In this episode, Sophie and I discuss the historical and cultural background to the phrase "Mars Hill" in reference to the Apostle Paul's sermon on Mars Hill in the book of Acts. We answer the question of what an unreliable narrator is and why we chose it as the title for our podcast. We also explain the piece featured in our cover art and the meaning behind our theme song. We hope you find our discussion enriching, informative, and enjoyable!

Click here to view the O'Neill cylinder by Don Davis: http://www.donaldedavis.com/BIGPUB/DDcylECL.jpg

Click here to see Gustav Dore's art piece "The Empyrean": https://www.wikiart.org/en/gustave-dore/the-empyrean

Click here to listen to more music from Caleb Klomperens: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Questions? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmailcom

There is a crack in everything...that's how the light gets in. Or is it out? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the visual art piece "Perfect Imperfection: The Art of Healing," by Billie Bond. Along the way, we run into our old friends Milton, Dostoevsky, Lewis, Homer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and...Stephen Schwartz?? Hopefully they can help us figure out what golden cracks and broken ceramics have to do with the wounds of Christ and the resurrection.

In our next episode, we will be talking about the song "Always," by BTS.

Visit our BRAND NEW PATREON at patreon.com/unreliablenarratorspodcast and consider donating just a few dollars a month to keep our conversation going!

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

WE'RE FINALLY BACK with a high-energy conversation about Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. What does Oscar Wilde really think about art? Is Lord Henry the devil in disguise, or just a bad guy? What in the world is up with the ending? We may not have all the answers, but we do have a good time.

In our next episode, we will be talking about Bruno.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Episode Notes

Does 2 + 2 really equal 4? Does love really conquer all? Can Sophie really survive for a whole episode with Raymond?

In this episode, Sophie and special guest Connor tackle George Orwell's novel 1984. We tackle topics like freedom of thought, the nature of love, and the human spirit.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when RAYMOND RETURNS for our long-awaited discussion of the 1987 film Babette's Feast.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at  https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

According to Catholic tradition, Saint Anthony of Padua was the patron saint of lost or misplaced articles. In this episode, Raymond shares a poem that takes a lighthearted spin on that idea, read recently a certain person's wedding.

Two devout and elderly sisters allow their cook, a French refugee, to prepare a feast in honor of their late father's 100th birthday, despite their spiritual concerns over the sensuality and decadence of French cuisine.

Sophie and Raymond discuss the tension between Gnosticism and hedonism and the symbolism of God's grace in the eucharist, as it is demonstrated in Karen Blixen's short story.

We apologize in advance for our terrible French.

Tune in for our next episode, where we discuss "Level of Concern" by 21 Pilots, coming out May 20th.

Instagram: @unreliablenarratorspodcast E-mail: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com Website: unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com Theme music: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

What's going on with this Bruno guy? On the surface, Disney's Encanto seems to be just another typical "save-the-magic" princess story. But Sophie and Raymond think there is more hiding under the rafters of this magic house. In this episode, the Unreliable Narrators discuss scapegoats, innocent victims, cultures of the taboo, and the genius lyrics of Lin Manuel-Miranda, and more. Trigger warning: The subject of Bruno will be broached EXTENSIVELY.

In our next episode, we'll be discussing the song "Everything I Wanted" by Billie Eilish.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In this episode, we are joined by editor-in-chief and co-founder of the Rising Tide Foundation, Cynthia Chung. Cynthia has lectured on the topics of Schiller’s aesthetics, Shakespeare’s tragedies, Roman history, and the Florentine Renaissance among other subjects. She is a writer for Strategic Culture Foundation, and is a contributing author to the book series “The Clash of the Two Americas.” In this episode, we discuss C.S. Lewis's concerns about modern education, the threat of scientific dictatorship, the essence of culture, science and magic, and much more as we explore the epic conclusion of Lewis's space trilogy, That Hideous Strength.

