Podcasts about genevan

It is the most influential book in the history of the world, a book that in many ways set the standard for what books would become, but it is also the book at the heart of a world spanning religion. It has never purported to be the words of God, but the result of a complex partnership between God and his creation, the result being a “divine words written by human hands.” This book is of course the Bible. On the grounds of sales and publications alone, it has been astonishingly successful. Due to a Niagara of translations and editions, dating back to the first centuries of the Christian religion, it has been a remarkably adaptive host for the ideas and emotions contained within it. My guest Bruce Gordon has written a biography of the Bible that focuses on its flow from the eastern Mediterranean into the farthest corners of the world, writing what he calls “the story of humanity's grasp for the impossible: the perfect Bible.” A native of Canada, Bruce Gordon is the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School. Among his many publications are biographies of the Zurich reformer Huldrych Zwingli, and of the Genevan reformer John Calvin, as well as a “biography” of the life of Calvin's most important production, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. His most recent book is The Bible: A Global History, which is the subject of our conversation today.

When it comes to watch manufacturers, one would realise that most of the big players are owned by luxury groups with multiple brands under their belts. But instead of that, our guest for today prides itself as the last family-owned independent Genevan Watch Manufacturer.  It is also part of the so-called “The Holy Trinity” or “The Big Three” in horology - a term that describes three of the biggest and oldest watchmakers in the world.  Founded in 1839, our guest Patek Philippe has been perpetuating the tradition of Genevan watchmaking without interruption for close to two centuries.  As a family-owned independent watch manufacturer, the firm enjoys total creative freedom to entirely design, produce and assemble what experts agree to be the finest timepieces in the world, amassing a repertoire of over 80 patents so far.  Being an independent and private company also means Patek Philippe was able to make certain decisions that were unimaginable at other companies, such as retiring one of its most popular models, the Ref. 5711 Nautilus watch.  But what was the rationale behind the move? And with Patek Philippe launching a total of 11 watches at the highly anticipated Watches and Wonders this year, what is next for the firm as it continues to reinvent the wheel?  On the demand side of things, a Robb Report article citing Watch Pro reported in May that Swiss watch exports grew 4.5 per cent globally, bolstered by a 11.6 per cent rise in the US. The showing was a reversal from the decline seen in March, where shipments to China and Hong Kong fell.  But what does that mean to Patek Philippe operationally and how long is the waitlist for a first-hand timepiece? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Deepa Chatrath, General Manager, Patek Philippe Southeast Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boys' final account of their amazing trip to Watches and Wonders is told to you in Part 2 of this "audio journal" chronicling this quite amazing Swiss watch event. In this episode, the boys mostly focus on brands which were exhibiting in other parts of Geneva, such as the excellent Time To Watches Show, and at the luxurious Genevan hotels Beau Rivage and the Four Seasons. But they do venture back into Palexpo, to cover a couple of brands who just had to be given a bit of the spotlight. Get ready for the lowdown and novelties from Jacob & Co., Biver Watches, Laurent Ferrier, Trilobe, Vincent Calabrese, Atelier Wen, Fears and many more.No CP7 trip would be quite the same without a funny story or two along the way, and their journey home was just as hilarious as their arrival.So listen out for the scoop on some great people, great watches AND the greatest watch show on earth.Buckle up and enjoy the ride as we conclude this monumental moment in time, in the Chrono Passion 7 Podcast's short but eventful history.Don't forget to check out the following Friends of the Show on Instagram and YouTube:Martin Green at:https://www.instagram.com/m.a.r.t.i.n_g.r.e.e.n/?hl=enMarko Koncina's Swiss Watch Gang at -https://linktr.ee/swisswatchgangSophie's Watch World at:https://www.youtube.com/@Sophies-watch-worldhttps://www.instagram.com/sophies.watch.world/?igsh=amQzMm9qOGN3MG45&utm_source=qrAleksWatch at:https://www.instagram.com/alekswatches/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/c/AleksWatchesDon't forget to check out the show notes on Instagram for a visual experience:@chrono_passion_7

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “I was given eyes to see societal ‘beauty' in a new way; ‘beauty' was exposed for what it really was. Totally empty and not beautiful at all. “I saw how societal ‘beauty' ran on insecurity and shame. And that it was all on purpose. Making women feel like their face, or body, or skin is ‘wrong' so they'll adhere to a diet or buy a product to ‘fix' themselves. In short, I was awakened to the black hole that is American ‘beauty,' its gravity impacting the minds, the hearts, the souls of so many girls and women.”~Melissa L. Johnson, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless “…the promises of the law are conditional, promising life not freely, but to those who fulfill the law; therefore, they leave people's consciences in doubt, for no one fulfills the law. But the promises of the new covenant have no such condition attached. They do not require anything of us; they do not depend on any condition of our worthiness but freely give us forgiveness of sins, grace, righteousness, and everlasting life for Christ's sake.”~Martin Luther (1483-1546), famed religious reformer “…our conscience must be instructed and prepared beforehand, so that when we feel the accusation of the law, the terrors of sin, the horror of death and the wrath of God we may remove these dire sights and fearful ideas from our minds and replace them with the freedom purchased by Christ, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life, and the everlasting mercy of God. Although the contrary feeling may be very strong, we must assure ourselves that it will not last long (Isaiah 54:8). But this is very hard to do. Therefore, it is easier to speak of the freedom that Christ purchased for us than it is to believe it.”~Martin Luther in his Galatians Commentary (1535) “Unless this freedom be comprehended, neither Christ nor gospel truth, nor inner peace of soul, can be rightly known.”~John Calvin (1509-1564), Genevan religious reformer “True freedom is to be one's true self, but my true self is made for loving, and loving is self-giving. So in order to be myself, I have to deny myself and give myself. In order, then, to be free, I have to give up my freedom. In order, then, to live, I have to die to my self-centeredness. In order to find myself, I've got to lose it.”~John Stott (1921-2011), English pastor and theologian SERMON PASSAGEGalatians 4:28-5:6 (ESV)Galatians 4 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Galatians 5 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hopeof righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“It is better to be hurt by the truth than to be comforted with a lie.”~Khaled Hosseini, Afghan-born novelist and physician “We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ except that we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own.”~John Calvin (1509-1564), Genevan reformer “Take heart sinner, and do not despair. Hope in him whom you fear, flee to him from whom you have fled…. Dear name…of delight, name of comfort to the sinner, name of blessed hope. For what is Jesus except to say Savior? So, Jesus, for your own sake, be to me Jesus.”~Anselm of Canterbury (1033/4-1109), monk, theologian, and archbishop “We obey God not because we are afraid of what He will do to us…. Rather, we obey Him because we are moved by all that He has done for us in Jesus Christ.”~Anthony J. Carter, pastor and author “To see the law by Christ fulfilled, and hear His pardoning voice,Changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.”~William Cowper (1730-1800), poet and hymnwriter “I don't believe it is wise or truthful to the power of the gospel to identify oneself by the sins of one's past or the temptations of one's present….”~Jackie Hill Perry, writer and hip-hop artist “Justification by faith alone frees me to love my neighbor…for his or her own sake…. Since we no longer have to carry around the intolerable burden of self-justification, we are free ‘to be Christs unto one another,' as Luther put it, to expend ourselves on behalf of one another, even as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us.”~Timothy George & John Woodbridge in The Mark of Jesus “My grand objection to the religious system still held by many… is, that it tends to render Christianity… a system of prohibitions rather than of privilege and hopes, and thus the injunction to rejoice, so strongly enforced in the New Testament, is practically neglected, and Religion is made to wear a forbidding and gloomy air and not one of peace and hope and joy.”~William Wilberforce (1759-1833), British politician and slavery abolitionistSERMON PASSAGEGalatians 2:11-21 (ESV) 1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Today on the Christian History Almanac podcast, we remember Theodore Beza and his impact on the Genevan and French Reformations. — Show Notes: 1517 Podcast Network Survey Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: 2023 HWSS Conference Livestream Signup Free 2023 Advent Resources 2024(May 3-4) NWA Tickets are Now Available! Join the 1517 Academy All Charges Dropped, Vol. 2 More from the host: ·       Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (gillespie.media).

