Banned Books
Welcome to Banned Books, where we read and converse with the rebel children, the holy mischief-makers of God, who fight against the kind of useless religious, spiritual, and moral methods of life improvement that seeks to smother the glory of God in Jesus Christ. We want to introduce you to those who forgot everything except Jesus Christ and him crucified. We all struggle with fear of being last, lost, least, littlest, and dead, and so we are here to encourage, challenge, provoke, and maybe even offend you by introducing you to theologians who at one time or another were banned by their church, declared dangerous, or simply vilified for daring to confess that Christ alone is the way, truth, and life. Welcome rebel children, holy mischief makers, and fools for Christ. This podcast is for you.
Episodes
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/christiansatpray0000unse/mode/2up
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-d145fcc87f98pdf
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 pastoral call, and much more.
SHOW NOTES:
"That...
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 God or the devil?
SHOW NOTES:
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, an M.Div. and an S.T.M. (Master of Sacred Theology) in Old Testament Studies, both fro...
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 formulation of marriage and family help Christians comprehend their relation to socie...
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 - Wilh...
War, What Is It Good For? In this pre-show discussion, we warm up with a conversation about Martin Luther, current events and headlines, and spiritual warfare.
SHOW NOTES:
Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel https://amzn.to/3Q7EJoO
Peter Santenello https://www.youtube.com/c/PeterSantenello/
Nomad and Gen-X https://www.thegenxfiles.com/tag/nom...
Shout At The Devil. In this episode, we discuss various questions regarding spiritual warfare while reading Martin Luther’s letter to his friend and pupil, Jerome Weller.
SHOW NOTES:
Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel https://amzn.to/3Q7EJoO
Peter Santenello https://www.youtube.com/c/PeterSantenello/
Nomad and Gen-X https://www.thegenxfiles....
Don’t Pull Anything… In this pre-show discussion, we warm up with a conversation about Rene Girard, current events and headlines, and Jesus and the Christian faith.
SHOW NOTES:
The End of Scapegoating BY S. MARK HEIM https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/264317.pdf
Summary of Girard's Christianity | René Girard's Mimetic Theory https://youtu.be/2sT2u2THf9A
Hey Man, Nice Shot. In this episode, we discuss Rene Girard’s argument for why Jesus’ death as a scapegoat is unique to all other sacrifices in human history. What is violence for? What is a scapegoat, and why is one necessary for peace and good order? How does Jesus break the law machinery that demands a victim?
SHOW NOTES:
The End of Scapegoating BY S. MARK HEIM https://www.baylor.edu/...
Satan Drives Out Satan? In this episode, we dig deep into Jesus’ question, Can Satan drive out Satan? With the help of Rene Gerard’s book, I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightening. This episode goes into some extremely deep waters regarding the mimetic tradition, the nature of sacrifice, scapegoating, Satan’s power, and Jesus’ crucifixion.
SHOW NOTES:
Girard - I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning htt...
Sermonator 2: Judgment Day. In this episode, we read two sermons from Gerhard Forde and Steven Paulson, then discuss preaching to bound wills, the consequences for Christians when free will sermons are preached, and what’s to be done about bad preaching.
SHOW NOTES:
The Captivation of the Will: Luther vs. Erasmus on Freedom and Bondage https://amzn.to/3r0Bgy1
A Total Eclipse of The Heart. In this episode, we discuss preaching to bound wills, and the consequences for both preachers and listeners, as we read Steven Paulson’s essay, Preaching Categorically to Bound Wills.
SHOW NOTES:
Concordia Pulpit Resources • Volume 19, Part 4, Series B https://concordiahistoricalinstitute.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/27919
In this episode, we discuss the good and bad of preaching, the difference between proclamation and teaching, how we lie to ourselves about God, and how to “preach the text” so that Christ is delivered “for you” for the forgiveness of sin.
SHOW NOTES:
Proclamation: The Present Tense of the Gospel https://archive.org/details/sim_dialog_1990_29_index/page/n1/mode/2up
It’s the Cross, Stupid. In this episode, we discuss how God makes a theologian of the cross, how the theology of glory infiltrates churches and their doctrine, and how the cross of Christ reveals the truth about human history.
SHOW NOTES:
Letters to Lutheran Pastors: Volume 1 https://amzn.to/45HmRXf
Diving for Gomers. In this episode, we have a much-needed conversation about slavery to sin, Ezekiel’s whore metaphor for God’s relationship with his people, and why it’s important that Christians not shy away from difficult conversations about how God describes sin and grace in the Bible.
SHOW NOTES:
Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us by Preston Sprinkle https://amzn.to/3MYy12n
Walk Like An Augustinian. In this episode, we discuss preaching while reading Augustine’s, On Christian Teaching, where he explains the importance of heavenly wisdom, eloquence, and getting out of the way of God’s Word.
SHOW NOTES:
On Christian Doctrine https://ccel.org/ccel/augustine/doctrine/doctrine.xiii.html
Augustine Bio https://www.brita...
Drowning The Branch Manager for Christ. In this episode, we discuss Jonah, ministry, and the aches and pains of church life while reading Eugene Peterson’s book, Under The Unpredictable Plant.
SHOW NOTES:
Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness https://amzn.to/3VXD1XT
Conversations with Rev. Eugene H. Peterson htt...
Honey, Where Did This Thing Come From? In this episode, we discuss the Lord’s Supper, early church tradition, worship, and the question, “Where did this come from?” At the same time, we read Dr. Norman Nagel’s essay, “Medicine of Immortality and Antidote against Death.”
SHOW NOTES:
Nagel obituary: https://reporter.lcms.org/2019/obituary-rev-dr-norman-edgar-nagel-professor-emeritus-at-co...
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