This Strange Land

In this episode of This Strange Land, Monsignor Shea explores the concept of the ”Religion of the Day,” its empty promises, and how the enemy’s tactics lure us into a new, deceptive faith. Through engaging storytelling, he emphasizes the power of the Christian narrative, urging listeners to rediscover the kerygma, and recognize how Jesus and His love alone makes the world make sense.

Show Notes

In this episode of This Strange Land, Monsignor Shea explores the concept of the "Religion of the Day," its empty promises, and how the enemy’s tactics lure us into a new, deceptive faith. Through engaging storytelling, he emphasizes the power of the Christian narrative, urging listeners to rediscover the kerygma, and recognize how Jesus and His love alone makes the world make sense.

 

Our Guest: Monsignor James P. Shea was inaugurated in 2009 as the sixth president of the University of Mary. Msgr. Shea grew up on a dairy farm near Hazelton, North Dakota. He earned a bachelor's degree and a licentiate in philosophy as a Basselin Fellow in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, later studying theology at the Gregorian and Lateran universities in Rome. Upon completion of his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Msgr. Shea was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck in 2002. Bio retrieved from The National Eucharistic Congress.

Resources for you:

From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by the University of St. Mary 

The Religion of the Day by the University of St. Mary 

Mentioned by Monsignor Shea:

Land of my Sojourn – Rich Mullens

Listen on YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

No Hard Feelings - The Avett Brothers

Listen on YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

Christian Mythic Narrative

Listen on Prime Matters

The Rescue Project by Acts XXIX

Learn more

The Bible in a Year

Listen on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

The Rule of St. Benedict

Order on Amazon


Stay connected

Thank you for listening to this episode with Monsignor Shea. If you’d like to journey deeper into the topics we discussed today, we’ve included links to the University of Mary’s books which we highly recommend, as well as other resources mentioned in the podcast. 

If this episode encouraged you, make sure to subscribe on your favourite platform and follow us on Instagram to be notified about our latest episodes. 

Follow us on Instagram 

Noteworthy quotes
  • “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in this strange land?” – Psalms 137:4
  • “The dogma is the drama.” - Dorothy Sayer
  • “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” -  Blaise Pascal
  • “Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death overtake you.” - St. Benedict

What is This Strange Land?

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in this strange land? Like the Israelites in Babylon called out in Psalms 137, we are also called to be God’s people in a time that is foreign and seemingly distant from its Creator. Together we explore the changing world we live in and how Church leaders can navigate these unknown territories. Hear from leaders around the Christian world, gathering insight on how they are breaking through the noise and navigating ministry in this strange land.