The writers and editors podcast of Ad Fontes, a journal of Protestant letters from The Davenant Institute. We don't just think ABOUT the sources; we think THROUGH the sources.
The Ad Fontes Podcast is a truly encouraging and challenging show that I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to. Led by the hosts of the Like Trees Walking pod, this "Protestant" intellectual platform provided me with robust explorations from a reformed tradition that resonated deeply with my own spiritual journey as a cradle lapsed Catholic. The mission of the Davenant Institute, which is showcased through this podcast, assures me that Christ has captured me in free fall and that there is purpose and depth in my faith journey. What sets this podcast apart is its serious yet vibrant approach, and as a Boomer, I appreciate the youthful energy and vitality the hosts bring to their discussions.
One of the best aspects of The Ad Fontes Podcast is how sincere, thoughtful, and well-versed the hosts are in the material they discuss. Their genuine enthusiasm for exploring classical philosophy and engaging with the Reformers creates an educational experience that keeps listeners engaged. The rapport between the hosts also adds another layer of enjoyment to this podcast, making it a breeze to listen to. It's refreshing to find a podcast that delves into conservative Protestantism from a richer tradition than what is typically offered by many Protestant churches today.
While there may not be many negative aspects to highlight about The Ad Fontes Podcast, one potential drawback could be its narrow target audience. As an explicitly Reformed podcast, it may not appeal as much to those outside of this particular theological tradition. However, for individuals looking for solid Catholic Protestant theology and engaging discussions on topics like classical philosophy and Reformers' ideas presented in a laid-back manner, this podcast offers an enriching experience.
In conclusion, The Ad Fontes Podcast is a wonderful addition to The Davenant Institute's ministries. With its smooth banter on important issues relevant to Christians in the English-speaking world, it provides listeners with thought-provoking content delivered naturally and inclusively. Whether you're interested in theological explorations, historical perspectives, or simply engaging conversations, this podcast is a must-listen. I look forward to many more episodes and the continued growth of this fantastic platform.
This week Rhys, Colin, and Jonathan continue the podcast's readthorugh of Begotten or Made? This time they discuss the relational and procreative good of marriage and how they relate, why IVF is Nietzschean, and what Protestants think of contraception.Timestamps00:00:00-00:09:38 - intro, recap, the unitive/relation good of marriage00:09:47-00:18:47 relation of various goods in marriage00:18:57-00:37:51 - why IVF is Nietzschean00:38:00-47:00:00 - Protestants and contraception00:47:10-end - what we're reading; spotlight; wrap upTexts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightOn the Death of Christ and Other Atonement Writings by John DavenantWhat We're ReadingJonathan: The Silmarillion by J.R.R TolkienColin: Leviathan byThomas Hobbes Rhys: Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts MusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
This week, Rhys and Colin are joined by Davenant House Groundskeeper Jonathan McKenzie to discuss the virtue of moderation. Prompted by Davenant Press's recent publication A Treatise on Christian Moderation, they discuss the philosophical history of moderation, how it relates to both physical and intellectual pursuits, and how it fits into the pursuit of holiness.Timestamps00:00:00-00:14:00 - intro; defining moderation with Aristotle00:14:11-00:32:57 - Joseph Hall and the civil war; physical and intellectual moderation00:33:07-00:46:49 - objections to moderation; moderation as an extreme00:46:49-end - what we're reading; spotlight; endTexts DiscussedA Treatise on Christian Moderation by Joseph HallSpotlightAd Fontes Winter 2024 print edition available now!What We're ReadingJonathan: David Pareus and Richard BaxterColin: King Lear by William ShakespeareRhys: Poet of Revolution: The Making of John Milton by Nicholas McDowellMusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
Recorded in August 2023, Colin hosts this special live episode with the return of Onsi Kamel and our most featured guest, Colin's brother Justin.Colin, Onsi, and Justin discuss a paper Onsi delivered at the Bay Area Thomas Aquinas Society conference on a Thomistic view of "place". Albert the Great, Thomas' mentor, saw close links between metaphysics and his view of place physics - a physics which we now know is outdated. What did he believe about place? Does it hold up today with modern science? Can we salvage anything from medieval views of place and metaphysics?Timestamps00:00:00-00:11:35 - theology and science; Thomistic physics and metaphysics; place00:11:43-00:23:51 - Albert the Great on place; place and form; what the sun does00:24:02-end four elements; is space relative or absolute?; why space mattersTexts DiscussedDe Natura Loci by Albert the GreatMusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
Happy New Year! Rhys and Colin are back together to discuss Made Like the Maker, the second volume in Colin's modernization of Thomas Traherne's Christian Ethics. They talk about who Traherne was, before diving into the nature of Christian ethics, what wisdom of "the whole" means, and Colin's provocative introductory essay to the book.Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00 – 00:08:31 - welcome; intro to Thomas Traherne00:08:40 - 00:22:10 - the nature of Christian ethics00:22:21 - 00:27:03 - wisdom and knowledge of the whole00:27:13 - 00:42:00 - the spiritual technology of Christian poetics00:42:08 - end - what we're reading; spotlight; wrap-upCurrently ReadingColin: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Rhys: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy Texts DiscussedMade Like the Maker by Thomas Traherne"Errantry" by J.R.R. TolkienSpotlightNatural Theology: A Biblical and Historical Introduction and Defense (Second Edition) by David HainesMusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
It's a Christmas special! This week, Rhys and Colin discuss an unlikely candidate for a Christmas story: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Is there anything festive to be fount in this famously bleak post-apocalyptic story? Much in every way!Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00 – 00:11:17 - welcome; introduction to The Road00:11:28 - 00:21:18 - The Road as a love story; Platonic forms; materialism00:21:28 - 00:31:54 - the Word of God; carrying the fire00:32:04 -00:46:31 the truth about the world; effeminacy00:46:41 - end - what we're reading; Davenant Spotlight, wrap-upCurrently ReadingColin: The Harmonian Man by Charles FourierRhys: Mystery in White by J. Jefferson FarjeonTexts DiscussedThe Road by Cormac McCarthySpotlightGive to Davenant's 2023 End of Year fundraising campagin!MusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
