Sunday School Delinquents

While maintaining quarantine with fraying sanity, the gang is also contemplating their ultimate fate. Erica gives the scoop on Limbo (not the dance), Christine gets downright heretical when welcoming us all to Hell, and Seth discusses the Divine Comedy and the Beatific Vision of Heaven. Hell may have the best musicians, and Heaven may have the best songs, but we've got the best tater tots in this here podcast folks! Remember to follow us on social media, leave your likes, comments, questions and reviews!

The gang is starting to get antsy with this quarantine situation, fam, so in this episode, they introduce the beginning steps to getting "Out There" when having to stay "In Here." Christine starts off with a basic description of the concept of "detachment," gives a bit of art and Zen, and then caps her section with a bit of Thomas Merton. Seth picks up what she puts down by talking about Hadewijch and her mystical experiences and writings. Erica rounds it out by talking about Meister Eckhart, his trinitarian theology, and his belief in multiple approaches to God. Don't forget to hit us up on social media!

It's our First Top 10 List, and the gang's throwing shade at some of the shadiest popes in Catholic history! Who wrote erotica before he became pope? Who set up precedents that haunt us to this very day? Who turned the Vatican in to a brothel? Who put a corpse on trial?  Who murdered his opponents? With absolutely NO DeMedici's and only one Borgia on this list, you are going to want to listen in to this expose of the craziest, shadiest, click-bait-iest Popes of the last 2000 years!!!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @thetake3theologicalvarietyhour and Twitter: @Take3hour

The gang's locked in, but still having fun in this episode! Christine starts us off by talking about her favorite plague, the Plague of Frogs from Exodus! Erica then discusses recent findings about The Black Death, then Seth addresses the anxieties in our current situation. The show rounds out with a Prayer for the Intercession of St. Rocco, and the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Also mentioned in this episode: Charleton Heston, Egyptian Mythology, Heket, Kek, Kauket, Pepe the Frog, 4Chan, St. Raphael the Archangel, Michigan J Frog, Monty Python, Batman, The League of Shadows, The Plague of LA, St. Rocco, St. Guinefort, DUNE, Frank Herbert, Paul Atreides, Kyle McLaughlin, David Lynch, Sting, Veggie Tales, Baby Shark.

Next Week: Top 10 Shady Popes!

You Listened, You Asked, We Answered! (as best we could) This week's podcast features the gang answering listener submitted questions. Seth discusses the difference (or lack thereof) between Grave Robbing and Relic Hunting. Christine gives info on Dracula's supposed conversion to Roman Catholicism. Erica goes back to discuss the political situation at the time of the Council of Nicaea, and she and Seth both talk about how theologians use various sources, and the scholastic responsibilities they bear with their research and writing. As always, like, share, subscribe, follow, send in your comments and questions! FB & IG: @thetake3theologicalvarietyhour TW: @Take3Hour

Mentioned in this Episode: Holy Theft, Relic Hunting, Indiana Jones, St Nicholas, Our Lady of the Little Stick, The Slavs, The Ottomans, The Austro-Hungarian Empire, Grandpa Vlad, Henry Corvinus, Mehmed II, JPthe2, The Holy Rollin' Empire, Piusthe2, The Great Schism, Vlad's a Survivor, The Importance of Geography, Venice, Impaling, Converting, Emperor Constantine, fratricide, Christology, GreeceVsRome, EastVsWest, OpinionVsResearch, PrimaryVsSecondary Sources, St. Augustine and Frikkin' St. Jerome

In this Philip K Dick inspired episode, the trio takes a moment to ponder the current societal and technological moves toward Artificial Intelligence (AI), and possible further developments toward Artificial Sentience and Artificial Sapience. Seth gives us a intriguing view into the history of Mechanical Saints in the Catholic Church, Erica ponders the ethical ramifications of artificial lifeforms and their interactions with humans, and Christine expresses concern about the unknown metaphysics surrounding artificial sentience and sapience.

Also mentioned this Episode: Albertus Magnus, Jack Sparrow, The Dark Crystal, The Evil Truth about Jack-in-the-Boxes (The toy, not the fast food), Icons, The A.I. Movie, Ex Machina, Humans, The Terminator, Ghost in the Shell, Westworld, Aristotle, Altered Carbon, Elon Musk, HP Lovecraft, The DaVinci Machine, War Games, Cherry2000, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Data Security, The Matrix, The Importance of Cat Videos, Ian Malcom from Jurassic Park, The Golem of Prague, Pinocchio, Isaac Asimov, The 3 Laws of Robotics, Age of Ultron, JARVIS, Vision, and the documentary: Do You Trust This Computer?

