The Living Church Podcast

What's the proper scope of Christian politics?Should Christians be politically active, and if so, how? Is the political sphere and its options a place of anxiety and ceaseless activity that should be avoided? Is it a place of possibility to "bring heaven to earth"? Does it have value as a place of failure and limitation? And what do politics have to do with loving neighbors, worshipping God, or writing letters to our children? Much -- perhaps. And maybe most effectively in the spheres that are smallest, least ambitious, and closest to home. Today we talk with the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner about his new book, Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty. We'll discuss how our daily, imperfect lives and the mortal goods that make them up can help us define and limit the scope of Christian political vision and action. If our hope does not rest in this world, how are we then freed to take care in this world, and take care of this world, with sobriety, joy, and thankfulness? Ephraim is professor emeritus of historical theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His range of ministerial experience includes ministry and teaching in Burundi, Haiti, inner-city Cleveland, Connecticut, and Colorado. He's the author of several books including Mortal Goods, which we discuss today, A Time to Keep, A Brutal Unity, and The End of the Church. He is married to the Rev. Annette Brownlee and they are the parents of Hannah and Isaac.Hold that NPR newsfeed for just a minute. We're going to step back to ancient Israel to remember what exactly God asks of human beings. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, a leader in evangelism and racial reconciliation within the Episcopal Church, shares her spiritual journey from Southern roots to embracing Anglicanism. She discusses redefining Episcopal evangelism as a humble witness to the divine in everyday stories. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of inviting others without coercion and imagines a mission that respects indigenous spiritualities. She also highlights the integral link between social justice and faith, encouraging a nuanced, inclusive approach for diverse Episcopalians.

Learn more about the Human Pilgrimage conference. Learn more about Steve Prince's work. Learn more about Jessica Hooten Wilson's work.A disgruntled white southern intellectual named Walter lives on his family's farm. They all think his fancy learning makes him good for nothing. On top of that, Walter thinks he's dying. Walter decides to pretend, through a penpal relationship with a social justice activist, that he is Black. A story unfolds from the deceit. This is a Flannery O'Connor story that you have probably never read, and we'll discuss it today on the podcast.Unlike Flannery's other works, a conversion and baptism come early in this story, and the rest of the book, which was never finished, was intended to ask, "What next?" Instead of the one fell swoop of the Holy Ghost readers are used to, what does the radical work of grace look like over time?Fragments of the unfinished novel have just been released, along with context-setting essays and commentary, by literary scholar and writer, Jessica Hooten Wilson. The book is called Why Do the Heathen Rage?, and it is further illuminated with powerful artwork by artist Steve Prince.The story fragments are fascinating, but the gloss Steve and Jessica provide help us unpack what's going on with Flannery. Sorry megafan, but she was not a saint. And in this broken text, we actually watch her come up against her limits as a white southerner of her times and as a writer. What was she doing? What, maybe, was God doing? And what can we learn from her today? We discuss O'Connor's work, intersections with Malcolm X and James Baldwin, what stories do to harm or heal, and what art and artistic collaborations make possible. Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University. She is the author or editor of several books, including Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, Reading for the Love of God, and two award-winning books of literary scholarship: The Scandal of Holiness, and Giving the Devil His Due: Demonic Authority in the Fiction of Flannery O’Connor and Fyodor Dostoevsky.Steve A. Prince is a mixed media artist, master printmaker, lecturer, educator, and art evangelist with his MFA in Printmaking and Sculpture from Michigan State University. He is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary. A native of New Orleans, he currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now pour yourself a big ol' glass of sweet tea and hold on to your rocking chair. This exploration of Flannery O'Connor won't be what you're used to. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Donate to the Ahli Arab Hospital. Today's is a short and very special conversation captured on the fly at the Episcopal Parish Network Conference in Houston, Texas, with Dr. Suhaila Tarazi.If you haven't heard of Suhaila, then you have certainly heard of her workplace. She is the director of the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which was recently in the news for a bomb that fell in their parking lot. How did Suhaila receive a call from God, three times, to direct the hospital? What is the state of the hospital now? What is she praying for? And how has her friendship with Nicholas served a mutual mission for flourishing life for Arab and Jewish neighbors?Special thanks to Joe Swimmer, La'Zendra Danforth, and their team, for carving out a space to record in a very busy conference center. Thanks to Nicholas Porter for arranging the conversation.Lean in for the short but sweet privilege of hearing from a woman it was an incredible honor to meet. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Donate to the Ahli Arab Hospital. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Follow Philip Yancey's blog.Read Philip's new book, Undone.No man is an island,Entire of itself.Each is a piece of the continent,A part of the main.If a clod be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less.As well as if a promontory were.As well as if a manor of thine ownOr of thine friend's were.Each man's death diminishes me,For I am involved in mankind.Therefore, send not to knowFor whom the bell tolls,It tolls for thee.Welcome back podcast listeners. Quite a Lenten poem, eh? For Western listeners, we are in the last week of Lent before Holy Week, first week for our Eastern brethren.Meeting here in Lententide, we thought it would be a good time for a conversation about someone who has reflected deeply on sin, suffering, pain, and the faithful presence of God. Well, two people actually. The 17th-century priest and poet, John Donne, whose famous poem we opened with, and author Philip Yancey.The poem above is actually an excerpt from a longer work called Devotions that Donne wrote from his sickbed, in a time of plague, disorientation, and deep discouragement. Where and how did he find God with him? TLC had the joy of talking with Philip Yancey about his new book, a modern paraphrase of Devotions called Undone, and about Phillip's own story, particularly as it relates to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.Philip Yancey has explored questions and mysteries of the Christian faith for decades in best-selling works such as Disappointment with God, Where is God When it Hurts?, and What’s So Amazing About Grace? Philip has written more than 25 books, and his latest release is Undone: A Modern Rendering of John Donne's Devotions. Philip and his wife live in the foothills of Colorado.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Check out John Behr's new translation of Gregory of Nyssa's On the Human Image of God.What does it mean to be human? We pay attention to our broken humanity more during Lent. And there's that phrase, when we make a mistake, "I'm only human!" True. But what about the glory and promise of being human? What kind of humanity we see in the pattern of Christ? How do we live now, if our destiny is to be, as the saints tell us, "raised with Christ" who is "seated at the right hand of God"?Today we'll talk with theologian John Behr about St. Gregory of Nyssa's work, On the Human Image of God, and John's new translation of it. We'll listen in as Gregory, like the theological rock star he is, takes a melody from Plato and riffs hard, but with a Christian anthropology, and creates nothing less than an anthem to God's saving work in Jesus.What is a human? How do humans have a special relationship with death? And how does the gospel, and especially John's gospel, peel back the curtain on what Jesus' humanity is doing for all creatures?The Rev. Dr. John Behr is Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen. He previously taught at St. Vladmir's Seminary, where he served as dean from 2007-17. John is also the Metropolitan Kallistos Chair of Orthodox Theology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Center for Orthodox Theology. (Finally a quick shout-out: if you're interested in this question, What does it mean to be human?, then save the date, friends! The Living Church is hosting a conference this September 26-28 in Oklahoma City entitled The Human Pilgrimage: A Conference on How to Live. We've got a beautiful slate of speakers, including Katherine Sonderegger, Amy Peeler, Victor Austin, and Graham Tomlin. Watch any Living Church space for registration coming soon.)Now brush up on your Greek, because there will be a test on the Timaeus at the end of this. (Just kidding.) We hope you enjoy the conversation.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The Reverend Nathan Carr, a bi-vocational priest and headmaster of The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, discusses innovative approaches to include neurodivergent students in classical education. He shares how personal experiences, like adopting two boys, influenced his school's inclusive practices. Nate highlights the integration of trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) and daily prayer to foster a supportive classroom culture. He also addresses the balance between academic rigor and community, ensuring that learning environments welcome diverse abilities.