This week, Rhys and Colin continue their readthrough of Begotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan. Continuing through Chapter 3, they discuss the realities of artificial insemination by donor, covering the ethics of donor anonymity, and the motives behind AID verses adoption.Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00 – 00:19:08 Intro; recap; the ends of the procreative organs; representation by effacement or replacement00:19:19 - 00:27:29 - donor anonymity00:27:41 - 00:47:03 - is AID like adoption?00:47:13 - end - What We're Reading; Davenant Spotlight; wrap upCurrently ReadingColin: Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Defining Difference by Audre Lorde Rhys: The Road by Cormac McCarthy Texts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightGive to Davenant's 2023 End of Year fundraising campagin!MusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
This week, Rhys and Colin continue their readthrough of Begotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan. In Ch. 3, O'Donovan finally addresses the topic of artificial insemination, addressing questions about the ends of medical intervention; the differences between cure, compensation, and circumvention in treatment; and the ethics of involving a third party in the reproductive process.Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00 – 00:10:39 - Intro; recap; the possibility of artificial insemination by donor00:10:50 – 00:24:43 - the ends of AID; the multiple goods of the procreative organs; cure, circumvention, and compensation00:24:54 – 00:38:39 - ethics of the third party in AID; reproduction a private act; proxy relationships and their limits00:38:38 – 00:50:14 - the Patriarchal and Levirate patterns in Scripture; problematic anonymity of AID00:50:23 - end - What We're Reading; Spotlight; wrap-upCurrently ReadingColin: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky Rhys: Birthday Letters by Ted HughesTexts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightDavenant Hall Hilary Term Class Registration (REGISTER NOW!)MusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
This week, Rhys and Colin are joined by Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, to discuss his Ad Fontes article "When Rights Go Wrong: Simone Weil on Uprootedness and the Way Forward". Why are obligations more important than rights? What roots do human societies need to flourish? And is rootedness compatible with multiculturalism? They discuss all these questions and more!Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00-00:13:21 - Intro; introduction to Simon Weil and The Need for Roots00:13:31-00:30:52 difference between rights and obligations; Weil vs. the social contract00:31:03-00:54:14 the need for roots; roots and multiculturalism00:54:24-end - what we're reading; spotlight; wrap upCurrently ReadingColin: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass Rhys: Covenant: The New Politics of Home, Neighbourhood, and Nation by Danny Kruger Nathan: The Shining Human Creature by Thomas TraherneTexts Discussed"When Rights Go Wrong: Simone Weil on Uprootedness and the Way Forward" by Nathan JohnsonThe Need for Roots by Simone Weil"The Iliad, or the Poem of Force" by Simone WeilSpotlightMade Like the Maker by Thomas Traherne (pre-order now!)MusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download:
This week, Rhys and Colin resume their walkthrough of Begotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan.Having discussed "the psychological case" in transsexualism, they now discuss O'Donovan's account of "the social case". What are we saying when we refuse to admit someone is "in the wrong body", yet make social allowances for them? Should medicine be marhsaled in service of social problems? And whose job is it to make someone face reality? All these questions and more are hashed out this week.Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00-00:07:00 - Intro; Begotten or Made? recap 00:07:13-00:30:30 - "The social case" in transsexualism; reality claims; changes in trans issues; accommodation at scale; can you put the breaks on?; thankfulness for reality00:30:40-00:38:43 - Who is responsible for burdening someone with reality?; can we avoid the reductio ad absurdum?;00:38:53-00:45:23 - Welcome v. acceptance of reality; vocations of the body00:45:33-end - What We're Reading; Davenant Spotlight; wrap upNOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingColin: The Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sagahun Rhys: A Prefeace to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis Texts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightCommunicating God's Trinitarian Fullness by Joe RigneyMusicIntro and Outro:Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0sLink Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfnTo find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
We're back! This week, Rhys and Colin are joined by James Wood, discussing his recent Ad Fontes article "How Abraham Kuyper Lost the Nation and Sidelined the Church." They discuss Kuyper's approach to church and state, the critiques made by his forgotten foil Hoedemaker, and how their debates are relevant to contemporary debates about politics and the renewal of the church.Subscribe to Ad Fontes from just $2.50 per month! Gain access to our quaterly print editions and exclusive interviews, and support our work.Subscribe here: https://adfontesjournal.com/subscribe/Timestamps00:00:00-:00:11:09 - Intro and introduction to Abraham Kuyper00:11:18-00:24:16 - Kuyper on church and state; Hoedemaker's objections00:24:28-00:34:17 - Hoedemaker, a bridge between Reformation political theology and modern liberal politics; Christians and public schools00:34:28-00:52:16 - important dead Dutch guys; staying or going in compromised denominations00:52:26-end - what we're reading; conclusionNOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingColin: Starry Messenger by Galileo GalileiRhys: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen James: City of God by Augustine; Reformed Ethics by Herman Bavinck; TheToxic War on Masculinity by Nancy Pearcey Texts Discussed"How Abraham Kuype Lost the Nation and Sidelined the Church" by James Wood"Calvin's Complex Ecumenism" by James WoodAaron's Rod Blossoming by George GillespieThe Two Kingdoms: A Guide for the Perplexed by Brad LittlejohnMusicIntro and Outro: Midnight Stroll by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2gic0s Link Music:New Road by Ghostrifter bit.ly/ghostrifter-scCreative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/l7ldfn To find out more about The Davenant Institute, visit our website.
