The Forest & the Trees: Recent Episodes
Jef Caine & Jeremy Jernigan
With great power comes great podcastibility! We welcome our first atheist guest - Michael Wiseman Author of The Bible Says What!? He also hosts a podcast of the same name. We discuss our own history with the church, christianity, and why we got into podcasting. We also debate who’s more loving - Jesus or Spiderman?
Check out Michael’s Work
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Special Guest Kevin Garcia joins us to help wrap up Romans. We talk about female apostles, not being divisive, and how Paul’s actually pretty ok.
Check outKevin’s Work
ResourcesCan You Ever Forgive Me?
Bart Ehrmanon the discrepancy between Paul’s letters as it relates to women in ministry
After Jesus before ChristianitybyErin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, Hal Taussig
Forgotten CreedbyStephen J Patterson
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The penultimate chapter of Romans! Jef pushes Jeremy one more time on animal ethics, we also discuss issues of parenting and indoctrination.
TopicsWhy isn’t Jeremy vegan?
Are non-believers unified?
Why is God so needy in asking for praise?
Should you just believe even if you feel nothing?
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Is it okay to eat meat? A Christian Carnivore, a Vegan Atheist, and a Vegan Christian discuss dietary ethics. Jeremy and Jef are joined by Pastor, Church Planter, Spiritual Pioneer, and Vegan Amanda Miller Garber to talk about it.
Topics
Are vegans too judgy?Why don’t Christians care about animal rights?
Why doesn’t God care about animal rights?
Why care so much about a secondary issue?
How does God get everyone to bow down to him without being coercive?
Check out Amanda’s Work
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What is Love? Jef doesn’t seem to know but Paul is pretty confident you should shut up and pay your taxes. Also Jeremy has finally seen Pig and he loved it! Jer and Jef also get into end times stuff, human extinction, and the end of the world.
TopicsPig is a great movie!
Does God choose the politicians?
Is Christian love any different from regular love?
What is love?
Is Jesus coming back or what?
Global population and human extinction
Recommended ReadingPigJeremy’s Blogpost on PigDisarming Scripture by Derek FloodBetter Never to Have Been by David Benatar
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Finally something we agree on. It’s easy to see why Jeremy calls this the most underrated chapter in Romans!
TopicsHas Christianity become the villain?
Spiritual Gifts
Prophecy
Do We need Jesus to be non-violent?
Book RecommendationThe Prophetic ImaginationbyWalter Brueggemann
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Jeremy and Jef further discuss the distinction between the Person and the Principles of Jesus. We also explore idolatry, God making people jealous, whether or not Jeremy is ignoring the mean parts of God, and whether Jef can withdraw God's gifts for his life.
TopicsThe Person or the Principles of Jesus?
What’s so bad about Idolatry?
Is God a Jealous Lover?
Is Jeremy just ignoring the hard parts of scripture?
Is Jef still being called by God?
Book ReferenceThe Supper of the LambByRobert Capon
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It’s Thursday night at summer camp. Time to make a decision for Jesus. Jeremy and Jef discuss the sinner’s prayer, religious diversity, the person of Jesus vs the principles, whether religion has broken Jef’s brain, and the Christian mission to take over the world.
TopicsIs God Moving in the Ministry?
The Sinner’s Prayer
Do Christians want to Convert the world?
Should Christians allow for Religious Diversity?
Does Jef even understand what the Gospel is?
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We have been predestined to talk about Calvinism in Romans 9 and we’ve brought a very special friend! Pastor, Theologian, and Author, Greg Boyd has been elected to lend some scholarly wisdom.
TopicsIs Calvinism true? Do we have free will?
Would you sacrifice yourself to save others?
Are the Israelites God’s chosen people or is Everyone?
Why does God choose some people over others?
Does God Love everyone or Hate certain people?
Can we choose to believe?
Is God okay with us asking questions?
What of those who are destined for destruction?
