Beneath the Willow Tree

In which I am joined by my brother Zack to introduce a new series on the church fathers and to discuss why theology matters for the average Christian. The first book we'll be reading is On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius. Books mentioned in this episode: The Book of Common Prayer (2019) by the Anglican Church in North America Living Wisely with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall Learning Theology with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall Worshiping with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton (I got his name wrong in the episode) Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet Spy by Eric Metaxas Confessions by St. Augustine (trans. Sarah Ruden) The Apostles' Creed by Ben Myers Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and the imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com

In which I discuss nature as a space in which to encounter God in early Irish Christianity. Bibliography Bamford, Christopher. “The Heritage of Celtic Christianity: Ecology and Holiness.” The Celtic Consciousness. Edited by Robert O’Driscoll, New York: George Braziller, 1982. Columba, Saint. “The High First-Sower.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Translated by Thomas O’Loughlin. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. Davies, Oliver. Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. Davies, Oliver, trans., “The Evernew Tongue.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. ———, “The Lord of Creation.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. ———, “The Scribe in the Woods.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. Low, Mary. Celtic Christianity and Nature: Early Irish and Hebridean Traditions. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1996. Muirchú. “The Life of Patrick” in Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Translated by Thomas O’Loughlin. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. Patrick, Saint. “Patrick’s Breastplate.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited and translated by Oliver Davies. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. ———. “Patrick’s Declaration of the Great Works of God.” In Celtic Spirituality. Edited by Oliver Davies. Translated by Thomas O’Loughlin. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com

In which I talk about Ash Wednesday as a re-formation of creaturely identity. Bibliography: Anglican Church in North America. The Book of Common Prayer. Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019. Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Sarah Ruden. New York: The Modern Library, 2017. Brueggemann, Walter. “Remember, You are Dust.” Journal for Preachers 14, no. 2 (Lent 1991): 3-10. Accessed April 1, 2023. Atla Religion Database. Chittister, Sister Joan. The Liturgical Year. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009. Clark, John C. and Marcus Peter Johnson. A Call to Christian Formation: How Theology Makes Sense of Our World. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021. Smith, James K. A. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation. Vol. 1 of Cultural Liturgies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009. ———. Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works. Vol. 2 of Cultural Liturgies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013. Wells, David F. God in the Wastelands: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994. ———. No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1993. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com

In which I talk about the Gothic cathedral as an exercise in the medieval synthesis of faith and reason. Bibliography: Blackwell, Albert L. The Sacred in Music. Cambridge: The Lutterworth Press, 1999. Bork, Robert. The Geometry of Creation. New York: Routledge, 2011. Lewis, C.S. The Discarded Image. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1964. Grant, Edward. God and Reason in the Middle Ages. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Guite, Malcolm. Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2016. Panofsky, Erwin. Introduction to Abbot Suger, by Abbot Suger, 1-37. Edited and translated by Erwin Panofsky. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1979. Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. Von Simson, Otto. The Gothic Cathedral. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com

In which I talk about Anglican theologian Jeremy Taylor and Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards. Taylor emphasizes the 'nowness' of the Eucharist by describing it as a copy of Christ's re-presentation of his sacrifice in heaven. Edwards emphasizes the 'not-yet-ness' of the Eucharist by describing it as a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb. References in my paper: Anglican Church in North America. The Book of Common Prayer. Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019. Danaher Jr., William J. “By Sensible Signs Represented: Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons on the Lord’s Supper.” Pro Ecclesia 7, no. 3 (August 1998). Accessed October 20, 2023. Atla Religion Database. Edwards, Jonathan. “Sermon Notes on 1 Corinthians 1:9.” 1729. Sermons, Series II. WJE Online Vol. 44. Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT. ———. “Sermon Notes on 1 Corinthians 11:29.” January 1733. Sermons, Series II. WJE Online Vol. 48. Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT. ———. “Sermon Notes on Luke 22:30.” June 1733. Sermons, Series II. WJE Online Vol. 48. Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT. McAdoo, H. R. The Eucharistic Theology of Jeremy Taylor Today. Norwich, UK: The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1988. McAdoo, H.R. and Kenneth W. Stevenson. The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Anglican Tradition. Norwich, UK: The Canterbury Press Norwich, 1997. McClymond, Michael J. and Gerald R. McDermott. The Theology of Jonathan Edwards. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Taylor, Jeremy. “The Worthy Communicant.” In Jeremy Taylor: Selected Works. Edited by Thomas K. Carroll. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1990. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com!