In Onsi's final episode as a host, he, Colin, and Rhys talk about the dominant force in American Protestantism: the non-denominational megachurch (or, to its truest admirers, "hot dog church"). Does Davenant do hot dog church? What are its strengths? How does it fit into the Reformation tradition?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon. Texts Discussed"Catholicism Made Me Protestant" by Onsi KamelConfessions by AugustineSpotlightSecond Annual Bay Area Davenant Dinner (Saturday August 12 2023)
The classical education world has experienced some healthy internal debate recently. Two significant features of modern education - an emphasis on diversity and the prevalence of standardized testing - have come into focus in discussions around the increasingly popular Classical Learning Test (CLT). Here, we repost audio of a Twitter Spaces conversation between Colin Redemer and Jeremy Tate, Founder and CEO of the CLT as they discuss the state of the CLT and classical education more broadly.Articles Behind the Discussion"Classical Education's Woke Co-Morbidity" by Matthew Freeman"Awkward Family Dinner: A Review of Reforming Classical Education" by Austin Hoffman"Revisiting Platonic Education: The Ever Shareable Feast" by Colin Redemer"The Ends of "Mere Classical" Schools" by Clifford Humphrey"Diverse Classics and Whole Person" by Jeremy Tate"Toward A Classical Counter Elite" by Matthew Freeman"Is the CLT going woke?" by Ben Merkle
Recorded LIVE at our 2023 National Convivium Irenicum, Colin and Onsi are joined by Pastor Daniel Doleys to discuss the sessions from our annual gathering, which focussed on "Christ and the Nations: A Protestant Theology of Statecraft". They talk about Schleirmacher, kingship, supererrogation (whatever that is), and more.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: "Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World" by John Philoponus Colin: "White Dress" by Lana Del Rey Daniel: "Divine Providence" by Stephen CharnockTexts DiscussedN/ASpotlightSynopsis of a Purer Theology
This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys answer YOUR questions! They talk about Onsi's problem with C.S. Lewis, working in a Catholic college, a curriculum for the classics, Protestant and Thomism, whether modernity exists, and why they've remained silent on the topic of fairies.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Book of Khalid by Ameen Rihani Colin: "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron Rhys: First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami Texts DiscussedThe Iliad and the Odyssey by HomerTheogony and Works and Days by HesiodMeditations by Marcus AureliusLives by PlutarchEnduring Divine Absence by Joseph MinichBulwarks of Unbelief by Joseph MinichThe Discarded Image by C.S. LewisThe Myth of Disecnhantment by Jason Josephson-StormSpotlightItaly's Forgotten Reformation (Register by Wednesday 24th May!)
How does our society perceive gender confusion? Continuing their readthrough of Begotten or Made? Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss what Oliver O'Donovan calls "the psychological case", one of two ways our society tries to explain the problem, but which he argues is fraught with insonsistencies.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Philosophy of History by G.W.F. Hegel Colin: The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques RousseauRhys: God's Clockmaker: Richard of Wallingford and the Invention of Time by John North Texts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightSubscribe to Ad Fontes to gain access to our upcoming Spring 2023 edition!