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“[A]ccording to the world, life is like a ladder. At the top of the ladder is success, and at the bottom of the ladder is failure. Apart from Christ, we all naturally see life through this lens.”~Katharine Roberts, director and founder of Verity Fellowship “And amid such uncertainty [about our self-identity], we typically turn to the wider world to settle the question of our significance. We seem beholden to affections of others to endure ourselves. Our ‘ego' or self-conception could be pictured as a leaking balloon, forever requiring the helium of external love to remain inflated, and ever vulnerable to the smallest pinpricks of neglect.”~Alain de Botton, Swiss-born philosopher and writer “Craving human affirmation is a no-win proposition. Those who don't receive it are miserable. Those who do receive it only want more.”~Shai Linne, native Philadelphian, recording artist, and author “To have a faith, therefore, or a trust in anything where God has not promised is plain idolatry and a worshipping of your own imagination instead of God.”~William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536), biblical scholar and linguist “He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for the transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!”~The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (c. 150 A.D.) “Faith is like an empty, open hand stretched out toward God, with nothing to offer and everything to receive.”~John Calvin (1509-1564), Genevan reformerSERMON PASSAGEGalatians 2:11-21 (ESV) 1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

What you'll learn in this episode: How to know when to walk away from a purchase, and how to trust your intuition when buying Why you should always ask for a detailed receipt, even if it feels awkward Commonly misunderstood phrases dealers may use to confuse buyers How Jeff does due diligence before making a purchase How to navigate the many platforms where you can purchase jewelry today About Jeff Russak Jeff Russak is principal of Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers. Jeff's expertise in antique and 20th century jewelry combined with an uncompromising attitude toward quality, condition, and style directs the acquisition process. His proficiency in signed pieces and hallmarks is especially useful in identifying and dating each piece. In demand as a speaker on antique jewelry at museums and shows, he also volunteers as a guest appraiser for charity. Additional Resources: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com   Transcript: When it comes to buying jewelry, nothing is more important than trust. That's why Jeff Russak, principal at Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers, won't hesitate to leave a purchase behind if his inner voice tells him something is wrong. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how he vets his purchases and the dealers he works with; what red flags buyers should watch out for; and why a receipt is more powerful than you might think. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please head to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today, my guest is Jeff Russak, one of the principals of Lawrence Jeffrey. They are estate dealers located in Litchfield, Connecticut. Jeff has had decades of experience buying and selling. He's also extremely knowledgeable about estate jewelry. Welcome back. What are the mistakes you see people make, whether in the receipt, in the returns or not asking the right questions? What are the mistakes you see? Jeff: The mistakes I see boil down to trusting the wrong person. There you are, and they're showing you a five-carat ruby. It's fire-engine red and pretty clear. It's in a nice ring, and it's $12,000 to $14,000. I can think of a half dozen booths I've seen at shows that had jewelry like this. Well, it's a good deal, and they're going to tell you it's a good deal. They're going to tell you how beautiful it is, but somewhere your brain must be going, “I'm a little worried.” If you're a little worried, stop. I can tell you that those rubies were glass-filled. Of course, they looked good. Were they rubies? The GIA would call them a red, man-made product rather than a ruby. I've gotten a report on such a stone, and that's what they said. I think you have to listen to your voice. The less you know, the more wary you need to be, and the more questions you need to ask. The more questions you ask, eventually you're going to hear things that are going to lead you to either trust and buy or not trust and not buy. If I were a neophyte, I would be like, “Wow, that's a really good price. That's so much less than I've seen for similar pieces. Is the stone natural?” If they say, “Oh yes, this is an all-natural ruby,” I would say, “Will you write that on my receipt?” Then you have recourse. Now we're getting into federal law. Again, we're talking about someone who doesn't know. You have to ask questions to try and get a sense. It's like questioning your six-year-old who's definitely got cupcake crumbs on his fingers. You know something has happened. You're not quite sure what, but you're pretty sure. You want to give him a chance. “So, what have you been up to?” “Oh, nothing.” “What's on your fingers?” They're going to look at their fingers. “Nothing but these crumbs.” “Crumbs, really?” So, you begin to get an idea. The truth is there's no silver bullet for solving these issues. I tell my clients to decide what fun money is to you. For some people, that's $100. For other people, that's $10,000. If you don't want to become more expert in something you want to buy a lot of, if you're going to spend more than fun money, ask an expert. Bring someone in who's knowledgeable, who's an expert, and take it from there. I do that too. I'm pretty expert in a lot of stuff. When I buy a very high-end sapphire, I have someone out on the West Coast who is strictly an expert on sapphire. I will often send it to that person to have it evaluated in much greater detail than a lab report. I will speak with them, and they will walk me through tracing all those factors in the marketplace and how they relate to establish what a wholesale price for it would be, and even sometimes what a retail price would be. A small difference in color in a five-carat stone could be a $10,000 to $20,000 difference at retail. Sharon: That's certainly true. Can you look at a piece of gold and tell who the designer is or where it's from? Jeff: The first thing I do is look for the hallmarks. I'm deft with reading hallmarks, and if I don't know—just this morning, I was taking a picture of a hallmark I couldn't find anywhere. Our shop has a library off the main floor, and the walls are covered with books on all the various designers, on gemology, on the history of jewelry. Then there are cases, which are closed, and they're filled with catalogues, every Tiffany catalogue from 1951. We have probably 60 or 70 Cartier catalogues. We have primary reference material we look at and use, but the short answer is about a third of the time, I can look at something and tell you who made it. But until I look at those hallmarks, it's just a really well-informed guess. Sharon: Can you tell the age of something? If you don't know who made it, can you tell the age just by looking? Jeff: Yes, by examining the piece and taking cues from both the aesthetic choices the goldsmith made, but also from the resources the goldsmith had when they were doing the fabrication. That usually is what tells me when something was made. The resources often dictate the mechanical style. For instance, the French often prefer not to physically join pieces in necklaces. They have a particular way of hinging them. It's sort of a pin with a mushroom cap. When you see that, you almost always know that's a French piece or it was made by someone who studied in France. If it's a Genevan piece, well, the Genevans often studied across the border. There are a lot of clues. It just takes time to learn them. Sharon: The people who work for you or with you, what do you suggest they learn? Do they follow you around, or do you show them each piece? Jeff: I have a really knowledgeable staff. They know a lot. Truthfully, I tell them all the time that they know a lot more than they think. They get to a certain point and I stop telling them; I just ask. In the beginning, though, they'll hesitate. They'll say something and it's almost always right. They have good instincts. When they've handled enough pieces, when we've pulled the books off the shelf—like when I look at Georgian pieces, I don't