MARSCAST

In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange joins the podcast again to discuss the development of the doctrine of justification, particularly in the medieval period. He explains how Augustine recovered key aspects of Paul's teaching on justification being by grace alone while still viewing it as an ongoing process of being "made righteous" rather than a punctiliar declarative act. Dr. Strange describes how in the centuries after Augustine, there was confusion and lack of clarity around his actual views, with some of Pelagius' works even being mistakenly attributed to other church fathers. He contrasts Augustine and Aquinas' view of faith involving "caritas" or love/obedience to the law with the Reformers' view of faith as fiducia or trust in Christ alone. The discussion covers the key distinctions between the medieval Catholic view of justification as a process involving meriting grace through the sacraments and purgatory versus the Protestant Reformation's understanding of justification as a decisive declaration that happens at the moment of faith in Christ. Dr. Strange argues that the Reformation position actually recovered the biblical, Pauline view of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange continues the discussion on medieval church history. The conversation focuses on the major church councils and influential theologians from the Middle Ages. Dr. Strange begins by distinguishing the first seven ecumenical councils, which are recognized across Christian traditions, from the subsequent medieval councils after the East-West church schism in 1054. He highlights the Lateran Councils, held in Rome from the 12th-13th centuries, which solidified papal authority and church doctrine like transubstantiation. Other notable councils like Lyons, Vienna, Constance, and Basel aimed to resolve issues like the Great Schism when there were multiple claimants to the papacy. Dr. Strange also covers some of the influential medieval theologians and philosophers, including Boethius, John of Damascus, the debates between Ratramnus and Radbertus on the Eucharist, and John Scotus Eriugena's perspective integrating faith and reason. In evaluating this period, Dr. Strange praises the serious attempt to integrate faith and all areas of life while critiquing how the doctrine of the church overshadowed the doctrine of salvation.

In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange discusses scholasticism and mysticism in the medieval era of church history. He provides an in-depth look at scholasticism, explaining its origins in the monas-tic schools of the 9th and 10th centuries and how it contributed to the rise of universities in the 12th and 13th centuries. He analyzes the strengths and potential pitfalls of the scholastic method, which emphasizes making distinctions and applying Aristotelian logic to theological problems. The conversation then turns to mysticism, which arose partly in response to the arid intellectualism that scholasticism could produce at times. Dr. Strange examines the mystics' pursuit of direct, immediate experience of God and union with the divine. He weighs both the insights and ex-cesses of mysticism, contrasting its quest for the affective and experiential aspects of faith with the more rationalistic tendencies of some scholastics. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Strange provides historical context on key figures from both traditions, offering a nuanced perspective on scholasticism and mysticism as interconnected streams of medieval theology and philosophy. We hope this episode deepens your understanding of these influential movements while highlighting the need to ground reason and religious experience in God's revelation.

In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange explores the complex relationship between Christianity and Islam, examining whether the Islamic faith served as a "check" on defective Christian practice in the medieval era. He then dives into the Crusades - the series of religious wars waged by European Christians against Muslims in the medieval period, providing an overview of the reasons, motivations, and tremendous bloodshed that occurred. He then relates church/state entanglements of that era to the same tensions that still exist today, discussing how faith and politics can function properly.

In today's episode, Rev. Paul Ipema concludes his series on catechism preaching by highlighting the advantages of preaching from the catechism. He'll explain how the catechism's simplicity and clarity make it an accessible resource for systematically teaching core Christian doctrines to congregants of all ages. He'll also share insights from his own experience using the catechism in prison ministry and in children's catechism classes. Whether you're a pastor looking for reasons to prioritize catechism preaching or want to understand this historic practice better, this conversation will provide a helpful perspective.

In today's episode, we're discussing objections to the practice of catechism preaching. Rev. Paul Ipema joins us once again and addresses common criticisms, including claims that it's not truly expounding the Word of God, that the catechism is outdated, and that its tone is too polemical against other Christian traditions. While acknowledging the need for prudent handling, Rev. Ipema argues that catechism preaching has an important historical precedent and remains a valid way of faithfully teaching key biblical doctrines to congregations today. He unpacks the nuances of these objections and makes a case for why catechism exposition is still a valuable practice.

In today's episode, Rev. Paul Ipema begins a series discussing the history, practice, and relevant issues associated with catechism preaching. Catechism preaching has long been an important tradition in Reformed churches, where the doctrinal summaries contained in the Heidelberg Catechism were not just taught but expounded upon regularly from the pulpit. However, there are some concerning trends today where catechism preaching is being sidelined or abandoned, particularly as churches move away from having a Sunday evening service. Rev. Ipema explores the importance of maintaining this practice to preserve our theological rootedness and identity as Re-formed churches. He’ll also touch on how some ministers entering Reformed churches lack train-ing in this aspect of pastoral ministry and how we here at Mid-America Reformed Seminary offer unique preparation for prospective ministers in this area of ministry.

In today’s episode, Dr. Beach explores John Calvin's teachings on divine providence - the doctrine that God actively governs and sustains all of creation, not as a detached creator but through His continual power and wisdom. Dr. Beach discusses how Calvin argued that even seemingly random or insignificant events are part of God's overarching purpose. His providence extends to the decisions and actions of human beings, guiding them to fulfill His decrees while still holding them accountable for sin. Though we don't always understand God's ways, Calvin saw providence as a comfort amid life's troubles and a call to reverent submission.

In today’s episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach explores the biblical account of creation and what it reveals about the nature of God and humanity. Tracking with the Institutes of the Christian Religion, Dr. Beach examines John Calvin’s key insights, including how the creation story testifies to God's eternal power and benevolent care in preparing the earth for humans made in His image. He’ll also look at the role of angels as God's servants ministering to the Church, as well as the tragic corruption of humanity’s image through the Fall. Despite this, Calvin shows how the creation narrative points to God's wisdom in renewing us through Christ.

In today’s episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach looks once again at John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, this time examining his writing on the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. While the natural world around us gives glimpses of God's eternal power and divine nature, Scripture provides the clearest, most complete revelation of who He truly is - revealing God's attributes like His boundless mercy, perfect righteousness, and endless goodness toward us as our Maker and Provider. But the Scriptures don't just tell us about God's qualities; they untangle the complexity of His very being and lead us to the truth that God eternally exists as one Being in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.