Don't forget to follow us on social media (Twitter @Take3hour, FB and Instagram @thetake3theologicalvarietyhour)! Next Week: Ask Us Anything! Send in questions and we'll take a shot an answering them!

We revisit the very first topic we ever covered, demonic possession! Seth brings us a bit more history on The Roman Rite and the use of demonic possessions as sectarian propaganda. Erica maps out a few interesting rabbit holes around psychology, mythology, and film. Christine dives headlong down the rabbit holes of MK Ultra and Project Monarch as she explores the sanctity of free will, and the blurry realm between shattered psychologies and demon bait. 

Also Mentioned: The Rite, The Exorcist, Malachi Martin, Hostage to the Devil, (Unexpected) BDSM, Those Darn Jesuits (again!), The Conjuring, Gabriel Amorth, Blockbuster Video (and other Blasts from the Past), Shadow People, Pazuzu, Aliens, Fire in the Sky, The Sinner, The Outsider, Locke & Key, Evil (the TV show), Godwin's Law, Operation Paperclip, Werewolves, The C_A, Mind Control, LSD, Human Experimentation, psychological torture, sexual assault, Nuremberg, Mel Gibson, Conspiracy Theory, Jason Bourne, X-Files, Stranger Things, Captain America, Winter Soldier, Civil War, Bucky Barnes, (friggin'!) Hydra, Stephen King, and MUSE.

Things get a bit hairy this episode as the gang starts to tackle Catholic perspectives on some of their favorite supernatural creatures! Christine starts us off with an overview of Romanian Vampiric Lore, (Grandpa) Vlad Dracula (- Pray for him, plz), and her two favorite Vampire Stories in pop culture (No Sparkling Involved). She also apologizes for her utter buthery of every Romanian word and name she tried and failed to pronounce. Seth introduces us to a possible Saint who was a Very Good Boy, Saint Guinefort, and his connection to the star Sirius and the Inquisition. Finally, Erica regales us with the spine chilling story of Le Bete du Gevaudan (The Beast of Gevaudan), the maybe-werewolf of Revolutionary France, who might have been a Jesuit Conspiracy! Those darn Jesuits, at it again!

Also mentioned in this episode: Fr Abel Nightroad, Dracula Untold, Luke Evans, Romanian Poets, Romanian dictators, Gypsies, Striga, Moroi, St. Christopher, St. Roc, The French Inquisition, Lady and the Tramp, Werewolves, Maria Balducci, The Jesuits, The Papacy, The Beast of Revelation, Bath Salts, Teen Wolf, Shadow People, Fist-Bumping Vlad Dracula, and the importance of avoiding drugs and hairy people, and praying for the souls of the departed. Especially Grandpa Vlad.

The theological angle is toned down this week as the gang gets ready for Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. Christine talks about her experience with fasting and gives some resources on the subject, Erica examines the history of the "Carpe Diem" philosophy in history, and Seth discusses the difficulty in researching the history of Carnivale and Mardi Gras traditions. They finish by sharing their dearest, most precious memories of New Orleans Mardi Gras shenanigans.

Also mentioned in this episode: Health, Wellness, 80's medicine, weight-loss, clarity, Isaiah, Horace, Seikilos, Bacchus, Endymion, shirtless strumpets, Pancakes, AC/DC, Civilization V, Alexander the Great, Gregory the Great, Epicurius, Ephesus, Corinthians, Advent, Cajuns, Beating people with purses, Truduum, sniping people with beads, Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Jason Fung, Dr. Ken Berry, Thomas DeLauer, utter crass materialism, weaponized vocal exercises, and the generally questionable taste of Bourbon Street windows.

This Week, Seth got experimental, mixing up a weird brew of Surrealist literature, queer theory, and the story of Abelard (probably a jerk) and Heloise (maybe not even real.). Christine gets fan-girly again when introducing her pal, St. Raphael the Archangel. Erica then has a few things to say about JP the 2's Theology of the Body, the messy reality of marriage, and celibate theologians who really need to get a life. Special Cameo from Erica's son!

Also mentioned: Michel Foucault, St. Valentine, The Golden Legend, Castration, beheading, Chaucer, Imaginary Girlfriends, Imaginary Monks, wrathful uncles, Celibacy, Early Christians, Ninja Turtles, Renaissance Painters, Tobit, Tobias, Raguel, Sarah, Asmodeus, Dogs, Fishing Tips, Holistic medicine, Demonology 101, Angelology 101, Butt-kicking Angels, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, The Magnificent Seven, the Apocrypha, Marriage Troubles, suspected serial murder, kung-fu movies, Neo, Agent Smith, The Matrix, Rough Incense, Vampires, The Princess Bride, Ghostbusters II, Taco Bell, Disco Weddings, and the utter lack of overlap between medicine and theology.