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Masters of Divinity

Religion & Spirituality Podcas

A podcast about 3 friends (JP, Father Chuck and Matt) who grew up in the church, and their journey through pop culture, fandom, and weird Christian trends.

Location:

United States

Description:

A podcast about 3 friends (JP, Father Chuck and Matt) who grew up in the church, and their journey through pop culture, fandom, and weird Christian trends.

Twitter:

@MoD_Podcast

Language:

English


Episodes

201 - Battling Creative Blocks

3/30/2022
This week, JP, Father Chuck and Matt have a good ol' fashion RIFF-SESH. If you're not familiar, a riff-sesh is when the gang doesn't have a specific topic in mind but would rather share what's been digging in their craws and speak candidly and off-the-cuff. This week JP is feeling a little down about not being able to find the motivation to follow through on creative projects, something a lot of creatives struggle with, right? Listen in to see how the Masters of Divinity endeavor to follow through on artistic pursuits! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:16:50

Episode 200: How GET BACK Demythologizes The Beatles

3/23/2022
We did it! 200 episodes, baby! In this episode, we celebrate our 200th episode by covering Peter Jackson's latest opus, the hit Disney+ documentary THE BEATLES: GET BACK. Jackson's documentary is an exhaustive, fly-on-the-wall look at The Beatles during the recording of their album LET IT BE. As some of you know, all three of us here are big Beatles fans, and the documentary is not just an ode to their latest process, but also lays bare the bands experiences during the stressful recording session, which brings to light all kinds of new discoveries that challenges many notions that fans have had for decades. Join us as we explore these notions, and celebrate THE BEATLES and their creative process in our 200th episode extravaganza. Also, Matt's here! Rejoice! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:18:07

Episode 199: Bible Translation Hootenanny

3/16/2022
And we're BACK, BABY! After a lengthy hiatus, Father Chuck and JP have returned to talk about translating and interpreting the Bible. They not only go into the history of translating scripture, but also talk about their own experiences and frustrations with translations, as well as with people who are die-hard devoted to one translation over the other. Father Chuck also gives his advice on how to find the right translation for you, if you're curious about that kind of thing. LISTEN UNTIL THE END!!! We've got somethin' for ya! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:17:06

Episode 198: The Shoulderheim -- What are Angels?

12/2/2021
This week, with an increasing interest in exploring the more fantastical and mystical side of the Christian faith, Father Chuck and JP talk about angels. They go over the hierarchy of angels, dispel some myths about their depiction (thanks in large part to Renaissance art), and develop a new class in the heirarchy: The Shoulderheim. What exactly is the Shoulderheim? You'll have to listen to find out! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:20:00

Episode 197: Spice World -- A DUNE Deep Dive

11/26/2021
Well, it's been a minute, hasn't it? Fear not, because we're back, and unlike most media outlets, JP and Father Chuck have some thoughts on DUNE! Dune is the latest iteration of the Frank Herbert sci-fi classic, directed by Denis Villeneuve. It's taken a LONG time, but we think that we finally have an adaptation of the novel that's worthy of praise! Even though JP really likes Lynch's Dune. Anyway, sorry for the little unannounced break, we hope you enjoy our in-depth discussion of DUNE! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:51:34

Episode 196: Riff Sesh -- It's the 60s, Man!

11/4/2021
So for the last couple of months we've talked about every Jaws movie, tackled Christian Hedonism, recounted our favorite Seinfeld episodes about religion, defeated Capitalism, and brought you one spooky-ass playlist for your Halloween parties. So, we're a little pooped, and we thought this week we'd take 'er easy and have ourselves a good ol' fashion riff-sesh. You remember these, right? No planned topic, just us speaking our minds on whatever we feel like. One thing we focus on a lot in this particular riff-sesh is the fascination with the 60s, a thing that we are very annoyed with. So hit play, and let it riff. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:08:24

Episode 195: The Bones Are Their Dollars -- A Music Mayhem Halloween Special

10/27/2021
Whether you've got a Halloween party around the corner to host/attend, or you're just looking for some All Hallow's Eve vibes, you're gonna need some spooky tunes. So this week, Father Chuck and JP have curated their own playlists filled with all kinds of Halloween music goodness. Whether you're looking for a vibe like Planet Claire by the B-52s, or something more on the nose like Wolf Like Me by TV On the Radio, or classics like Thriller, you've come to the right place! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:44:43

Episode 194: Storming the Capitalism -- Our Spooky Opinions on Capitalism

10/20/2021
This week, JP and Father Chuck go in on that mode of production based on private ownership of the means of production: CAPITALISM. We give our thoughts, our critiques, our experiences, and also take the time to highlight the current struggle over wages in Hollywood. We don't normally get political on this podcast, mainly because we're not super interested in being one of those divisive, hot-topic, firebrand shows that serve just to outrage our audience and drive them to yell at family members on Thanksgiving. Personally, this might be one of the more gentler critiques of Capitalism you'll find on the web. We hope you'll listen, we hope you'll like, we hope you'll think long and hard about the ideas that we present, and join us in pondering whether or not Capitalism is absolutely necessary for a society to thrive (spoiler: it isn't, it's evil, it sucks). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:42:42

Episode 193: Seinfans -- What is the Deal With Religion???

