Cantus Firmus: Recent Episodes
Cody Cook
Cantus Firmus exists to demonstrate the beauty and centrality of Christ by having intelligent conversations about theology, philosophy, culture, and the arts.
Show notes from the Libertarian Christian Institute: In this episode, Doug Stuart and Cody Cook explore the biblical concept of holiness—not as a measure of […]
“Can we be made right by the law, or are we made right through Christ? That question sits at the center of this episode, but […]
A recording of my recent appearance on Nick Quient’s webcast The New Testament Theologist where we talked about apocalpytic theology and its relevance to libertarian […]
Down South Salvation show notes: Join me and Cody Cook of the Anarchist Anabaptist as we discuss the ethics of Christians voting in elections and […]
Show notes from Protestant Libertarian Podcast: In this episode I talk with Cody Cook about his new book Delivered from This Present Evil Age where he argues […]
In this episode I am joined once again by the great Cody Cook, this time to discuss the recent controversy regarding Kirk Cameron’s changing views […]
This was a really fun one to record. Doug and I discussed how films can clarify values and give us the language to think about […]
Violence has become an assumed option for many Christians in war, politics, and even personal safety. But that wasn’t always the case. Christianity Without Compromise […]
In this special Libertarian Christian Institute livestream, Jacob Winograd moderates a spirited discussion between Cody Cook (cohost of the Libertarian Christian Podcast) and Alex Bernardo […]
We’re not like other protestants–we’re cool protestants. Description: In this episode I talk yet again with the great anarchist anabaptist Cody Cook. He is the […]
Description: Let’s talk Anarchism and Anabaptism! We had the privilege of interviewing Cody Cook, author of The Anarchist Anabaptist: Essays on Radical Christianity and Freedom. […]
What does it mean to truly follow Jesus? Especially in a world full of political power struggles, religious tribalism, and cultural confusion? In this episode, […]
This is a conversation I had with Chris Date on the Theopologetics podcast about my book The Pocket Anabaptist. Download: https://www.cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20250728-Theopologetics-ExploringAnabaptism.mp3
Doug Stuart and Cody Cook talk about Cody’s new book, The Pocket Anabaptist, an introductory work about the theology, history, and unique characteristics of the […]
In this conversation on the Smashing Idols podcast, host Jake Doberenz interviews theologian and author Cody Cook about the historical entanglement of Christianity and state […]
This is a cleaned-up version of what we thought was a really useful unedited conversation on the Biblical Anarchy Podcast. In it, Jacob Winograd sat […]
Description: Kelly is joined by Cody Cook to review his new book The Anarchist Anabaptist and to discuss Cody’s association with the Libertarian Christian Institute. […]
I had the privilege of being interviewed by libertarian legend Bob Murphy about my book The Anarchist Anabaptist. Audio and shownotes here: https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/episodes/ep-394-cody-cook-on-his-new-book-the-anarchist-anabaptist/
In this episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, host Jacob Winograd welcomes fellow LCI podcaster and author Cody Cook to discuss Cody’s new book The […]
I was honored to be a guest on Preston Sprinkle’s Theology in the Raw podcast to talk about my new book The Anarchist Anabaptist and what anarchism […]
I was on The Protestant Libertarian Podcast to discuss my latest book The Anarchist Anabaptist and what separated the Anabaptists from the Protestant Reformation. Listen […]
I had the privilege of talking with Derek Kreider of The Fourth Way podcast about my new book The Anarchist Anabaptist, and whether capitalism can […]
Are you tired of feeling like your faith has been watered down by political allegiances and cultural compromises? Do you long for a Christianity that […]
In this episode of LCI Greenroom: Open and Unscripted, host Jacob Winograd is joined by Cody Cook and Norman Horn to explore whether libertarians have […]
A conversation about my upcoming book which is being published by the Libertarian Christian Institute. MP3 download: https://cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20250214-LCI-AnarchistAnabaptist.mp3 Show notes: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/episode-389-the-anarchist-anabaptist-with-cody-cook/
I was a guest on the LCI Greenroom to discuss my new role at the Libertarian Christian Institute, my upcoming book, my thoughts on Anabaptist […]
In this special holiday episode of the Libertarian Christian Podcast, host Doug Stuart is joined by guests Cody Cook and Alex Bernardo to discuss the […]
Doug Stuart sits down with guests Norman Horn and Cody Cook to delve into one of the most complex and nuanced discussions facing the modern […]
MP3: https://cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20241104-KOGvsKOM.mp3 Transcript: The kingdom of God and the kingship of Jesus are so counterintuitive that even some sincere followers of Jesus can’t grasp […]
I was a guest on The Protestant Libertarian Podcast to discuss Christian pacificism. There were some challenging theological topics covered that you’re sure to benefit […]
