Queen of the Sciences

Popularly considered the last of the church fathers, John of Damascus gathered up the fruit of early church reflection on the Trinity and the person of Christ in his learned tome, The Orthodox Faith. But in addition to the usual wrangling with the Greek philosophical heritage and the monotheistic challenge of Judaism, John had a new adversary to consider: the even more radically monotheistic Islam. In this episode, Dad and I sort through John's record of Chalcedonian orthodoxy from the 8th century, his "double-mindedness," and what pressures led to the enormous internal doctrinal tensions that he passed on to the generations to follow. Such that, in this episode, Sarah admits defeat. Notes: 1. Can't get enough of Trinity and christology, especially with respect to Greek metaphysics? Then by all means rush right out and get yourself a copy of Dad's Divine Complexity and also Divine Simplicity 2. John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith (and generally speaking checking out the great selection in the Popular Patristics series) 3. Related episodes: Atonement, Image of God, Melanchthon's Loci Communes, Oh, Anselm!!!, Gregory of Nazianzus, Irenaeus, Athanasius Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

The Council of Chalcedon (451) gave us the famous christological formula that Jesus Christ is one person in two natures, without change, division, separation, or confusion. It also gave us a lot of conundrums, enough to cause the first major split of the church between the Syriacs and the Greeks. Among others trying to sort out the perplexities of Chalcedon was Martin Luther himself, whose own christological formulations might just run afoul of Chalcedonian orthodoxy. So in today's episode we entertain the question: was Martin Luther a Chalcedonian heretic? Or should we possibly say, was Chalcedon a Lutheran heretic? Notes: 1. Zachhuber, Luther's Christological Legacy 2. Cross, Communicatio Idiomatum 3. McCormack, The Humility of the Eternal Son Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

What's worse, being bound by the Law or untethered from it entirely? It probably depends on where you're standing. In this episode, Dad and I trace out two kinds of challenges Christians have had to work out with respect to the Law—whether the Law given to Israel applies also to Gentile believers in Jesus Christ, and whether the Law in any respect contributes to justification. Then, we explore working definitions of legalism and antinomianism as misconstruals of the Christian's relationship to the Law, leading to the ultimate question: are legalism and antinomianism really, at root, the same thing after all? Related episodes: Galatians 1, Galatians 2, Romans, Luther and the Jews, Sermon on the Mount, Atonement Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

My second appearance on the All About Agatha podcast, talking to host Kemper Donovan about Agatha Christie's speculative-mariology-fanfiction story, "The Island"! Here's a link to my previous All About Agatha appearance: Star over Bethlehem And if that still isn't enough Agatha Christie for you, check out my article in the new issue of the fabulous magazine The Mockingbird, "Agatha Christie, a Very Elusive Christian."

Death! Disaster! Panic in the streets! In this episode Dad and I try to understand how fear and fear-mongering have come to grip our wealthy and (historically speaking) unprecedentedly free societies. Toward that end, we also explore the metastasis of the psychiatric diagnosis of debilitating phobias to a biopolitical strategy for accusing and shutting down anyone who doesn't agree with or approve of certain things. But above all, it's a call to the courage of conscience for anyone tired of having the bullies run the show. Fear not! The Lord is with you. Notes: 1. Related episodes: Transfiguration, Perpetua and Felicitas, Private Public and Propagandistic 2. Read, mark, and inwardly digest Luther's commentary on the First Commandment in the Small Catechism to "fear, love, and trust in God above all things"! 3. Horn, People Love Dead Jews 4. The Scriptural Reasoning inter-faith dialogue project Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

The prayer our Lord Jesus taught his disciples, in address to his and their heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit! And probably the most-prayed prayer of all time. (Well, except maybe "HELP!") In this episode Dad and I pore over each petition, with a great deal of help from Luther's Catechisms, discuss why it is we should pray, and the greater truth that we can and are invited to pray. Notes: 1. Related episodes: All About Prayer, Sermon on the Mount, Revival and Renewal with the Blumhardts 2. Sarah's Sermon on the Mount: A Poetic Paraphrase 3. Luther's Small Catechism (and Sarah's Memorizing Edition therof) and also his Large Catechism Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

Sarah sits down to chat with Roger Lowther of the Art Life Faith podcast! Also, in the unlikely event you missed it, the Transfiguration book Kickstarter mentioned in this episode has already ended (after exceeding all expectations!). But you can preorder the ebook on Amazon, where it will be published on August 6, 2024.

