Rethinking Faith: Recent Episodes
(Re)thinking Faith
This week Jared Morningstar joins me for some metaphysical musings... Oh yeah, it's nerdy all right! What would happen if a process philosopher walked into a bar with a Neoplatonist? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest... but maybe it could look something like this? Enjoy!
Resources:
JaredMorningstar.com
Center For Process Studies
This week, Tripp Fuller joined me for a 'surprise' conversation... I literally had no idea what we were going to talk about or what Tripp wanted to tell me. Turns out, he wanted to reveal the top 8 most frequently asked "God" questions from a survey of 3,500 non-theologically trained people. We had a blast! Enjoy.
Resources:
Theology Beer Camp
Join the Patreon
This week Dr. Bruce Epperly joins the podcast once again for a fun and wide-ranging conversation about Jesus. Bruce offers a beautiful vision of Jesus of Nazareth the mystic, healer, and prophet who is always more than we can imagine. This Jesus embraces all times, places, and people with his mystical union with God, his healing presence, and his transforming prophetic witness. Enjoy!
Resources:
Jesus: Mystic, Healer, Prophet
Reiki Healing Touch: And the Way of Jesus
Theology Beer Camp
This week I was joined by Benjamin Perry to discuss ideas from his new book, "Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter". We take a deep dive into the transformative power of tears, explore how crying is an act of resistance, and ask how can our tears build a more beautiful world. Enjoy!
Resources:
Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter (Book)
Middle Church Website
BenjaminPerry.com
Theology Beer Camp Tickets and Info
This week I am joined by my new friend Dr. Royce Fitts to discuss his new book, "The Geography of the Soul: Dreams, Reality, and the Journey of a Life Time.". Royce shares his own spiritual journey, his own stravage, and invites us to join him. Enjoy!
Resources:
RoyceFitts.com
Theology Beer Camp
This week Grace Ji-Sun Kim joins the show to talk about the Holy Spirit. This was a fun conversation and we approached the Holy Spirit a bit differently than your average Sunday School teacher. Enjoy!
Don't forget to use code "RETHINKINGGODPOD" for $25 off Theology Beer Camp!
Resources:
TheologyBeer.Camp
Grace Ji-Sun Kim Books
This week, I had the pleasure of being joined by Rabbi Wayne Allen to discuss his book "Thinking about Good and Evil: Jewish Views from Antiquity to Modernity". What have been some of the approaches to the problem of evil from within the Jewish tradition? Rabbi Allen's book offers 35 different answers to the problem of evil... we discuss a few of them. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Thinking About Good and Evil (Book)
RabbiWayneAllen.ca
This week, Jason Micheli from the Crackers and Grape Juice Podcast joins me for 20ish Q's. We had a fun time playing my silly game and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed talking. Enjoy!
Resources:
Crackers and Grape Juice
TheologyBeer.Camp
This week 20ish Q's returns with Jason Micheli from Crackers and Grape Juice. Enjoy!
Resources:
Crackers and Grape Juice
This week I am joined by Daniel A. Downbrowski to discuss mystical and spiritual experiences through the lens of Process philosophy. Can Classical Theism account for such experiences? Dan thinks not! We walk through a few critiques of Classical Theism and introduce so different ways of thinking about God. Enjoy.
Resources:
Process Mysticism (Book)
Join the Patreon
This week I am joined by Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza to have a conversation centered around their book "Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation". We ask the seemingly simple question, "What is a body", and then discuss how we have been cut off from our bodies and what the implications of that have been. We talk about our own journies of becoming embodied and how the hard work of becoming can help us create a more beautiful world where every-body counts. Enjoy!
Resources:
Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation (Book)
RobertoChe.com
Activist Theology Project
Become a Patron
This week Terence Lester returns to the podcast to discuss his latest book "All God's Children: How Confronting Buriend History Can Build Racial Solidarity". We have a deep and engaging conversation sharing stories and experiences in regard to racism. We dream of a better world where every-body counts. Enjoy!
Resources:
TerenceLester.Org
Love Beyond Walls
All God's Children (Book)
Join Our Patreon
This week I am joined by Myron Penner for an intro of sorts to Cognitive Science of Religion. What happens when we apply the helpful tools of CSR to the study of Religion and Theology? Does CSR explain away God, Religion, or our Theology? Have a listen and decide for yourself. Enjoy!
Resources:
MyronAPenner.com
Join the Patreon
This week, Lyndsey Medford joins the podcast to discuss her latest book "My Body and Other Crumbling Empires: Lessons for Healing in a World That Is Sick". What wisdom can we learn from our bodies and how can healing our bodies help us heal a world that is sick? Enjoy!
Resources:
My Body and Other Crumbling Empires (Book)
Join the Patreon
This week I am joined by returning guest and friend of the podcast Thomas Jay Oord. Tom also brought another special guest to the show, his daughter Alexa!
Tom and Alexa have recently released an edited volume called "Why the Church of the Nazarene Should Be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming". With over 90 essays written by members of the LGBTQ+ community, Allys, and Scholars, this new volume is deeply moving and builds a solid case for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ folks. Enjoy!
Resources:
Why the Church of the Nazarene Should Be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming (Book)
ThomasJayOord.com
This week I was joined by Dr. Jeffrey Pugh. Pugh is a Bonhoeffer scholar and we had a beautiful conversation about Bonhoeffer and what he may have to say to us today.
Dr. Pugh will be cohosting a class with Dr. Tripp Fuller on Bonhoeffer and the future of the faith. The class will feature both Pugh and Fuller along with 5 other Bonhoeffer scholars.
Resources:
Join the Class!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Readers Eddition
This week we have the second edition of our new series 20ish Q's. Tripp Fuller was the previous guest and Todd Littleton is who Tripp nominated. Enjoy.
Resources:
Crackers and Grape Juice
This week I am joined by Heather Hamilton to discuss her new book "Returning to Eden: A Field Guide for the Spiritual Journey". We had an awesome conversation reimaging familiar bible stories, talking about mystical experiences, and engaging our spiritual journies. Enjoy!
Resources:
Join the Patreon!
ReturningToEden.com
Returning to Eden (Book)
Follow Heather on Facebook
Follow Heather on Instagram
This week Philip Clayton joins the podcast to discuss the wonders of Panentheism. Panentheism has played a major role in the faith journies of both of us and we wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!
Resources:
EcoCiv.org
In Whom We Live and Move and Have Our Being: Panentheistic Reflections on God's Presence in a Scientific World (Book)
This week Josh was joined by Sarah Lane Ritchie to discuss Spiritual Technologies... you know, smells, bells, and psychedelics. This was a fun conversation that covered a lot of ground. Josh even shares a story that he has not shared publicly before. Enjoy!
This week we are starting a new series on the podcast! Once / a month or so I will be joined by a podcaster who will have to answer my 20ish Q's. Each podcaster will then have to nominate a new podcaster to come on and play the game. If you are a patron of the show, you can send in new possible questions to be added/subbed into the list. Enjoy!
