Podcasts about THM

This week, we return to a lively conversation with Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, hosted by Octavio and Claire back in 2020. Here, they consider the need for the North American church to break free from Western cultural captivity and embrace the diversity of our communities in our gathered worship and theology. Soong-Chan emphasizes the importance of diversity, community, and authentic cultural expression in faith communities. If this conversation piques your interest, consider joining him in the classroom this summer. He will be teaching "Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church" from July 6-10. Soong-Chan's BioSoong-Chan Rah is the Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Church Renewal at Fuller Theological Seminary. He holds a ThD from Duke Divinity School, with a primary field of study in theology and ethics, and a secondary field of study in American evangelical history. He also holds an MDiv and a DMin, with a concentration in urban ministry leadership, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as a ThM from Harvard University, with a thesis on the immigrant church.Dr. Rah has authored or co-authored over a half-dozen books, which have won many awards. These include The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity(IVP, 2009); Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church (Moody, 2010); Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times (IVP, 2015); Return to Justice: Six Movements that Reignited Our Contemporary Evangelical Conscience (with Gary Vanderpol; Brazos, 2016); Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery (with Mark Charles; IVP, 2019); and Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith (with Mae Elise Cannon, Lisa Sharon Harper, and Troy Jackson; Zondervan, 2014).Dr. Rah is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church and a member of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, the American Academy of Religion, and the American Society of Missiology. He speaks on the topics of the witness of the church, cross-cultural ministry, and social justice at a wide range of academic conferences, seminaries, Christian colleges, local churches, denominational gatherings, and ministry conferences across the United States and around the world.Regent College PodcastThanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social MediaFacebookInstagramYoutubeKeep in TouchRegent CollegeSummer ProgramsRegent College Newsletter

VOV1 - Tham dự Đại hội đại biểu toàn quốc Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam lần thứ XI, nhiệm kỳ 2026-2031, nhiều đại biểu mang theo những kỳ vọng, trăn trở và cả trách nhiệm lớn lao đối với chặng đường đổi mới của công tác Mặt trận trong giai đoạn mới. Ấn tượng với bài phát biểu của Tổng Bí thư, Chủ tịch nước Tô Lâm với các chỉ đạo định hướng cho hoạt động Mặt trận tổ quốc Việt Nam trong nhiệm kỳ mới, bà Trần Thị Mẫn, Phó Chủ tịch Ủy ban Mặt trận tổ quốc Việt Nam thành phố Đà Nẵng chia sẻ: “Tôi ấn tượng nhất với nội dung là cán bộ Mặt trận phải gần dân, sát dân và không phải chỉ ngồi nghiên cứu ở trên báo cáo mà phải xuống thẳng và phản ánh đúng với sự việc xảy ra để ý kiến của người dân đến được với Đảng, với chính quyền các cấp và kịp thời xử lý những cái kiến nghị vướng mắc của người dân. Chúng tôi cảm thấy điều đó hết sức đúng đắn. Sau sát nhập vướng mắc từ cơ sở rất nhiều, Thành phố muốn phát triển thì phải có sự đồng thuận của người dân. Việc lắng nghe ý kiến và sâu sát cơ sở theo ý kiến chỉ đạo của Tổng Bí thư là hết sức sác đáng”. Bà Trần Thị Mẫn, Phó Chủ tịch Ủy ban Mặt trận tổ quốc Việt Nam thành phố Đà Nẵng

Golden ThreadsLast July, Nick Jeffery and I put together a month long review of Rowling's work in celebration of her 60th birthday, a Kanreki party. Every day we posted conversations about each of Rowling's works with Nick discussing a ‘Lake' point, something biographical or bibliographical, and me talking about a ‘Shed' quality of the work, the author's traditional tools, artistry, and meaning.That worked great for about twenty days. Then we ran out of books. What to do for the remaining days of the month?We decided to talk about Golden Threads, the plot points, themes, and twists that run through everything Rowling has written. We started out with a survey of the fifteen-plus already identified by Rowling Re-readers and Fourth Generation types (see here and here) and then with more in depth looks at the ones that were controversial or more difficult to see. We closed off the month with the ‘Lost Child' Golden Thread and the possibility that Rowling's inspiration for the Harry Potter series was the trauma of pre-natal infanticide (‘abortion').As disturbing as that Golden Thread was to many Rowling fans and Feminist Gate Keepers, there was another third-rail string we didn't discuss, namely, the plot point of incest that readers encounter again and again in the Potter and Strike series as well as the stand-alone stories.Incest as Golden ThreadNick and I discuss the Incest Golden Thread on the fly in the conversation above about Strike-Ellacott fandom theories about Sleep Tight, Evangeline and the series finale. Here are some written references if you want to review them by looking at the books in question on your shelf.* Harry PotterThe foundation crime of the Hogwarts Saga is the abuse of Merope Gaunt by her father Marvolo and her brother Morfin. The abuse in question in this children's book series is not explicitly sexual. As with the abuse of Ariana Dumbledore by the Muggle boys, however, that Merope's father and brother violated her is there between the lines; her trauma is so great that she loses her capacity for magic (as she does after her Riddle lover leaves her) and the family does not send her to Hogwarts lest their shameful secret be revealed. No broken Merope, no Lord Voldemort, no Potter family murder and orphan Harry — no series. Though the Saga's foundation crime, the Gaunt family's abuse of its only young woman, is not revealed until Order of the Phoenix, it is the tragedy on which all the core conflicts of the septology are built.* Casual VacancyStuart ‘Fats' Wall is the adopted son of Tessa and Colin Wall. A teenager in Vacancy, he and Krystall Wheedon are the star-crossed lovers around whose choices and behaviors the ensemble drama largely turn. Fats at the end of the book claims responsibility for all the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother posts by means of which the secrets of Padford citizens are spilled.In the climax of the Wall family drama after Robbie's drowning and Krystall's suicide, Tessa reveals to Fats his personal history. His biological mother was only fourteen when he was born, an age that sadly means it is possible-to-likely that he is the fruit of incest. Tessa, a diabetic woman unlikely to carry a baby to term successfully, compelled her unwilling husband to agree to the adoption despite his mental fragility. Again, the foundation crime of this very involved story is incest, the abuse of a young woman by her family. * Lethal WhiteIn the first of only two Rowling books in which every epigraph was taken from a single work, the fourth Strike novel takes all of its headings from Henrik Ibsen's Rosmersholm, a play in which suicide and incest go hand in hand, especially in the White Horse finale. The novel parallels its epigraph source in astonishing ways.The Chiswell family has its secrets. The Minister of Culture hires Strike's agency to find ‘dirt' on Jimmy Knight and Geraint Winn that can used as counter “bargaining chips” to end their capacity to blackmail him. He shares neither what information they have that they are holding over his head to extort money and revenge nor what Billy Knight witnessed years ago. If Jasper or Izzy Chiswell had told Strike this information in the beginning, it is likely the pater familias would not have been murdered. The biggest secrets, of course, are about the sexual relationship between Raphael and his step-mother and the step-son's plans to murder father and eventually Kinvarra in order to be free to spend the millions he'll make from sale of the Stubbs. Not quite incest, a step-mother in bed with her step-son, but something like it.Rosmersholm‘s family secrets are if anything more disturbing. Kroll reveals to Rebecca that Dr. West, her adoptive father, was very likely her biological father as well. It is implied heavily that after her mother's death Rebecca's relationship with Dr. West changed from filial to sexual; Kroll's revelation about this is something of an Oedipus Rex moment. Rebecca realizes that she had been sleeping with her father and the incest taboo crushes her ability to accept Rosmer's overdue marriage proposal, a proposal for which she had convinced the ailing Mrs Rosmer to commit suicide.* Troubled BloodThe psychopathic murderer and torturer of children that the police and public believe killed Margot Bamborough is Dennis Creed. We learn in chapter 8 of Strike 5 via the Peg-Legged PI reading The Demon of Paradise Park that Creed was the incestuous rape off-spring of Agnes Waite and her step-father Awdry, a man who wanted to kill the child at birth but which the mother prevented (to her eventual regret). Awdry abused the boy all through his childhood, especially after Agnes' escape as a young woman (reminiscent of Peggy Nancarrow's flight from St Mawes). Troubled Blood is haunted by the victims of Creed's madness, all of whose deaths can be traced back to Awdry's violent sexual violation of his step-daughter.* Hallmarked ManThe mystery Cormoran Strike agrees with no little hesitation to try to solve is ‘What happened to Rupert Fleetwood?' Decima Longcaster Mullins, mother of Fleetwood's son Lion, believes her baby-daddy was the unidentifiable murdered man in the Ramsey Silver Vault. We learn before that victim's identity is revealed that Fleetwood fled the UK after he learned that the woman he loved was his half-sister and his son the product of unwitting incest. Rowling-Galbraith reveals only in the epilogue that Ian Griffiths murdered Tyler Powell because the young man was determined to rescue the young woman living with Griffith as his daughter who was pregnant with his child. Once again, the foundation crimes of a Rowling work turn on the intentional sexual abuse of a girl by a father-figure, here compounded by an Oedipus Rex like incest-in-ignorance episode. Incest Notes* Fantastic BeastsAs in the Harry Potter novels, there are no explicitly incestuous relationships in the Fantastic Beasts screenplays. The conception of Leta Lestrange, however, checks the ‘rape,' ‘power abuse,' and ‘inter-family' boxes of father-daughter incest nightmare. Her mother, Laurena Kama, was desired by Corvus Lestrange III even though she was married to Mustafa and the mother of Yusof. Corvus compelled her by the Imperius Curse to join him and, while she was under his control, which is to say ‘unable to consent or resist his will,' conceived Leta, who took his name as if her mother had been his wife. Leta unknowingly avenges the Kama family by her switching her younger half-brother Corvus IV with the Dumbledore baby that results in his death by drowning.* IckabogNick Jeffery points out in our conversation that there can be no more incestuous means of conceiving a child than the Ickabog species' parthenogenic reproduction. If one accepts that as incest, the Ickabog's death after delivery and the imprinted character of the Ickaboggle by its first contact post partum have to be read allegorically.* Cuckoo's CallingThere is no mention made in the first Strike novel of John Bristow's having sexually abused his younger also-adopted sibling-sister, Lula Landry. I'm going to include it in these ‘Incest Notes' because I think it possible that the man who killed his brother Charlie and envied his sister Lula ‘played' with her cruelly, which fostered her mental instability. I think this is more than imaginative free association head-canon because of Lula's successful search for and planned meeting her real sibling brother Jonah Agyeman the night of her death. Bristow-Agyeman, the false and true brothers, are figures of erotic and anterotic love in her life, so much that I don't think incest is a stretch for John Bristow, the unloved chick in the nest.Hogwarts Professor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.So what?There has been a real up-tick in speculation about how the Strike series will finish in its last two books with the guess work largely turning on how the Big Unresolved Mysteries will play out. The reason I've written up these thumbnail etchings of incest occurrences through Rowling's work is because several of the theories Nick and I are seeing in the comment boxes here and on the YouTube HogwartsProfessor channel are incest driven.To get that, a Serious Striker, beyond grasping that incest is a ‘thing' to expect in a Rowling piece like Bad Dad, Divine Mother, Violence Against Women, and at least one Lost Child, has to have in sight at all times three ideas that act as premises:* Closing Trilogy Theory: Hallmarked Man the first of a three book finale which introduces the main characters;There's a real split in Strike fandom about what to think of Hallmarked Man. The great mass of readers on Reddit I'm told and at least one Substack Sage believe it is “the worst book of the series,” a real stinker. Nick and I — and most of the Hogwarts Professor readers who comment on our posts and conversations — in contrast think it is a brilliant book, one that may eventually be considered one of the best in the Strellacott decalogy.The difference is that the one group reads Strike 8 as if it were just like the first seven books in the series, i.e., a stand alone mystery whose cast of characters will in large part disappear from the stage before the next book begins. That working assumption makes the extraordinarily large cast of players in Hallmarked Man and the five different story-lines just with respect to whom the silver vault corpse might be, not to mention the Strike-Ellacott romance and over arching mysteries clues seem a confusing pile-up of plot points and people, few of which made this book fun-to-read. The author seems like she just lost control of the story and threw everything that occurred to her into the story and cut none of it out.Our working theory disagrees with that Just-Like-All-the-Others assumption and finds the possibility that Rowling has just lost her way very unlikely. Having just finished charting each of Strike 8's chapter sets or ‘Parts' and found that each is an intricate ring, as well as those Parts working as a ring, too, believing that the author is asleep at the wheel seems borderline preposterous.We think that the first seven books, each written playfully on the model of its Harry Potter numeric counterpart, are a closed set — and that the last three books in the ten book series are being written as a trilogy in which the Great Mysteries introduced in the first seven will be resolved.Hallmarked Man, as the first book in this three part series, is burdened with introducing all the principal players of this extended finale inside a book whose mystery allows their appearance and character reveal without pointing too obviously to their part in the upcoming drama. Hence Tara, Dino, Valentine, Ralph Lawrence, Sacha, and at long last Rokeby playing the roles they do in this book.* Trilogy will resolve at last the Leda Margaret, Charlotte, and Strike/Ellacott story line mysteries; The end of Strike 10 seems to be a hard stop according to Rowling. She is obliged, consequently, in the next two books to give her readers satisfaction on the many hanging threads in the series, most notably:* The story of Strike's conception, the IED explosion, and his SIB medal;* Peggy Nancarrow, a.k.a., Leda Strike, why she left St Mawes as she did, why she raised her children as she did, and all the circumstances of her seeming suicide (Where's Switch?); and* Charlotte Campbell-Ross, sometimes referred to as the Honorable Milady Bezerko, and the baby she claims to have conceived with Strike, her backstage efforts to upend Strike's relationship with Robin, her break-up with the hotelier billionaire, her suicide note, and, echoing Leda, the circumstances of her seeming suicide.That's the shortest of lists obviously with nothing about Murphy or Robin or the host of other key players in the series. Given the ending of Hallmarked Man, I'm very much inclined to think that Sleep Tight, Evangeline's mystery will turn on where Robin went after Strike's proposal on the stairs which will necessarily involve Murphy, and, forgive me, many of the players from Strike 8 as Rowling-Galbraith begins rolling out the stunning twists hidden beneath the surface of Strike 8. All those fun confrontations with Charlotte's bizarro family, from Emilia at the end of Grave to Tara, Dino, Valentine, and Sacha? My bet is we'll learn in the next books how much Strike and Ellacott missed in their meetings with each.* Serious Strikers think incest is at the heart of the Strike, Nancarrow, and Campbell mysteries.Leda's Conception* Ted's Daughter with an Unknown WomenA real stretch, I know, but Ted, per the invaluable Cormoran Strike Timeline, was fourteen years older than his younger sister Peggy. If you think it inconceivable that Ted was Leda's father, you either imagine that just-barely-teenage boys cannot sire children (see George Hamilton's life for his sexcapades at age twelve with his stepmother) or you make nothing of the fact that Trevik gave up his daughter for his mother's upbringing when his wife died. Perhaps the cause of the Nancarrow house nightmare and Ted's departure for the Army “lest murder be done” was because, a la Hamilton, Leda's mother was not a young lass with whom Ted met outside The Victory but Trevik's abused wife, Ted's own mother. Which is to say he was both Leda's brother and biological father. Hence the otherwise almost inexplicable relationship of Ted, his barren wife, and Peggy-Leda. Just sayin'!Strike's conception:* Son of Leda and Ted;Leda is 23, give or take a year, at Strike's conception early in 1974 and her older brother is 37 and married to Joan who cannot have children. It's possible that Ted is Cormoran's dad, just as Joan is delighted to hear Strike say he is in Troubled Blood, the only barrier being our being told repeatedly that Ted was a “proper man.” Perhaps that repeated telling is a marker that he wasn't always that proper but did his best to set his sister (daughter?) up well with the Rokeby paternity evidence. See ‘Uncle Ted It' for more speculation along these lines.* Son of Leda and Trevik Nancarrow;I'm thinking that if Rowling is pointing to an incest relationship in the Nancarrow family it isn't with “proper man” Ted, the long-suffering and ever vigilant older brother but to the “pure terror” and “hard-drinking” man despised by sister and brother. You'll forgive for thinking that anything to which Rowling-Galbraith is clearly hopeful her readers will believe is not the surprise ending of her ten book series.* Rokeby deception If Strike's or Leda's conception was incestuous, especially if Ted was the father of either, then Rokeby was deceived about his parentage, I presume with Ted's SIB-driven assistance. The best motivation I have read about why Leda was murdered and her death staged as a seeming suicide, beyond even the Mad Guillespie theories, is that she tired of this deception, hence her refusal to accept Rokeby's child support, and intended to tell Cormoran who his father really was. So Ted killed her. Charlotte Conception and Abuse by Father, Relations with Half-Brother:* Tara and Dino's DaughterFiona wrote to me privately to share her theory that Dino is not only the father of Valentine, Cosima, Decima, and Rupert, but also of Charlotte:In response to a post by Cheryl Rose Orrocks on 17 Feb 2026, my current theory is that Dino Longcaster is Charlotte's father and that his son, Valentine Longcaster, will be revealed as her abuser and the possible biological father of Charlotte's children. Hence the 2nd incest storyline will also involve the Longcaster family. This could be why Charlotte's mother, Tara, despised Charlotte so much.If Jago Ross is somehow linked to the matter of the DNA test involving Bijou and Strike, it may be because he had Charlotte's birth children DNA tested to confirm parentage. Maybe Jago discovers he is not the biological father and assumes Strike is, hence the reason he wants to obtain Strike's DNA results.This would need a whole longish post to unfurl but the high points of Fiona's idea is that, just as with the Fleetwoods, Dino impregnated Campbell's wife Tara unknown to the father. When the Campbells divorced (he doesn't seem to have found out?), Dino then became Charlotte's stepfather in addition to being her biological father.And maybe even the father of her children that she claimed were Cormoran's and Jago's? Whew.* Dino's Sexual AbuseRubes posted her theory on a thread here on 3 March that Dino Longcaster abused Charlotte his step-daughter after his marriage to her then mother, Tara Campbell Longcaster:I think Charlotte got involved with Dino as a teenager (whether willingly or not). That is why she ran away and attempted to kill herself. She told her mother who disbelieved her or knew and it is the source of their conflict. Dino was also maybe the stepfather that tried to have her committed.Dino and his daughter [Cosima] gave me Ivanka and Donald Trump vibes. Maybe he sublimated that incestuous desire with young Charlotte. He is also obsessed with looks and perfection and we know Charlotte as Venus is the epitome of beautyI think Charlotte either extorted him all these years or else continued the on-and-off affair so he would help support her lifestyle.He might even be the father of the twins. It would support both the false paternity and incest themes in THM. We also have multiple examples of (step)fathers grooming/abusing their stepdaughters throughout the series.* Valentine or Sacha relations; Strike child, Ross twinsBoth the ‘Dino Did Her' theories suggest in turn that, a la the Brockbank twins Noel and Holly, the Longcaster and Legard half-siblings Valentine and Sacha had sexual relationships with their beloved swinging sis Charlotte. Either man could be the father of the mystery baby she told Strike was theirs and either one could also be the baby daddy of Jago Ross' supposed twins.As Fiona suggests, if the results of Bijou's DNA testing of Strike winds up in Ross' hands — perhaps Rowling makes the whole effort Ross-inspired after he discovers the twins are not his? — he is the one who reveals to Strike that neither of them was the father of Charlotte's only children. If so, I look forward to reading how Rowling has Strike or Robin connect the dots with the incestuous Campbell-Legard-Longcaster family love-pit.ConclusionsDoes incest tie up all the loose threads in this series? No way. I suppose incest or at least cousin-marriage is a way of life in Afghanistan but I don't see how incest explains for us all the questions surrounding the IED blast.But with respect to the several conception questions we've been straddled with, incest definitely throws up some fascinating possibilities (and ‘throws up' reflects the nausea inducing aspects of this viscerally felt taboo). If you accept the Finishing Trilogy Idea and its corollary that all the mysteries will be resolved in the last three books and that Hallmarked Man has given us our cast of characters, then the possibility that the soft-incest of Decima and Rupert with its sort of happy ending in Strike 8 was an introit to an inbreeding heavy finish in the last two books.Please share your thoughts in the comment boxes below about these theories and about my conversation with Nick in the video above!Hogwarts Professor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Is Fiber Really the “New Protein”? + Perimenopause Fatigue, Microplastics in Tea & More | THM Podcast The wellness world is buzzing about fiber - but is it really the new protein? Pearl and Serene are setting the record straight. Spoiler: protein is still king and fiber is queen, and you need BOTH reigning together for all-day energy, steady blood sugar, and happy digestion. In this episode we cover:

