The Weight of Glory

Clayton Emmer

4.3 (4)
CHRISTIANITY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Centered around the themes of the essay The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, this podcast seeks to highlight ways in which our every encounter leads another person toward beatitude or away from it

5D AGO

faith-based hope and eternal life

Send a text My friend Kale Zelden and I continue our discussion of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi) -- specifically, we read and discuss paragraphs 4 through 12, covering the concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church, and the question about what eternal life is. Show notes/resources: The Still Point in the Turning World - T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton" The "already/not yet" tension of Christian liturgy and life: "The Sanctification of Time and the Liturgy of the Hours," Fr. Hildebrand Garceau, O.Praem. "Demonstrators burn two churches in Chile on anniversary of protests," October 19, 2020 The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture, Philip Lawler Dante's depiction of Judas Iscariot in The Inferno "I will never lose myself for that which the senses can take in here, nor for all the mind can hold, no matter how lofty, nor for grace or beauty, but only for I-don’t-know-what which is so gladly found." Saint John of the Cross, A Gloss (with spiritual meaning) If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop me a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send me an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover the show. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett. Support the show

1h 1m
FEB 9

what is faith-based hope?

Send a text Together, long-time friend Kale Zelden and I read Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical letter on hope (Spe Salvi) and discuss the idea of faith-based hope. In today's episode, we break open the letter and unpack the first few paragraphs. Show notes/resources: Ave Maris Stella (Mary, Star of the Sea) Angel prayer from Fatima Jesus of Nazareth trilogy - Benedict XVI God's performative word: Verbum Domini, Benedict XVI, paragraph 53 God's performative word - Isaiah 55:10-11 Saint Josephine Bakhita Doubt as an avenue of communication between believer and unbeliever: Introduction to Christianity, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Testimony of James Grein Crisis podcast, episode 4 (12:30-14:00 into the episode) The Heart of Man (film) If you're enjoying this podcast, or wish to send along a question or friendly critique, drop us a note on Twitter @WeightOfGlory or send us an email at weightofglorypodcast@gmail.com. Also, please spread the word via your social channels. Most especially, I'd welcome reviews over at Apple Podcasts: that will help more people discover us. The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by Dennis Crommett. Support the show

42 min
JAN 30

The battle for hope

Send a text My friend Kale and I discuss a broad range of topics, including: the self-conscious church; the church as an expert in humanity; self-exploitation and social media; and Catholic identity and liturgy. Kale's interview with Paul VanderKlay (Sept 3, 2020) Katie Van Schaijik - Theology of the Body: A Cure for Clericalism (2019) Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises (1926) Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), paragraphs 93-97 (2013) Pope John Paul II - Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds), paragraph 21 (1992) Theological Integration Paper - from chaplaincy training program (1995) Pope John Paul II - Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), paragraph 3 (1993) C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man (1943) Richard John Neuhaus - The Naked Public Square (1988) Bret Weinstein's Dark Horse podcast with Matt Taibbi, Corruption and Its Consequences (2020) Eric Weinstein's Portal podcast with James O'Keefe, What Is and Isn't Journalism in the 21st Century (2020) Ryan T. Anderson interview, Natural Law and Public Affairs (2020) John Paul II on Love and Responsibility, publication of the Love and Responsibility Foundation (2002) Tom Holland - Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (2019) Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book X Bishop Robert Barron, Pope Francis and Vatican II, Napa Institute Keynote (2020) Kilian McDonnell, OSB and George Montague, SM - Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1991) Pope Benedict XVI on the hermeneutic of continuity: Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia (2005) Support the show

1h 9m
JAN 21

The meaning of communion

Send a text In this episode, I offer a reflection on Holy Communion -- the Body and Blood of Christ -- as it relates to life in the Body of Christ... quoting from not only C.S. Lewis, but also Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est. I also include a rendition of Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, as performed by Fernando Ortega. Additional music for the podcast has been provided through the generosity of Jeremy Casella. Support the show

17 min
11/27/2025 · BONUS

The Last Things

Send a text In 2008, during a Holy Week RCIA retreat, I led a reflection on The Last Things -- death, judgment, heaven and hell. Rather than diving right into a discussion of things ultimate, I decided to provide some context, and some of that context came from C.S. Lewis. In The Weight of Glory, Lewis observes that "we are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." Music for the podcast has been provided through the generosity of Dennis Crommett. Check out his music over at DennisCrommett.com. Resources: The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis the upset of Easter, and the last things on the passage through life Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 988-1014; 1020-1050 Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft Support the show

1h 37m
11/15/2025 · BONUS

When US bishops LARP as politicians

Send a text This is my first podcast episode affiliated with my new Substack. You can read the article and view the associated videos by visiting my Substack here: https://doxaweb.substack.com/ Support the show

1h 40m
SEASON 2 TRAILER

Season 2: Humanity and the Abolition of Man

Send a text The second season of this podcast will be focused on the theme of humanity: Specifically, the topic of how to ground our humanity within a truly ethical framework. It's something to which C.S. Lewis gave close attention in a book titled The Abolition of Man, first published in 1943. My friend Kale Zelden will return to discuss the book with me, as we have both appreciated the book for a long time and are eager to revisit it. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis After Humanity by Father Michael Ward Support the show

2 min
08/12/2025

Faust's Bargain Debasement

Send a text In this episode, Kale and I discuss the final pages of The Abolition of Man. In a world allegedly without objective values, what conditions the conditioners? Chesterton’s idea of play and rules providing freedom; the reality that a value-free neutrality does not exist; trans-humanism and post-humanism; the dismembering of nature and disenchantment; the magician’s bargain: how the last step toward the abolition of man is unlike every prior step; the common ancestry of science and magic; how seeing through everything is the same as not to see. The Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man - Michael Ward Will the Future Be Human? - Yuval Noah Harari Faustian bargain, Britannica.com The Freedom of Boundaries in G.K. Chesterton - Zak Schmoll Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 675-676: "The Church's ultimate trial" Support the show

1h 20m

TRAILER

Season 2: Humanity and the Abolition of Man

Send a text The second season of this podcast will be focused on the theme of humanity: Specifically, the topic of how to ground our humanity within a truly ethical framework. It's something to which C.S. Lewis gave close attention in a book titled The Abolition of Man, first published in 1943. My friend Kale Zelden will return to discuss the book with me, as we have both appreciated the book for a long time and are eager to revisit it. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis After Humanity by Father Michael Ward Support the show

S2

•

2 min

4.3

out of 5

4 Ratings

Centered around the themes of the essay The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, this podcast seeks to highlight ways in which our every encounter leads another person toward beatitude or away from it

Creator

Clayton Emmer
Years Active

2020 - 2026
Episodes

18
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 The Weight of Glory
Show Website

The Weight of Glory