The Episcopal Podcast

In our final episode for the season, Bishop Richard and Matthew discuss Buddhism with Ben Moretti, a data scientist who has been involved in Buddhism for 30 years and was President of the Buddhist Society of SA.

Who was the Buddha? What do some of the Buddhist catchphrases actually mean? Are there things that Catholics and Buddhists can learn from one another?

In this episode, Bishop Richard and Matthew Tan interview Fr Harrison Ayre, half of the famous Clerically Speaking podcast, to discuss the thought of Joseph Ratzinger or Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

We find out the influence of Augustine, the importance of bureaucracy and the centrality of the heart.

Resources

• Harrison Ayre & Michael Heinlen's new book on the pandemic, Finding Christ in the Crisis: What the Pandemic can Teach Us.

In this episode, Matthew Tan and Silvana Scarfe put Bishop Richard's reputation as the "memeing bishop" under the spotlight.

Together, they try to undertake an exegesis on his memeing, what some of his memes mean, what evangelical freight do they carry, and whether this is a good use of episcopal time.

Resources

• Bishop Richard's Instagram
• Bishop Richard's Twitter
• The scholarship behind Matt's sassy questions (p. 58 onwards)
• The Great Adventure Catholic Bible by Ascension Press

In this episode, Bishop Richard and Matthew Tan interview Dr. David Wilmington of Petra Academy on the life and thought of St. Bonaventure, the Franciscan classmate of the Dominican Thomas Aquinas.

We look at some similarities to Thomas, as well as important differences. We also look at how knowing Bonaventure can make a difference to Christian living, whether you are Catholic or not.

Resources

• Dr Wilmington's Profile on Academia
• Overview of Bonaventure's life and works

In this episode, Bishop Richard, Silvana and Matthew discuss personalism and why Catholics should care.

What is the Christian account of the human person, and where can some of the philosophies of the human person lead us in the spiritual life?

We also discuss why having belly buttons matters...

Resources

• Christian Existentialism
• John Paul II & Phenomenology
• John Paul II: Redemptor Hominis
• Benedict XVI: Deus Caritas Est

In this episode, Bishop Richard & Silvana speak to Angela Schumann, teacher and doctoral student in literature at Monash University, on the work of William Shakespeare.

What separates Shakespeare from other writers in the English language? What does the work of William Shakespeare have to do with the life of faith? What can Catholics learn about themselves through a growing familiarity with the life and works of the Bard?

Resources

• Angela Schumann - Confessing Shakespeare
• Diego Valezquez - Las Meninas
• Grahame Greene - The Power and the Glory

In this episode, Bishop Richard and Nic Zumaran speak with Rev Dr Andrew James on moral reasoning and focus in particular on casuistry.

What is casuistry, and what impact does it have on the spiritual life and theological study? What other forms of moral reasoning are there?

Resources

• John Paul II - "Veritatis Splendor"
• Servais Pinckaers - "Sources of Christian Ethics"
• Alasdair MacIntyre - "After Virtue"
• Peter Knauer - "The Hermeneutic Function of the Principle of Double Effect"

In this episode, Bishop Richard, Silvana and Matt discuss doing church online in light of the publication of Matt's essay "Communion in the Digital Body of Christ" in The Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online (2020).

Does the internet do anything to our conceptions of what it means to be the Church? Does this time of coronavirus an important moment of reflection of how our worship and formation take place? Does sacramentality make any difference to the way we approach the digital continent as a Church?

Resources

• The Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online (2020).
• Digital Ecclesiology: A Global Conversation (2020)

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder, or does it take us to something beyond taste?

Special guest: Jill Alexy, founder of Martyrian Journeys, and is usually based in Rome but is now speaking to us from North Carolina.

Resources:

• See the Sacred - seethesacred.com
• See the Sacred Youtube Channel - Click Here
• Plotinus on Beauty - Click Here
• Suffering & Beauty - "Click Here"

What is the discipline of Literature, and how can a Cathlic benefit from an immersion in it?

Special Guest: Dr Stephen McInerney, deputy CEO and academic director at the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.

Resources:

Website: Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.