Time Stamps: 1:24 Cynthia discusses the Rising Tide Foundation 5:47 Cynthia’s background in molecular biology 7:31 The historical backdrop if That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis’s contemporaries 12:10 Discussing The Abolition of Man important to understanding That Hideous Strength 18:23 Was Lewis’s critique of H.G. Wells legitimate? 21:39 Mark Studdock and Bracton College: the progressive Element and the Traditionalist School 23:12 Mark’s obsession with the Inner Ring 27:10 How the N.I.C.E. uses “remedial treatment” on people who oppose them 29:51 The final Inner Ring: the “Head” 35:05 Turning attention to Jane, Mark’s wife, who is having prophetic dreams 37:21 Merlin represents something Britain has lost 40:55 Why did George Orwell critique Lewis for including Merlin in the story? 48:37 The epic climax: The Curse of Babel on the N.I.C.E. 1:01:48 Closing thoughts on the Inner Ring and Tolkien’s “One Ring” 1:05:43 Are the “good guys” in this story just another Inner Ring? Why are they different? 1:12:14 Lewis’s “Logres” 1:13:48 Cynthia’s upcoming projects

Rising Tide Foundation: https://risingtidefoundation.net/ Cynthia's Substack: https://cynthiachung.substack.com/ Cynthia's Lecture Series on the Space Trilogy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4W04cnITUI

Part 2 of this episode series can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perelandra/id1594769451?i=1000581106991

Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss Marvel's 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Our sound designer is Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

"If I could change the way that you see your self, you wouldn't wonder why they hear 'they don't deserve you.'" Can Raymond and Sophie change the way Billie Eilish sees herself? Maybe, with a little bit of help from G.K. Chesterton. In this episode, we ask the question: for the Christian called to martyrdom, does this entail a desire to die?

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Our next episode will be on The Perfect Imperfection - The Art of Healing by Billie Bond.

Kim Namjoon, lead singer of BTS, pens this heartfelt lyric in the song Always: "If I met God, I would tell him that life is a cup of coffee I never ordered." Is this merely a cheesy line from a melodramatic boyband singer or an epithet of such feeling and profundity to equal Shakespeare and King Solomon? For the Unreliable Narrators, maybe it's a little bit of both.

This month, in service of our beloved students at Stoa NITOC, we are releasing TWO episodes in one week! Tune in for our next episode on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood coming out this Thursday. Good luck, NITOC competitors!

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond tackle Billy Joel's hit song Vienna. Are only fools satisfied? What does Vienna represent, anyway? And when will you realize that Vienna waits for you? Along the way, we discuss miracle pranks, heavenly McDoubles, and Raymond's Billy Joel impression. Don't miss it!

In our next episode, we will be discussing Perelandra, the second installment in C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

The heavens declare the glory of God...and in the Space Trilogy, C.S. Lewis decided to take this piece of scripture literally. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss Out of the Silent Planet, the first installment of the Space Trilogy. What is the role of language in explaining and understanding the gospel? Is C.S. Lewis developing a cosmic mythology? What is man that You are mindful of him? All this and more in our latest episode.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss the TED Talk "The Danger of a Single Story," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Trinity joins Sophie and Raymond to discuss absurdism in Gen Z humor, the problems of irony, and deconstructing commencement speeches in the YouTube short film THIS IS WATER!, taken from David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address at Kenyon college. Wallace earnestly challenges us to rethink what it means to a human being in the world, even when (especially when) it seems replete with tedium, stress, boredom, and frustration.

Check out David Foster Wallace's full commencement address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI

In our next episode, we will be discussing Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film The Seventh Seal.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Check out David Foster Wallace's full commencement address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI

Sophie and Raymond discuss tragedy, psychopaths, jealousy, betrayal, human nature, and more and William Shakespeare's deeply existential and profound play Othello.

This episode marks our last episode of Season 1. Check out the new Mars Hill topics in the link below.

Time stamps: 3:47 - Aristotle’s vision of tragedy 10:31 - The difference between a Greek tragedy and a Shakespearean tragedy 12:37 – What is Othello’s race? 17:18 – The psychopathy of Iago 25:44 – Othello’s lack of respect respect for Desdemona 31:43 – A defense of Othello 38:43 – Lack of communication as a central theme of the play 40:33 – Themes of human nature and violence 46:57 – Shakespeare’s culture and his implicit assumptions about the world 48:33 – Does your exterior define your interior? 52:48 – Augustine’s notion of interiority and the image of God 58:24 – Othello’s cardinal sin is his lack of love

Tune in for our next episode where we discuss Rian Johnson's 2019 film Knives Out.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the NEW Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

We all know social media manipulates us. We know they're tracking out data. We know it's designed to get us addicted. And yet no matter how many times we are warned about what social media is doing to us, we still use it. Can we really have a healthy relationship with social media, or is it inherently detrimental to our mental health? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the 2020 Netflix Documentary The Social Dilemma, iHeart's street-art piece Nobody Likes Me, the role of social media in the musical Dear Evan Hansen, and the meaning of community and companionship.

In our next episode, we will be discussing the Bridge Over Troubled Water, by Simon and Garfunkel.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Dive into the waters and the wild of fairies, selkies, and spirits in our pilot episode for Season 4, The Song of the Sea.

Why have the fairies departed from the human world? Why is preserving these Celtic legends and myths so important? How is director Tom Moore using his art to remind us of the world of the child? Also, why does hair represent the oral tradition?

In our next episode, we'll be sharing with a special podcast recorded LIVE AT WHYSPEAK SPEECH CAMP, where we discuss Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero." Stay tuned for some more earth-shaking episodes this season...

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablepodcasters@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In Tokyo, Japan, high schooler Shoya Ishida seeks to reconcile a broken relationship with his childhood classmate, Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf girl he used to bully. But true redemption isn't so simple. Join Sophie, Raymond, and our guest speaker John-Luke Dokupil as we dive into the 2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) based on the manga series by Yoshitoki Oima. In this episode, we'll discuss the power of animation to peer into the human soul, as well as more serious issues like bullying and suicide in Japanese culture. We come across some surprising parallels along the way, including but not limited to Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov!

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode where we discuss And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com

Visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com

Check out the artist behind our theme music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf

Clean your room. Stand up straight with your shoulders back. Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street. And, most importantly, act as if God exists. Today, Sophie, Trinity, and Raymond discuss the work and thought of clinical psychologist and philosopher Jordan Peterson and his book 12 Rules For Life.

In this episode, we'll be addressing these questions and more:

Is Jordan Peterson a political figure? How do we respond to the problem of suffering? How can we actually improve our lives if we want to get better? What's the difference between postmodernism and existentialism? What does it mean to say we believe in God?

We're pulling out all the stops on this one: Dante, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, John Bunyan, and last but not least, Pinocchio. Hold onto your hats, it'll be a wild ride.

Here are links to the JP lectures referenced in this episode, for those interested:

"Personality 11: Existentialism: Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, & Kierkegaard" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qZ3EsrKPsc

"Who Dares Say He Believes in God?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnUfXYGtT5Q&t=5165s

"The Perfect Mode of Being | Jonathan Pageau - Jordan B. Peterson" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rAqVmZwqZM&t=1437s

Episode Notes

One little Soldier Boy left all alone; he went out and hanged himself...and then there were none. 

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss one of the most popular murder mysteries of all time: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Along the way, we talk about the nature of justice, law as a villain, red herrings, and scapegoats.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode where we discuss 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com.

Visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

"On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

In this episode, Raymond and Sophie discuss their mutual favorite superhero in Spider-Man: No Way Home. (Mostly because they wanted to discuss Into the Spider-Verse, but they were foiled. So they settled for the next best thing.) What does it mean to be Spider-Man? Should Peter Parker let the villains die? What does a Marvel movie have to do with Racine's Iphigenia? All this and more in our latest episode.

In our next episode, we will be discussing the painting Nobody Likes Me, by iHeart, alongside the 2020 documentary, The Social Dilemma.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Episode Notes

Raymond says no. Sophie says yes. Email us and let us know who's right.