In today's episode, I am speaking with James "Jim" Nogalski and Mark Biddle about their book Murder in the Tidwell Building. This is a rare treat for us as one of our very own Baylor Religion professors has written a crime novel set in the Religion Department's building. A skeleton is found in 2020 in Waco, Texas, on the campus ofBaylor University during the renovation of the Tidwell Bible Building, which houses Baylor's Department of Religion. During demolition, workers uncover the skeleton of a man who had been murdered fifteen years earlier. Suspicionquickly falls on three members of the Department of Religion, including two who are now high-level administrators of the university. All three have something to hide. Two detectives meticulously and creatively pursue the killer, despite encountering bureaucratic resistance from the higher echelons of administrators in the Waco Police Department and Baylor University.Jim Nogalski joined the faculty of the Religion Departmentat Baylor in the fall of 2007 after teaching at institutions in South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, and North Carolina. Nogalski is best known for his ongoing work in prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible, and especially in the Book of the Twelve (Hosea through Malachi). Nogalski grew up in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. After graduating Samford University he completed a Master of Divinity degree at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentuckybefore completing a Master of Theology in Old Testament at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Rüschlikon (a suburb of Zurich), and his doctoral degree at the University of Zurich. He publishes regularly on prophetic literature, especially the Book of the Twelve. Dr. Biddle received his early education in the publicschools of Orlando, FL and Ft. Payne, AL. He holds a BAH from Samford University (Birmingham, AL), an MDiv from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), a ThM from Rueschlikon Baptist Theological Seminary (Rueschlikon, Switzerland), and a DrTheol from the University of Zurich(Zurich, Switzerland). Dr. Biddle began his teaching career at Carson Newman College (now University), where he also directed the Honors Program. After almost a decade, he joined the faculty of the Baptist Theological Seminary atRichmond as Professor of Old Testament, soon to become the Russell T. Cherry Professor there and to continue until the unfortunate closing of the school.Along the way, Biddle has taught adjunctively for SBTS, the Polish Baptist Theological Seminary in Warsaw-Radosc, and, currently, Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.Dr. Biddle has published seven books, over forty articles, eleven translated volumes (from German to English), and scores of book reviews. He serves on the editorial board ofthe Review & Expositor, having served for two years as Associate Editor and seven as Managing Editor. He also serves on the editorial board of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary and is General Editor of the Reading the Old Testament series. He served for five years on the advisory board of Interpretation and as Issue Editor for R&E's volumes on “Genesis,” “Song of Songs,” “Apocalyptic Literature,”“Transitions,”and “Esther” (forthcoming).  

The Barbara Noojin Walthall Bible Study Fund was established by the Walthall family following Barbara's untimely death from breast cancer at age 61 in 2002 with a gift to the IPC Foundation. Barbara was a leader at IPC, in the community, and in business. This year's scholar will be Rev. Dr. Anna M. V. Bowden, Associate Professor of New Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Anna holds a PhD in New Testament and Early Christian Literature and a ThM in Hebrew Bible from Brite Divinity School, a MDiv from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a BA in Religion from Baylor University. Anna has taught classes in religious studies, biblical interpretation, and biblical languages at Albion College, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Nazareth College, Monroe Community College, and Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School. She has also Zoomed in to several classes at IPC this past year and was extremely well received. She will preach at the 8:45 and 11 am services, and a replay will be shown at the 5 pm Table worship service. She will also lead Sunday School at 10 am. Her topic will be Women in the New Testament.

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We've got huge, huge, huge news… and it comes in a small package. Our brand-new book is up for pre-order, and it's only 160 pages. Don't raise an eyebrow. This is the 'primer you've been waiting for', all our best Trim Healthy wisdom, but packaged into practical daily skills that make healthy living feel doable again. It's called Seven Skills to Lasting Health, and we did something fun: seven mini-podcasts (one for each skill) so you can start living the skills now—way before the book lands. Because the book doesn't drop until June, and we wanted you equipped, ready, and already seeing wins. And yes—we didn't just toss in a few recipes and call it a day. There are 21 recipes in the book, plus professionally filmed recipe videos when you pre-order (big lighting, big cameras… are you proud of us? We're proud of us). If you've been a THM vet, this will refresh your rhythm and make you go, 'Oh my goodness… It's been this simple all along.' If you're newer—or you've got a friend you've been afraid to hand a 'big book' to. This is the perfect share without anybody thinking you joined a cult on the hilltop. In today's episode, we also get into a hot topic: Blue Zones—those pockets around the world where people live long, strong, and surprisingly carby lives. We break down what they actually eat (spoiler: it's not the standard American carb chaos), why fermented foods matter so much, what protein looks like “the longevity way,” and why walking is wonderful… but not the whole story. And then we wrap it all up with the secret sauce nobody wants to talk about until they're tired and honest: community—the kind that keeps you alive, even when it comes with quirks, sparks, and learning how to love people anyway. So come hang with us—Pearl, Serene, and Danny—while we broadcast the rebel signal for better health to every home… and maybe become 'blue zoners' wherever you live. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA: Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean Douglas Sweeney sits down with ThM students Daniel Lee and Jonathan Fletcher. Jonathan also serves as the program assistant for Beeson's Global Center, while Daniel serves as the program manager for Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts.

In this episode, we brought in the very special Coach Amy to talk about the official relaunch of the Trim Healthy Coaching program and what it means for mamas who need support and women who feel called to coach. Pre-order the book: https://store.trimhealthymama.com/the-7-skills-to-lasting-health-pre-order/ Learn about THM Coaching (hire a coach or become one): https://store.trimhealthymama.com/trim-healthy-mama-certified-coaching-program/ Conference info (The Gathering, July 9–11, 2026 | Franklin, TN): https://store.trimhealthymama.com/trim-healthy-mama-conference-2026-the-gathering/ If you've been doing THM for years and feel like you need a refresh… or you're brand new and want something simple to start with… this one's for you. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.” Explore the Store: Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health. Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content. Get in the best shape of your life! Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA: Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey there, we intended to get this episode published last month but life and *waves hands at everything going on in the US* got in the way. HOWEVER! This was an encouraging conversation and a great way to orient ourselves as we kick off a new year under an oppressive, malicious, and very dumb empire. Kat Armas is is a Cuban American writer, speaker, and theologian from Miami, FL. She holds a ThM from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is also a very thoughtful writer and a great hang. Topics included on this episode:The way Empire trades mystery and memory for conformityHer book dedication on LfREAdvent and how the Incarnation relates to what she's been thinking and writing about latelyHer love of reading and horror moviesand MORE!Check out her upcoming stops on her book tour and take some friends to see her when she's in your area!Buy Liturgies For Resisting Empire (30% off & Free Shipping rn!)Listen on Libby through your local library Shoutouts:The CorrespondentsTell Me EverythingAlien seriesSmall Things Like TheseChildren of MenFollow Kat:InstagramWebsiteSubstackFollow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Your Questions/Suggestions/Feedback With Us:Email: thesubstancepod@gmail.comDM on InstagramSupport Us: Support the show with an individual donation on CashApp to $TheSubstancePod or become a monthly Patreon supporter at patreon.com/TheSubstancePod

What if nothing is “wrong”… it's just not finished yet? If you've been showing up, doing the right things, choosing wisdom—and still wondering why the results feel invisible—this episode is for you. Today's Patient Potty is all about patience as a skill, not a personality trait. We talk about why real, lasting change often looks painfully slow at first—and how God, nature, and even our own bodies are wired for long games, not instant wins. We open with Scripture on endurance and hope, then zoom out to powerful reminders from history and nature: bamboo that grows roots for years before shooting up overnight, sequoias that take centuries to tower, fruit trees that refuse to be rushed. Along the way, we share real-life “slow mastery” stories—strength training that finally pays off in real moments, metabolism changes you can't see day-to-day, learning singular focus, navigating the fine line between help and control in marriage, and the quiet confidence that comes from staying planted. And yes… we also have huge news in a small package:Seven Skills to Lasting Health is officially available for pre-order—a short, doable THM primer designed to make consistency feel possible again. Pre-order bonuses include 7 mini-podcasts and professionally filmed recipe videos to help you start right away.If you've been tempted to quit because progress feels slow, this episode is your reminder:The harvest doesn't come early—but it always comes on time. Subscribe, share with a friend who's discouraged, and keep going.You're not behind—you're building roots. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA:  Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Đạo diễn Leon Lê, diễn viên Liên Bỉnh Phát và Trần Thế Mạnh kể chuyện hậu trường khi quay phim Quán Kỳ Nam.---------------------------------#8saigon #quankynam #lienbinhphat #leonle #tranthemanh

