This January, Dr Matthew is teaching a course on Constantine and the Conversion of the Roman Empire -- a very timely theme, especially since we just had a coronation! Registration ends Friday, so sign up now!
https://davenanthall.com/product/constantine-conversion/#
In this episode, Father Jonathan and Dr. Matthew continue their series of episodes on the Lord's Prayer, discussing the first two words, "Our Father", exploring what it means to call God "Father" and the significance of the word "our" as well.
What are your thoughts on the Lord's Prayer? Do you have any questions about spirituality and/or Anglicanism/the Prayer Book you'd like us to address?
We refer to:
St Maximus the Confessor's Ecclesiastical Mystagogy.
St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures
JI Packer, Knowing God
Tertullian and Scott Hahn
Hey, you! Do you want to help us out? Let us know what you want to hear? Send us your questions or topics related to Anglicanism and/or Christian spirituality, and we'll work at getting them into the show as we move along.
In this episode, Father Jonathan and Dr Matthew get back to basics after the soaring heights of how the doctrine of God affects our everyday piety. Where does our whole tradition of Christian prayer go back to? Why, Jesus himself, and the prayer he taught his disciples: The Lord's Prayer. We look a little at its importance and its journey through liturgical history.
OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
In this video, we talk about the doctrine of God and how it relates to our spiritual life -- who/what is God? What does that mean for us as Christians? How does that influence our spirituality? As usual, Father Jonathan is pastorally attuned while Dr Matthew takes a journey involving John Zizioulas, Thomas Aquinas, Augustine of Hippo, Athanasius of Alexandria, Anselm of Canterbury, and John Jewel.
If you are interested in taking Dr Matthew's course "Theology 1", information is in this link: https://www.ryleseminary.ca/courses-programs-page#courses-fall-2023
He is also teaching Augustine the Preacher for Davenant Hall: https://davenanthall.com/product/augustine-preacher/
Some works referenced in this episode:
Modern
Zizioulas, John. Being As Communion. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1993.
Historic
Anselm of Canterbury. The Major Works. Ed. Brian Davies and G. R. Evans. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Jewel, John. An Apology of the Church of England. Ed. Robin Harris and Andre Gazal. Davenant Press, 2020.
In this episode, Fr Jonathan and Dr Matthew are recording IN PERSON with an extra-special guest host, our venerable father, the Ven. Andrew Hoskin! We are excited to have him with us as we talk about the Collect (or Prayer of the Day) for the Tenth Sunday After Trinity Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer:
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The book we reference is: Paul F. M. Zahl, C. Frederick Barbee, The Collects of Thomas Cranmer. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006.
Alternate title: "Saved at Supper"
Fr Jonathan and Dr Matthew discuss the sacrament of Holy Communion, taking as the departure for discussion the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer. Holy Communion is more than just something we do together with each other, and it’s more than a symbolic memorial. It is “generally necessary for salvation” and is a means whereby God communicates grace to us.
References
George Herbert, “Holy Communion”, https://www.ccel.org/h/herbert/temple/Communion.html
Richard Hooker, The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.
The Quest of the Holy Grail. Trans. Pauline Matarasso, Penguin Classics.
In this episode, Father Jonathan and Dr Matthew discuss the benefits of common prayer, looking at the importance not only of truly walking the road of the Christian life but also of not going it alone, considering not only the blessings of others in real life but also the path of travel laid out by the Book of Common Prayer.
Besides the BCP, the only bibliographical reference in this episode was to one of Dr Matthew’s Twitter friends, Nate, @oblatenate.
In this episode, we jump off from the coronation of HM Charles III to explore the idea of broad sacramentality, of those moments and places God chooses to make himself manifest.
Things referenced:
Hans Boersma, Scripture As Real Presence.
S. T. Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834
Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSDZj_jh5cE
In this episode, Fr Jonathan and Dr Matthew discuss the Easter Anthem from the Book of Common Prayer (text below). This anthem is an arrangement of three scriptural passages to be used in place of the Venite at Morning Prayer on Easter. We hope that our meditations may bless your celebration of the Resurrection this Eastertide.
The text:
CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast;
Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness; / but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5. 7.
Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; / death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, / but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6. 9.
Christ is risen from the dead, / and become the first-fruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death, / by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, / even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15. 20.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
This week, we finish off our tour of the canticles for Morning and Evening Prayer with “The Venite”, Psalm 95. This is the first canticle of the day, and it is meant to open not just a specific moment of prayer but to bless the whole day as prayer. We talk about in its ancient, medieval (especially “Sarum Use”, which is the medieval liturgical practice of Britain), and monastic contexts besides what all this means for our own lives.
Books Mentioned
John Henry Blunt, The Annotated Book of Common Prayer. https://archive.org/details/04243456.emory.edu
Scot McKnight, Praying with the Church.
In this episode, Fr Jonathan and Dr Matthew talk about the ancient hymn, “Te Deum Laudamus,” – “We Praise Thee, O God” – the only canticle from Morning and Evening Prayer that is not taken out of Scripture. We look a bit at its history and origins and then at its devotional use for us today. Fr Jonathan even sings it! We also, unplanned, both had the 1918 BCP at hand for this episode, not 1962.
