“A Wonder of the Age”: Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

Now 250 years old, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral shows off Phillis Wheatley’s skill as a writer as well as her Christian faith.

The Irenic Wiseman: James Hilton’s Unforgettable Mr. Chips on Peace and War

The classic novel Goodbye, Mr. Chips addresses age-old questions about the proper human response to the martial savagery surrounding us.

The Founders Trilogy Celebrates the Power of Human Empathy. But Should It?

Empathy fails as a means of salvation because it presumes that understanding alone is enough to compel virtuous behavior.

Kaitlyn Schiess’s The Ballot and the Bible Reveals the Complex History of Biblical Interpretation and American Politics

There’s no doubt that we live in a politically divisive era, and sadly, much of that division is driven by biblical interpretation.

Cormac McCarthy’s Unbaptized Masterpiece

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is a supreme artistic achievement that is resolutely pagan.

The Scandal of Reading 27 | Lit Pulpit 5 – Go Tell It on the Mountain, Part 5

Claude and Austin explore the concept and practice of forgiveness and how Gabriel’s domineering and toxic character is influenced by it.

The Scandal of Reading 26 | Lit Pulpit 4 – Go Tell It on the Mountain, Part 4

Claude and Austin discuss religious power, toxic faith, and the complications of conversion in James Baldwin’s novel. 

The Scandal of Reading 25 | Neal Plantinga on John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

Neal Plantinga joins Austin to discuss John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and its commentary on systemic corruption and evil in the Dust Bowl.

The Horror of Human Consumption: How The Stepford Wives and Severance Invite Us to the Greater Vision of Loving Thy Neighbor

In The Stepford Wives and Severance we’re left wondering: where is the alternative vision to the mercenary hellscapes provided?

The Scandal of Reading 24 | Alan Noble on T.S. Eliot’s The Four Quartets

Alan Noble joins Jessica to discuss T.S. Eliot’s writing of The Four Quartets and how the 20th century poet composed this work.

The Scandal of Reading 23 | Angel Adams Parham on Phillis Wheatley

Associate Professor of Sociology Angel Adams Parham joins Claude to take a fresh look at Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America”

White Noise: Modern Rituals and Plastic Wrapped Religion

White Noise skewers our comforts by offering a skewed view of our modern society.

The Scandal of Reading 22 | Lit Pulpit 3 – Go Tell It on the Mountain, Part 3

Claude and Austin “Florence’s Prayer” and the way that time functions in Baldwin’s novel, drawing out the inter-generational dynamics.

The Scandal of Reading 21 | Mary McCampbell on Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory

Mary W. McCampbell joins the show to talk about Graham Greene’s novel, The Power and the Glory and the themes of the “Whiskey Priest.”

It’s Not a Game: Why Consent Isn’t Enough in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin’s acclaimed novel contains a darker thread that highlights the problem with consent being the be-all and end-all of sexual relationships.

The Scandal of Reading 20 | Kaitlyn Schiess on Dorothy L. Sayers’ Zeal of thy House

Writer, Author, and ThD student Kaitlyn Schiess joins Jessica to talk about their love for Dorothy L. Sayers’ Zeal of Thy House.