In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike Neglia is joined by Shane Deane for a wide-ranging conversation on Puritan preaching, with particular attention to William Perkins' The Art of Prophesying and the Puritan emphasis on application.Rather than treating the Puritans as mere historical figures or quotable voices, this discussion explores how their preaching method remains deeply relevant for modern pastors. Shane helps unpack why clarity, structure, and especially wise application were central to Puritan preaching, and how these convictions can shape Christ-centred exposition today.The conversation also turns to the often-neglected practice of pastoral prayer in gathered worship, drawing on Puritan theology and practice to show why public prayer is not filler, but a vital act of shepherding the congregation before God.Topics CoveredShane's first sermon and how his preaching has developed over timeWhat first drew Shane to the Puritans and their preaching methodThe danger of treating the Puritans as “quote machines”William Perkins' The Art of Prophesying, with a focus on Chapter 6The fourfold Puritan preaching pattern:Reading the textExplaining its meaningDrawing out doctrineApplying truth to the hearersWhy Perkins warned against cluttering sermons with excessive citationsWhy application was the heartbeat of Puritan preaching“Discriminating application” and addressing different kinds of hearers in one sermonPerkins' categories of hearers and how they challenge one-size-fits-all preachingThe Directory for Public Worship and its heavy emphasis on applicationThe six Puritan “uses” of application:InformationRefutationExhortationAdmonitionComfortTrial (self-examination)Why pastoral prayer belongs at the heart of gathered worshipHow public prayer functions as shepherding, not transition timeThe connection between preaching, prayer, and spiritual formationWhich Puritan habits could most immediately strengthen modern preachingHow studying the Puritans has shaped Shane's own preachingA closing “quote machine” segment featuring memorable Puritan linesKey TakeawaysPuritan preaching was deeply pastoral, not merely academicApplication is not an appendix to exposition, but its goalStructure serves clarity and freedom rather than rigidityToo many quotations can obscure rather than illuminate ScripturePastoral prayer is a theological act that teaches, shepherds, and forms a congregationPreaching and prayer together shape the spiritual life of the churchAbout the GuestShane Deane earned his PhD in Expository Preaching from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also holds an MDiv in Pastoral Studies and a ThM in Practical Theology. Shane serves as one of the elders at Passage Baptist Church in Passage West and works with Irish Baptist Missions.Shane was born in Cork, where he met and married his wife Luana, who is originally from Brazil. They have three children, two girls and one boy. Shane also lectures at Munster Bible College, helping train future pastors and Bible teachers.Featured links: Passage Baptist Church: https://passagebaptistchurch.ie/Munster Bible College: https://www.munsterbiblecollege.ie/ Preparing to Preach and Pray - Pat Quinn interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuNYKI34YrU Praying in Public - https://www.crossway.org/books/praying-in-public-case/ The Art of Prophesying Audiobook - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkSiqZPTp1M Joel Beeke - Reformed Preaching - https://heritagebooks.org/products/reformed-preaching-beeke.html?srsltid=AfmBOoonvFHUOEdlM1s07w2yI_5LoW_oj5bFWuWhnGS4I-2DBWCm1Rq9For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

On Today's Episode – Mark is joined by Dr. Eric Wallace, who tells us a little about how he came to be a member of Project 21. He has a new book out (link below). The guys talk all things politics and the relationship between them and the Black Church. Tune in for all the funProject 21 Ambassador Dr. Eric Wallace is the president and co-founder of Freedom's Journal Institute (FJI) for the Study of Faith and Public Policy, an Illinois-based nonprofit organization designed to “advance the Kingdom of God through socio-political, education and engagement.”Wallace is a visionary who couples his rich educational background with a bold approach to challenging the status quo. His post-graduate degrees in Biblical Studies (M.A., ThM, Ph.D.), combined with his passion and powerful message, make him one of today's most powerful voices of Bible-centered reason and change. Eric is the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary).Wallace is outspoken about the evils of Critical Race Theory (CRT) — speaking recently about CRT at the For God and Country Biblical Worldview Intensive at World Outreach Center in Newport News, Va., and at a special panel discussion at the Conservative Minority Convention (CMC) in Dallas-Fort Worth. https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Apostasy-Abandoned-Authority-Ideology/dp/0979763185 https://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mary B is joined by Kat Armas to discuss her new book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World. This episode begins with Armas offering an invocation — as she does at the start of each chapter of her latest book. Her invocation is aptly a liturgy for resisting empire. Armas focuses on the important of community as resistance because as she says, “friendship… is the death of empire.” It is in community where one finds new ways to resist and care for their neighbor. Empire insidiously convinces us to think in binary and Armas urges the listener to hold on to complexity in a world that often demands simplicity.Kat Armas (MDiv, MAT, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a Cuban American writer and podcaster and the recipient of Fuller Seminary's Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Armas is the author of three books, Abuelita Faith, Sacred Belonging, and Liturgies for Resisting Empire. She has written for Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, Fathom magazine, and Missio Alliance.Get Liturgies for Resisting Empire wherever you buy books (check Baker Books to see if it's still on sale there!). Follow Kat on socials @kat_armas. Check out Kat's Substack at katarmas.substack.comJoin the Found Family crew over on Substack and get your free copy of the Found Family Cheat Sheet! Support the show

Review các phim ra rạp từ ngày 28/11/2025:PHÒNG TRỌ MA BẦU – T16Đạo diễn: Ngụy Minh KhangDiễn viên: Huỳnh Phương, Anh Tú, Phương Lan, Cát Phượng,Thể loại: Hài, Kinh DịHai người bạn thân thuê phải một căn phòng trọ cũ, nơi liên tục xảy ra những hiện tượng kỳ bí. Trong hành trình tìm hiểu, họ đối mặt với hồn ma của một người phụ nữ mang thai – “ma bầu”. QUÁN KỲ NAM – T16Đạo diễn: Lê Nhật Quang (Leon Le)Diễn viên: Liên Bỉnh Phát, Đỗ Thị Hải Yến, Trần Thế Mạnh,Thể loại: Tâm Lý, Tình cảmVới sự nâng đỡ của người chú quyền lực, Khang được giao cho công việc dịch cuốn “Hoàng Tử Bé” và dọn vào căn hộ bỏ trống ở khu chung cư cũ. Anh làm quen với cô hàng xóm tên Kỳ Nam, một góa phụ từng nổi danh trong giới nữ công gia chánh và giờ lặng lẽ với nghề nấu cơm tháng. Một tai nạn xảy ra khiến Kỳ Nam không thể tiếp tục công việc của mình. Khang đề nghị giúp đỡ và mối quan hệ của họ dần trở nên sâu sắc, gắn bó. Liệu mối quan hệ của họ có thể tồn tại lâu dài giữa những biến động củа xã hội thời bấy giờ? PHI VỤ ĐỘNG TRỜI 2 Đạo diễn: Jared Bush, Byron HowardDiễn viên: Jason Bateman, Quinta Brunson, Fortune FeimsterThể loại: Gia đình, Hành Động, Phiêu Lưu, Thần thoại ZOOTOPIA 2 trở lại sau 9 năm.PHI VỤ THẾ KỶ: THOẮT ẨN THOẮT HIỆN – T13Đạo diễn: Ruben FleischerDiễn viên: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith,Thể loại: Hồi hộp, Tội phạmTứ Kỵ Sĩ chính thức tái xuất, bắt tay cùng các tân binh ảo thuật gia Gen Z trong một phi vụ đánh cắp kim cương liều lĩnh nhất trong sự nghiệp. Họ phải đối đầu với bà trùm Veronika của đế chế rửa tiền nhà Vandenberg (do Rosamund Pike thủ vai) - một người phụ nữ quyền lực và đầy thủ đoạn. Khi kinh nghiệm lão làng của bộ tứ ảo thuật va chạm với công nghệ 4.0 của một mạng lưới tội phạm xuyên lục địa, liệu ai sẽ làm chủ cuộc chơi? GANGSTER VỀ LÀNG – T16Đạo diễn: Kim Hee - SungDiễn viên: Ji Seung - Hyeon, Jeong Hyesung, Beak Sung - chul chỉ còn một tháng để thoát án tử. Anh cải trang, ẩn mình trong một ngôi làng hẻo lánh nhưng lại là tâm điểm biểu tình. Khi tìm thấy tình yêu với cô gái Bora, gã giang hồ buộc phải mang mặt nạ đom đóm đứng lên chiến đấu, đối mặt với quá khứ. Anh sẽ tìm thấy sự cứu rỗi hay bị nhấn chìm mãi mãi?PHIÊN CHỢ CỦA QUỶ - T18Đạo diễn: Hong Won-kiDiễn viên: Yoo Jae-myung; Moon Chae-won; Ngoc Xuan; Emma Le; Hua Vi Van; Dinh Y Nhung.Thể loại: Kinh DịPhiên chợ của quỷ - Nơi linh hồn trở thành những món hàng để thỏa mãn tham vọng của con người. Sân khấu của j-hope 'HOPE ON THE STAGE' THE MOVIE – T13Thể loại: Hòa nhạc, Phim tài liệuTrải nghiệm trọn vẹn hai đêm encore ngoạn mục tại Goyang – lần đầu tiên trên màn ảnh rộng! Khám phá toàn bộ sắc màu nghệ thuật của j-hope: từ những bản hit trong album solo “Jack In The Box”, album đặc biệt “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1”, đến màn công chiếu lần đầu “Killin' It Girl”. Tất cả được tái hiện qua những sân khấu live mãn nhãn, kèm theo hậu trường độc quyền và sân khấu đặc biệt cùng Jin, Jung Kook và Crush. 100 MÉTĐạo diễn: Kenji IwaisawaThể loại: Hoạt HìnhĐẠT 8.1 TRÊN IMDb - TRỞ THÀNH MOVIE ANIME THỂ THAO ĐƯỢC GIỚI PHÊ BÌNH QUỐC TẾ CA NGỢI LÀ “ĐỈNH CAO HOẠT HÌNH” “Kiệt Tác Rotoscoping” (vẽ lại dựa trên cảnh quay người thật) khi tạo nên những phân cảnh chi tiết với độ chân thực đáng kinh ngạc - Bộ Phim 100 MÉT là câu chuyện kéo dài hơn 15 năm, xoay quanh hai vận động viên chạy nước rút có xuất phát điểm trái ngược nhau:Togashi: Một "thiên tài" bẩm sinh về chạy bộ.PHIM ĐIỆN ẢNH THÁM TỬ LỪNG DANH CONAN: DƯ ẢNH CỦA ĐỘC NHÃN (CHIẾU LẠI) - KĐạo diễn: Katsuya ShigeharaDiễn viên: Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Megumi Hayashibara, ...Thể loại: Bí ẩn, Hành Động, Hoạt Hình-------------------------------------------#8saigon #reviewphimrap #quankynam #phivudongtroi2 #phivutheky3

In part four of a series on the four major views of Romans 9-11, Caleb is joined by Cory Marsh (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ) Professor of New Testament and Director of ThM program at Southern California Seminary in El Cajon, CA to answer this question: How will "All Israel" be saved in Romans 11:26? Resources:Dispensationalism by Cory MarshDiscovering Dispensationalism: Tracing the Development of Dispensational Thought From the First to the Twenty-First Century by Cory MarshRomans: A Shorter Commentary by C.E.B. CranfieldRomans The Gospel of God's Grace by Alva McClainRomans by Daniel DaveyThe Future Restoration of Israel: A Response to Supersessionism by Stanley Porter and Alan KurschnerUnderstanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Essays on the Relationship between Christianity and Judaism by Gerald McDermott The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land by Gerald McDermottIsrael, the Church, and the Middle East: A biblical response to the current conflict edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch GlaserThree Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9–11 edited by Jared Compton and Andy NaselliPastor Scholar Podcast with Cory Marsh