We'll be back in two weeks with regular episodes, discussing Shusaku Endo's Silence! See you then.

Thanks to Caleb Klomparens for our theme music, "No New Words" from the album Krypt. You can listen to more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/ What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf

Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Sophie and Raymond do! In this VERY BELATED Christmas episode (listen, nobody ever said we were reliable), your hosts discuss the 1965 short film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. What makes Charlie Brown a hero for the masses? What is the difference between a real tree and a poor tree? Can Sophie ever be trusted to edit an episode on time? All this and more in the first episode of 2024!

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2023-2024 Stoa Mars Hill list here:https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mars-Hill-Topics-2023-2024-1.pdf

In the second installment of C.S. Lewis' epic science fiction trilogy, Ransom is commissioned by Maleldil on a celestial journey to the planet Venus. There, Ransom meets the Green Lady, who plays the role of a second Eve, and confronts a satanic force that is invading Perelandra through the body of his former colleague Weston. Throughout this episode, Sophie and Raymond debate the successes and failures of Lewis' highly ambitious novel. Is the Green Lady's passive role in the story problematic? Did Lewis succeed in his project to imagine an unfallen world? Is the Space Trilogy science-fiction, fantasy, or a little bit of both? Along the way, we contemplate one of the most pressing theological questions of the book: what plan did God have for the human race if we had not originally rebelled against Him?

Part 1 of this episode series can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-the-silent-planet/id1594769451?i=1000565923862

Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss the final installment of C.S. Lewis' trilogy, That Hideous Strength.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf.

Episode Notes

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/. What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com.

Thanks to Caleb Klomparens for our theme music, "No New Words" from the album Krypt. You can listen to more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Episode Notes

What is grief if not love persevering?

Raymond gets excited about cinematography. Sophie pulls out her copy of C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces. We talk about The Truman Show, grief, Gethsemane, and...memes? Plus, we answer a listener question!

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode where we discuss Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel Silence.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or check us out on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Sophie and Raymond are rejoined by special guest Anna Mason as they tackle the topic of surrealism through the lens of Salvador Dali's famous painting "The Persistence of Memory." Was Dali actually a surrealist? Why do all the clerks and navvies in the railway trains look so sad and tired? And is not being sick really the most poetical thing in the world? All this and more in this episode!

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2023-2024 Stoa Mars Hill list here:https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mars-Hill-Topics-2023-2024-1.pdf

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss themes of suffering, loss, and death in Lulu Wang's 2019 film The Farewell. What are the differences between the western and eastern perspectives on death? What does it mean for the collective to carry the burden of suffering for the individual? And how much longer can Sophie keep coming up with excuses to talk about Fyodor Dostoevsky?? All this and more in the SEASON 3 FINALE.

Register for camp! https://form.jotform.com/241565531242047

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablepodcasters@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Episode Notes

Raymond and Sophie are rejoined by special guest Trinity Klomparens to discuss U2's hit song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Does Bono's music represent a return to religion? What role should spiritual longing play in our faith journey? What is the problem with evangelism? And what does U2 have to do with C.S. Lewis? We answer these questions and more!

Thanks to Caleb Klomparens for our theme music, "No New Words" from the album Krypt. You can listen to more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/. What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Japanese-American artist Makoto Fujimura says, "We have a language for waywardness, but not a language for coming back home.” What does this mean? Anna Mason, art major at Hillsdale College, joins us to explore Fujimura's art series The Four Gospel Frontispieces, confirming for us once and for all that God approves of abstract art!

What is "slow art" and why is it so important in modern times? What does Fujumura mean by "generative reality"? We talk about the history of Christian art going all the way back to medieval illuminated manuscripts from Iona, but wait till the end of the episode where Trinity brings us back home at the last possible second!

Check out "The Four Gospel Frontispieces" on Fujimura's website: https://makotofujimura.com/art/the-four-gospels-frontispieces

In our next episode, we will be discussing Billy Joel's 1977 hit song "Vienna."

