Paleo Protestant Pudcast

A wide-ranging chat about differing eschatological tendencies among Anglicans, Lutherans, and Presbyterians. They trace how British Protestant attitudes toward Israel shaped millennial expectations. The conversation shifts to Michael Barkun’s idea of secular and religious catastrophism and its echoes in Christian nationalist thought. They end by debating how theological labels interact with social and political impulses.

A lively discussion about evangelical purity culture from the 1990s and 2000s and how it intersected with confessional Protestant piety. Personal stories trace Anglican, Lutheran, and Presbyterian experiences of enculturation, shame, and moral posturing. The conversation explores class, schooling, generational cycles, and whether serious Christian devotion ever became a mark of cultural cool.

Don't let that click bait fool you. Confessional Protestants have been in the news -- not for being named in the Epstein files. A Lutheran Church Missouri Synod district president has been charged with possessing child pornography, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland resigned for failing to protect church members from abuse, and Presbyterians in the United States have excommunicated a minister for holding to and promoting kinism. And you thought Anglicans had it rough. The co-hosts, Anglican Miles Smith, Lutheran Korey Maas, and Presbyterian D. G. Hart put their heads together virtually to discuss and comment on these regretable developments. Listeners beware. Jeffrey Epstein is never mentioned.

Jason Peters, an English professor who converted from Reformed Christianity to Eastern Orthodoxy, discusses liturgy, parish life, and why Orthodoxy appeals today. He describes calendar, feasts, fasting, and the church’s aesthetic power. Conversation covers who is converting, why many young men are drawn in, and the tension between theological motives and cultural appeal.

They unpack high-level Anglican disciplinary structures and how bishops try other bishops. They trace allegations against a prominent archbishop and debate megachurch influence on episcopal culture. They compare how Presbyterian and Lutheran bodies handle institutional disputes and women's roles. They spotlight communication gaps that leave laity dependent on social media for church news.

A wide-ranging look at recent Anglican news, from leadership changes to institutional controversies. The conversation examines ACNA governance struggles, diocesan autonomy, and accountability gaps. They parse GAFCON’s claims about communion and consider how national fights play out in local parishes. Possible paths for disaffected Anglicans and the meaning of Anglican identity also come up.

A tangled conversation about whether mainline churches can project Christianity into broader culture. They debate urban prestige, shifting geography of influence, and whether denominational brands still matter. The discussion touches on higher education, global differences in church power, early Christianity’s impact on Rome, and risks when religion becomes culturally popular.

They discuss preparing college courses and whether a classical, Great Books style of learning fits confessional Protestant formation. They trace links from Renaissance humanism and the Reformation to ministerial training and liturgy. They debate classical schooling for children, gaps in curricula, civic formation, and whether the Bible counts as a Great Book.

To put the question even more pointedly, with lots of stereotyping to go round, when do Lutherans of German descent who settled mainly in the northern mid-western states pay attention to Baptists in the South? This was the subject of the recent recording when co-hosts, Korey Maas (Lutheran), Miles Smith (Anglican), and D. G. Hart (Presbyterian) discussed Scott Yenor's article on what Southern Baptist conservatives might learn from Missouri Synod Lutherans about "the left's" attack on denominational institutions. Part of the discussion involved the Southern Baptist Convention's place in conservative politics and the New Calvinist movement. Another part involved the dark side of church politics -- how much officers and members need to strategize and organize to defeat opponents within a communion where everyone is supposed to agree. Articles the co-hosts mentioned included: Korey Maas on the controversy in the LCMS over Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; and the place of civil rights politics in the LCMS controversy. For any Presbyterians who might see parallels in the Lutheran and Baptist controversies with the Presbyterian conflict of the 1920s, especially over control of seminaries, this discussion at The Reformed Forum may be of use. This episode's sponor is the National Public Radio show, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me."

The topic this time is evangelical sacramentalism courtesy of a good short article by Gillis Harp, a retired professor of history at Grove City College. With Dr. Harp, the co-hosts, Korey Maas (Lutheran), Miles Smith (Anglican), and D. G. Hart (Presbyterian) talk about the recent elevation of the sacraments among Protestants, whether this is a function of Protestants trying to retrieve the church fathers or re-enchant worship services, and the relationship between preaching and the Lord's Supper. Spoiler alert: readers may be surprised to hear an Anglican (Dr. Harp) defend a high view of preaching. Listeners may want to consult Luther's Small Catechism, the Thirty-Nine Articles, and the Shorter Catechism on the Lord's Supper to see the language used to describe the benefits of the sacrament.