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
In this episode, we read and discuss Alexis de Tocqueville’s apology for religion’s relevance to politics in Democracy in America. What happens when the two kingdoms are divided or collapsed into each other?
SHOW NOTES:
Democracy in America, p.330 (PDF) http://seas3.elte.hu/coursematerial/LojkoMiklos/Alexis-de-Tocqueville-Democracy-in-America.pdf
Tocqueville’s Faith https://lawandreligionforum.org/2013/08/01/tocquevilles-faith-2/...
Faith in What? Faith in Who?
In this episode, we read Robert J. Delahunty’s article about Alex de Tocqueville’s faith. Tocqueville is a remarkable study in Enlightenment faith because he straddles the line between Christianity and the Enlightenment: Law and religion, belief and despair that concerns the relationships between Church and State in the United States and France.
SHOW NOTES:
Tocqueville’s Faith https://lawandreligionforu...
“Remember again part of our charge against religion, our belief that it is fundamentally wicked and antihuman, is precisely its eschatology. Religion is predicated on the idea that our time here is short and should be shorter, that our job is to bring on the end of days. This is just a veil of tears and guilt and shame. This, the only life we have—the only life we have that contains music and art and literature and solidarity and s...
“We were baffled by climatic and cataclysmic events: earthquakes, tidal waves, storms, lightning. All of this was to us terrifying. Religion works as an attempt, then, to make sense of things. We are pattern-seeking mammals, after all. It’s a good thing that we are, because if we weren’t pattern-seeking mammals, our curiosity would have no outlet and we wouldn’t be capable of the great innovations that have liberated us from so man...
Christians Aren’t Good, or Moral.
In this episode, we continue to read and discuss Christopher Hitchens’ speech on religion and morality. Does religion delete our need to confront reality?
SHOW NOTES:
“God is Not Great” https://ffrf.org/outreach/awards/emperor-has-no-clothes-award/item/11978-christopher-hitchens
Hitchens books: https://amzn.to/3iGsX3S
Hitchens vs. Hitchens https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=christo...
God is Good… or Not.
In this episode, we read and discuss Christopher Hitchins’ speech about religion and morality. What’s the point of attaching the forgiveness of sins to morality?
SHOW NOTES:
“God is Not Great” https://ffrf.org/outreach/awards/emperor-has-no-clothes-award/item/11978-christopher-hitchens
Hitchens books: https://amzn.to/3iGsX3S
Hitchens vs. Hitchens https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=christopher&#...
The God that won’t stay dead.
In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of God, Nietzsche, and how Jesus fights against our attempts at self-atonement.
SHOW NOTES:
A God Torn to Pieces: The Nietzsche Case (Studies in Violence, Mimesis & Culture) https://amzn.to/3fXcir1
A God Torn to Pieces: Good Friday, Nietzsche, and Sacrifice https://sojo.net/articles/god-torn-pieces-good-friday-nietzsche-and-sacrifice
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CONTACT and FOLLOW
...God is Dead again, because of us.
In this episode, we discuss whether Friedrich Nietzsche was closer to the kingdom of God than most modern Christians, and how we can learn from him.
SHOW NOTES:
A God Torn to Pieces: The Nietzsche Case (Studies in Violence, Mimesis & Culture) https://amzn.to/3fXcir1
A God Torn to Pieces: Good Friday, Nietzsche, and Sacrifice https://sojo.net/articles/god-torn-pieces-good-friday-nietzsche-and-...
SHOW NOTES:
A Prayer for Memorial Day https://blog.cph.org/read/a-prayer-for-memorial-day
Gracious Lord, heavenly Father, on this day we pause to remember the sacrifices made for freedom throughout the past centuries. We do indeed owe a debt of gratitude to those who have paid dearly for the liberty we enjoy. Yet, O Lord, I know that good government, peace, and freedom are really gifts granted from Your fatherly hand, as I confess ...
God is Dead. In this episode, why the New Testament is more radical than Friedrich Nietzsche in its critique of false religion and false gods.
SHOW NOTES:
Eagleton - Nietzsche and Christ http://trinitycollegechapel.com//media/filestore/sermons/EagletonNietzsche231108.pdf
Terry Eagleton bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Eagleton
1979 Life of Brian church debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeKWVuye1YE
Nietzsche is Dead. In this episode, learning from Friedrich Nietzsche how to repent and believe in Christ Jesus as Savior.