People talk a lot about "the image of God" these days, or the imago dei. But what do they mean by this? Often, it's not what people used to mean. This week Onsi, Colin, and Rhys talk about shifting views of "the image of God", the lack of traditional consensus on the topic, and whether you even need the idea to talk about human dignity.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Art of Bible Translation by Robert Alter Colin: The Nixton Tapes: 1973, edited by Douglas Brinkley and Luke A. Nichter Rhys: A Brief History of the Hundred Years War by Desmond Seward Texts DiscussedRhys' midwit memeDe Trinitate by AugustineCategories by AristotleSumma Theologiae I.91.a3 by Thomas Aquinas (on angels and the image of God)Institutes 1.15.3 by John CalvinSpotlightFirst Annual Davenant Award Banquet (Wednesday 19th April 2023)
Procreation is linked to the male-female binary. But how do we respond to that reality: with welcome, or resentment? Onsi, Colin, and Rhys continue their readthrough of Oliver O'Donovan's Begotten or Made? and tackle this question and more as they reach Chapter 2, "Sex By Artifice." NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Search After Truth by Nicolas Malebranche Colin: Mutlipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman Rhys: They Were Counted by Miklos BanffyTexts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanThat Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis"St. Andrew's Day, 1935" by George OrwellMan and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul IISpotlightRegister now for Spring Term Davenant Hall class! (Deadline 3/31/23)
Should Christian classical education teach Plato? Or any philosophy, for that matter? This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss Colin's recent Ad Fontes article, responding a to a review of his chapter in Reforming Classical Education. They discuss whether Christian high schoolers should really be learning philosophy, and why Christians who believe philosophical primary texts to be important should handle them with care.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Republic of Arabic Letters: Islam and the European Englightenment by Alexander Bevilacqua Colin: Discourse of Method and Mediations on First Philosophy byRene Descartes Rhys: The Dissolution of the Monasteries: A New History byJames G.L. Clark Texts DiscussedReforming Classical Education: A New Paradigm"Awkward Family Dinner: A Review of Reforming Classical Education" by Austin Hoffman"Revisiting Platonic Education: The Ever Sharable Feast" by Colin Redemer"Same-Sex Marriage and Constitutional Law" by Martha NussbaumRepublic by PlatoSpotlightThe New Albion - Rhys Laverty's new Substack (subscribe now!)
How did our society's view of freedom come about? And why would Christians ever have a problem with compassion? Continuing their readthrough of Begotten or Made?, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss these big questions, which ends up involving a surprisng conversation about opera. NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Passenger andStella Maris by Cormac McCarthy Colin: Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich NietzscheRhys: Stories With Intent by Klyne R. SnodgrassTexts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan"Wartime broadcast, 1940" by Princess Elizabeth and Princes MargaretThat Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis Meaning in History by Karl LowithThe Magic Flute by MozartFidelio by BeethovenSpotlightThe Shining Human Creature by Thomas Traherne
How should Christians approach Bible translation? Should Scripture be fitted into out native language, or should our native language stretch to make room for Scripture?This is a key question for Protestantism, which was birthed in the context of new biblical translations. Translations produced by Protestants, such as Luther's Bible and the KJV, have undoubtedly shaped their native tongues. This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys talk about different translations and their approaches.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Collected Poems by C.P. Cavafy Colin: A Secular Age by Charles Taylor Rhys: Richard II by William Shakespeare Texts Discussed"On the Different Methods of Translating" by Friedrich SchleirmacherThe Message by Eugene Peterson"Presbyterians in Egypt" by Onsi KamelSTEPBibleSpotlightAd Fontes Winter 2023 (coming Thursday 23rd February!)
Should technology have a role in human reproduction? This is the basic question tackled by Oliver O'Donovan's book Begotten or Made?, one of the 20th century's most important works of medical ethics, and recently republished by the Davenant Press. This week, our co-hosts continue their walkthrough of the book, unpacking its riches. They discuss what kind of art medicine is, why people seem to hate their own flesh, whether technocracy precedes technology, and more.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Tender is the Night by F. Scott FitzgeraldColin: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R TolkienRhys: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (on Audible) Texts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'DonovanSpotlightSubscribe to Ad Fontes!
Thomas Traherne is an overlooked figure from church history. But this 17th century cleric, poet, and mystic has grown in popularity since being rediscovered in the 1890s. The Davenant Press is now publishing a new edition of his "Christian Ethics", a rich Christian meditation on how God made man to live. Our very own Colin Chan Redemer has modernized the text, and so we discuss Traherne and the first volume of the work, subtitled "The Shining Human Creature."NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: A Farwell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway Colin: Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche Rhys: Shakespeare in a Year 2023 and Lectures on Shakespeare by W.H. AudenTexts DiscussedThe Shining Human Creature: Christian Ethics Vol. 1 by Thomas Traherne"The Birth of Secularity: Henry More, Metaphysics, and the Battle for God's Spirit" by Onsi Kamel SpotlightThe Shining Human Creature: Christian Ethics Vol. 1 by Thomas Traherne (modernized and edited by Colin Chan Redemer) - published February 9th 2023
Should technology have a role in human reproduction? This is the basic question tackled by Oliver O'Donovan's book Begotten or Made?, one of the 20th century's most important works of medical ethics, and recently republished by the Davenant Press. This week, our co-hosts begin a walkthrough of the book, unpacking its riches. They discuss definitions of begetting vs. making, the category of "appropriateness" in ethics, and more.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Diogenes Unveiled by Fr. Paul Mankowski Colin: The Passenger by Cormac McCarthyRhys: Miracles by C.S. Lewis Texts DiscussedBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan"C.S. Lewis as Sage of Modernity" by Joseph Minich"The World Was Not Worthy: In Memoriam Fr. Paul Mankowski" by Onsi KamelSpotlightThank you to all who donated to our 12/20 fundraising campgin! You can still give to Davenant and Ad Fontes here.
The workplace has changed beyond recognition. We live an an age of robots, offshored jobs, megacorporations and more. How can Protestant Christians begin to think about an economy that has undergone such sea changes? This week, Colin, Rhys, and special guest Joseph Minich discuss Colin and Joe's chapter on work and labor in Davenant's recent book Protestant Social Teaching to try and address some of these issues.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingColin: Commentary on Galatians by Martin LutherRhys: That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis Joe: The Irreducibility of the Human Person by Mark Spencer/The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor by Jordan Daniel WoodTexts DiscussedLuther on Vocation by Gustaf WingrenRerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIIISpotlightDavenant End of Year GivingPilgrim Faith Podcast
Do you smoke? The question provokes a lot of reactions these days, including among Christians. This week (still together live at ETS!) Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss the topic of smoking from a Christian perspective, bringing the Westminster Larger Catechism, Aristotle, C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien to bear on the conversation.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Healing by Ibn Sina Colin: "Tobacco and the Soul" by Michael P. Foley Rhys: That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis Texts DiscussedWestminster Larger Catechism Q. 134Prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring"Slightly less than two drinks" from That Mitchell & Webb LookSpotlightSubscribe to Ad Fontes!
For the tirst time ever, all three of our hosts are together IN PERSON! Recorded live at ETS 2022, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys sit down to talk about rhetoric. What are our words for? Should we use words to shape the world? Is truth a monologue or a dialogue? Using Plato's Gorgias as a starting point, they get into these questions and more from a Christian perspective.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Confidence Man by Herman Melville Colin: Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich Rhys: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Texts DiscussedGorgias by PlatoConfessions by AugustineSpotlightBegotten or Made? by Oliver O'Donovan (pre-order now)
This week, Alastair Roberts joins the crew to discuss his and Onsi's chapter on sex, marriage, and divorce in "Protestant Social Teaching: An Introduction", the Davenant Press's upcoming publication (due 10/13/22). The guys talk about how Augustine set the scene for Reformation debates on these topics, what Luther thought about marriage, Protestant views on divorce, and how Rome and the Protestants have influenced once another on this topic.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Heirs of the Apostles: Studies on Arabic Christianity in Honor of Sidney H. Griffith Colin: TheOresteia by Sophocles Rhys: Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales Alastair: Nationalism: A Short History by Liah Greenfeld Texts Discussed"On Marriage and Concupiscence" by Augustine"The Estate of Marriage" by Martin Luther"Commentary on Genesis 38" by John Calvin"Gentle Discipline: Spenser's Faerie Queene and Christian Elites" by Joshua PatchSpotlightProtestant Social Teaching (publication 10/13/22)The Anchored Argosy - Substack by Alastair Roberts and Susannah Black
Our very own Onsi Kamel has embarked upon his Ph.D studies, and is focussing on the intellectual relationship between Europe and the Islamic world in the early modern period. We take this chance to ask him what he'll be looking at, and what there is to be gained from digging into this neglected part of church history.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson Colin: American Awakening: Identity Politics and Other Afflictions of Our Time byJohsua Mitchell Rhys: The Exodus You Almost Passed Over by Rabbi David FohrmanTexts Discussed"Presbyterians in Egypt" by Onsi Aaron KamelSpotlightReforming Classical Education: Toward A New Paradigm
We're back! With summer over, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys are talking about the phenomenon of "going back to school." Why is our society built around this September rhythm, and the school year in general? Is it something that comes from Christendom? And how will it fare in an age where alternative online education options are becoming increasingly popular?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age,1798-1939 by Albert Hourani Colin: Warspeak:Nietzsche's Victory Over Nihilism by Lise Van Boxel Rhys: Perelandra by C.S. Lewis and The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore Texts DiscussedN/ASpotlightDavenant Hall Fall Term 2022 Courses (Register Before 9/11)
With Colin on vacation, Onsi and Rhys decide to talk about vocation. These days, people get pretty het up trying to find their "calling" or "vocation" in life - but they don't often realise that, in doing so, they're rehashing a foundational Protestant doctrine. Onsi and Rhys discuss how Luther kicked back against the medieval view of vocation, and gave dignity not just to our work but our other roles in life as well. But are there holes to pick in the Protestant doctrine? And is it still of us in a world much changed from that of the 1500s?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Koran Rhys: Piranesi by Susannah ClarkeTexts DiscussedThe Babylonian Captivity of the Church by Martin LutherThe Freedom of a Christian by Martin LutherOn the Estate of Marriage by Martin LutherLectures on Galatians by Martin Luther"Inhabiting the Places of Promise: Luther's Teaching on the Three Institutions" by Michael LaffinThe Doctrine of the Church in the Theology of the Refomers by Paul D.L. AvisSpotlightReforming Classical Education: Toward a New Paradigm (pre-order now, publication 8/2/22)