The Hogwarts Professor comment threads have been jumping so Nick Jeffery and John Granger decided to dedicate a conversation to a review of the Greatest Hits in the last week (to do a complete review yourself, click on ‘Activity' in the left margin of the Hogwarts Professor Substack home page).After their reviewing the remarkably global and growing audience of Rowling Readers — 36 countries, 46 states! — and tracking The Presence's location — her yacht seems to be in Fiji but she is touring Levesden Studios? — Nick and John read out fifteen comment subjects and discuss the merits, deficiencies, and promise of each.The lede story is the theory shared by Jaclyn Hayes that Cormoran Strike and the late Charlotte Campbell were half-siblings with Jonny Rokeby in common as their absentee father. From her notes: I think Charlotte was blackmailed (via threat of exposing the relatedness btw her and Cormoran) into marrying Jago to provide him a male heir. Perhaps their relatedness is even an open secret in Charlotte's family, similar to the “secret” relatedness of Decima and Rupert in THM (another parallel). Charlotte was forbidden from telling Cormoran about the blackmail, but since she's conniving and obsessed with him, she uses their unexpected encounter at the Paralympics gala to drop hints about her predicament, hoping he'll solve the mystery and save her or take her back once she's fulfilled the terms of her marriage/birth agreement with Jago. She then orchestrates another encounter with Cormoran to drop more hints-- this time at Franco's, which she knows will trigger the memory of her father's outrage at seeing her and Cormoran dating again. She hopes Cormoran will realize her father was angry because he knew they were related, not simply because he thinks Cormoran wasn't good enough for her. She then tells Coromoran things would be different if he'd taken the job her father offered him (calling to mind the job Tara gives Rupert to keep him quiet in THM), and says she found out she was pregnant at Tara's house and later “lost” (not aborted) the baby. Read the whole thing. Ed Shardlow's response, in which he points out that the hallmark given to silver and DNA testing of human beings have a lot in common, and Tamspells and Jaclyn Hayes discussion of Strike's dreams in previous books give the Strike:Charlotte::Rupert:Decima theory some heft. Cheryl Rose Orrocks asked for help with research she is doing on a possible divine marker, mythologically divine at least, being placed in each book at the appearance of that novel's killer. The only holes in her theory at the time Nick and John recorded their conversation were Troubled Blood and Running Grave — and Catherine has since posted a neat solution for Strike 5. Check that out and please share the missing god or goddess from Running Grave!Nick and John also review and discuss:* Ed Shardlow's idea that the characters creating narratives inside Rowling-Galbraith stories are perhaps best understood as creating their stories as Rowling writes hers, i.e., inspired by Lake material and crafted with the tools in their Sheds;* Vicky's thank you to Dr Fimi for the Ursula Le Guin quotation;* Ed Shardlow's ‘RL Mystery' with back-up from Tamspells and J. S. Maleksen;* Cheryl Rose Orrocks' YouTube notes about the Dirty Bomb Theory conversation (and just how wrong John is about Carmen the opera and Carmen Ellacott); and* Answers to listener requests for more information — all of which can be found in the Links section below!In the week to come, John pledges to post his Hallmarked Man Names exegesis, Nick is working on his review of Aurora Leigh, the supposed template of Ink Black Heart (and the only book ever confirmed by Rowling as such), they will record their Part Two ring charting this weekend, and John is reorganizing his 2017 seven week online course — Wizard Reading Formula — for which class Paid Subscribers will get a greater than 50% discount.John and Nick thank everyone listening and especially those active on the comment threads and taking part in the Hallmarked Man Ring Reading Workshop!Links to Subjects Discussed in the Conversation Above:Cheryl Rose Orrocks: Can you let me know the title and author of the book about Gothic elements?The one John used for Harry Potter's Bookshelf was Patterns of fear in the Gothic novel, 1790-1830 by Ann Tracy, now only ‘in print' via a Kindle version.John read from his much longer Harry Meets Hamlet and Scrooge: Harry Potter's Hogwarts Adventures as the Gateway to English Literature in the conversation above, in which the list of subjects is spelled out (e.g., the castle, supernatural atmosphere, horror, isolation, subterranean passages, fragmentation and reunion, prophecy, ancestral curse, tainted blood, bond of blood, graveyard, corpses, Decay of Aristocratic Privilege, Rise of Bourgeoisie, forest, memories, dreams, found book, doppelgangers, scar or tell-tale mark, mysterious stranger, confused origin, night, mist and fog, distant past, death,, etc.).John also recommends The Handbook of Gothic Literature, ed. Marie Mulvy-Roberts, and The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, ed. Jerrold Hogle.Who is the mystery writer John was talking about who killed a women when she was an adolescent?Anne Perry, author of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series of historical detective fiction. John recommends Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century, the book written by the journalist who out'd Perry as a convicted murderer writing murder mysteries. Perry died in 2023. J. S. Maleksen I too enjoyed this post, immensely. Can someone recommend a version of Cupid and Psyche and other relevant works of mythology for a Striker who assiduously avoided mythology through seven years of post-secondary education. I'm willing to gut it out in order to understand Rowling's work. TIA.John shared his favorites in the conversation above — Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, Graves' The Greek Myths, Powell's Classical Myth, and Schwab's Gods and Heroes: Myths and Epics of Ancient Greece but Dr Dimitra Fimi responded in the thread today:It's a really difficult question this, and yet it shouldn't be. But the truth is that there is no contemporary authoritative collection of Greek/Classical mythological retellings that's up-to-date with recent scholarship, etc. Catherine recommends Hamilton's book below, which is still good in many respects, but these earlier compilations (like Bulfinch's too) often synthesize different versions of mythological narratives, and omit some interesting variations. My recommendations are a bit heavier on the scholarly side of things, but still readable (the issue will be getting hold of them, but I provide links where possible):1) Classical Myth by Barry B. Powell - as implied by the astronomical price on Amazon.uk (https://amzn.to/3JYkLfF) this is mostly available second-hand now, but there is a scanned version via Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/classicalmyth0000powe (you'll need to create a free account, but once you do you can log in and borrow the book digitally to read)2) Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources (2 Volumes) by Timothy Gantz is great, and at least easier to get hold of. It gives the tales and their versions as well as an overview of their sources. The Amazon price of Vol. 1, for example, is a bit more accessible: https://amzn.to/4oTFKQ1For those interested in the de profundis interpretation of classical myth, see The Door in the Sky: Coomaraswamy on Myth and Meaning and Symbolism in Greek Mythology by Paul Diel.You can find the post about Beedle the Bard that Dr Fimi discussed in her conversation with Nick and John at her Substack, ‘A Kind of Elvish Craft:' “You must've heard of Babbitty Rabbitty!”: Secondary World Fairy Tales in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Kat Armas, a Cuban American write, speaker and theologian, generously preached this past Sunday - reading a story and answering questions from her new book "Liturgies for Resisting Empire."Armas holds a ThM from Vanderbilt Divinity School and dual MDiv and MAT degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she received the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing.

This Sunday, we welcome guest preacher Kat Armas. Kat Armas is a Cuban American writer, speaker, and theologian from Miami, FL. She holds a ThM from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary. Kat has spoken at seminaries, universities, and conferences nationwide and her work has appeared in the National Catholic Reporter—where one of her essays was shared by the pope!, Plough Magazine, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Sojornours Magazine, and more. Kat currently lives on a small farm in middle Tennessee with her family—which includes her spouse, young children, chickens, goats, pigs, dogs, and cats. Her new book was released this week. Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World examines the ideologies of empire that infiltrate daily life and offers a pathway toward liberation. Additionally, Pastor Molly will offer a reflection on our new mission statement, as well as an invitation to participate in our fall stewardship campaign. www.TheLoftLA.org

Kat Armas joins Shifting Culture to talk about her new book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire, a powerful exploration of how empire shapes the way we think about God, community, time, and ourselves. She names the ways control, hierarchy, and productivity have distorted our faith and imaginations, and invites us into practices of resistance rooted in love, rest, and belonging. Kat offers a vision of wholeness that embraces paradox over dualism, kinship over domination, and peace over violence. This conversation points us toward a more human way of living. One where we belong without conditions and find God in the places empire forgets.Kat Armas is a Cuban American writer, speaker, and theologian from Miami, FL. She holds a ThM from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing.Her first book, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength, sits at the intersection of women, decolonialism, the Bible, and Cuban identity. Her second book, Sacred Belonging: A 40-day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture invites readers to encounter the Bible through a decolonized lens, lifting up themes of creation, wisdom, spirit, the body, and the feminine.Kat has spoken at seminaries, universities, and conferences nationwide and her work has appeared in the National Catholic Reporter—where one of her essays was shared by the pope!, Plough Magazine, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Sojornours Magazine, and more.Kat currently lives on a small farm in middle Tennessee with her family—which includes her spouse, young children, chickens, goats, pigs, dogs, and cats. Her forthcoming third book Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World examines the ideologies of empire that infiltrate daily life and offers a pathway toward liberation. It releases November 4th.Kat's Book:Liturgies for Resisting EmpireKat's Recommendations:The CorrespondentTell Me EverythingResident AlienConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Contact me to advertise: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.com Support the show

