25 episodes
MannaCast Manna Gum
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- Religion & Spirituality
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5.0 • 13 Ratings
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Conversations about a vision of life that is truly good news for us, for our neighbours, and for the world. On the MannaCast we discuss the intersection of Christian faith, ecology, and economics.
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Ep. 25 - In the Shadow of Christendom (Reflecting on Constantine pt. 3)
From Constantine to Scott Morrison… that’s a lot of water under the bridge. We live now on the other side of Christendom, but we still live in its shadow. How does all that’s come and gone since the days of “the Christian West” mean Christians should approach politics, power, and active citizenship in Australia today? What might we need to un-learn—and re-learn—in order to gain a clearer view of the good and how to do it in this century?
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. -
Ep. 24 - A New Kind of Christian? (Reflecting on Constantine pt. 2)
It’s an understatement to say that the legacy of Constantine is a divisive issue! In this episode, Jonathan and Jacob canvas a range of perspectives from scholars of the Constantinian Shift: does the entry of Christianity into the halls of power constitute a failure of the church or does it represent a triumph of the gospel?
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. -
Ep. 23 - Christians Rule! (Reflecting on Constantine pt. 1)
For the first three hundred years, Christianity was a minority religion on the margins of ancient Roman society. Only half a century later, it was the state religion for a quarter of the world's population. How did this happen, and how should Christians understand this profound shift?
In part one of this series, Jonathan and Jacob try to straighten out the history of the first Christian Emperor—Constantine—and lay the foundations for a debate about Christendom, Church, and state which continues to today.
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. -
Ep. 22 - Sabbath Economics
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible present a rich vision of God's gift of abundant life for all, but our view can sometimes be obscured by our distance from its ancient setting. Taking their lead from various Old Testament scholars, Jacob and Jonathan trace the economy of God from Creation to the Promised Land to see how receiving and sharing the gift always means observing limits.
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.
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Ep. 21 - Christian Vocation (pt. 2)
In part one of this double episode, we suggested contemporary concepts of Christian vocation often suffer from being too thin or too narrow. In part two, Jacob and Jonathan get stuck into what the “counter-cultural ethical content of the gospel” might mean for thinking about vocation in a variety of Aussie circumstances. How might a richer understanding of the call of Christ on our lives play out in the everyday?
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. -
Ep. 20 - Christian Vocation (pt. 1)
If we’ve heard and believed the good news of Jesus, what are we then supposed to do? If Christian faith is a call, what are we called to? These are the questions of Christian vocation, but if we’ve never heard a voice from God, does this mean we can simply do what we like? Are there things Christian should not do? Are there things we should all be doing?
In part one on this topic, Jacob and Jonathan dig into the history and meaning of the Christian call and sketch a bigger vision.
Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.
Customer Reviews
Truly good news!
I love learning from Jonathan and Jacob about how the Good News properly understood provides wonderful opportunities to rethink the down to earth realities of the practical, material life that we encounter day by day.
A brilliant podcast for thinking Christians
The Christian Gospel has clear economic implications. How we love our life, especially in a capitalist society, is central to what it means to follow the Jesus of the gospels.
This podcast brings clear, practical, well thought-through and historically accurate ways of not only how we can live out our faith in an authentic, Christlike way; it also explains how Christianity got to where it is today, particularly in the West.
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of this podcast though is that it is presented by people who live what they preach. For many years, Jonathan Cornford and his family and the community they are a part of have lived their lives as an alternative ‘kingdom of God’ reality which is in defiance of the consumerist, capitalist worldview that much of the church has succumbed to. I would recommend this podcast to anyone.
Join us on the virtual porch
Come, sit on the virtual porch of a rural Victorian farmlet, where two seasoned thinkers, Jonathan Cornford and his young friend Jacob Garrett, share their wisdom in MannaCast.
Initially, I stumbled an early iteration of this podcast and found Jonathan’s monologues a bit long and rambly; which is surprising because he’s as sharp-as-a-tack when it comes to prepared speeches in the public square, based on his years working as an economist. But then – with the introduction of Jacob within the last year or so – we suddenly got the perfect dynamic. This is a dialogue between generations, a chance for the young to hear the wisdom of our elders.
The episode that compelled me to write this review was “Christianity and the Rise of Capitalism” – core Manna Gum territory. As usual, I was not disappointed, coming away more enlightened and inspired about the history of this essential topic.
What sets MannaCast apart is its ability to inspire fresh perspectives on both the world *and* faith, taking us back to the core teachings of Jesus. It's a must-listen for any thinking Christian wanting to live out an authentic faith.
So, join me on the back porch with Uncle Jonathan and his spiritual nephew Jacob. Watch the sunset together and be inspired to shape a better tomorrow, rooted in Christ-like ideals and worldly practicality.
Thank you, Jonathan and Jacob.