The Stand-Up Theologian – Details, episodes & analysis

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.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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 Cat, before asking whether life is more like a movie or a sitcom, what you’d wish for if you met a genie, and why sitcom specials always send the cast on holiday. We also explore what links Just William to Porridge, why sitcoms are not movies, and how to overcome “main character syndrome,” all while reflecting on last episodes, franchises, and the peculiar art of storytelling. 

Nate explains why Narnia is a TERRIBLE franchise:

James talks Clement and Frenais about Porridge and Just William:

If you want episode 2 with Dr Andy Bannister on whether Atheism is funny any more, become a Loyal Lollard via The Wycliffe Papers. HERE.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

Stand Up Theologian, James Cary asks Dr. Andy Bannister: Is atheism funny anymore? In returning 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 really open the door to deeper reflection? Even sceptics like David Baddiel and Douglas Murray admit to yearning for God—why do they never seem to get there? Plus, there's an intriguing story about John Newton’s doubts about his conversion.

Here's the clip of Comedian Pete Holmes.

If you like jokes and the Bible, you really should check out The Wycliffe Papers!

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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. Terry Pratchett gets dragged into the discussion and before long, we’re wondering what mankind even is. And whether we’ve been living in a blip. Glen also reveals how Jimmy Carr owes it all to him. 

Divine Comedy - Human Tragedy: What is life?

James wrote about watching the Life of Brian with his kids here:

Christian Smith on Aaron Renn’s podcast talking about the collapse of trust in mainstream religion in the 1990s here.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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 the show: Fry and Laurie & That Australian stand up: James Donald Forbes McCann

Rhys Laverty writes about God is an Englishman for First Things.

Rhys on how the English don’t take themselves seriously (because of the English Civil War) at The New Albion blog.

Interested in Englishness? Follow Cary’s Almanac:

https://jamescary.substack.com

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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: 

Why not join the podcast's new and experimental Facebook Group?

The Wycliffe Papers on Facebook

And please consider becoming a Loyal Lollard for the extended version of this podcast. Go on over to The Wycliffe Papers and Upgrade to Paid.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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 explain Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans,” the Loyal Lollards/Wycliffe Papers, and how the podcast supports live shows (God, the Bible & Everything); turning 50, kids now at school after home-ed, asking new questions of ageing parents, and thinking while walking. Plus an exclusive on the name of my next tour show.

I mention: Adam Buxton, Jonah Goldberg (The Remnant/The Ruminant), Cal Newport (Deep Questions/Deep Life), Scott Adams, Paul VanderKlay, Buzzsprout’s Buzzcast; Paul Kingsnorth (Against the Machine), Dominic Sandbrook (Never Had It So Good), Anthony Trollope (Barchester Towers, read by Timothy West), Bishop Hugh Latimer (new video supported by the Latimer Trust), Wycliffe & the Lollards, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs; Jordan Peterson vs. Cathy Newman as a lesson in media dynamics; and the realities of hard rives and music/licensing.

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...

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 - but words last forever.

Links from the show:

Sacred Art of Joking on Audible

That Australian comedian Steve Hughes talks about being offended

Bluestone 42 on iPlayer (in the UK, anyway) 

Latimer documentary, Playing with Fire

Get in touch via text and tell me what you like about the show

Find out about my touring show, God the Bible and Everything (in 60 minutes) and get in touch via my website.

If you’re serious about the Bible and church history and like jokes, I’d recommend subscribing to The Wycliffe Papers. It's free. But you can also support the podcast by coming a Paid Subscriber to the Wycliffe Papers, making you a Loyal Lollard. Could you consider that?

Or email me in gmail now you can see how to spell Wycliffe...