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf)

In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", the mariner shoots an albatross...and must spend the rest of his life paying penance for his sin. What on earth does this albatross represent? Civilization? Tradition? Christendom? Or is it, as Coleridge would probably insist, just an albatross? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the Romantic poets' role in the history of art, thought, society, and Christian culture, as well as their special influence C.S. Lewis. We haven't totally come to a consensus on this, but we're pretty sure that Coleridge doesn't want us to kill albatrosses.

In our next episode, we’ll be discussing the Lulu Wang's 2019 The Farewell, a comedy-drama about and young Chinese-American woman who struggles with the ethical dilemma of whether she should tell her grandmother about her terminal cancer diagnosis.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

We return again to Japan, this time in the 17th century, to follow the tragic tale of Jesuit missionaries who struggle with their faith and eventually apostatize under the pressure of Japanese persecution. Central to our discussion is the "Mars Hill" approach--that is, how are Christians to properly employ pagan culture in a way that leads them to the gospel without either destroying culture or compromising the message of the gospel?

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "The Danger of a Single Story." How do stories define the way we think? What is the role of representation in popular art and literature? What's the problem with stereotypes? All this and more in this week's episode!

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss Othello, one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

In this CHRISTMAS episode, Raymond and Sophie tackle Simon & Garfunkel's most popular song, Bridge Over Troubled Water. What does it mean to lay yourself down as a bridge over troubled water? Why did Paul Simon write the "sail on, silver girl" verse? What does any of this have to do with Christmas?? All this and more in our latest episode.

In our next episode, we will be discussing Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Episode Notes

Onward to glory we go! In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha, based on the novel Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes_._ Is idealism better than realism? Does Don Quixote live in the "real world"? Are we all living in a prison? Does Christ turn prostitutes into princesses? All this and more in our latest episode.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode where we discuss the 1987 film Babette's Feast.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

In H.G. Wells' classic short story, a father and his son Gip wander into an antique shop run by a curious man who claims to be a magician. But the father feels something is not right. This magician seems he can make anything disappear...even Gip!

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss science, magic, hypnotism, and what it means to have childlike (or childish) faith. Along the way, we compare Wells' short story with Christopher Nolan's film The Prestige, as well as a few notable events in the Bible that could be considered magic as well...

In our next episode, we'll be discussing the art piece "The Persistence of Memory" by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Stay tuned.****

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In the SEASON 2 PREMIERE (!!), Sophie and Raymond tackle Rian Johnson's 2019 film Knives Out. What does it mean to be a passive observer of the truth? Why does Marta Cabrera inherit the earth? And how do you tell the difference between a stage prop and a real knife? All this and more as we kick off Season 2.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss This is Water, a video essay based on David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf.

Episode Notes

In this episode, we discuss themes of memory, courage, and the imagery of "the abyss" in Pixar's 2003 animated classic Finding Nemo. We also explore Nemo's search for an ideal father figure and Dory's role as the Shakespearean "wise fool." We conclude with discussing the interwoven ideas of luck, grace, providence, miracles, and how they manifest themselves in the film and in our own lives. Our Bible verse for this episode is 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." We hope you enjoy our discussion!

Thanks to Caleb Klomparens for our theme music, "No New Words" from the album Krypt. You can listen to more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

For further research, please enjoy this resource referenced in this episode. Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story TED Talk (language warning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxDwieKpawg

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/ What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf

She's everything. He's just Ken. Let's talk about that.

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond don pink (metaphorically) to discuss feminism, fantasy, and family in The Barbie Movie. Why does Ken steal the show halfway through? Does Barbie's quest to become a human have surprising theological implications? Can Greta Gerwig's summer blockbuster really be suggestive of a long tradition of classic fairy tales from time immemorial? You may not think so, but for the Unreliable Narrators, anything Ken happen.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablepodcasters@gmail.com, visit our website at https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

The wind is rising!...We must try to live!

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the 2014 Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises. Are artists and engineers really the same? Does the beauty of art justify the horrors of war? And most importantly, would you rather live in a world with pyramids or a world without them? All this and more in our latest episode!