Colin recently wrote a provocative piece on the future of the university as an institution, and so he and Onsi have gone public with their longstanding personal debate about the topic. What is the university meant to be? What has it been seen as historically? Is it really in crisis, or just parts of it? Do we still need it today? And where does Davenant fit in?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Acts of the Second Council of Constantinople Colin: Thomism and Aristotelianism by Harry JaffaTexts Discussed"Creeds and Credentials: On Education and the Future" by Colin RedemerSpotlight"How Davenant Can Redeem the DMV" with William VegaDavenant DC Dinner Fundraiser
Marking the arrival of the Davenant Press's newest release, Serious Comedy, author Patrick Downey joins Onsi, Colin, and Rhys to discuss the republication of his work. They talk about the history of tragedy and comedy in the ancient world, how seriously Plato and Aristotle took writing, how the Bible changed everything, and how a post-Christian world is shifting in its relationship to its stories and acts of writing.There are some minor audio issues with this episode which means the standard is slightly below what would normally adhere to. Please accept our apologies for that.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: The Rise of Christian Theology and the End of Ancient Metaphysics by Johannes ZachhuberColin: "The Vial Poured Out Upon the Sea" by Cotton MatherRhys: "In Memoriam A.H.H." by Alfred Lord Tennyson Patrick: The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis by Leon KassTexts DiscussedPhaedrus by PlatoSymposium by PlatoPoetics by AristotleThe Gay Science by Friedrich NietzscheConfessions by AugustineThe Divine Comedy by Dante"The Beloved Icon: An Augustinian Solution to the Problem of Sex" by Onsi A. KamelSpotlightSerious Comedy: The Philosophical and Theological Significance of Tragic and Comic Writing in the Western Tradition by Patrick Downey
In another special episode recorded at our 2022 National Convivium, Onsi and Colin are joined by Tim Jacobs, Davenant Teaching Fellow and (in a surprise apperance) Evan Zhuo, our Davenant House intern. They talk about the unique vibe of the Convivium, the surprising appeal of Reformed irenicism among Baptists, Herman Bavinck's forgotten teacher, and the diversity of philosophical positions within the Davenant Institute.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently Reading Tim: Richard Hooker and Peter Martyr VermigliEvan: Lyrical Ballads by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William WordsworthTexts DiscussedA whole lot.SpotlightFoundations of Virtue: Aristotle and Aquinas (registration is officially closed, but contact us to see if there are spaces left!)
In a special episode recorded at our 2022 National Convivium, Onsi and Colin are joined by Sam Bray, editor of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (International Edition). They talk about Thomas Cranmer, the prayer book's development, and the nature of liturgy, regulating worship, and the endless debate about the regulative principle.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: A Perfect Spy by John Le Carre Colin: C.S. Lewis and Leo Strauss on historicism Sam: The City of God by Augustine Texts Discussed1662 Book of Common Prayer (International Edition)Spotlight1662 Book of Common Prayer (International Edition)
It comes to us all: death. This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys talk about the last enemy, discussuing what death actually is metaphysically, how different philosophical traditions like the Socratics, the Stoics, and Existentialists have said we should prepare for death, and how Christianity uniquely transforms our approach to death. NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Theodore Abu QurrahColin: "A Prayer for the Ice Age" by Marion Shore Rhys: "Death" by George Herbert Texts DiscussedCrito by PlatoRepublic by PlatoTragic Sense of Life by Miguel De UnamunoFear and Trembling by Soren KierkegaardWhat is the Hope for Humanity? A Discussion of Technology, Politics, and Theology by N.T. Wright and Peter ThielCity of God Book XIII by AugustineSpotlightUK Convivium 2022
Man is the rational animal - but what are the limits of his reason? That's this week's question. Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss the limits of human reason with regard to God, with some help from Descartes, Pascal, and Aquinas.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Pensees and Other Writings by Blaise Pascal Colin: "The Greek Ideas of Immortality" by Werner Jaeger Rhys: Autumn Journal by Louis Macneice Texts DiscussedPensees and Other Writings by Blaise PascalDe Anima, Book III by Aristotle (on knowledge)Meditation III by Rene Descartes"Descartes Among the Ancients" by Onsi KamelSumma Prima Pars Q. 12 by Thomas AquinasSpotlightNatural Theology by David Haines
Why is online theological education as exciting as an NFL draft? Davenant's Chief Development Director, Justin Redemer, joins the show again to talk about the first ever Davenant Hall Apocalypse - a special event unveiling the year ahead at Davenant Hall, and changes to our programs. The hosts use this as a chance to talk about the revolutionary work of Davenant Hall, and the state of higher education.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Collected Works by Martin LutherColin: Lycurgus by Plutarch Rhys: The Imperfect Life of T.S. Eliot by Lyndall Gordon Justin: Economy and the Future: A Crisis of Faith by Jean-Pierre DupuyTexts DiscussedDavenant Fellows LecturesSpotlightWatch out for our end of fiscal year fundraiser!Davenant Hall Apocalypse
It's all about the Council of Nicaea folks. This week, Onsi, Colin, and Rhys begin a new series on the Seven Ecumenical Councils, kicking off with the Council of Nicaea. They talk about Constantine and church-state relations, the power of "homoousios", eternal generation, medieval astronomy, and more.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Lectures on Romans by Martin Luther Colin: Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics by Thomas Aquinas Rhys: Reformation Theology: A Reader of Primary Sources With Introductions by The Davenant Press Texts DiscussedDefending Constantine by Peter LeithartNicaea and Its Legacy by Lewis AyresFrom Nicaea to Chalcedon by Frances M. YoungRetrieving Nicaea by Khaled AnatoliosSpotlightGod of Our Fathers: Classical Theism for the Contemporary Church
