It is such a pleasure to share our conversation with Dr. Esau McCaulley with you all this week! Reading While Black was a huge book for us and we have been trying to get him on the show for a little over two years so this was a real joy for us and we hope it is for you too.

Dr. McCaulley is currently a Theologian in residence at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times whose work has also appeared in The Atlantic, Washington Post, and Christianity Today, he is also the author of four previous books which have won numerous awards, with more books on the way!

We talk about the resurgence of the Liturgical Calendar in the broader American religious context, the new Fulness of Time series on it from IVP of which Esau's new book Lent kicks off, the biblical imperatives to pursue justice, MLK, the benefits of finding and committing to a refreshing local assembly of believers, and more.

Enjoy the show, grab some of his books, and share with a friend!

Use code: "SUBPOD" at checkout on IVP's website for 30% off + free shipping on all of Esau's books that we talked about on this episode. Sale is running for the next month (2/12 - 3/12). 

Lent  

Reading While Black

Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit

Links: 

Examination of Conscience

Shoutouts:

John- Marianne Meye Thompson

Restoration & Church Clothes 4 from Lecrae 

The Rookie (show)

The Great British Baking Show

L.A. Lakers

North American Slave Narratives

African American Readings of Paul (Primo bibliography)

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On this episode of "The Substance," Trevor and Philip dive into the highly anticipated and box office-breaking (already the 4th highest grossing film of all time!) sequel to James Cameron's blockbuster hit Avatar, "Avatar 2: The Way of Water." We discuss the advancements in technology and filmmaking as well as the deeply human themes that have made it so resonant with audiences around the world.

Next, the conversation shifts to the topic of nepotism in Hollywood and sports. The hosts touch on some recent headline events in US Soccer and how it relates to the larger conversation of "nepo babies" in the entertainment industry. They offer insights both on the ways in which nepotism can be detrimental to diversity and representation, how in many ways it's an unavoidable reality, and how it can be addressed in the future.

If you have a topic/guest suggestion for a future show send us a DM, email, or leave us a voicemail and if you like the podcast, share it with a friend!

Links: https://www.vulture.com/article/what-is-a-nepotism-baby.html

Shoutouts:

Philip: The Banshees of Inisherin (Currently streaming on HBO Max)

Trevor: Alamo Drafthouse 

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Happy New Year, everyone! We hope you all had a nice holiday season and that you had, or are planning to make, some time set aside for reflecting on what you went through in 2022 and to plan for what you would like to focus on in 2023.

It's been a while since we have had back to back episodes in the same format (if you're new to The Substance, we're a variety show with 4 formats that we try to have a decently even mix of), but the Substantive Cinema episode that we'll be dropping on the 15th, which has an unintentional connection with this one, seemed like an odd choice for a New Year's Day release. But we love good books and you love good books so we're excited to share this one with you!

Olivia Meade is a wife, mother, church leader, and in May of 2022 she released her first book, Ordinary Faithfulness: How Your Ordinary Life Reflects an Extraordinary God. It was published by Rural Church Voices, a "small collaboration of leaders who care deeply for the rural church and long to provide voices of support through writing, speaking, and practical training." We love the model of people writing to edify The Church rather than trying to top bestseller lists or build a brand. Olivia cares about building up the regular women and men who fill our churches and to encourage them in their day to day lives. We love this and hope you are encouraged too!

Reminder that our IVP Holiday Sale is still going through 1/15 and that you can get 30% off + free shipping on InterVarsity Press titles from folks like Jasmine Holmes, Esau McCaulley, Josh Larsen, Kaitlyn Schiess, Alan Noble, Trevin Wax, and more!

If you enjoy the show, consider leaving a rating & review on iTunes or Spotify and sharing with a friend!

Shoutouts:

RC Sproul's biography

Puzzles with 4 y/o

Follow Olivia:

Linktree

Rural Church Voices website

New book coming out 2023!

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Happy Holidays, Substance fam! We hope you are all enjoying the holiday season and carving out time for joy and contemplation along with all the festivities that go along with it. For our last show of 2022 we wanted to take an episode and devote it to the Advent & Christmas season and to do so, we invited a guest! Bette Dickinson is an artist and author from Traverse City, Michigan and she just released a beautiful new Advent devotional from InterVarsity Press, "Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions For a Season of Wonder." 

The book begins each day's reading with a painting to stop and reflect on and invite the reader to engage in visio divina (Latin: divine seeing). We talk with Bette about her art and how engaging with it can help us in ways that a merely textual devotional may not, how the incarnation spotlights the lowly &  underrepresented, the joys of slowing down during the holiday season, and more!

