New podcast service: Christadelphian Classics

It is our pleasure to introduce Christadelphian Classics.

Our aim is simple

We have many excellent books within the Brotherhood that have stood the test of time—favourites, fallbacks, classics. We wish to offer these works to our community in a different format.

Christadelphian Classics provides podcasts of selected publications read to you a chapter at a time, as if you’re in your own living room.

You can listen to the recording in the quiet of your study, office, bedroom, or whatever sanctuary you retreat to, or whilst sitting in a park, taking a walk, riding in the bus, driving to work, or relaxing with a cuppa.

Typically, each episode is a chapter from the book. To receive these episodes, you should subscribe to one of the podcast services, or go to the Christadelphian Classics page on this site. We’ll provide the details at the bottom of this article.

Our first book: Principles and Proverbs

The first series of readings is that marvellous book, Principles and Proverbs, by Islip Collyer. Begun as observations, when this much-loved brother, almost 100 years ago, put pen to paper to express these ideas in a set of articles on “Principles”, they were so widely read and discussed that, along with the follow-up series on “Proverbs”, The Christadelphian published them in a book.

The down-to-earth, lucid, and first-person style of Brother Collyer, coupled with his keen insight and spiritual understanding, has made Principles and Proverbs a lasting favourite in the Brotherhood, and a regular basis for Bible classes and home-study groups since its publication.

While not inspired, Brother Collyer’s use of God’s Word to reveal human behaviour has revealed his insights in ecclesial and personal situations to be constantly true. Some of his language and anecdotes may be dated, but the message is unerringly relevant. It is a sad indictment, though, that his perceptions and exhortations have proved timeless, for our behaviours have not changed in almost a century since he first wrote these things down.

Even though Brother Collyer gets through our self-protective tendencies, we need humility to read what he says and accept that we ourselves could be the problem, and yet take heart at his gentle encouragement. He has a remarkable way of helping a reader reach the same conclusions.

Some samples of what Principles and Proverbs offers:

Astute observation:

“If a man is well equipped with a knowledge of principles, he is in a favourable position for dealing with all the difficulties of life. He may find himself confronted by entirely new circumstances. There may be nothing in empirically gained knowledge to throw the slightest light on his path, but he can nearly always find a principle to help his judgement.”

Wise counsel:

“It is sometimes a valuable exercise to turn away from the troubles and perplexities of the moment and look at general principles. Cease for a time from strife regarding the matters which may have been agitating us most and examine the fundamentals of truth regarding which all should be able to agree.”

Pithy truisms:

“Only a few men have a passionate desire to be on the side of truth, although all men want truth to be on their side.”

All these examples appear on just the first two pages.

Something that highlights the enduring legacy of our brother’s work is some particularly helpful chapters read and re-read as touchstones in times of ecclesial disharmony. Such chapters as:

1. The Weightier Matters
2. The Meaning of Sacrifice
3. The Principles Governing Fellowship
4. The Scriptural Principles Governing Controversy

Equally powerful are positive illustrations for daily life:

1. Balance
2. The Blessedness of Giving
3. Ploughing and Looking Back
4. The Application of Principles

Part Two on Proverbs is a thematic selection of proverbs useful for thought-provoking meditations and spiritual sustenance.

What Brother Collyer has to say in the Proverbs section helps to confirm his insights in the Principles section. It shows that his reflections weren’t motivated by a reaction to issues of his day, but he drew from scriptural foundations that he had been contemplating. The Scriptures informed his compilation of topics, the proverbs he chose, the thoughts he expressed about them, and were the basis of the wisdom we admire so much in his writings.

Because his style is so personal—as if our brother is speaking to each of us—Principles and Proverbs lends itself to being read aloud as our first Christadelphian Classic podcast series.
In our Master’s service,
The Wilderness Voice Team