Gospel Simplicity Podcast

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.

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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

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In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Jordan Steffaniak to discuss Classical Theism, what it is, how it's Biblical, and why all Christians, Protestants included, should hold to it. If you've ever wondered why things like Divine Simplicity or impassibility matter, this video is for you.

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

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes 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: Jordan L. Steffaniak (PhD, University of Birmingham, UK) is President of the London Lyceum and Publisher for Hanover Press. He owns and operates Professor Lending, a residential mortgage brokerage and teaches at several institutions. He has a wonderful wife and three sons.

Get the book: https://amzn.to/4eLRTDV
Learn more: https://thelondonlyceum.com/

00:00 Introduction to Classical Theism
08:50 Classical Theism & Happiness
12:01 Is it Practical?
18:00 Aseity
21:01 Simplicity
39:53 Impassibility
51:10 Immutability
59:23 Classical Theism and Protestantism
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In this video, I'm joined by Fr. Matthew C. Dallman to discuss the distinctive elements of Anglican Spirituality as well as major figures within the Anglican spiritual tradition.

Fr. Matthew Dallman is the leading expert on Martin Thornton, and has published a new book on him, alongside republishing his works.

Find him on Substack: https://substack.com/@frmcdallman
Akenside Institute for English Spirituality: https://www.akensideinstitute.org/

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

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes 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

00:00 Anglican Spirituality
02:51 Role of the BCP
06:10 Benedictine Spirituality
12:04 The Riches of Anglican Spirituality
18:02 Influential Figures
26:52 The Impact of Saints
43:13 Martin Thornton's Legacy
01:10:18 The Need for Spiritual Direction
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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz to discuss how an uptick in converts, especially among young men, is impacting Orthodoxy in America. Dr. Riccardi-Swartz brings an interesting perspective to this topic as she is both an academic anthropologist and an Orthodox Christian herself. Her research is some of the first of its kind regarding Orthodoxy in America. 

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

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes 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

Get her book, Between Heaven and Russia: https://amzn.to/3SdX6vd
Learn more about Dr. Riccardi-Swartz: https://www.riccardiswartz.com/

About the Guest:
Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz is an assistant professor of religion and anthropology at Northeastern University, where she is also an affiliate faculty member in the women's, gender, and sexuality studies program. Before joining Northeastern University she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Recovering Truth: Religion, Journalism, and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era project at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict (Arizona State University). She has a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from New York University. After completing an honors B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies (American religions) at Missouri State University, she attended NYU to study and research religion and politics in the United States from an anthropological perspective. Along the way, she obtained a graduate certificate in Culture and Media (ethnographic filmmaking) and an M.Phil in Anthropology from NYU. Her research focuses on conservative politics, gender/sexuality, race, media worlds, and Orthodox Christianity.

Chapters
00:00 Orthodoxy: An Anthropological Perspective
06:11 Media & Orthodoxy's Visibility
09:07 Cultural Identity and Conversion 
12:10 Politics & Conversion
20:55 Community in Conversion Experiences
23:56 ROCOR and the Fascination with Russia
26:54 The Future of Orthodoxy in America
30:36 Orthodoxy in Appalachia
35:47 The Emergence of Political Conversations
40:39 Understanding the Unique Nature of ROCOR
42:24 Cultural Heritage
45:49 The Internet & Orthodoxy
53:02 Fr. Seraphim Rose
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In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Richard Gallenstein, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Master of Public Policy program at The Catholic University of America, to discuss Catholic Social Teaching and what it means for us today. We dive into the Church's teaching on Capitalism, Socialism, and how this relates to questions like wealth inequality, AI, and more. 

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

Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes 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

00:00 Intro to Catholic Social Teaching
12:15 Capitalism vs. Socialism
37:10 Private Property & Universal Destination of Goods
48:10 Subsidiarity & Solidarity
01:07:05 Wealth Inequality
01:16:20 AI
01:30:00 Concluding Thoughts
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