast. Full transcript available at: jnwpod.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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099: Dave White of Linoleum Knife on Fundamentalism, Coming Out, Movies, and Christmas 1:28:01

7M ago1:28:01

1:28:01

Dave White, co-host of the movie podcast Linoleum Knife, visits the VCW to talk about his background with Evangelical Christianity and coming out. We discuss some of his favoritie movies of the year (so far) and also Christmas. Listen to the Linoleum Knife podcast right here: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/linoleum-knife/id403079737 Linoleum…

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Jake & Jesús and The Golden-Age Batman Tape Pull of Destiny 1:06:55

7M ago1:06:55

1:06:55

It's Thanksgiving for us and we're here to say thank you to all the listeners out there for take the time to join us every week for Spec Tales. This week's episode is filled with many listener themed segments, including the ever-popular listener-submitted grail tale. Does Jesús win two consecutive weeks in a row for recent pickup tots? Will Jake ev…

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098: Chris and Mendi Tackett are For Public Schools and Against Christian Nationalism 1:13:10

7M ago1:13:10

1:13:10

Advocates for education, Chris and Mendi Tackett join the VCW hall to talk about current attempts to weaken and dismantle the public school system. We discuss "school choice" (moving toward privatizing education) and the ramifications if that type of policy was more widely adopted. David Barton also comes up as we dialogue about his many ways to in…

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Acclaimed Comic Artist Nick Pitarra Chats Axe-Wielder Jon and His Original Comic Art Addiction 1:20:21

7M ago1:20:21

1:20:21

Eisner-nominated comic artist Nick Pitarra jumps on the show to chat all about his creator-owned comic Axe-Wielder Jon. From its heartwarming origins to its massively successful crowdfunding campaign — Nick takes us through bringing Jon to life on the page. We also get into Nick's impressive original comic art collection and how new collectors can …

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097: Death Doula: Virginia Spotts on Grief, Loss, Religious Trauma, Queerness, and Horror 1:19:07

7M ago1:19:07

1:19:07

Podcast performer and producer Virginia Spotts (The Sheridan Tapes) stops by the VCW hall to talk about her Evangelical story, including her time at Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church, and Acts 29 church after that. She talks about realizing she was suffering from religious trauma as well as deep grief and loss (due to extremely painful life experien…

1
Brad & Lisa Gullickson of Comic Book Couples Counseling Bag and Board Spec Tales 1:37:35

8M ago1:37:35

1:37:35

GIANT-SIZE EPISODE ALERT! This conversation was too good to cut short. Brad and Lisa Gullickson of the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast join us to chat all about their unbelievable comic grail tales. Traversing through our classic three segments, we learn all about Brad and Lisa's collecting habits, the secrets to their incredible on-mic chemi…

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096: A Palestinian Christian Speaks on the Horror in Gaza: Rula Khoury 1:16:09

8M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

Rula Khoury, who is Palestinian-American-Christian, stops by the VCW hall to speak boldly about what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank with the current war. She talks about her family's history and we also talk about Christian Zionism (often fueled by forms of dispensational theology in America) which make it far more difficult for people to f…

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Raghuram Rajan — Debt, Monetary Policy, and Unintended Consequences 1:51:50

8M ago1:51:50

1:51:50

What were the deep causes of the global financial crisis and great recession? Has unconventional monetary policy in the wake of the crisis done more harm than good? And should monetary policy target financial stability? I discuss these questions and more with Indian economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Raghuram Rajan. Rag…

1
Scärce Whales That Could Be Your Next Grail — The Return of Whale Tales 1:09:37

8M ago1:09:37

1:09:37

Have you ever seen a CATMAN comic from the 1940's? How about a CHAMBER OF CHILLS pre-code horror comic? We dive into some of the biggest white whales of these iconic runs and what makes them true grails. An episode of Spec Tales wouldn't be complete without a mystery bag of recent pickups and some horrifyingly good speculation. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Su…

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095: Power, Fear, and Violence: Andrew Whitehead on Christian Nationalism and American Idolatry 58:25

8M ago58:25

58:25

Dr. Andrew Whitehead stops by the VCW hall to chat about his new book "American Idolatry" chronicling the current manifestations of Christian Nationalism in our country. He talks about the main pillars of Christian Nationalism: power, fear and violence. He also discusses how Christians can think about the Great Commission minus a colonial mindset o…