Check out Greg’s workhttps://reknew.org/
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We bring on our very first guest Ariel from Trans Regret Snoopy Presents the Bible. The three of us consult various translations, discuss the workings of the Holy Spirit, and possibly even find a solution for how Calvinism and Universalism can both be true!
TopicsBible Translations
What’s so great about Romans 8?
What is the sinful nature?
What are the groans?
Does God work everything together for good?
Will everyone be saved?
BooksThe Pastor by Eugene PetersonThe Forgotten Creed by Steven J. PattersonThat All Shall be Saved by David Bentley HartThe Better Angels of our Nature by Steven PinkerCan a calvinist believe they’re not elect?
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We look at divorce and remarriage, revisiting why we crave things that aren't good for us, we're going to try to make sense about when Christians sin, and we'll find out if Jef got rid of his sinful nature when he stopped being a Christian.
TopicsDivorce and Remarriage
Personal Cravings
Can we blame the demons for our bad behavior?
How does a non-believer understand sin?
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We’re back after an unexpected break. Jef complains about how repetitive Paul is getting, we disagree about how similar or different we are, and we dive deeper into the problem of slavery in the Bible.
TopicsAre Jeremy and Jef so different?
Is Paul Speaking literally or metaphorically?
Did Jef miss out on a deeper version of Christianity?
Why is the Bible still okay with Slavery?
Media referencedThe Forgotten Creed by Steven J. PattersonHail Satan?Documentary
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We’re back after some unexpected medical troubles in Jef’s family - the Forest & the Trees has taken a back seat while Jef has been hanging out in the hospital with his wife, praying for healing and contemplating God’s existence. Jef unpacks some of his emotions and Jeremy offers his perspective on sickness, suffering, and prayer.
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It’s Adam & Eve, not Apeman & Evolution am I right folks? Jeremy and Jef debate who’s better between Bob Dylan or Underoath, and which film is better, Tombstone or Pig. We also talk about the Bible
Irresistible By Andy Stanley
TopicsIs Jef on an Epic journey towards salvation?
What about those who feel disappointed in their salvation?
Did Jesus come at the right time?
Is Adam Literal? Does the resurrection need to be literal?
Is original sin a thing?
Are we born perfect?
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It’s the Abraham chapter! We Discuss faith, works, God’s command to sacrifice Isaac, hope, and relations between Islam and Christianity.
TopicsShould Faith be effortless?
Faith v Works
What’s the deal with God telling Abraham to kill Isaac?
Is Hope Naive?
Is it problematic for Christians to view Islam as a distortion of the true faith?
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The line separating good and evil runs between Jeremy & Jef as we hit our first stop on the Romans Road.
TopicsAre we focusing too much on bad Christians?
Are we even allowed to ask if God is good?
Are people basically good or evil?
Paul’s low view of humanity and religious trauma
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We’re settling into a groove here. Hopefully some lighter fare compared to last week.
TopicsIs God Patient?
Does God Play Favorites?
Do we have a moral Conscience?
What’s the Deal with Circumcision?
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Friends, Romans, Theobros, Lend us your ears! Paul saved the worst chapter for first? Jeremy and Jef discuss the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, General Revelation, where does an Atheist get their morality from and the dreaded Clobber passage where Paul shares some thoughts on homosexuality.
TopicsWhat is the Good news for Jews today?
Is general revelation enough to reveal God?
Where does your morality come from?
Is gay sex sinful in the eyes of God?
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I’m thinking we're back! We have turned our listeners over to their evil desires and we'll be covering the book of Romans. Is the Apostle Paul the cranky old uncle Jef makes him out to be or is he in fact an arbiter of good news?
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It’s the final episode on the book of Hebrews! Jeremy and Jef ask each other some final questions, and reflect on the podcast experience so far.
TopicsKindness towards those in prison
Who is “The Person of Jesus?”
Can you follow Jesus outside the church?
Why is Christian media so awful?
