The McKrakenCast
Episodes
Saturday Sep 10, 2022
Part 5 - Scots Confession, History & Theology (final installment)
Saturday Sep 10, 2022
Saturday Sep 10, 2022
This is the 5th and final part in a series of adult education (Sunday School) classes that I taught at St. Charles Presbyterian Church (USA) in the early months of 2020. It provides a fairly thorough discussion of the Scots Confession's history and theology targeted (hopefully, effectively so) at the generally educated churchgoer. Part 5 continues exploring the background of the Scots Confession. It deals with life and times of John Knox, the principal author of the Scots Confession, cover his departure from England in 1554 to avoid the reign of "Bloody Mary" Tudor, his time in Geneva and Frankfurt, his return to Scotland in 1559, and his legacy. It also explores chapters 21 - 25 in the confession itself, addressing topics like the purpose of the sacraments, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Holy Spirit's work in the sacraments, government and civil authority, and the two gifts given to the church.This is Part 5 in a 5-part series. You can find the series index here. Click here for the blog post corresponding to this episode, and click here to access this content on YouTube.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
Reflecting on the Lectionary Texts for the First Sunday in Lent (RCL Year C)
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
This is the first of what should be a three part series of adult spiritual formation / education (Sunday School) classes that I'm currently teaching at St. Charles Presbyterian Church (USA), here in March of 2022. The date for this particular recording was March 6, 2022. During this series, I will be leading discussion of the Revised Common Lectionary texts for these Sundays in Lent. Many thanks to my sisters and brothers who joined in the conversation.
This Sunday's readings were:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
You can access these readings here.
We discussed things like:
My complicated relationship to the liturgical year and lectionary
Lent, Zwingli, and the origins of the Reformed tradition
How maybe Ash Wednesday should come before Mardi Gras
How we should treat "aliens" / immigrants
How observation of the Sabbath is explained differently in Exodus 20 compared to Deuteronomy 5
How the Jewish and Christian traditions identify God and God's people by telling stories / recounting history
The protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15 and the Reformed tradition's problems with replacement theology / supercessionism
Calling on the name of the Lord and why LORD shows up in all capital letters in the Old Testament
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Saturday Feb 19, 2022
Part 4 - Scots Confession, History & Theology
Saturday Feb 19, 2022
Saturday Feb 19, 2022
This is Part 4 in a series of adult education (Sunday School) classes that I taught at St. Charles Presbyterian Church (USA) in the early months of 2020. It provides a fairly thorough discussion of the Scots Confession's history and theology targeted (hopefully, effectively so) at the generally educated churchgoer. Part 4 continues exploring the background of the Scots Confession. It deals with life and times of John Knox, the principal author of the Scots Confession, from the history of Scotland leading up to his birth to Knox's departure from England in 1554 to avoid the reign of "Bloody Mary" Tudor. It also explores chapters 16 - 20 in the confession itself, addressing topics like the marks of the church, universal salvation, the supersessionism in Reformed ecclesiology, the afterlife, and the authority of Scripture.
This is Part 4 in a 5-part series. You can find the series index here. Click here for the blog post corresponding to this episode, and click here to access this content on YouTube.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Part 3 - Scots Confession, History & Theology
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
This is Part 3 in a series of adult education (Sunday School) classes that I taught at St. Charles Presbyterian Church (USA) in the early months of 2020. It provides a fairly thorough discussion of the Scots Confession's history and theology targeted (hopefully, effectively so) at the generally educated churchgoer. Part 3 continues exploring the background of the Scots Confession. It deals with John Calvin and the Swiss Reformation, including Calvin's teachings on the knowledge of God, as well as providing a very brief overview of the English Reformation. It also explores chapters 11 - 15 in the confession itself, addressing topics like Christ's intercession at the right hand of the Father, the afterlife, faith, "total depravity," "good" works and merit, and the Christian's ongoing struggle against sin.
This is Part 3 in a 5-part series. You can find the series index here. Click here for the blog post corresponding to this episode, and click here to access this content on YouTube.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Part 2 - Scots Confession, History & Theology
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
This is Part 2 in a series of adult education (Sunday School) classes that I taught at St. Charles Presbyterian Church (USA) in the early months of 2020. It provides a fairly thorough discussion of the Scots Confession's history and theology targeted (hopefully, effectively so) at the generally educated churchgoer. Part 2 gets into the background of the Scots Confession. It surveys the state of the late medieval Christian Church as well as a number of reform movements (Francis of Assisi, Wycliffe, Hus, etc.) and gives a brief overview of Martin Luther's reformation and theology. It also explores chapters 6 - 10 in the confession itself, addressing topics like the incarnation, election, christology, atonement / salvation, and the creedal descent into hell.
This is Part 2 in a 5-part series. You can find the series index here. Click here for the blog post corresponding to this episode, and click here to access this content on YouTube.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
Women of the Reformation
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
You're bored of hearing about the men of the Reformation. Get the scoop on some of the key Reformation women!Click here to access written and video versions of this content.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Thursday Jul 18, 2019
Barth's "Göttingen Dogmatics" - Introduction
Thursday Jul 18, 2019
Thursday Jul 18, 2019
Travel with me back to the early 1920s and Karl Barth's first attempt at writing a dogmatics. Launched while teaching at the University of Göttingen, this was the genesis of the material that would become Church Dogmatics approximately a decade later. What we call the Göttingen Dogmatics in English is especially interesting to me because it is much closer to Barth's work as pastor-cum-socialist organizer. This is the first of a multi-part series, and it is the first series that I have produced primarily for the podcast medium. It is also available on YouTube. Make sure to subscribe via your preferred site. Find episode 2 here, and get the series index here.
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I write books. I run a blog. I have a YouTube channel. I teach.
Monday Jun 24, 2019
John Calvin's Central Doctrine?
Monday Jun 24, 2019
Monday Jun 24, 2019
This is the third in a three-part series that I have done on How I Read John Calvin. Truth in advertising: Karl Barth makes an appearance (yes, again), but so does Francis Turretin!Hint: it's not predestination. You can access this content in video format.
Tuesday Jun 04, 2019
Reformers in the Wings - Book Review
Tuesday Jun 04, 2019
Tuesday Jun 04, 2019
In this installment I review David Steinmetz's book, Reformers in the Wings, and talk a bit about Reformation history and some of its lesser known figures.
This content is also available in video, if you prefer.
If you'd like to learn more about the Reformation, there's lots of material waiting for you at at DET (the theology blog that I run).
Friday May 31, 2019
Reflections on Schleiermacher's 5th Speech on Religion
Friday May 31, 2019
Friday May 31, 2019
Friedrich Schleiermacher is awesome. Lots of folks love to hate him, but I'm here to tell you that you should read him.
In this recording, I discuss the 5th of Schleiermacher's speeches from On Religion. I've re-purposed a recording that I made for a class that I no longer teach. I hope you find it helpful or at least entertaining.This content appeared first on YouTube.