Can you honor your country when the leaders are wicked? The last story in I Samuel gives us some clues as to how to honor the memory of those who formerly were righteous but turned away.  

There have been several institutional victories recently for conservatives: the Supreme Court, the PCA, and the CRC all have made good choices in the last few weeks, some quite unexpected. Part of the reason this is so unexpected is that Americans have a tendency to leave institutions rather than remaining within and fighting and working to change course. In this podcast, I talk about our history of "flying away" and some principles to consider when we face to choice of whether to leave or stay in a faltering organization. 

Miles is a history professor at Hillsdale College. Originally from North Carolina, he now resides in Michigan. He has written for First Things, The American Conservative, Ad Fontes Journal, and American Reformer. In this episode, we talk about how history is an expanding subject, how to distinguish real history from conspiracy theories, the difference between preaching Scripture and teaching history, what makes someone a good history teacher, and why people should read less Flannery O'Connor and more George Washington Cable. 

Articles by Miles

• Conservativism, If You Can Keep It

Michael Sacasas is the head of a Christian Study Center in Gainsville, Florida. He has written on the role of technology through the lens of writers like Hannah Arendt, Jacques Ellul, and Ivan Illich. Today we talk about why it's hard to define technology, the dangers of mechanistic thinking, and how limits help us pursue a good life. 

• The Convivial Society (Michael's Newsletter)

Recently I preached on magic from Leviticus 19 and 20. There was much more material than I could talk about and quite a few questions. This is my first podcast that's not an interview. Today I talk about the relationship between magic and nature, how our modern view of magic is quite new, and how the Reformation helped unite the church against the spread of dark magic. 

I'd love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for future topics. 

• Seven Brief Lessons on Magic - Paul Tyson

Who is the only writer who makes Queen Elizabeth laugh out loud when she reads him? The answer is James Herriot, (his actual name is Alfred Wight). His books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small, are funny, interesting, and reveal a slower way of life from a bygone era. He was a practicing vet from 1939 to 1996 in the Yorkshire region of the U.K. Masterpiece Theater recently turned his novels into a television series (for the second time) and his books have sold over 60 million copies. 

Today I interviewed his son, Jim Wight, who wrote a wonderful biography of his father called, The Real James Herriot. We talk about the people behind the characters in the novels, what it's like to be a vet in rural England, and why so many people love James Herriot stories. 

Books

• The Real James Herriot

I'm joined by Dr. Michael Connolly, a history professor at Purdue University Northwest. He has written several articles about the best political perspective you've probably never heard about - Toryism. Most Americans only think of Toryism as a British idea, but it's much deeper than that. Far from being an ideology and bearing little similarity to the modern British political party of the same name, Toryism is a way of looking at the world. Beginning with an appreciation of the blessings from the past, it includes a love of the church, patriotism, the fundamental necessity of the family, the necessity of hierarchy, a slower pace of life, and protecting the weak in society, all with as little government involvement as possible. 

If these are ideas you appreciate, you'll certainly want to hear the rest. 

Article  by Dr. Connolly:

• The Tory Tradition

Today I spoke with my daughter, Phoebe, about kids and young adult literature. We discuss some books we've read as a family and she talks about books she enjoys. We talk about books for boys, girls, and what makes for a good story. 

Books we discuss in this episode:

• The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart

Charles McRaven is quite literally a jack-of-all-trades. He is a carpenter, blacksmith, pastor, home builder, stonemason, architect, writer, and teacher. He restored his first log cabin when he was eleven years old. In this episode, we discuss what it means to build beautifully, how stonemasonry teaches patience, and why we should see ourselves as students of the land on which we live. If you love building, nature, or good craftsmanship, this episode is for you. 

Books by Charles McRaven

• The Class Hewn-Log House

Lars Walker is a librarian, historian, Viking reenactor, and writer. His fiction is outstanding. He has written a series of historical fiction about the Christian Viking ruler Erling Skjalgsson. There are four books in the series and they are all excellent, although not for kids (Vikings really were brutal). He has also written a modern dystopian fiction series based in a small Minnesota town (the Epsom series).

In this episode, Lars and I talk about all things Viking-related, including myths, the contribution of the Vikings to modern democracy, two methods of Christian evangelism practiced in Medieval Scandanavia, and how the Norse culture may have prepared the way for Calvinism to take root. 

Books by Lars:

Erling Series

1. The Year of the Warrior (incorporates Erling’s Word. No need to buy that one).

Epsom Series

1. Troll Valley

Viking Legacy (Translation of the work of Torgrim Titlestad)

Lecture: Christianity Comes to the Vikings (given at Union University in Jackson, TN)