Fr Gerald McDermott is former Chair of Anglican Studies at Beeson Divinity School, and a prolific author and theologian working in areas of systematic and historical theology. He is currently developing his magnum opus A History of Redemption  and another work on the fundamentals of Anglican Theology and practice Deep Anglicanism. Fr Gerald is one of the most accomplished and significant theological voices working within the Anglican world today and we hope listeners find much that is of interest and help in his contribution.
In this wide-ranging conversation we spoke about about the challenges posed to the contemporary church by liberalism and heterodox thinking: the nature-grace controversy; the fall and historical conceptions of original sin; monism and dualism; universal salvation and eternal damnation; evangelicalism and the role of tradition in the church; and much more besides. Fr Gerald also addressed some of the salient points from his recent online exchanges with Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart concerning many of the same issues.
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For this special episode, regular host Clinton Collister was joined by independent researcher Dr. Peter Webster to talk about the legacy of Anglican systematic theologian E.L. Mascall. Peter Webster is a historian of contemporary British Christianity. Details of his work on Eric Mascall, including the article discussed in the podcast, may be found at:  https://peterwebster.me/mascall/ 
E.L.Mascall was a proponent of orthodox Anglican theology and classical theism in the middle of the twentieth century, a time during which orthodoxy increasingly came under pressure as liberal trends exerted an ever more powerful influence in the Church. Peter and Clinton help us to understand the significance of Mascall as a priestly theologian and why his work is so important to engage with today.
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In this bumper episode, Jamie and Clinton round out this series with a thorough discussion of two significant theories of the atonement. The Abelardian view of the atonement sees the cross as an act of God's love which seeks to bring about shame for sin, repentance and reconciliation with God, whilst penal substitutionary atonement says that the death of Christ constitutes a propitiation of the wrath of God through the transference of our penalty on to Christ on the cross. We debate the merits and potential drawbacks of both of these positions.
We close with some final reflections on the way that we see the death of Christ by arguing that it must not be reduced to one specific theory but can be conceived of as a confluence of atonement for sin, exemplary obedience to God and victory over the cosmic powers of death and hell.
For the essay by Fr Robert Crouse 'Atonement and Sacrifice' please see here: http://www.stpeter.org/crouse/writings/atonement_and_sacrifice.htm
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In the third part of our series on the atonement, Clinton Collister and Jamie Franklin discuss three prominent theories concerning our understanding of this issue: Christ's death and resurrection as victory over the powers of sin and darkness, the theory that Christ's death was a ransom paid to Satan in order to free human beings from the penalty of sin and the theory that Christ's death was an offering made to God in order to liberate human beings from the price that they owed to God due to sin. We plan in our fourth episode in this series to discuss the Abelardian view of the atonement and the theory of penal substitutionary atonement.
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In the second part of our series on the atonement, we ask what Jesus said about his death and examine the theological witness of the New Testament, particularly the writing of Paul, looking specifically at Christ as the second Adam, the uniting of the believer with Christ in his death and the notion of Christ's righteousness imputed to us in exchange for sin.
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In this episode of Holy CofE, Jamie Franklin and Clinton Collister talk about the passion and death of Jesus Christ. We begin with a consider of the background presuppositions that underlie this conversation, namely, the problem of sin and the need for justice. Why could God not simply forgive us our sins out of love and mercy? Why does sin necessitate anything more, such as the death of Christ? What concepts of justice undergird our reactions against the notion of atonement?
We then move on to discuss the atonement in The Old Testament types, shadows and anticipations of a suffering Messiah.
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In this week's special episode, Clinton and Jamie were joined by Bishop of Burnley Philip North who spoke to us about his vision for catholic evangelism in the Church of England. Is there a distinctive mode of catholic - as opposed to evangelical - evangelism and what does it look like in normal parish life? Bishop Philip also touched on the importance of personal discipleship and engaging preaching that seeks to affect not just the mind but also the heart. As always, he was also keen to stress the particular emphasis that the Anglo-Catholic movement has placed on ministry with and for deprived communities and the role of aesthetic beauty and liturgical worship in that context.
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Clinton and Jamie discuss Lent. What is Lent? What is the point of it? Shouldn't we put in an effort all the time rather than during just one season? What are the benefits of the practices of Lent such as fasting? These and many more questions are discussed and an attempt at answers is made!
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In this episode, Clinton Collister and Jamie Franklin are joined by ordinand and popular public commentator Calvin Robinson. In a wide-ranging conversation, we spoke with Calvin about the role of education and catechesis in the Church, the family and society more widely. We also touched on the centrality of the transcendent not just for discipleship within the Church but for evangelism and outreach. Calvin also gave us his thoughts on the under-appreciated classic work of catechetical instruction The Catholic Religion by Vernon Staley!
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Holy CofE is back for the New Year! Clinton and Jamie take on the thorny issue of confirmation. What is confirmation and what are its benefits? How does the contemporary practice differ from that of the ancient church? What is the difference between the effects of baptism and confirmation? Is the Holy Spirit imparted in confirmation only or in baptism and confirmation? And, if the latter, what is the difference between the two? Should non-confirmed but baptised Christians receive the Eucharist? Definitive answers are attempted if not guaranteed!
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