Buy the Roads of Hurt and Hope Holy Land Lenten study. (All proceeds go to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem.)All eyes are on the Holy Land right now, as the conflict between Hamas and Israel continues, over a hundred kidnapped Israelis still missing, over a thousand Israeli civilians dead, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in the crossfire.As many of you will know, the Living Church postponed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land until further notice. The name of this pilgrimage is In the Footsteps of Jesus. Today we'll be talking with someone who has walked in the footsteps of Jesus many times, as a pilgrimage leader, as well as a resident of Jerusalem. And not only in the footsteps of Jesus, but in the footsteps of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, David, the apostles, the woman at the well, and many more ancestors in the faith, as well as citizens of the land today.What is it about this place that people have fallen in love with for thousands of years? Why has God met so many people on its roads? What do these roads teach us, not only in human footsteps, but in the rocks and water, plants and animals along the way, about God’s presence and faithfulness? And what can we see there now, especially in time for Lent?We enjoyed speaking about all this with the Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew D. Mayes. Andrew has served as spirituality adviser to the Diocese of Chichester and to the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. He has lived several years in Jerusalem, as a theological researcher and later as director of courses of St. George’s College, of which he is an associate professor. He is the author of 16 spirituality books including the award-winning Learning the Language of the Soul, Beyond the Edge, and, most recently, Roads of Hurt and Hope: Transformative Journeys in the Holy Land. (This last book is a Lent study, and all the proceeds will go to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the Anglican hospital in Gaza.) Tighten your hiking shoes and pack a lunch, and don’t forget, if you get a moment, to buy a souvenir. We’re going on a journey today, across time and an ancient, beloved landscape. Sometimes strenuous, sometimes quiet. Often surprising. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Happy Epiphany!I love seasons, the changes of seasons. The distinct character of each one.Different seasons and times bring out different flavors, different inner lives of the land and landscapes. I think humans are similar. Even whole cultures. Different eras show up or play down certain shapes that human life can take, certain imaginative landscapes and possibilities.But across space and seasons we do have one Lord. That's the crazy revelation of Epiphany. But how does this same Lord show up differently in different times and places? Today we'll be talking with Dr. Grace Hamman, author of the new book, Jesus Through Medieval Eyes. Grace is a writer and independent scholar of Middle English contemplative writing and poetry and hosts the literature podcast, Old Books with Grace. Jesus through Medieval Eyes is a remarkably enjoyable book. Jesus jousting. Jesus giving birth. Jesus as judge, lover, mother, or knight were common images for Christ in the middle ages. How might they help us in our time, heal our contemporary views of justice and judgment, love and lovers, gender and sex?Now brush up on your middle English. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Read Jesus Through Medieval Eyes.Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Welcome back, podcast listeners. A happy Epiphany to you. Let's start off the year with a bang. This episode is from a conversation between Dr. Stanley Hauerwas and the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner at the Radical Vocation (RADVO) conference at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, in September 2023.Amber asked Stanley and Ephraim to share their responses to the conference, and it all went wonderfully off-book, deep into the territory of attention and martyrdom.The conversation will reference other keynotes and conversations, including the Rev. Dr. Christopher Beeley on Christology, Dr. Jeremy Begbie on the Holy Spirit, Dr. John Behr on the Church, the Rev. Tish Harrison Warren on Christianity and Politics, and other panels on church unity and evangelism. Stanley Hauerwas is Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law at Duke Divinity School and was named "America’s Best Theologian" by Time magazine in 2001. His book, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, was selected as one of the 100 most important books on religion of the 20th century.Ephraim Radner is Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto, and has ministered in various places, including Burundi, Haiti, inner-city Cleveland, Connecticut, and Colorado. His many books include Hope among the Fragments: The Broken Church and its Engagement of Scripture (2004) andA Time to Keep: Theology, Mortality, and the Shape of a Human Life (2016).Learn more about the Living Church and check out some of our favorite podcast episodes.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands