Gospel Simplicity Podcast

In this interview, I'm joined by Sean Luke of  @anglicanaesthetics to discuss how historic Anglican theology can address some of our contemporary debates about sola scriptura, Protestantism, and more. We discuss whether Anglicans really believe in sola scriptura, how Anglicans have viewed historic schisms, and whether the development of the Church of England was itself schismatic. Prepare to come out of this interview with a long reading list!

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

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Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
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Find Sean on Substack: https://substack.com/@anglicanaesthetics

Books Mentioned: 
Richard Hooker - Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity: https://amzn.to/4tFes1F
William Chillingworth - The Religion of the Protestants: https://amzn.to/4cDpxun
John Tillotson - The Rule of Faith: 

00:00 Introduction
02:00 Sola Scriptura in Anglican Thought
03:50 The Role of Tradition and Ecumenism
06:59 Historical Anglican Approaches to Church Authority
12:45 The Church Schism and Anglican Continuity
20:45 The Caroline Divines and Anglican Identity
28:45 Sola Scriptura in Anglican Debates
40:55 The Authority of Scripture and Church Tradition
50:40 The Discontinuity and Continuity of the Rule of Faith
01:00:48 Recommended Resources and Final Thoughts

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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. David Moffitt, one of the world's leading experts on the atonement and the book of Hebrews. We discuss how the ascension is a critical, yet overlooked, part of Christ's atoning work, how misunderstanding Jewish sacrifice causes us to misunderstand the cross, and why Hebrews is every bit as important as Romans for understanding the atonement. 

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

Buy the book: https://amzn.to/3OEKmwe

About the Guest: Dr. David Moffitt’s research focuses on the variety of ways the earliest Christians understood Jesus and their own identities in relation to Jewish scripture, practices, and beliefs. His core areas of ongoing research concern the Epistle to the Hebrews, the ways this early Christian sermon develops claims about Jesus’s person in high-priestly and sacrificial terms, and ancient practices of and beliefs about sacrifice. Beyond Hebrews, Prof. Moffitt has particular interests in the ways the early Christian confession of Jesus’s resurrection and ascension influence the theologies of the various books of the New Testament. Learn more: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/people/dm206/


00:00 Introduction to Atonement and Hebrews
04:19 The Role of Hebrews in Atonement Discussions
10:47 Broad vs. Narrow Understanding of Atonement
16:17 The Significance of the Ascension in Atonement
26:35 Ongoing Ministry of Christ and Its Implications
31:41 The Significance of Jesus' Death and Resurrection
36:41 Early Church Fathers and the Interpretation of Hebrews
41:02 Understanding Sacrifice in the Context of Atonement
50:21 The Multifaceted Nature of Atonement
59:50 The Ongoing Intercession of Christ

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In this interview, I'm joined by Kevin Fernandez of  ⁨@SinceAD33⁩ for a friendly discussion about the current state of the sola scriptura debate to see if there are ways in which Protestants and Catholics can productively move the conversation forward. And part of moving forward, we find, is looking backwards, retrieving the best of the past for fruitful discussion in the present.

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

00:00 - Where we're at
05:06 - Learning from the Past
11:19 - The Real Differences
17:12 - Infallibility
25:15 - The Role of the Magisterium
34:14 - Is this Getting Too Complicated?
44:13 - The Trouble with Contradictions
55:21 - How to Debate Well
01:05:11 - Going Deeper

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In this interview, I'm joined by Fr. James Dominic Rooney O.P. to discuss the role of infallibility and dogma in Christianity based upon his book, Whoever Hears You Hears Me? In essence, Fr. JD argues that all Christians--not just Catholics--need some form of infallibility to make their theological systems work.

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity...
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

About the Guest: Fr. James Dominic Rooney is an assistant professor of philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University whose work is primarily in metaphysics, medieval philosophy, Chinese philosophy (程朱理学), and philosophy of religion. 

He is also a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Albert the Great (Chicago, IL) and a Catholic priest.

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In this interview, I'm joined once again by my good friend, Dr. Barnabas Aspray. This time, we're picking up a conversation we've been having for sometime offline about whether liberal Protestantism is the most consistent form of Protestantism. In other words, does the Reformation naturally lead to Liberal Protestantism?