Dead languages are pointless, right? Wrong. This week, our hosts have a blast when they're joined by Ryan Hammill of the Ancient Language Institute, a partner of the Davenant Institute. They discuss the different reasons we learn ancient languages, whether they're for "normal" people, whether some languages are better than others, and more.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: THE BIBLE Colin: What Is Political Philosophy? And Other Studies by Leo StraussRhys: W.H. Auden: A Biography by Humphrey CarpenterRyan: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyTexts DiscussedN/ASpotlightThe Ancient Language Institute
Why is preaching not a sacrament? That's the question this week. Onsi and Colin talk about what Protestants mean by "means of grace", look closely at some different confessions, explore the Law-Gospel distinction, and meditate on the nature of salvation and union with Christ. NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Objections to Descartes' Meditations and Descartes' Replies by Rene Descartes Colin: Eudemian Ethics by Aristotle Texts DiscussedWestminster Larger Catechism, Q.154-155"Article V. Law and Gospel" in the Book of Concord"Of the Sacraments" (Institutes 4.14) by John CalvinExplanation of the 95 Theses by Martin Luther"Charles Hodge, Wrong About and the Reformed Doctrine of the Eucharistic Presence" by Steven WedgeworthSpotlight"Old Aristotle, or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Aquinas" - April Fellows Lecture, Thursday 8pm ET on Zoom
John Calvin, father of Presbyterianism thought Anglicanism was a wishy-washy compromise, right? Wrong - dead wrong. This week, Rev. Steven Wedgeworth joins the hosts to discuss his recent writing on Calvin's surprisingly positive appraisal of the Church of England, and what contemporary Reformed Christians can learn from Calvin's approach. They also discuss Steven's own move into Anglicanism, and what ministry looks like in a Reformed Anglican church.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Invectives by Petrach Colin: Lives by PlutarchRhys: "The Discourse on Language" by Michel Foucault Steven: Grace and Conformity by Stephen Hampton and England's Second Reformation by Anthony Milton Texts Discussed"Calvin on the Church of England" by Steven WedgeworthSpotlightThe Irenic Protestant Podcast (ft. Steven Wedgeworth)
This week, our hosts are talking about the Psalms. What role have they played in Christian piety and worship over the centuries? Why did the Reformers place such importance on them? And why have they lost their spiritual primacy today?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Deep Work by Cal Newport and The Intellectual Life by A.G. Colin: Surprised By Joy by Colin RedemerRhys: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory byJason Josephson Storm Texts Discussed"They Even Let The Heretics Keep the Psalms" by Rhys Laverty"The Desert Island Book of the Massachusetts Colony" by Rhys Laverty"Why Lewis and Keller Are Wrong About The Imprecatory Psalms" by Rhys Laverty"Don't Keep The Imprecatory Psalms At Arm's Length" by Rhys Laverty"The Return of the King? A Canonical Reading of Psalm 137" by Rhys LavertyThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterInterpreting Hebrew Poetry by David Peterson and Kent Harold Richards"Why Even Non-Christians Lose From Growing Ignorance About The Bible" by Colin RedemerSpotlightA Learned Discourse on Justification by Richard Hooker
In a LIVE special Colin is the sole regular host, and is joined (again!) by Justin Redemer, and Davenant's new Research Fellow, Paul Shakeshaft. This motley crew debrief on our First Annual Bay Area Fundraiser, and how Davenant is supporting Christian witness in a hostile culture.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingColin: The Age of Anxiety by W.H. AudenJustin: T.S Eliot Selected Poems by T.S EliotPaul: The Collected Essays of George Orwell by George Orwell/Boomers by Helen Andrews Texts DiscussedN/ASpotlightN/A
With a ground war in Europe filling the news once again, this week Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss the long Christian tradition of "Just War" theory. Rather than discussing current events specifically, they take a step back to consider what the tradition has to say, and discuss whether just war theory is actually of any practical use to political leaders.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age: 1798-1939 by Albert HouraniColin: A Grief Observed and The Four Loves by C.S. LewisRhys: Cezanne by Ulrike Becks-MalornyTexts Discussed"Just War In Ukraine?" by Colin RedemerContra Faustum Book XXII by AugustineCity of God Book XIX by AugustineLaws Book I by PlatoSumma Theologiae II.II.40 by Thomas AquinasContra Celsum by Origen "The Justice of the Present War Examined" by G.E.M. AnscombeBattling to the End: Conversations With Benoit Chantre by Rene Girard"Jesus and Pacifism: A Correspondence" by Myles Werntz and Andrew FulfordSpotlightJesus and Pacifism: An Exegetical and Historical Investigation by Andrew Fulford
Is there more to Tolkien than The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? You betcha. This week, Colin and Rhys are joined by Dr. Jason Lepojärvi to discuss Tolkien's intellect and imagination, and to preview Jason's upcoming course on the subject next term at Davenant Hall (register by March 25th!)NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently Reading N/ATexts Discussed"On Fairy-Stories" byJ.R.R TolkienLeaf By Niggle by J.R.R TolkienSmith of Wootton Major by J.R.R TolkienThe Hobbit by J.R.R TolkienTolkien in OxfordSpotlightDiscovering J.R.R Tolkien: Intellect and Imagination (Spring Term Davenant Hall Course - regsiter by March 25th!)