In remembrance of an event that took place 50 years + 1 week ago, Dad tells the story of the internal schism in the Missouri Synod, the "walkout" of professors and students from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, and the founding of a seminary in exile, popularly known as Seminex. It is the founding story of why American Lutheranism looks the way it does today and mirrors the wider cultural polarization, yet with uniquely theological elements all its own. Triumphalists on either side beware; this is a tragedy. Notes: 1. Todd, Authority Vested 2. Burkee, Power, Politics, and the Missouri Synod 3. Tietjen, Memoirs in Exile 4. A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles (LCMS) 5. See more on Dad's new blog with a number of essays on this history, Theological Ramblings, Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

Andrew Christiansen of Doth Protest and Dad discuss Karl Marx's reception and use of Martin Luther.

We've discussed the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, Anselm and Aulen, and salvation itself all over the place... but until now, never "the Atonement." Could that be because the word itself tends to dictate the outcome? In this episode we talk about the origins of the English word "atone," exchange some thoughts on the Epistle to the Hebrews, and then dive deep into an essay by theologian Robert Bertram commenting on Luther commenting on Galatians. Joyful exchanges abound! Notes: 1. Bertram, "How Our Sins Were Christ's" 2. Sarah's article "The Law of God," now also published in Common Places in Christian Theology 3. Luther's 1531/35 Galatians commentary in Luther's Works vols 26 and 27 Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

In church, do your sins actually get forgiven, or are you only assured that in general God likes to forgive sins? Do you have to be penitent for the absolution to work? How penitent? Can a mere human absolve on God's behalf? And if so, how do absolvers know whether they ought to loose something or whether they'd better keep it bound up? In this episode, Dad and Sarah discuss Luther's little known 50 Theses on the Remission of Sins, from the year 1518, which has been dubbed by scholar Oswald Bayer as really truly the first Reformation text. From there we talk about general and corporate absolution in public worship in comparison with specific absolution of a private confession, and what qualifies as a faithful, evangelical liturgical practice of absolution. Notes: 1. Luther's 1518 Theses on the Remission of Sins 2. Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg 3. Studying Luther in Wittenberg 4. Bayer, Promissio 5. Liturgical resources for confession and absolution from the Lutheran Church in Australia and New Zealand Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

Sarah talks with Katie and Gretchen of Freely Given about her forthcoming book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration (Kickstarter's closed, so look for it in July 2024!).

Sarah talks with Katie and Gretchen of the Freely Given podcast about her forthcoming book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration (Kickstarter's closed, so look for it in July 2024!).

John Drury of Fresh Text and Sarah discuss all things Transfiguration in light of her forthcoming book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration (Kickstarter's closed, so look for it in July 2024!). And, if you want to hear their next two conversations about the Transfiguration, including the mind-blowing discussion of the Gospel of John, be sure to subscribe to Fresh Text right away!

Jason Micheli of Crackers and Grape Juice and Sarah discuss all things Transfiguration in light of her forthcoming book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration (Kickstarter's closed, so look for it in July 2024!).

All about the Transfiguration of our Lord! And, to be perfectly honest, all about Sarah's new book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration (which, as you'll hear, launched as a Kickstarter, and will be available for purchase starting July 2024). Among other topics: Why Elijah and Moses of all possible visitors from Israel's past? Why does Peter offer to build booths, of all weird things (and is he really as much of a dope as every Transfiguration sermon you've ever heard claims)? How does the apostle Paul handle the Transfiguration? And why, for heaven's sake, does Second Peter of all oddball epistles feature the Transfiguration?? Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

I have a new podcast! For people who need good fiction and good theology at the same time. Two final episodes here to whet your appetite—so if you enjoy them, please hop on over and subscribe to Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories so you won't miss a single episode!

My lecture at the Parkville Plus seminar hosted by Australian Lutheran College in Adelaide, South Australia, on "Three Nineteenth-Century German Lutheran Saint Calendar Proposals."

I have a new podcast! For people who need good fiction and good theology at the same time. Two more episodes here to whet your appetite—so if you enjoy them, please hop on over and subscribe to Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories so you won't miss a single episode!

Dad speaks about preaching to political and cultural issues as an exercise of both Christian discipleship and lefthand-kingdom stewardship at the Love Teach Heal Academy for lay preachers and teachers.