The Two Cities

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Alexiana Fry, who is guest researcher at the University of Copenhagen and the author of Esther Keeps the Score: Trauma, Body, and Politics in the Hebrew Bible (SCM Press). Our conversation explores what a trauma-informed reading of Esther would look like, highlighting how much more complexity there is to a biblical narrative that is already quite a complicated story (despite how simply it gets retold so often). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Rev. Dr. Madison Pierce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, the 2025–2026 Karlson Scholar at Bethel Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the author of several books, including You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Brazos). Over the course of our conversation, we talk about the difference between passion and calling, and how pursuing the transcendentals of the true, good, and the beautiful is the best framework for reconceiving what our callings actually are. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stanley Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Sydney Tooth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Mario Baghos, who is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He's the owner of the YouTube channel, TERRA SYMBOLICA, and the author of a recent peer-reviewed essay on Orphic legends and Descent into Hades themes in the hit TV show, Twin Peaks. In our conversation, Dr. Baghos brilliantly and breathlessly surveys the full swath of Twin Peaks and the way it coheres with so many iterations of the Descent into Hades motif. It's a fascinating conversation full of nerdy Twin Peaks insights on religious and mythological imagery germane to the show. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Kris Song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we're joined by Revd Dr Mike Bird, who is Deputy Principal and academic lecturer in theology at Ridley College, Melbourne. He's also the author of numerous books, including the book we're discussing here, the 10th anniversary edition of What Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine through the Apostle's Creed (published by Zondervan Academic). In our conversation we discuss the enduring value of the Apostle's Creed, and dive into some of its key features as well as some of its missing details. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Zach Wagner, who recently completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford, to talk about his new book, Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World (published by Brazos). In our conversation we talk about how the Fruit of the Spirit relates to virtues, whether the virtues are gendered, and what the Fruit of the Spirit looks like uniquely with respect to male embodiment. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Logan Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.