THIS WEEK... Well, we were going to talk about the very broad and not at all controversial philosophical topic of "TRUTH" but instead we recorded an entire episode where JP expresses his love for the Kevin Williamson filmography, Father Chuck goes toe-to-toe with Martin Scorsese on defining cinema, and Matt tells it like it is about Hobbes & Shaw: A Fast and the Furious Story. We also talk about Father Chuck's recent pilgrimage to Disney's Galaxy's Edge, VSCO girls, and make some White Claw ...
Oct 23, 2019•1 hr 24 min
In case you haven't heard, your moderator JP is a young, single fella living as a bachelor in rural Oklahoma and has decided to give the Online Dating Scene a try. In this episode the Masters of Divinity talk about dating apps, their first dates with their spouses, and their collective thoughts on dating and relationships in general (and Josh Harris is only mentioned once, amazingly). In addition there's also some fun talk about podcasting and YouTubing. We're still working out a solid release s...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 18 min
THIS WEEK... Father Chuck and Matt are together recording and I think this is some kind of riff episode? They start talking about country music, then 90s philosophies and trends, then a lot of talk about post-modernism, malls, mall culture, the GAP gets some lip service and uh, y'know what, JP wasn't present during the recording so the very concept of moderating a discussion is played with pretty fast and loose, BUT HEY! It's still a fun time! Matt goes into depth about why he loves country musi...
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 12 min
Quentin Tarantino's latest flick plays it fast and loose with history, and this inspires some discussion on revisionism and nostalgia for JP and Father Chuck. In Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino's latest film explores 1968 Los Angeles and addresses an historical event that impacted the history of cinema, pop culture, and the counter culture. This got JP and Father Chuck thinking about our culture's obsession with nostalgia and how its manifested in our entertainment, as well as...
Aug 13, 2019•1 hr 18 min
The Masters of Divinity return to celebrate Batman's 80th anniversary. For better or worse, Batman is a staple in American pop-culture, and has been for nearly 8 decades. The center of countless movies, TV shows, videogames, the DC comics character has stood the test of time. So, of course, The Masters of Divinity wanted take some time to talk about Batman, their favorite Batman films, and comment on the lasting legacy of the character. Check out our site: www.themastersofdivinity.wordpress.com ...
Jul 30, 2019•1 hr 13 min
JP and Father Chuck are freed from the shackles of a long and perilous Music Mayhem. So what do the Masters of Divinity talk about now?" One word: Alan! Listen folks, Music Mayhem was really hard and we just wanted to cut loose, let our hair down and talk about things like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and our visions for the perfect Jurassic Park sequel. In other words, it's a JP and Father Chuck riff-sesh! So, look, crack open a La Croix and let the sound of our voices wash over you as we ta...
Jun 26, 2019•1 hr 10 min
In the final installment of this year's Music Mayhem, the crew let's fate decide on which album they'll be listening to. We wanted to end Music Mayhem with something out of the ordinary, so we came up with the Wheel of Mayhem. It's a very basic spin-wheel/wheel of fortune contest. Each of us chose two albums, one good album, one bad album, we threw the titles up on the wheel, and we gave it a spin. We want to shroud the episode in as much mystery as possible, so if you want to know what we end u...
Jun 18, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Music Mayhem is on its way out this year, so why not subject Father Chuck to NSYNC one last time? This week, while Moderator JP is out for the week, Matt and Father Chuck dive deep into NSYNC's very last album: Celebrity. Celebrity was a vastly different album that was created by the vocal group, as it featured songs produced and written by actual members of the group, as opposed to being mass produced like previous entries. Matt felt this would be an important distinction for NSYNC, and thought...
Jun 11, 2019•1 hr 1 min
The best thing about Music Mayhem is discovering new music that somehow eluded you your whole life. So far on Music Mayhem, when our podcasters select an album, it's an album that they normally have a personal connection with. Some of these albums we grew up with, some we discovered for the first time recently and HAVE to share with the world what we think about it, but this time around, for his episode, Moderator JP wanted to select an album he'd never heard before, from a band he'd never been ...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 23 min
In 2002, two of the most successful and distinct bands came together to form one of the best rock bands of the 2000s. JP, Matt and Amy are here to talk about it. Last week, Amy selected Audioslave's self-titled debut album for Music Mayhem. Audioslave has the distinction of being one of the few supergroups to find massive success with audiences, combining the talents of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden. Those these bands are drastically distinct in sound, their formation created and unmi...