From my recent conversation on the Libertarian Christian Institute. Doug Stuart is joined by guests Alex Bernardo and Cody Cook for an engaging conversation that […]
This is a sermonette I preached at my local church where I explained the significance of the Lord’s Supper and what we often fail to […]
My appearance on the YouTube podcast Flaming Sword, where we discussed the case for the annihilationist/conditionalist view of hell. Direct link: https://youtu.be/gbKTIURFs8Y MP3 download: https://www.cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20240816-flamingsword-hell.mp3
I was recently given the opportunity to debate Jacob Winograd (https://libertarianchristians.com/shows/biblical-anarchy) on Christian Pacifism for the LCI Greenroom (https://libertarianchristians.com/shows/greenroom). Here’s the official description: A growing […]
I had the opportunity to guest host for the Libertarian Christian Podcast, where I talked with Alex Bernardo (The Protestant Libertarian Podcast) about our summer […]
I was recently a guest on the Libertarian Christian Podcast to talk problem passages for libertarian Christians. This episode focused on New Testament passages appealed […]
I was recently a guest on the Libertarian Christian Podcast to talk problem passages for libertarian Christians. This episode focused on Romans 13. Official description: […]
I was recently a guest on the Libertarian Christian Podcast to talk problem passages for libertarian Christians. This episode focused on the “render unto Caesar” […]
From my recent appearance on the Protestant Libertarian Podcast. Episode description: In this episode I talk with Cody Cook and Doug Stuart about progressive Christianity. […]
This episode consists of sections from my short-lived Patreon podcast where I shared my thoughts and insights on the apostolic fathers. Part 2 contains the […]
This episode consists of sections from my short-lived Patreon podcast (circa 2017) where I shared my thoughts and insights on the apostolic fathers. Part 1 […]
A few months ago I was asked to participate in a roundtable discussion about Christian Nationalism on The Bad Roman Podcast. We discussed the theological […]
Dr. Charles Stanish was my guest to talk about his archaeological work and what it tells us about the evolution of human cooperation and complex […]
Gregory Baus of the Reformed Libertarians Podcast was my guest to discuss how he grounds his libertarian views as a Reformed Christian. As an Anabaptist […]
Last summer I was a guest on the Bad Roman podcast to discuss revivals and why so many are suspicious of them. How well does […]
In 2022, I was invited on The Fourth Way podcast to defend Christian Anarchism from a theologically conservative, Bible believing perspective. It was a really […]
Last year I was a guest with Keith Giles on The Fourth Way Podcast, discussing whether Christian doctrines of hell could count as propaganda. It […]
I was recently a guest on FreedomHub to give a presentation based on my article for FEE about NBC’s The Office offering a subtle critique […]
I was recently a guest on The Protestant Libertarian Podcast to discuss the libertarian dimensions of Christmas. Here’s the official episode description: In this episode, […]
I was on the Protestant Libertarian Podcast to talk about my book Unhitched and the movement to disconnect Christianity from the Old Testament. Official episode […]
I was recently on The Protestant Libertarian Podcast to discuss The Statement on Christian Nationalism and the Gospel.In short, we weren’t big fans.Listen to more […]
Alex Bernardo was my guest to discuss medieval Christianity’s integration of church and state, how liberalism paved the way for freedom of religion, and why […]
Scott Johnson, fresh from the premiere of the first season of his Travel Channel series The Legion of Exorcists, was my guest to dish about […]
I talked with Matthew Ferris, author of If One Uses It Lawfully: The Law of Moses and the Christian Life, about whether Christians should obey […]
Bryan Caplan is a professor of economics at George Mason University and a New York Times bestselling author of books that challenge conventional wisdom on […]
Pastor, author, and theologian David Ritchie was my guest to discuss his book Why Do the Nations Rage?: The Demonic Origin of Nationalism. We discussed […]
I was asked to preach a short sermon and suggested the topic “the upside down kingdom.” And here it is! Audio: https://cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20230101-upsidedownkingdom.mp3
This was a guest appearance I did on The Mad Ones in December 2021. Here was the original description: “This week, Cody Cook rejoin us […]
A reading from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago and N. T. Wright’s Surprised By Hope which illustrate why tyrants fear authentic Christianity so much. Audio: […]
A reading of an earlier version of the article that recently appeared at the Libertarian Christian Institute’s website at https://libertarianchristians.com/2022/11/22/sacrament-allegiance-to-christ/ Audio ripped from a video […]
John Dangelo (antiwarwarvet.com) was my co-host as we asked philosopher Kerry Baldwin about what it means to be pro-life as a Christian anarchist who seeks […]
I was recently a guest co-host on The Mad Ones podcast to talk about women in church leadership with egalitarian theologian Nick Quient. It was […]
