The Theology Pugcast

Latest Episodes:

Called to Freedom—An Interview with Brad Littlejohn Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

The Pugcast is pleased to welcome Brad Littlejohn back on the show to discuss his latest book, Called to Freedom. If there's one thing western culture seems to celebrate, it's freedom. But just what are we talking about when we speak of it? Does freedom mean doing anything you want, just so long as no one gets hurt? If so, is that even possible? That seems to imply freedom is either amoral or even immoral, and that can't be right. Fortunately we have rich wells to draw from in scripture and western philosophy on the matter and Brad is a faithful guide to those riches. Join the show and learn what it means to be free--spiritually, morally, politically, and even corporately.

Order ‘Called to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License (Christ in Everything)’ https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/called-to-freedom-P005841102

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

Catch our documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ at https://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Now on Youtube! Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

While we don’t have a full podcast episode for you today, we do have something even better! A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age (Our Pugcast Documentary filmed Spring 2024) is now publicly available on Youtube. Thank you again to all our Indiegogo supporters who made this possible!

Follow this link to find it: https://youtu.be/7OYYuK2Y7d0

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

Are Men Bibliophobes? Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

If men would only read more, especially more fiction, would not political nightmares, such as our current presidential turn, be avoided? The feminized cultural commentators continue to think so. The pugs engage a recent Vox article that takes seriously such a claim, and while the article finds the claim to be built on a questionable statistic, it nevertheless promotes the idea that reading more fiction could save men from their attraction to toxic masculinity. Tom, Chris, and Glenn have a bit of fun with the articles’ working assumptions and key claims, all while noting the detachment from reality needed to take them seriously.

Article: https://www.vox.com/culture/392971/men-reading-fiction-statistics-fact-checked

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

Catch our new documentary ‘A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age’ on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/videos/34865?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-J-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXqj6CIhUs6mTwkMc-AHhKiP1E4dPAtOm60rgu69RZ2LfhqYLJg2JHx4uQ_aem_LV-nOWc1vnhV6scW9cGZpA

The Reality War Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

Today the Pugs reflect on a Substack article by N. S. Lyons entitled, The Reality War. This insightful piece notes that we are living through a revival of the most pernicious of all heresies--Gnosticism. The bitter irony of our time is it is occurring in what many people have wrongly assumed is the triumph of materialism. Lyons begins with recounting the bloody Crusade the Medieval Church waged against the Cathars, then he explores three manifestations of Gnosticism in our time: "Scientific Gnosticism," "Luxury Gnosticism," and finally, and counter-intuitively, "Reactionary Gnosticism." The Pugs consider each and wonder how we can fight them in our time.

Article: https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-reality-war?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

Magic [Systems?] in Fantasy Literature Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

A recent post at Screen Rant complained that C.S. Lewis never explained Narnia’s magic system. This is an example of completely missing the point, as myth and legend never explain magic, though in recent fantasy lit, detailed out magic systems are almost an essential. For his part, Tolkien believed that fantasy had to make rational sense for it to work. The guys get go from these observations into a wide-ranging discussion of magic in fantasy, including Chris talking about the logic of magic in his fantasy series. They also get into a difference between the “magic” of the Elves and the magic of the Enemy in Middle Earth in light of Tokien’s essay “On Faerie Stories.”

Screenrant Article: https://screenrant.com/narnia-questions-greta-gerwig-netflix-reboot-answer/

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

The Scandal of the Incarnation Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Today's episode delves into how the mystery of God assuming human flesh has continued to upturn paradigms of what it means to be a human creature, of what it means to be divine, and how the two are related. The pug’s engage this rich and timely topic by delving into the history of the scandal such teaching has evoked and ways we can draw upon this most profound mystery to challenge the fashionable distortions of our age and be led into a deeper appreciation of this amazing revelation in history.

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

The State of the Culture, 2024 Dec 16, 2024

Show notes

Today the Pugs discuss a post by Ted Gioia on his Substack, The Honest Broker. The title of the post is, "The State of the Culture, 2024" Gioia is a well known music critic, and is actually the brother of Dana Gioia (the poet). Ted Gioia's Substack is nearing 200,000 subscribers--that's very impressive. In the post the Pug discuss he outlines the demise both of art and entertainment by two new forces unleashed by Silicon Valley. It isn't a pretty picture. The guys respond with suggested spiritual disciplines that can counter the developments Gioia describes. Tune in to see if you agree!

Substack Article: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024?r=3mqy0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

How to Build a Family Economy: An Interview with Rory Groves Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

Today the Pugs welcome Rory Groves, author of Durable Trades, and a new book, The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It was Designed to Work. Rory transitioned out of a high tech career a few years back in order to build a family based economy with his wife and children. It took time, and there were many challenges, but he learned some important lessons along the way that he wants to share with people who would like to do the same thing. Tune in and find out if there's something to learn that could help you do it as well!

Find Rory at https://gatherandgrow.us/

Order The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It Was Designed to Work: https://a.co/d/gEjjDwh

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Against Christian Civilization? Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

Today the Pugs are joined by writer and editorialist, Bethel McGrew to discuss Paul Kingsnorth’s Erasmus Lecture for First Things. The Pugs found themselves both barking when they found disagreement as well as agreement, with a slight weight given to disagreement. We hope that you enjoy the show.

Paul Kingsnorth’s Erasmus Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3hMSZqatHI

Bethel’s Substack: https://www.furtherup.net/

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

Cloning, Sheepzilla, and Transhumanism Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

Working off a Breakpoint article on a Montana man serving time for cloning a Central Asian bighorn sheep and crossbreeding it with American bighorns to produce 300 plus pound sheep for hunting preserves (yes, it really happened), the guys get into a discussion about cloning, designer babies, life extension and attempts at human immortality, transhumanism, and other issues in bioethics.

Article: https://breakpoint.org/bioethics-and-big-sheep/

Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8

The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/media-podcasts

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