Dr. Philip Jenkins has written extensively on the ‘Lost Gospels‘. In this newest book, The Many Faces of Christ, he takes on the notion that these books on the life and divinity of Jesus were never really accepted by the church. To the contrary, they were openly and regularly discussed by early church fathers and elders all the way through the middle ages. The story of how we came to the books of the Bible is well documented. Now Jenkins rights the historical inaccuracies long accepted on these gospels. How the misconceptions came to be and, more important, what those books contain, is utterly fascinating.

What a week it’s been in the political world. Hillary Clinton was back on the Hill again testifying about Benghazi. U.S. troops engaged in the Middle East. Assad visited Putin in Moscow. Putin’s troops continued their assault on ISIS. A wave of terror and retaliation once again grips Israel. Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the American presidency. And there was much more.

To help us make sense of all of this we turned to Art Cyr of Carthage College, Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post, Daniel Halper of the Weekly Standard, and Michael Barone of the Washington Examiner. What a week it was, and what happened will surely lead to more reasons for ongoing discussion.

Dr. James McPherson has dedicated his entire career to the study of the Civil War. As he so eloquently shows us in his new book, the Civil War is still as relevant–if not more relevant–to our current times than to those that were directly affected by it.

Often when studying history we focus on the major figures. This is no less true in American history, where we may discuss founding fathers, maybe Lincoln, or the great generals of our wars. But one man who was very much a major figure who has been overlooked with the passage of time is Henry Clay. Clay spent time in both the House and the Senate and ran for the presidency on multiple occasions. But his true talent was as a compromiser when he served as Speaker of the House.

In this snippet we discuss Pamela Paul’s book Pornified. It shows the history of pornography, where it is today, the ramifications of where it’s headed, and the fallout thus far.

What started in the 1600s in the West Indies spread across North America in what could be described as sometimes tumultuous. Yet it opened a way to more freedom and tolerance for all religions, and how they were practiced.

This is about the formulation and the growth of the civil rights movement along with the setbacks and changes that occurred during that long period. One outcome is a strain of white guilt that continues to forcefully shape today’s political culture, discourse, and public policy. And which, ironically, may well comprise a form of racism itself. The author Shelby Steele has written powerfully and convincingly on the topic. Here we talk with him.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. We look at different approaches to making money in the various markets and witness creating wealth out of thin air and losing it all in one short breath. A lively discussion of what was, what is, and what might be if we’re not careful and play safe.

This show was recorded only a few years after the Vietnam war ended and gives a good perspective on how four veterans recalled it and felt about their experience.