just go, “Oh, this George III,” or “Oh, this is George IV,” or “This is early Victorian.” They look different aesthetically in many cases, but the way the mountings are made, for instance, changes in subtle ways over a period of time. So, I'll go back to a reference book, and I'll pull out a dozen pictures from each period, say from 1740 to 1780 and then 1780 to 1800, and try and make sure to narrow it down. Some people have that in their heads. That one still hasn't stuck for me, so I always look it up to make sure. And I have a photo repository. There are many museums that allow you to take photographs. I have extensive photographs of pieces from the Treasury in Vienna because they allow photographs. I believe the British Museum has a vast collection—I don't believe; I know they have a vast collection of Victorian. They allow photographs, whereas the V&A, I don't think they do; I'm trying to remember. So, we have those resources as well. We're always trying to learn, and we take staff trips to museums. I'm hoping to take the staff on a museum tour, maybe in London at some point because there's so much to learn there. Every time I go, it reinforces what I've seen before. Sharon: Are there tours? I'm asking for a personal reason. Are there tours like you're talking about? Jeff: I think there are some jewelry tours. I want to say maybe get involved with Jewelry Week, the folks who run that. I don't know of any. We would just go on our own. I know where to go and what to look at and which dealers to visit, the rock stars of our world. Recently the Vegas Show went on, which is a dealer-only show. I was standing in a taxi line with my creative director, and we just struck up a conversation with one of the Heyman brothers from Oscar Heyman. I had no idea who he was, and we're just talking about stuff. I didn't even know he was in the jewelry world. Then he said something, and I was like, “Oh, you're at one of the shows. What do you do? Who are you with?” He said, “I'm with Oscar Heyman. I'm such-and-such Heyman,” and I said, “Oh, wow! We love your work so much. We follow you. We look at your work. You have such an amazing reputation.” They're the nicest people. He was so lovely. He looks around like he's looking for somebody and says, “Did my mother send you?” There's a group of people who are fantastically honest. I would recommend anyone to buy their jewelry, to deal with them, to use them as a resource if you have a Heyman piece. You can get in touch with them, and they will help you. They're really an example of the absolute pinnacle of an exemplary firm, and arguably maybe the most important American firm today. Sharon: I'm surprised to hear you say that you go from high to low or low to high in terms of looking at jewelry. Jeff: One of the things I wanted to talk about was all the different ways we can buy. We have so many choices today as a buyer. I think it's confusing somewhat, and some of the choices open up the opportunity to confuse people on purpose. You have dealers. You have dealers who have shops. You have dealers at shows. You have dealers who have online shops and in-person shops. You have dealers who only have online shops. You have online gateways. That's like a 1stDibs or an eBay, where dealers have their own space on these. You have flea markets, estate sales, tax sales. You have auctions in person. You have online auctions. Now, you have guaranteed preowned. You can go to Cartier and buy an estate piece guaranteed preowned like you buy a guaranteed preowned Mercedes. A number of those stores are doing that. Then you have buying from a friend, a private person, The RealReal, or Poshmark. There are places where regular people have somebody else sell their things or maybe they sell their own things. You have Facebook moms' groups. You have Facebook Marketplace. That's a lot of places to buy things, but here's the thing: the rules for how you buy are exactly the same no matter who you're buying from, and the laws that control these sales are exactly the same no matter who you buy from. That's a hard thing to remember. If you're shopping for an engagement ring, a mom who's selling her engagement ring may not want to give you a proper receipt. She might not even know she's supposed to, but she may only sort of remember what the diamond weight was. Maybe she didn't buy a diamond at all, or maybe she was given a diamond ring and it wasn't a diamond; maybe it was a Moissanite; maybe it was a synthetic diamond. All the more reason why you need a receipt. I'm not even saying that anyone is trying to do something dishonest in this situation. I'm saying that you're spending a decent little chunk of change or a big chunk of change, and you have to protect yourself. The more risk, the more careful you have to be. I'm just as careful as an ordinary buyer. I have a lot more knowledge that helps, but I'm just as careful. We buy from other dealers, obviously, all the time. There's a psychology of dealers selling to one another. Even though we're dyed-in-the-wool retailers, we still sell very specialized diamonds. We have several dealers in Europe who buy very specialized, historic pieces from us that are worth a lot more to their customers than they certainly would be to mine. It's not my specialty; it's not my niche. So, I have all the same issues buying from another dealer that a regular person might have buying through a moms' group. It's the same problems and issues, and it's the same task in terms of making sure you're getting what you think you're buying. Sharon: Do you sell a lot online? Do you notice a difference in the questions people ask? Jeff: I'm going to say off the cuff that I think there are more questions from my online buyers than from my in-person buyers. I think there are more questions, and more detailed questions. I think they're smart. The online buyer does not have the opportunity to look me in the eye, doesn't get to see where I'm standing or a sense of whether there's an exchange of information. Maybe they ask, “How long have you been in business?” “Well, we've been here in Litchfield for 26 years. We own the space we're in, so I'm hoping not to go anywhere else. This is my ideal. You'll find me here next year and hopefully in 10 years, in 20 years.” Beyond that, I'm not sure I can say any more, but I think the online buyer has to be just as wary, but perhaps in different ways. Sharon: What kinds of ways? As to the right questions? Jeff: The questions I get asked a lot: I get asked if I could send a video of the piece in natural light because they're concerned about the color. You know what? They should be. We have great photographic resources. Frequently I will decline to let my team sell a piece online because we can't get a picture that properly shows the color of a colored stone. Even though it looks right on our screens, which are calibrated, it's going to look really different on a phone. Phone screens are the best. It's going to look better on a phone than it might even look in person. It's going to look different on different screens. So, I think it's not a bad thing to ask some questions. Personally, I would call and say, “What does this look like in person? Can you describe it?” That's a frequent question, and I think it's a good one. People ask about the guarantee. You and I have discussed many times that the 10-second lecture on buying online is all about the guarantee. You have to be guaranteed that you can return something you don't like for any reason, no questions asked. Sharon: If I knew I could return something without any questions asked, I'd probably feel more comfortable, at least on some of these purchases. Jeff: I agree completely. There are many situations where you can't return pieces that are online and where you can't inspect them in person. As dealers, we can deal with having a certain amount of loss. Maybe in this particular situation, you buy from them several times a year, and maybe two or three pieces aren't right and you have to fix them. You hope to sell them for something close to what you paid and you move on. People say, “Well, it's just the cost of doing business.” As long as you feel like you're doing well overall, then O.K., that's great. But I think if you have a bad experience as a buyer, as a consumer, I would probably not go back to that situation. I would try to find some place you trust more. Sharon: That's probably good advice. Jeff, thank you so much for giving us your tips. I'm sure there are a lot more we didn't cover, but thank you very much. Jeff: You're so welcome. Sharon: We will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

