PODCAST · religion
The Theology Pugcast
by The Theology Pugcast
The Theology Pugcast is three over-educated Reformed guys grumbling about what bugs them, and sometimes even barking about what they like. The show usually is recorded in a pub--that's why there is some background noise on occasion. The topics can vary widely seeing as the Pugsters have different spheres of knowledge and interest, but common themes which appear regularly include the transcendence of God and the meaningfulness of His creation.
Episodes
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Environmentalist Misanthropes
In this episode, Glenn leads off the discussion by citing recent claims by scientists that we need to reduce global population by more than half by 2200 for the sake of the planet. The guys note the failed predictions of Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 book The Population Bomb that have led to disastrous...
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Can America Survive as a Republic Without Virtue?
Today the Pugs reflect on an essay from Matthew B. Crawford’s Substack entitled, The Fate of Liberty in the American Experiment. One feature of the essay is a reflection on the understanding of virtue assumed by the American Founders, does it have more in common with the classical understanding…
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The Torturous Search for the Ideal Society: Utopias and Their Civilizational Fall-Out
This week’s episode looks at a variety of social and ethical visions that aim for the perfect society or state of being through, especially in the West. These visions, some of which have religious and even Christian roots, end up bracketing out a full Christian view of transcendence and replace…
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Patreon Q&A: Accelerationism, Monarchy, and More!
On today's show the Pugs respond to a variety of questions submitted by Patreon patrons. Tune in for a wide ranging conversation! Support the Theology Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 Learn more…
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Bloodshed and Blessing: A Conversation with Fr. Dwight Longenecker
The Pugsters welcome Fr. Dwight Longenecker to the show to discuss his new book, Bloodshed and Blessing. The book discusses blood sacrifice as a component of all traditional religions until those sacrifices find their fulfillment and ending in Christ. The conversation ranges over the “why” of...
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The Pugs Talk Shop on Writing
Today the Pugs come down to earth to talk about the writing life. What time of day do they write? What tools do they use? Eating first or writing on an empty stomach; does it even matter? All this and more is on the table for discussion. Tune in learn about what Tom, Glenn, and Chris have in…
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Coleridge, Truth, and the Imagination
In this episode, the Pugsters look at the role of imagination in finding truth. Starting with Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s definition of imagination, the conversation explores the role of the Logos in creating and sustaining the world. For Coleridge, it is our primary imagination that sees and...
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The Beautiful Gift of Life: Dostoyevsky, Suffering, and Divine Grace
This week the pugs discuss the theologically profound and philosophically astute nineteenth century fiction writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Interacting with key aspects of this Russian Christians challenging life and intense suffering, they place his writings and their profound engagement with the…
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By What Authority? An Interview with Rev. Jake Dell
By What Authority: https://firstthings.com/by-what-authority-2/ Experimental Sermons Substack: https://jwdell.substack.com/ Pre-Order Exile and Return: https://payhip.com/b/Hc6up Support the Theology Pugcast on Patreon:...
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The Presbyterian Rebellion: Dr. George Grant on the Influence of Founding Father Rev. John Witherspoon
Today’s show is a short one. Tom and Glenn are out of the country, but Chris is joined by repeat guest, Dr. George Grant to discuss a recent article he published with Ligonier Ministries about Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence! The Presbyterian...
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Kemper Crabb Returns
With Tom on vacation, Chris and Glenn welcome back Kemper Crabb to talk about his father, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times, along with Kemper’s experiences on missions to India with his dad, his dealings with the invisible world, and how all of this relates to Reformed...
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Brad Birzer Among the Inklings!
Today the Pugs welcome Hillsdale Professor and historian, Brad Birzer to the Pugcast to discuss his forthcoming book on the Inklings 'Tolkien and the Inklings: Men of the West'. As long time listeners know, we’re fanboys of the Inklings and we think Brad is pretty great too. Brad is a prolific...