Resources:
TrippFuller.com
Join the Patreon!
This week Mason Mennenga joins the podcast to discuss some fun ideas from his thesis. This was a fun conversation and we covered a lot of ground including embodiment, emergence, panpsychism, God and much more! Enjoy.
Resources:
MasonMennenga.com
Join Our Patreon
This week Sarey Martin Concepción hangs out for an awesome episode! We talk about the interminglings of Creativity and spirituality. This episode gets deep and personal pretty quickly but is also filled with laughter and joy. Enjoy!
Resources:
Secret Art Project
Wine Maker Movie
This week, Josh hung out on the "Church and Other Drugs" podcast and had a fun talk with Jed and Dan Koch. This is a rebroadcast of that conversation. Enjoy. and go check out "Church and Other Drugs".
Resources:
Join Our Patreon
Church and Other Drugs
You Have Permission
Pretty Good Vibrations
This week, Bradley Onishi joins the podcast to discuss his book "Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism -- And What Comes Next". Enjoy.
Resources:
Preparing for War (book)
Straight White American Jesus
This week, Andrew Davis joins the show to discuss his work "Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy". Davis offers a beautiful and compelling case for the relationality and ultimacy of mind, value, and cosmos. Instead of focusing on a singular, individual philosophical question and arguing for its ultimacy, Davis instead asks, what if mind, value, and the cosmos all need to be considered from within their relationality to one another? Enjoy!
Resources:
Mind, Value, and Cosmos (Book)
Center for Process Studies
Join our Patreon
This week I am joined by Bethany N. Sollereder to ask the difficult question, why is there suffering? Bethany has recently put out a 'choose your own theological adventure' book looking at diverse answers to this difficult question. Enjoy!
Resources:
Why Is There Suffering? (Book)
Join the Patreon
Resources:
What Is Ecological Civilization (Book)
Center For Process Studies
Institute For Ecological Civilization
Join Our Patreon!
This week, Phenomenological Philosopher and Kierkegaard Scholar Aaron Simmons came back to the show to hang out. This time around Josh and Aaron discuss aging and death in light of the question, 'what will you do with your finitude?'. Enjoy!
Resources:
Philosophy For Where We Find Ourselves
Join Our Patreon
This week we have the privilege of sharing a conversation that Josh had at Theology Beer Camp about the Atonement. Josh hosted a live podcast featuring a panel of amazing scholars from a diverse spectrum of backgrounds. Enjoy!
Resources:
Experiencing God Class
Join Our Patreon
For our final episode of 2022, we are joined by our good friend Dr. Thomas Jay Oord to discuss Amipotence, the power of love. Oord is currently working on a new book, "The Death of Omnipotence... and the Birth of Amipotence". We take a look at the downfalls of the doctrine of Omnipotence and seek to replace it with the power of love, Amipotence. Enjoy!
Resources:
Pluriform Love (Book)
Join our Patreon
This week we are joined by J.R. Daniel Kirk to discuss the most misused, problematic, and proof-texted letter in the Bible... Romans. Daniel has a new book out "Romans For Normal People" and it's fantastic! We had a great conversation. Enjoy.
Resources:
Romans For Normal People
Join Our Patreon
This week, Jonathan Foster joins us to discuss his new book "Theology of Consent: Mimetic Theory in an Open and Relational Universe". Foster has made the first published attempt at bringing these two powerful ideas together! This conversation only scratched the surface... be sure to pick up a copy of his new book. Enjoy.
Resources:
Theology of Consent (Book)
Join Our Patreon!
This week we were joined by Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals. We hear a bit about Tim's story, and then jump into what Tim believes to be the biggest issue facing the Church in America today... Christian Nationalism. Enjoy!
Resources:
TheNewEvangelicals.com
Support Us On Patreon
This week, Josh and Greg sit down together to discuss Soteriology aka the Doctrine of Salvation. What does it mean to be saved? Who is saved? What are we saved from? All that kind of stuff... Enjoy!
This week, Dan Koch joins us to give us the "why" behind his new podcast "Pretty Good Vibrations". We get to hear some of Dan's story and have a lot of fun talking about music. This was a fun episode, we hope you enjoy it!
Resources:
Pretty Good Vibrations Podcast
DanKochWords.com
This week, Greg and Josh were joined by their friends Tina Olsen and Trace Bell to talk about Wholeness. Tina and Trace also recently launched a new website where they are doing amazing things! Enjoy.
Resources:
Open Aware (Website)
TinaMarieOlsen.com
TraceBelll.com
This week Dr. Angela Parker joins the podcast to discuss her book "If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority". We break down and discuss the ways that the Bible has been used as a tool of White Supremacy. Enjoy!
Resources:
If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? (Book)
Join Our Patreon
This week, Greg and Josh sat down with Timothy Beal to talk about his latest book "When Time Is Short: Finding Our Way In The Anthropocene". When time is short is a meditation on what may be a finite human future. How did we get into the climate crisis we find ourselves in? How does that impact our theology? Can we imagine a new relationship with creation and the natural world? Enjoy!
Resources:
When Time Is Short (Book)
Join Our Patreon
Theology Beer Camp is only a few days away! Tripp Fuller joins us to discuss a process atonement and plug Beer Camp. Enjoy!
Resources:
Theology Beer Camp Website
(Re)thinking Faith Patreon
This week Greg and Josh had the privilege of hanging out with Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty to discuss her new book Chingona. We had a great conversation about owning our inner badass and seeking spiritual healing. Enjoy!
Resources:
Chingona: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing and Justice (Book)
This week, Greg interviewed Josh and took a deep dive into Josh's story. We start at the beginning of Josh's faith journey when he first started going to church and end with where he is at today. We discuss his time as a pastor, his transition into brewing, and his spiritual journey as a whole. Random parts of Josh's story have been shared on the podcast in the past, but never in this long-form format and all in one place. Enjoy!
This week Dr. Bruce Epperly joins us to have a fun conversation about Process Theology and Religious Pluralism. This was a wide-ranging conversation covering a lot of ground! Bruce was fun to talk too and we had a blast. Enjoy!
Resources:
The Elephant is Running (Book)
This week, we were joined by Brittany Muller to discuss her use of Tarot Cards as a contemplative prayer practice. Brittany helped dispel some of the myths and mysteries around the Tarot and we had a beautiful conversation about inner work, prayer, and connecting with God. Enjoy!
Resources:
The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards (Book)
Blessed.Vigil (Brittany's Instagram)
This week Greg and Josh are joined by their new friend Ben Sternke and Matt Tebbe to discuss what it means to have the mind of Christ. In their new book, "Having the Mind of Christ" Ben and Matt offer 8 axioms for a more robust and holistic faith. Enjoy!
Resources:
Having the Mind of Christ (Book)
Gravity Leadership
This week we Josh and Greg were joined by Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher to discuss her new translation of "Practice of the Presence" by Brother Lawrence. Carmen's translation is fantastic! She brings a lot to the table with her new translation and to this conversation. Enjoy!