After a previous video recommending homeschool resources, I got some questions about one resource–the Tuttle Twins book series–which some had heard was Republican propaganda. After […]
Stephan Kinsella was my guest to talk about “intellectual property,” the concept that an individual’s ideas belong to them and should be protected from free […]
According to some estimates, 1/4 of women in the United States have had an abortion before the age of 45. If you’re pro-life and are […]
One idea I’ve been flirting with is the idea of separation. Christians are told to be holy, which means separate, throughout the Bible. They’re also […]
E. Randolph Richards was my guest to discuss how understanding collectivist cultures helps us to understand key ideas and important stories in the Bible. We […]
I was recently on The Mad Ones to talk enemy love, forgiveness, nonviolence, and political polarization. Here’s the audio of the conversation we had, but […]
Amber Carroll was my guest to discuss how Christian parents should respond to increased LGBTQ+ content in children’s programming. Should we cancel our Disney+ subscriptions […]
Connor Boyack was my guest to discuss his book Christ versus Caesar and the Mormon case for libertarianism. We also dove into some difficult topics […]
I was recently on the podcast The Mad Ones to answer the question “what is the Gospel?” If you grew up hearing the answer is […]
I’ve noticed a lot more parents who are curious about homeschooling. I had my daughter Ava join me to talk about different approaches to homeschooling, […]
Alexandre Christoyannopoulos was my guest to talk about Christian anarchism, Christian pacifism, and whether these ideas are practical and achievable. He is a lecturer in […]
Kristopher Borer was my guest to discuss his book The Ethics of Anarcho-Capitalism, which is a fascinating, fun, and engaging thought experiment about building a […]
Andrew Kern is the author of the book The Myth of the Social Contract: Refuting Common Arguments for Government Authority. We talked about why the […]
I had the privilege of speaking with Tom Gilson–Christian apologist, senior editor at the news and commentary website The Stream, and author of numerous books […]
I was recently a guest on The Mad Ones where we talked about angels, demons, and the unseen realm. I had lots of fun discussing […]
The Anti-War War Vet John Dangelo was my guest to talk about his experience in Afghanistan and his thoughts now as a Christian anarchist on […]
Andy Merrill, the voice of Brak and co-creator of The Brak Show (also known for his work on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Adventure Time, […]
What are protestants, who believe in salvation by faith alone, supposed to do with passages in the New Testament that suggest that Christians are saved […]
In this conversation with artist Jackson Ferrell (http://www.bigjstudios.com), we investigate what Jesus meant when He told His followers to be perfect just as God is […]
A few quick reflections on why love is more than “truth telling.” Audio:http://cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20210227-ShunningLovedOnes.mp3
In a recording from January 8th, I chat with the Anti-War War Vet John Dangelo III about how the classical liberal/libertarian concept of negative rights […]
A reading of my article at The Stream about how tyrants from Herod the Great to Stalin and Hitler tried to cancel or co-opt Christmas. […]
Aree Spivey (of Failed Kingdoms) was my guest to discuss his move toward Eastern Orthodoxy and away from the Protestant idea of sola scriptura–that scripture […]
Two years after the release of Fight the Powers, my reflections on what it meant for Christians to Fight the Powers under Trump and what […]
I was recently a guest on the Failed Kingdoms podcast to discuss Matthew J. Korpman’s book Saying No to God: A Radical Approach to Reading the […]
I was recently a guest on the Failed Kingdoms podcast to talk with Matthew Distefano about whether or not the Bible treats homosexual behavior as […]
Christians are often told to follow Jesus’ command to not judge, often by non-Christians who perceive us, rightly or wrongly, of being nasty and judgmental. […]
I chat with the Anti-War War Vet John Dangelo III about whether or not Christians ought to be voting, and if so, what should animate […]
A perennial challenge to belief in God is human suffering. If God is all good and all powerful, it is asked, why do the good […]
I’ve been seeing a lot of folks, especially on the right, saying that we should stop talking about race, that if we did stop talking […]
I had the opportunity to talk to Germinal G. Van about his book The Economic Condition of Black America in the Twentieth Century: A Historical […]
I was a guest on The Anti-War War Vet’s Instagram to dissect the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, highlighting the policy […]
In an election year, especially in a time of intense political polarization like we’re having now, the stakes seem high. We’re always told that “this […]
John Dangelo from The Anti-War War Vet and Aree Spivey from Failed Kingdoms were my guests to discuss how political narratives distort how we perceive […]
A poll conducted by Gallup in 1958 found that about 30% of political partisans wanted to see their daughters marry a man of the same […]
I assembled a politically diverse group to talk about conservative, progressive, and libertarian political models and which one lined up best with core Christian values. […]
President Trump recently spoke in support of a physician who held a minority view on COVID. She has also stated that gynecological ailments might be […]
In a 1787 letter, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more […]
In this episode, Aree Spivey (artist, Failed Kingdoms) and John A. Dangelo III (writer, antiwarwarvet.com) were my guests to talk about the infamous “render to […]
My wife and I recently re-watched the TV show Breaking Bad. If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s about a high school chemistry teacher […]
In this short episode, I discuss a recent article by conservative columnist David French that points a way forward for conservatives and moderates to address […]
I’ve spent a lot of time engaging with conservatives about my Christian nonviolence views. Conservatives tend to be big supporters of the military and the […]
In a recent Instagram Live video chat (video available here: https://www.instagram.com/antiwarwarvet/), the John “The Anti-War War Vet” Dangelo brought me in as part of a […]
In a conversation sure to agitate both conservatives and progressives, Aree Spivey (artist, Failed Kingdoms) and John A. Dangelo III (writer, antiwarwarvet.com) were my guests […]
In this open invitation Zoom chat, I highlighted the thorny question of how a Christian can know if they’re saved (also called “assurance”), gave some […]
I invited 3 guests to discuss whether or not we can really have church in light of so many Christian communities closing their doors across […]
I took the Corona virus quarantine as an opportunity to create a live video chat on the topic of the biblical book of Lamentations and […]
My interview with Keith Giles gave me an opportunity to clarify the arguments made in his book Jesus Unbound: Liberating the Word of God from […]
My interview with Dr. A. Philip Brown II centers around how we should define and understand biblical inspiration, how the New Testament both modifies and […]
Some time back I had started a Patreon and part of the benefits that subscribers got was a Patreon-exclusive podcast. That Patreon has been closed […]
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Ruth Ryder about the N.T. Wright book The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s […]
Some time back I had started a Patreon and part of the benefits that subscribers got was a Patreon-exclusive podcast. That Patreon has been closed […]
Adam Graham was my guest to discuss the 2010 Christopher Nolan film Inception, a movie about a mission to implant an idea in the brain […]
John A. Dangelo III was a marine deployed in Afghanistan. Now he’s the man behind AntiWarWarVet.com. In this episode he shares his journey–both political and […]
In Exodus 34:5-8, God revealed His character to Moses in words which would play a central role in directing Jewish discourse about the divine being […]
The first episode in a new podcast series, my interview with Dr. Michael Heiser covers the trend of “unhitching” the Old Testament from our Christian […]
“A boy stands on a station platform as a train is about to leave. Should he go with his mother or stay with his father? […]
Musician Latifah Alattas was my guest to discuss the 2004 Michel Gondry film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, focusing on its themes of grief, […]
A response to Dr. Robert Jeffress’ recent claim on Fox & Friends that Trump’s border wall proposal is biblical since “even heaven is going to […]
Kevin Peyton was my guest to discuss the 1946 Frank Capra film It’s a Wonderful Life. We highlighted its contrasting views on money, its populist […]
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Nick Megoran, lecturer in political geography at Newcastle University in Great Britain and specialist in geopolitics, religion, and […]
It’s rare in our current cultural climate that a debate over biblical interpretation becomes a topic of discussion in major media outlets. It was therefore […]
I had the pleasure of talking with author Dr. Stephen R. Haynes about his new book The Battle for Bonhoeffer: Debating Discipleship in the Age of […]
Jackson Ferrell stops by the podcast to crack open our lexicons and talk with me about the “stoicheia” in the New Testament. Does this elusive […]
Dr. Andrew Graham was my guest for a discussion about the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks. Dr. Graham’s background in counseling shed some light on […]
This is the eighth Patreon-only podcast I’ve done, and to give some of the free podcast subscribers a taste of what I do on Patreon, […]
My wife Raven joins me for a reading from a chapter in my book Post-Enlightened: Reflections on Two Hundred Years of Anti-Christian Writing from Thomas […]
In this episode I talked with my friend Jackson Ferrell about how the events of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 point back to the story of […]
In this episode, I spoke to Dr. David Baggett about the 1993 Richard Attenborough film Shadowlands. Shadowlands is a film about the Christian thinker C.S. […]
In this episode I respond to claims from the podcast Heretic Happy Hour that the existence of a biblical canon silences God, reflects patriarchal desires […]
Audio download: http://www.cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20180414-DidtheEarlyChurchBelievethatJesusIsGod.mp3 This podcast also available on Youtube with video. I’m doing a series right now on early 2nd century church father Ignatius of […]
For Easter Sunday I wanted to discuss the significance of the resurrection for how the apostles presented the gospel and contrast that with how most […]
My special guest was Bridget Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax fame. We talked about the 1955 Charles Laughton film The Night of […]
I was recently invited to come in and give a short presentation on the cosmological argument for God’s existence to a college apologetics class and […]
I was excited to have Dr. Robert M. Price back on as a guest to discuss Gnostic themes in last year’s hit television series Twin […]
I invited atheist New Testament scholar and all-around fascinating person Dr. Robert M. Price to discuss the 1999 film The Matrix. We highlighted its Gnostic […]
For this special Christmas episode, I asked Dr. Myk Habets on to discuss how God taking on flesh in Jesus Christ (also known as the incarnation) […]
My guest was Scott Johnson, a demonologist, exorcist, and minister. We talked about his experiences with the demonic, the danger of mistaking mental illness for […]
My special guest was director and producer Joseph Cox. We talked about 2016’s Arrival, a science fiction film which explores issues of time and determinism. Joseph Cox […]
My special guest was Bridget Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax fame. The film we discussed was Woody Allen’s 1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors, […]
I had the opportunity to speak with Josh Larsen about his thought-provoking new book Movies Are Prayers. Josh’s career began in the newspaper business, where he started out […]
Music: “The Itis” by Polyrhythmics. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 http://www.needledrop.co/wp/artists/polyrhythmics/ Notes: In a recent podcast which I titled “Make Christianity Weak Again,” I talked […]
In this episode my special guest Lenny Esposito and I talk about two movies made in the last year that deal with issues of God […]
Keith Giles, author of Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb, was my guest to discuss two approaches that he sees […]
My guest “Tim the Atheist” and I discussed Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion. The topics discussed […]
In this episode I and special guests Ben Doublett and Jackson Ferrell watched Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and talked about its examination […]
A few comments in regard to Senator Bernie Sanders’ comments about whether a Christian who believes in salvation in Christ alone should serve in political […]
In this episode we talked about the 1986 film The Mission, and particularly dissected its themes of love, forgiveness, violence, and the corrupting entanglement of […]
I was pleased to have David Lapp as my guest to discuss the growing divide between groups of people along political and religious lines. […]
In this episode we talked about the 1998 film What Dreams May Come, which sparked some great discussion about heaven, hell, love, the physicality of […]
Discussion of the biblical feasts, (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles) their spiritual lessons, and how they point forward to […]
In this episode we looked at Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (2014) and talked about its themes of judgment and mercy, misguided piety, and stewardship/environmentalism. We also examined its […]
The first episode in a new series on theological and philosophical analysis of films looks at Sin City (2005)–the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic […]
A story of two strangers… Audio: http://www.cantus-firmus.com/Audio/20170313-SeanSpicerandtheStranger.mp3 Video available on Youtube.
I examine biblical data on the origin and purpose of government and contrast it with the traditional right and left wing outlooks as classically formulated […]
A brief look at the Old Testament book of Daniel, its late date by critical scholars, and arguments for the early date which it claims […]
As an addendum to the previous podcast discussing the Documentary Hypothesis and the Pentateuch, I recorded this brief excursus on the book of Amos to […]
We examine the Documentary Hypothesis of the Pentateuch–the idea that the first five books of the Bible did not originate with Moses but were originally […]
Piggybacking on the ideas of Yehezkel Kaufmann and John Oswalt, this argument builds on the uniqueness of the ancient Israelite claims about the divine to […]
This podcast features an interview with Dr. Bill Ury. Dr. Ury received his doctorate from Drew Univeristy and is an adjunct professor at Wesley Biblical […]
In reflecting on my recent debate regarding who had the better moral philosophy, Jesus or Ayn Rand, I thought about a question my debate opponent […]
This is a debate I took part in with an Objectivist named Ben Doublett. I emphasized the relational nature of humanity since we are made […]
I had the opportunity of interviewing an older Jehovah’s Witness couple regarding some of the central JW teachings. They were both quite knowledgeable and the […]
I had the opportunity of interviewing an older Jehovah’s Witness couple regarding some of the central JW teachings. They were both quite knowledgeable and the […]