Gospel Simplicity Podcast

Since its definition as a dogma in 1950, Mary's Bodily Assumption has been a point of tension between Protestants and Catholics. For some, it's the beautiful telos of the other Marian dogmas. For others, it's a bewildering act of dogmatizing something that seems unnecessary. 

This video isn't about who's right. Instead, this video is a look at the historical development of Christian belief in Mary's Bodily Assumption through three sources: St. Epiphanius of Salamis, apocryphal Dormition/Assumption narratives, and liturgical history. 

This video is deeply indebted to the work of Dr. Stephen Shoemaker. You can find the links for his work in the resources section below. 

Join Me on the Camino!: https://www.gospelsimplicity.com/pilgrimage

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

References:
Stephen Shoemaker, Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption: https://academic.oup.com/book/27239
Stephen Shoemaker, Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion: https://amzn.to/4zotIUo
Matthew Levering, Mary's Bodily Assumption: https://amzn.to/4bLfP8E

0:00 Background
05:53 St. Epiphanius, 4th c.
13:32 Dormition/Assumption Apocrypha
29:19 Liturgy
31:55 Conclusion

Disclaimer: Links in the description may contain affiliate links, from which I receive a small percentage of the purchase.
Support the show

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Zachary Wagner, author of Men of Virtue, to discuss the crises men are facing, the problematic solutions being offered, and why embracing a Christian vision of virtue is the answer.

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

About the Guest: Zachary Wagner is an author, ordained minister, and New Testament scholar. He earned a DPhil from Oxford in 2025. He published his first book, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality, in 2023 with InterVarsity Press. His second book, Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World, will release from Brazos Press in May 2026. He is currently pursuing publication for his DPhil thesis, as well as a further writing and research projects on Christianity and Stoicism.

Guest Links:
Book: https://amzn.to/3TBoAfg
Substack: https://substack.com/@zacharywagner
Website: https://www.zacharycwagner.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zacharycwagner
Support the show

You might have heard that C.S. Lewis believed in Purgatory, and that's true. But his vision of Purgatory is unique, combining Protestant and Catholic sensibilities. In this video, I unpack what Lewis taught about Purgatory in Letters to Malcom and The Great Divorce, looking specifically at the theological foundation for his views and what that means for us today.

Join Me on the Camino!: https://www.gospelsimplicity.com/pilgrimage

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

Videos Referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXsyqFRVIh4&t=314s

00:00 Lewis on Purgatory
01:35 Letters to Malcolm
04:11 The Great Divorce
07:55 Theological Foundations
13:53 Implications for Protestants

Disclaimer: Links in the description may contain affiliate links, from which I receive a small percentage of the purchase.
Support the show

In this episode, I'm joined by Rev. Hannah Miller King to discuss how understanding the Eucharist can change how we see the entirety of the Christian life. We talk about grief, community, and divisions in the church along the way as we explore what the Eucharist really means. 
Join Me on the Camino!: https://www.gospelsimplicity.com/pilgrimage

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com
About the Guest: Hannah Miller King is a priest and writer in the Anglican tradition. She has been a campus minister among conservatory musicians, an apartment minister in downtown Dallas, and a parish pastor in Northern Virginia and South Carolina. She currently serves as the Associate Rector at The Vine Anglican Church in Western North Carolina. She is a contributing writer for Christianity Today and Holy Post Media, and her work has appeared in Fathom Magazine, Mere Orthodoxy, The Living Church and Smoky Mountain News.  Her first book was published by InterVarsity Press in February 2026. 
Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Arts in Religion from Redeemer Seminary. She is currently being schooled in the minutia of Star Wars (and other galactic battles between good and evil) by her three kids. 
Find Rev. Hannah on Substack: https://hannahmillerking.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips
Support the show

Last week, the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four bishops without papal mandate, and 24 hours later, the Vatican pronounced that the SSPX clergy had incurred excommunication and warned that laypeople who formally adhere to the SSPX could be guilty of excommunication as well.

It was major news, but at first, I thought I'd just leave it to the Catholics and SSPX to sort this out. However, as I was tracking the discourse on this, I became intrigued by one particular thread of the conversation: the comparisons between the SSPX and the Reformation. As a Protestant, this interested me. It also put me in an odd situation. I disagree with the SSPX on a number of things, not least of which is their assessment of the theological emphases of Vatican 2. However, much of the structure of their argument, especially the idea of the state of necessity felt familiar. Indeed, it has interesting overlaps with the Reformation. And it's those overlaps that I decided to explore in this video.

Join Me on the Camino!: https://www.gospelsimplicity.com/pilgrimage

Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity
Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

SSPX Quotes referenced came from the following article: https://sspx.org/en/state-necessity-30464

00:00 The News
01:20 The SSPX
02:38 The State of Necessity
05:53 Reformation Similarities
07:40 Dissent from a Council
09:25 Rejecting Innovations
13:18 Appealing to a Higher Authority
15:39 The Crux of the Issue

Disclaimer: Links in the description may contain affiliate links, from which I receive a small percentage of the purchase.
Support the show