The Christian Church an Imperial Power - Dr. Mark Fulk

This is a podcast conversation between host Ron Snyder and Dr. Mark Fulk, a 19th-century British literature scholar at Buffalo State University, discussing John Henry Newman's 1842 sermon The Christian Church an Imperial Power.
Dr. Fulk shares how his Anglican faith journey and literary interests led him to Newman, and describes his current book project arguing Newman's Anglican sermons deserve recognition as literature. The conversation focuses on Newman's vision of Christ's kingdom as an imperial but spiritual force — one that spreads not through military conquest but through missionary work, teaching, and righteous living, drawing heavily on Isaiah and the Psalms. Newman's repeated rhetorical questions ("Has it not spread? Has it not taken the cause of the poor?") are highlighted as a powerful defense of the Church's enduring historical presence. The discussion also wrestles with the tension in Newman's imagery — the violent, conquering language of empire balanced by themes of clemency, humility, and parental care — and how Newman tempers that imagery by grounding it fully in Scripture. Both host and guest close with appreciation for Newman's refusal to sanitize Scripture and his insistence that the Church's ultimate victory unfolds in God's time, not ours.

To approach Newman's majestic thought it is highly recommended to download the formatted sermon at www.newmanontap.com. Comments and suggestions are appreciated on the same site.