May 28, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Way back in the late '90s, boy bands were all the rage. Countless indistinguishable boy pop groups sprung up throughout the music industry attempting to cash in on the fad. But there was only one group that would stand out by trying to strike out on their own terms... This week, Matt selected *NSYNC's second studio album, "No Strings Attached" for this year's edition of Music Mayhem. The reaction to the announcement was...mixed. Matt and JP were delighted, of course, but Father Chuck...? Well, y...
May 22, 2019•1 hr 36 min
In 1998, The Beastie Boys released their fifth album, "Hello Nasty" and it was unlike any album they had ever released. "Hello Nasty" was released during pretty formative years for both JP and Father Chuck, and as a result, the music videos, the hit singles, and the deep cuts inspired them deeply, not just upon release, but in later years as well. The album is as irreverent, erratic, and as dense as any other Beastie Boys album, but the injection of spiritual, social and political consciousness ...
May 14, 2019•1 hr 46 min
After a decade of movies, what Marvel has deemed "The Infinity Saga" has come to an end with Avengers: Endgame. And we saw it. And we have thoughts. Last week we talked about the decade of Marvel movies. This week, we discuss the movie that rounds out the entire franchise, Avengers: Endgame. The movie has garnered over a billion dollars at the box office, and is proving to be a hit with critics and audiences. So, what did The Masters of Divinity think? We discuss the film's most emotional moment...
May 08, 2019•1 hr 28 min
THIS WEEK... We're in the endgame. The gang reflects on ten years of Marvel movies, pick their favorite entries, and discuss the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Check out our site: www.themastersofdivinity.wordpress.com If you'd like to support the show, become a patron by visit our patreon! www.patreon.com/MastersOfDivinity Follow us on social media: instagram.com/mastersofdivinity twitter.com/mastersdivinity www.facebook.com/mastersofdivinity Subscribe to our YouTube Channel bit.ly/2H...
Apr 30, 2019•1 hr 20 min
THIS WEEK... JP, Father Chuck and Matt discuss what the resurrection means to them, the very concept of resurrection, and their favorite resurrections from various films, tv shows, comics and books. Check out our site: www.themastersofdivinity.wordpress.com If you'd like to support the show, become a patron by visit our patreon! www.patreon.com/MastersOfDivinity Follow us on social media: instagram.com/mastersofdivinity twitter.com/mastersdivinity www.facebook.com/mastersofdivinity Subscribe to ...
Apr 23, 2019•1 hr 27 min
This week, with Father Chuck in the moderator's seat, it's all about God & Gucci, as MoD talks about super fresh ye'vangelicals. You've heard us talk about Hypepriests in the past. Well, to this day we're still pretty fascinated by this new blend of Millennial trends and evangelicalism taking the younger circles of places like New York and LA by storm. Usual moderator JP is considered to be within the target demographic of these types of churches, and Father Chuck grills JP on his thoughts o...
Apr 17, 2019•1 hr 10 min
We're back! In this episode, The Masters of Divinity are joined by Michael, a long-time listener of the podcast who also happens to be MoD contributor Father Fun's better half. Michael joins our trio of Masters to discuss the topic of just who exactly stories belong to. Is it the author? The audience? The corporate pigs responsible for the degradation of culture for the sake of exponential financial growth? There is also a lot of discussion on the post-structuralist philosophy of Death of the Au...
Apr 09, 2019•1 hr 9 min
JP and Father Chuck reflect on the groundbreaking sci-fi action film that completely changed the landscape of cinema. It's been 20 years, does it still hold up? Of course it holds up, THE MATRIX rules! JP and Chuck talk about what it was like during peak THE MATRIX hype back in 1999, and the experience of watching it for the first time on the big screen back then as a young moviegoer. They also do their best to parse out the layers of meta-narrative that completely encompass the film, something ...
Mar 27, 2019•1 hr 2 min
THIS WEEK... JP, Matt and Father Chuck discuss THE FUTURE. Did you ever think about what the future would be like when you were a kid? Did you fantasize about hoverboards and flying DeLoreans, or were you too preoccupied with the thousands of supermodels and/or athletes you'd be dating? How do you feel about the future now that you're a bit older and a bit wiser? These are the questions we ask on this week's episode, and while we talk a lot about our collective fascination with technology, we ce...
Mar 20, 2019•1 hr 15 min
Much like BLACK PANTHER and THOR: RAGNAROK, CAPTAIN MARVEL is presented as another milestone in Marvel Studios' ouvre, this time for centering a female lead (their first one in the studios' 10 year existence). BLACK PANTHER was met with astounding success, both with audiences and critically, earning itself a Best Picture nomination at the 91st Academy Awards, a milestone for a superhero film that featured an all-black cast and made by a mostly black crew. THOR: RAGNAROK wasn't nominated for Best...
