Ep. 37: Against Markan Priority: A Crash Course

In this explosive episode of The Bookcase Behind Me, Rev. Brandon Warr sits down with YouTube firebrand RazörFist to dig into three heavy-hitting topics: the truth and beauty of Confessional Lutheranism, the enduring influence of pulp fiction and classic storytelling, and the rising debates around Christian Nationalism in America today.

This episode is only half of the full interview. To catch the entire conversation—with even more depth on faith, fiction, and culture—be sure to watch the Full Interview on the Rev. Brandon Warr YouTube Channel.

Whether you’re drawn to faithful Christian doctrine, the art of bold storytelling, or the cultural currents shaping the future of the West, this episode delivers insights you won’t find anywhere else.

📖 Read the latest articles & get your FREE ebook “Faith, Fiction, and the Fight”: ➡️ https://bcwarr.substack.com

☕ Support the work: ➡️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RevBWarr

👕 Hammer & Rose Merch: ➡️ https://www.teepublic.com/user/hammer…

🎙️ The Bookcase Behind Me Podcast: ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2KzTjsz…

📚 Books by Rev. Brandon Warr: ➡️ https://a.co/d/4VPRguM

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for new videos every week. Join the fight — Word, Faith, and Fiction. http://bit.ly/1UZjzXi 

Are there really no tragedies? In this episode of The Bookcase Behind Me, Rev. Brandon Warr takes on R. C. Sproul Jr.’s controversial claim that “ultimately there are no tragedies.” While this statement has circulated widely in Reformed circles, a Confessional Lutheran response uncovers a very different theological truth—one that is deeply biblical, historically rooted, and pastorally necessary.

From the laments of the Psalms to Christ’s own tears at the tomb of Lazarus, Scripture does not erase tragedy. Instead, it teaches us to name evil for what it is, to cry out to God for deliverance, and to cling to the promise that one day He will wipe away every tear. In this episode, Rev. Warr explores:

• The Theology of the Cross: why Lutherans call sin, death, and suffering exactly what they are, rather than minimizing them.

• God and Evil: the Scriptural and Confessional teaching that God is not the author of sin.

• Luke 13 and the Tower of Siloam: how Jesus Himself forbids us from interpreting disasters as specific judgments on their victims.

• Romans 8 and Christian Hope: how tragedy is real in this fallen world, yet God bends all things toward the good of His people in Christ.

• Pastoral Care: why telling grieving Christians that “there are no tragedies” misses the comfort that the Gospel truly gives.

This episode is rich with quotations from the American Standard Version (1901) of the Bible and from the Book of Concord, grounding the discussion in the authoritative sources of the Confessional Lutheran Church.

Whether you’re Lutheran, Reformed, Catholic, or simply searching for biblical clarity, this episode offers a robust, faithful answer to Sproul’s claim—reminding us that tragedy is real, but so is Christ’s victory over it.

📖 Read the latest articles & get your FREE ebook “Faith, Fiction, and the Fight”:

➡️ https://bcwarr.substack.com

☕ Support the work: ➡️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RevBWarr

👕 Hammer & Rose Merch: ➡️ https://www.teepublic.com/user/hammer…

🎙️ The Bookcase Behind Me Podcast: ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2KzTjsz…

📚 Books by Rev. Brandon Warr: ➡️ https://a.co/d/4VPRguM

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for new videos every week. Join the fight — Word, Faith, and Fiction. http://bit.ly/1UZjzXi

In this episode of The Bookcases Behind Me, Pastor Brandon Warr dives deep into one of the biggest conversations happening today: What should Christians think about Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

We begin with a brand-new segment—”What Pastor Warr is Reading”—where theology meets imagination. This month’s lineup includes:

• Theology Classics:

Sacred Meditations by Johann Gerhard

Two Sermons by Dr. Tilemann Heshusiusrich

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMJ6GWMN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

• Fiction Highlights:

The Best Construction by Lloyd R. Bailey (The Armed Lutheran)

https://www.armedlutheran.us/product/the-best-construction-epub/

The Lives of Velnin: The Dark Empire by Brian Heming https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FKHKWKFZ?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&storeType=ebooks

From there, Pastor Warr gives a quick update on his own novel Children of the Black Veil, a pulp-noir thriller set in Chandler City where corruption hides behind holiness and faith is tested in the shadows. Available now on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback.

The main discussion asks tough, practical questions:

• What exactly is AI—and what isn’t it?

• Why do some people fall into AI “cults” and even psychosis?

• How should Christians think about AI as a tool of stewardship rather than an idol?

• What does the Parable of the Unjust Steward teach us about wisdom in using technology?

• Where do debates about AI, art, and beauty go wrong without a Christian worldview?

• How does Tolkien’s idea of “sub-creators” help us understand true art in relation to God, the only Creator?

This episode calls Christians to honesty, clarity, and courage: to recognize AI as a tool—not a god—and to remain vigilant against those who would twist it into a weapon for false doctrine.

📖 Resources & Links:

• Free ebook: Faith, Fiction, and the Fight  (sign up via Substack to get your copy)

• Children of the Black Veil on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback)

• Links to all the books mentioned are in the episode notes

🎧 Whether you’re a theologian, a creative, or just a curious Christian trying to navigate faith in a digital age, this episode will challenge, equip, and encourage you to stand firm in Christ while engaging the questions of our time.

Welcome to The Bookcase Behind Me — where books aren’t just background, they’re battlegrounds of faith, doctrine, and truth. This is the show where Confessional Lutheran voices speak boldly from behind the pulpit, the lectern, and yes — the bookcase — to equip today’s Church for tomorrow’s trials.

In each theologically rich episode, we bring you uncompromising conversations with Lutheran leaders rooted in Scripture, shaped by history, and aimed at building up Christ’s Church for generations to come.

📚 This episode features:

• Pastor John Rutowicz on the Lutheran Rite of Exorcism — uncovering the biblical authority and liturgical depth behind this rarely discussed but deeply pastoral practice.

• Pastor Martin Jackson on Translation Work — a look into the sacred task of bringing the teachings of the Word of God into new tongues without losing its theological integrity.

• Deacon Anthony Oncken on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — exploring how the Nicene Creed still shapes the true Church amid modern heresies.

• Pastor Eric Stefanski tackling the Nature of the Being of God and Man — engaging with classical metaphysics to answer who God is and who we are before Him.

• Bishop James Heiser introduces his new book “A Time to Stand” — a call for Christians to reclaim their Christian vocation and identity as a means of forming a bold, faithful generation in an age of compromise. Buy it now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/frBBrrt 

Whether you’re a pastor, seminarian, lay theologian, or curious listener with a worn-out Book of Concord and a shelf full of dogmatics, The Bookcase Behind Me delivers clear teaching, unapologetic Lutheranism, and serious discussion to strengthen your faith and sharpen your confession.

🎧 Subscribe now and rediscover what it means to stand firm — with the right books behind you and the truth before you.