Medieval England - a land of tyrannical kings and popish superstitions, right? Maybe not. This week, Onsi and Rhys are joined by Matthew Hoskin, Visting Fellow at Davenant Hall, to discuss the Church in medieval England, stretching from Anglo-Saxon times to the Reformation. Matthew is teaching an upcoming course on this topic for Davenant Hall next term, and you can register now.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Selected Discourses of Shenoute the GreatRhys: Real England: The Battle Against the Bland by Paul KingsnorthMatthew: Pendragon by Stephen R. LawheadTexts DiscussedA whole lot of medieval stuffSpotlightThe Church in Medieval England: 597-1485 (Davenant Hall Spring Term Course - register by March 25th!)
What's the role of financial generosity as the Church moves into an increasingly hostile culture? To mark the first annual Davenant Dinner Bay Area fundraiser (March 11th), Colin and Rhys are joined by Justin Redemer, Davenant's Chief Development Officer, to talk about generosity and magnificence from a philosophical and church historical perspective.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently Reading Colin: Battling to the End: Conversations with Benoit Chantre byRene Girard Rhys: Real England: The Battle Against the Bland by Paul Kingsnorth Justin: Human Forever: The Digital Politics of Spiritual War byJames Poulos Texts Discussed"The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism" by Aaron Renn"The Power of the Catholic Intellectual Ecosystem" by Onsi KamelSpotlightChristian Witness in a Hostile Culture - 2022 Davenant Bay Area Dinner Fundraiser
What on earth is the Coptic Church? Most of us only know about the 21 Coptic martyrs of 2015, or about the Coptic Church rejecting the Council of Chalcedon in 451. But who are the Copts? Why did they part ways with the rest of the Church? And has persecution prompted us to reconsider if we're closer to them than we think? This week, Onsi (our resident Copt!) gets quizzed by Rhys and Colin.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Three Arabaic Treatises on Aristotle's Rhetoric: The Commentaries of Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes Colin: his own tweets Rhys: The Warden by Anthony TrollopeTexts Discussed"Unity Across the Chalcedonian Divide" by Lukas StockThe 21: A Journey Into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach"Cyril of Alexandria, letter to John of Antioch (Formula of Reunion)" by Cyril of AlexandriaSpotlightSubscribe to read the Winter 2022 edition of Ad Fontes
David Brooks recently gave evangelicals some advice in the New York Times about how to do evangelism. But should the Church take advice from the World about how to reach the World? Onsi, Colin, and Rhys discuss whether, biblically and historically, we should listen to the unbaptized about how we should do things.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: What Makes A Church Sacred? by Mary K. Farag Colin: "Why Your Friends Have More Friends Than You Do" Rhys: "The Impercipient" by Thomas Hardy Texts Discussed"The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism from Itself" by David BrooksReview of Silence by Colin RedemerConfessions by Augustine SpotlightDescartes in Context - Spring Term 2022 Davenant Hall Class with Onsi KamelThe Aristotle Seminar II: Phenomenology and Psychology with Colin Redemer
Family devotions can, for many, feel like a continuous struggle. Is there anything historically minded Protestants can bring to the table to help? Onsi, Rhys, and Colin get real about family life this week.NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Billy Budd, Bartleby, and Other Stories by Herman Melville Colin: Ressentiment byMax Sheler Rhys: The One and the Many: A Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics by W. Norris Clarke Texts DiscussedLuther's Small CatechismAlastair Roberts on Small GroupsSpotlightWORLD Opinions
What is beauty? Is it on par with truth and goodness? And why don't people who agree about truth and goodness agree about beauty? This week, Rhys, Colin, and (eventually) Onsi discuss what a Christian philosophy of beauty means, and get into the weeds of music, architecture, and some good old-fashioned exegetical debate. NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Synopsis of a Purer Theology Vol. 1Colin: Friendship by Victor Lee Austin Rhys: The Rattle Bag by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes Texts DiscussedAugustine on the pre-eminance of sight among the senses in Confessions Book X John Calvin on musical instruments as being of the Old CovenantDavenant SpotlightSubscribe to Ad Fontes!
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