Ep. 8 Robert Roberts and the Fandom of John Thomas

Today we’re learning about the unofficial president of the John Thomas fan club, Robert Roberts. In this episode, we’ll be taking a critical look at whether this famous Christadelphian leader was actually just a follower. I’ll be sharing with you “respectable heathens” stories about Robert Roberts’ childhood, his quirks, and the chance he missed to leave behind the drama of the Christadelphians forever. I hope you’re as surprised as I was to learn the bizarre ways that he honored John Thomas throughout his lifetime, and even in death. I’ll also share a Christadelphian exhortation drinking game, a request for the whereabouts of a lost object, and a story about a legendary exhortation at the Moorestown ecclesia. Please also stay tuned to the end for another “ad” from one of our “sponsors”.

Resources and References:

“My Days and My Ways” by Robert Roberts, 1894

https://www.antipas.org/pdf_files/my_days_and_my_ways.pdf

“Robert Roberts: A Study of the Life and Character” by Islip Collyer

https://christadelphianlibrary.com/products/robertroberts-collyer

John Thomas His Friends and His Faith by Peter Hemingray, 2003

https://christadelphianlibrary.com/products/johnthomashisfriends-hisfaith-hemingray

GIlmore Girls tv series, Season 6 episode 8 “Why did you drop out of Yale?”

“Elpis Israel” by John Thomas

https://christadelphia.net/PDF/jtEI.pdf *fourteenth edition

https://ia803407.us.archive.org/7/items/elpisisraelexpos00thomiala/elpisisraelexpos00thomiala.pdf *ninth edition

Goosebumps tv series, “Welcome to Dead House”

Ex-Christadelphians.com, “Who was Robert Roberts?”

https://www.ex-christadelphians.com/2021/02/who-was-robert-roberts.html

“Escaping Twin Flames” Documentary, Netflix

Jonestown, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown

The Christadelphian magazine,formerly The Ambassador of the Coming Age, accessed via https://thechristadelphianlibrary.com/category/digital-library/magazines/ (Subscription required)

-November 1869, free version available to view at: https://www.antipas.org/library/Magazines/The%20Christadelphian%20Magazine/The%20Ambassador%20&%20The%20Christadelphian%20-%201869.pdf

-July 1871 edition, free version available to view at:

https://www.antipas.org/library/Magazines/The%20Christadelphian%20Magazine/The%20Christadelphian%20-%201871.pdf July edition starting page 199, quotes can be found page 217 and 219

“The Early History of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Britain with Historical, Critical, and Social Reminiscences of Persons, Places, and Events” compiled by William Norrie, Vol III

https://christadelphia.net/PDF/norrie3.pdf

Ancestry.com, Roberts Family Tree

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/174807481?cfpid=272267503058&dtid=100

Tidings article mentioning Roberts’ son Edward leaving the Christadelphians:

https://tidings.org/articles/robert-roberts-in-north-america/

Coraline (book) by Neil Gaiman, 2002

Coraline Movie adaption 2009

The Life After Leaving Podcast: An Ex-Christadelphian Podcast

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