"High-Agency Christians" vs. Loser Theology | The Home Fires Podcast

Jumping off from Michael Clary's book, Loser Christianity, Abigail and Tilly have a conversation about the high-agency Christian. Can Christians bring glory to God by doing great work, accomplishing great things, and even pushing for a competitive edge in their fields of expertise? Abigail tells a few stories to illustrate the righteous answering of an accuser (even in court). They also make a pit stop favorite topic: Is it ever worthwhile to do something you're the "middlest" at? IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

After much discussion around what it means to be human, why we shouldn't be measuring our humanity up against AI, and the intersection of liberal arts and homemaking, Abigail and Tilly decide that the Shire is worth protecting and the best way forward is to throw a party. Happy Birthday, Bilbo! IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

In this episode, Tilly and Abigail discuss favorite history reads from the past year or so. Are there any enduring principles for reading history, when every historian works under some kind of bias? How do you read history with virtue and pull as much wisdom and application from it as possible? How do you judge whether an author is taking a legitimate approach to history? Is there a difference between bias and subjectivity? (Answer: yes.) What are some of the most pleasant ways of absorbing history?BOOKS REFERENCED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLYDavid McCulloughJohn Adams1776The PioneersThe Wright BrothersMornings on HorsebackBooks About Historical MethodHistories and Fallacies — Carl TruemanLying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial — Richard J. EvansExcellent book about the trial of a Holocaust denier, with a very detailed, point-by-point demonstration of his illegitimate historical methods.Early American HistoryOf Plymouth Plantation — William BradfordA Land as God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America — James HornThe Origin and Principles of the American Revolution, Compared with the Origin and Principles of the French Revolution — translated by John Quincy AdamsGive Me Liberty: A Novel of Patrick Henry — Noel B. GersonAmerican Sphinx — Joseph EllisFounding Brothers — Joseph EllisCivil War Era HistoryThe Caning: The Assault That Drove America to Civil War — Stephen PuleoApostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War — Charles DewLincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural — Ronald C. White Jr.WWII / Nazi HistoryThe Rise and Fall of the Third Reich — William L. ShirerOrdinary Men — Christopher BrowningHitler's Furies — Wendy LowerHistory Through HobbyThe Oxford Book of Humorous Prose — Frank MuirREAD MORE THAN ONE PERSPECTIVETake care to read at least two views on a person or era. For instance, if you read:Hitler, Churchill, and the Unnecessary War — Patrick J. BuchananAnything at all by David IrvingAlso read:The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich — William L. ShirerAppeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War — Tim BouverieOriginal source material such as Mein Kampf or Goebbels's diariesLying About Hitler — Richard J. Evans, specifically dealing with David IrvingFor something as wide and complex as a war, more than a few books would be ideal. Even a simple biography of one individual would be best understood from more than one author's work. The sources build on and balance each other:Jane Austen: A Life from Beginning to End — Hourly HistoryJane Austen: Her Life — Park Honan IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Abigail and Tilly talk about the new roles that come with middle age and how to swap hats or add new ones gracefully. They also discuss the importance of family stories and sharing our history with our children, among other sundry topics. IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

In this episode, Abigail and Tilly discuss female friendship, using characters from well loved books as a jumping off point. They pull lessons from the friendships of Maryanne and Elinor from Sense and Sensibility, Molly and Cynthia from Wives and Daughters, Orual and and Psyche from Till we Have Faces, Anne and Diana from Anne of Green Gables, Ruth and Naomi from the book of Ruth, Bathsheba and Liddy from Far from the Madding Crowd, and more. They talk through the pitfalls of oversharing, avoiding accountability, and the necessity of active love in any relationship. IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Tilly was the subject of an article by The Guardian on the rise of online wife schools. We take some time to respond and note the ways it was framed to denigrate the goodness of Christian marriage. We expound on how older women really can help younger women navigate the seasons of life--particularly the transition from college and all its inherent reading and study to marriage and motherhood. Furthermore, don't expect the gardening talk to slow down anytime soon! Happy Spring! IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

