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The Weight of Glory

The Weight of Glory

By: Clayton Emmer
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Centered around the themes of the essay The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, this podcast seeks to highlight ways in which our every encounter leads another person toward beatitude or away from it© 2026 The Weight of Glory Art Christianity Literary History & Criticism Spirituality
Episodes
  • faith-based hope and eternal life
    Feb 12 2026

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    My friend Kale Zelden and I continue our discussion of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi) -- specifically, we read and discuss paragraphs 4 through 12, covering the concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church, and the question about what eternal life is.

    Show notes/resources:
    The Still Point in the Turning World - T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton"

    The "already/not yet" tension of Christian liturgy and life:
    "The Sanctification of Time and the Liturgy of the Hours," Fr. Hildebrand Garceau, O.Praem.

    "Demonstrators burn two churches in Chile on anniversary of protests," October 19, 2020

    The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture, Philip Lawler

    Dante's depiction of Judas Iscariot in The Inferno

    "
    I will never lose myself
    for that which the senses
    can take in here,
    nor for all the mind can hold,
    no matter how lofty,
    nor for grace or beauty,
    but only for I-don’t-know-what
    which is so gladly found."
    Saint John of the Cross, A Gloss (with spiritual meaning)

    If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show.

    The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • what is faith-based hope?
    Feb 9 2026

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    Together, long-time friend Kale Zelden and I read Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi) and discuss the idea of faith-based hope. In today's episode, we break open the letter and unpack the first few paragraphs.

    Show notes/resources:
    Ave Maris Stella (Mary, Star of the Sea)

    Angel prayer from Fatima

    Jesus of Nazareth trilogy - Benedict XVI

    God's performative word: Verbum Domini, Benedict XVI, paragraph 53

    God's performative word - Isaiah 55:10-11

    Saint Josephine Bakhita

    Doubt as an avenue of communication between believer and unbeliever:
    Introduction to Christianity, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

    Testimony of James Grein
    Crisis podcast, episode 4
    (12:30-14:00 into the episode)

    The Heart of Man (film)

    If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop us a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send us an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover us.

    The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett.

    Support the show

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    42 mins
  • The battle for hope
    Jan 30 2026

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    My friend Kale and I discuss a broad range of topics, including: the self-conscious church; the church as an expert in humanity; self-exploitation and social media; and Catholic identity and liturgy.

    Kale's interview with Paul VanderKlay (Sept 3, 2020)

    Katie Van Schaijik - Theology of the Body: A Cure for Clericalism (2019)

    Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises (1926)

    Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), paragraphs 93-97 (2013)

    Pope John Paul II - Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds), paragraph 21 (1992)

    Theological Integration Paper - from chaplaincy training program (1995)

    Pope John Paul II - Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), paragraph 3 (1993)

    C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man (1943)

    Richard John Neuhaus - The Naked Public Square (1988)

    Bret Weinstein's Dark Horse podcast with Matt Taibbi, Corruption and Its Consequences (2020)

    Eric Weinstein's Portal podcast with James O'Keefe, What Is and Isn't Journalism in the 21st Century (2020)

    Ryan T. Anderson interview, Natural Law and Public Affairs (2020)

    John Paul II on Love and Responsibility, publication of the Love and Responsibility Foundation (2002)

    Tom Holland - Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (2019)

    Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book X

    Bishop Robert Barron, Pope Francis and Vatican II, Napa Institute Keynote (2020)

    Kilian McDonnell, OSB and George Montague, SM - Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1991)

    Pope Benedict XVI on the hermeneutic of continuity: Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia (2005)

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    1 hr and 9 mins
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