Why does silence make us so uncomfortable? Frs. Wesley Walker and Creighton McElveen explore silence and solitude as a universal Christian vocation, drawing on Augustine, Mother Teresa, Levinas, St. John of the Cross, and Shusaku Endo's Silence to unpack restlessness, purgative suffering, and how solitude strips away the false self before God.

Sponsored by Contra Mundum Clericals — code SACRAMENTALISTS for 15% off at https://contramundumclericals.com.

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What's a sermon actually for? Frs. Creighton McElveen and Wesley Walker explore sacramental preaching — why the Anglo-Catholic homily is inseparable from the liturgy, what a sermon is NOT (moralism, politics, a lecture, stand-up), and a real rubric for judging whether a sermon succeeds: biblical fidelity, theological rigor, and proclaiming Christ crucified. Fr. Wesley also breaks down his actual weekly process for writing a sermon, from diagramming the collect to consulting Keble and Newman.

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In a culture saturated with sensationalized media, modern Christians often view spiritual warfare through the lens of pop-culture novels and residual "Satanic Panic" paranoia. We treat the cosmos like a high-stakes thriller where a single accidental misstep can trap us in the demonic. In this episode, Frs. Hayden Butler and Wesley Walker provide a pastoral, traditional course correction. Moving past the "main character syndrome" that blames every minor physical ailment or broken spotlight on the devil, the hosts recover a robust, liturgical framework for spiritual engagement. True spiritual warfare is not a dramatic, macho crusade; it is found in the quiet, integrated disciplines of the ancient Church. By recovering a proper Christian anthropology—body, soul, and spirit—and anchoring ourselves in the ordinary proficiency of the sacraments, we inhabit Christ’s definitive victory. Discover why the fullness of the baptized life, the Daily Office, and regular confession remain the most potent defenses against the powers of darkness.

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After a year away, The Sacramentalists are back. Frs. Wesley Walker, Creighton McElveen, and Hayden Butler relaunch the show — reintroducing themselves, explaining what pulled them away from recording, and digging into what actually defines the Anglo-Catholic way: consensus Catholicism, the priest-theologian model, and what Fr. Hayden calls the tradition's "shireliness" — a deep rootedness in small, prayer-formed parish community. Honest, funny, and theologically substantive — the perfect entry point whether you're new to the show or coming back with them.

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In this bittersweet episode of The Sacramentalists, we say (mostly) farewell to our co-host, Fr. Wesley. As he steps back from regular podcasting to focus on doctoral studies, parish life, and family, we reflect on the journey of the show, memorable episodes, and what it’s meant to pursue beauty, truth, and sacramentality together.Joining us is the other co-founder of the pod, Myles Hixson, who helps us send Fr. Wesley off with good humor, deep gratitude, and a few theological tangents.

In this episode of The Sacramentalists, Frs. Creighton and Wesley welcome New Testament scholar Dr. Matthew Bates to discuss his provocative new book, Beyond the Salvation Wars: A New Vision of the Christian Life.Bates argues that many of our debates about salvation—whether framed in terms of “faith alone” or “works righteousness”—have become theological dead ends. In their place, he offers a fresh and deeply biblical model centered on allegiance to Jesus as King, which he contends better captures the shape of the gospel and the fullness of the Christian life.We explore the implications of his proposal for sacraments, church unity, and discipleship, as well as the strong reactions it’s provoked from Reformed critics. Does allegiance theology open the door to a more sacramental faith? How does it help us move beyond stale binaries and recover a truly catholic vision of salvation?We would love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and questions to [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.

In this special crossover episode of The Sacramentalists Podcast and The Classical Mind Podcast, we dive deep into St. Bonaventure’s The Journey of the Mind to God—a spiritual and philosophical masterpiece that maps the soul’s ascent to divine union. Together, we explore Bonaventure’s vision of contemplation, the role of intellect and love in knowing God, and the ways in which his thought is deeply sacramental, drawing from both Scripture and the broader Catholic tradition.Join us as we discuss the structure of Bonaventure’s journey, the influence of St. Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius, and how this medieval classic speaks to modern Christians seeking a deeper, more mystical encounter with God. Whether you're new to Bonaventure or a longtime admirer, this episode will challenge and inspire you to see creation, reason, and revelation as pathways to divine illumination.

Should Christians read Plato? How does a Rule of Life help us learn? Can AI replace classical education? We delve into these and other questions with Dr. John Mark Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds is the President of the Saint Constantine School and author of many books, including When Athens Met Jerusalem: An Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought. We would love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and questions to [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.

Lent is coming soon! On this episode, we help you get prepared for this season of penance and fasting by discussing three great Anglican poems: "The Altar" by George Herbert, "Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward" by John Donne, and "Love (III)" by George Herbert. We pray that you will find these poems as beautiful as we do and that they will stir up your devotion so that you can have a great Lenten observance. You can find the poems here:-"The Altar"-"Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward"-"Love (III)"We would love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and questions to [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.

Those who have followed the podcast for a while know that we love to support those who make solid catechetical and didactic material for kids! In this episode, Fr. Creighton and Fr. Wesley sit down with Fr. Paul Sterne, the chaplain at St. Theodore's Anglican Chapel and the C.S. Lewis Student Center at the University of South Carolina, to discuss his book(s) The Littlest Acolyte Presents the The Liturgy Trilogy. Listeners, your two assignments are to buy one copy of the book for a child in your family and get another one for your parish library! You can buy Fr. Sterne's book here: https://theparishpress.com/products/the-littlest-acolyte-presents-the-liturgy-trilogyWe would love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and questions to [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.

If you look at our culture, it doesn't take long to realize we have a problem understanding gender. On the one side, there are nominalists who deny the existence of gender except as a social construction used to control people. The opposite side is gender essentialism that forces everything into overly narrow boxes. It should be clear that neither of these extremes reflects the truth about how God created human gender. But how can the Church understand and communicate biblical and theological truth about this issue? Resources mentioned in the episode: -The influencer mentioned is @aja_cortes. -The New York Post article: "Young men are converting to Orthodox Christianity in droves" by Rikki Schlott -Fr. Creighton's article: "The Marian Character of the Christian Life"

We would love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and questions to [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month.