Resources:
Practice of the Presence (Book)
The Cloud of Unknowing (Book)
This week Josh and Greg are joined by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw to discuss ideas from her new book Scapegoats: The Gospel Through the Eyes of the Victims. Enjoy!
Resources:
Scapegoats: The Gospel Through the Eyes of the Victims (Book)
This week, Josh and Greg were joined by Nelson Boschman to talk about spiritual growth and fine wine. Nelson took a sabbatical and spent time working in a vineyard... then he wrote a book about wine and spiritual growth. We had a wonderful conversation grounded in the metaphor of wine. Enjoy!
Resources:
The Growing Season: Contemplations on Wine and the Soul (book)
Artisan Church
This week, Josh & Greg tackle our three centers of knowing: Body, Heart and Mind. Learning to trust all three of these infinitely wise centers and having them in alignment is a key aspect of the spiritual journey. Enjoy!
Resources:
Second Breath Center
Theology Beer Camp
That's right folks, (Re)thinking Faith is back! This week we introduce our new cohost Greg Farrand. We take a deep dive into his story and also discuss the vision and future for (Re)thinking Faith. We are both very excited to share with you all what we have been working on. Enjoy!
Resources:
Second Breath Center
Josh recently did some podcasting for the first time in months! He was a guest on Church and Other Drugs with our good friend Jedd. Enjoy!
This week, friend of the podcast Brian McLaren returns to ask an important question with me... do I stay Christian? Enjoy.
Resources:
BrianMclaren.net
Center for Action and Contemplation
Do I Stay Christian (Book)
This week, long-time friend Thomas Jay Oord returns to the podcast. Tom has a new book and it is fantastic! We sat down and had a great conversation around some of the main themes and points. Enjoy!
Resources:
Pluriform Love (Book)
ThomasJayOord.com
Center For Open and Relational Theology
This week I hung out with my friend Ariel aka Trans Regret Snoopy to discuss Colossians 1:15-20. Things get very Cosmic very fast! I had a ton of fun with this conversation and hope you enjoy it!
Resources:
Trans Regret Snoopy Presents the Bible Podcast
Trans Regret Snoopy Patreon
Is Your God Big Enough? Close Enough? You Enough? (Book)
Why do we talk so much about love, but often fail to be loving? This is the question behind Molly LaCroix's new book "Restoring Relationship: Transforming Fear into Love Through Connection". Molly is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in the Internal Family Systems model.
Resources:
Restoring Relationship (Book)
MollyLaCroix.com
This week I got to hang out with Tripp Fuller. I invited Tripp on to discuss the historic Jesus with me, and to ask some questions I had been sitting on but was too afraid to ask. The conversation was awesome and we had a blast! Enjoy.
Resources:
TrippFuller.com
Jesus De/Constructed Class
Homebrewed Christianity
This week I was joined by John Mabry to discuss the importance of interfaith dialogue. Seeking and finding wisdom within other faith traditions has been helpful to both John and myself in our own journies as Christians. Enjoy.
Resources:
Soul Journeys (Book)
A Christian Walks in the Footsteps of the Buddha (Book)
This week my friend Greg Farrand joins me to do another deep dive into our spiritual journies. Buddhism has become a surprising and very helpful friend to both Greg and I and we wanted to introduce you all to that friend. Buddhism has made us both better Christians and we know it will help you too! Enjoy.
Resources:
Second Breath Center Website
This week my good friend Dr. Jace Broadhurst returns to the podcast. We had a fun conversation trying to trace the development of Satan throughout the Bible. So who or what is the Satan? Let's find out together. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Reviving Old Scratch (Book)
This week I had the privilege of being joined by one of my former professors, Dr. Eric A. Seibert. It's no secret that the Old Testament is a difficult section of Scripture to read and it causes a variety of issues to many. Seibert wrote a compelling guide to enjoying the Old Testament that takes seriously the concerns of many. Enjoy!
Resources:
Enjoying the Old Testament (book)
This week I had the joy of hanging out with Trace Bell once again. We discuss our spiritual journies and the areas of growth we have been experiencing over the past year. Trace introduced me to Rupert Spira and his work has been so helpful to me, so we decided to do an episode discussing some of Spira's main points. Come hang out and experience the nature of consciousness with us. Enjoy!
Resources:
TraceBelll.com
Rupert Spira Author Page
Rupert Spira Youtube Channel
Radical Wholeness (book)
This week I had the privilege of sharing conversation with John Philip Newell. John is an internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher and speaker who helped show me the beautiful tradition of Celtic Christianity. The Celtic wisdom tradition can enable us to rediscover the natural rhythms of life and deepen our spiritual connection with God, each other, and the earth. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Sacred Earth Sacred Soul (Book)
The Rebirthing of God (Book)
EarthAndSoul.Org (John's Website)
This week, J. Aaron Simmons joins me to discuss philosopher/theologian Soren Kierkegaard. Although Kierkegaard died in 1855, his message has deep resonance and relevance today. Enjoy!
Resources:
Philosophy For Where We Find Ourselves (Youtube)
Walking with Kierkegaard (Online Class)
This week, I was joined by Catherine Keller to discuss the wonder of Process Theology. What is Process Theology? Why do I find it so appealing? Listen, find out and enjoy!
RESOURCES:
On The Mystery (Book)
Facing Apocalypse (Book)
This week, I invited Dan Koch and Matt Carter to join me for a very interesting conversation. What does it mean to all yourself a Christian? In what meaningful way can we still call ourselves Christians? Who gets to decide if we are Christians or not? Enjoy!
This week my friends Chad & Steve join me to discuss and reflect on the Netflix film "Pray Away". This is a film by Ryan Murphy that engages Ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called "conversion therapy" movement as they speak out about its harm to the LGBTQ+ community and its devastating persistence.
The episode was the idea of my friend Chad, a survivor of "conversion therapy". Chad offered us new insights and perspectives into the film and the lives of those directly affected by "conversion therapy". Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Pray Away (film)
Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story
There are qualities we all yearn to experience in our lives - peace, simplicity, grace, connection, clarity. Yet these qualities evade us, because each of them arises from an experience of wholeness, and we live in a culture that enforces divisions within each of us.
This week, Philip Shepherd joins me in conversation to discuss the countless ways in which we are persuaded to separate from the body and live in the head. Disconnected from the body's intelligence, we also disconnect from the wholeness of the present. This schism within us is the primary source of stress not just in our personal lives, but for the systems of the planet.
I really enjoyed this conversation and am excited to share it with you all. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
New Self New World (Book)
Radical Wholeness (Book)
Deep Fitness (Book)
EmbodiedPresent.com
This week Terry Wildman joins the podcast to talk about a brand new Bible translation, 'The First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament'.
The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. Whether you are Native or not, you will experience the Scriptures in a fresh and new way. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
The First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament
FirstNationsVersion.com
This week I was joined by my friend Greg Farrand for a conversation you will not want to miss. Greg is the Executive Director of Second Breath an organization committed to 'teach spiritual practice and ancient Christian wisdom, and together, to celebrate as these learnings transform lives and the world.'
