The Brothers Zahl

Could also be titled "Evil, Sin, and Suffering", in this episode the brothers delve into the various shades of darkness we experience in the world--and in ourselves. Recommended and referenced resources include:

• Podcasts: The Well of Sound on Marvin Gaye
• Movies: The Devil Rides Out, The Shining, The Exorcist, The Addiction
• Books: Dignity by Chris Arnade, The Haunting of Toby Jugg _by Dennis Wheatley, _The Stand by Stephen King, the ghost stories MR James, Astro City: Confession by Kurt Busiek
• Articles: "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Lost Doctine of Sin" by Simeon Zahl
• Quotations: Bad Spirits in Hunts Point, Flannery O'Connor on the Action of Grace, Gerhard Forde on the danger of Rolling Suffering into Evil, Richard Hooker on Crystal Tears (below), Frank Limehouse on the Devil (below)
• Songs: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell, "Lord You Bless Me" by The Elliotts, "Make Me Prada" by Asa Moto, "Millennium" by Dewolfe, "Devil Inside" by INXS

Please note: the story of Martin Luther burying the child, while derived from his writings (and depicted to great effect in the movie Luther), is apocryphal. .

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Richard Hooker: "My eager protestations, made in the glory of my ghostly strength, I am ashamed of; but those crystal tears, wherewith my sin and weakness was bewailed, have procured my endless joy; my strength hath been my ruin, and my fall my stay."

Frank Limehouse (March 7, 2010): "I can't tell you what the Devil looks like. In my own mind he wears red tights, has horns and a tail and carries a pitchfork. Other than in the Garden of Eden, in which he is described as crafty and subtle; and Ezekiel, who tells us he was perfect in beauty, I cannot talk so much about what the devil looks like. But we can talk about how the devil operates. St. Peter said, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Interestingly, the devil doesn't come at you only where you're weak. He's very interested in your gifts and strengths. This is where we are most vulnerable. The woman with a charming smile is tempted to “get away with murder.” The salesman with the gift of persuasion, is often tempted to “take ‘em for what they're worth.” God, on the other hand, is most interested in what? Your weaknesses. The Lord said to Paul ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'..."

The second episode, in which the brothers discuss that slippery yet inspiring topic known as holiness (and its opposite). Recommended and referenced resources include:

• Quotations: Jean-Luc Marion on Holiness, Gerhard Forde on Senility, Mark Seifrid on Christian growth, Nimi Wariboko on Play
• Movies: My Idiot Brother
• Articles: "Heaven Is a 12 Step Meeting" by Connor Gwin
• Books: Listening by Anne Long, The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch, The Ambiguity of Play by Brian Sutton-Smith, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder, The Reconstruction of Morality by Karl Holl, The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience by Simeon Zahl
• TV: Ted Lasso
• Music: Life Is People by Bill Fay
• Songs: "Say Goodbye" by Hiroshi Sato, "Everyone" by Air Project, "Perdido en el Universo" by Falcons, "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, "I Can't Get There From Here" by R.E.M., "These Things Take Time" by The Smiths, "Running Toward a Place" by The Killers

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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

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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.