Here are some of the things stimulating thinking below the hood of Manna Gum, going into 2025.
Jon’s top picks
‘The Road to the Great War’, six-part podcast series, The Rest is History, eps.469-474.
— this deep dive might change your perception of the hinge moment of the 20th century.
‘Golidlocks Universe: The Surprising Science Pointing to God’, podcast, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief, ep.19.
— atheism, faith and astrophysics!
Theological Foundations for Ministry, book by Stephen Pickard.
— An accessible and important plea for the church to structure itself around the ministry of ‘the whole people of God’. (But you'll probably need acces to a theological library - contact me if you're having difficulty.)
As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West, book by Guido Alfani.
— for the nerdy. A unique lens on economic history: who are the rich, how did they get rich, and are they a problem for everyone else? (Tip: you can get free electronic access through the State Library of Victoria.)
‘Decolonising Fire Science’, YouTube video, Lecture by Dr. Philip Zylstra to the Royal Society of Victoria.
— I learnt a lot from this video. We still have a long way to go in stewarding the Australian landscape.
Jacob’s goodies
From YouTube:
Climate Town - whipsmart deadpan comedy meets environmental commentary. (JC: seriously, check it out.)
Future Proof - deep dives on the realities of consumerism in an accessible style.
Not Just Bikes - urban planning from a different perspective (feat. a lotta bikes).
Slowjourning - six-part film reimagining adventure travel in an age of eco-crisis. By yours truly!
Writers/thinkers:
Paul Kingsnorth & Martin Shaw - what happens when an eco-pessimist writer and a mythologist embrace Christianity? Find out at:
Malcolm Guite - poet, priest, and academic labouring at the intersection of faith and art. He has a charming YouTube channel too!
