x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

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

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

02:25:57

434: Guite - The Music of Creation

Banned Books ·

2026/03/29

Where do the Children Play? In this episode, we read an Easter message from the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem. Then we read Malcom Guite's Lenten meditation on creation, the embodiment of heavenly music, and why J.R.R. Tolkien expressed a profound, deep truth through not-so-fictional fiction stories. This and much, much more in this episode of the Banned Books podcast. SHOW NOTES: Wardrobes and Rings: Through Lenten Lands with the Inklings https://amzn.to/4bE3yTS Malcolm Guite

en

02:57:02

433: Von Schenk - The Crucifixion

Banned Books ·

2026/03/19

What's Love Got to do With It? In this episode, we read Berthold von Schenk's The Presence, discussing sacrifice, sacrament, human will, anthropology, the cross, Lent, Easter, Love, and the consequences of the crucifixion for worship, faith, and Christian living. Why does our focus determine how we view these things? What is the "telos" of the Lord's Supper, and where does it lead us? How does it change us? SHOW NOTES: B. von Schenk Bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthold_von_Schenk The Presence

en

02:15:57

432: Ælfric - Homily for Midlent Sunday

Banned Books ·

2026/03/14

Went to a Garden Party. In this episode, we read a homily by St. Aelfric of York for Midlent Sunday. Aelfric sermonizes about the earthly and heavenly meaning of Jesus' feeding of the five thousand — its symbolism, historical import, and how loaves and fishes exegete the Old Testament books themselves. This and many, many wilderness wanderings in this episode of the podcast. SHOW NOTES: The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church https://www.gutenberg.org/files/38334/38334-h/38334-h.htm#page180 More

en

02:23:26

431: Kleinig - The Mystery of Christ and Cosmic...

Banned Books ·

2026/03/07

Cosmic Debris. In this episode, we read Dr. John Kleinig on Christ and cosmic restoration. We then discuss how and why Christians confuse mysteries with secrets, what happened to the mystagogues, and why the mystery of the Christian faith has to do with the hidden presence of Christ with us here on earth and our restoration by his restoration of all creation. This episode, as Kleinig himself writes, is about how we can best commend the Christian faith to post-modern people, which is when we

en

02:12:35

430: Tolkien - The Journey Through the Desert: The...

Banned Books ·

2026/02/27

Lent in Middle-earth. In this episode, we discuss the Lenten subtext, language, and images in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Return of the King." What can Christians learn from fiction authors about the faith, devotional reading, understanding the world outside the churches through the view of the cross, and how all of reality is bent towards Easter at all times, in all places, by all people? SHOW NOTES: Wardrobes and Rings: Through Lenten Lands with the Inklings https://a.co/d/0bjsTwnn Malcom Guite

en

02:48:12

429: Lewis - "'Nature gives most of her evidence in...

Banned Books ·

2026/02/20

A Church as Big as the Cosmos! In this episode, we enter into Lent with a reading from C.S. Lewis' The Discarded Image. We discuss the medieval understanding of life, the universe, and everything— how it can help the churches today deepen their "vision" of how God orders the universe, the church, and the human being. We converse about the Grail legend, how God's Word encounters and changes people, being lost in the Garden, how Christ ministers through others, and being annoyed by death. This and

en

02:51:52

428: Postman - A great narrative... has sufficient...

Banned Books ·

2026/02/14

We Don't Need No Education. In this episode, we read The End of Education by Neal Postman, discussing the mechanisms of public education, religious catechesis, the influence of the Enlightenment and psychoanalysis on contemporary learning, and what happens when fiction replaces truth as the basis of meaning. This and much, much more on today's show! SHOW NOTES: The End of Education https://amzn.to/4qGylnd More from 1517: Support 1517 Podcast Network: https://www.1517.org/donate-podcasts 1517

en

01:55:34

427: Wulfstan - Sermon of the Wolf to the English

Banned Books ·

2026/02/07

Hungry Like The Wolf. In this episode, we read a sermon from 11th-century bishop Wulfstan. The main themes in the Sermon of the Wolf to the English (also often referred to by its Latin title, Sermo Lupi ad Anglos) are corruption and sin. These themes are apparent as Wulfstan chastises the English people for their corruption and warns of God's anger and wrath, which is sure to come: "Understand also well that the Devil has now led this nation astray for very many years." He sees that the devil has

en

02:32:25

426: Thielicke - The Alluring Miracle of Display

Banned Books ·

2026/01/31

Fight the Power! In this episode, we learn from pastor and theologian Helmut Thielecke about the gods we worship, the God that encounters us, and what technology actually does to us. What do Satan's temptations teach us about Jesus, God's Word, piety, and making sense of mystery? Is Christianity supposed to be a sensible religion? What kind of "opium" does the evil one offer us to lead us away from the Truth? What is distinctive about the worshippers of the God of power? What happens when technology

en

02:36:20

425: Lewis - Myth Became Fact

Banned Books ·

2026/01/24

The Hangman's Nous. In this episode, we read an excerpt from The Maniac, by G.K. Chesterton, followed by Myth Became Fact, from C.S. Lewis' book of essays, "God in the Dock." The primary question we discuss, then, is whether men and women can live a healthy and sane life with mystery, without myth, and without higher truth. What has happened to modern churches that exorcised mystery from preaching, teaching, evangelism, and worship? What anchors the Body of Christ when it's unmoored from Church

en

01:33:30

424: Kleinig - The Role of the Holy Spirit in the...

