The Brothers Zahl

The most esoteric sounding subject in the first season may also be the most gut-level. In this episode the brothers discuss the role of art, story, and humor as it relates to ministry and healing. Recommended and Referenced Resources include:

• Quotations: Mbird glossary definition of Abreaction, Frank Lake's definition, Josh Retterer's definition, Adam Phillips on Self-Cures and Frozen Seas, W.H. Auden on the Ulterior Purpose of Poetry
• Books: A Mess of Help by David Zahl, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder, The Cocktail Party by TS Eliot
• Paintings: Winter Landscape by Caspar David Friedrich
• Movies: Miami Vice, The Last Days of Disco, Red Beard, Apocalypto, Hacksaw Ridge, The Darjeeling Limited, Miracle, This Is 40, Terms of Endearment, Pride and Prejudice [BBC]
• Drama: The Angel That Troubled the Waters by Thornton Wilder
• TV: Friday Night Lights
• Songs: "Walls" by Tom Petty, "Should I Laugh or Cry" by ABBA, "Walls Come Tumbling Down" by The Style Council, "Come As You Are" and "Sliver" by Nirvana, "Please Forgive My Heart" by Bobby Womack, "This Is Me Trying" by Taylor Swift, "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell, "Crockett's Theme" by Jan Hammer, "Lamuka" by Zazou, Biyake & CY1, "More More More" by Andrea True Connection

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

What are we doing when we pray? In the second episode of the second season, John, David, and Simeon venture a few theories (and a bunch of stories). Referenced and recommended resources include:

• Quotations: Frank Lake's Clinical Theology, The Long Text of Julian of Norwich (Chapter 43), "Eleven Addresses to the Lord" by John Berryman
• Books and Literature: Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott, The Lord's Prayer by Wesley Hill, Lit by Mary Karr, Augustine's Confessions, Showings by Julian of Norwich, The Collects of Thomas Cranmer by Paul Zahl and Frederick Barbee, "Collect for the Fourth Sunday After Easter", "For the Time Being" by WH Auden
• Movies: The Apostle _(1997), _Little Boy (2015)
• Artwork: Das Vaterunser by Max Pechstein
• Songs: “10 9 8 7” by Armand Duchies, “Dervish Chant” by African Head Charge, “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” by The Smiths, “Come Talk to Me” by Peter Gabriel, “Make The Woman Love Me” by Dion, “Cleopatra” (JAZ edit 2), "Acid Rain" by Galaxy II Orchestra, “Talk to the Lord” by Natalie Bergman, “Let Us Pray” by Elvis Presley, “You Are My Dream” by Kamagni, “Lords Prayer” by Marvin Gaye, “Our Prayer” by The Beach Boys, “I Pray” by Blossom Child

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

For the final episode of the second season, the brothers enlist a special guest to help them make sense of getting older. Referenced and recommended resources include:

• Books and Literature: Peace in the Last Third of Life by Paul Zahl, The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch, “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Churchy by Sarah Condon, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, The Genius and the Goddess by Aldous Huxley, Quatermass by Nigel Neale, "East Coker" by TS Eliot, Ecclesiastes
• Movies and Television: The Twilight Zone (“Spur of the Moment” and “The Trade-Ins”), Letters to Father Jacob (2009), Friday Night Lights (2006-2011), Journey to Italy (1954), The Adam Project (2022)
• Artwork: "The Voyage of Life" by Thomas Cole (1839-40)
• Songs: “Seventeen” by Sharon Van Etten, “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel, “When I Grow Up to Be a Man” by The Beach Boys, “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie, “Tired of Waiting” by The Kinks, “When I Was a Boy” by The Who, “Regret” by New Order, “Old" by Staryflyer 59, "Everybody Wants to Be a DJ", “Sixteen Tons” by Bob Cobra, “As Far as I Can Remember” by Pasteur Lappe, “Just Ain’t Easy” by The Allman Brothers, “Highlands” by Bob Dylan

Click here to listen to a playlist of the available tracks on Spotify.

The brothers talk about "the how of love," also known as imputation. Recommended and referenced resources include:

• Movies: Toy Story, Hoosiers, The Best Years of Our Lives, Lilo and Stitch
• Books: The Cross and Christian Confidence by Joanna McGrath & Alister McGrath, Coach by Michael Lewis, The Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther, The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience by Simeon Zahl, Grace in Practice by Paul Zahl, Justitia Dei by Alister McGrath, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Articles 4 and 21 of The Augsburg Confession, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder
• TV: Season 2 finale of Stranger Things
• Podcasts: "Don't be Good -- Be Great" episode of Against the Rules
• Songs: "No Matter" by Lowell, "Crazy the Lord" by Nick the Record, "Gettin' Back on the Good Side of Love" by Don Black and the Breakaways, "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders, "Strange Currencies" by REM, "Why Do I Keep Counting?" by The Killers, "Transformer Man" by Neil Young, "Superbowl Shuffle" by the 1985 Chicago Bears, "I Just Started" by Jackie Moore, "Automatic Amore" by Patrizia Pellegrino, "Love Is a Natural Magical Thing" by Laurie Miller, "The Old Account" by Johnny Cash, "I've Been Surprised" by Josh White

Time to talk about the biggest day in the Christian year! Resurrection is the theme of this episode--physical, spiritual, metaphorical, ecclesial, musical, you name it. Note: this one was recorded live, so the sound is a little less sharp.

Recommended and referenced resources include:

• Poetry: "Seven Stanzas at Easter" by John Updike, "Descending Theology: The Resurrection" by Mary Karr, "Easter" by George Herbert
• Art: "Resurrection" by Piero della Francesca (1463), "The Resurrection" by Otto Dix (1949), "Easter Morning" by Caspar David Friedrich (1835), "The Resurrection, Cookham" by Stanley Spencer (1924-7), "Travoys Arriving with Wounded at a Dressing-Station at Smol, Macedonia, September, 1916" by Stanley Spencer (1919), "Risen Christ and Soldiers" by Germain Pilon (1572), "Isenheim Altarpiece" by Matthias Gruenewald (1516)
• Television and Movies: Rev Season 3 Episodes 5&6, The Passion of the Christ
• Articles: "Finitude and Death" by Katherine Sonderegger in The T&T Clark Companion to the Doctrine of Sin
• Songs: "Love Is Stronger Than Death" by The The, "Sunrise" by Pulp, "How a Resurrection Really Feels" by The Hold Steady, "He's Alive" by Dolly Parton, "Resurrection Shuffle" by Tom Jones, "Photograph" by Ringo Starr, "Candy" by 1910 Fruitgum Company, "Don't Worry About Death" by Melon, "Back to Heaven" by Number One Ensemble, "I Don't Wanna Be a Solider Mama" by John Lennon, "I Am the Resurrection" by The Stone Roses, "Dance or Die" by Kool Rock Steady, "Get Up and Boogie" by Silver Convention, "Revenge" by The Eurythmics, "Death Is Not the End" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Sing Hallelujah" by Bob & Karin