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

One of the biggest complaints about modern video games is that they are too violent. But Toby Fox stabs this cliché right in the ribs in Undertale, a game where you actually have the choice to kill…or show mercy. Is pacifism really a possible way of life in our violent world? How are we called as Christians to think about pacifism? How does Toby Fox wrestle with morally ambiguous real-life dilemmas in a virtual environment where you only have binary choices? All of this and more in our latest episode.

For our next episode, wear pink. ;)

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablepodcasters@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Episode Notes

Raymond, Sophie, and special guest Trinity Klomparens discuss themes of sacrifice, adoption, and baptism in The Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX of the Star Wars saga. Along the way, we run into topics like the balance between the dark side and the light side, good vs. evil, and the Force as a parallel to Dante's Divine Comedy. We hope you enjoy our discussion!

Thanks to Caleb Klomparens for our theme music, "No New Words" from the album Krypt. You can listen to more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/ What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf

Sophie and Raymond invite Jenny Buccola onto the podcast to talk about nostalgia, the importance of childhood, medieval cathedrals, and Hamlet in relation to the Netflix hit series Stranger Things.

Jenny is currently a student at the University of Notre Dame pursuing a masters degree in theological studies.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss C.S. Lewis's 1938 science fiction space epic, Out of the Silent Planet.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words: by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Episode Notes

I told you my level of concern, and you walked by like you never heard. In this episode, Raymond and Sophie answer the age-old question: Just how concerned should we be? They also discuss the power of words to reshape the world, analyze the connections between Twenty One Pilots and WandaVision, and somehow end up imagining what it sounded like when Jesus rebuked the winds.

New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss the Netflix series Stranger Things.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse.

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

Hey everyone!

We're adding a new feature to the podcast. Every week, Sophie and I write a "Monday Post" published on our blog, which you can find here: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/blog/ For those of you who prefer to listen rather than read, you can listen to us read our posts, published every Monday. We hope that this portion of the podcast will add some supplementary and entertaining material to the main show.

Read the Monday Post on our blog: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/anthropomorphism-and-a-defense-of-talking-animals/

Episode Notes

Raymond and Sophie discuss Hadestown, the hit musical adaptation of an old Greek myth. Topics include Hades' justice, Orpheus as a Christological figure, and the hope of "singing it anyway."

Visit our website at: https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/ What work would you like to hear discussed next? E-mail us at: unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com

Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf

Sophie and Raymond discuss their most depressing topic since Silence by Shusaku Endo: The Seventh Seal, a film by Ingmar Bergman. What is the meaning of silence in the film? Who do the characters represent? How does medieval symbology help us understand this artistic enigma? The Seventh Seal may be nihilistic and full of dread, but your favorite hosts never are.

In our next episode, we will be discussing Makoto Fujimura's art series, the Four Gospel Frontispieces.

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Raymond may be doubtful about the reality of love at first sight, but it's nonetheless a story that has captured the imagination of people for generations. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond dive into a diverse discussion about the roots of rivalry, racism, and romance in Steven Sondheim's retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

The Unreliable Narrators are back! Today, Sophie and Raymond discuss about a recent Pixar short film in which a mother makes a dumpling that unexpectedly come to life. Among other themes, we discuss the character archetype of the "devouring mother," the relation between food, memory, and forgiveness, and...ancient Mesopotamian myths?? Find out how we pull all these ideas together in this first episode of season 3!

In our next episode, we'll be discussing the role-playing video game "Undertale" produced by indie game developer Toby Fox.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

"This is my body, which is broken for you."

What is the Law of Equivalent Exchange? Can you really buy redemption with suffering? What is the price of a human soul...and why is it Edward Elric's right arm? All this and more on our SEASON FINALE.

In our next episode, we'll be discussing the 2018 Pixar animated short Bao.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast

Questions? Comments? E-mail us at unreliablenarratorsstoa@gmail.com, visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast.

Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf