A large twin-towered Gothic church with a vast interior founded over a millennium ago, Westminster Abbey is one of the United Kingdom’s most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Many royal marriages and national commemorative events have also been held within its walls.

Check out the YouTube version of this episode at https://youtu.be/XUNw9AxJY0Y which has accompanying visuals including maps, charts, timelines, photos, illustrations, and diagrams.

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The concept of Purgatory is not adhered to by all Christians but is nevertheless a fascinating topic well worth investigating. The word "purgatory" is rooted in Latin, meaning to purify, purge, or cleanse; a place or condition of temporal punishment for spiritual cleansing after death of souls dying penitent and destined ultimately for Heaven. It is NOT considered as a place of probation, for, the ultimate salvation of those in purgatory is assured, and the impenitent are NOT received into purgatory. The souls in purgatory are supposed, however, to receive relief through the prayers of the faithful and according to the traditional Catholic understanding, through the sacrifice of the mass. Protestants do not believe in purgatory. They typically reject the doctrine because they argue it lacks biblical support and is inconsistent with the Protestant belief in salvation by faith alone, which holds that Jesus's sacrifice is sufficient for all sin.

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Audio credit: Counsel of Trent podcast with Trent Horn (episode: 1031, What is Purgatory REALLY Like? May 12, 2025). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.

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There are lots of Jameses mentioned in the Gospels. Who was James the Apostle and why is he also referred to by certain Christian denominations as James son of Alphaeus, James the Lesser, James brother of Jesus, James the Just, James bishop of Jerusalem, and James the author of the Epistle of James? Also named SAINT James by several denominations, James was one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus according to the Gospels of the New Testament. Let’s investigate and find out more. E160.

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Audio credits: Catholic Saints podcast: St. James the Lesser (01may2023) with Dr. James Prothro and Mary McGeehan, Augustine Institute; Dwell On These Things podcast with pastor & author John Stange (episode: Who were the apostles of Jesus? 20nov2023) Life Audio, Salem Media. Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.

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This Testament tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

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Audio Credit: Breathe Bible podcast (LifeAudio Podcast Network, Salem Web Network). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.

Join Mark on one of his social media platforms to comment, discuss, and analyze this episode’s Testament passages.

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In 1421, did a Chinese fleet led by Admiral Zheng He (1371–1433) arrive in America decades before Columbus? Let’s explore this fascinating far-flung theory.

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The main difference between a disciple and an apostle of Jesus is that Jesus chose apostles to spread the gospel, while disciples were followers who chose to learn from Jesus. Let's learn about a few Apostles who were not part of the original twelve selected during Jesus' lifetime. E158.

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Audio credit: Dwell On These Things podcast with pastor & author John Stange (episode: Who were the apostles of Jesus? 20nov2023) Life Audio, Salem Media. Audio excerpts reproduced under a Creative Commons license and the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.

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Jesus told a story about a farmer who sowed good seed, but an enemy later sowed weeds among the wheat while people slept. Fearing they would uproot the wheat, the farmer instructed his servants to let both grow until the harvest. At the harvest, the weeds would be gathered and burned, and the wheat would be stored in the barn. Jesus later explained the parable's meaning (Matthew 13:24-30;36-43): the farmer is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, and the weeds are the children of the evil one. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels who will separate the righteous from the wicked.

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Audio credit: Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons— The Parasite of Evil (Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, 20jul2023). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.

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Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) gives us one of the first historical treatments of the life of Jesus in his pioneering book (1906) that reviews all prior work on the question of the "historical Jesus" and points out how Jesus of Nazareth's image has changed with the times—while offering his own synopsis and interpretation in this seminal work of biblical criticism.

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Audio Credit: The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer (LibriVox, read by JoeD).

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