A History of Christian Theology

For a fun twist, my dad asked if he could interview me about my new book The Way of Humility, St. Augustine's Theology of Preaching (Catholic University of America Press, 2023). I had a very good time and appreciate all the time he took to read it. He has read plenty of my bad high school papers, but this one took a lot more time. I am blessed that both of my parents have beens so supportive in my academic and spiritual journey. Thank you to all parents who support their kids! You do tremendous and live changing work. You can support the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/AHOCTYou can buy the book here: https://www.cuapress.org/9780813237398/the-way-of-humility/

Glen L Thompson, a historian specializing in early Christianity in China, dives into the hidden history of the Jingjiao, the earliest Christian church in the region. He shares intriguing tales, such as how a Chinese Christian once led the Syriac Church. The discussion touches on the interplay of early Christianity with Taoism, the linguistic hurdles faced by missionaries, and the significance of the Syriac language. Listeners will discover a richly woven narrative that connects cultural identities with Christian tradition.

For today's episode, we interview Dr. Brad Littlejohn on his recently published book Why Do Protestants Convert? (co-authored with Chris Castaldo). In this podcast, we explore some of the reasons behind the recent trend of conversions from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, especially among prominent Protestant intellectuals.  Far from an apologetic undertaking, this book takes on the approach of attempting to understand the phenomena which have led to this shift, and provides intrigue for those of all faith backgrounds.

Today we sit down with Dr. Tiffany Kriner, Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College, whose new book "In Thought, Word, and Seed: Reckonings from a Midwest Farm" (Eerdmans, 2023) discusses her recent life on a farm in Northern Illinois and how her interactions with the land have reconfigured her own faith. This literary work, engaging with a variety of themes and intersections of various fields, incorporates theological considerations in a manner that draws our focus toward the importance of attention and its constituent elements. 

Today our longtime Editorial Assistant, Grant Bellchamber, joins us for an interview with Dr. Dru Johnson on his recently published book "What Hath Darwin to Do With Scripture?: Comparing the Conceptual Worlds of the Bible and Evolution" (IV Press, 2023). We discuss the evolutionary notions of scarcity and fit in relation to the Old Testament writers' own conception of Creation as Dr. Johnson attempts to put the two understandings into a dialectical relation. Join us as we explore an interesting approach to an, often, highly-fraught intellectual relationship.

We welcome my good friend Drew Martin to the podcast today to talk about his book The Covenant with Moses and the Kingdom of God (Brill, 2023). His work crosses disciplinary boundaries like history, theology, and political theory. We talk mostly about how covenant theology works and how that overlaps with political theory.

In her book, Augustine on the Will (Oxford University Press, 2019), Dr. Kantzer Komline discusses Augustine's theological stance on the will, which developed throughout his lifetime, and its implications for his theology and Western thought as a whole. On this podcast, we've invited her for an in-depth discussion on Augustine's theology and his broader intellectual development, a topic which has been the focus of much debate amongst scholars.

Ty Paul Monroe, an associate professor of Theology at Assumption University, joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Putting on Christ: Augustine’s Early Theology of Salvation and the Sacraments” (CUA Press, 2022). With his deep, theological approach to a reading of Augustine, his work fits right in with our host’s own academic work. Join us as we interrogate the connection between Augustine’s early understanding of central Christian beliefs and Donatist and Neo-Platonist lines of thinking.

Jacob Wright offers a compelling proposal for Why the Bible Began (Cambridge University Press, 2023) in his book of that title. This book was chosen as one of the best books of 2023 by the New Yorker. In our conversation, we talk about what it means that the Bible laid the foundation for a people and the scribes who wrote, edited, and collected the work. We talk briefly about what it means for the people of God in the 21st century in the land of Israel and Palestine and the catastrophic events of October 7th. Also, please consider supporting A History of Christian Theology by subscribing to our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT), where we will be posting exclusive content and episodes in the upcoming weeks.

Andrew Hofer’s new study The Power of Patristic Preaching (Catholic University Press, 2023) surveys several key early Christian theologians and preachers. We talk through Origen, Leo the Great, and Gregory the Great, three figures we haven’t discussed much on this podcast. Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing to our Patreon, which helps make this possible: https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT