In this end of year episode, Anthony and Blaine unpack three invitations to a deeper life in God in 2025: communion with the Holy Spirit, unceasing prayer, and simplicity.
Mentioned in this episode:
Norman Grubb Rees Howells, Intercessor
Leonard Allen Poured Out
Jeffrey Greenman Life in the Spirit
Richard J Foster Prayer
Richard J Foster The Freedom of Simplicity
Mark Scandrette Free
The Acts of the Apostles is not a complete history of the Church in the first century. But it is a genre-blending masterpiece. It is a historical treasure trove, a catechetical resource, a theological revelation, and a user guide to life in the Church. In this episode Anthony and Blaine discuss St. Luke's origins, temple theology, Jewish diasporas, and generosity.
To follow Jesus is to engage a political project: It is to submit to Jesus as he establishes his upside-down Kingdom by his Spirit through the Church.
Anthony and Blaine lay out a few core convictions for a style of political engagement that is anchored in the teachings of Jesus. Allegiance. Enemy love. Prayer. There is no more challenging, satisfying, and liberating way to minister to the life of the community than by embracing the foundational commandments of Jesus.
Mentioned in this episode:
A PDF of "A Christian Political Commitment"
Joshua Ryan Butler The Party Crasher
Daily Prayer for those far from Jesus
Matthew Bates Salvation by Allegiance Alone
Tyler Staton on Cultivating love of neighbor
Luke Bretherton
Jon Tyson on Christians in politics
Nigel Biggar Behaving in Public
What happened to the northern tribes after the Assyrian deportation? Were they ever gathered back from the nations? How does that relate to the diversity of church expressions today? Is that evidence of schism and disunity, or something else? In this episode Anthony and Blaine discuss Israel's narrative arc in the scriptures as well as an often-overlooked theme: over and over again, God uses the rending consequences of sin as a way to extend His grace to the ends of the earth.
Mentioned in this episode:
Jason A Staples: The Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism
Jason A Staples: Paul and the Resurrection of Israel
Anthony and Blaine (and friends) interrupt their discussion of Church history with a brief, timely encouragement.
Anthony and Blaine continue their conversation on the Church by examining the canonical relationship between God and His covenant partners.
As Joseph Ratzinger put it, "The history of the relationship between Israel and Christendom is drenched with blood and tears."
That's true but it need not be that way. The history of the relationship between Israel and Christendom is fundamentally a history of God's faithfulness, self-revelation, and ultimate redemption.
Mentioned in this episode:
Joseph Ratzinger Many Religions - One Covenant
NT Wright Paul and the Faithfulness of God
NT Wright and Rabbi Mark Kinzer "A Dialogue on the Meaning of Israel"
Moshe Weinfeld "The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East"
The Bible Project Ezra and Nehemiah
The Trinity is the fountainhead of reality and the mystery at the center of all things. And so it should go without saying (but it often doesn't) that the Church only makes sense when it's explored in terms of the triune God. In this episode, Blaine and Anthony start with the Trinity and survey salvation history to put the life of the Church in context. From the love of the Father to Covenant Theology, Dionysius the Areopagite's vision of creation to Russian Monastaries founded on perichoresis, this conversation lays the groundwork for a fruitful investigation of the Church.
Mentioned in this episode:
Scott Hahn A Father Who Keeps His Promises
NT Wright The Resurrection of the Son of God
Bruce Shelley Church History in Plain Language
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware The Orthodox Way
Bishop Robert Barron Word on Fire
Ian McFarland Word Made Flesh
James Torrence Worship, Community and the Triune God
The Wanderer
Gilgamesh
Hans Urs Von Balthasar Cosmic Liturgy
Athanasius On the Incarnation
Rob Avis Building Your Permaculture Property
Christopher Wright Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament
The Paradise King
Evlogetaria for the Dead
Stephen DeYoung The Religion of the Apostles
We're back.
In this episode, Anthony and Blaine map out the territory ahead and offer their thoughts on constructive engagement with Church history. In brief: be ecumenical, read like it's your job (wasn't it Aquinas who said "Beware the man of one book?") don't treat anyone (ancient or modern) as stupid, and plan to live differently.
Division in the Church is a matter of sin; unity and love in the Church reflects God's own desire. So buckle up: this series is going to be a ride.
You can catch up with Anthony and follow his writing career at https://x.com/anthonyashley
You can find Blaine at https://blaineeldredge.substack.com/
Mount Vigil is going on hiatus; we've wrapped up our two year long Story of God series and we'll be taking the next few months to pray into the future. We're living through the end of an age, as we've said before. That means we're facing unique pressures, and so we need to seek the face of the Lord as ask for His wisdom. We're not quite sure what will come out of this discernment process, but we'll be back next year. In the meantime, the Lord bless you and keep you. Warm regards from MV.
In this conversation, Blaine and Anthony share a few thoughts on responding to current events in terms of allegiance to Jesus. The crisis involving Israel and Palestine is a divisive issue, if you hadn't noticed. The good news for us is that the Gospel of Jesus applies to situations exactly like this one and the Church is empowered by the Spirit to respond in an utterly unique way. We hope some of the thoughts here help you to love God, love your neighbor, and see and operate by the Spirit while Jesus makes it on earth as it is in heaven.
Blaine's written a book, folks! It's an epic introduction to Jesus in terms of the story of God. If you've been following MV, this book is for you. From night raids and necromancers to witch kings and dragons, Blaine and Anthony talk through the presentation of Jesus in our time.
Where to Connect
Mount Vigil has come to an end but you can still connect with Anthony and Blaine at their respective blogs:
We've spent hours contemplating Revelation. Now it's time to hear the text itself.
This will be our acid test: Can our long-term engagement with theology, Church history, and culture transform our experience of the scriptures? Can we see Jesus in the Apocalypse? We hope so. But you'll have to listen and see for yourself. Enjoy this dramatic reading of Revelation: we hope you will directly experience Jesus, slain and risen king of the universe, as you hear the voice of God in scripture.
This is it: the finale of the 5-part series on Revelation, as well as the finale of the 19-part series on the Story of God in the Bible. In this episode, Blaine and Anthony draw together the main threads of the podcast so far: God's design for the cosmos as revealed in Scripture, the nature of evil, and the restoration of all things through Jesus of Nazareth. "For I consider," said Paul, "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).
Friends, there are good things to come. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Get show notes for this episode at https://mountvigil.org/mount-vigil-podcast-his-government-and-his-peace-revelation-part-5/
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
In this series, Blaine and Anthony have argued that Revelation is the theological capstone of the Bible. Nevertheless, because its method of doing theology draws upon the Jewish (rather than the Greco-Roman) tradition, many of its claims go right over the head of modern readers. In this show, Blaine and Anthony drill down on some of the most notorious elements in Revelation: the 144,000, the Whore, the Beast, the Mark, and more. The actions of Revelation are not a disturbing fever dream. They are instead a profound picture of the world as it really is, and when we learn read our lives in terms of Revelation, we know how to follow Jesus as he establishes heaven on earth.
Get show notes for this episode at https://mountvigil.org/mount-vigil-podcast-beasts-and-harlots-and-virgins-oh-my-revelation-part-4/
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
“While each church receives a message reflecting its own situation, there is one overarching issue: whether or not to compromise. Specifically, will these churches be faithful witnesses both to Jesus and like Jesus (and John!) by refraining from participation in the cultural norm of pagan religion, including the imperial cult, even if it entails serious consequences: social, economic, and political?” Gorman
In this third part of the series on Revelation, Blaine and Anthony continue their discussion on the major movements of the Apocalypse. In particular, they discuss the messages to the seven churches from 1:9-3:22 and the vision of heaven in 4 and 5.
Get show notes for this episode at https://mountvigil.org/mount-vigil-podcast-seven-messages-revelation-part-3/.
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
In this episode, Anthony and Blaine continue their Story of God series by returning to the book of Revelation. Questions discussed in this conversation: How does John use the Old Testament? What is the structure of John's Apocalypse? Who is/are the seven spirits in 1:4? What is going in in John's prologue? We hope you enjoy.
Get show notes for this episode at https://mountvigil.org/the-capstone-of-the-bible-revelation-part-2.
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
“Revelation is not only one of the finest literary works in the New Testament, but also one of the greatest theological achievements of early Christianity.” So says New Testament Scholar Richard Bauckham, and yet few of us experience it that way. In this episode, Blaine and Anthony begin a conversation on the literary and theological marvel that is Revelation, drawing on diverse scholarship to frame its historical and prophetic situation. The thesis of this episode is simple: Revelation is a discipleship manual. It orients the people of God to their situation, and it tells them how they should live in view of Christ's reality.
Sources
We know from experience Revelation is challenging. For all those of you who are looking to grasp the message and the blessing of the Bible's capstone book, here are a few recommended resource:
For a wonderful introduction, check out:
The Bible Project's Two-Part Overview
Part One:
Part Two:
For a good book on the whole of revelation:
Michael Gorman Reading Revelation Responsibly
Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett Revelation for the Rest of Us
For a more scholarly take:
Richard Bauckham The Theology of the Book of Revelation
Richard Baukham The Climax of Prophecy
For a book on key elements and Old Testament allusions:
Brandon Smith The Trinity in the Book of Revelation
Tremper Longman III Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes
When it comes to anticipating the return of Jesus, two New Testament texts loom especially large: The Olivet Discourse and the Revelation of John. In this episode, Blaine and Anthony discuss the first: The Olivet Discourse from Matthew 24 and 25. On the Mount of Olives, the disciples ask two questions: when will the temple be razed to the ground, and when will the final marriage of heaven and earth take place? Jesus answers both questions. He places the destruction of Jerusalem in its cosmic context, and he tells the disciples how they should live in view of his return.
In this episode, Blaine and Anthony begin a conversation on the culmination of the Story of God: the bodily return of Jesus and the final marriage of heaven and earth.
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
In this episode, Blaine and Anthony discuss the everyday life of the people of God. The Church is a glorious reality; on the ground, it is also a gritty reality. The practice of dying to self is not abstract. It looks like loving real people. It looks like owning our sin. It looks like repenting. It looks like leaving church gatherings and then learning to hang in there. The local gathering is an eternal reality embodied by people in process. In this conversation, Blaine and Anthony share their personal experience of learning to live life in Jesus's Church.
Subscribe to the Mount Vigil Newsletter at https://mountvigil.org/subscribe.
You can make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of Mount Vigil at https://mountvigil.org/donate.