We hope you have had a wonderful year and we look forward to being back in your feed on New Year's Day. Merry Christmas!

Links/Resources:

Buy Book 

Text "Justice" to 33777

Valor 

Shoutouts:

Small Group Kensington Church

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Celtic Benediction by J. Philip Newell

Honest Advent by Scott Erickson

Westbay Handmade

Millie & Pepper

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Shop 

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Since our first episode, we've been focusing on being faithful in the political sphere without becoming partisan or falling into political idolatry. It's something we have come back to many times and it's where we find ourselves again at #115. Recently, National Conservatism had one of their national conferences in Miami and more than a few aspects of it were troublesome and alarming. From pastors sharing the stage with brazenly dishonest and power hungry politicians, to folks in high standing at one of the world's most influential seminaries spouting literal KKK talking points, to the baptizing of people and ideas that are plainly opposed to God's character merely because of political identity, and more. 

If you watched or read any of the speeches or read the statement, we'd love to hear from you! Send us a voicemail or an email with your thoughts and you just might make it on to a future show!

Statement

Mohler's speech

Christianity Today Article

The Substance Ep #84

Shoutouts:

Trevor: World Cup Soccer

Philip: The Hell We Create by Fit For a King

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Happy Noirvember, Substance fam! We've got a special bonus Substantive Cinema episode for you all here and it's another classic (that happens to also be in the Criterion Collection). Double Indemnity is widely considered the first "real" noir film made in the studio system. It's also a stark cinematic portrayal of the principle in Proverbs 1:10-18. 

Double Indemnity tells the story of an insurance salesman who is lured into a "perfect murder" by the wife of one of his wealthy policy holders. It's not a spoiler to say that things do not go according to plan but the way that the film unfolds, particularly the insurance agent's relationship with his friend and would be mentor (played by the incredible Edward G. Robinson). 

We also are joined by a guest! For this one we reached out to film critic, Seeing And Believing (a Christ and Pop Culture podcast) host, and noir aficionado, Kevin McLenithan. Kevin was a pleasure to have on and had some great recommendations for listeners looking to go deeper down the noir rabbit hole. 

If you enjoy our conversation, we'd love it if you shared it with a friend! And if you listen the first week this is out, good luck in our first podcast only giveaway!

Shoutouts:

Liberation Day by George Saunders 

The Silmarillion by Tolkien

Becoming Alien by Sarah Welch-Larson

Noir Recommendations:  

Sunset Boulevard

The Big Sleep

Out of the Past

Follow Kevin:

Seeing And Believing podcast

Christ and Pop Culture

Twitter

Letterboxd 

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Vincent was off on a tropical vacation when we recorded this, so it's The Substance 1.0 team on this Topic Toss Up! This time around we're considering "family worship" and taking a listener question about Fundamentalism. 

All of our lives are worship and much of family life is discipleship but is there something more specific and structured that we should all be striving for? Fundamentalism has a lot of connotations so how do the social, moral, and theological strains relate to one another? Join us as we discuss these things and be sure to chime in by sending us a voicemail, email, or messaging us on the socials.

Have a great week and we'll be back in your feed next week with a special Noirvember Substantive Cinema episode on the classic film, Double Indemnity.

Phil Vischer video "What is an Evangelical?"

Shoutouts:

ESPN 30 For 30 podcast, The Sterling Affairs season 5

JID The Forever Story 

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It's October 2022 and Spooky Season is upon us once again! Horror films consistently deal with substantive themes but it can be easy to overlook them if it's not a genre one naturally gravitates to. This year we are excited to visit a classic film that is responsible for the modern conception of the zombie, George Romero's The Night of the Living Dead (1968). 

We are also happy to be joined by author and Filmspotting & Think Christian podcast host, Josh Larsen. Josh is a longtime horror lover and has an upcoming book next year about Christian reflections on horror movies. We talk horror film history and the contributions of George Romero, how the low budget nature of the film's production helped it gain classic status, the zombie as collective society, and how the inescapable realities of race in America gave NOTLD even more resonance when they cast Duane Jones in the lead as Ben.

Enjoy and be sure to hit us up with your feedback!

Past Substantive Cinema Horror Episodes:

The Thing (feat. Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast)

Get Out (feat. pastor & Off The Pulpit host Eugene Park)

Us

Shoutouts:

The Battle For Middle Earth by Rutledge

The Lord And The Rings ebook 

Think Christian Barbarian/Halloween (1978) episode coming soon (link below!)

Follow Josh:

Pre-order Fear Not! sign up for updates

Movies Are Prayers https://www.ivpress.com/movies-are-prayers & amzn.to/2suypwe

Twitter

Filmspotting podcast

ThinkChristian podcast 

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