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A Conversation with Megan Basham
In this episode, the Pugsters welcome Megan Basham to the show. Megan is a former culture correspondent for World magazine and host of their popular podcast “The World and Everything in It.” She has since moved to the Daily Wire. Her book, Shepherds for Sale, became a bestseller and raised...
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Thickening Our Discernment: Magnifica Humanitas
Today’s show engages the recent encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas. The encyclical offers wise guidance from a Christian set of resources to help human beings protect their humanity and the common good in light of the radical changes coming from advanced technologies, especially AI....
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The Not So Secret Life of Francis Bacon with David Innes
“Knowledge is Power, Francis Bacon”—we’ve all heard it over and over. But what did he mean? And was he right, or did he intentionally leave important things to know out of his thinking? He’s credited with developing the scientific method, and we should be grateful for this part of his legacy, but...
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Throwback: Our Conversation with Malcolm Guite
In lieu of a new episode this week, we're revisiting last year's conversation Malcolm Guite: poet, priest, and theologian. Chris leads off the conversation with Mariner, Guite’s biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge which uniquely among studies of Coleridge brings out the importance of his return…
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Arthur and the Grail
Inspired by Malcolm Guite’s Galahad and the Grail, Glenn walks the other Pugs through the evolution of the story of Arthur from his historical roots as a warlord through his transformation into the ideal king surrounded by a band of noble knights, into the world of the medieval romances. This…
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What in the World are We to Make of All this UFO/UAP Stuff?
Today the Pugs dip their paws into the recent file dump from the Federal Government re: UFO and UAPs. So far it seems like nothing new has been revealed, but there is a whole lot of speculation going on. What are the options for orthodox Christians when it comes to this controversy? The Pugs...
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Post-Protestant, Post-Literate
This week, the Pugs discuss an article by our friend Aaron Renn dealing with the loss of literacy and the decline of Protestantism in America. Is there a connection between the two? If so, which causes the other? What is the historic connection between literacy and Protestantism? The guys discuss...
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What a Friend We Have in AIJesus?!
The pugs engage the recent trends of AI companions, from AI friendships to AI Therapists and Soul-Care. Most disturbing are the developments of Grieftech and Religioustech. On the one side, we have virtual reanimations of loved ones who have died but are now continuing with us as AI versions of...
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The Problem of Human Rights Law
Tom and Glenn welcome J.P. Sanchez to the show today. J.P. is a Mexican lawyer currently studying international human rights law at the University of Notre Dame. In this conversation, they explore the practical challenges of human rights work, examine the often shaky philosophical foundations of...
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Must Artists be Saints?
Today Chris reflects on artists whose art he admires, but he would never want to be like. When you think of Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, or even Mozart, must you boycott them when you discover things about them that you find distasteful? Today the Pugs wonder aloud, must artists be saints?…
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An Interview with Illustrator Stephen Crotts
Stephen Crotts is an artist and graphic designer who is doing the illustrations for Malcolm Guite’s soon to be released Arthuriad. In this episode, the Pugs talk with him about his art, developing the illustrations for Guite’s epic poem, and the emergence of a Christian ecumenism around a new...
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Is Nature Conscious?
In this episode, the Pugsters begin with a discussion of panpsychism, the idea that everything has a form of consciousness. In a world where even trees communicate with each other, how should we think about panpsychism? Is consciousness at the base of reality as some physicists and philosophers...
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An Introduction to Critical Theory with Bradley G. Green
Today Chris and Glenn welcome an old friend of Chris’s, Bradley G. Green, faculty of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, soon to be faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Brad comes on the show to discuss his new book with Crossway Publishing, What Is…
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Too Healthy for Our Own Good!
The Pugs engage a fun piece by Malcolm Guite entitled: In Defense of Pints and Pipes. Here they delve into the fashionable cultural obsession with physical health and wellness which has led ironically to all sorts of psychological unhealthiness. Could the issue be a loss of a proper view of the...
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Mother Ann Lee was Nuts: So, Why does the NPR Crowd Love Her?