Banned Books ·

2026/01/17

In this episode, we learn about the Holy Spirit and the Divine Service from Dr. John Kleinig. In particular, we discuss how Christ gives the Spirit to the church through his word, how Christ institutes the divine service and empowers it with God's Spirit, and how the church receives the Holy Spirit by faith in God's word as it is proclaimed and enacted in the divine service. The conversation revolves around the central question: How then can we be sure that the Spirit is at work in our worship? SHOW

en

02:23:53

423: Graff - Rationalism's war on everything "magical."

Banned Books ·

2026/01/09

Who Made Who. In this episode, Gillespie takes the wheel and steers us into tradition, liturgy, worship styles, and the various "-isms" that have sprung up within the churches over the centuries. What's the purpose of the Divine Service? What is the fundamental meaning of Christian meaning? Have we jettisoned mystery for sensible explanations that find no seat pulled out for them in God's house? Is Christian worship, polity, and piety about what we know, experience, feel, or conformity to specific

en

03:04:20

422: Post-Christmas and Post-New Year Debrief

Banned Books ·

2026/01/03

What's the Frequency, Kenneth? In this episode, we gather for a post-Christmas, post-New Year pastoral debrief. We talk about symbols and meaning, Christmas and holidays, signs and seasons, and how modern churches quietly cleared the path for culture to push Christ out of Christmas without much resistance. We explore the strange and largely arbitrary ways the world measures time, along with the old Adam's never-ending pyramid project. That is, his need to build meaning upward by effort, progress,

en

03:22:46

421: Chesterton - Mankind would have a much worse...

Banned Books ·

2025/12/20

Going Cold Turkey at Christmas? In this episode, we read G.K. Chesterton's essay, On Christmas, wherein he discusses celebrating Christmas too early, vivisection, vegetarians versus turkeys, and what to do about the poor at Christmas. It's another curmudgeonly Christmas episode with one of our favorite British apologists and satirists. SHOW NOTES: "On Christmas" by G. K. Chesterton https://www.english-culture.com/on-christmas/ A Christmas Message for Contemporary Pagans

en

02:41:52

420: C.S. Lewis - Christmas is unfortunately...

Banned Books ·

2025/12/13

I'm Wasted, and I Can't Find My Way Home. In this episode, we again invite C.S. Lewis to teach us about Christmas. We also discuss the early church fathers, worship, symbolism, mystery, Freud and Jung's influence on modern Christians, consumerism and gift-giving, and, of course, Christmas: all this and much, much more on this episode of the podcast. SHOW NOTES: What CHRISTMAS means to me... https://www.pas.rochester.edu/~tim/study/CSLewis.pdf Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus

en

02:23:24

419: C.S. Lewis - All that Christianity adds to...

Banned Books ·

2025/12/05

In this episode, we read C.S. Lewis' "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans." Why does the post-Christian person need to become pagan again to be prepared to hear the gospel? How has a mechanistic view of nature led us to kill each other? Why do we reject the good news that Jesus ended the need for guilt-offerings, sin-sacrifices, and fear about the afterlife? What happened as a consequence of moderns pushing heavenly truth out of the material world? What is the message of Christmas that offers a cure for

en

02:16:29

418: Luther - God will not deal with us except...

Banned Books ·

2025/11/29

Son of a Preacher Man. In this episode, we conclude our study of Martin Luther's Smalcald Articles, discussing the office of the keys and confession. We go through and sum up the previous episodes — the gospel, the mass, repentance, sin, and the law — then sit with the function and power of the forgiveness of sin. What is the office of the keys for? Where does it come from? Who gets to use the keys? Then, we talk over confession and its consequences for pastoral care and its effect on the churches

en

02:00:08

417: Luther - A deep, evil corruption of nature that...

Banned Books ·

2025/11/21

How Deep Is Your Love! In this episode, we continue our reading of the Smalcald Articles, focusing our attention on sin and the law. What is sin? What does it do to us? What are its effects? And, in following, what is the relationship of the law to sin? Does the law empower us to sin less? Can the law produce good works and good fruits? What is the function of pastoral care in relation to sin and the law? All this and much, much more on this episode of the podcast. SHOW NOTES: The Book of Concord -

en

02:01:36

416: Luther - To this office of the law, however, the...

Banned Books ·

2025/11/14

Don't Look Back in Anger. In this episode, we continue reading Martin Luther's Smalcald Articles, focusing on contrition, repentance, and freedom. Why does the law need to terrify and leave us hopeless? How does attention to the self lead us into death and hell? What happens when belief is preached as something "we do" rather than something "done to" us? Likewise, when repentance is self-activated and self-actuated, what are the consequences for our daily lives? This and much, much more on this

en

01:33:24

415: Luther - The Mass is a dangerous thing,...

Banned Books ·

2025/11/08

Mass Effect. In this episode, we continue our reading of The Smalcald Articles, focusing on Luther's critique of the Roman Mass and all its consequences for the churches and Christian life. We discuss mimetic desire, sacrificial religion, the exclusive work of Jesus. SHOW NOTES: The Book of Concord - Smalcald Articles https://thebookofconcord.org/smalcald-articles/part-iii/ Smalcald Articles history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalcald_Articles The Smalcald Articles are a summary of Lutheran

en

457 results

Similar Podcasts

Jeff Haygood, Pastor

PodPoint

PASTOR ALVARO VALENCIA

Pastor Alvaro Valencia

Grace Life Church CT.

PodPoint

Pleasant View Church

Ted Nance

Christian Heritage Church"s Podcast

PodPoint