10/13/2021
JP and Father Chuck are massive, devoted fans of the hit sitcom Seinfeld. And if you haven't heard the news, that joint's on Netflix as we speak. So we went ahead and watched some episodes centered on religion, yadda yadda yadda, you got this episode to listen to. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:35:24

Episode 192: Atomic Halloween -- Sci-Fi During Spooky Season

10/6/2021
So we all know that Father Chuck's the Sci-Fi Guy and JP is the Horror Guy. But what happens the two are combined for Halloween? You get an in-depth look at the Atomic Age Sci-Fi & Horror of the 1950s, baby! While people are planning their lists of horror movies to watch during October, people tend to lean toward the gothic, the spooky, and the straight-up uncanny. But most people seem to forget that there's a place in the Halloween Canon of Movies for films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, War of the Worlds, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and so much more. Listen to JP and Father Chuck talk about some of their favorites, the historical context and meaning behind these films, and they even wander into "comeuppance horror" that was popularized by EC Comic titles like Tales From the Crypt, which was running concurrently with the Atomic Age. So let the Masters of Divinity guide you through some must-watch movies you'll want to add to your Halloween movie marathon this year. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:40:31

Episode 191: I Love It When You Call Me Big Piper -- Exploring Christian Hedonism

9/30/2021
If you've ever heard the phrase, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him," then you're probably familiar with Christian Hedonism, which is one provocative title! It probably conjures images that don't belong together, like Jesus and Hedonism Bot from FUTURAMA. But it's a real thing; a theology conceived by famous modern theologian John Piper, a Neo-Calvinist and Reformed Christian. In this week's episode, we're categorizing Piper's theology as a Christian Curiosity, and will be exploring its concepts as such. But don't worry, we're still gonna be funny. Check out our site for more! https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:26:39

Episode 190: Don't Show The Shark -- Diving Deep Into JAWS

9/22/2021
In the previous episode, we talked about the Brothers Brody and Their Many Shark Adventures, and since you were all good sports to let us indulge in our love of these bonkers sequels, we figured why not go ahead and talk about the famed original: the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic, JAWS. There's so much to love about Jaws: the music, the performances, the gruesome kills, the high seas adventure, and so much more, which is why JP and Father Chuck hold JAWS in a special place in their hearts. We can laugh our way through the sequels, but JAWS is truly a cinematic masterpiece as a monster movie, an oceanic adventure, or as just a movie about three guys being dudes. JP and Father Chuck go into immense detail as to why JAWS means so much to them and why it's such a great film. You can check it out in the Spotify player above, or literally ANYWHERE podcasts are available. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:41:04

Episode 189: JAWSEQUELS -- Our Favorite "Splasher" Movies

9/17/2021
When it was released in theaters in 1975, JAWS was a major hit, terrifying audiences and creating an entire generation of aquaphobes, thalassophobes, and submechaniphobes. Steven Spielberg's debut in cinemas was studded with a terrific cast, a chilling story, and horrifying special effects. The sequels? Eh...not so much. But one of them takes place in Sea World! Listen, we know these movies don't even begin to add up to the greatness of the Spielberg classic, but JP and Father Chuck have a special place in their hearts for JAWS 2 and even the unfortunate JAWS 3-D and JAWS 4: How Ellen Brody Got Her Groove Back. What I'm saying is that you won't find another podcasting duo who would talk so fondly of timeless characters like Helicopter Pilot, Cindy & Sandy, and of course Hoagie. So press play and let us tell you why these sequels are fun to watch despite the bad press, and why JP's biggest regret in life was not being the skipper on the ill-fated Jaws ride. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:34:26

Episode 188: Stuck in The Airlock -- Our Space Camp Memories (And Other Camps Too!)

