Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Episode 35: Augustine of Hippo

Big Announcements about the Podcast

In this episode I am making a couple of big announcements: 1) I am giving you my excuses as to why you haven't heard from me for a few weeks. 2) I am informing you of my new free flagship publication, "Ha'arim" Hebrew for "the wakeful ones." 3) I am letting you know that I am suspending the series on "Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus," because we may have just entered the tribulation period (Nothing to see here) and I have other things to focus on.  Here is the link to my new publication. Make sure you subscribe!: https://substack.com/@doughooley [https://substack.com/@doughooley]

Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Episode 35: Augustine of Hippo

In this episode I discuss the huge influence that "Saint" Austine has had on the Church from the beginning of the fourth century AD to this present day. Despite his love of God, because of his education and background, his work heavily contributed to another major course change in the wrong direction: Replacement Theology, allegorical interpretation of scripture, false-pietism, and Amillennialism were all introduced or strengthened as a result of his influence.

Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Episode 34: The Influence of the Middle Ages on the Church

As we continue to move through the history of the Church, we have a arrived at the middle-ages. A time when people and former gods known as Saints, and holy objects known as relics began to be worshipped and when the Church became a major employer as professional clergy replaced lay people who no longer needed to participate. See how these things influenced the modern Church

Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus Episode 33: The Legacy of the 4th Century Church

The fourth century AD had an enduring impact on the modern Church. A few of the main take aways: 1) A switch from interpreting scripture at face value to interpreting it as allegory, symbolism, metaphor, and spiritualizing it. 2) A move towards Replacement theology (the Church has replaced Israel. 3) Anti-Semitism. Purposeful separation from the Jews. 4) A move towards Amillennialism (the belief there is no literal 1000 year kingdom of Jesus on this earth. Rather, we are now living in a figurative millennium) from Premillennialism (the belief in a future literal millennial kingdom of Jesus). Listen and see how all these things fit together.

Special Edition: The Announcement of Doug's Latest Book, Daniel, Way Beyond the Felt Board

Doug Talks a little while about the release of his latest book, Daniel: Way Beyond the Felt Board. Available Saturday July 12, 2025 on Amazon.com in Kindle, paperback, and hard cover editions.