#931: Chs. 3-5, Bk. 1, A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation by St. Thomas More

A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation continues, as More discusses the different sorts of reactions to trouble that people have.

Book 1, Chapters 3-5

13:42.

#930: Ch. 2A, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine continues, as Newman talks about Christianity’s relationship as a universal religion to changing places and times.

Chapter 2A

18:12.

#929: Ch. 2B, Brain Twister by “Mark Phillips”

Brain Twister continues, as Agent Malone learns that finding a telepath is going to be a little harder than he’d thought.

Chapter 2B

25:42.

UPDATE: Broken link fixed. Sorry, everybody.

#928: Part 2 of “The Trial for Murder” by Charles Allston Collins and Charles Dickens

“The Trial for Murder” concludes, with some very strange court procedures.

Part 2

22:27.

#927: Part 1 of “The Trial for Murder” by Charles Allston Collins and Charles Dickens

Yes, that Charles Dickens.

What if the victim could attend “The Trial for Murder”?

Part 1

13:25.

#926: “Solomon and the Demons” by M.R. James (retelling The Testament of Solomon)

As horror writer and scholar, M.R. James gets to use all his talents in this spoooooooky retelling of The Testament of Solomon, a spooooooky piece of early Christian apocrypha drawing heavily on Jewish legend and lore. You can read more of James’ thoughts about the work here, on this excellent M.R. James webzine site.

“Solomon and the Demons”

21:25.

#925: Ch. 21, Bk. 5, Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus of Lyons

Against Heresies continues, as St. Irenaeus talks about how fitting it was that Jesus should defeat Satan both as a man like Adam and as the Word of God.

Book 5, Chapter 21

11:29.

Halloween Bonus Tracks

I’m going to put up some special bonus podcasts of spooky stories for your Halloween listening pleasure. I haven’t put up many bonus or occasion podcasts this year, so I thought I’d better start!

I regard Halloween as a minor holiday. But it’s a fun holiday — and is one of the few Christian holidays still celebrated in this culture. Masks, costumes, going door to door for goodies, carnival revelry, and spoooooookiness have been part of Christendom for a long, long time. People who think Halloween traditions are all pagan or secular have very short memories.

This is not to say that I mean to be horribly didactic in these stories. I want to chilllll your booooooones!

#924: “Of the Knight Who Prayed Whilst Our Lady Tourneyed for Him”, by Anon.

In this medieval French romance, translated from the French by Eugene Mason, a knight’s devotion to Jesus and His mother is rewarded by Our Lady — in an unusual disguise.

“Of the Knight Who Prayed Whilst Our Lady Tourneyed for Him”

6:34.

#923: Ch. 12A, The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison

The Worm Ouroboros continues, as only the Lord Juss, his friend Brandoch Daha, and their guide, Mivarsh Faz, escape the burg of Eshgrar Ogo. They continue their quest to find news of Juss’ stolen brother by climbing one of the world’s tallest and loveliest mountains — the fated peak of Koshtra Belorn.

Ch. 12A

26:52.

#922: Ch. 7, The Girl of the Golden West by David Belasco

The Girl of the Golden West continues, at long last. Ramerrez/Johnson walks into a crowded pub ready to start a fight — and finds the Girl he’s been searching for!

Too bad the Polka Saloon also holds a jealous sheriff who’s searching for him….

Chapter 7

41:27.

#921: Part 4 of the Introduction, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine continues. Newman concludes the Introduction by considering the Disciplini Arcani observed by the early Christians. He also points out that Christianity as a whole needs to be able to explain its doctrinal history to people who’ve lost their faith and are looking for reasons to disbelieve.

Introduction, Part 4.

13:05.

#920: Part 3 of the Introduction, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine continues with more on the various and sundry opinions of the Fathers, examining the amount of evidence for teachings like original sin and Purgatory.

Introduction, Part 3.

16:10.

#919: Part 2 of the Introduction, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine continues, and so does the Introduction. In this section, Newman examines some of the changes and variations in practice and different ways of thinking among early Christians.

Introduction, Part 2.

25:40.

#918: Part 1 of the Introduction, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine begins with an Introduction in which the author argues against his old papers. One of his most famous quotes is waiting for you!

Introduction, Part 1.16:33.

Okay, I messed up. I mentally conflated the beginning of Apologia pro Vita Mea (a State of the Argument Address) with the beginning of An Essay, just because both contain arguments.

You really really want to read the Introduction to An Essay, as it is very interesting indeed. So I’m going to post the whole Introduction over the course of this weekend, allowing me to correct this shocking error as quickly as possible. Chapter 1 is the bit that’s kinda dry (unless you’ve been drawn into the Introduction’s line of reasoning), so I was doubly foolish to post it first.