We can hardly believe we're saying this… it's finally happening! For years, you've asked us, “When will there be a Trim Healthy Mama conference?” and we always said, “One day…” Well, that day has come and we're excited to share all about it in this episode! Join us (and Danny, of course!) as we sit down with the incredible Coach Amy, the woman who has made this dream a reality. Together, we chat, laugh, and dream out loud about what's to come for the very first Trim Healthy Mama Conference 2026, The Gathering.! We'll share: ◽️The heart behind The Gathering and why this isn't just an event, but a family reunion of the THM sisterhood ◽️What you can expect (think powerful sessions, breakout talks, and even a pop-up THM Café!) ◽️Why community is such a vital part of transformation and how being together changes everything ◽️The evolution of the THM Coaching Program and the beautiful growth we're seeing in our coaches This episode is full of laughter, stories, and so much excitement. It's a peek into what's next for the THM family. So grab your tea or coffee, settle in, and dream along with us. The Gathering is coming… and we can't wait to see you there. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.” Explore the Store: Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health. Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content. Get in the best shape of your life! Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA: Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick and John have posted eight Hallmarked Man conversations since its publication last month and, as interesting as their back-and-forth talks have been, South Wales to American Fly Over Country, Lake to Shed, much of the best theorizing and interpreting of Strike 8 has been happening in the comment threads beneath those posts and in email messaging with John. Determined that these insights wouldn't be lost or invisible to Serious Strikers, they chose ten of the most challenging for a fun introduction to the fandom conversations readers not privy to the backchannel moderators network or who neglect the comment threads are missing.In addition, Nick shares the credible speculation that Rowling's weeklong absence from tweeting has been because she is on her Samsara yacht in the South Pacific, circling Bora Bora, believe it or don't. John quizzes Nick, too, about the election in South Wales, Caerphilly to be exact, and the reason the results in that dependably Labour area have the UK buzzing (and why Strike readers might expect the populist party victories will color Strikes 9 and 10).A quick ‘table of contents' for their hasty review, then, followed by links and transcripts! Enjoy — and, yes, have at in the comment threads, please, the locus of Strike fandom conversations.* Ed Shardlow: Gorilla Ryan* Vicky: Boxes and Plush Toys* Sandra Hope: Traditional Symbolism* Justin Clavet: Only Fans Gaffe (Ed Shardlow -- ‘Not Proven' error)* Bora Bora* Justin Clavet: On Manhood* Ed Shardlow: Ickabog Parallel Book Theory* Sandra Hope: Hallmarked Man as Rowling's ‘Greatest Hits' allusion collection* LC - Dorothy Sayers* Kathleen O'Connor -- Alternative Incest* Caerphilly elections -- UK meaning* Ring Composition ProjectPromised Links and Transcripts:* Ed Shardlow's ‘Gorilla Ryan' TheoryThe Ryan the Gorilla theory came to me at the point in the book where Robin has an epiphany following an impulse to look up the meaning of a name. I think this was the Jolanda-Violet realisation, but I thought she'd suddenly realised the full extent of Ryan's dark side, with the significance being the previously noted meaning of his name “Sea King” suggesting a connection between him and Wade King.That theory seemed very flimsy at first, but on further examination it might have some mileage. There are some notable differences between the attack in the Land Rover and the previous ones. Although we imagine the attacker wearing a gorilla mask, there's no mention of it, and in fact it says she can see his face. Also the Land Rover attacker makes no demands that she, “Stop” or, “Leave it”. She hits Wade with the pepper spray, which of course, would be difficult for Ryan to cover up, but she didn't inflict any such injuries on the gorilla attacker. Wade clearly intends to hurt her, whereas the other attacks had no physical violence and look very much like they were just intended to scare her.1) It's hinted that Branfoot knows about Robin's rape, and she says it's on the internet, but we never get any indication that King or Griffiths know about it. Strike and Robin never consider that the attacker might be someone who knows about it because they're close to Robin. That seems like an oversight.2) The gorilla attacker never refers to a specific case. Murphy may be scaring her into quitting the job and getting away from Strike, whereas a suspect would want her to stop investigating their specific case.3) The police don't take the rubber gorilla and dagger for DNA testing. That's pretty strange, unless there's someone on the inside blocking the investigation.There's a bit of an issue with the guy in the green jacket, who presumably Robin can see isn't Ryan when he's on the industrial estate and outside her flat. Presumably that was Wade.So, there would need to be some explanation for how or why Murphy is wearing the same jacket when he accosts her with the ceremonial dagger. But that's not insurmountable.Murphy would have been very surprised to encounter Matthew (sic, he means ‘Martin' -ed.), who he knows from Masham, outside Robin's flat. The narrative very much prompts us to think there's something going on with Murphy, but then we put this down to his work issues and associated relapse, but perhaps that blinds us (and Robin) to another possibility. And if it is the case, then Strike hasn't just let Robin go to dinner with his romantic rival, but she's heading into mortal danger. Were his instincts subconsciously alerting him to the threat? Did he leave it too late to shout, “Brake!” again?Nicola Reed's Objection to ‘Gorilla Ryan' (Sandy Hope, too)Kathleen O'Connor's Cogent Counterpoint to John's Incredulity about No One Noticing How Short Faux-Wright was in the Ramsay Silver footageVicky on the Interpretation of Robin's “Stuffed Toy” DreamBrenna Hill asks ‘Why is the New Ellacott Puppy Named Betty?'Sandra Hope Jumpstarts Conversation about Traditional Symbolism in Hallmarked Man* Masonic Orb Pendant for sale on Etsy ($795)* Jacob's Ladder Mosaic in Masonic Hall, London (Alamy)* The Bohun Swan (‘Chained Swan') (Wikipedia)Justin Clavet: The ‘Only Fans' Gaffe· I commented on the Hogwarts Professor gaffes pillar [Placeholder, ed.] post about the OnlyFans error - that the OnlyFans website was launched in November 2016, but in the book, the murdered Sofia is said to be a prolific OnlyFans poster before her disappearance in June of that same year. The OnlyFans account is only a small point in this large plot, but one that is repeatedly referred to, and Sofia's OnlyFans account is what ultimately brought her to the attention of her killer. For such a meticulous plotter and, as John would say, “OCD” author as Rowling is, does this real-world chronological impossibility give you pause? What other big historical error like this can be found in her books?· Did you notice that the interview with the pornstar occurs in chapter 69? I think Rowling was having a bit of (structural) fun and winking at the observant reader with that one.* Justin Clavet's 3 September ‘Gaffes' posting about ‘Only Fans'The reference to OnlyFans in chapter 33 (p. 269) felt anachronistic to me, as I don't remember ever hearing about the website before the pandemic era. And sure enough, according to Wikipedia (citing a New York Times article), the website didn't launch until November 2016. Therefore, Sofia – who was murdered in June 2016 – could not have been a prolific OnlyFans poster. Sofia's supposed OnlyFans account is referenced several further times throughout the book. Based on data from Google Trends, it seems incredibly unlikely that Strike and Robin would have readily known what OnlyFans was in late 2016/early 2017. So Where is Bora Bora?The Caerphilly 2025 Election: Victories for Left and Right Wing Populist Parties* 2025 Caerphilly Bi-Election (Wikipedia!)* UK's Ruling Labour Suffer Crushing Defeat Against Political Insurgents at Ballot Box (Breitbart)Justin Clavet ‘On Manhood in Hallmarked Man'The biggest thing that struck me in this book was the persistent themes of manhood woven throughout: the responsibilities, relationships, and hardships of men. * The central crime is linked with a secretive fraternal organization. * It opens with the death of Strike's father figure Ted, a “proper man” (p. 38), by whose maxims Strike is newly resolved to live. * We learn that Ted would've murdered (or been murdered by) his father Trevik if he hadn't left home and joined the army (p. 39), just like Strike would have come to blows (or worse) with his step-father Whittaker if he hadn't left home and joined the army. * While he loses the man he called his dad, he has a real meeting with his natural father for the first time. Rokeby shares that, in Strike, he had produced a proper man” (p. 747). * Strike celebrates not having fathered a child (while Robin is distraught in the wake of her own lost child, and devastated that the option to be a mother may no longer be hers to choose).* Richard de Leon says that his brother Danny was made the way he is because of his father's mistreatment. * Strike is bewildered that Danny (who integrates his brother's Christian name into his porn name, Dick de Lion) and Richard could be so close and share so much with each other, contrasting this with his own relationship with Al. * Leda and Rena are both shown to have suffered because of the absence of their more stable brothers. * Strike observes that “men are seen as disposable in certain contexts” (pp. 107f).* Wardle, who is shown to be a caring and dedicated father to his young child, opens up to Strike about his depression and his marriage troubles. * Strike reflects on the shallow friendships he has with other men, and later sees how this kind of friendship can be toxic with the wrong personalities (in Powell, Pratt, and Jones, p. 860). * Strike fears Wardle may be at risk of suicide. Niall is found to have committed suicide after his brother in arms was horrifically executed by Islamist combatants. The public can't be bothered to care about the tragic loss of this man who heroically put his life on the line for his country - preferring instead to lend their attention to the spectacle of another man, Branfoot, who went to extreme lengths to indulge his basest and most perverse desires (p. 873).Like many events in this book, this theme - with characters showing genuine concern and thoughtful consideration of complex men's issues - is a mirror image of one presented in Troubled Blood with the character of Carl Oakden and his cynical men's rights grift.This barely scratches the surface of the notes that I took on this theme, which I saw running deep through the whole book. I wondered if I was just seeing this in the text because of my own perspective as a man, or if it really was there. Indeed, you could find hints of this theme in each of the preceding seven books. But the structural clues left me convinced it was intentional. And when I watched this video (https://robert-galbraith.com/robert-galbraith-discusses-the-case-in-the-hallmarked-man/) the day after finishing the book, there was no doubt.Justin Clavet on the Hallmarked Man Dedication and Rokeby's Gratitude· I connected the book's dedication to Sean and Nadine Harris with Rokeby's statement on p. 748, “Not everyone's got a mate called Leo ‘oo stops ‘em livin' rough” and that he attributes his artistic and financial success to his friend's generosity and charity.Ed Shardlow on The Ickabog as Hallmarked Man's Parallel BookConscious of the links between the first 7 books of the series and the Potter books, and with three books purportedly remaining in the series, I was primed to see a connection between The Hallmarked Man and one of Casual Vacancy, Christmas Pig or the Ickabog. I didn't have any predisposition to it being any of those. Even if Rowling is taking them in some sort of chronological order, there's reason to believe the orders of conception, writing and publishing may differ.At the end of Part One, I thought the Ickabog looked like the best fit based on the fact that the central mystery of who the body in the vault was has a certain similarity to the mystery of the Ickabog itself and whether it was real or a myth. The importance of the truth and the damage done by lies are fundamental to the Ickabog story, and I thought from the start those were major themes in THM.The other correspondences I've spotted:* The police, in various guises, like the royal guard play an important part, largely inept, self-serving, and perpetrators of miscarriages of justice.* The aristocrats - Lord Branfoot, Lady Jenson, Dino Longcaster - lie and deceive to protect their own interests, causing untold damage in the process.* There's terrorism, and terrorism being used to spread fear and division.* Ultimately Rupert and Decima, two sexes but one entity, produce an offspring that may have been defective or corrupted by the state of the world he was born into, but seems to have emerged happy and healthy. Daisy Dovetail having persuaded Rupert the Ickabog that humanity was worth making compromises for.* The main antagonist traps a woman in his house. I thought their names were Esmeralda and Sapphire, but it's Lady Eslanda not Esmeralda… But apparently Eslanda can mean emerald, or VIOLET, or truth… So Eslanda corresponds to both Sapphire and Jolanda!* We visit a feudal state* Ben Liddell – the soldier killed in an incident in a land where there shouldn't have been any military conflict happening and it being covered up by the government* Sandra Hope: The Footprint!Ed Shardlow, I can't wait for your show on the parallels between THM and the Ickabog!!! I just finished rereading both of them and I'm losing my mind! Omg, the footprint: “The Flaw in the Plan (ch32) is that the footprint is hopping (not so much terrifying as ludicrously funny) and Strike noting that the bearer of the footprint in the vault has a limp!! Please let this conversation happen soon!!Sandra Hope: Strike 8 as a ‘Rowling's Greatest Hits Album' of Allusions:Allusions that took my breath away:* Ectopic pregnancy- TB* Schadenfreude- CC* “So many babies”- not just born, but what they're born into- Ickabog borndings* Human trafficking ring- RG* Woman buried in/under concrete- TB* Staged murder involving mutilation- Silkworm* Violent attacks & subsequent PTSD- a Rowling theme in every book, but especially CE & LW* DNA testing & fatherhood- CV, TB* Guys trying to find right time to ask a potential partner a question- GOF lol* Valentine's Day mishaps- CS, TB* Behavior of abandoned mothers-Silkworm (& HBP), specifically Merope, Leonora, Decima (also Leda)* Journalism as a weapon- GOF, OOP, Silkworm, RG* Potential ill usage of mirrors- SSNot a complete list by any means lolLC – Dorothy Sayers Connection?I don't know if there is anything in my seeing parallels between Cormoran and Robin and Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vance (Dorothy Sayers): Peter and Harriet had a very long acquaintance before they finally got engaged, with lots of twists and turns. Peter goes deep undercover in an ad agency in one novel; the feel of it was very similar to Robin going deep undercover in Lethal White. Also, the Sayers novel “Five Red Herrings” also features five men--in this case, five men who could have been the murderer (instead of the victim). Sayers also had very intricate plots that were puzzles--and was a Dante scholar. I believe Jo has mentioned that she admired Sayers. I don't know if these are just interesting parallels that Jo is having fun with or not, but they certainly seem to be more than coincidences. Thanks!Kathleen O'Connor – Alternative Incest Big Twist IdeasI'm impressed by your arguments that we will see some shocking twists – in addition to the shocking twist that Rokeby is actually, in his old age, a good father to his mature son, Cormoran, and not at all the image-focused a*****e we have seen through Strike's eyes up to now. I don't think, however, we will find that Rokeby is not Strike's father. That revelation would dilute Strike's growth in terms of his realizations that he has been mistaken about many things that he has taken for granted in his life. Instead, I think instead we will see a continuation of Robeby's rehabilitation until eventually, like Snape, Rokeby makes some kind of big sacrifice to aid Cormoran or someone/something else important to Cormoran. Also, even though Strike does not physically resemble Rokeby, he does resemble Prudence: * “Seeing them face to face, Robin spotted her partner's resemblance to Jonny Rokeby for the first time. He and his half-sister shared the same defined jaw, the same spacing of the eyes. She wondered – she who had three brothers, all of the same parentage – what it felt like, to make a first acquaintance with a blood relative in your forties. But there was something more there than a faint physical resemblance between brother and sister: they appeared, already, to have established an unspoken understanding.” - The Running Grave And: * “In youth, Strike knew, Rokeby had been exactly as tall as his oldest son, though he was now a little shorter.” - The Hallmarked Man Maybe the big twist and incest plot is connected to either Switch or Whittaker. As we learn from Wikipedia in Career of Evil, Jeff Whittaker never knew who his father was. A strong possibility could be that Patricia Whittaker's own father, Sir Randolph, had gotten her pregnant with Jeff. In that case, keeping that secret – as well as simply keeping the baby away from Leda – could have been the motive for a Whittaker family member to have killed Leda. An even bigger twist might be that Leda did commit suicide, using exactly the method of Krystal Weedon, after she realized that she was Whittaker's sister. Would it be possible for Trevik to have met up with Patricia Whitaker in London and gotten her pregnant? Regardless of the incest angle, I do think we might find that Leda, whose life choices have not allowed her to develop the strength or discipline to face hard truths, may have committed suicide rather than cope with some kind of guilt (maybe she found out what happened to Lucy?). There are multiple examples that foreshadow these possibilities – off the top of my head, there are “naughty boy” wealthy aristos (Freddy Chiswell, Alexander Graves, Will Edensor, Jago Ross) who might parallel Sir Randolph or Jeff Whittaker, and multiple characters who confuse suicide with sacrifice or who simply cannot face what they have done (Cherie Gittins, Krystal Weedon, Yasmin Weatherhead). Rhiannon Winn and Ellie Fancourt both commit suicide because they cannot cope with the shame they feel as a result of others' cruelty.Also, I can think of two points that support your idea that we will find out some bad things about Ted. Number one, the revelations that Dumbledore was extremely flawed are crucial to Harry's story. In fact, I suggest that writing characters who are not merely “gray” but who are simultaneously really good and really bad is a “golden thread” of Rowling's work. And, number two, we hear multiple times that Ted taught Strike, “There's no pride in having what you never worked for” while Rokeby says “I don't wanna die wivvout knowin' ya. You fink I 'aven't got the right to be proud, maybe, but I am. I'm proud of ya.” I don't think it is an accident that Rowling sets up this opposition, and I also think she wants us to admire Rokey's desire to know his son. Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Bobby Jamieson to discuss his book “Everything Is Never Enough,” the book of Ecclesiastes, and what happiness is.Questions Covered in This Episode:Is it wrong to want to be happy?Why did this become your thing?What are the common misconceptions about what happiness is?Do you feel like the answer lies in the book of Ecclesiastes or in the rest of the Bible?What does fear of the Lord mean?When you talk about happiness, what do you have to clear off the ground?Is it possible to be “too God centered” where you miss out on the goodness of creation?How have you learned to talk about this to your congregation?How do you respond to people who say, “don't find your identity in being a mom, find your identity in Christ?”If we enjoy something, is it an idol?Helpful Definitions:Fear of the Lord: Reverence awe of His power, humble trembling at His generosity, confessing before His holiness, and marveling at His grace.Guest Bio:Bobby Jamieson serves as an associate pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has an MDiv and ThM from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from the University of Cambridge, where he also taught Greek. Bobby and his wife, Kristin, have four children, Rose, Lucy, William, and Margaret.Bobby is the author of several books, including but not limited to; Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God, Going Public: Why Baptism Is Required for Church Membership, Jesus' Death and Heavenly Offering in Hebrews, The Paradox of Sonship: Christology in The Epistle to the Hebrews, and The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Ecclesiastes, Proverbs 31:30, Psalm 16:6“Everything Is Never Enough” by R B Jamieson“Remaking the World” by Andrew WilsonKnowing Faith Has Therapeutic Language Invaded The Church?“Desiring God” by John Piper Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcast:Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchYou can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway's Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Jeffery and John Granger continue their Q&A conversations about Rowling-Galbraith's Hallmarked Man (if you missed the first discussion, click here to catch up). As usual, the pair promised to send links and notes along with their recorded back and forth for anyone wanting to read more about the subjects they discussed. Scroll down for their seven plus one questions and a bevy of bonus material they trust will add to your appreciation of Rowling's Strike 8 artistry and meaning. Cheers!Q1: What is the meaning of or artistry involved with Pat Chauncey's three fish in the Agency's fish tank, ‘Robin,' ‘Cormoran,' and ‘Travolta/Elton'?Mise en Abyme (Wikipedia)In Western art history, mise en abyme (French pronunciation: [miz ɑ̃n‿abim]; also mise en abîme) is the technique of placing a copy of an image within itself, often in a way that suggests an infinitely recurring sequence. In film theory and literary theory, it refers to the story within a story technique.The term is derived from heraldry, and means placed into abyss (exact middle of a shield). It was first appropriated for modern criticism by the French author André Gide. A common sense of the phrase is the visual experience of standing between two mirrors and seeing an infinite reproduction of one's image. Another is the Droste effect, in which a picture appears within itself, in a place where a similar picture would realistically be expected to appearSnargaloff pods (Harry Potter Wiki)“It sprang to life at once; long, prickly, bramble-like vines flew out of the top and whipped through the air... Harry succeeded in trapping a couple of vines and knotting them together; a hole opened in the middle of all the tentacle-like branches... Hermione snatched her arm free, clutching in her fingers a pod... At once, the prickly vines shot back inside and the gnarled stump sat there looking like an innocently dead lump of wood“— The trio dealing with the Snargaluff plant in sixth year Herbology classSnargaluff was a magical plant with the appearance of a gnarled stump, but had dangerous hidden thorn-covered vines that attacked when provoked, and was usually best handled by more than one person.Juliana's Question about the Oranda Goldfish:did anyone else notice - I confess to only noticing this on my second re-read of THM- that Travolta, Pat's third fish, dies?What do we think about this? Could this mean Mr. Ryan F. Murphy dies…? Or could it just be foreshadowing of the fact that him and Robin don't end up together? I think the fish symbolism was quite humorous and delightful paralleling such a deep and intricate plot. Just wanted to know if anyone noticed this tinge of humor towards the end of the book… As for the fish theory, Pat's three fish in the tank: Strike, Robin and the third, she calls, Travolta — ironically, named after a “handsome” man. I'm thinking JKR meant Travolta, the fish to symbolize Murphy…What I was referring to in my original comment: the three fish = the love triangle between Ellacott/Murphy/Strike. I was asking: since Travolta died in Chapter 113, do we think this foreshadows Murphy either dying physically, or just that Robin and Murphy do not end up together?John's ‘Fish and Peas' Response:It's a relief to learn that Travolta's most famous role wasn't a character named Ryan Murphy that everyone in the world except myself knows very well. Thank you for this explanation!There's more to your idea, though, I think, then you have shared. Forgive me if you were already aware of this textual argument that suggests very strongly that these Oranda goldfish have been an important part of Rowling's plan from the series from the start. In brief, it's about the peas.In Part 2, Chapter 3, of ‘Cuckoo's Calling,' Robin and Matt are having their first fight about Strike and the Agency. The chapter ends with an odd note that this disagreement has blemished the Cunliffe couple's engagement.“She waited until he had walked away into the sitting room before turning off the tap. There was, she noticed, a fragment of frozen pea caught in the setting of her engagement ring.” (73)Your theory that the fish bowl is an embedded picture of the state of Robin's feelings for Murphy and Strike, a Mise en abyme of sorts, is given credibility in the eyes of this reader by the appearance of frozen peas as the cure for the dying Cormoran goldfish. It is hard for a Rowling Reader to believe that these two mentions of frozen pea fragments were coincidental or unrelated, which means that (a) Rowling had the office Oranda goldfish scene-within-the-scene in Strike 8 foreshadowed by the Strike 1 tiff, and (b) therefore of real significance.There is another pea bit, of course, in ‘Troubled Blood' at Skegness, a passage that links Robin's heart or essence with peas.Strike was still watching the starlings when Robin set down two polystyrene trays, two small wooden forks and two cans of Coke on the table.“Mushy peas,” said Strike, looking at Robin's tray, where a hefty dollop of what looked like green porridge sat alongside her fish and chips.“Yorkshire caviar,” said Robin, sitting down. “I didn't think you'd want any.”“You were right,” said Strike, picking up a sachet of tomato sauce while watching with something like revulsion as Robin dipped a chip into the green sludge and ate it.“Soft Southerner, you are,” she said, and Strike laughed. (807-808)If you tie this in with the fish symbolism embedded in Rowling's favorite paintings and the meaning of ‘Oranda,' this is quite a bit of depth in that fish bowl -- and in your argument that the death of Travolta signifies Murphy is out of consideration.You're probably to young to remember this but Travolta's most famous role will always be Tony Manero in ‘Saturday Night Fever,' the breakout event of his acting career. Manero longs for a woman way out of his league, attempts to rape her after they win a dance contest, she naturally rejects him, but they wind up as friends.Or in a book so heavy in the cultish beliefs and practices of Freemasonry, especially with respect to policemen that are also “on the square,” maybe the Travolta-Murphy link is just that the actor is, with Tom Cruise, as famous (well...) for his beliefs in Scientology as for his acting ability.So, yes, it's fun, your ‘Peas and Fish' theory, but there's something to it.Check out this note on ‘Peas' in the Strike novels from Renee over at the weblog: https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/hallmarked-man-placeholder-post-index/comment-page-1/#comment-1699017 The fish symbolism embedded in Rowling's favorite painting: https://hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/p/rowlings-favorite-painting-and-what And the meaning of ‘Oranda:' https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/rowling-twixter-fish-and-strike-update/Follow-Up by Julianna:I'm not sure what exact chapter this is in, but let's also not forget that on Sark, Strike procures a bag of frozen peas to soothe the spade to his face injury. I also want to add that he has used frozen peas before, to soothe his aching leg too, but I could be wrong about that…I cant remember where I've read that, so it might not be true….Lastly, after reading Renee's comment, I have to say, that now I do believe that the peas might have been an ongoing symbol for Strike (a la…the pea in the engagement ring) and…stay with me here….peas are potentially, what save Cormoran, the goldfish, from dying.“The black fish called Cormoran was again flailing helplessly at the top of the tank. ‘Stupid a*****e, you've done it to your f*cking self'.” And the very last line of the book being: “Then pushed himself into a standing position ear and knee both throbbing. In the absence of anything else he could do to improve his present situation, he set off for the attic to fetch the empty margerine tub…and some peas.” (Chapter 127).My point being: this could be a way of Rowling saying, that Strike saves himself from himself…another psychological undertone in her stories. (Lake reference: Rowling has pulled herself up out of poverty ‘by her own bootstraps' we say.) Thoughts? Thanks for induldging me here, John! I am enjoying this conversation. Apologies for the grammar and potentially confusing train of thoughts.And from Vicky:Loving the theories and symbolism around the peas and fish! Just had a thought too re John quoting the Troubled blood scene. Robin calls mushy peas by a familiar term “Yorkshire caviar”. Caviar is of course fish eggs, and poor Robin, Yorkshire born, spends much of THM agonising over the thought and pressure of freezing her eggs. Giuliana mentioned the frozen peas Strike puts on his swollen face after the spade hit...maybe this is foreshadowing to their intimate and honest dinner conversation later with Robin baring her heart to Strike about her ectopic pregnancy griefQ2: Why didn't the Strike-Ellacott Agency or the Metropolitan Police figure out how the murderer entered the Ramsay Silver vault to kill William Wright the first time they saw the grainy surveillance film of the auction house crate deliveries?Tweet UrlFrom ‘The Locked Room Lecture' (John Dickson Carr) It's silly to be disappointed in a border-line absurd Locked Room Mystery such as Hallmarked Man because improbability is close to a requirement in such stories:“But this point must be made, because a few people who do not like the slightly lurid insist on treating their preferences as rules. They use, as a stamp of condemnation, the word ‘improbable.' And thereby they gull the unwary into their own belief that ‘improbable' simply means ‘bad.'“Now, it seems reasonable to point out that the word improbable is the very last which should ever be used to curse detective fiction in any case. A great part of our liking fofr detective fiction is based on a liking for improbability. When A is murdered, and B and C are under strong suspicion, it is improbably that the innocent-looking D can be guilty. But he is. If G has a perfect alibi, sworn to at every point by every other letter in the alphabet, it is improbable that G can have committed the crime. But he has. When the detective picks up a fleck of coal dust at the seashore, it is improbable that such an insignificant thing can have any importance. But it will. In short, you come to a point where the word improbable grows meaningless as a jeer. There can be no such thing as any probability until the end of the story. And then, if you wish the murder to be fastened on an unlikely person (as some of us old fogies do), you can hardly complain because he acted from motives less likely or necessarily less apparent than those of the person first suspected.“When the cry of ‘This-sort-of-thing-wouldn't-happen!' goes up, when you complain about half-faced fiends and hooded phantoms and blond hypnotic sirens, you are merely saying, ‘I don't like this sort of story.' That's fair enough. If you do not like it, you are howlingly right to say so. But when you twist this matter of taste into a rule for judging the merit or even the probability of the story, you are merely saying, ‘This series of events couldn't happen, because I shouldn't enjoy it if it did.'“What would seem to be the truth of the matter? We might test it out by taking the hermetically sealed chamber as an example, because this situation has been under a hotter fire than any other on the grounds of being unconvincing.“Most people, I am delighted to say, are fond of the locked room. But – here's the damned rub – even its friends are often dubious. I cheerfully admit that I frequently am. So, for the moment, we'll all side together on this score and see what we can discover. Why are we dubious when we hear the explanation of the locked room? Not in the least because we are incredulous, but simply because in some vague way we are disappointed. And from that feeling it is only natural to take an unfair step farther, and call the whole business incredible or impossible or flatly ridiculous.” (reprinted in The Art of the Mystery Story [Howard Haycraft] 273-286)Q3: Hallmarked Man is all about silver and Freemasonry. What is the historical connection between South American silver (‘Argentina' means ‘Land of Silver'), the end of European feudalism, and the secret brotherhood of the Masons?How Silver Flooded the World: And how that Replaced Feudalism and the Church with Capitalism and Nation-States (‘Uncharted Territories,' Tomas Pueyo) In Europe, silver also triggered the discovery of America, a technological explosion, and a runaway chain of events that replaced feudalism with capitalism and nation-states. If you understand this, you'll be able to understand why nation-states are threatened by cryptocurrencies today, and how their inevitable success will weaken nation-states. In this premium article, we're going to explore how Europe starved for silver, and how the reaction to this flooded the world with silver. ,See also Never Bet Against America and Argentina Could be a Superpower, both by Pueyo.‘Conspiracy Theories associated with Freemasonry' (Wikipedia)* That Freemasonry is a Jewish front for world domination or is at least controlled by Jews for this goal. An example of this is the anti-Semitic literary forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Adolf Hitler believed that Freemasonry was a tool of Jewish influence,[12] and outlawed Freemasonry and persecuted Freemasons partially for this reason.[13] The covenant of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas claims that Freemasonry is a “secret society” founded as part of a Zionist plot to control the world.[14] Hilaire Belloc thought Jews had “inaugurated” freemasonry “as a bridge between themselves and their hosts”[15]* That Freemasonry is tied to or behind Communism. The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco had often associated his opposition with both Freemasonry and Communism, and saw the latter as a conspiracy of the former; as he put it, “The whole secret of the campaigns unleashed against Spain can be explained in two words: masonry and communism”.[16] In 1950, Irish Roman Catholic priest Denis Fahey republished a work by George F. Dillon under the title Grand Orient Freemasonry Unmasked as the Secret Power Behind Communism. Modern conspiracy theorists such as Henry Makow have also claimed that Freemasonry intends the triumph of Communism[17]* That Freemasons are behind income taxes in the US. One convicted tax protester has charged that law enforcement officials who surrounded his property in a standoff over his refusal to surrender after his conviction were part of a “Zionist, Illuminati, Free Mason [sic] movement”.[18] The New Hampshire Union Leader also reported that “the Browns believe the IRS and the federal income tax are part of a deliberate plot perpetrated by Freemasons to control the American people and eventually the world”[19]Umberto Eco's The Prague Cemetery, a Freemasonry Novel (Wikipedia)So much for the link between Freemasonry and Baphomet worship!‘The Desacralization of Work' (Roger Sworder, Mining, Metallurgy, and the Meaning of Life)Q4: Ian Griffiths is the Bad Guy of Hallmarked Man. His name has definite Christian overtones (a ‘Griffin,' being half-eagle, half-lion, King of Heaven and Earth, is a symbol of Christ); could it also be another pointer to Rowling's mysterious ‘Back Door Man,' Harry Bingham, author of the Fiona Griffiths series?Troubled Blood: The Acknowledgments (Nick Jeffery, November 2020)In both Silkworm and Career Rowling/Galbraith's military advisors are thanked as SOBE (Sean Harris OBE?) Deeby (Di Brookes?) and the Back Door Man. Professor Granger has identified the Back Door Man as a southern US slang term for a man having an illicit relationship, but beyond this is so far unidentified.Any thoughts on her dedications or acknowledgements? Any new leads for the elusive Back Door Man? Please comment down below.Harry Bingham's website, June 2012“My path into TALKING TO THE DEAD was a curious one. I was approached by a well-known figure who was contemplating working with a ghostwriter on a crime thriller. I hadn't read any crime for a long time, but was intrigued by the project. So I went out and bought about two dozen crime novels, then read them back-to-back over about two weeks.”Could Rowling have hired a (gasp) “ghost writer”? Or was it just “expert editorial assistance” she was looking for, what Bingham offers today?Author's Notes in The Strange Death of Fiona Grifiths (Publication date 29th January 2015, before Career of Evil):“If you want to buy a voice activated bugging device that looks like (and is) an ordinary power socket, it'll set you back about fifty pounds (about eighty bucks).”This is the same surveillance device used in Lethal White, but interestingly is not used in Bingham's book. (Nick Jeffery)Moderators Backchannel List of Correspondences between Cormoran Strike series and Bingham's Fiona Griffiths mystery-thrillers (John Granger):(1) A series that has an overarching mystery about which we get clues in every story, one linked to a secret involving a parent who is well known but whose real life is a mystery even to their families;(2) A series that is preoccupied with psychological issues, especially those of the brilliant woman protagonist who suffers from a mental illness and who is a student of psychology;(3) A series that is absorbed with death and populated by the dead who have not yet passed on and who influence the direction of the investigation more or less covertly (”I think we have just one world, a continuum, one populated by living and dead alike,” 92, This Thing of Darkness), a psychic and spiritual realm book that rarely touches on formal religion (Dead House and Deepest Grave excepted, sort of);(4) A series that, while being a police procedural because the detective is a police officer, is largely about how said sergeant works around, even against the hierarchy of department authority and decision makers, “with police help but largely as an independent agent;”(5) A series that makes glancing references to texts that will jar Rowling Readers: “All shall be well” (284, Love Story with Murders), she drives a high heel into a creepy guy's foot when he comes up to her from behind (75, This Thing of Darkness), Clerkenwell! (103, The Dead House), a cave opening cathedral-like onto a lake, the heroine enters with a mentor, blood spilled at the entrance, and featuring a remarkable escape (chapter 34, The Dead House), etc, especially the Robin-Fiona parallels....(6) A series starring a female protagonist who works brilliantly undercover, whose story is about recovery from a trauma experienced when she was a college student, who struggles mostly with her romantic relationships with men, a struggle that is a combination of her mental health-recovery progress (or lack of same) and her vocation as a detective, who is skilled in the martial art of self-defense, and who is from a world outside London, an ethnicity and home fostering, of all things, a love of sheep;(7) A series with a love of the mythological or at least the non-modern (King Arthur! Anchorites!)Q5: Can you help us out with some UK inside jokes or cultural references of which we colonists can only guess the meaning? Start with Gateshead, Pit Ponies, and Council Flats and Bed-Sits!* Gateshead (Wikipedia)J. B. Priestley, writing of Gateshead in his 1934 travelogue English Journey, said that “no true civilisation could have produced such a town”, adding that it appeared to have been designed “by an enemy of the human race”.* Pit Ponies (Wikipedia)Larger horses, such as varieties of Cleveland Bay, could be used on higher underground roadways, but on many duties small ponies no more than 12 hands (48 inches, 122 cm) high were needed. Shetlands were a breed commonly used because of their small size, but Welsh, Russian, Devonshire (Dartmoor) and Cornish ponies also saw extensive use in England.[2] In the interwar period, ponies were imported into Britain from the Faroe Islands, Iceland and the United States. Geldings and stallions only were used. Donkeys were also used in the late 19th century, and in the United States, large numbers of mules were used.[6] Regardless of breed, typical mining ponies were low set, heavy bodied and heavy limbed with plenty of bone and substance, low-headed and sure-footed. Under the British Coal Mines Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 50), ponies had to be four years old and work ready (shod and vet checked) before going underground.[15] They could work until their twenties.At the peak of this practice in 1913, there were 70,000 ponies underground in Britain.In shaft mines, ponies were normally stabled underground[16] and fed on a diet with a high proportion of chopped hay and maize, coming to the surface only during the colliery's annual holiday.* Council Flats (Wikipedia)Q6: What are Rowling Readers to think of Robin's dream in chapter 22 (174 )when she's sleeping next to Murphy but dreaming of being at Ramsay's Silver with Strike and the showroom is filled with “cuddly toys instead of masonic swords and aprons”?* ‘Harry's Dreams:' Steve Vander Ark, Harry Potter LexiconQ7: The first bad news phone call that Robin takes from her mother Linda in Hallmarked Man is about the death of Rowntree. What is the connection between Robin's beloved Chocolate Labrador, Quakers, and Rowling's Golden Thread about ‘What is Real'?‘Troubled Blood: Poisoned Chocolates' (John Granger, 2021)‘Troubled Blood: The Secret of Rowntree' (John Granger, 2021)I explained in ‘Deathly Hallows and Penn's Fruits of Solitude‘ why Penn's quotation is a key to the Hogwarts Saga finale, how, in brief, the “inner light” doctrines of the Quakers and of non-conformist esoteric Christianity in general inform the story of Harry's ultimate victory in Dobby's grave over doubt and his subsequent ‘win' in his battle against death and the Dark Lord. I urge you to read that long post, one of the most important, I think, ever posted at HogwartsProfessor, for an idea of how central to Rowling's Christian faith the tenets of Quakerism really are as well as how this shows itself in Deathly Hallows.What makes the historical chocolate connection with the Quakers, one strongly affirmed in naming the Ellacott dog ‘Rowntree,' that much more interesting then is the easy segue from the “inner light” beliefs of the Christian non-conformists to the effect of chocolate on characters in Rowling and Galbraith novels. The conscience of man per the Quakers are our logos within that is continuous with the Logos fabric of reality, the Word that brings all things into existence and the light that is in every man (cf., the Prologue to St John's Gospel). Our inner peace and fellowship, in this view, depend on our identification with this transpersonal “inner light” rather than our ephemeral ego concerns.What is the sure way to recover from a Dementor attack, in which your worst nightmares are revisited? How does Robin deal with stress and the blues? Eat some chocolate, preferably a huge bar from Honeydukes or a chocolate brownie if you cannot get to Hogsmead.Access, in other words, the Quaker spiritual magic, the “inner light” peace of communion with what is Absolute and transcendent, a psychological effect exteriorized in story form by Rowling as the good feeling we have in eating chocolate. Or in the companionship and unconditional love of a beloved Labrador, preferably a chocolate Lab.Christmas Pig: The Blue Bunny' (John Granger, 2021)“Do you just want to live in nice houses?” asked Blue Bunny. “Or is there another reason you want to get in?”“Yes,” said Jack, before the Christmas Pig could stop him. “Somebody I need's in there. He's called DP and he's my favorite cuddly toy.”For a long moment, Jack and Blue Bunny stared into each other's eyes and then Blue Bunny let out a long sigh of amazement.“You're a boy,” he whispered. “You're real.”“He isn't,” said the panic-stricken Christmas Pig. “He's an action figure called—”“It's all right, Pig,” said Blue Bunny, “I won't tell anybody, I promise. You really came all the way into the Land of the Lost to find your favorite toy?” he asked Jack, who nodded.“Then I'll be your decoy,” said Blue Bunny. “It would be an honor” (169).The Bunny's recognition here of Jack as a messiah, sacrificial love incarnate, having descended into existence as a Thing himself from Up There where he was a source of the love that “alivens” objects, is one of, if not the most moving event in Christmas Pig. Note the words he uses: “You're real.”Rowling has used the word “real” twice before as a marker of reality transcending what we experience in conventional time and space, the sensible world. The first was in what she described as the “key” to the Harry Potter series, “lines I waited seventeen years to write” (Cruz), the end of the Potter-Dumbledore dialogue at King's Cross….In a Troubled Blood passage meant to echo that dialogue, with “head” and “backside” reflecting the characters inverted grasp of “reality,” Robin and Strike talk astrology:“You're being affected!” she said. “Everyone knows their star sign. Don't pretend to be above it.”Strike grinned reluctantly, took a large drag on his cigarette, exhaled, then said, “Sagittarius, Scorpio rising, with the sun in the first house.”“You're –” Robin began to laugh. “Did you just pull that out of your backside, or is it real?”“Of course, it's not f*****g real,” said Strike. “None of it's real, is it?” (Blood 242, highlighting in original).The Bunny's simple declaration, “You're real,” i.e., “from Up There,” the greater reality of the Land of the Living in which Things have their awakening in the love of their owners, clarifies these other usages. Dumbledore shares his wisdom with Harry that the maternal love which saved him, first at Godric's Hollow and then in the Forest, is the metaphysical sub-stance beneath, behind, and within all other reality. Strike gives Robin a dose of his skeptical ignorance and nominalist first principle that nothing is real but surface appearance subject to measurement and physical sensation, mental grasp of all things being consequent to that.Christmas Pig‘s “real” moment acts as a key to these others, one evident in the Bunny's response to the revelation of Jack's greater ontological status. He does a Dobby, offering to die for Jack as Jack has done in his descent into the Land of the Lost for DP, a surrender of self to near certain death in being given to the Loser he considers an “honor.” He acts spontaneously and selflessly as a “decoy,” a saving replacement in other words, for the “living boy” as Dobby did for the “Boy Who Lived.” The pathetic distraction that saved the DP rescue mission in Mislaid despite himself, crying out in desperation for his own existence, has metamorphized consequent to his experience with Broken Angel and in Jack's example, into a heroic decoy that allows Jack and CP to enter the City of the Missed.The Blue Bunny makes out better than the House-elf, too, and this is the key event of the book and the best evidence since the death of Lily Potter, Harry's defeat of Quirrell, and the demise of the Dark Lord that mother's love is Rowling's default symbolism for Christian love in her writing. The Bunny's choice to act as decoy, his decision to die to his ego-self, generates the life saving appearance of maternal love and its equivalent in the transference attachment a child feels for a beloved toy. The Johannine quality of the light that shines down on him from the Finding Hole and his Elijah-esque elevation nails down the Logos­-love correspondence.EC: All through Hallmarked Man Robin is saying to herself, “I think I love Ryan, no, really, I know I love him…,” which of course is Rowling's way of signaling the conflict this character has in her feelings for Strike and for Murphy. What is that about?* See ‘The Hallmarked Man's Mythological Template' for discussion of the Anteros/Eros distinction in the myth of Cupid and Psyche as well as the Strike-Ellacott novels Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Join the Theology in the Raw Patreon community to watch our "Extra Innings" conversation where Kaitlyn shares some horror stories about the Christian dating scene and gives some much-needed advice for anyone trying to set up their friends. Kaitlyn Schiess is a doctoral student in Christian ethics at Duke Divinity School. She has a ThM in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Brazos, 2023) and The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor (IVP, 2020). Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The New York Times, RELEVANT, and Sojourners. Her work focuses on political theology, theological interpretation of the Old Testament prophets, and American religious history. Find more of her work at https://kaitlynschiess.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Preaching is never meant to stop at information - it is meant to produce transformation. That was the heart of Eric Lockhart's message, Preaching for Change and Obedience, delivered at the Expositors Collective training event in Kampala on 13 September 2024. With warmth and clarity, Eric urged preachers to stay rooted in the biblical text while pressing their listeners toward holiness and obedience through Spirit-empowered application.He reminded participants that the preacher's task is not to simply talk about the Bible but to faithfully declare what the Bible says. Using the image of a river, Eric explained that the power of preaching flows from the Holy Spirit working through the proclamation of Scripture. The goal is not to impress hearers with knowledge but to persuade them toward faithful action in response to God's Word.Eric also highlighted the necessity of application, both in the preacher's own life and in the lives of the audience. Biblical truth, he insisted, always demands a response. Application may be woven throughout a sermon or drawn out at the end, but it must be Christ-centred, specific, and actionable. In doing so, preaching helps believers become doers of the Word and not hearers only.Mr Eric Lockhart serves as Deputy Principal of Academic Affairs at Uganda Baptist Seminary. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina, and before moving to Uganda in 2018 with his wife and four boys, he pastored in the USA for fourteen years. At UBS, he lectures on Hermeneutics and Homiletics and continues to champion preaching that does more than inform - preaching that transforms.Mr. Eric Lockhart is First Deputy Principal of Academic Affairs at Uganda Baptist Seminary in Jinja, UG where he also serves as Lecturer. In addition, he serves with the International Mission Board (IMB) as the Theological Education Strategist for Sub-Saharan Africa. Likewise, he serves as convener of ABTEN and a contributor to AB316, the writing branch of ABTEN. Mr. Lockhart holds both a MDiv in Christian Ministry and a ThM in Applied Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, NC. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Theology with an emphasis on preaching. Mr. Lockhart is a contributing author and co-editor of  True Prosperity: A Bible Study for the African Church. Previously, he served eighteen years as a pastor in United States. He has been married to Rebekah for 23 years. They are blessed with four sons, Elijah, Noah, Gavin, and Corban.For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollectiveDonate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Ronni Kurtz to discuss the impassability of God.Questions Covered in This Episode:Why this is problematic to say (if it is): God has an emotional life.Does God feel?Is impassability part of historic Christian doctrine?What is true and beautiful about this?Are passions and emotions the same thing?When we say God is simple, what are we saying?What if you don't feel God's love?What do we lose if we lose impassability?As an image bearer, am I supposed to try to be impassable?Why is the doctrine of accommodation important to this conversation?Helpful Definitions:Impassable: God is not subject to emotions.Passion: Undergoing something.Diviven Simplicity: God is not composed of parts.Anthropomorphism: God describing himself in creaturely-like parts.Anthropopathism: God reveals himself in human emotive language.Anthropocronism: God describes himself in human-like time.Guest Bio:Ronni Kurtz serves as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Kurtz holds a PhD in Systematic Theology, a ThM in Pedagogy, and an MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also has a BA in Biblical Studies from Southwest Baptist University. Dr. Kurtz is the author of numerous books and academic articles, including but not limited to Fruitful Theology, Proclaiming the Triune God, and Light Unapproachable. Resources Mentioned in this Episode:1 Peter 2, Romans 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 John 4:7, Acts 14, Hebrews 4-5, Philippians 2, Exodus 33, 1 Samuel 15, Exodus 20, Job 4, 1 Samuel 15, Deuteronomy 32, Genesis 6Deep Discipleship Program Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcast:Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchYou can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway's Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Chattin' with Coach Amy, I'm sitting down with my sweet client Lauren, someone who has walked the Trim Healthy Mama path with incredible grit, grace, and growth.In this episode, Lauren opens up about her journey from self-criticism to self-compassion. She shares how the vicious cycle of negative self-talk held her back for years… until she learned to show herself grace, lean into THM's ever-reliable principles, and start believing that imperfect progress is still progress.

