The Brothers Zahl

Latest Episodes:

Episode 3: Evil Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

Could also be titled "Evil, Sin, and Suffering", in this episode the brothers delve into the various shades of darkness we experience in the world--and in ourselves. Recommended and referenced resources include:

Podcasts: The Well of Sound on Marvin Gaye
Movies: The Devil Rides Out, The Shining, The Exorcist, The Addiction
Books: Dignity by Chris Arnade, The Haunting of Toby Jugg _by Dennis Wheatley, _The Stand by Stephen King, the ghost stories MR James, Astro City: Confession by Kurt Busiek
Articles: "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Lost Doctine of Sin" by Simeon Zahl
Quotations: Bad Spirits in Hunts Point, Flannery O'Connor on the Action of Grace, Gerhard Forde on the danger of Rolling Suffering into Evil, Richard Hooker on Crystal Tears (below), Frank Limehouse on the Devil (below)
Songs: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell, "Lord You Bless Me" by The Elliotts, "Make Me Prada" by Asa Moto, "Millennium" by Dewolfe, "Devil Inside" by INXS

Please note: the story of Martin Luther burying the child, while derived from his writings (and depicted to great effect in the movie Luther), is apocryphal. .

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

Richard Hooker: "My eager protestations, made in the glory of my ghostly strength, I am ashamed of; but those crystal tears, wherewith my sin and weakness was bewailed, have procured my endless joy; my strength hath been my ruin, and my fall my stay."

Frank Limehouse (March 7, 2010): "I can't tell you what the Devil looks like. In my own mind he wears red tights, has horns and a tail and carries a pitchfork. Other than in the Garden of Eden, in which he is described as crafty and subtle; and Ezekiel, who tells us he was perfect in beauty, I cannot talk so much about what the devil looks like. But we can talk about how the devil operates. St. Peter said, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Interestingly, the devil doesn't come at you only where you're weak. He's very interested in your gifts and strengths. This is where we are most vulnerable. The woman with a charming smile is tempted to “get away with murder.” The salesman with the gift of persuasion, is often tempted to “take ‘em for what they're worth.” God, on the other hand, is most interested in what? Your weaknesses. The Lord said to Paul ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'…"

Episode 2: Holiness Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

The second episode, in which the brothers discuss that slippery yet inspiring topic known as holiness (and its opposite). Recommended and referenced resources include:

Quotations: Jean-Luc Marion on Holiness, Gerhard Forde on Senility, Mark Seifrid on Christian growth, Nimi Wariboko on Play
Movies: My Idiot Brother
Articles: "Heaven Is a 12 Step Meeting" by Connor Gwin
Books: Listening by Anne Long, The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch, The Ambiguity of Play by Brian Sutton-Smith, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder, The Reconstruction of Morality by Karl Holl, The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience by Simeon Zahl
TV: Ted Lasso
Music: Life Is People by Bill Fay
Songs: "Say Goodbye" by Hiroshi Sato, "Everyone" by Air Project, "Perdido en el Universo" by Falcons, "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, "I Can't Get There From Here" by R.E.M., "These Things Take Time" by The Smiths, "Running Toward a Place" by The Killers

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

Episode 1: God Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

The first ever episode, in which the brothers introduce themselves and then jump into the sprawling subject at the center of their lives: capital-G God. Recommended and Referenced Resources include:

Lectures: "On Not Being C.S. Lewis" by Francis Spufford
Books: The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Daum, Dangerous Journey by John Bunyan, PZ's Panopticon by Paul Zahl
Songs: "God Knows" by Donna Eyes, "Stand Back" by Stevie Nicks, "Shot Down in Denver" by Chalice, "When You Wish Upon a Star" by Gene Simmons, "Son of the Father" by Elton John, "More Than Molecules" by Fox, "Funky Funky Beat" by Jean-Michelle Navarre

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

Season 1 Trailer Feb 09, 2021

Show notes