On The Line

<p>OTL is the Lutheran, Long-Form podcast that engages Theology and Culture. New Episodes Every Monday!</p>

Dr. Joe Rigney: This Lie Has Undermined the Church

Join us in Moscow, Idaho, as we confront the rise of untethered empathy—the cultural force that rewards victimhood, shuts down truth, and manipulates compassion. Drawing on theology, psychology, and the failures of modern institutions, we examine how emotional reasoning influences everything from politics to parenting, and how Christians can cultivate sober-mindedness in an era dominated by feelings over facts. Visit Memento: https://memento70.com/ Check Out Our New Website: https://onthelin...

11-24
01:08:09

Rev. Ian Kinney: A Movement for Lutheran Men is Beginning

https://memento70.com/ Learn More or Join Memento: https://memento70.com Give the Gift of Memento Memberships: Share discipline, devotion, and brotherhood with someone you love. Memento is a year-round devotional movement calling men to reclaim Christian masculinity, rebuild strong families, restore spiritual discipline, and reawaken the Church’s historic rhythm of fasting, prayer, Scripture, and fraternity. Through daily devotions, seasonal disciplines, and brotherhood, Memento equips men ...

11-17
01:43:13

Stefan Gramenz: Why the Lutheran Church is the Ancient Church

Join us at the long table as we rediscover the roots of Lutheran identity—not as a revolution that tore down the past, but as a recovery of the Church’s ancient beauty, order, and faith. From the Augsburg Confession to the Lutheran Missal Project, we examine how worship, doctrine, and continuity have shaped the living garden of Christ’s Church across the centuries. Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/ Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/ Contact ...

11-10
01:41:38

Dr. Louis Markos: What C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien Saw Coming

Join us at the long table as we explore how C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien fused reason and imagination, Athens and Jerusalem—showing how truth, goodness, and beauty still shape the Christian mind. In an age ruled by cynicism, reductionism, and disenchanted science, we rediscover how myth, wonder, and virtue can restore a truly Christian vision of the cosmos. Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/ Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/ Contact Bryan: b...

11-03
02:03:14

Dr. Benjamin Kwashi: Archbishop Exposes Christian Genocide in Nigeria

Join us at the long table as we hear the story of persecution and faith in Nigeria, where thousands of Christians have been killed for confessing Christ. Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi bears witness to the cost of discipleship, the power of forgiveness, and the hope that endures even amid genocide. About Today’s Guest Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi is a global Anglican leader and former Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria, known for his courageous witness during periods of persecution. For decade,s he has led...

10-27
01:35:57

Col. Willie Grills: What the LDS Church Really Believes

Join us at the long table as we retrace the forgotten corners of American religion, from frontier revivalism and folk magic to the birth of Mormonism, and ask what these movements reveal about faith, authority, and the hunger for revelation in every age. About Today’s Guest Rev. Willie Grills is a pastor in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and co-host of A Brief History of Power with Dr. Adam Koontz. Known for his vivid storytelling and historical insight, he explores how theology, history,...

10-20
01:53:45

Evan Scamman: Defending Confessional Lutheranism & Infant Baptism

Join us at St. John's Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, as we rediscover the treasures of confessional Lutheranism, explore why beauty, truth, and order still matter, and confront what’s lost when the Church trades her birthright for the fashions of the age. About Today’s Guest Rev. Evan Scamman is the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Greenwich, Conn, and a leading voice for the recovery of historic Lutheran worship and catechesis. A convert from a Pentecostal background, he speaks w...

10-13
02:07:11

America is a Christian Nation: The History We've Forgotten | Dr. Jared Longshore

Join us in Moscow, Idaho, as we recover a biblical vision of politics, family, and freedom—exploring how God orders nations and households, why secular neutrality is a myth, and how Christians can live publicly and courageously in the world without compromising their faith. About Today’s Guest Dr. Jared Longshore is a pastor and theologian whose teaching focuses on political theology, covenant, and the Christian household. A former Southern Baptist who entered the Reformed tradition, he now s...

10-06
01:20:24

Dr. Angus Menuge: Artificial Intelligence, Transhumanism, and C.S. Lewis' Warning About the End of Man

Join us at Concordia University Wisconsin as we wrestle with the philosophy of mind, the challenge of materialism, and the promise and peril of new technologies—from AI to transhumanism—and ask what it means to be truly human in light of God’s design. About Today’s Guest Dr. Angus Menuge is a professor of philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin, where he has taught for over three decades. Born in England and educated in both the UK and the US, he earned his doctorate at the University of...

09-29
01:42:36

Jason Braaten: Grit, Determination, and Overcoming Challenges

Join us at St. John's Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, as we talk about resilience in the pastoral life, the discipline of daily habits, and the courage to face adversity—not as exceptions to the Christian life, but as God’s very means of shaping His people for faithfulness and strength. About Today’s Guest: Rev. Jason Braaten is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tuscola, Illinois, and podcast host. A confessional Lutheran voice with a heart for liturgy and pastoral care, he brings i...

09-22
01:56:49

Dr. John Bombaro: Why the Lutheran Teaching on the Eucharist & Liturgy Surprises Catholics

Join us at Concordia University Wisconsin as we enter a conversation that refuses to leave Christ as a vague center-point, but insists on Him as the very logic of theology, worship, and the Church itself. From liturgy to sacrament, from ontology to imagination, Dr. John Bombaro calls us to see Christ not as an idea, but as the living One who gives Himself wholly to His bride. About Today’s Guest Dr. John Bombaro is a Lutheran pastor, naval officer, and theologian whose teaching and writing ex...

09-15
01:52:53

Doug Wilson: Christian Nationalism, Feminism, & Restoring Sanity

Join us in Moscow, Idaho, as we confront the shifting ground of culture and politics, consider what it means for Christ to be Lord over nations, and ask how households, churches, and schools can stand firm against the forces unraveling our common life. About Today’s Guest Pastor Doug Wilson has served Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, for over four decades and is a leading voice in classical Christian education, cultural commentary, and Reformed theology. A prolific author of more than one hund...

09-08
01:26:31

Dr. Susan Mobley: This Idea Changed Everything (And We Barely Noticed)

Join us at the long table as we trace the story of education from the Reformation to today, uncover how classical models form character and cultivate virtue, and ask what it means to recover wisdom, truth, and beauty in a modern age of confusion. About Today’s Guest Dr. Susan Mobley is a professor of history at Concordia University Wisconsin, where she has taught since 1998. A historian of education and the Reformation, her research explores how Lutheran and Catholic schools shaped faith and ...

09-01
01:45:09

Dr. Joel Biermann & Rev. David Ramirez: Debate on Christian Nationalism

Join us at the long table as we open our debate series with a pressing question for the Church: What does it mean to speak of “Christian nationalism,” and how should Lutherans think about Christendom, the state, and our public witness in a fractured world? About Today’s Guests Dr. Joel Biermann has served for over two decades as professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where his teaching and writing focus on Christian ethics, vocation, and the two realms. A prolific ...

08-26
02:30:55

President Rev. John Hill: Where is the Lutheran Church Going? Leadership, Education, and Renewal

Join us at the long table as we reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing confessional Lutheranism today, from sustaining faithful congregations in rural America to building institutions that serve future generations of the Church. About Today’s Guest Rev. John Hill is president of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a longtime parish pastor. With decades of pastoral experience and a heart for strengthening Lutheran identity, he has served congregations acr...

08-18
02:10:01

Dr. James Lee: Lutheranism After Luther (The Untold 1800s Story)

Join us at the long table as we explore the Lutheran confessional revival of the nineteenth century, uncover the lives and thought of its key theologians, and consider what their witness offers the Church today in an age of doctrinal confusion and historical amnesia About Today’s Guest: Dr. James Ambrose Lee II is a church historian and theologian specializing in the nineteenth-century confessional revival, Lutheran worship, and German theology. He teaches courses on church history, religion ...

08-11
01:29:43

Tim Wood: What the Data Says About the Future of Lutheranism

Join us at the long table as we take an unflinching look at the numbers shaping the future of Lutheranism—and consider how honesty, clarity, and confessional faithfulness can guide the Church through challenge and change. About Today’s Guest Rev. Tim Wood is a pastor and data analyst serving the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with a rare blend of theological conviction and statistical insight. With a sharp eye for demographic trends and a heart for the Church’s future, he helps Lutheran insti...

08-04
02:19:27

Col. Willie Grills: Reality is Not What You Think: Aliens, Demons, and Cryptids

Join us at the long table as we question the official story, explore the rise of conspiracy thinking, and ask how Christians can remain anchored in truth and humility while navigating a world of collapsing narratives and contested realities. About Today’s Guest Rev. Willie Grills is an LCMS pastor and co-host of A Brief History of Power, where he brings historical insight and pastoral clarity to bear on the crises of modern life. Known for his deep knowledge of church history, American folklo...

07-28
01:55:11

Dr. Louis Markos: Awakening the Christian Mind: Paganism vs. Modernism vs. Christianity

Join us at the long table as we recover the moral imagination, rediscover the wisdom of the ancients, and explore how story—rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness—forms the heart and mind for Christian living in an age of fragmentation. About Today’s Guest Dr. Louis Markos is a professor of English and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University, where he teaches classical literature, Christian thought, and C.S. Lewis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and is a proli...

07-21
02:24:36

Jacob Benson: Reigniting Wonder: How All Great Stories Echo the One True Story

Join us at the long table as we explore how stories shape the Christian imagination, from the parables of Christ to the poetry of Tolkien, where beauty, suffering, virtue, and vocation meet in the narrative of redemption. About Today’s Guest Rev. Jacob Benson is director of admissions and assistant professor of humanities at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming. Ordained in 2019, he previously served parishes in Connecticut and Wyoming, and holds degrees from Concordia Theological Semi...

07-14
01:40:43

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