Shows / MarsCast
MarsCast
Join the faculty of Mid-America Reformed Seminary as they discuss everything from theology to cultural issues from a Reformed perspective. *The opinions presented in each episode are those of the individual speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of the Seminary.*
Episodes
- MarsCast
266. Pope Francis and the Crisis of Certainty
In this episode, host Jared Luttjeboer continues the series on the papacy with Drs. Alan Strange and Andrew Compton. As news breaks of a new Pope's election…
- MarsCast
265. The Origins of Papal Supremacy
In this episode, host Jared Luttjeboer sits down with church historian, Dr. Alan Strange, and OT Professor, Dr. Andrew Compton, to explore the evolution of the…
- MarsCast
264. Promises that Hold: Finding Assurance in the Means of Grace
How do Word and Sacrament bring comfort to the doubting heart? In this final installment of our series on assurance, Dr. Cornelis Venema explores how God's…
- MarsCast
263. Can I Really Be Sure? Assurance in the Reformed Tradition
Can Christians truly be sure of their salvation—and if so, on what basis? In this episode of Marscast, host Jared Luttjeboer welcomes back Dr. Cornelis Venema…
- MarsCast
262. The Solid Ground of Biblical Assurance
In this episode, host Jared Luttjeboer sits down with Dr. Cornelis Venema, President Emeritus of Mid-America Reformed Seminary, to explore the doctrine of…
- MarsCast
261. Common Grace in Common Places: Balancing Faith and Cultural Engagement
In this episode, we wrap up our series on common grace with Dr. Andrew Compton, Rev. Steve Swets, and Dr. J. Mark Beach. They begin by revisiting the…
- MarsCast
Bonus: Roommates Reunited: Sinclair Ferguson & Alan Strange in Conversation
At the 2025 Ligonier National Conference, longtime friends and former roommates Dr. Sinclair Ferguson and Dr. Alan Strange reunited for a rich and engaging…
- MarsCast
Bonus: The Accelerated Path to Ministry
At the 2025 Ligonier National Conference, Dr. Alan Strange and Dr. John Tweeddale, Academic Dean of Reformation Bible College, discussed the accelerated…
- MarsCast
Bonus: Serving the Church Together: Celebrating 50 Years with Great Commission Publications
At the 2025 Ligonier National Conference, Interim President Dr. Alan Strange sat down with B.A. Snider of Great Commission Publications to reflect on GCP's…
- MarsCast
260. The Common Grace Controversy of 1924
This episode looks into the historical 1924 controversy over "common grace" that led to the formation of the Protestant Reformed Church. Our hosts explore how…
- MarsCast
259. Why Isn't Everything Worse? Exploring God's Common Grace
In this episode of MARSCAST, Dr. Andrew Compton is joined by colleagues Dr. J. Mark Beach and alumnus and pastor Rev. Steve Swets to explore the theological…
- MarsCast
258. Poimenics: The Practical Pastoral Calling to Visitation
In this episode, Jared Luttjeboer interviews alumnus and pastor Rev. Harold Miller. He takes listeners behind the scenes of one of the church's most quiet yet…
- MarsCast
257. The Spirit in the Life of the Church: A Conversation with Richard Zekveld
In this episode, host Jared and Pastor Richard Zekveld explore the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and its practical implications. They discuss how Christ's blood…
- MarsCast
256. Christian Nationalism and the Kingdom of God: A Final Reflection
In this final installment of MARSCAST's Part 2 series on Christian nationalism, host Jared Luttjeboer sits down with Dr. Alan Strange to explore a crucial…
- MarsCast
255. Mere Christendom or More? Examining Doug Wilson's Take on Christian Nationalism
In this second installment of our series on Christian nationalism, host Jared Luttjeboer sits down with Dr. Alan Strange, Interim President of Mid-America…
- MarsCast
254. The Historical Context Gap: Critiquing Stephen Wolfe's Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange explores Stephen Wolfe's perspective on Christian nationalism. Dr. Strange examines Wolfe's approach as outlined in his book…
- MarsCast
253. Christian Nationalism Revisited
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange returns to explore the complex and contentious topic of Christian nationalism. Building on a previous series, Dr. Strange…
- MarsCast
252. Stewards Not Owners: Calvin's Guide to Material Blessings
In this fourth installment exploring John Calvin's teachings on the Christian life, Dr. J. Mark Beach examines Calvin's practical wisdom on how believers…
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251. Sanctified Suffering: Calvin's Insights on Spiritual Discipline
In this episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach continues exploring John Calvin's insights on Christian living from his seminal work, the Institutes of the Christian…
- MarsCast
From the Archives: Books to Read Before Seminary