This week we sit down with Jennifer, a long-time Trim Healthy Mama who has walked through some of life's hardest valleys and found freedom on the other side. She first discovered us in 2012 after a pregnancy that left her sick for nine months and then struggling with weight gain. Trim Healthy Mama gave her the tools to turn her health around, but her journey didn't stop there. Over the years she has faced postpartum struggles, divorce, single parenting, and even the heartbreak of losing her children temporarily during COVID. Through stress, sleepless nights, and stubborn weight that wouldn't budge, she learned how to rebuild her health with simple, doable steps. Most of all, she discovered the faithfulness of God and how small daily habits can carry you through the darkest times. If you have ever felt stuck, stressed, or ready to give up, Jennifer's story will remind you that health and hope are always within reach. Jenn's Bio: Coach Jen (Mason) Felker has been living the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle since 2012 and was one of the first to join the official coaching program when it launched in 2018. She began blogging about THM at thewellplannedkitchen.com in 2014. Since then, she has coached well over 4,000 Trim Healthy Mamas. Coach Jen teaches busy women how to put THM on autopilot so they can get on plan, stay on plan, and get healthy for life. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA:  Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Chattin' with Coach Amy, I'm joined by two longtime clients and special friends, Cindy and Carol, who are living proof that community and accountability will completely transform your Trim Healthy Mama journey. Together, they open up about what it's like to walk the Trim Healthy Mama path alongside other women, women who cheer you on, lift you up, and remind you that you're never alone. They show up. They support. They love big. From sharing real struggles to celebrating wins, these ladies model what it means to be in it together. They'll show you that when women support each other, they don't just change their own lives, they change the lives of everyone around them. Expect encouragement. Expect wisdom. Expect to be reminded that the bonds we build in community are some of the strongest tools we have for lasting transformation. This one is for every woman who's ever needed a sister to say, “You've got this.” Whether you're just starting THM or you've been on the path for years, you'll be inspired by their stories. This episode is a celebration of the bonds that carry us, the friends who lift us up when we stumble, and the truth that we're better together.

