Podcast
Dead Presbyterians Society
Hosted by Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary · EN
This podcast is built on a very simple conviction: in order to be faithful in the present, we must be rooted in the past. The old paths of Presbyterianism in the 18th and 19th century have much to teach us about the path we walk today.
In weekly 30 minute episodes, we will reflect on the lives and works of figures such as Archibald Alexander, B.M. Palmer, and Charles Hodge. We will consider enduring themes–prayer, Christian experience, and the church–matters of eternal significance for the people of God until Christ returns.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Between Two Thieves: James Henley Thornwell on Antinomianism
Mar 300:23:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode we revisit James Henley Thornwell’s powerful warning against Antinomianism — the ancient error that turns grace into license. Thornwell reminds us that the gospel is “always crucified between two thieves”: legalism and lawlessness.
Transcribe →No Room for Boasting: Samuel Blair on Predestination
Feb 1700:22:41Tap to summarizeThe Doctrine of Predestination explores Samuel Blair’s 1742 defense of God’s sovereign grace — a work praised by Archibald Alexander as the hand of a master. Writing during the era of the Log College and the Great Awakening, Blair answered objections to election not with speculation, but with Scripture — grounding the doctrine in Romans 9, Ephesians 1, and the justice and mercy of God.In this episode, we examine Blair’s life, his pastoral purpose, and his argument that absolute election humbles the sinner, excludes boasting, and gives all the glory to Christ alone.
Transcribe →A Letter to Rome: Charles Hodge and the Protestant Response to Rome
Feb 300:24:08Tap to summarizeA Letter to Rome examines Charles Hodge’s 1869 response to Pope Pius IX and the First Vatican Council, a rare moment when American Presbyterianism spoke directly to Rome. With clarity and charity, Hodge explains why the core issues of the Reformation—Scripture alone, the sufficiency of Christ, and the nature of church authority—made unity impossible. This episode revisits that letter and asks what modern Protestants can learn from Hodge’s firm convictions and pastoral tone in an age of renewed ecumenical pressure.
Transcribe →The Pastor in the Closet: Thomas Murphy on the Minister's Secret Duties
Jan 2000:26:30Tap to summarizeBehind every faithful sermon is a hidden place. In this episode, we explore Thomas Murphy’s insistence that a pastor’s most essential work happens in the prayer closet, where private devotion shapes public ministry. Drawing on Murphy—and echoing Baxter, Miller, and Warfield—we’re reminded that the strength and character of the pulpit are formed in secret communion with God.
Transcribe →Hope for Grieving Parents: T.D. Witherspoon on Covenant Children
Jan 600:26:07Tap to summarizeWhat hope does the covenant of grace offer when a baptized child dies? In this episode Jonathan Master explores T.D. Witherspoon’s Children of the Covenant (1873), written in the wake of profound loss and grounded in God’s promises rather than sentiment. Through the lives of three covenant children, Witherspoon points grieving parents and churches to Christ, the ordinary means of grace, and the sure consolation of belonging to Him.
Transcribe →Remember the Sabbath: Samuel Miller on the Forgotten Commandment
Dec 2300:20:27Tap to summarizeIn an age that treats the Lord’s Day as expendable, Samuel Miller calls the church to remember what God has promised through the Sabbath. Drawing from his introductory essay to Agnew’s Manual on the Christian Sabbath, this episode explores why the Fourth Commandment still matters—and why recovering the Lord’s Day may be essential to the church’s spiritual health.
Transcribe →The Ambassadors of Jesus Christ: John Holt Rice, "The Duties of a Gospel Minister"
Dec 900:26:01Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to be a faithful minister of the gospel? In his 1809 sermon The Duties of a Gospel Minister, John Holt Rice outlined the sacred charge of those called to shepherd Christ’s church — to preach the whole counsel of God, guard the flock, teach by example, train the young, and labor with an eye to eternity. In this episode, we explore Rice’s enduring vision for pastoral ministry and why his words still speak powerfully to the church today.
Transcribe →The Sacrifices of the Missionary Life: John B. Adger, "My Life and Times"
Nov 2500:22:46Tap to summarizeThis episode tells the story of John Bailey Adger, a 19th-century missionary who served Christ both overseas and at home through translation work, preaching, and sacrificial ministry. His life challenges us to consider where Christ is calling us to pour out our own.
Transcribe →The Pastor in the Pulpit: Thomas Murphy on the Pastor's Duties
Nov 1100:22:44Tap to summarizeThomas Murphy calls pastors back to the pulpit—the place where heaven meets earth each Lord’s Day. Preaching and prayer, he says, are the pastor’s highest duties and the church’s greatest need.
Transcribe →The Beauty of Presbyterianism: T.D. Witherspoon on Church Government
Oct 2800:19:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore T.D. Witherspoon’s compelling case for the beauty and order of Presbyterian church government—rooted not in human hierarchy, but in Christ’s rule over His people through the courts of the church. Discover how these biblical principles safeguard unity, protect liberty, and strengthen the church’s witness today.
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