In which I & fellow H G Wells enthusiast Christian talk about The Time Machine and The Island of Dr Moreau by H G Wells. We chat about how each of these stories (& Wells himself) adds to our discussion of what it means to be human. It's a grand time, as always. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt or FB @sophieburkhardt21. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I & fellow Dostoevsky enthusiast Yesim talk about The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Fair warning! We tried not to spoil the book, but we epically failed at that. So if you want to avoid spoilers, read the book before listening!! We chat about... beauty suffering is Prince Myshkin really a human?? is he a Christ figure? we have lots of questions about him... death etc. etc. etc. Basically, this episode is us fan-girling over Dostoevsky in general and Prince Myshkin in particular. 10/10 a grand time. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt or FB @sophieburkhardt21. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I talk about what it means to live 'the good life' and how we live our lives in pursuit of becoming the image of Christ, specifically through contemplation and imitation. It's good fun! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt or FB @sophieburkhardt21. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I talk about the spiritual practicing of remembering that we will die, and the hope that we find in Christ's resurrection! Also, I forgot (oof) to say that viewing art & reading poetry/prose can help us practice memento mori. Look for works of art like these and poems similar to the ones I shared to help you in this spiritual practice! Catholic Digest Article Memento Mori Lenten Devotional Rule of St Benedict Shakespeare's Window Into the Soul Medieval English Verse collection Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt or FB @sophieburkhardt21. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I'm joined by Beth Jamieson & Mez Blume to talk about the books and shows that make up All Creatures Great and Small. We talk about how All Creatures embodies what it means to be a human, from stewarding the earth to memento mori, and everything in between! It's a delight. Check out Beth's podcast, A Well Read Life, and Mez's amazing books, The Katie Watson Mysteries in Time series and Churchills S.O.C.K.S.! If you're in the U.S., you can watch the old BBC show on Britbox and the new show on PBS. This is the first book! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I talk about the book Laurus and what it shows us about being a true human. I also geek out a bit over Eastern Orthodox doctrines. There's always so much more to learn! Get yourself a copy of Laurus! Check out Gospel Simplicity for more on Eastern Orthodoxy, especially this playlist. (It's also a podcast on Spotify, Apple, etc. if you prefer to listen that way) Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I introduce a series talking about what it means to be a human! In future episodes, we'll explore the many dimensions of this question through a number of books and stories, like C S Lewis' Ransom Trilogy and H G Wells' short stories. It's gonna be fun!  Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wisdom and imagination. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fuelled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I explore thought experiments in film! We're looking at how films conduct thought experiments and why they are so powerful at doing so. The best part is, we're briefly looking into two films: Minority Report and my all-time favorite movie, Jurassic Park! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. If you might ever be interested in talking about any such things, or a specific book or movie, etc. please reach out to me at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com! For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In which I spend a ridiculously long time just barely scratching the surface of Lilith by George MacDonald. We're talking redemption, life, death, knowledge, evil and more... This is a mind-blowing fairy tale of epic proportions and it'll straight up change your life. Also, I want to read and discuss it chapter by chapter with someone, anyone! If you're at all interested, hit me up at sdburkhardt321@gmail.com or on the gram @sophieburkhardt. You can get the same copy of Lilith as I have here! This is supposed to be a good edition too! Be careful what you get... it can be hard to find a good copy, alas. Thriftbooks might also be a good place to check. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

If we want to understand who we are and what we should do in this great big world, then we need to know our final cause. We need to know our telos. Within the Love of God (containing Judith Wolfe's essay) After Virtue Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

We talk about chapters 6-9 of G. K. Chesterton's Heretics. We didn't make it to 10, because we had just too many notes...but next time, I'll be covering chapters 10-15! You can purchase this super cool copy of Heretics (& Orthodoxy) here! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

We explore the first five chapters of Heretics by G. K. Chesterton. You can purchase this super cool copy of Heretics (& Orthodoxy) here! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Exploring George MacDonald's essay on the imagination and fairy tales. This essay is from a Dish of Orts, which you can read for free here! Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

It’s been well over a year now since I went on safari in Kenya, and already I wish I could be there again. How can I properly describe it to someone who has never been? When you are out there in the jeep, just you and a few others with you, amidst great swathes of land almost completely uninhabited by people, something changes. You breathe deeper. Your muscles relax. You forget completely about the rest of the world. Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

As I began to understand and write on the rectification of names in my class, I noticed a similarity between this idea and the Christian story. I wondered if it might be possible to make a connection between the two that would enrich Christian theology, or, at the very least, provide some new perspective on it. Books from this episode: Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy Beneath The Willow Tree is a podcast dedicated to the pursuit of Truth through wonder. Join host Sophie Burkhardt as she, fueled by wonder and a quest for the beautiful, explores philosophy, theology, the arts and all things worthy of thought beneath the willow tree. For more, visit sophiaburkhardt.wordpress.com/blog and follow me on Instagram @sophieburkhardt, FB @sophieburkhardt21 or Twitter @SophieBurkhard1. Music: Summer Rain by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com