Greg and I have a very deep, raw and honest conversation about our spiritual journies. We are both former pastors with very similar stories. Our hope is to invite you into our stories and into our spiritual journies in hopes that you will find yourself there as well. Enjoy!
The Scriptures are an essential aspect of the Christian faith. But often they are equated with the living Word Himself (Jesus), even elevating them above the One to whom they point. This has distorted their central message—and fractured our view of God. Tragically, this has caused multitudes of people unnecessary doubt, confusion, and pain in their encounters with the Scriptures.
Many of us understand God as being truly loving and good. But what do we do with depictions of God in Scripture as wrathful, violent, and genocidal. These “toxic texts” have caused some to set aside their Bibles and have led others to completely reject their faith.
Author and theologian Bradley Jersak has wrestled deeply with such passages over many years. He has experienced the same questions, doubt, and pain. In A More Christlike Word, he offers a clarifying and freeing path forward. Brad calls this path the “Emmaus Way” because it demonstrates how Jesus regarded all Scripture as fulfilled in himself, the final Word of God who reveals the true nature of the Father. Enjou!
RESOURCES:
A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way (Book)
BradJersak.com
This week I invited my friend Joey Lantz on the show to have a deep and very personal conversation. Stealing the idea from my buddy Dan koch, I invited Joey on to discuss the god he no longer believes in and to find out if I believe in that god either.
Joey grew up a Christian and now identifies as an atheist. I wanted to have Joey on to hear his story and find some common ground. Enjoy!
This week, Dr. Thomas Jay Oord returns to the podcast for the fourth time. We had an awesome conversation focused around Tom's latest book "Open and Relational Theology: An Introduction to Life-Changing Ideas".
Open and Relational Theology has been a steady theme on the show, however, we never did a proper episode just on Open and Relational Theology. So this week, Tom and I sat down for an introductory, and sometimes nerdy, conversation that we hope you find helpful. Enjoy!
Resources:
Open and Relational Theology (Book)
ThomasJayOord.com
Center for Open and Relational Theology
All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, today is Marty's last week on the show. We talk about his experience and celebrate all that Marty has done. Best of luck Marty! Peace and love bro.
Guess who's back, back again... Prop is back! Tell yo' friends.
In Propaganda's latest book, "Terraform", he looks at the ways in which our world is broken. Using the metaphor of terraforming—creating a livable world out of an inhospitable one—he shows how we can begin to reshape our homes, friendships, communities, and politics.
In this transformative time—when we are redefining what a truly just and equitable world looks like, and reflecting on the work that needs to be done both in our spiritual and secular lives—Propaganda rallies us to create that just world. He sheds light on how nefarious origin stories have skewed our views of ourselves and others and allowed gross injustices, and demonstrates how great storytelling and excellent art can create and shape new perspectives of the world and make all of us better. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Terraform: Building a Better World (book)
When Rachel Pieh Jones moved from Minnesota to rural Somalia with her husband and twin toddlers eighteen years ago, she was secure in a faith that defined who was right and who was wrong, who was saved and who needed saving. She had been taught that Islam was evil, full of lies and darkness, and that the world would be better without it.
Luckily, locals show compassion for Jones who can’t keep her headscarf on or her toddlers from tripping over AK-47s. After the murder of several foreigners forces them to evacuate, the Joneses resettle in nearby Djibouti.
Jones recounts the personal encounters and growing friendships that gradually dismantle her unspoken fears and prejudices and deepen her appreciation for Islam. Unexpectedly, along the way she also gains a far richer understanding of her own Christian faith. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus (book)
This week, Terence Lester joins the show for the second time! It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the injustices that we see in the world. We don't know what to do and might think that we don't have anything to offer. But by using our gifts in collaboration with others, we can do more together than we ever could on our own.
Mobilizing and acting together empowers us to do what we can't do as isolated individuals. Lester looks at the obstacles that prevent us from getting involved, and he offers practical ways that we can accomplish things together as groups, families, churches, and communities. Togetherness and community give visible testimony of the power of the gospel. In this broken world, the body of Christ can transform society―when we stand together. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together (Book)
This week, Ben Kirby joined us to discuss the ideas in his new book "PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities".
What started as a joke account on Instagram has turned into a movement. Through this provocative project, the Ben is helping thousands of Jesus followers wrestle with the inevitable dilemmas created by a culture obsessed with image and entertainment: pastors wearing Gucci sneakers and carrying Louis Vuitton bags while their churches grow more and more obsessed with celebrity and fame. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
PreacnersNSneakers (Book)
PreachersNSneakers.Com
This week, Gabriel Gordon helps us to (re)think our ideas around biblical inspiration.
We explore a number of problematic issues facing popular notions of Inspiration today. Gordon applies the idea of Essential Kenosis to the inspiration of scripture and reveals how it provides a better theological basis for developing a doctrine of Biblical Inspiration. If God cannot control the biblical authors, then what they produce as the biblical text is not revelation in and of itself, but a contextualized human response to that revelation.
With the rising popularity of Essential Kenosis, the dismantling of popular notions of inspiration through historical criticism, and a reclaiming of the interpretative methods of the early church, God Speaks puts forth a doctrine of inspiration and revelation that better accounts for these realities while more faithfully securing our allegiance to Christ. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
God Speaks: A Participatory Theology of Biblical Inspiration (Book)
This week, Karl Forehand joins the podcast to discuss concepts from his latest book "Being: A Journey Towards Presence and Authenticity".
Many of us spend our lives searching for worth, value, and security through doing "enough." Karl believes it's time to discover a new way of living and becoming where we remember that we are human beings, not human doings.
Karl invites us on a journey toward presence and authenticity, learning how to be where we are and who we are. Because after all, "being" is not a destination-it is an ongoing and meaningful adventure.
RESOURCES:
Being: A Journey Towards Presence and Authenticity (book)
KarlForehand.com
This week we were joined by our friend Fr. Nebojsa Pantic. Fr. Nebojsa is a Greek Orthodox priest and he joined us to share about his faith tradition. What is the history of the Orthodox Church? What does it even mean to be Orthodox? What are some of the theological distinctions?
Our hope is that this episode will help to widen your perspective on the Christian Faith and help you to celebrate the beautiful diversity present within the tradition. Enjoy!
Resources:
Email Fr. Nebo: frnebojsa@gmail.com
This week we had the opportunity to sit down with JC Groves from the Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast. We had a really fun conversation about JC's time growing up in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist tradition and what it has looked like for him to (re)think his faith and move away from that denomination. Enjoy!
Resources:
The Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast
This week we had the privilege of being joined by our new friend Meghan Tschanz. We had a really great conversation around the ideas present in Meghan's new book "Women Rising".
Women Rising is Meghan Tschanz's personal journey of transformation. But it's also a Christian blueprint for anyone wanting to confront injustice against women while pointing to a biblical standard for gender equality. With humility and grit, Meghan calls Christian women to amplify their voices for righteousness—and she calls the church to listen.