"Poverty causes crime. Racism causes obesity. Climate change causes mental health issues." Many of us may think that these kinds of assertions reflect recent irrational outgrowths of liberal thought. "No one would say such a thing 100 years ago!" -- Right? Actually--someone did. Statements such as these have their intellectual roots going all back to the 18th century when Rousseau put forth the idea that men are born perfect in the state of nature and it is society that corrupts them.  For this month's thinker Julie discusses Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau with Spencer Klavan, host of Young Heretics podcast and author of How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises https://a.co/d/eCxeWvZCheck out other Julie Hartman videos: https://www.youtube.com/@juliehartman Follow Julie Hartman on social media: Website: https://juliehartmanshow.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julierhartman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieRHartman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timelesswithjuliehartmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1686 in Geneva, a single mother named Jeanne Catherine Thomasset is charged with poisoning two young children: her own illegitimate daughter and the son of a rural wet nurse. So begins a harrowing criminal trial during which authorities interrogate Jeanne Catherine several times, sometimes with torture, to determine the truth. Sara Beam's The Trial of Jeanne Catherine: Infanticide in Early Modern Geneva (University of Toronto Press, 2021) is a suspenseful historical mystery that offers students the opportunity to learn about motherhood, child rearing, gender, religion, local politics, and the practice of criminal justice in early modern Europe. This edition provides the complete trial transcript as well as the deliberations of the Genevan authorities and relevant correspondence. Jana Byars is an independent scholar located in Amsterdam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

This episodes looks at the life of Calvin, especially highlighting his time in Geneva and a few of his most notable works.

Here's the second episode in our occasional series on lesser-known works by authors of acknowledged classics. We discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Letter to d'Alembert on the Theater. D'Alembert published an article on Geneva for the Encyclopédie in 1757 which included a recommendation that Geneva should have a theater. Rousseau soon took up his been to argue against his friend's proposal. “In so doing,” wrote Allan Bloom, “Rousseau presented as complete a treatment of the arts in relation to politics as has ever been produced.” This conversation includes an overview of Rousseau's remarkable career, an introduction to the context for the letter, and a discussion of the letter's many themes and proposals. We take up the question of amusements or entertainments and their importance to the political life of any nation. We spend some time on the theater in general and French theater in particular and Rousseau's understanding of what this institution does to our passions. The letter is a remarkable work in that it moves back and forth between general themes and very concrete discussions of particular peoples and their habits and institutions. Rousseau discusses Genevan institutions and makes proposals for new ones near the end of the letter. We look closely at his analyses and proposals and discuss his understanding of the relation between love and liberty. Other topics include: (1) why drunkenness is ok (2) Spartan women and naked marching (3) how to get rid of dueling (4) why actors are liars and should be avoided (5) why a Miss Geneva pageant makes sense but the theater doesn't. My guest is Pamela Jensen. She is Professor of Political Science Emerita at Kenyon College, where she taught modern political philosophy and politics and literature for thirty-four years. She is widely published on a range of authors and themes but see in particular her work on Rousseau, Shakespeare, and Ralph Ellison. She has a truly outstanding essay on Rousseau's Letter entitled, “Love and Liberty in Rousseau.” This can be found in a book called Love and Friendship:  Rethinking Politics and Affection in Modern Times, edited by Eduardo A. Velasquez.

