Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this ninety sixth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Fr. Benedict Kiely.   

Father Benedict Kiely is a Catholic priest, incardinated in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Born in London, and ordained in Canterbury, England in 1994, Father Ben has spent most of his priestly ministry in the United States.   

In the summer of 2014, Father Ben perceived a call to devote his entire priestly ministry to aid and advocacy for persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East. Founding Nasarean.org, a 501 (c) 3 charity based in Stowe, Vermont and with the permission and support of his Ordinary, Father Ben divides his time between the US, UK and the Middle East, speaking, preaching and writing, trying to focus attention on the plight of persecuted Christians around the world.   

He has visited war-torn Iraq on multiple occasions since 2015, and has visited Syria and Lebanon where Nasarean is now supporting a number of family businesses.  

Father Ben has appeared numerous times on national radio and television, including Fox News, the BBC and international podcasts. A noted writer, formerly the US columnist for The Catholic Times, Fr. Ben’s work has appeared in, among other publications, The Saint Austin Review, The American Conservative, The European Conservative, The Daily Caller, Real Clear Politics, National Review, First Things, The Catholic Herald and Crisis.  

For more, please see:  https://www.nasarean.org/index.php

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this ninety fifth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined once more by Jonathan Pageau and Dr Spencer Klavan.   

Jonathan carves Eastern Orthodox and other traditional images. He also designs products, teaches, and makes fantastic videos for The Symbolic World that explore how ancient patterns can re-enchant our contemporary life.   

Please check out Jonathan's channel:   https://www.youtube.com/c/JonathanPageau   

With a PhD in Classics, Spencer Klavan has recently been snapped up by The Daily Wire. He is the assistant editor of The Claremont Review of Books and The American Mind at the Claremont Institute.   

Spencer's literary expertise is aided by his knowledge of many languages, including Ancient Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. As a scholar who enjoys exploring how great works of literature provide valuable insights into today's world, Klavan hosts Young Heretics every Tuesday.  

Please see his website and some of his excellent articles, here:  

https://youngheretics.com/ 

https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/au... 

https://www.dailywire.com/author/spen...

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Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this ninety fourth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Christopher Watkin.   

Chris is a Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. At its broadest, his research seeks to make sense of how people make sense of the world, and how they interact with ideas and positions different from their own.   In his first book Phenomenology or Deconstruction? (2009) he explored the complex relationship between two major philosophical tendencies in the thought of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Paul Ricoeur and Jean-Luc Nancy. Difficult Atheism (2011) then examined how three contemporary thinkers—Alain Badiou, Jean-Luc Nancy and Quentin Meillassoux—make sense of the world without the gods of metaphysics, poetry and religion, and how their three positions critique and refine each other.   

In French Philosophy Today: New Figures of the Human in Badiou, Meillassoux, Malabou, Serres and Latour he shifted the focus from God to a humanity, arguing that very different contemporary thinkers each rely on a ‘host’ to make sense of the human, whether it be a capacity, substance or narrative.   

His later book, Michel Serres: Figures of Thought continues his investigation into different ways of making sense of the world by presenting the first systematic treatment in English of a key twentieth and twenty-first century philosopher whose genuinely cross-disciplinary work finds complex ‘North-West passages’ between the sciences, humanities and arts.  

His latest book, Biblical Critical Theory, is the focus of our discussion and builds upon his previous endeavours in fascinating ways.  

Please see:  

https://christopherwatkin.com/ 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christopher-... 

https://twitter.com/DrChrisWatkin

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. 

In this ninety third episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Norman Wirzba.

Norman Wirzba pursues research and teaching interests at the intersections of theology, philosophy, ecology, and agrarian and environmental studies. He lectures frequently in Canada, the United States, and Europe. 

In particular, his research is centered on a recovery of the doctrine of creation and a restatement of humanity in terms of its creaturely life. He is currently the director of a multi-year, Henry Luce-Foundation-funded projected entitled “Facing the Anthropocene.” In this project, housed at Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics, he is working with an international team of scholars to rethink several academic disciplines in light of challenges like climate change, food insecurity, biotechnology and genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, species extinction, and the built environment.  

Professor Wirzba has published several books, including Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land, The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age, Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight, Way of Love: Recovering the Heart of Christianity, From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving Our World, Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating (in its 2nd Edition), and (with Fred Bahnson) Making Peace with the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile with Creation. 

He also has edited several books, including The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land and The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry.

Please see:

Amazon.co.uk: Norman Wirzba: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

Norman Wirzba

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this ninety second episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr Robert M. Woods.   

Robert has been involved with Classical Christian education for over twenty-five years. He currently serves as the Headmaster of Veritas Christian Academy in Fletcher, NC, U.S.A.   

Robert also serves as Professor of Great Books and Liberal Arts with the MA/PhD program at Faulkner University. He is greatly indebted to Mortimer J. Adler and Robert M. Hutchins for their contribution to Classical education in the modern world.