What books should aspiring seminary students read to prepare for their theological education? In this episode from the archives, Dr. J. Mark Beach and Dr…
- MarsCast
From the Archives: Systematic Theology
Today, we’re diving deep into an essential topic from our archives: systematic theology. This episode features a roundtable discussion with some of our faculty…
- MarsCast
From the Archives: Natural Law
As we listen to another episode from the archives, we’ll explore the concept of natural law – a topic with deep roots in Christian and non-Christian…
- MarsCast
From the Archives: Salvation of the Infants of Believers
Throughout the month of January, we're reaching back into our archives, and today, we’re bringing you something special - the very first faculty roundtable…
- MarsCast
250. How Cross-Bearing Shapes the Christian Life
In this final episode of 2024, Dr. J. Mark Beach continues his exploration of John Calvin's insights on the Christian life and, more particularly, the concept…
- MarsCast
249. Living the Christian Life: Insights from Calvin’s Institutes
In this episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach joins us to unpack John Calvin's insights on the essence of the Christian life from his seminal work, the Institutes of the…
- MarsCast
248. Challenging the Church: Wycliffe, Hus, and the Seeds of Change
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange examines more forerunners of the Reformation, focusing on key figures like John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, and Erasmus. The…
- MarsCast
247. Skeletons in the Medieval Church's Closet
In this episode, join host Jared Luttjeboer and Dr. Alan Strange as they embark on a new chapter exploring the forerunners of the Reformation. Together, they…
- MarsCast
246. Aquinas and the Age of Scholastics
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange explores the theological contributions of Thomas Aquinas, a pivotal medieval thinker. Exploring Aquinas's famous five proofs…
- MarsCast
245. Medieval Milestones: Anselm, Abelard, and Bernard of Clairvaux
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange and host Jared Luttjeboer discuss the rich theological landscape of the Later Medieval period, exploring pivotal figures like…
- MarsCast
244. The Timeless Truth of Hebrews: Does the Date Really Matter?
In this episode, Dr. Mininger continues his examination of the Book of Hebrews and its historical context, specifically addressing the ongoing debate about…
- MarsCast
243. Temple Cult Evidence in Dating the Book of Hebrews
In this episode, we'll be continuing our discussion on the preterist interpretation of the book of Hebrews. Last time, we looked at some evidence from Hebrews…
- MarsCast
242. When Was Hebrews Written?
In this episode, Dr. Marcus Mininger, Professor of New Testament Studies, looks at the world of biblical interpretation, specifically examining preterist…
- MarsCast
241. The Genesis Flood: Global or Local?
On this episode of Marscast, host Jared Luttjeboer welcomes back Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Studies, Rev. Mark Vander Hart, to explore one of the most…
- MarsCast
240. In the Beginning: Reformed Insights on the Genesis Creation Account
In this episode, host Jared Luttjeboer sits down with Rev. Mark Vander Hart, emeritus professor of Old Testament Studies, to explore the complex topic of…
- MarsCast
239. The Fruit of Faith: Calvin on Repentance
In this episode, Dr. Beach continues to explore Book 3 of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, focusing on a topic that’s often misunderstood: The…
- MarsCast
238. Faith and Assurance in Calvin's Theology
In today's episode, Dr. Beach explores John Calvin’s thoughts on the role of the Holy Spirit in uniting believers to Christ through faith. He touches on the…
- MarsCast
237. Merit and Mercy: Calvin's Perspective on Christ's Saving Work
In this episode, Dr. Beach looks at the concluding chapters of Book 2 of The Institutes of the Christian Religion, where Calvin examines the work of Christ as…
- MarsCast
236. Fully God, Fully Man: Calvin on the Person of Christ
We’re diving deep once again into John Calvin's monumental work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, focusing on the end of Book 2. Joining us to unpack…
- MarsCast
235. The Christian Faith and Fantasy Fiction
In today's episode, Dr. Andrew Compton examines the intersection of fantasy writing and theological themes with OPC Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Montgomery. As the…
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234. Beyond Preachiness: Crafting Compelling Christian Stories
In today's episode, Dr. Andrew Compton and Rob McKenzie continue their conversation on Rob’s book Seeker’s Progress, exploring how storytelling can effectively…