Note, when we talk about Liberal Protestantism, we're not talking about the hot button issues of the 21st century, but more so the academics of the 19th and 20th century who rejected or rethought fundamental categories of Christian orthodoxy.

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

About the Guest: Barnabas Aspray (PhD, Cambridge) is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, USA. He is the author of Ricœur at the Limits of Philosophy (CUP, 2022) and On the Significance of Religion for Immigration Policy  (Routledge, 2025). He is a columnist for Seen & Unseen magazine and host of Faith at the Frontiers podcast.

Barney's Podcast: https://faithatthefrontiers.com/

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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Dylan Pahman to discuss Orthodox Social Teaching. To that end, we discuss the practicalities of implementing St. Basil's ethics of wealth and poverty, how Christians should think about economics, why capitalism hasn't been all bad, and what Orthodox emphasis on asceticism can contribute to Catholic and Protestant social teaching.

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4udUiwJ

Want to support the channel? Here's how!
Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

About the Guest: Dylan Pahman, Ph.D., is a research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute. He is author of The Kingdom of God and the Common Good (Ancient Faith, 2025) and Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society (Acton, 2017). With John Pinheiro, he is also coeditor of The Christian Roots of American Liberty (Acton, forthcoming in 2026), a sourcebook charting the prehistory of American founding principles through the ancient, medieval, and early modern worlds.

Get the book: https://amzn.to/4sF8Dku
Learn more: https://cabasilasinstitute.org/

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In this interview I'm joined by Deacon Nicholas Kotar to discuss Russian fairytales, the elements of good fiction, why fantasy has lost its way, and how the stories we tell shape our cultures.

Pre-Order my debut novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4aF9bze

Want to support the channel? Here's how!
Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

Nicholas Kotar is a deacon in the Orthodox Church, an author of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a writing instructor and speaker, and a freelance translator from Russian to English. Learn more about his work: https://nicholaskotar.com/

*Links in the description may be affiliate links, in which I receive a small commission when people use those links to make a purchase.

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In this interview I'm joined by Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to discuss his new book Training the Tongue. Over the course of this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about Lent, AI, Humor, Fraternal Correction, and, naturally, Harry Potter.

Pre-Order my debut novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4aF9bze

Want to support the channel? Here's how!
Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

About Fr. Gregory Pine, OP: Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., is an Assistant Professor of Dogmatic and Moral Theology at the Dominican House of Studies and the Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds a doctorate from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He is the author of several books including Prudence, Your Eucharistic Identity, and Training the Tongue. He is a regular contributor to several podcasts including Godsplaining and Catholic Classics.

Fr. Gregory's Book: https://stpaulcenter.com/trainingthetongue

Find Fr. Gregory on Social Media:  ⁨@StPaulCenter⁩    ⁨@Godsplaining⁩     ⁨@ThomisticInstitute⁩ @Emmaus Road Publishing @DominicanFriars

*Links in the description may be affiliate links, in which I receive a small commission when people use those links to make a purchase.

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In this interview I'm joined by the Reverend Dr. Thomas Plant to discuss the relationship between Christianity and Platonism, as well as how Platonism might serve as a bridge for inter-religious dialogue.

The Rev'd Dr Thomas Plant (Fr. Thomas) was installed and licensed as Rector on Monday 12 May 2025 following four years as a university chaplain in Tokyo. He has previously served in Lichfield Cathedral School, St Michael's Camden Town and St Peter's Berkhamsted. A theologian and classicist, he has published in the fields of Christian Platonism and Buddhist-Christian dialogue. He holds a 2nd dan black belt in Aikido and enjoys playing blues piano and the Japanese shakuhachi flute. He is also a sci-fi, fantasy and real ale fan.

Read the Book: https://amzn.to/3Olrdz0

Want to support the channel? Here's how!
Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

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In this interview I'm joined by Dr. Ryan Burge (aka, Graphs about Religion) to discuss the state of religion in America. We cover claims of a Gen Z revival, the decline of mainline Protestantism, and what the data tells us about polarization.

Read the Book: https://amzn.to/3ZrUpqn

Want to support the channel? Here's how!
Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/

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