Mar 12, 2019•1 hr 14 min
THIS WEEK... JP, Father Chuck and Matt are joined by Kevin Porter and Caroline Ely of the Good Christian Fun podcast! The Masters of Divinity are big fans of Good Christian Fun, a podcast dedicated to "delving into the strange upside-down world of Christian pop culture," this of course is straight up our alley, and we absolutely had to get Kevin and Caroline on the show. Sure enough, they obliged, and joined us to talk about their backgrounds, how they met, how Good Christian Fun started, and ev...
Mar 05, 2019•1 hr 11 min
THIS WEEK... JP, Father Chuck and Jump To Conclusions Matt discuss the 1999 cult comedy classic, Mike Judge's "Office Space." The Mike Judge film was released theatrically 20 years ago to very little acclaim, but happened to cement its place in pop culture when it was later released on VHS and DVD by charming audiences with its hilariously mundane characters and painfully relatable workplace setting. Some of us grew up loving this film, before we even had jobs, and now that some of us have been ...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 29 min
THIS WEEK... JP is having a bummer week, so he and Father Chuck decide to talk about the things that make them happy. This leads to discussions about the hilarious sitcom Brooklyn 99, ska bands, pop punk, and a very strange detour into Stephanie Meyer and Twilight where JP talks about that one time a Paramore concert broke out outside his office. Check out our site: https://www.themastersofdivinity.wordpress.com If you'd like to support the show, become a patron by visit our patreon! https://www...
Feb 19, 2019•1 hr 6 min
THIS WEEK... In a recent study conducted by the Barna Group, 47% of Christian Millennials think it's wrong to share their faith. We were skeptical. Do Christian Millennials really want to avoid sharing their faith, and expressing their beliefs? Or is the idea of evangelism going through a period of redefinition? If you grew up in the church, the act of evangelizing probably paid a significant role in your faith. After all, in the Bible, Jesus does command his disciples to go out unto the world a...
Feb 12, 2019•1 hr 20 min
This week: JP, Father Chuck and Matt are joined by Amy once again, to talk about pursuing your dreams and just how daunting that can be these days. What stops people from following their passions? What risks are involved in pursuing ones dreams? You were probably told when you were a kid that pursing your heart's desire is the most important thing you can do, but something happened along the way, didn't it? Unless of course you're one of the lucky ones who is living the dream (this episode proba...
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr 17 min
THIS WEEK... We talk about Calvinism. ...Ugh, guys, I'm so tired, do I really have to get into it? Ok, fine. Join JP and Father Chuck as they DIVE DEEP into the tenants of Reformed Theology, also known as CALVINISM! They talk about who John Calvin was, and how his school of thought originated and influenced the church today. They also spend a good amount of the episode struggling with these beliefs, as well as share their own personal experiences with Calvinism and Reformed Theology. It's a dooz...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr 29 min
THIS WEEK... It's been 10 years since the release of AVATAR, and we've taken it upon ourselves to take a closer look at James Cameron's grand opus. AVATAR was released to wide acclaim and massive financial success, becoming the 5th most successful film of all time, and earning numerous Oscar nominations (and two wins!). And yet today it's not nearly as celebrated as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, which is the opposite of what everybody expected to happen. After watching the film, all three Mast...
Jan 22, 2019•1 hr 13 min
THIS WEEK... Back in the 90s, after it's newfound success with X-Files and the continued success with Star Trek, 20th Century Fox wanted another sci-fi hit on television. Enter Sliders, a show about an unlikely group of people "sliding" from dimension to the next, discovering countless alternate realities with endless possibilities. As you all know JP has had a fascination with the series since its inception and well after its untimely cancelation. While the series' premise was fascinating and s...
Jan 15, 2019•1 hr 14 min
THIS WEEK... JP and Father Chuck are here to have a good, old-fashioned riff-sesh. From generational influence on culture and happiness, to the viewing order of Star Wars, and a whole lot of talk about Disney parks (including Epcot). Father Chuck explains why The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie, and JP is fascinated with a new short documentary he found on YouTube. There's also a lot of talk about what to look forward to in 2019, so you'll definitely want to check this episode out to get y...
Jan 08, 2019•1 hr 5 min
THIS WEEK... Oh, FUDGE. The gang is back, and we're talking about the 1980s Christmas family classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY. If you follow the podcast, you might remember a couple of years ago when JP mentioned how much he hated A CHRISTMAS STORY, and how Father Chuck and Matt were shocked and appalled at this revelation about their moderator. Two years later, and JP finally decides to revisit it to give it another shot. The results? You'll just have to listen. The trio talks about their favorite sc...
Dec 23, 2018•1 hr