There is a new biopic about the founder of the Shakers entitled, The Testament of Ann Lee. If you've heard of the Shakers it is probably because of their furniture. This week the Pugs respond to a critical review of the new film in The Spectator World by Damian Thompson, entitled, Testament to...
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J.R.R. Tolkien, the Christian West and the Temptation of Nordic Neo-Paganism
Glenn introduces the Pugsters to David Engels, a conservative Belgian historian and philosopher who focuses on a revival of Western civilization. Using one of his articles as a jumping off point, the guys discuss the marriage of ancient pagan virtues with Christian ideas of the Good, a…
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Bodyoids and Zombie Bioethics
In this episode, the pugs discuss a recent article by Christian Bioethicist and Psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty in First Things concerning disturbing trends in the field of medicine where the production of living human bodies without consciousness are developed for scientific experimenting and use,...
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Dr. Timothy Padgett on Constructive Ecumenism
The Pugsters welcome Dr. Timothy Padgett, Theologian in Residence and Glenn’s colleague at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, for a conversation on constructive ecumenism. Working across denominational and theological lines raises a range of questions: how do you do it without…
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Leisure, the Basis of Despondency?
Today the guys reflect on an essay in the February 2026 edition of First Things by Liel Leibovitz entitled, AI as Liberation. Mr. Leibovitz strikes an optimistic note in the dirge preceding the triumph of AI over all things human. While the Pugs give him points for looking on the bright side,...
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Nature and Grace
In this episode, the Pugsters discuss the relationship between nature and grace. In theology, this usually deals with how the two work in human life, and that’s where the guys start. But the topic can be bigger than that, so Glenn leads the discussion into whether grace can be conveyed through…
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Why the 'Woke' Won't Go Away?!
Today the pugs look at recent events in culture where the 'woke warriors' appear to be at it again, especially in the recent march by immigration activists into an evangelical church worship service. The pugs analyze and speculate a bit about what appears to be going on with the most recent forms...
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The Unintended Consequences of "Knowledge is Power"
Today the Pugs discuss whether it matters or not if Francis Bacon was a sincere Christian. His ideas had consequences. In scholarly circles it is a matter of intense debate, but where the rest of us live, it doesn't matter--we're living in the world he helped to create. The Pugs discuss the...
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The Gen Z Religious Awakening
An article in Tablet magazine discussing the segment of the Gen Z population that is turning to conservative and demanding forms of religious practice provides the jumping off point for this episode. The article suggests that the turn toward rigorous religions comes from a reaction to the chaos…
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Dr. Scott Masson and Reforging The Sword of Anduril!
Today the Pugs welcome Dr. Scott Masson of Tyndale University onto the show. Scott is an Associate Professor of English and an authority on Romanticism. He also is known for his commitment to a recovery of classical learning. Today Scott reflects on the broken relationship between the humanities...
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Empiricist Deformations of Augustinian Theology
In this episode the Pugs engage some of the theological roots that gave rise and shape to Western empiricism, especially in the Scottish Tradition of David Hume. In particular, they engage how the pessimistic view of fallen human reason take on a distorted shape when severed from the rich...
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Matthew B. Crawford on "Craftsmanship in the Culture Industry"
Today the Pugs reflect on an essay by Matthew B. Crawford (author of Shop Class as Soulcraft) from his Substack entitled: Craftsmanship in the culture industry. The event that prompted the essay is the bid by Netflix to buy Warner Brothers (the film studio). What particularly interests Crawford…
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Christmas and the True Myth
C.S. Lewis came to faith once he realized that the Gospel was both myth, appealing to his heart, and fact, appealing to his mind. The Pugs discuss what he meant by myth and apply the idea to the Christmas story—how it embodies archetypes found in myth and legend throughout history. Support the...