It's finally time to weigh in on the trad wife movement. Is it heading in the right direction? Is it a trap to avoid? Is it even one thing or is it several different things under one label? But before we get there, we get updates on coyote attacks, the persistent widower, dahlia trends, and more. IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Sometimes a little morbidity is just what we need to live well. Abigail and Tilly discuss notes to their children in the event that either would face an untimely demise. Then they turn their attention to gardens, spring cleaning, and making sure your hospitality level is within the range of the actual life you're living everyday. IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

Shepherding Your Small Child with Picture Books   In this episode, Reading Rainbow meets Home fires as Tilly and Abigail each collect stacks of favorite picture books and talk through what they love about them. They also discuss abridgements, history reading, and the criteria they use for children's literature. Also, how Tilly accidentally took her husband's middle name, and why Abigail's grandmother was the coolest woman ever.   Favorite books discussed (and not discussed):   Abigail Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife: A Giant of a Tale from Ireland by Robert Byrd James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Illustrations by Ruth Brown and Peter Barrett One Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ard Hoyt The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel by Viriginia Lee Burton Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett Gilgamesh the King, by Ludmila Zeman The Revenge of Ishtar, by Ludmila Zeman The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, by Ludmila Zeman The Story of Robin Hood, illustrated by Alan Marks Seven Ways to Trick a Troll by Lise Lunge Larsen, illustrated by Kari Vick Caedmon's Song by Ruth Ashby, illustrated by Bill Slavin How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford, illustrated by Donald Cook The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood The Priest with Dirty Clothes by RC Sproul, illustrated by Justin Gerard The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by RC Sproul, illustrated by Lively Fluharty Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola Room for a LIttle One: a Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft Martin Luther: A Man who Changed the World by Paul L Maier, illustrated by Greg Copeland Little Pilgrim's Big Journey by Tyler Van Halteren   Tilly Fables by Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel Owl at Home by Lobel Grasshopper on the Road by Lobel Mouse Tales by Lobel Mouse Soup by Lobel Aesop's Fables illustrated by Charles Santore The Velveteen Rabbit The Princess and the Goblin by MacDonald, illustrated by Alan Parry Many Moons by Thurber Illustrated My First Little House Books Billy and Blaze series by C.W. Anderson Blueberries for Sal by McLoskey Make Way for Ducklings by McLoskey One Morning in Maine by McLoskey Homer (not a picture book exactly) by McCloskey Paul Galdone books (Three Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, etc.) Ox-Cart Man by Hall/Cooney The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Trivizas/Oxenbury Anatole by Eve Titus Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina The Francis books by Hoban/Hoban (esp A Bargain for Francis, Bread and Jam, Best Friends for Francis) Yellow and Pink by Steig Doctor DeSoto by steig Chanticleer and the Fox by Chaucer/Cooney Amelia Bedelia books Stellaluna by Cannon Miss Fannie's Hat by Karon The Very Hungry Caterpillar The Grouchy Ladybug The Singing Ringing Tree by Hastings/Brierley Least of All by Purdy Saint George and the Dragon Ill. by Hyman Ferdinand by Leaf/Lawson Roxaboxen by McLerran/Cooney Adventures of Little Bear by Minarik/Sendak Stone Soup by McGovern/Pels If I Built a Car by Van Dusen A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor Imogene's Antlers by David Small Hello Ninja by N.D. Wilson Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up by Betsy Childs Howard Anything by Beatrix Potter IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.

In this episode, Tilly talks to James Cary, BBC sitcom writer, author, podcaster, YouTuber and stand-up theologian. They talk about what it was like for Cary to work in British television as a conservative Christian white male, as well as the writing process, shows and books that influenced each of them, and Cary's decision to homeschool in the UK of all places. It is clear from this episode that James has spaghetti brain, which we always thought was a woman thing. ... James Cary writes a funny headlines about the Bible and Church history every Thursday at The Wycliffe Papers., hosts The Standup Theologian Podcast , and tours his one man show God, the Bible & Everything in 60 Minutes. He's the author of The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer and The Sacred Art of Joking.   ... Other books referenced in the episode (among many): Three Men in a Boat  Just William Anything by PG Wodehouse The Oxford Anthology of Humorous Prose IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.