Thomas Becket and His World (Reaktion Books, 2025) explores the turbulent life and violent death of Thomas Becket, one of the most controversial figures of the Middle Ages. From a London merchant’s son to royal chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury, Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 elevated him to England’s most celebrated saint. Michael Staunton looks at Becket’s complex and contested legacy, drawing from Becket's own words and those of his contemporaries.

Based on extensive contemporary medieval sources, this account offers a fresh perspective on Thomas Becket’s life and places him within the broader landscape of twelfth-century England and Europe – a time of rapid change, conflict and achievement. Thomas Becket and His World is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about this pivotal figure in medieval history.

Michael Staunton is Professor of Medieval History at University College Dublin. He is an internationally recognized expert on Thomas Becket. His books include The Historians of Angevin England (2017).

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature.

YouTube Channel: here

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Leading parenting expert and pediatrician Dr. Meg Meeker shares about the masculinity crisis in today’s culture and encourages you as a parent to take an active role in guiding and shaping your son’s character. She says the foundation of any boy’s life is built on three things: his relationship with God, his parents, and his siblings and friends. Dr. Meeker takes a positive view of masculinity as she offers seven secrets to raising healthy sons.

Receive the book Boys Should Be Boys and the audio download of the broadcast "How to Provide a Healthier, Happier Childhood for Your Son" for your donation of any amount! Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy! Save 2X the marriages and families this Christmas with your life-changing gift today!

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Lessons from Scrooge on assisted suicide. 

__________

Learn more about Truth Rising at truthrising.com/colson.

What happens when a nation loses trust in its government…its medical system…even its food supply?

For entrepreneur Adam Gibson, that moment came fast and hard–and it pushed him into activism, community-building, and eventually a nationwide movement that’s still changing lives.

In this episode of Liberty Spenders™, Kurt sits down with Adam (founder of Parents With Questions, The Family Farms, and Silver Stash) to unpack how ordinary families can reclaim sovereignty in food, health, wealth, and community.

Adam shares the moment he realized no one was coming to save kids from untested mandates, the day he was denied food in front of his children, and how those moments sparked new, practical solutions that now serve hundreds of families across Australia.

This conversation is part wake-up call, part roadmap, and fully aligned with the Liberty Spenders™ mission of helping you build a life rooted in conviction, not coercion.

Big takeaways from this episode:

How a father of three became the unlikely leader of a nationwide movement

The truth about sovereignty (and why most families lose it without realizing)

How 550+ families now co-own farms producing clean, regenerative food

Why community became the most powerful form of activism

How kids learn wealth differently when they save silver instead of cash

Why preparing now matters more than reacting later

What business leaders can learn from decentralized systems, grassroots mobilization, and building trust through transparency

For entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders, Adam’s experience offers unexpected insight into crisis leadership, community-driven growth, systems thinking, and how trust becomes the defining currency in both movements and markets.

0:00 Intro
1:26 Adam Gibson’s journey into natural health
6:15 COVID hits and everything changes
10:37 The rise of Parents With Questions
14:46 Life in Australia during lockdowns
19:17 Why sovereignty became Adam’s mission
24:36 The birth of The Family Farms project
30:33 Reclaiming food and reconnecting kids to the land
36:31 The deeper threat to Australia’s food system
38:42 Introducing Silver Stash & teaching kids wealth
44:26 Preparing families for what’s ahead
49:12 Lightning Round

Resourced Mentioned:

The Uncoercible Family, Silver Stash, and The Family Farms Project:
https://www.uncoercible.com/

Parents With Questions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0uamItckPlRw9EAwgavGbZ 
Connect with Liberty Spenders™:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertyspenders

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertyspenders

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/libertyspenders

• Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-6192506

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXn-vzlA03r59neWZD0ofJA

• X: https://x.com/LibertySpenders

Connect with Kurt and Kristen Luidhardt:

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luidhardts

• Linke

Ministries of Song: Women’s Voices in Ancient Syriac Christianity (U California Press, 2025) is an open access tour-de-force study of the power of women's liturgical singing in late antique Syriac Christianity. Extending women's religious participation beyond the familiar roles of female saints and nobles, Syriac churches cultivated a flourishing but often-overlooked tradition of women's sacred song. Susan Ashbrook Harvey brings this music to life as she uncovers the ways these now-nameless women performed a boldly sung teaching ministry and invited congregations to respond aloud. By exploring their ritual agency, Harvey demonstrates how these choirs helped to shape the formative ethical and moral ideals of their congregations and communities. Women's voices, both real and imagined, enriched the ritual and devotional lives of Syriac Christians daily and weekly, on ecclesial and civic special occasions, in sorrow or joy, with authoritative theological significance and social and political resonance. Arguing for the importance of liturgy as social history, Harvey shows us how and why women's voices mattered for ancient Syriac Christianity and why they matter still.

New books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review

Susan Ashbrook Harvey is Willard Prescott and Annie McClelland Smith Professor of History and Religion

Michael Motia teaches Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Leading parenting expert and pediatrician Dr. Meg Meeker shares about the masculinity crisis in today’s culture and encourages you as a parent to take an active role in guiding and shaping your son’s character. She says the foundation of any boy’s life is built on three things: his relationship with God, his parents, and his siblings and friends. Dr. Meeker takes a positive view of masculinity as she offers seven secrets to raising healthy sons.

Receive the book Boys Should Be Boys and the audio download of the broadcast "How to Provide a Healthier, Happier Childhood for Your Son" for your donation of any amount! Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy! Save 2X the marriages and families this Christmas with your life-changing gift today!

Get More Episode Resources 

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.