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Adolescent Mental Health and the Chatbot Therapist
On today's show the Pugs engage the rapidly growing turn to AI chatbots for mental health needs by teenagers. In what realistic ways can the church step into the situation? What hurdles and limits do we encounter as we set out ways to address this growing crisis, especially among the…
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Peter Thiel and the Antichrist
In today's Pugcast Chris shares a little from his experience attending Peter Thiel's Antichrist lectures. Those in attendance promised not to divulge what they heard, but the contents of the lectures are now widely known since the contents have either been leaked to the press, or discussed in...
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The Philosophy of Language: A Conversation with Eugene Terekhin
In this episode, Tom and Glenn welcome Eugene Terekhin, a Russian translator and the man behind the Substack “The Philosophy of Language.” The conversation ranges over Heideger’s ideas about language and their connection to the Inklings, the idea of primordial language and its connection to…
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Weimar America?
When we look at the conditions in Weimar Germany, we see a lot of economic turmoil, hyperinflation, and declining expectations. Zoomers today are facing similar challenges, though not as extreme, which helps explain the appeal of white nationalism, antisemitism, and the “woke right.” The Pugsters...
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Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve - A Conversation with Josh Herring
Today the Pugs are joined by Josh Herring, author of a forthcoming book entitled, "Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve." If that title sounds familiar it is probably because you're a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia and of C. S. Lewis. In his book Josh explores Lewis's writing on sex and gender and...
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Educating for Reality
On today's show the pugs converse and reflect upon the various ways in which modern and technological formation shape us, often in ways that counter our overall good. Reflecting on the fact that there are no ‘meaningless’ practices, the pugs reflect on ways our Christian faith, especially...
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Stockholm Syndrome Christianity and The Sin of Empathy: A Conversation with John West and Joe Rigney
John West’s Stockholm Syndrome Christianity and Joe Rigney’s The Sin of Empathy both look at problems in American Christianity today. In this episode recorded at the Equipping the Saints Conference in Tacoma, Washington, Glenn interviews them about their books and how we can avoid some of the...
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Universal Basic Income and the Meaning of Life
The tech savants of Silicon Valley have issued dire warnings about an impending wave of unemployment due to advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. Essentially we're told humans are too slow, too unintelligent, and too expensive to be relied upon for economic productivity. We're…
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Life After Secularism with Andrew Walker
Today's advertisement for the Life After Secularism Conference features Dr. Andrew Walker of World Magazine and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Secularism is in the rearview mirror--but where is Western culture heading? Andrew gives us a little sample of where he thinks Christians should...
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Protestantism and Modernity
Recently, Trad Catholics and Orthobros who are no fans of modernity have been blaming it on the Protestant Reformation. The argument takes a variety of forms, but how should we evaluate it? Using Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age as a jumping off point, the Pugs weigh some of the key pieces of the...
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An Invitation from C.R. Wiley: Life After Secularism Conference
Welcome to this brief invitation to the Life After Secularism Conference, November 14-15 in Battle Ground, Washington. Today Chris presents the topic and aim of the conference, explaining the need to discuss the collapse of Secularism. The theme isn't meant to imply that Christianity will...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Theology Pugcast is three over-educated Reformed guys grumbling about what bugs them, and sometimes even barking about what they like. The show usually is recorded in a pub--that's why there is some background noise on occasion. The topics can vary widely seeing as the Pugsters have different spheres of knowledge and interest, but common themes which appear regularly include the transcendence of God and the meaningfulness of His creation.
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The Theology Pugcast
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Theology Pugcast have?
The Theology Pugcast currently has 427 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Theology Pugcast about?
The Theology Pugcast is three over-educated Reformed guys grumbling about what bugs them, and sometimes even barking about what they like. The show usually is recorded in a pub--that's why there is some background noise on occasion. The topics can vary widely seeing as the Pugsters have different...
How often does The Theology Pugcast release new episodes?
The Theology Pugcast publishes regularly with 427 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Theology Pugcast?
You can listen to The Theology Pugcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Theology Pugcast?
The Theology Pugcast is created and hosted by The Theology Pugcast.
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