The Reverend Hunter Podcast

Fifth Monday

Tony and Brandon discuss how death is endemic to hunting, how we stay attuned to the animals we kill, what it feels like to be a first-time hunter, why Aristotle was better than Plato, and more. Please rate, review, subscribe, and share!Thanks to SCHEELS (https://www.scheels.com/)

James Chiavarini: ”I don’t think we should be better than a leopard”

Tony chats with London-based Italian chef and avid hunter, James Chiavarini. They discuss the 30% rule, shooting for the pot, pairing wild game with its natural environment, being biologically omnivorous, duck hunting in Wales, stalking red stags, the blueprint of our inner workings, and some wild game cooking tips for Thanksgiving. You can find James's restaurant at https://www.famigliaportico.co.uk/ and read his blog post about hunting at https://www.famigliaportico.co.uk/field-notes-james/healing-effects-of-nature. Follow James on Twitter @ilporticolondon and on Instagram @james_chiavarini.

Jill Carroll: ”Predation is the contract of existence”

Tony talks with Jill Carroll, scholar of world religions and avid bird hunter. They discuss mosquitoes as big as teal, Texas hunting leases, losing faith at ORU, when your mom is the best hunter in the family, women who can do everything, reclaiming violent images of God, hubris and magical thinking, how the natural world does not conform to our moral categories, and more. You can find Jill at jillcarroll.com.

Rob Bell: ”Everything Is Spiritual”

Tony sits down with bestselling author and renowned speaker, Rob Bell, author of the new book, Everything Is Spiritual. Tony and Rob talk about whether they met in seminary, the awesomeness of dogs, why endings are painful but also good, getting criticized, leaving church ministry, how you know when it's time for a change, the spirituality of surfing, the spirituality of hunting, and more. Get Rob's new book here: https://amzn.to/3jDmDYN.

Michael Chan: ”Humanity activates empathy.”

Tony is joined in his backyard by Michael Chan, Old Testament professor, big game hunter, and founder of the God and Guns Project. Tony and Michael discuss hunting antelope out West, living in Isanti, joining the Navy at age 35, gutless quartering, honesty-local-conservation, stockipiling ducks, and more. You can find Michael on Instagram at @seizedbylight and listen to his podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/680528https://waltonsinc.com/ | https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/

Billy Vaughn: ”We call him Big Nasty.”

Billy Vaughn served in the marine corps for 21 years, then he attended seminary, voluntarily lived in a van on Skid Row, and started a recovery farm in Arkansas, where he now lives. Billy and Tony talk about getting shunned from church, going from poor to really poor, seven deployments and three combat tours, reading the Bible in Fallujah, asking a game warden for grace, hunting a buck named Big Nasty, and more. You can support Billy and his wife, April, at sanctuaryfarm.org. This episode is sponsored by the Meatgistics Podcast from Walton's. https://waltonsinc.com/ | https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/

Bracy Hill: ”Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord.”

Tony's guest is Bracy Hill, a hunter and conservationist, an historian and theologian, a rancher and a professor at Baylor University, and the primary author and editor of God, Nimrod, and the World: Exploring Christian Perspectives on Sport Hunting. Tony and Bracy discuss Roman Catholics who drink whiskey while speaking in tongues, Texas ranchettes, growing up dirt poor, Pentecostal ministers, high fence hunting, speaking at Baylor chapel, shooting a feral elk, hating on Texas hunters, and who the hell is Nimrod? Find Bracy at BracyHill.com.

Murphy Robinson: ”I think of a deer as a person.”

Tony's guest this time is Murphy Robinson, a trans-masculine, pagan huntress. They discuss identities, being an animist, talking to trees and deer when they're alive, taking spirit journeys to deer when they're dead, living in a tiny house, the prayer before a hunt, trance work, the Norse goddess Skaði, and more. Find Murphy at http://mountainsongexpeditions.com. This episode is brought to you by Walton's and their Meatgistics podcast.https://www.waltonsinc.com : https://www.meatgistics.com

Rob Drieslein: ”When I go to the ballot box I’m thinking about conservation.”

Tony welcomes Rob Drieslein, managing editor of the Outdoor News. They talk about staying true to a religious heritage, convincing a Methodist to become a Lutheran, growing up in wildlife refuges, whether the Trump administration is the worst ever for conservation, the 30 Years War, hunting caribou in Alaska, losing faith, whether outdoors journalism has perks, and how to have hope in the face of bad news. Read Rob's columns at https://www.outdoornews.com/category/blogs/minblogs/rob-drieslein/ and find him on Twitter at @ODN_Editor. This episode is sponsored by Meatgistics from Walton's. https://waltonsinc.com/ | https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/

Barbara Brown Taylor: ”I feel held and destroyed by the earth”

Tony talks with best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor about the Holy Spirit as a bird, why living on a farm means you can't be romantic about death, the redemptive sound of the loon call, experiencing the sacred on the land, how place is a spiritual director, being hopelessly pagan, and more. Find Barbara's books at https://amzn.to/3ex4bNS.