Books
Benedict of Nursia. The Rule of St Benedict.
Gavin Kelly. “Te Deum Laudamus,” https://ausonius.blogspot.com/2020/02/te-deum-laudamus.html
Dag Norberg. An Introduction to Medieval Latin Versification. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2004.
Carolinne M. White. Early Christian Latin Poet. New York: Routledge, 2000.
In this Christmas episode of Devotion to Christ, Fr Jonathan and Dr Matthew talk about the three Gospel canticles from Luke that are embedded in Morning and Evening Prayer -- the Benedictus (Song of Zachariah) from Luke 1, the Magnificat (Song of Mary) also from Luke 1, and the Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon) from Luke 2. These canticles, these songs from Scripture, speak truth not only into the life of first-century Israel but into our lives today.
In this episode, Dr Matthew and Fr Jonathan discuss the three creeds -- the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene (Constantinopolitan) Creed, and so-called "Athanasian Creed" -- their history and their meaning. We also plug Dr Matthew's upcoming course with Davenant Hall, which you can register for here: https://davenanthall.com/product/theological-world-nicene-controversy/
In this episode, Dr Matthew and Fr Jonathan discuss the church year, from Advent to Christ the King Sunday, talking about the characteristics of each season and how the church year helps us focus on Jesus.
The text of the Advent Prose:
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour forth righteousness: let the earth be fruitful, and bring forth a Saviour.
Be not very angry, O Lord, neither remember our iniquity for ever:
thy holy cities are a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation:
our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee.
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour forth righteousness: let the earth be fruitful, and bring forth a Saviour.
We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing,
and we all do fade as a leaf:
our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away;
thou hast hid thy face from us:
and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour forth righteousness: let the earth be fruitful, and bring forth a Saviour.
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen;
that ye may know me and believe me:
I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour:
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour forth righteousness: let the earth be fruitful, and bring forth a Saviour.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, my salvation shall not tarry:
I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions:
fear not for I will save thee:
for I am the Lord thy god, the holy one of Israel, thy Redeemer.
In this week’s episode we continue our discussion from last week, covering some wider territory in a shorter compass, including prayers and poems Jeremy Taylor, William Law, Lancelot Andrewes, John Donne, Malcolm Guite, and Cranmer’s Book of Homilies in particular, besides broader references to a wide range of devotional literature including The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, and St John of the Cross’s Dark Night of the Soul.
Find the Anglican divines:
William Law. A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.
Lancelot Andrewes. The Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes.
John Donne. Holy Sonnets.
Jeremy Taylor. The Rule and Exercise of Holy Living and Holy Dying.
---. The Golden Grove.
The Book of Homilies. http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/
-As read by Alastair Roberts: https://audio.alastairadversaria.com/series/1039/the-books-of-homilies/
Malcolm Guite’s works referenced:
Sounding the Seasons.
David’s Crown.
After Prayer.
Waiting on the Word.
The Word in the Wilderness.
Father Malcolm’s blog: malcolmguite.wordpress.com
Father Malcolm’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmGuitespell
The others:
The Cloud of Unknowing.
Julian of Norwich. Revelations of Divine Love.
John of the Cross. The Dark Night of the Soul
This week’s episode is more personal in nature as we discuss our own devotional practices beyond the daily office, focussing specifically on the Jesus Prayer (Matthew) and Gospel-Based Discipleship (a form of lectio divina, Jonathan). Our journey will stretch back in time to Origen in the 200s, and touch on some late antique and medieval monks besides some more modern influences related to their movements, including Anglican Renewal Ministries.
The Jesus Prayer
The Way of a Pilgrim. Trans. Helen Bacovcin.
The Philokalia. 4 vols. Trans. G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, Kallistos Ware. London: Faber & Faber, 1979-1986.
Kallistos Ware. The Orthodox Church.
---. The Orthodox Way.
---. The Power of the Name.
Lectio Divina
Benedict of Nursia. The Rule of St Benedict.
Guigo II. The Ladder of Monks.
Other references
Alexander Schmemann. For the Life of the World.
David Fagerberg. On Liturgical Asceticism.
In this episode, Father Jonathan and Dr Matthew discuss what exactly Anglican spirituality is, looking at the communal aspect of it, the Book of Common Prayer, and the daily office.
The Witness Cloud daily office is, alas, not available online as we had thought. It will be soon, and we'll let you know on the show and on Twitter, @HoskinBrosPod
The Prayer Book Society's Daily Prayer app: https://prayerbook.ca/common-prayer-app/
Books
Scot McKnight, Praying with the Church.
Robert Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East West: Its History and Theology
Join us in this, our first episode! We pull out the Prayer Books Granddad gave us at confirmation and discuss grace, for grace is the foundation of the whole devotional life -- in fact, it's the foundation of the whole Christian life, for God is favourably disposed towards us, not weighing our merits but pardoning our offences.
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