The Good Life

The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards with Gerald McDermott

Today I enjoyed visiting with Dr. Gerald McDermott. Dr. McDermott is an Anglican priest as well as a church historian and scholar who specializes in the theology of Jonathan Edwards. He has written dozens of books, eight of which focus on various elements of the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards. 

Today we talk about why Edwards was and still is important, and we focus on Edwards' unfinished book,  A History of Redemption. After many years of research, Dr. McDermott has written a book that seeks to finish what Edwards might have written had he lived to complete it (he tragically died at age fifty-four). We discuss Edwards further legacy, as well as why "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is both the best and the worst known sermon in American history. 

• A New History of Redemption
• Everyday Glory: The Revelation of God in All of Reality
• One Holy and Happy Society - the Public Theology of Jonathan Edwards
• Famous Stutterers

Navigating the Negative World with Aaron Renn

Today I get to speak with Aaron Renn, an author and social commentator. He recently wrote a book called, Life in the Negative World about how life has changed for Christians in the last fifty years and what Christians must do in the twenty-first century to thrive. 

Aaron has an excellent Substack and podcast website. He has also edited the Puritan John Owen's book, The Mortification of Sin, a helpful book for Christians on battling (and killing) sin. 

Today we talk about his book, the need for Christians to do good work, and how to use your gifts well in the world. 

Can Christendom Return? - John Ehrett

John Ehrett is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. He returns today to talk with me about a recent article of his entitled, "Christendom After Comcast." We talk about the desire to return to a better way of life, the paths many people suggest, and what prevents that return from happening. Specifically, we discuss how cable television was one of many elements that restrict our ability to ever go back to "the way things were" and what are steps the church can take to faithfully respond to this new era. 

• Christendom After Comcast
• Ivy Envy

 

Mere Humanity with Dr. Donald Williams

Today I interview Dr. Donald Williams, former Literature professor at Toccoa Falls College. We discuss his book, Mere humanity : G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition. We discuss what those men have to say about being human and even why their writings effect us generations after they lived. 

Dr. Williams has written several books as well, some of which are listed below.

• Mere humanity : G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition
• Answers from Aslan
• Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation
• Reflections from Plato's Cave: Essays in Evangelical Philosophy

An American Classical Education with Nathan Gill

Today I spoke with Nathan Gill, a Hillsdale graduate, classical education teacher, and administrator. He wrote an article at The American Reformer titled, "Toward a More American Classical Education." We talk about why it's important to not only give your children an education steeped in the wisdom of the past, but for their education to be rooted in the country and regional culture where they live. We discuss what that could look like, as well as how craftsmanship and entrepreneurship make for a uniquely American education. 

How Your Eschatology Affects Your Life

What is eschatology and how does it affect your life? Some think your view of the millennium determines your level of social and cultural action, but is that true? 

Today I talk about a Ben Dunson article at the American Reformer that provides a partial answer to that question. But I suspect there's even more to the question than we realize. 

Ben Dunson - Eschatology and Politics

A New Political Spectrum - How Being a Political Nerd Actually Helps Me Love My Neighbor

Have you ever taken a quiz to know where you fall on the political compass? Are you liberal, conservative, authoritarian, or libertarian? Thankfully there are more options than those. Today I talk about how we can know where we call on the spectrum and how that knowledge can better help me to love my neighbor. 

P.S. In this episode I said that Noah Millman's article came out on the "League of Ordinary Gentlemen" blog. That is incorrect. It was on the now defunct "American Scene" website, which is available thanks to the reliable Wayback Machine. 

Articles mentioned

• Notes Towards a New Political Taxonomy - Noah Millman
• Tanner Greer's Summary of Millman's article
• A Better Model of Political Categories - N.S. Lyons (paywalled for subscribers)

 

Craftsmanship that will last - Joshua Klein

Joshua Klein is a woodworker, furniture maker, author, church elder, and editor of Mortise and Tenon magazine. He has written a fascinating biography of  Jonathan Fisher, an eighteenth-century jack-of-all-trades pastor titled, Hands Employed Aright. He also works with the Greystone Theological Institute's mechanical arts program to mentor young men in intellectual, theological, and craftsmanship skills. 

We discuss what drew him to woodworking, the role of beauty in craftsmanship, and what makes a working with your hands so satisfying. 

 

• Mortise and Tenon Magazine
• Mortise and Tenon Podcast
• Hands Employed Aright
• Greystone Institute Mechanical Arts Program

 

Five books on marriage you've never read

Having just celebrated Valentine's Day, here are five good books of marriage that can help any married couple, no matter how long they've been married. 

Delighting in the Seasons - Ryan Anderson

The Christmas season is almost here and who better to talk about it than a man who hails from the capital of the white Christmas (Vermont) - Ryan Anderson. Ryan grew up in Vermont, moved to Washington state, and recently returned to the land of his fathers. I met him through Twitter (now "X") and have enjoyed his posts about moving home and delighting in the season. We talk about how many good things there are to celebrate in fall/winter, what a family needs from a father, and why slowing down is a good thing this time of year. 

Ryan's Substack page - Old Hollow Tree

Ryan's X (formerly Twitter) account