The Christian Humanist Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 10: Literary Hell Jan 27, 2010

Show notes

Nathan Gilmour moderates a discussion of how life-after-death, especially the unpleasant sort, appears in literary texts, beginning in Classical poetry, moving through a healthy dose of medieval poetry, and finishing with a consideration of some interesting twentieth-century visions of Hell. Among the texts and authors we discuss are Homer, Virgil, Beowulf, Anglo-Saxon homilies, Guthlac, Genesis B from the Junius Manuscript, Dante, Langland, Gower, Milton, C.S. Lewis, and Sartre.

Episode 9: The Haiti Earthquake Jan 12, 2010

Show notes

David Grubbs moderates a discussion of the national mythology, the spiritual realities, and the ongoing plight of Haiti, focusing on the comments of Pat Robertson and responses from some of his liberal critics. We delve into theodicy, Providence, apocalyptic, archaeology of knowleddge, and other topics, and the texts we discuss are the Biblical books of 1 Chronicles, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Revelation; Boethius, Calvin, The Wanderer, and Jon Levenson.

Episode 8: Apologetics Jan 12, 2010

Show notes

Michial Farmer moderates a discussion of the theological enterprise called apologetics, starting from patristic endeavors and moving through high-medieval theology and finishing with the Humanists' suggestions for Christian apologists in the twenty-first century. Among the writers we discuss are Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, Kierkegaard, John Milbank, Cornelius van Til, Ken Ham, and Richard Dawkins.

Episode 7: Wars on Christmas Dec 10, 2009

Show notes

Nathan Gilmour, snotty English teacher, moderates a discussion with David Grubbs and Michial Farmer on various attempts to stymie Christmas over the centuries, culminating in a discussion of the 21st century's versions of the same. Among the texts we discuss are Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Morte d'Arthur, Washington Irving's The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch who Stole Christmas, and various 24-hour news programs. Listen to hear our favorite story of St. Nicholas.

Episode 6: Fantasy and Science Fiction Dec 01, 2009

Show notes

David Grubbs moderates a discussion with Michial Farmer and Nathan Gilmour about modern-era speculative fiction, including fantasy and science fiction. Discussion ranges from our early experiences with the genres to theological and philosophical curiosities within and objections to both. Among the authors we discuss are J.R.R. Tolkien, William Gibson, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, and Walker Percy.

Episode 5.1: More on New Calvinism and Emergent Nov 24, 2009

Show notes

Technical difficulties unfortunately shorten a further discussion of Emergent and New Calvinism, this time focusing on border figures like Clark Pinnock, James K.A. Smith, and Michael Spencer. Further discussions of muti-site churches and book publishing almost get rolling.

Episode 5: Neo-Calvinists vs. Emergent Nov 17, 2009

Show notes

Nathan Gilmour moderates a discussion about Emergent and New Calvinism, their perceived and real impact, their relationships to history, and other such things. Among other topics, the discussion treats Mark Driscoll, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, celebrity culture in the church, multisite worship, and the plague of hipness in the Church.

Episode 4: God and Country Nov 10, 2009

Show notes

Mchial Farmer moderates a discussion about the relationships between Christianity and American origins, Christian ethics and participation in the state, and resisting evil. Among other topics the hosts discuss Anabaptist politics, the Declaration of Independence, and the problems of being Christian and affirming the American Revolution.

Episode 2: John Calvin and Christian Humanism Oct 27, 2009

Show notes

Nathan Gilmour moderates a discussion with David Grubbs and Michial Farmer about the ways that John Calvin affects our scholarship, our theology, and other parts of our life and about Calvin's helpful reminders to 21st-century Christians. Along the way we treat Calvin's early interactions with Seneca, Calvin's attitudes towards worldly learning, and how Calvinism affected the course of medieval studies.

Episode 1: The Christian Humanist Oct 22, 2009

Show notes

Michial Farmer moderates a discussion with Nathan Gilmour and David Grubbs about what Christian humanism means, how it plays into the life of the Church and of the academy, and how a Christian humanist might respond to common criticisms. In the course of things we trace humanism's roots in Patristic encouters with philosophy and rhetoric; the flowering of Christian Humanism in the Renaissance, especially in the work of Desiderus Erasmus; and some twentieth-century figures who have continued the project.