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Episode 91 — Dallas FanFestival Edition 1:09:41

8M ago1:09:41

1:09:41

We did it! We finally got around to meeting up in person for the first time at Dallas FanFestival 2023. A weekend of many firsts, including recording our first-ever live/in-person comic book grail tales. Hear all about the big event, what we learned and meet some of the friends we made along the way. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Subscribe to our Patreon to he…

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094: REAP On God's Campus: Erin Green and Paul Carlos Southwick 59:18

8M ago59:18

59:18

Erin Green and Paul Carlos Southwick of REAP (The Religious Exemption Accountability Project) visit the VCW hall to talk about their work organizing and fighting for LGBTQ+ equality at overwhelmingly white, taxpayer-supported religious schools and colleges, and their new podcast for the Axis Mundi network, On God's Campus. Learn more about REAP at …

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The Beautifully Deviant Mind of Joshua Hixson and Creating Horror Comics 1:08:10

8M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

Just in time for the most horrifying season of the year. Artist Joshua Hixson joins Jake & Jesús to discuss his work on show-favorite horror comic THE PLOT and his upcoming collaboration with James Tynion IV THE DEVIANT. Josh also divulges to the guys his secret to creating some of the most terrifying visuals in modern comics. SUPPORT THE SHOW! Sub…

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Dueling Listener-Submitted Grail Tales with Guest Host Mario Candelaria 1:15:45

9M ago1:15:45

1:15:45

Jake & Jesús pull out all the stops with TWO listener-submitted grail tales and a first-time special guest host — writer and friend of the show Mario Candelaria. This episode is chock-full of recent pickups, reading recommendations and some football-related speculation. The guys also announce their first-ever comic con appearance...listen in to fin…

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093: RL Stollar on Child Liberation Theology and Homeschooling 1:26:59

8M ago1:26:59

1:26:59

R.L. Stollar joins the show to talk about his new book The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology, the homeschooling movement, and his work as an advocate for homeschool survivors. We discuss Mr Rogers, considering scripture stories involving children through the child's perspective, such as the binding of Isaac, and whether evangelism is an in…

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Phillip Kennedy Johnson Smashes with Grails and Hulk Speculation Goodness 1:09:06

9M ago1:09:06

1:09:06

Phillip Kennedy Johnson discusses his approach to writing the current Incredible Hulk series and how he wanted to bring back the monster movie elements and horror themes that were originally part of the character. He also talks about his inspiration from Hellboy and other folklore and horror stories. And you know we weren't going to let PKJ get out…

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092: The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: Robert P Jones 1:02:44

9M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute and author Robert P Jones joins the VCW hall to talk about his New York Times bestselling new book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, which traces the underknown but outsized impact of the Doctrine of Discovery on minority and marginalized gro…

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Jordan Alsaqa Cooks with Monsters and Apex Legends 1:08:33

9M ago1:08:33

1:08:33

Jordan Alsaqa, author of the Apex Legends Official Cookbook and IDW's young adult fantasy graphic novel Cooking with Monsters, joins Jake and Jesús on this episode of Spec Tales. Jordan shares a couple of white whales he'd loved to obtain, both as a collector and a creator. The trio also dives deep into some juicy speculation as well. SUPPORT THE S…

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091: Josh Larsen Gives Us Nightmares 1:04:35

9M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

Film critic Josh Larsen (Filmspotting, Think Christian) joins us to discuss his new book Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies. We discuss frightful movies which have left a lasting impression and given him a deeper understanding of spirituality and human nature, covering multiple subgenres of horror, including slashers, psychological…

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Kieron Gillen Rolls a Nat 20 Grail Tale and Speculates a Bit on Dr. Aphra 1:07:25

9M ago1:07:25

1:07:25

Acclaimed comic book writer Kieron Gillen joins Jake & Jesús to discuss his career and creative process. From his background in games journalism to his transition to comic book writing, the guys talk all about Kieron and his work on titles like Die and Once & Future. You'll also be thrilled to know, Kieron's grail tale is as epic as the narratives …

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Peter Singer — Moral Truths and Moral Secrets 1:54:39

9M ago1:54:39

1:54:39

Peter Singer is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He is widely regarded as the world's most influential living philosopher. Full transcript available at: jnwpod.com Episode recorded on 26 April 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Joe Walker

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