Claire and Rachel are joined today by Dr. James Smoker, the Registrar at Regent College and the original instigator of the Regent College Podcast. We talk about his PhD research, which focused on the thought and theology of the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A close friend of William Wordsworth, Coleridge is renowned for observing and learning from the natural world, grappling with life's profound questions through fairy tale, and incorporating theological reflection into his work. As James shares, Coleridge has become a companion on his journey in a faith that holds questions. If this conversation piques your interest, consider joining James's Fall class: “Imagining Being Human: The Theology and Poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.” Listen to the end for an announcement about a short break in broadcasting! We'll be back with more good conversations on a biweekly release schedule from September 12. James's BioDr. James Smoker serves as the Registrar at Regent College where he also contributes as a sessional lecturer. He holds both an MA and ThM from Regent College and earned his PhD from the University of St Andrews. James's doctoral research focused on the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834), exploring how imagination intersects with theological concepts such as knowing God, faith, and doubt. His academic interests also encompass the writings of Sara Coleridge (1802–1852), the interplay between popular culture and theology, and the role of imagination in environmental stewardship. He has contributed to scholarly journals and popular publications. James will be teaching a class on Coleridge this Fall, “Imagining Being Human: The Theology and Poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.”Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

This week, we sit down and share life with one of our favorite guests yet, John Chaffee. John is a Spiritual Director, Author of 5 books, Podcaster, and Cohort Leader. He has served in pastoral roles, worked in Camp and Prison ministry, and as a Professor with an extensive educational background in Biblical Studies. He received a degree in Biblical Studies from Eastern University, then received his MDiv from Palmer Seminary, and then completed his ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground. We cover the stages of faith, some pitfalls with the modern conception of the church, the nuances of discipleship, and the need for transparency towards growth. If you would like to learn more about John's ministries or would love to support the work that he is doing, please visit his website here for more information.

