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Gospel Simplicity Podcast

Austin Suggs
Gospel Simplicity Podcast
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130 episodes

  • Gospel Simplicity Podcast

    Is There a Distinct Anglican Spirituality? | Fr. Matthew C. Dallman

    15/06/2026 | 1h 12 mins.
    In this video, I'm joined by Fr. Matthew C. Dallman to discuss the distinctive elements of Anglican Spirituality as well as major figures within the Anglican spiritual tradition.

    Fr. Matthew Dallman is the leading expert on Martin Thornton, and has published a new book on him, alongside republishing his works.

    Find him on Substack: https://substack.com/@frmcdallman
    Akenside Institute for English Spirituality: https://www.akensideinstitute.org/

    Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

    Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
    Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
    Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

    00:00 Anglican Spirituality
    02:51 Role of the BCP
    06:10 Benedictine Spirituality
    12:04 The Riches of Anglican Spirituality
    18:02 Influential Figures
    26:52 The Impact of Saints
    43:13 Martin Thornton's Legacy
    01:10:18 The Need for Spiritual Direction
    Support the show
  • Gospel Simplicity Podcast

    What's Driving the Orthodox Convert Surge? An Orthodox Anthropologist's Perspective

    01/06/2026 | 1h 1 mins.
    In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz to discuss how an uptick in converts, especially among young men, is impacting Orthodoxy in America. Dr. Riccardi-Swartz brings an interesting perspective to this topic as she is both an academic anthropologist and an Orthodox Christian herself. Her research is some of the first of its kind regarding Orthodoxy in America. 

    Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

    Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 

    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
    Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
    Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

    Get her book, Between Heaven and Russia: https://amzn.to/3SdX6vd
    Learn more about Dr. Riccardi-Swartz: https://www.riccardiswartz.com/

    About the Guest:
    Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz is an assistant professor of religion and anthropology at Northeastern University, where she is also an affiliate faculty member in the women's, gender, and sexuality studies program. Before joining Northeastern University she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Recovering Truth: Religion, Journalism, and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era project at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict (Arizona State University). She has a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from New York University. After completing an honors B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies (American religions) at Missouri State University, she attended NYU to study and research religion and politics in the United States from an anthropological perspective. Along the way, she obtained a graduate certificate in Culture and Media (ethnographic filmmaking) and an M.Phil in Anthropology from NYU. Her research focuses on conservative politics, gender/sexuality, race, media worlds, and Orthodox Christianity.

    Chapters
    00:00 Orthodoxy: An Anthropological Perspective
    06:11 Media & Orthodoxy's Visibility
    09:07 Cultural Identity and Conversion 
    12:10 Politics & Conversion
    20:55 Community in Conversion Experiences
    23:56 ROCOR and the Fascination with Russia
    26:54 The Future of Orthodoxy in America
    30:36 Orthodoxy in Appalachia
    35:47 The Emergence of Political Conversations
    40:39 Understanding the Unique Nature of ROCOR
    42:24 Cultural Heritage
    45:49 The Internet & Orthodoxy
    53:02 Fr. Seraphim Rose
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  • Gospel Simplicity Podcast

    Neither Capitalist Nor Socialist? An Introduction to Catholic Economics | Dr. Richard A. Gallenstein

    25/05/2026 | 1h 32 mins.
    In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Richard Gallenstein, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Master of Public Policy program at The Catholic University of America, to discuss Catholic Social Teaching and what it means for us today. We dive into the Church's teaching on Capitalism, Socialism, and how this relates to questions like wealth inequality, AI, and more. 

    Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

    Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity 

    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
    Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
    Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

    00:00 Intro to Catholic Social Teaching
    12:15 Capitalism vs. Socialism
    37:10 Private Property & Universal Destination of Goods
    48:10 Subsidiarity & Solidarity
    01:07:05 Wealth Inequality
    01:16:20 AI
    01:30:00 Concluding Thoughts
    Support the show
  • Gospel Simplicity Podcast

    Virtue and Vice: A Medieval Perspective | Dr. Grace Hamman

    18/05/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    In this video, I'm joined by Dr. Grace Hamman to discuss how Medieval Christians approached spiritual formation. We give special attention to their understanding of virtue and vice, exploring how that might help enrich our modern approaches to the Christian life. We also talk about how to read medieval theologians wisely, and what to do with some of the more extreme examples of piety that might make us uncomfortable today.

    Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

    Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
    Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
    Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

    Get the book: https://amzn.to/3RcUEow
    Follow Dr. Hamman on Substack: https://gracehamman.substack.com/
    Dr. Hamman's website: https://gracehamman.com/

    About the Guest: Grace Hamman, Ph.D. (Duke University) is a writer and independent scholar of late medieval poetry and contemplative writing. She is the author of Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life and Jesus through Medieval Eyes: Beholding Christ with the Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages. Her work has been published by academic and popular outlets, including Plough Quarterly and The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. She lives near Denver, Colorado with her husband and three young children.

    Chapters
    00:00 The Overlooked Medieval Era
    05:07 Personal Journey into Medieval Studies
    09:54 Exploring Virtue in Medieval Literature
    15:47 Understanding Wholeness and Virtue
    20:49 The Interconnectedness of Virtues and Vices
    36:22 The Thin Picture of Christian Life
    38:45 Pairing Virtues and Vices
    42:30 The Richness of Abstinence and Gluttony
    47:21 Imagination in Christian Formation
    53:00 Navigating Historical Literature
    01:30:08 Gateway Texts to the Medieval Period
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  • Gospel Simplicity Podcast

    The Origins and Development of Christian Liturgies | Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver

    11/05/2026 | 1h 2 mins.
    In this video, I'm joined by the Reverend Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver to discuss the origins and evolution of Christian liturgies. We talk about how Christian liturgies relate to Second Temple Judaism, what we learn from St. Justin Martyr, what happened at Vatican 2, and whether the Episcopalian Eucharistic Prayer C is great or cringe-worthy.

    Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9

    Get access to my book club, show notes, ad-free episodes and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity

    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicity
    Book a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austin
    Read my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com

    The Living Church: https://livingchurch.org/

    About the Guest: Fr. Olver is the Executive Director and Publisher of The Living Church Foundation. A priest for more than eighteen years, he was the assistant rector at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas (2006-2013) and has served widely in the Episcopal Church: as the Ecumenical Officer (2005-2010) and on the Executive Council (2008-2011) in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas; as a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation in the U.S. (ARCUSA), the official dialogue between the Episcopal Church and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2008-2014); as a member the Task Force on Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision for the Episcopal Church (2018-2021); and as a deputy to General Convention (2022 and 2024). He has also been involved in the Anglican Centre in Rome and regularly teaches a course there on Anglican ecclesiology and ecumenism.

    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction to Liturgy and Its Importance
    03:09 The Evolution of Early Christian Liturgy
    06:00 Diversity in Early Christian Worship
    09:10 Key Figures in Liturgical History
    12:09 The Impact of the Reformation on Liturgy
    15:09 The Second Vatican Council and Its Reforms
    31:39 Common Ground in the Gospel
    34:00 Scholarly Misjudgments in Liturgical History
    35:20 The Impact of Liturgical Reforms
    37:25 Eucharistic Prayer C: An Inside Look
    42:15 The Distinctiveness of Anglican Liturgy
    53:07 The Relationship Between Liturgy and Belief
    01:00:15 The Richness of Liturgical Experience

    Support the show
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About Gospel Simplicity Podcast
The Gospel Simplicity Podcast is centered around the conviction that the gospel is really good news. Here you will find conversations with Christians from various traditions as we seek to unpack the beautiful simplicity and transformative power of the gospel. Gospel Simplicity is known for ecumenical dialogue that is charitable and open to learning from people with whom you might disagree. We believe that God desires for his Church to be one, united in love for God and neighbor, and on mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people.
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