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Jeremy and Jef go into the wild and walk the earth.
TopicsWhat does it actually mean to follow Jesus?
God’s Punishment
Jacob and Esau
Does an Atheist have room for God to speak to them?
Holy Fear and Awe
ReferencesPulp Fiction
Into the Wild Book
Into the Wild Movie
A Black Theology of Liberation
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This podcast is fun but it’s not Cinema! We take a slightly more serious and emotional turn as we deal with some big topics in chapter 11.
TopicsIs Faith a Virtue?
Can Atheists please God?
Noah’s Ark - How do you teach problematic passages to children?
Could you come back to the faith without evidence?
Is it dangerous to romanticize and celebrate martyrdom?
Silence the BookSilence the MoviePhilip Goff Secular Christianity
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We get into some end times stuff! Jeremy is way too cool for the left behind series, Jef reveals how he first learned about sex. And more!
TopicsCan other religions honor God?
Are we sure God can't lie?
Being made holy (whatever that means)
Why is it taking so long for Jesus to come back?
Are we sure Jesus isn't coming back pissed?
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The bloody bloody blood blood chapter. Jef and Jeremy go deep on atonement theory. They also discuss God’s omnipresence. But mostly blood.
TopicsIs God actually omnipresent?
Was the crucifixion merely symbolic
If God can’t be around sin how does Jesus hang out with sinners?
Why did God require Blood?
Communion / Transubstantiation
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We’ve gone full Woo Woo. Jeremy’s tries to convince Jef to see the magic in our cynical world. Jef asks if that was God or just the wind? TopicsWorship - Why does God require worship?
Production - Is God all smoke and mirrors?
Enchantment - Is there magic in the real world?
Biblical Literalism - Did God Write the 10 Commandments?
Old v New Covenant - Why not just start out with Jesus?
Is everyone saved by default?
Book RecommendationHunting Magic Eels By Richard Beck
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We’re finally on the Melchizedek chapter! Jeremy asks Jef why we crave things that are not good for us.
TopicsLaziness - Why do we crave things that are bad for us?
Tithing - Why doesn't God just provide?
Tribalism - Why does God choose favorites?
New Testament Clarification - Why not be more clear?
Blood Sacrifice - Why tho?
McDonalds of the Soul
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We discuss the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (it’s not as complicated as it sounds) the raising of the dead, deconstruction, religious experience, guilt, shame, open theism, and more.
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We take on issues of money with the Church and annihilate the concept of Hell. Also Melchizedek is the Boba Fett of the Bible.
TopicsJeremy's Story
Money / Tithing
Melchizedek / Prophecy
Hell / Universalism
Should Christians be jerks?
Book RecommendationsHer Gates Will Never Be Shut
That All Shall Be Saved
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We get a little sleepy as we talk about divine rest. Jef dares to question if God is indeed all powerful, if the Bible is even that deep, and pontificates on the origins of the universe.
Video Referenced
Is the Big Band the Best Explanation?
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We’d love to hear from you.Email us at forestandtreespod@gmail.com
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In chapter 3 we get into the distinction between creationism and naturalism, more old v new covenant talk, the story of Israel and Humanity at Large, and a wholehearted celebration of uncertainty.
Book RecommendationsCrucifixion of the Warrior God
Cross Vision
Benefit of the Doubt
The Myth of Certainty
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We move onto Hebrews Chapter 2 and discuss deconstruction, divine healing, veganism and animal rights, atonement theory, free will, the problem of suffering, and more.
Video on Animal Rights
Peter Singer on Animal Liberation
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Hebrews chapter 1. Jef finally gets to ask Jeremy his burning questions. Topics include progressive revelation, corporal punishment, the concept of kingdom, divine justice, climate change, enemy love, angel sightings, and more!
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Welcome to our first episode ever! Before we jump into the book of Hebrews we do some table setting. We discuss our ever evolving relationship with the Bible and what we each hope to get out of the process.
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