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jared Ebert (ThM) as we delve into the retrieval of Reformed Methods in New Testament Textual Criticism. This episode offers an examination of historical approaches and their contemporary relevance to our approach to textual criticism. To read his ThM thesis, click here: https://www.academia.edu/129594686/Retrieving_the_Reformed_Methods_of_New_Testament_Textual_Criticism For more information about CBTS visit: https://cbtseminary.org  

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jared Ebert (ThM) as we delve into the retrieval of Reformed Methods in New Testament Textual Criticism. This episode offers an examination of historical approaches and their contemporary relevance to our approach to textual criticism. To read his ThM thesis, click here: https://www.academia.edu/129594686/Retrieving_the_Reformed_Methods_of_New_Testament_Textual_Criticism For more information about CBTS visit: https://cbtseminary.org  

In today's episode I got to sit and chat with my sweet Blooms client, Rebekah! Currently 35 weeks pregnant with baby number four, Rebekah brings such a joyful and hope-filled perspective to her Trim Healthy journey—and to life.We talked about how her THM approach has looked a little different through each of her pregnancies, and how she's learned to make her meals count, prioritize nourishment, and protect the health she's worked so hard for. Her goal? To lay a strong foundation of wellness for her family—and she's doing it beautifully.She shares why the accountability and sisterhood inside the Blooms community have been key to her success, and offers encouragement straight from the heart for every mama—whether you're expecting or surrounded by littles.You'll be blessed by her joy, her wisdom, and her grace in this season.

Some people claim that the Bible is full of errors. Such comments center on things as the origin of man, the age of the earth or the idea of a worldwide flood. Then we have those folks who see the Bible as nothing more than a "good book." They claim that it has good moral teachings but they certainly can't take it seriously as a book of facts! How can Christians respond to those who believe such lies? Are we ourselves as grounded as we should be so we can stand for biblical truth? What evidence should we be aware of that will allow us to make such a stand for truth? Joining Dalton to help you answer these questions was Dr. Tim Chaffey. Dr. Chaffey is content manager of the attractions division at Answers in Genesis. He's responsible for overseeing the development of content for the exhibits at the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. He writes articles for the Answers in Genesis website and Answers Magazine. He holds a BS in biblical studies and theology, an MA in biblical and theological studies, a MDiv with an emphasis in apologetics and theology and a ThM in church history. He's also earned a doctor of ministry degree, specializing in advanced biblical and theological studies. He's been an author or co-author on more than 2 dozen books. From the mountain of archaeological evidence, the more than 200 flood legends from various civilizations, the biological evidence, the virgin birth...all that and more is discussed which shows the Bible to be God's truth. Also included is an update on what's happening at the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter!

Some people claim that the Bible is full of errors. Such comments center on things as the origin of man, the age of the earth or the idea of a worldwide flood. Then we have those folks who see the Bible as nothing more than a "good book." They claim that it has good moral teachings but they certainly can't take it seriously as a book of facts! How can Christians respond to those who believe such lies? Are we ourselves as grounded as we should be so we can stand for biblical truth? What evidence should we be aware of that will allow us to make such a stand for truth? Joining Dalton to help you answer these questions was Dr. Tim Chaffey. Dr. Chaffey is content manager of the attractions division at Answers in Genesis. He's responsible for overseeing the development of content for the exhibits at the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. He writes articles for the Answers in Genesis website and Answers Magazine. He holds a BS in biblical studies and theology, an MA in biblical and theological studies, a MDiv with an emphasis in apologetics and theology and a ThM in church history. He's also earned a doctor of ministry degree, specializing in advanced biblical and theological studies. He's been an author or co-author on more than 2 dozen books. From the mountain of archaeological evidence, the more than 200 flood legends from various civilizations, the biological evidence, the virgin birth...all that and more is discussed which shows the Bible to be God's truth. Also included is an update on what's happening at the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter!

Cindy's journey started at 444 pounds — carrying not just the weight of her body, but the emotional burden of childhood trauma, constant bullying, and a lifetime of failed diets. She had tried it all: Keto, Paleo, Weight Watchers, even running in place at 12 years old in a plastic sauna suit. Nothing worked — until she was gifted a Trim Healthy Mama book and found Coach Amy. That was the moment things started to change. This time, Cindy didn't just diet. She fueled her body with purpose. She gave herself grace. She started slow, stayed consistent, and found support through the THM community and trauma therapy. The result? Over 100 pounds lost (and counting) — and a woman who's finally learning to love herself from the inside out.

Heather found herself 60 pounds heavier and stuck in a cycle of sugar addiction. After three pregnancies and the emotional and physical rollercoaster that came with them… her breakthrough finally came after baby number three. This time, she approached THM with intention—studying the principles, taking them seriously, and embracing the truth behind them. The result? Rapid (but sustainable) fat-loss and a total shift in how she viewed her body. Heather discovered that control isn't a dirty word—it's freedom. By learning how to fuel her body with health, she broke free from stress and anxiety around food. Now, she moves forward with confidence. While she doesn't always stick to THM recipes (her husband handles most of the cooking), she still anchors every meal in protein. And she dialed in the details of the THM Plan to guide her family's nutrition. Check Out some of the Tools that Helped Her Below! Good Girl Moonshine (a THM Sipper!) https://trimhealthymama.com/recipe/good-girl-moonshine-fp/ Baobab https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/baobab-boost-powder-11oz-bag/ Kefir https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/easy-kefir-powder/ Optimized Plant Protein https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/optimized-plant-protein-16oz-bag/ ESSENTIAL https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/essential-powder-pure-amino-acid-formula-18oz/ For a long time, we have wanted to invite others to hear the personal stories of OVERCOMING from those in the Trim Healthy movement. So get ready for testimonies of healing, breakthroughs, fat loss… and the journeys of strength from those that have found FREEDOM. These are stories that have to be told. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.” Explore the Store: Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health. Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content. Get in the best shape of your life! Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA: Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Ashe, PhD, ThM, MDiv is a Community Health Psychologist & Research Scientist, whose work explores religion and racism as psychosocial determinants of health. He focuses specifically on cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disorder risk and health inequities among Black Americans. Dr. Ashe is a former Theology, Medicine, and Culture Fellow at Duke Divinity School, and joined us in Spring 2023 to offer this virtual seminar, "Racism Driver of Health Disparities, Outlier in Our Theology Of Illness."

William D. Dennison (MDiv, ThM, Westminster Theological Seminary; PhD, Michigan State University) was Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Covenant College and Visiting Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Northwest Theological Seminary. He is the author of Paul's Two-Age Construction and Apologetics (Wipf and Stock, 2000), A Christian Approach to Interdisciplinary Studies (Wipf and Stock, 2007), The Young Bultmann (Peter Lang, 2008), and Karl Marx (P&R). For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.org  

Jami Rugg is with us today… She won the Grand Prize of a visit to the Hilltop. She shares her amazing story of recovery from chronic disease with the help of  THM and how she used the principles to at first help her to gain much needed healthy weight… then later in her life… how to use the principles to lose fat. Her story is so impactful. She went from needing assistance for every day tasks to flourishing in her home. She shares how nothing is too hard with trust and God and support from community. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA:  Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded live in Kampala, Uganda, this episode features a wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation on the practice of church leadership in a variety of contexts. Pastors from Calvary Chapel and Baptist traditions come together to address anonymous audience questions on everything from altar calls to tongues, from tithing to women in ministry, and from spiritual gifts to church planting proximity.With grace, humour, and biblical grounding, panelists explore:When (and why) to invite a public response after a sermonWhether Christians are cursed if they don't titheWhat spiritual gifts look like in different church culturesWhy some churches do not ordain women as pastorsHow to teach clearly about demons in spiritually sensitive culturesAnd the wisdom of planting churches near existing onesYou'll hear personal stories, pastoral insight, and moments of sharp theological clarity - all shaped by the lived experience of ministry in Uganda and beyond.Featuring:Eric Lockheart, lecturer and administrator at Uganda Baptist Seminary. He holds an MDiv in Christian Ministry and a ThM in Applied Theology, both from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC). Eric served as a pastor in the USA for 14 years before moving with his wife and four sons to Uganda in 2018 to serve under the IMB Baptist Mission. He loves teaching Hermeneutics and Homiletics, and enjoys sports, reading, fishing, and time with his family.James Senyonjjo Okurut, lecturer at Uganda Baptist Seminary since 2020, with over 20 years of ministry experience. He holds a BA from Makerere University (specialising in Communication), a BTh from UBS, and is pursuing a Master's from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.Zeddie Muzungu, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Kampala and Director of Calvary Chapel Bible College Uganda. He is passionate about teaching God's Word and training future church leaders. He is married to Hope Muzungu.Ed Compean, lead pastor of Shoreline Calvary in Morro Bay, California. He previously served in Nairobi, Kenya, as a church planter and coach to emerging leaders, and is actively involved with the Cultivate Church Planting Initiative of Calvary Global Network.Join Mike Neglia and Brian Kelly at the upcoming CGN Ministry Conference June 22-25, 2025 This conference is designed for church leaders and their ministry teams to connect, collaborate, and grow together. Dive deep into John 13–17, The Upper Room Discourse, with our main session speakers, and attend workshops led by experienced leaders in key areas such as Lead and Senior Pastors, Executive and Associate Pastors, Women in Ministry, Children's Ministry, Youth Ministry, Worship, Small Groups and Care Leaders, Tech Teams, Administration, and Lay Leaders. Whether you're a pastor, ministry worker, or volunteer, this event is for your whole team. Join us for an inspiring time of learning, fellowship, and renewed vision for the work God has called us to!For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollectiveDonate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective

Today's episode features my sweet Blooms group client, Olivia—and y'all, she is an absolute gem! Olivia is fully embracing her Trim Healthy journey, and this time, it's for life. Her transformation goes far beyond the scale: her mindset has shifted, her confidence has soared, and she's seeing the ripple effect in her home, her marriage, and her children. She looks back at her “before THM” self with gratitude and clarity, knowing just how far she's come. Olivia is shining bright, and I'm so excited she joined me to share her joy and encouragement with you today!Season 5 Episode 9

The good news of Jesus includes his life, death, resurrection, and future return—but what about his ascension? Though often neglected or misunderstood, the ascension is integral to the gospel. In The Ascension of Christ: Recovering a Neglected Doctrine (Lexham Press), Patrick Schreiner argues that Jesus' work would be incomplete without his ascent to God's right hand. Not only a key moment in the gospel story, Jesus' ascension was necessary for his present ministry in and through the church. Schreiner argues that Jesus' residence in heaven marks a turning point in his three-fold offices of prophet, priest, and king. As prophet, Jesus builds the church and its witness. As priest, he intercedes before the Father. As king, he rules over all. A full appreciation of the ascension is essential for understanding the Bible, Christian doctrine, and Christ's ongoing work in the world. Dr. Patrick Schreiner is Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross and Matthew, Disciple and Scribe. Twitter: @pj_schreiner Jonathan Wright is a PhD student in New Testament at Midwestern Baptist theological seminary. He holds an MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and can be reached at jonrichwright@gmail.com, on Twitter @jonrichwright, or jonathanrichardwright.com. 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

Dr. Tom Wadsworth's recent YouTube videos about "Why the Early Church Didn't Have 'Worship Services'" have attracted more than 750,000 views from more than 110 countries around the world. His videos stem from over 40 years of study and his doctoral research into Christian assemblies in the first century. He is a professional speaker, writer, and biblical scholar who has two master's degrees (MTh and ThM) and a PhD, all in New Testament. View the condensed version of Dr. Wadsworth's message that we discussed: youtube.com/watch?v=sw4MTdbq3Xw tomwadsworth.com voluntarytheocracy.org

Kyle Worley is joined by Leslie Umstattd and Christy Allen to discuss how to care for women in the local church.Questions Covered in This Episode:Why are you passionate about caring for women in the church?What are two key practices for women to grow in their ability to care for women in their local church??Guest Bio:Leslie Umstattd serves as Associate Professor of Christian Education & Ministry to Women and Faculty Co-Coordinator, Ministry to Women Programs at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She holds an Ed.D. from Midwestern Seminary, Masters of Marriage and Family Counseling and Religious Education from Southwestern Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Alabama. Christy Allen serves as Assistant Professor of Ministry to Women, and Faculty Co-Coordinator, Ministry to Women Programs at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Professor Allen holds a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary with a concentration in Bible Exposition and Christian Education, a Master's in Christian Education from Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Jacksonville University. She is currently working on a PhD in Applied Theology at MBTS. Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcasts:The Family Discipleship Podcast | Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchMidwestern Seminary is excited to announce FTC Talks, exclusive conversations with MBTS faculty about ministry related topics. Completely online and FREE, you can sign up for any and all FTC Talks today at mbts.edu/ftctalks to reserve your spot. Join us for talks about women's discipleship, God's heart for the nations, gospel-driven ministry, Spurgeon's pastoral ministry, and how every Christian is a counselor. We hope these conversations will spur you on in your service to the local church and help you connect with even more ministry leaders and friends across the country. Sign up today at mbts.edu/ftctalks.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page. Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

The Banter: In the banter today Danny brings the most often asked THM questions and answers (according to ChatGPT). And then there's a (rated PG) comical discussion about men's underwear.  The Meat: Spend your time doing what really matters for your purpose. Ask yourself this: “What is my purpose?” If it doesn't meet that purpose, be willing to cut it out of your calendar! And then double-down, and commit yourself to doing the things that are your passion, and that fulfill your God-given destiny. If we focus on PASSION and PURPOSE, we will thrive.  But, for the record, we are not going to try to be all-things-to-all people with the Trim Healthy Mama business. We know who we are, and we want to invite all into experiencing this incredible path. If it's not the fit for you and your lifestyle, no worries! But we're not going to change to try to appeal to everyone. We'll lose our identity in the process. We're going to passionately be TRIM HEALTHY MAMA. Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”). Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA:  Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices