The Stand-Up Theologian

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The Stand-Up Theologian

James Cary

18 episodes

1 day ago

It's just like old times! Cary and Cooper are reunited for this review of the year in books. We revisit Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth, and James explains why there are a number of books he has some serious problems with (I'm looking at you, George RR Martin). Barry's read some Thomas Hardy. Seriously. Very seriously. And Cary does not care for The Way We Live Now by Trollope. You can listen to an extended version of this episode by becoming a Loyal Lollard - a paid subscriber to The ...

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Religion & Spirituality

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It's just like old times! Cary and Cooper are reunited for this review of the year in books. We revisit Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth, and James explains why there are a number of books he has some serious problems with (I'm looking at you, George RR Martin). Barry's read some Thomas Hardy. Seriously. Very seriously. And Cary does not care for The Way We Live Now by Trollope. You can listen to an extended version of this episode by becoming a Loyal Lollard - a paid subscriber to The ...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality

Episodes (18/18)

The Stand-Up Theologian

Read any good books lately? What I read in 2025 w/ Barry Cooper

It's just like old times! Cary and Cooper are reunited for this review of the year in books. We revisit Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth, and James explains why there are a number of books he has some serious problems with (I'm looking at you, George RR Martin). Barry's read some Thomas Hardy. Seriously. Very seriously. And Cary does not care for The Way We Live Now by Trollope. You can listen to an extended version of this episode by becoming a Loyal Lollard - a paid subscriber to The ...

6 days ago

51 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

What is That Hideous Strength REALLY about? w/ Dr Michael Ward

What a treat! James gets to geek about CS Lewis, That Hideous Strength and The Abolition of Man - with the world's leading expert on all things Inkling, Dr Michael Ward! Why should we NEVER call his science fiction books 'The Space Trilogy'? And is The Magician's Nephew actually going to be good? Enjoy! Planet Narnia After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man by Dr Michael Ward Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy - feat...

2 weeks ago

48 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Is there book in you?

Is there a book in you? Have you checked? Do you need to be talked into it? Or out of it? And who cares? You care! But will anyone else? Matt Bird helps people write their story. So this is a conversation about the pain, euphoria, self-delusion, vanity and the therapeutic nature of writing a book. Find out more about Matt Bird and PublishU HERE. Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show Want to talk about the podcast and engage with other listeners? Come on over to the Fa...

3 weeks ago

48 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

When should I start feeling Christmassy?

What is Christmas? When does it start? And how long does it last? What is advent? So many questions! James Cary has a few answers in this solo episode with a bonus bit of The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer at the end. Get hold of Word Made Flesh Sitcom Geeks Ep208 What’s so special about the Christmas Special? Popcorn parenting Christmas Movies episode Christmas Carol read by Hugh Grant. And here’s that unicorn: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84543/tapestry-unknown/ Get in touch via...

4 weeks ago

40 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Has the BBC lost its mojo?

There was a time when the BBC completely ruled the airwaves, both TV and Radio. What happened? Where did it go? Especially the comedy. And where did the BBC come from? In this episode, James talks to comedian, writer, author and presenter of the British Broadcasting Century podcast, Paul Kerensa. Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show Want to talk about the podcast and engage with other listeners? Come on over to the Facebook Group. Find out about my touring sh...

1 month ago

48 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

When is a musical not a musical?

Stand-Up Theologian James Cary talks to James Sherwood, musical comedian (or comedic musician?). Together they've been writing a musical, although they could have sworn that they wrote one in 2017 (A Monk's Tale) and again in 2019 (A Turbulent Priest). Apparently not. James and James (you decide which is which) explain how they found out what a musical actually was, and then explain what a musical actually is. Please support the Death in Canterbury campaign. Get in touch via text and tell me ...

1 month ago

46 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Why do we keep mentioning The War?

In this solo episode, I connect my long-running fascinations with comedy, World War II, and Indiana Jones — exploring why one scene in my favourite Indy film falls flat, why Armstrong and Miller’s RAF sketches are so funny (and a bit sad) and how The Producers got away with being in such poor taste. Timed around Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, it’s a reflection on humour, history, and why we’re so captivated by the wars that shaped the modern world - and that man at the heart of it. Am ...

1 month ago

42 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Where is all this tech leading us?

In this episode, James talks Aaron Edwards from That Good Fight and Pod of the Gaps podcast about 'The Machine' as laid out by Paul Kingsnorth, who as written Against the Machine which I recommend listening to on Audible - and here's an affiliate link to THAT BOOK. We also talk about Jacques Ellul and The Technological Society, CR Wiley and The Household and The War for the Cosmos, Paul Vanderklay and Joel Sallaton, The Lunatic Farmer and author of The Marvellous Pigness of Pigs! Get in touch...

1 month ago

46 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Can a joke be a crime?

Graham Linehan is frequently in the news because of jokes and comments on Twitter. This is one that won't go away, so let's talk about it. I already talked about it with Glen Scrivener on his podcast, Speak Life. Listen to those - and the original HERE. We talk about whether sins are crimes and how sins can be worse than crimes; freedom, what we want to be from from, and what that freedom is for; and how words our actually more powerful than we realise. Sticks and stones may break our bones -...

2 months ago

45 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Was this a good idea?

This is a solo episode! Does that excite you? Or fill you with dread, like meeting The Dread Pirate Roberts? A reflective, rambling solo episode recorded on a morning walk in which I talk about why this show is audio-first, whyI'm making it, and how he thinks about cadence, audience and membership communities and Christian comedy among the crunching leaves and a cameo from some geese. How should this podcast work? Best weekly with seasons - or weekly with more solo episodes? I also expl...

2 months ago

50 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Why are we so weird about reading the Bible?

The Bible is a rich and stunning tapestry of woven wisdom and truth - and yet we are bizarrely resistant to reading it. Why is that? And why do we treat it differently from other books and media? How can we read it more, and dig deeper? James Cary, the stand-up theologian, talks to Andrew Sach, author of: Dig Deeper into 1 & 2 Kings by Andrew Sach, Alasdair HendersonWhy not join the podcast's new and experimental Facebook Group? The Wycliffe Papers on Facebook And please consider be...

2 months ago

46 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Why can't we be friends?

James has a chat with pastor and author Ed Shaw about friendship, intimacy and his old school reports. Do we change? Can we change? And how can we be intimate with God? Check out The Intimacy Deficit by Ed Shaw The Wycliffe Papers on Facebook Why not join the podcast's new and experimental Facebook Group? And consider becoming a Loyal Lollard for the extended version of this podcast. Go on over to The Wycliffe Papers and Upgrade to Paid.

2 months ago

49 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Why let the truth get in the way of a good story?

James Cary talks to comedian Andy Kind, author of a new book, The Wayfarer, a laugh-out-loud memoir about his third attempt to walk the Pennine Way. They also talks about the state of stand-up, the impact of the pandemic and the line - or salty path - between truth and storytelling. Why not join the podcast's new and experimental Facebook Group? And consider become a Loyal Lollard for the extended version of this podcast. Go on over to The Wycliffe Paper and Upgrade to Paid.

3 months ago

50 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Why don't the English take themselves seriously?

What is England's founding myth? Does anyone get excited about 1066? Which English nationalism on the march, people are getting nervous. Why do the English get queasy about flying the flag. And why do we keep making a joke of it? James Cary, Stand-Up Theologian, talks to Rhys Laverty about all of the above, and the even more awkward idea about being a Christian country. Can open. Worms everywhere! Enjoy! And comment. Why not join the podcast's new and experimental Facebook Group? Clips from t...

3 months ago

55 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

What is the Gospel according to (the Life of) Brian?

The really controversial message of the Life of Brian is not what we think it is. Can we talk about the gospel that Brian actually preaches, which seems to be gospel the Pythons believed. How as that stood the test of time? In this episode, James Cary talks to evangelist, author and YouTuber, Glen Scrivener, one of the few men who can quote Life of Brian, Douglas Adams and Aquinas in the same breath. It turns out that Life of Brian comes from the same era as Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. ...

3 months ago

58 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Is Atheism Funny Any More?

Stand Up Theologian, James Cary asks Dr. Andy Bannister: Is atheism funny anymore? In returned to his book The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist for a 10th anniversary edition, Andy reflects on how things have changed since the days of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and the “new atheism.” What can we learn from comedy landmarks like Life of Brian, Father Ted, Ricky Gervais, or the contrast between The Simpsons and Family Guy? Why are comedians so often drawn to religion, and can humour re...

3 months ago

47 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

Is Your Life a Movie or a Sitcom?

In the very first episode, James Cary, the Stand-Up Theologian, is joined by former Popcorn Parenting podcast co-host Nate Morgan Locke for a lively conversation that jumps from Back to the Futureand Star Wars Episode I to sitcoms, storytelling, and even evangelistic preaching. Along the way, James confesses he only cares about story for the jokes—one reason he became a comedy writer—and explains why he loves jazz but not Charlie Parker. Nate tackles the monomyth, Into the Woods, and Save the...

3 months ago

48 minutes

The Stand-Up Theologian

The Stand-Up Theologian?

Welcome to the Stand-Up Theologian podcast with James Cary. Find James's professional writing credits HERE. And read the latest headlines from the Wycliffe Papers HERE.

4 months ago

1 minute