Enjoy!
Resources:
Women Rising: Learning to Listen, Reclaiming Our Voice
Faith and Feminism Podcast
This week we had the privilege of being joined by bible scholar and theologian, Scot McKnight. McKnight recently released a new book, "A Church Called Tov: Forming A Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing."
Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.
McKnight offers us a way forward and helps us to (re)think what a Church called Tov could look like in the future. Enjoy!
Resources:
A Church Called Tov (book)
Scot McKnight Northern Seminary
This week Julien Smith helps us to (re)think Paul’s vision for the life of human flourishing under the reign of Jesus. Smith places Paul’s letters in conversation with both ancient virtue ethics and kingship discourse, Smith outlines the Apostle’s christologically shaped understanding of the good life.
Salvation and human flourishing―a life marked by fulfillment and well-being―have often been divorced in the thinking and practice of the church. For the apostle Paul, however, the two were inseparable in the vision for the good life. Paul’s conviction of Jesus’ universal Lordship emboldened him to imagine not just another world, but this world as it might be when transformed. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Paul and the Good Life (book)
Celebration of Discipline (book)
This week Trace Bell joins the show for an awesome conversation. We talk about a really helpful tool called Spiral Dynamics. The evolution of human consciousness is fascinating, and this tool when applied can help aid us in our spiritual journey and growth. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
TraceBell.com
Me, We, Everybody Part 1
Me, We, Everybody Part 2
Me, We, Everybody Part 3
Me, We, Everybody Part 4
This week Diana Butler Bass joined the show to help us rediscover Jesus. As you know, many people wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership when they try and fit Jesus into a box.
Many Christians have left their churches but find that they cannot leave Jesus or their faith behind. Diana helps free us to embrace Jesus in his prismatic nature, and renew your hope in the Jesus you have known, the one you know now, and the one who will meet you on the road ahead. Enjoy!
Resources:
Freeing Jesus (Book)
DianaButlerBass.com
It's not every day that you get to sit down and talk with a living legend. This week Josh had the privilege of being joined by Dr. John B. Cobb. John Cobb is a theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist. Cobb is often regarded as the preeminent scholar in the field of process philosophy and theology.
We cover a variety of things from interfaith studies to the journey of faith to the process theology and philosophy. This was a fascinating conversation with a living legend of the faith. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Cobb Institute Website
John B. Cobb Author Page
This week Dr. John Haught joins us for a fun conversation about his book "The New Cosmic Story: Inside Our Awakening Universe".
Over the past two centuries, scientific advances have made it clear that the universe is a story still unfolding. He contends that many have overlooked a crucial aspect of cosmic history: the drama of life’s awakening to interiority and religious awareness. Science may illuminate the outside story of the universe, but a full telling of the cosmic story cannot ignore the inside development that interiority represents.
Haught addresses two primary questions: what does the arrival of religion tell us about the universe, and what does our understanding of the cosmos as an unfinished drama tell us about religion? Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
The New Cosmic Story (book)
This week R.T. Mullins joined the show to help us (re)think what it means to say that God has emotions. In this conversation, we cover some important issues around the emotional life of God as they relate to happiness, empathy, love, and moral judgments. We also take a deep dive into the impassibility/passibility debate. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
God and Emotion (book)
RTMullins.com
This week we were joined by Shane Claiborne to discuss the dismantling of the death penalty. Today it is not uncommon for Christians to say they are "pro-life" and at the same time be the biggest supporters of the death penalty. Is this the way of Jesus? We think not! Enjoy this conversation as we hang out with our friend Shane Claiborne.
Resources:
Executing Grace (book)
ShaneClaiborne.com
This week we had the privilege of being joined by Bible Scholar Tim Mackie. Tim Mackie is the founder of BibleProject and the host of the Bible Project Podcast.
We had an awesome conversation about this sacred book we call the Bible. We threw a wide variety of questions at Tim in regards to the Bible and what are we supposed to do with it. Enjoy!
Resources:
BibleProject.com
This week, Christiana Peterson joins us to discuss her latest book, 'Awakened by Death'. Christiana helps us (re)think death and challenges to embrace death's mysteries to live a richer, fuller life. Enjoy.
Resources:
Awakened by Death (book)
This week, we were joined by our friends Sarey and Dan to discuss their new website project, SoYoureDeconstructing.com.
"Most people who find themselves in a crisis of faith start by asking good (but tough) questions. These questions can make people around them uneasy, and are often met with only one “acceptable” answer. Often, what comes next is a difficult experience of insecurity as we doubt our commitments to our deepest held beliefs and values. But this doesn’t have to be the end of your faith journey."
Dan and Sarey hope to provide people with resources to transform this crisis into an experience of healing, renewal and learning. Enjoy!
RESOURCECS:
SoYoureDeconstructing.com
This week Stina Kielsmeier-Cook joins us to discuss something very important and very personal. Stina's husband left Christianity several years into their marriage, and Stina was left "spiritually single". She was struggling to live the Christian life on her own, taking her kids to church by herself, and wrestling with her own questions and doubts.
Stina shares her story of finding community in an unexpected place: an order of Catholic nuns in her neighborhood. As she spent time with them and learned about female Catholic saints, she began to see that she was not "spiritually single" after all―and that no one really is. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Blessed are the Nones: Mixed Faith Marriage and My Search for Spiritual Community (Book)
This week, Josh and Marty are joined by two of their friend for an important conversation. After spending time together working in the same toxic church environment we wanted to ask the question, "is this church redeemable"?
We hope that this will be a conversation that will shine some light into a dark situation. Perhaps you too have experienced something similar. We want to let you know that you are not alone. Enjoy.
This week Josh was joined by Robert P. Jones to discuss his latest book 'White Too Long: The Legacy of White supremacy in American Christianity.
Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Rob delivers a provocative examination of the unholy relationship between American Christianity and white supremacy, and issues an urgent call for white Christians to reckon with this legacy for the sake of themselves and the nation.
RESOURCES:
White Too Long (book)
PRRI.org
This week we were joined by Jemar Tisby to have a practical conversation about his latest book, 'How To Fight Racism'. Racism is pervasive in today's world, and many are complicit in the failure to confront its evils. Jemar believes we need to move beyond mere discussions about racism and begin equipping people with the practical tools to fight against it.
Resources:
How To Fight Racism (book)
Jemar's Blog: Footnotes
HowToFightRacism.com
This conversation almost didn't happen... This week, Hip-Hop artist Propaganda joins us to discuss an important topic. Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality are two important concepts that we need to understand if we are going to move forward with racial reconciliation. By why have they been demonized?
Join us as we discuss these things with Prop as he shines a light on a very real issue both in the Church and in this Country. Enjoy!
This week, Brian McLaren joins the podcast once again to help us (re)think what it means to have faith following our deep doubts.
Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart.
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Faith After Doubt (Book)
BrianMcLaren.net
This week, we were joined By Rod Tucker to help us (re)think our ideas around Church. Rod says there is a better way, and it's time to start questions and rethinking our ideas. This turned out to be a great conversation, and we are excited to share it with you. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
RodTuckerSays.Com
If you are anything like we are, you know what it's like to feel overlooked, disconnected, and ashamed. Sure we might believe in God's love in the abstract, but we often live our lives without experiencing it in any deep or lasting way. This week Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw join the conversation asking the question "Does God Really Like Me?"
The Holsclaws apply the good news of the gospel to the shame and disconnection that we all experience in our everyday lives. The truth is, God wants to be with us and we belong in God's presence. And from that place of belonging, we can bless the whole world with the message of God's love.
Enjoy!
Resources:
Does God Really Like Me? (Book) GeoffreyHolsclaw.net
This week we had the opportunity to hang out with Matt Carter and Toby Morrell of Emery and The BadChristian Podcast. We reached out to them and asked if they would be willing to trace their faith journey with us, from growing up to where they are today.
We cover all sorts of stuff from childhood to the starts of Emery; from Mars Hill to BadChristian. We even get down to ask the question, "where do you find yourself today?". Enjoy
RESOURCES:
Emery BadChristian Marriage Supply
It is no secret that the Church has done a very bad job loving the LGBTQ+ community. Churches in America are experiencing massive splits and mass exoduses due to their belief and attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community.
This week, Colby Martin joins us once again to help others (re)think their stance on the LGBTQ+ community. Colby wrote a book called "Unclobber" where he reexamines what the Bible says (and does not say) about homosexuality in such a way that breathes fresh life into outdated and inaccurate assumptions and interpretations.
We used that book as a jumping-off point to have a beautiful conversation with our friend Cheyenne. Cheyenne identifies as gay and she opens up and shares her story with us. She offers helpful insights and helps us learn how to be true allies of the LGBTQ+ community. Enjoy!
RESOURCES: The Trevor Project - Saving Young LGBTQ Lives Q Christian Fellowship Good Fruit Project Unclobber (book) ColbyMartinOnline
A building crescendo of developments, culminating in evangelical support for the Trump presidency, has led many evangelicals to question the faith they inherited. If being Christian means rejecting LGBTQ persons and supporting systemic racism, perhaps their Christian journey is over.
This week, David Gushee joins us to help us (re)thinking Evangelicalism. Gushee offers a new way forward for disillusioned post-evangelicals and proposes new ways of Christian believing, belonging, and behaving, helping post-evangelicals from where they are to a living relationship with Christ and an intellectually cogent and morally robust post-evangelical faith. We hope our conversation together shows that it is possible to follow Jesus out of evangelical Christianity, and more than that, it's a necessary journey. Enjoy.
Resources: After Evangelicalism: The Path to a New Christianity (Book) Changing Our Mind (Book)
Sick of religion? So was Jesus! Around the world, a movement is growing and people are waking up to the spiritual beauty of the teachings of Jesus while rejecting the many ugly aspects of the religion that bears his name. If you are among those who are disappointed with religion yet are still strangely pulled toward spirituality, then this conversation with our friend Bruxy is for you! Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus (Book)
Bruxy.com
The Meeting House Church
Jesus Collective
Have you ever wondered why some people you know hold theological and political views that blow your mind but they find quite reasonable? This week John Sanders joins us to discuss two social science models, Nurturant and Authoritative, to explain this divide.
Values are at the heart of our disagreements. Dr. Sanders explains the divide and makes the case that Jesus embodied the Nurturant way of life. He modeled empathy, grace, forgiveness, and care for those beyond his own tribe. The Nurturant and Authoritative approaches have competed for thousands of years but contemporary research shows that the Nurturant way of life produces better mental and spiritual health as well as superior communities in which to live. Enjoy
RESOURCES:
Embracing Prodigals: Overcoming Authoritative Religion by Embodying Jesus' Nurturing Grace (Book)
The God Who Risks (Book)
If we were to ask you to name some of the things you love the most... how long would it take you to say yourself? If you’re anything like us, you’ve tried to love God and love others without thinking too much about yourself. Wanting to avoid self-centeredness, perhaps you have doubted yourself and condemned yourself— maybe even hated yourself.
This week, Jonathan Puddle joins the conversation to help us (re)think how we view ourselves. Drawing from Scripture, trauma-informed therapy, Christian inner-healing, breathing and embodiment exercises, and silent prayer & contemplative spirituality, You Are Enough is a holistic healing journey towards abundant life. Our hope is that you would embrace the truth of your beloved-ness in every part of your mind, body, soul and spirit.
RESOURCES:
You Are Enough: Learning to Love Yourself the Way God Loves You
JonathanPuddle.com
This week Tripp Fuller joins the show to help us (re)think our Christology. Tripp offers a robust constructive open and relational Christology. He offers us a three-pronged constructive Christology that engages historical Jesus studies and seeks to speak in both an existential and metaphysical register. Ultimately, Tripp offers a centering Christological metaphor for an open and relational vision: the self-investment of God. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Divine Self-Investment: An Open and Relational Constructive Christology
TrippFuller.com
The Road to Edmond
This week we were joined by Scott Erickson to help us (re)think Advent this year.
"For too many of us, Christmas has lost its wonder. Maybe for you, the joy of the season is painfully dissonant with the hard edges of life right now. Or maybe you feel wearied by the way Christmas has become a polished, predictable brand. Or maybe this sacred story feels too far removed from our world today, a world that's hard to make sense of.
But what if the Christmas story is not just something that happened a long time ago . . . but a story that is still happening today?" Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Honest Advent (Book)
ScottEricksonArt.com
Wow! 100 episodes! Thank you to everybody who has supported the show thus far. This week, Josh and Marty reflect back over the past 100 episodes. They discuss what elements they have rethought in their own faith, and where they hope to be after another 100 episodes. Enjoy!
This week we were joined by Juanita Campbell Rasmus to help us (re)think how to BE.
"It felt as though every nerve in my body was popping. Imagine large strong hands slowly applying pressure while breaking a family-size package of uncooked, dry spaghetti. I was the spaghetti. Breaking down one piece at a time."
This is how Juanita begins the wise, frank, and witty account of what she later called "The Crash" and what her counselor labeled "a major depressive episode." This experience landed Juanita, a busy pastor, mother, and community leader, in bed. In addition to exhaustion and depression, on the spiritual front she experienced a dark night of the soul. When everything in her life finally came to a stop, she found that she had to learn to be―with herself and with God―all over again.
This was a wonderful conversation filled with spiritual wisdom and guidance. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Learning to Be: Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out (Book)
Healing Our Beginning (Book)
You Can Heal Your Life (Book)
JuanitaRasmus.com
It's Not About the Cheese
This week we were joined by Biblical Scholar/Theologian/Former Bishop of Durham, NT Wright. Wright contends that there are a few 'signposts' that are inherent to humanity: justice, spirituality, relationships, beauty, freedom, truth and power.