To kick off Season 6, we welcome Simron Chopra, Chief Financial Officer of Patek Phillipe US.Patek Phillipe is the last family-owned Genevan luxury watch manufacturer and one of the most preeminent watchmaking brands in the world. Simron joined the company as CFO in May of 2021 to oversee all accounting and financial operations. She also works closely with the president of the U.S. market and is responsible for strategizing around U.S. business operations and managing both IT and HR functions. A veteran in the luxury retail and jewelry space, Simron previously held senior roles at Bertelsmann, David Yurman, and Lord & Taylor.  At Bertelsmann, she was part of the executive leadership team and served as the Director of FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis). Simron is originally from Canada and holds a degree in accounting and a minor in computer science from the University of Windsor. She obtained her certified general accountant certification in Canada and after moving to the U.S. also became a certified CPA in order to continue her career in a new country. Tune in to hear more about Simron's consequential rise up the corporate ladder and present role as the CFO at one the most distinguished brands in the world.This episode is brought to you in partnership with, McKinsey & Co. Discover McKinsey's latest business insights through their Insights App. For more episodes, visit us at southasiantrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes in your inbox and follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Youtube. 

Rick Doblin, founder of the non-profit organization psychedelic therapy research organizations The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and the who's who in psychedelic therapy discuss the history and use of "doodads."

On this episode of the Apologetics.com Radio, Dr. Harry Edwards, together with Lenny Esposito and Dr. Jacob Daniel discuss the major ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau which have laid the foundation for much of the self-centered, emotive, and blame-shifting behaviors of society in the West today. This discussion is based on chapter 3 of Carl Trueman's book "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution"

In the early seventeenth century, a group of working-class men led a revolt against their aristocratic rulers. Known as the Genevan Revolution, their victory saw the introduction of democracy in Switzerland. In this episode, Lexman talks to Matt Walker about the subalterns who participated in the revolution and their fight for social equality.

This is a little curio amidst the sermons, in that it records an interesting voice alongside that of Spurgeon himself. On this particular Lord's day morning, Spurgeon first delivered an exhortation from 2 Samuel 11-1, warning individual Christians and churches as a whole against the pernicious effects of spiritual lethargy, which leaves us open to temptation and prone to succumb to it. To those of us sunk in the inertia and coddled in the passivity of the present age, it is a needful word. Then, at the end of a sermon, Spurgeon introduces a friend, the Genevan minister and historian Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubign-, whose magisterial historical treatments of the Reformation remain in print, and are wonderful examples of the fruits of diligence over lethargy. Principle and example, blended by friendship, are at the fore on the sober but happy occasion.

A helpful summary of the Christian faith by Calvin's Genevan co-laborer.•••There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

This is a little curio amidst the sermons, in that it records an interesting voice alongside that of Spurgeon himself. On this particular Lord's day morning, Spurgeon first delivered an exhortation from 2 Samuel 11:1, warning individual Christians and churches as a whole against the pernicious effects of spiritual lethargy, which leaves us open to temptation and prone to succumb to it. To those of us sunk in the inertia and coddled in the passivity of the present age, it is a needful word. Then, at the end of a sermon, Spurgeon introduces a friend, the Genevan minister and historian Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné, whose magisterial historical treatments of the Reformation remain in print, and are wonderful examples of the fruits of diligence over lethargy. Principle and example, blended by friendship, are at the fore on the sober but happy occasion. Connect with the Reading Spurgeon Community on Twitter! https://twitter.com/ReadingSpurgeon Sign up to get the weekly readings emailed to you: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts-1/from-the-heart-of-spurgeon. Check out other Media Gratiae podcasts at www.mediagratiae.org Download the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Looking for a Reformed Church in Orange County? Check out Santa Ana Reformed; informational meetings starting end of October 2021! Please help support the show on our Patreon Page! Member of the Society of Reformed Podcasters WELCOME TO BOOK CLUB! Bruce Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. He came to Yale in 2008. His research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016) looks the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). In addition, he has edited books and written widely on early modern history writing, biblical culture, Reformation devotion and spirituality, and the place of the dead in pre-modern culture. He was principal investigator for a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the United Kingdom for a project “Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century”. He received a Horace W. Goldsmith Award from Yale University to develop an online course (MOOC) called ‘A Journey through Western Christianity', appeared in 2016. In 2021 he published The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism (Oxford) and Huldrych Zwingli. God's Armed Prophet(Yale). He is currently writing The Bible: A Global History for Basic Books in New York. Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College, and co-host of the popular podcast The Mortification of Spin. He is contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including the best-seller The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We want to thank Oxford University Press for help setting up this interview and providing us with the necessary materials to interview Drs. Gordon & Trueman! Purchase the books here: The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism Have Feedback or Questions? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: @guiltgracepod Follow us on Twitter: @guiltgracepod Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! Looking for a Reformed Church? North American Presbyterian & Reformed Churches --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gggpodcast/support

In this interview, we discuss the Genevan Psalter. Dr. Koyzis notes that, “The Genevan Psalter was a project that began in the late 1530s as part of an effort to make available to the newly reformed congregations a way to sing the biblical Psalms, initially in Strasbourg and later in Geneva. How were they to … The post Ep. 91 of KC Podcast, The Genevan Psalter with Dr. David Koyzis appeared first on Kuyperian Commentary.

In this interview, we discuss the Genevan Psalter. Dr. Koyzis notes that, “The Genevan Psalter was a project that began in the late 1530s as part of an effort to make available to the newly reformed congregations a way to sing the biblical Psalms, initially in Strasbourg and later in Geneva. How were they to be sung? Up to that point the western church had chanted the psalms in Latin according to the method ascribed to Pope Gregory I the Great (c. 540-604). The chanting of Psalms in course over a specified period of time had developed in the monasteries under the influence of the Rule of St. Benedict, shaping into what is known as the Daily Office or Liturgy of the Hours. Rooted in ancient Jewish usage (see, for example, Psalm 119:164 and Daniel 6:10), the Liturgy of the Hours consists of regular prayer offices said or sung throughout the day at approximately three-hour intervals (cf. Acts 10:9). In the Orthodox Church the Psalter is divided into twenty kathismata, or sittings, during which the entire Psalter is sung in course.”

