The Pilgrim's Progress book club continues today as Jonathan, James, and Jeff Stivason continue their exploration of Bunyan's classic work. This week, Christian and Hopeful leave Vanity Fair and encounter a new character on their journey, known as By-Ends. The discussion delves into the complexities of Christian companionship, the challenges of faith, and the nuances of worldly versus spiritual values.

A man that takes up religion for the world will throw away religion for the world. – Jeff Stivason

Tune in as they explore the significance of these themes and their relevance for believers today!

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Banner Publishing, we are pleased to offer a couple of copies of John Bunyan's classic work, The Pilgrim's Progress, to our listeners. Enter here to win.

In this episode, James and Jonathan engage in a thought-provoking discussion about Puritanism with Steven Yuille, the director of Puritan Publishing at Reformation Heritage Books and a professor of church history. Today, many people consider the Puritans to be a serious, joyless, dutiful group of people. In fact, it has been said that “a Puritan is mortified by the thought that someone, somewhere, is enjoying themselves.” What is Stephen’s response to this caricature?

I just encourage people to lay all that aside, forget everything they think they know and have ever heard and all the little quips and sounds bites, here, there and floating everywhere, and just go back and read the Puritans, and recognize that when it comes to their approach to the Christian life, the starting point… is this: Theology is the science of living blessedly forever. It might surprise people to discover that the Puritans end up being the opposite of what they are often perceived to be. – Stephen Yuille

Tune in and reconsider your own views as we explore the rise of Puritanism in England, its theological significance, and its implications for personal piety today.

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Reformation Heritage Books, we are pleased to offer a couple of copies of John Owen’s Freedom from Sin’s Dominion to our listeners. Enter here to win.

Show Notes:

Stephen Yuille recommended the Puritan Treasures for Today for listeners. Specifically, these would be great books to start with.

A Perfect Redeemer by William Perkins

The Fountain of Life by John Flavel

The Blessed and Boundless God by George Swinnock (Stephen’s personal favorite)

Today, Jonathan and James engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Matthew Barrett, a professor of Christian theology and editor of the recently released book On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God. Motivated by the longstanding need to retrieve the classical doctrine of the Trinity, Matthew brought together Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox scholars to contribute to this important work.

In today’s discussion, they explore the challenges posed by social trinitarianism and its implications for contemporary theology, emphasizing the importance of returning to the Nicene understanding of the Trinity.

The Trinity is not “relevant”; it is the foundation of our faith and understanding of God. – Matthew Barrett

Matthew shares insights on the historical context, the relevance of classical theism, and the foundational pre-commitments necessary for a robust understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at IVP Academic, we are pleased to offer a copy of On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God to our listeners. Enter here to win.