7/26/2021
We're finally in the middle of the wet, hot, American summer and JP & Father Chuck couldn't help but to reminisce about their summer days spent at various summer camps growing up. They talk about their shared experiences from Space Camp in Florida, while JP also tells us a few tales from his time spent at rich kid military camp. You'll hear this and so much more when you press play on that podcast machine, and listen to this week's edition of MASTERS OF DIVINITY. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity/ Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://www.facebook.com/mastersofdivinity Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:21:58

Episode 187: Jesus Junk -- The Rise & Fall of The Christian Bookstore

7/19/2021
An unofficial but ongoing series on this podcast is "Christian Curiosities," where we reflect and examine Christian trends from the days of yor. These trends permeated Christian communities and usually across denominations, and it was the Christian Bookstore that enabled these curiosities to spread and thrive. If one wanted to put their thumb on the pulse of Christianity in America, all one had to do was visit a Christian Bookstore. But since the advent of the internet, and shopping online, as well as downward trends in Church attendance, the Christian Bookstore is beginning to go extinct (not unlike other brick and mortar companies -- It's a new world out there). Before the Christian Bookstore goes the way of the Dodo, JP and Father Chuck reflect on the Christian Curiosities they themselves used to buy, examine why the Christian Bookstore was such a phenomenon, and how, in the end, they may have served as more of a detriment to Christianity in America. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity/ Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://www.facebook.com/mastersofdivinity Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:39:30

Episode 186: Spaceman From Pluto -- A Back to the Future Deep Dive

7/9/2021
This week, in another edition of MASTERS OF DIVINITY, JP and Father Chuck revisit one of the most beloved film trilogies of all time: BACK TO THE FUTURE! JP explains the process behind developing the first Back to the Future movie, Chuck theorizes on a "Rogue Marty." This is one of those episodes where we talk about a franchise as an entity, and go into great detail about why we love Back to the Future. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://bit.ly/2DGtIFj​ Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:38:15

Episode 185: THEM ALIENS -- Observing Official Evidence of UFOs

6/30/2021
We've seen the evidence. We have some thoughts. UFO's are back baby! Seriously, it's like 1995 up in here with the UFO mania going down. In 2017 the government confirmed the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects, and just this month the Pentagon has submitted a report to congress explaining their findings. JP and Father Chuck have been preparing for this moment their whole lives, and in this episode they go over video footage and photographic evidence that has recently been made public. Are they aliens or a secret government experiment? If this does prove the existence of aliens, how would that effect someone's faith? JP and Father Chuck put their expertise to work as they attempt to get to the bottom of this UFO guff, and you don't want to miss it. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://bit.ly/2DGtIFj​ Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:17:00

Episode 184: Goth Star Trek -- Learning to Love PROMETHEUS

6/23/2021
Remember way, way, way back in the distant year of 2012? Before pandemics, Donald Trump's presidency, and NFTs? There was a movie that came out that summer called PROMETHEUS, and it was a prequel of sorts to the ALIEN franchise. People were really looking forward to it because the ALIEN franchise had fallen on hard times, and legendary director Ridley Scott was here to bring it back to its original glory. Well, turns out the movie was more divisive than people expected, and even JP and Father Chuck were disappointed. But time has passed, and the Masters of Divinity have decided to give PROMETHEUS a second chance, and it turns out...it's not that bad! Press play and listen to JP and Father Chuck talk Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://bit.ly/2DGtIFj​ Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:14:52

Episode 183: Music Mayhem: Prime Candidate for a Burnout by Blenderhead

6/9/2021
Time to smash our heads on the punk rock! In our final episode of Music Mayhem, The Wheel of Mayhem deemed Christian punk's "Prime Candidate for a Burnout" by Blenderhead worthy of closing out this year's series. Rounding out our completely unplanned series-within-a-series about the Christian recording industry, Blenderhead couldn't be further away from what dc Talk and Jars of Clay represented. Raw, uncompromising, visceral...LOUD. Blenderhead was a hardcore Christian punk band from the legendary underground label Tooth and Nail Records. Father Chuck grew up with this album, but JP didn't even know who Blenderhead was until he put it on the wheel. Press play, and get ready to experience "Prime Candidate for a Burnout" by Blenderhead. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://bit.ly/2DGtIFj​ Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:50:25

Episode 182: Music Mayhem: Jars of Clay

6/3/2021
This week, JP and Father Chuck visit another seismic album in the 90s Contemporary Christian scene: Jars of Clay's self-titled debut album. Jars of Clay was drastically different from dc Talk in their style and approach to lyrics, embracing metaphorical lyrics and acoustic guitars, as well as a more independent sound. Do any of the songs still hold up? You might be surprised! Check out the episode today, and listen to the Masters of Divinity dive deep into JARS OF CLAY. Instagram ►https://www.instagram.com/mastersofdivinity Twitter ►https://twitter.com/mastersdivinity​ Facebook ►https://bit.ly/2DGtIFj​ Become a patron via Patreon! ►https://patreon.com/mastersofdivinity​ Visit our website! ►https://themastersofdivinity.wordpress --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/masters-of-divinity/message

Duration:01:32:27