This question was sent by Brigitte, and she writes, The variations of the Genevan Psalms are of interest to me. Can I find them somewhere together to come back to them? I enjoy following you and learning from you. Regards, Brigitte

“Greater eaters of meat are in general more cruel and ferocious than other men.” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Genevan philosopher, writer and composer.One of us eats meat, the other hates it - we talk about why that is.15 Minutes was created by Flav and Windy.Theme by Alexander Canwell (@lexandercanwell). You might know him as Engineer Al, or Flav's little brother.Produced by Flav and Alexander Canwell.Artwork by Mike Smith (https://mikesmithdesign.co.uk/).Contact us at 15minutes@15minutespod.com.Leave us a review (but only if you like it). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In his daily history slot on WLR's Big Breakfast Blaa,Eamonn McEneaney tells Ollie and Mary all about the experiment in 1782 to build a new town for Swiss clock and watch makers near Passage East in Waterford.New Geneva Barracks was identified as the proposed site for a planned colony for artisan and intellectual Genevan settlers, who had become refugees following a failed rebellion against a French and Swiss government in the city.Ireland had been granted a parliament separate from London in 1782 and it was thought that the creation of the colony would stimulate new economic trade with the continent. James Gandon, who designed the Custom House, was comissioned to create a masterplan for the site overlooking the Waterford Estuary.The plans for the colony eventually collapsed,however, when the Genevans insisted that they should be represented in the Irish parliament but govern themselves under their own Genevan laws. It then became a barracks following the United Irishmen Rebellion in 1798.

Daily meditation on scripture with NCSC Director of Spiritual Formation Bill Boyd. Today, 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 with selected quotes from Francis de Sales, 16th-century Genevan bishop

Genevan Psalm 45 (2 Notes Against 1 Organ Improvisation) by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising Genevan Psalm 43 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising Genevan Psalm 44 (2 Notes Against One) by Vidas Pinkevicius

Genevan Psalm 42 Note Against Note Organ Improvisation by Vidas Pinkevicius

Genevan Psalm 41 Organ Improvisation by Vidas Pinkevicius

Genevan Psalm 40 (Note Against Note Organ Improvisation) by Vidas Pinkevicius

Genevan Psalm 39 (Note Against Note Organ Improvisation) by Vidas Pinkevicius

Genevan Psalm 38 (Note Against Note Organ Improvisation) by Vidas Pinkevicius

John Calvin at Stake: Reconsidering the Genevan Reformer's Role in the Burning of Michael ServetusSeries: Learners' Exchange 2019 Speaker: Dan GloverLearners' ExchangeDate: 27th January 2019

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 31 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 33 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 32 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 34 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 30 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 29 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 28 by Vidas Pinkevicius

Improvising on Genevan Psalm 27 by Vidas Pinkevicius

REFLECTION QUOTES “‘The truth.' Dumbledore sighed. ‘It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.'” ~J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” ~George Orwell (1903-1950), English novelist, journalist and critic “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.” ~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and thinker “Before mass leaders seize the power to fit reality to their lies, their propaganda is marked by its extreme contempt for facts as such, for in their opinion fact depends entirely on the power of man who can fabricate it.” ~Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), German-American political theorist “Men will never worship God with a sincere heart…until they properly understand how much they are indebted to His mercy.” ~John Calvin (1509-1564), French theologian and Genevan pastor “…when we listen to the church today, at least in the West, we are often left with impression that Christianity actually has very little to do with truth. Christianity is only about feeling better about ourselves, about leaping over our difficulties, about being more satisfied…. It is about everything except truth.” ~David F. Wells, theology professor and author “If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” ~Augustine of Hippo (354-430), North African bishop “Sanctification is about living in ways that are consistent with what we already are in Christ.” ~David F. Wells in God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-love of God Reorients Our World SERMON PASSAGE Jude (ESV) 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

REFLECTION QUOTES “Whoever pretends to face death without fear is a liar.” ~Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Genevan philosopher and writer “O eloquent, just, and mighty Death! …thou hast drawn together all the far-stretched greatness, all the pride, cruelty, and ambition of man, and covered it all over with these two narrow words, Hic jacet [Here lies]!” ~Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), famed writer and explorer “Any position in which claims about Jesus or the resurrection are removed from the realm of historical reality and placed in a subjective realm of personal belief or some realm that is immune to human scrutiny, does Jesus and the resurrection no service and no justice. It is a ploy of desperation to suggest that the Christian faith would be little affected if Jesus was not actually raised from the dead in space and time…. The first Christian community had a strong interest in…the historical reality of Jesus and his resurrection, because they believed their faith, for better or for worse, was grounded in it.” ~Ben Witherington, New Testament scholar “…the historian . . . cannot justifiably deny the empty tomb…. [I]f we apply the same sort of criteria that we would apply to any other ancient literary sources, then the evidence is firm and plausible enough to necessitate the conclusion that the tomb was indeed found empty.” ~ Michael Grant (1914-2004), British historian and professor at University of Edinburgh and Queens University of Belfast, in his book Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels “No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.” ~Albert Einstein (1879-1955), famed theoretical physicist SERMON PASSAGE John 20:1-18 (ESV) 1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Hymns of the Reformation: Session 6

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is once again joined by Dr. Bruce Gordon. Dr. Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St. Andrews Reformation Studies Institute, before joining the faculty of Yale Divinity School in 2008. Dr. Gordon's research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His most recent book is John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016), which looks at the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). Dr. Gordon teaches and supervises graduate students in a broad range of medieval and early modern subjects and their resonances in contemporary historiography and society. In 2012 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich. Today Dr. Master will continue his discussion with Dr. Gordon in the second of a two part series on John Calvin. Today's talk will cover the theology and influence of the Reformer of Geneva.  So, grab that cup of coffee and meet us at the table! Just for listening, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free resource. If you would like to win a copy of Bruce Gordon's biography of the Institutes, go to ReformedResources.org!  

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Bruce Gordon. Dr. Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St. Andrews Reformation Studies Institute, before joining the faculty of Yale Divinity School in 2008. Dr. Gordon's research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His most recent book is John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016), which looks at the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). Dr. Gordon teaches and supervises graduate students in a broad range of medieval and early modern subjects and their resonances in contemporary historiography and society. In 2012 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich. Today Dr. Master will talk with Dr. Gordon in the first of a two part series on John Calvin. Today's talk will cover the life of the Reformer of Geneva and the second podcast will take a look at his theology.  So, grab that cup of coffee and meet us at the table! Just for listening, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free resource. If you would like to win a copy of Calvin by Bruce Gordon, go to ReformedResources.org!

Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. One of the main players behind the Enlightenment in not only France, but all across Europe.But this is the Dirty Bits-  so we’re more interested in the fact that he loved being spanked.

The great Genevan reformer has often been despised in modern times for his austerity and severity. Is there more here than the cliché suggests?

Vidas Pinkevicius's conversation with the Dutch composer Jan Karman about his project to write organ fugues based on the melodies of the Genevan Psalter. Also in this show Jan reveals his compositional process of writing fugues and gives inspiration and advice to students who would also like to compose fugues.

Produced by Tim Wagner. Written by Tirtzah Wilson, Tim Wagner and The Genevan Heathen

The Yellow Salon is the first room in the apartments on the side of the palace facing the gardens. It contains remarkable pastel paintings by the Genevan artist Liotard which show realistic depictions of children from middle class families. They contrast starkly with the typical courtly portraits of Maria Theresa’s children, examples of which you can see in the next room. There you can also see a portrait of Maria Theresa in a blue gown by the court painter Martin van Meytens. www.schoenbrunn.at | Download Tour-Guide (PDF)© by Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.

The atmosphere of this room, which served Elisabeth as a reception room, is determined by the white and gold panelling, pale silk wall hangings and the sumptuous Neo-Rococo furniture. The clock in front of the mirror has a second mirror-image face so that it can also be read in the reflection. Note the pastel portraits dating from the 18th century – they are of Maria Theresa’s children and were executed by famous artists, among others by the Genevan painter Liotard, whose work Maria Theresa was particularly fond of. The painting to the left of the stove shows Maria Theresa‘s youngest daughter, Marie Antoinette, in hunting dress. In 1770, at the age of fifteen, she was married to the heir to the French throne, later King Louis XVI, in a bid to end the age-old enmity between France and the Habsburg dynasty. Marie Antoinette was executed on the guillotine in 1793 during the course of the French Revolution. www.schoenbrunn.at | Download Tour-Guide (PDF)© by Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.

Catriona is tried for witchcraft and found guilty by a fraudulent trick. But before she can be burnt the Chateau is attacked by Genevan soldiers and this gives the Hospital Master the opportunity to get his revenge upon her.

This 92nd episode of CS is titled “The School of Christ” and is part 2 in our look at the Reformer, John Calvin.We left off with Calvin back in Geneva after being banished for a few years following a run in with the City Council. They realized how much they needed him to design the reforms they felt they had to make so they asked him to return and accommodated themselves to being the agents by which his plans could be implemented.While Calvin designed the policies enacted by the city government, he kept himself to his role as a minister in the church. Besides preaching and teaching almost daily, he served as a professor of Old Testament studies three times a week. He was a busy pastor, offering guidance in church matters and assisting the deacons in the administration of their task by offering sage counsel.While later nay-sayers cast Calvin as a kind of dictator in Geneva, that's certainly NOT what he was.  He was appointed and paid by the city council as an advisor. He could have been dismissed by them at any time, as he in fact was in 1538 for a year and a half. Don't forget that he was a Frenchman, living in Switzerland. He didn't even become a citizen till his last years.Calvin's authority was more due to his moral and spiritual gravitas than anything else. His influence was the result of other's acceptance of an authority gained from God's call. It stemmed from his conviction he was simply the agent of God's Word and will.  While there've been many throughout history who got drunk on the power-potion and became abusive, Calvin was humbled that such influence had been given him and labored to wield it in a manner that brought glory to God alone and would work genuine and long-lasting good among others.As listeners to CS know, I attempt to present as unbiased a presentation of church history as I can. But I will occasionally insert my personal perspective. When I do, I mark it off with a verbal parenthesis. One follows now …I'm not an adherent of Calvinism and Reformed Theology. While an Evangelical Protestant, I'm more of the Traditionalist camp in regards to my theological position. So while I disagree with several points of Calvin's theology, especially in regard to the doctrines of Election and Determinism, I recognize Calvin himself was apparently a man of unimpeachable character. God alone sees the heart, but from what history tells us, John Calvin was someone who consistently practiced what he preached. A good and humble man committed to God's glory and love of his fellow man.Later critics who fault him for some of what happened in Geneva during his time there make the all-too-common mistake of applying modern sensibilities to the past. They lack historical perspective. It is no more right to condemn Calvin for the failures in Geneva than it is to blame doctors during the Black Death for not knowing about germs and viruses. Like it or not, we are all the product of our time. It's the height of arrogance for today's 20 year old, sitting in the comfort of a college classroom, to condemn those of the 16th Century because they failed to live by standards and a moral code that didn't even emerge till many years later.The evidence tells us Calvin was a moral and spiritual standout whose sole flaw was that he could have been less intense, less severe. è So! It's at this point we must speak to a tragic moment in Geneva's history and Calvin's part in it.Michael Servetus arrived in Geneva in 1553 after having fled from Catholic authorities seeking to arrest him as a heretic. Servetus denied the Trinity, a position considered blasphemous throughout Europe in the 16th C. Servetus probably thought the Reformation center of Geneva would be more tolerant of his ideas. After all, the Catholics hated the Genevans too. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?Well, not in this case.Geneva was no more inclined to allow heresy than Rome. The brilliant but erratic Spanish physician was arrested but refused to recant. Everyone knew a heretic's fate; immolation = burned at the stake. Calvin wanted a less severe punishment for Servetus, but this was a moment when certain elements on the Geneva city council were at odds with him. If Calvin had pushed his point and demanded a lightening of Servetus' punishment, Calvin's opponents would have had ammo to use against him.  So Calvin failed to push for the lesser sentence his conscience told him was just. Servetus was burned at the stake, as were so many at this time in Europe.Let's pause here and take the time to dig down a little on this execution. As I said, a common fate for those found guilty of heresy. It all seem ludicrous to us today – that someone could be executed as an act of official state policy simply because they dared to announce a belief in something others didn't agree with. After all, freedom of speech is a treasured value of modern democratic societies. Radicals are allowed to say all kinds of things, and as long as they take no harmful action or plot to carry out violence, they can shout all day long. So it's difficult for us to understand a society that would kill someone simply because they held an idea others found offensive.Well, heretics were put to death, not because what they said was offensive – but because what they said was considered DANGEROUS. I'll explain it this way >>What happened to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg when found guilty of selling nuclear secrets to the Soviets? They were executed. Why? All they did was talk. All they did was pass some pieces of paper and film to others? How is that a problem?Well, that material contained information that allowed the Communists to build an atomic bomb a lot quicker than they could have on their own. This was at a time of the Red Scare, when millions of Americans believed Communists were eager to attack the Free World and take over with their evil brand of atheistic socialism. What the Rosenbergs did made most Americans feel profoundly less safe. They imperiled the lives of millions – or so the thought went. When they were executed, not many wept tears of regret at how narrow-minded and intolerant the Federal government was being.Now: It was be too late for what the Rosenbergs had done. The secrets were out and in the hands of the Soviets. So why execute them? Simple: A message had to be sent to any other would-be traitors and spies: This is what happens when if you spy on the US.Take that mentality to the execution of heretics in Europe during the Middle Ages and later. Michael Servetus didn't sell States secrets to enemies. But what he did so was deemed just as dangerous. He espoused beliefs that if picked up by others could, and most likely would, lead to a break-down of society and all kinds of social problems. And all because: Ideas have consequences. It was this realization that moved civil governments to hearken to the advice of religious authorities, apprehend heretics, try them, then sentence them to torture and execution. It told the populace at large, “Mess with what we believe and you'll pay.”Now, I'm obviously not advocating death for heretics.But, and this is important as students of history, it's crucial we be cautious about our tendency to have a knee-jerk reaction to the perceived stupidities of the past. Turns out in most cases, once we understand ALL the complexities that bear on a people's practice, the what and why of their behavior becomes a lot more clear. We may not agree with them, but we can at least understand how they arrived at their position.Knowing what we do about John Calvin, he likely wanted a less severe punishment for Servetus because he hoped to convince him to turn from his err regarding the Trinity to a more orthodox and Biblical view. Persuasion is better than persecution. But the Genevan council was determined to make an example of Servetus. They didn't want to become a refuge for heretics.Proof of Calvin's humility and devotion to the Reformation cause was that he drove himself beyond his body's limits. When he was no longer able to walk the couple hundred yards to church, they carried him in a chair. When the doctor forbade him going out into the cold air, his students crowded into his bedroom. When friends urged him to rest, he asked, “Would you have the Lord find me idle when He comes?”I don't want to give the impression, one easily gleaned from some of the biographies of Calvin and his tenure at Geneva, that everyone loved him. He had plenty of opponents and his popularity was a roller-coaster. Some tried to drown out his voice by loud coughing while he preached. Others fired guns outside the church. Dogs were set on him. There were anonymous threats against his life.All this took a toll on the aging Calvin, whose patience gradually wore away. He became unsympathetic and curt. It's said Martin Luther also became cantankerous in his later years. It had to be difficult getting old during this time. Hey, it's hard enough now! In Calvin's later years he showed little attempt to understanding the views of others with whom he disagreed, even less kindness, and definitely less humor, which was always in short supply.While he finally wore out in 1564, his influence didn't. If anything, it's grown massively. Calvin's ideas have been both blamed for and credited with the rise of capitalism, individualism, and western democracy. He was a major influence on people like George Whitefield and Karl Barth, as well as entire movements, such as Puritanism and today's neo-Reformed Resurgence.Calvin's central belief and the core of his theological work was the absolute sovereignty of God.  Calvin said that God was the “Governor of all things.” He contended that, from the remotest eternity, God in His wisdom has decreed what He would do, and by His own power, executes what He's decreed.This sovereignty is much more than a general guidance. Calvin held that the Bible teaches God's particular direction in individual lives. Not a sparrow falls to the ground unknown to the Father. He gives babies to some and withholds them from others. This, Calvin said, wasn't just a relentless fatalism in nature, but the personal decrees of Almighty God, who moves men to walk in His ways.If Luther's core text was “the just shall live by faith,” Calvin's was, “Thy will be done.” He saw the doctrine of predestination as a source of religious devotion. More than a problem of the mind, Calvin considered divine election to eternal life the deepest source of confidence, humility, and moral power.While Calvin did not profess to know in an absolute sense who God's elect were, he taught that three tests constituted a measure by which to judge who might be elect:1) Participation in the sacraments of Baptism and Communion 2) An upright moral life --and-- 3) A public profession of the faith.Calvin maintained that genuine faith resulted in a lifestyle of strenuous effort to introduce the Kingdom of God on Earth. Though the Christian was no longer judged by the law of God, he/she finds the law to be a pattern for moral character. People aren't justified by works, but no one who's justified is without works. The desire to be holy is a mark of saving faith and evidence of being elect. This determined pursuit of moral righteousness was one of the main features of Calvinism and provides a core theme for the Puritans.Calvinism's emphasis on God's sovereignty also led to a special view of civil authority. Luther considered the State supreme and the German princes determined where and how the Gospel would be preached. Calvin said no man—whether king or bishop, had claim to absolute power. He encouraged representative assemblies and affirmed their right to resist tyranny. This resistance to arbitrary power by monarchs was a key factor in the development of modern constitutional governments.While the church, Calvin said, wasn't subject to secular government except where church life intersected the secular sphere, the church was obligated to guide secular authorities in spiritual matters. Calvin's followers went throughout Europe as a kind of informal spiritual conspiracy to overthrow false religion and oppressive governments.Geneva became a beachhead established by God. It seemed a foretaste of better things to come and zealous converts left there to carry the vision far and wide across Europe.Calvinism remained a minority in France but, thanks to some converts among the nobility, the movement gained an importance out of proportion to its numbers. Known as Huguenots, French Calvinists appeared about ready to seize control of the country. So thousands of them were massacred on St. Bartholomew's Day in 1572. They remained a significant minority but never again a serious challenge to the Catholic throne. We'll come back to this sad chapter in a later episode.In the Netherlands, Calvinists united to oust the oppressive Spanish from their land.In Scotland, Calvinists created something unique in 16th C Europe: a land of one religion ruled by a monarch of another. That ruler was Mary, Queen of Scots, an 18-year-old who lived abroad. She married into the French royal family, and the Scots as well as many Englishmen feared she'd deliver Scotland to the French. One man, however, preached everywhere the notion that the people of Scotland could challenge the rule of their queen. That man was John Knox who we'll look at next time.As we conclude this episode, I again want to say “Thank you” to those who've visited the CS FB page and given us a like. And thanks to those who've rated and reviewed the podcast on iTunes. While people access the podcast though different feeds, iTunes in one of the most important because that's how podcasts are evaluated in terms of popularity. The more 5-star ratings we get and written reviews, the more it bumps us up in the ratings.Every so often I remind listeners they can donate to help defray the expenses of associated with the podcast. CS got hammered a while back by fraudsters making bogus donations to the site that ended up costing several hundred dollars, so we had to install some safeguards. As you know, CS isn't monetized. There are no sponsors or ads on the site. It's funded purely by the kindness and generosity of listeners like you. You can donate by going to sanctorum.us. You'll see the link there. That's all I'll say about that.