SHOW NOTES:
Eagleton - Nietzsche and Christ http://trinitycollegechapel.com//media/filestore/sermons/EagletonNietzsche231108.pdf
Terry Eagleton bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Eagleton
1979 Life of Brian church debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeKWVuye1YE
Thus Spoke Zarathustra https://en....
This, That, and Another Thing.
In this episode, we do a pastoral debrief, discussing vocation, doctrine, and the daily struggles and afflictions of Christians.
SHOW NOTES:
Strauss–Howe generational theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory
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Three Men Enter, One Man Leaves.
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Scott Keith about Christian doctrine and vocation. How do we live faithfully in Christ while simultaneously living in our vocations in a sinful, evil world?
SHOW NOTES:
Dr. Scott Keith https://www.1517.org/contributors/scott-keith
Scott Keith is the Executive Director of 1517 and Adjunct Professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. He is a co-host of The Th...
A Seditious Gospel. In this episode, Martin Luther preaches when Christians must rebuke sinful rulers, and when the Gospel becomes a seditious doctrine.
SHOW NOTES:
Luther's Works, Volume 69 (Sermons on the Gospel of John 17-20), p. 237 & 248 https://amzn.to/2Q7MpLe
Bo Giertz, The Hammer of God https://amzn.to/3hc3Aq5
D. Martin Luthers Werke, Weimar 1883-1929 http://lutherdansk.dk/WA/D.%20Martin%20Luthers%20Werke,%20Weimar...
Guilty, Until Proven Gospeled.
In this episode, we conclude our reading and discussion of Robert Capon’s, The Mystery of Christ & Why We Don’t Get It. How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ free us from wallowing in guilt and living in the comforting freedom of knowing we’ve been chosen in Christ since the foundation of the world?
SHOW NOTES:
Robert Farrar Capon, “The Mystery and Guilt” from “The Mystery of Christ . . . and Why We...
You Know, The Next Thing.
In this episode, we continue reading Robert Capon’s The Mystery of Christ, and Why We Don’t Get It. We further discuss pastoral care, exegesis, the purpose of theology, and where Christian preaching points us.
SHOW NOTES:
Robert Farrar Capon, “The Mystery and Guilt” from “The Mystery of Christ . . . and Why We Don't Get It” https://amzn.to/3dUHqXs?
Robert Capon Retreat [Part 1] https://www.youtube.com/...
You Know, The Thing.
In this episode, Robert Capon on The Mystery of Christ, and Why We Don’t Get It. We discuss exegesis, pastoral care, preaching, and the task of a theologian.
SHOW NOTES:
Robert Farrar Capon, “The Mystery and Guilt” from “The Mystery of Christ . . . and Why We Don't Get It” https://amzn.to/3dUHqXs
Robert Capon Retreat [Part 1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3EklwSwR8I
Robert Capon Retreat [Part 2] h...
Turning Inward to Attack Evil.
In this episode, we continue to discuss Simone Weil on Evil. The importance of Jesus’ sacrificial death as expiation and redemption and what happens when we try to make good apart from God.
SHOW NOTES:
Simone?Weil, “Evil” from “Gravity and Grace” https://amzn.to/3t1gwSF?
109: Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” part 1 https://www.1517.org/podcasts/banned-books/109-frankl?
Am I Evil?
In this episode, we continue to read and discuss Simone Weil on Evil. Violence, suffering, and justice. What part does human evil play in Jesus’ sacrificial death?
SHOW NOTES:
Simone Weil, “Evil” from “Gravity and Grace” https://amzn.to/3t1gwSF
109: Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” part 1 https://www.1517.org/podcasts/banned-books/109-frankl
110: Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” part 2 https://www.1...
Oh goodness, it’s so evil.
In this episode, we continue reading and discussing Simone Weil on evil. If God alone is good what does that mean for our understanding of ourselves and the world?
SHOW NOTES:
Simone Weil, “Evil” from “Gravity and Grace” https://amzn.to/3t1gwSF
The History of the World According to ‘Ancient Aliens’ https://youtu.be/vDq8vQ0t67A
The Coddling of the American Mind https://amzn.to/3dg1WBk
Sherlock (BBC) htt...
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