

Thinking Fellows
1517 Podcasts
The Thinking Fellows is a 45-minute podcast about theology, philosophy, Christian history, and apologetics. It is hosted by Scott Keith, Caleb Keith, Adam Francisco, and Bruce Hilman. The Thinking Fellows bring high-level subject matters to fun and insightful lay-level conversations each week.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 9, 2023 • 1h 1min
Do The Four Gospels Contradict?
Exploring the differences in the four Gospels, analyzing biased approach to New Testament studies, emergence of Orthodox Christianity, challenges faced by scholars, and unifying themes of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection are discussed in this insightful podcast.

Jul 31, 2023 • 49min
Does God Want You To Be Happy?
Is your happiness an indicator of God's relationship with you? Are emotions a good indicator of divine revelation? The Thinking Fellows consider the purpose and place of happiness in the Christian life. In doing so, they discuss why it's essential to re-center our definition of happiness and preach the happiness of the Gospel while not relying upon emotions for divine revelation. Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Join the 1517 Academy Freedom Lessons Street Team Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jul 24, 2023 • 46min
The Apocrypha
The Thinking Fellows discuss the history and position of the Apocrypha for Lutherans. They present critical reasons for rejecting the Apocrypha from the biblical canon. Similarly, they discuss why the "removal" of the apocryphal books is not a strong polemic against Lutherans regarding Sola Scripture. However, they also discuss ways in which reading apocryphal books can be helpful. Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Join the 1517 Academy Freedom Lessons Street Team Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jul 17, 2023 • 59min
The Place and Function of Adiaphora
Adiaphora is a theological term that means "indifference." It typically refers to practices that are neither commanded nor forbidden by God in Scripture. The Lutheran churches have historically used adiaphora as a method for explaining and allowing reasonable liturgical and personal piety differences between churches to exist while remaining unified around the core confessions of the church. The fellows discuss why understanding adiaphora is important and how it can benefit the church. Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Freedom Lessons Street Team The New Quest for Paul and His Reading of the Old Testament by Timo Laato Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jul 10, 2023 • 57min
The Struggle Between Church and Sports
The Thinking Fellows weigh on one of the most tense issues that affect Churches. What are parents to do when their children's extracurricular activities get scheduled on Sunday? The Fellows discuss ways to increase parental and particularly paternal commitment to church attendance. Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Freedom Lessons Street Team The New Quest for Paul and His Reading of the Old Testament by Timo Laato Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jun 30, 2023 • 40min
Reading Recommendations
The Fellows give some books and other recommendations. In the early years of Thinking Fellows, book recommendation episodes were a frequent fan favorite. The Fellows return with recommendations, both new and old. Show Notes: Support the Podcast Network Fundraiser 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: The New Quest for Paul and His Reading of the Old Testament by Timo Laato Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray Book List: The Small and Large Catechism The Freedom of the Christian The 1521 Loci Communes Miroslav Volf Kelsi Podcast Philip Carey Philip Carey Books Barth in Conversation Lewis Markos Narritive Apologetics Iustitia Dei G.K. Chesterton Orthodoxy Steve Paulson Robert Kolb Paul Maier Vocation The Setting of Human Flourishing Structure of Lutheranism Wingren Luther on Vocation More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jun 20, 2023 • 52min
Is Christianity a Religion of Doctrines?
In this episode, the Thinking Fellows discuss the centrality and importance of Christians' doctrinal content and confessions. They ask how this doctrinal core differs from other world religions. The end of the episode focuses on the place and purpose of Christian practices and how they are shaped and impact doctrine. Show Notes Support the Podcast Network Fundraiser 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: The New Quest for Paul and His Reading of the Old Testament by Timo Laato Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment by Bradley Gray More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jun 8, 2023 • 50min
Sacred Spaces
In this episode, the Thinking Fellows ask, what are sacred spaces, and do we need them? Bruce Hillman helps define what a holy space is while the fellows discuss the societal and religious functions that they serve. They conclude with examples of how Christianity uses sacred spaces such as churches but is uniquely authorized to do God's work in word and sacrament apart from a "temple" when necessary. Support the Podcast Network Fundraiser 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube More from the hosts Caleb Keith John Hoyum Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

Jun 2, 2023 • 1h 5min
Orthodoxy
In this episode, the Thinking Fellows discuss the idea of orthodoxy. What does it mean to be orthodox or to have an orthodox faith? They look at the utility of identifying orthodoxy and also at the importance of distinguishing between denominational differences and heresy. Show Notes Support the Show 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube More from the hosts Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francsisco Bruce Hilman

May 24, 2023 • 45min
The Tough Texts of Scripture
This week, Caleb and Scott are joined by Dan Price to introduce the latest 1517 Podcast, "Tough Texts." On Tough Texts, Dan and Scott address classically tricky passages of Scripture and meet these texts with a plain reading. In this episode, Caleb asks Dan and Scott what it means for Scripture to be clear and how clarity and difficulty can be present in a text. Show Notes Support the Show 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube More from the hosts Scott Keith Dan Price