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233. From Pilgrim to Seeker: Reimagining Bunyan's Allegory for Today
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Compton once again explores the use of fiction in apologetics, featuring guest Rob McKenzie, an elder at Westminster OPC in…
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232. The Spirit's Work of Sanctification
In this episode, Dr. Venema concludes this series on the Holy Spirit by looking at the doctrine of sanctification and the role of the Holy Spirit. He discusses…
- MarsCast
231. Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Reformed Perspective
In today’s episode, Dr. Venema will explore the controversial topic of spiritual gifts in the modern church, focusing on prophecy, speaking in tongues, and…
- MarsCast
230. The Person of the Holy Spirit
In today’s episode, Dr. Cornelis Venema explores the identity, deity, and distinct personhood of the Holy Spirit - the third person of the Trinity. He unpacks…
- MarsCast
229. Same Substance, Different Mode: Calvin on God's Covenant
This episode explores John Calvin's perspective on the relationship between the Old and New Testaments as outlined in his Institutes of the Christian Religion…
- MarsCast
228. Redemption Unveiled: Calvin on Christ in the Law
In this episode, Dr. Beach explores John Calvin's teachings on how fallen humanity can find redemption in Christ according to Book 2, Chapter 6 of his famous…
- MarsCast
227. Calvin on Human Freedom and Depravity
In this episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach explores John Calvin's views on human nature and free will as presented in Book II, Chapters 2-3 of his influential work…
- MarsCast
226. Examining John Calvin's Doctrine of Total Depravity
In this episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach dives deep into Book 2 of John Calvin's seminal work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. After covering knowledge of…
- MarsCast
225. Justification Hijacked: How the Medieval Church Lost Paul's Doctrine
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange joins the podcast again to discuss the development of the doctrine of justification, particularly in the medieval period. He…
- MarsCast
224. Medieval Church Councils: From Ecumenical to Ecclesial Power Plays
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange continues the discussion on medieval church history. The conversation focuses on the major church councils and influential…
- MarsCast
223. Scholasticism vs. Mysticism: Reason and Experience in Medieval Theology
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange discusses scholasticism and mysticism in the medieval era of church history. He provides an in-depth look at scholasticism…
- MarsCast
222. Christianity's Medieval Clash with Islam
In this episode, Dr. Alan Strange explores the complex relationship between Christianity and Islam, examining whether the Islamic faith served as a "check" on…
- MarsCast
221. Catechism Preaching: A Pastoral and Practical Approach
In today's episode, Rev. Paul Ipema concludes his series on catechism preaching by highlighting the advantages of preaching from the catechism. He'll explain…
- MarsCast
220. Defending Catechism Preaching: Responding to Common Objections
In today's episode, we're discussing objections to the practice of catechism preaching. Rev. Paul Ipema joins us once again to address common criticisms…
- MarsCast
219. The Importance of Catechism Preaching
In today's episode, Rev. Paul Ipema begins a series discussing the history, practice, and relevant issues associated with catechism preaching. Catechism…
- MarsCast
218. John Calvin’s Institutes: Divine Providence
In today’s episode, Dr. Beach explores John Calvin's teachings on divine providence - the doctrine that God actively governs and sustains all of creation, not…
- MarsCast
217. John Calvin’s Institutes: The Creation of All Things
In today’s episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach explores the biblical account of creation and what it reveals about the nature of God and humanity. Tracking with the…
- MarsCast
216. John Calvin's Institutes: The True God
In today’s episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach looks once again at John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, this time examining his writing on the biblical…
- MarsCast
215. Unpacking Theology in Sci-Fi Storytelling, With Richard Coffeen
In today’s episode, Dr. Andrew Compton concludes his series on teaching theology through fiction by engaging with author Richard Coffeen, a PCA pastor serving…
- MarsCast
214. Apologetics Through Narrative, With Brian Godawa
In today’s episode, Dr. Compton sits down with Brian Godawa, celebrated novelist and author. Their conversation dives into Godawa’s creative process in…