Please see his books, here:

Mortimer Adler: The Paideia Way of Classical Education (Giants in the History of Education) : Woods, Robert: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Dwelling on Delphi: Thinking Christianly about the Liberal Arts : Woods, Robert M.: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this ninety first episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined once more by Jonathan Pageau and Dr Martin Shaw.   

Jonathan carves Eastern Orthodox and other traditional images. He also designs products, teaches, and makes fantastic videos for The Symbolic World that explore how ancient patterns can re-enchant our contemporary life.   

Please check out Jonathan's channel:   https://www.youtube.com/c/JonathanPageau   

Martin is regarded as one of the most outstanding new teachers of the mythic imagination. Visiting fellow at Schumacher college in the U.K., he has also devised and lead the Oral Tradition course at Stanford university in the U.S.   He is the author of the award winning; A Branch from The Lightning Tree, Snowy Tower, Scatterlings, Smoke Hole, and other classics. 

Martin now leads a bustling schedule of conferences, gatherings, and wilderness retreats over several continents.   

You can see our first conversation, here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=317oK... 

Martin's website: https://drmartinshaw.com/

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.   In this ninetieth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined once more by Jonathan Pageau and Dr Martin Shaw.   

Jonathan carves Eastern Orthodox and other traditional images. He also designs products, teaches, and makes fantastic videos for The Symbolic World that explore how ancient patterns can re-enchant our contemporary life. 

Please check out Jonathan's channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JonathanPageau   

Martin is regarded as one of the most outstanding new teachers of the mythic imagination. Visiting fellow at Schumacher college in the U.K., he has also devised and lead the Oral Tradition course at Stanford university in the U.S. He is the author of the award winning; A Branch from The Lightning Tree, Snowy Tower, Scatterlings, Smoke Hole, and other classics.   

Martin now leads a bustling schedule of conferences, gatherings, and wilderness retreats over several continents.  One I want to mention, will involve Martin and Paul Kingsnorth at Benburb Priory in November. (Saturday 26th November 2022)   

You can see our first conversation, here:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1nGK... 

Martin's website:  https://drmartinshaw.com/

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this eighty-ninth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by one of my favourite podcasters, Dr Spencer Klavan.  

With a PhD in Classics, Spencer Klavan is the assistant editor of The Claremont Review of Books and The American Mind at the Claremont Institute.  Spencer's literary expertise is aided by his knowledge of many languages, including Ancient Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. As a scholar who enjoys exploring how great works of literature provide valuable insights into today's world, Klavan hosts Young Heretics every Tuesday.  

Please see his website and some of his excellent articles, here:  

https://youngheretics.com/

Spencer A. Klavan - Claremont Review of Books

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this eighty-eighth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined once more by Jonathan Pageau and Dr Bernardo Kastrup.   

Jonathan carves Eastern Orthodox and other traditional images.  He also designs products, teaches, and makes fantastic videos for The Symbolic World that explore how ancient patterns can re-enchant our contemporary life.  

Please check out Jonathan's channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/JonathanPageau 

Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence).   

As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on 'Scientific American,' the 'Institute of Art and Ideas,' the 'Blog of the American Philosophical Association' and 'Big Think,' among others.

Welcome to More Christ. We seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions.  In this eighty eighth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by Dr James R. Payton Jr.  

James R. Payton Jr. (born 1947) is Professor of Patristics and Historical Theology at McMaster Divinity College. He is Emeritus Professor of History at Redeemer University.  Dr. Payton joined the faculty of McMaster Divinity College in 2021. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Redeemer University, where he taught Eastern European history and Church history. Before that, he served eight years as a pastor. Jim has also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), St. Stephen’s College (University of Alberta), Evangelical Theological Seminary (Osijek, Croatia), and Matthias Flacius Illyricus Faculty of Theology (Zagreb, Croatia).   He has been extensively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities in both Eastern Europe and North America. 

He served as Executive Secretary (1998–2006) and as President (2006–2011) of CAREE (Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe), a UN-endorsed NGO which worked for peace, justice, and reconciliation in and for the region for more than forty years. He served as member (2006–2021) and Christian chair (2008–2011) of the National Muslim-Christian Liaison Committee.   

He has a wide range of academic specializations in history and historical theology, including the history of Eastern Europe, the intellectual history of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Reformation era, and a long-standing special interest in Patristics. 

https://www.ivpress.com/james-r-payton-jr 

https://www.ancientfaith.com/contributors/james_payton 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/James-R-Payton/e/B001JSBYRK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1666189554&sr=8-1 

Books:  

The Unknown Europe: How Eastern Europe Got That Way (Cascade Books, 2021).  

The Victory of the Cross: Salvation in Eastern Orthodoxy (IVP Academic, 2019).  

A Patristic Treasury: Early Church Wisdom for Today (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2013).  

Irenaeus on the Christian Faith: A Condensation of “Against Heresies” (Pickwick Publications, 2011).  

Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings (IVP Academic, 2010).  

Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition (IVP Academic, 2007).