If we do not live up to these ideals, our societies and individual lives become unbalanced, creating anger and frustration—negative emotions that divide us from ourselves and from God, he contends. Using the Gospel of John as his source, Wright shows how Christianity defines each signpost and illuminates why we so often see them as being "broken" and unattainable.
Drawing on the wisdom of the Gospels, Wright explains why these signposts are fractured and damaged and how Christianity provides the vision, guidance, and hope for making them whole once again, ultimately healing ourselves and our world. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Broken Signposts: How Christianity Makes Sense of the World
Surprised by Hope
We’ve caused a turning point in the Earth’s natural history. Everybody Now is a podcast about what it means to be human on the threshold of a global climate emergency, in a time of systemic injustice and runaway pandemics. Scientists, activists, farmers, poets, and theologians talk bravely and frankly about how our biosphere is changing, about grief and hope in an age of social collapse and mass extinction, and about taking action against all the odds.
During the week of October 19th 2020, Everybody Now is being released by podcasters all over the world as a collective call for awareness, grief and loving action.
With contributions from:
Dr. Gail Bradbrook - scientist and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion
Prof. Kevin Anderson - Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester
Dámaris Albuquerque - works with agricultural communities in Nicaragua
Dr. Rowan Williams - theologian and poet, and a former Archbishop of Canterbury
Pádraig Ó Tuama - poet, theologian and conflict mediator
Rachel Mander - environmental activist with Hope for the Future
John Swales - priest and activist, and part of a community for marginalised people
Zena Kazeme - Persian-Iraqi poet who draws on her experiences as a former refugee to create poetry that explores themes of exile, home, war and heritage
Flo Brady - singer and theatre maker
Hannah Malcolm - Anglican ordinand, climate writer and organiser
Alastair McIntosh - writer, academic and land rights activist
David Benjamin Blower - musician, poet and podcaster
Funding and Production:
This podcast was crowdfunded by a handful of good souls, and produced by Tim Nash and David Benjamin Blower
Permissions:
The song Happily by Flo Brady is used with permission.
The song The Soil, from We Really Existed and We Really Did This by David Benjamin Blower, used with permission.
The Poem The Tree of Knowledge by Pádraig Ó Tuama used with permission.
The Poem Atlas by Zena Kazeme used with permission.
The Poem What is Man? by Rowan Williams from the book The Other Mountain, used with permission from Carcanet Press.
Why does our theology of salvation focus on forgiving sinners, but not on healing those wounded by sin?
Much of Western Christianity has subdued the narrative of Jesus as a Palestinian Jewish healer and liberator who served the sick and oppressed. But the Jesus of the Gospels is a revolutionary who stands with the sinned against, the wounded, and the marginalized. This week we are joined by Phuc Luu who re-narrates the life of Jesus to show how he made it his work to topple systems that privileged the few and disregarded the many, especially the poor and lowest.
Luu offers a counter-narrative to Western Christianity, which for centuries has legitimized colonization and violence to prop up the powerful at the expense of the masses. Pulling from the tradition of the early Eastern church, the present work of theologians of the oppressed, and his own experiences as a Vietnamese immigrant, Luu offers a transformative vision of healing for the world.
For those living in the land between pain and hope, Luu's prophetic words will renew our imaginations and draw us closer to the heart of God.
RESOURCES:
Jesus of the East: Reclaiming the Gospel for the Wounded (Book)
PhucLuu.com
This week, Dr. Drew Hart joins us once again to discuss his latest book 'Who Will Be A Witness'.
Who Will Be a Witness offers a vision for communities of faith to organize for deliverance and justice in their neighborhoods, states, and nation as an essential part of living out the call of Jesus.
Drew provides incisive insights into Scripture and history, along with illuminating personal stories, to help us identify how the witness of the church has become mangled by Christendom, white supremacy, and religious nationalism. Hart provides a wide range of options for congregations seeking to give witness to Jesus' ethic of love for and solidarity with the vulnerable.
At a time when many feel disillusioned and distressed, Hart calls the church to action, offering a way forward that is deeply rooted in the life and witness of Jesus. Dr. Hart's testimony is powerful, personal, and profound, serving as a compass that points the church to the future and offers us a path toward meaningful social change and a more faithful witness to the way of Jesus.
RESOURCES:
Who Will Be A Witness (Book)
This week, Bonnie Lewis joins us once again to take a deep dive into her Idiomatic translation of the Bible, 'Timshel'. Bonnie was on the show over a year ago when this project was still underway. Now, you can get a soft or hardback copy to hold in your hands and enjoy.
This was a fun and informative conversation. If you find yourself having a hard time reading the Bible because it has been weaponized against you in the past, give Timeshel a try. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
TimshelTranslation.com
The Timshel Cast
This week Rob Bell joins the conversation to help us awaken to the reality that everything is spiritual... Josh tried to write an outline for the interview but quickly realized how silly of a thing that was to do. Outline an interview with Rob Bell? Yeah right! Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Everything is Spiritual (Book)
RobBell.com
"I'm just speaking the truth in love..." How many times have you head that common refrain? For years, Christians have argued, debated, and fought one another while "speaking the truth in love," yet we are no closer to the grace-filled life Jesus modeled.
This week, Biblical scholar and popular podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, Jared Byas joins us and casts a new vision for the Christian life that's built not on certainty, but on the risk of love.
Jared contends that a biblically-based Christian life is not grounded in having all the answers but in a living relationship. This ultimately shifts our focus from collecting the "right" answers to loving others deeply and authentically. Jared calls us back to the heart of the Bible: that truth is only true when it's lived out in love.
He makes a compelling case for how what we believe is less important than how we believe it and that, more than anything else, telling the truth in love is about following Jesus. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Love Matters More (Book)
JaredByas.com
The Bible For Normal People Podcast
This week, our good friend Dr. Thomas Jay Oord returns to the show once again. Previously he has been on to 'The Uncontrolling Love of God' and 'God Can't'. Tom is an open and relational theologian, and his work has helped so many.
As he returns this week, he fields some questions about his 'God Can't' thesis. If you have not listened to the previous two episodes with Tom, we would highly recommend that you do that.
If God can't control, why pray? If God's love is uncontrolling, how do we explain miracles? How does Jesus fit into a theology of uncontrolling love? What hope do we have if God's love is noncontrolling?
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Questions and Answers for God Can't
ThomasJayOord.com
Center for Open & Relational Theology
This week, Dr. Dennis R. Edwards joins the conversation making the powerful claim that the power of the Gospel is often most visible among those who are on the margins. God has empowered marginalized Christians to transform the church.
The power of the gospel is often most visible among those who have been the least respected, including racial or ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, and people who have been displaced from their homeland. Yet in many faith communities, these are the same people whose leadership gifts are least likely to be recognized.
Edwards brings forth a strong affirmation of the power already present among marginalized Christians and a call to recognize and embrace this power for the sake of helping the church become more like Christ. Marginalized Christians are already changing the face of the church. Will we embrace their power to change the church's heart?
RESOURCES:
Might From the Margins: The Gospel's Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice
1 Peter (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
Is caring for the environment just a liberal, political concern? Dr. Sandra Richter says that environmental care is actually a Biblical mandate.
Dr. Richter is an expert in ancient Israelite society and economy as well as biblical theology. She walks us through various passages, showing how significant environmental theology is to the Bible's witness. She then helps us to apply that message to today's environmental concerns.
Well informed on present-day environmental challenges, Richter shares case studies that connect the biblical mandates to current issues. Though modern political alliances may tempt readers to sever Christian faith from environmental stewardship, Richter helps us to rethink our environmental concerns and be driven by God's values instead.
RESOURCES:
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why it Matters (Book)
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament (Book)
Dr. Sandra Richter Westmont College
Seedbed Epic of Eden Series
The United States has more people locked up in Jails, Prisons, and Detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. This week we are joined by Dominique DuBois Gilliard to help us rethink incarceration.
Mass incarceration has become a lucrative industry, and the criminal justice system is plagued with bias and unjust practices. And the church has unwittingly contributed to the problem.
Dominique helps us explore the history and foundation of mass incarceration, examining Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion. The church has the power to help transform our criminal justice system and Dominique helped us to discover how we can participate in the restorative justice needed to bring authentic rehabilitation, lasting transformation, and healthy reintegration to this broken system. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores (Book)
DominiqueGilliard.com
Rethinking Incarceration Video Curriculum
This week Dan Koch returns to the show to discuss the overlap of Psychology and Theology. Dan is the host of the 'You Have Permission' podcast, and is currently working towards his doctorate of clinical psychology.
In some streams of the Christian faith, psychology is frowned upon, but Dan contends that psychology can be a great tool in the world of theology. This was a fun and helpful conversation, enjoy!
Resources:
You Have Permission Podcast
The Righteous Mind (Book)
This week, Kevin Makins joins the conversation to ask the question... why would anyone go to church? When Kevin was 23 and didn't know any better, he founded Eucharist Church with some of his friends.
There are plenty of reasons to criticize, judge, and even walk away from the church. Many of us have been hurt and rejected. We may see church as insular and irrelevant. Despite this, Kevin Makins believes that the church still matters--perhaps more than ever.
If you've been burned or burned out by the church, if you've been silenced or misunderstood, if you've left or never even joined in the first place, this conversation is your invitation to consider what you miss out on when you give up on church--and what the church misses out on when it gives up on you. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Why Would Anyone Go To Church (Book)
KevinMakins.com
Hurt by the church. Healed by the journey.
Questioning our faith and spiritual beliefs, while leaving the familiarity of our religious homeland, can be very painful. Loneliness, isolation, and fear of rejection--from God and others--can give rise to shame, guilt, anger, and sadness. Yet, paradoxically, this uncomfortable process can be a powerful catalyst that leads to tremendous emotional, mental, and spiritual growth.
This week, theologian, therapist, and ordained pastor, Mark Karris joined the conversation. Mark is no stranger to the deconstruction/reconstruction process.
In Religious Refugees, he explores this disorienting faith-shift through the lens of psychological research, theology, philosophy, and, most importantly, the real-world experiences of those who are going through--and have gone through--this arduous and confusing journey. You don't have to walk this path alone. Join the legion of others on the road to healing and self-discovery.
RESOURCES:
Religious Refugees: (De)constructing Toward Spiritual and Emotional Healing
Mark's Website
This week, Colby Martin discusses his latest work "The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity."
When Christians are kicked out of their conservative churches or leave because they no longer feel at home, they embark on a journey of freedom and fear, love and loneliness, empowerment and pain. The movement from conservative to progressive Christianity is a serious shift. Colby Martin has traversed this treacherous territory, survived its hardships, and is now turning around to share what he's learned.
Colby has created a survival guide to help followers of Jesus navigate the strange and confusing landscape when shifting from conservative to progressive Christianity. His book will prepare progressive Christians (from long-time progressives to those just starting out) for the pitfalls awaiting them as they shift out of their conservative world, and it will equip them for a more abundant, thriving, and peace-filled spiritual life.
RESOURCES:
The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity (Book)
Unclobber: Rethinking our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality (Book)
Colby's Website
Sojourn Grace Collective: Colby's Church
This week, we were joined by filmmaker and author Kevin Miller to discuss his latest film, J.E.S.U.S.A.
His film is an in-depth exploration of the relationship between Christianity and American nationalism and the violence that can often emerge from it. Far from a new phenomenon, this documentary traces the co-opting of Christianity by the state all the way back to when the Christian faith became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Through interviews with a diverse group of scholars, pastors, historians, and activists, this film shows how specific readings of the Bible have led many Christians to confuse their devotion to Jesus with their dedication to the state. The film helps viewers rediscover and restore long-held Christian beliefs regarding nonviolence, inspiring Christians to become purveyors of peace rather than enablers of conflict and violence.
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
J.E.S.U.S.A. Film
Kevin's Website
Hellbound Film
This week Kelley Nikondeha joined us to help us (re)think how we view the women of Exodus. In Kelley's most recent book, "Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Freedom", Kelley brings to light the overwhelming importance of the women of Exodus.
If it weren't for the women in Exodus, there would be no Moses, no crossing the Red Sea, and no story of breaking the chains of slavery. Women exhibited a subversive strength to defy Pharaoh and lead an entire people to freedom.
Kelley helps us to reflect on how the story of Exodus speaks to women's resistance against injustice today and highlights the biblical mandate of working toward liberation at all times and places. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Freedom (Book)
Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World (Book)
Have you ever wondered what the Old Testament or the Old Testament Law has anything to do with your life? Have you ever thought about just ditching the Old Testament all together? You are not alone!
This week, Carmen Imes (PhD) joins us to help us rethink our views of the Old Testament. Carmen argues that the Old Testament is very important and that we can't understand our calling as Christians without it. Specifically, she argues that we have misunderstood the command about taking the Lord's name in vain. This is an important thing to get right... joins us in rethinking how we view the Old Testament.
RESOURCES:
Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (book)
Bearing Yhwh's Name at Sinai (published dissertation)
Carmens Blog
We live in an extremely polarized society, especially when it comes to our political climate. This week, Pastor and founder of One Day's Wages (ODW) joins the conversation to help us (re)think how we engage with politics.
Seek first the Kingdom of God... not the Kingdom of a Political Party. We don't need any more "jerks for Jesus". Eugene helps us think through finding points of agreement to work towards the common good. He helps us listen to each other, especially those amongst us who are most vulnerable. This episode is timely, and Eugene helps us to see how we can be a light into the darkness and divided culture of today. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics (Book)
One Day's Wages
Bread for the World
This week, Josh and Marty spend some time reflecting together on the topic of racism. We both have been doing a lot of listening and learning from people of color during these crazy times. One thing we have been told a lot is that white people need to start having these conversations amongst ourselves.
This is an attempt to do just that. Josh and Marty reflect and share some of their thoughts on everything that has been going on. Is it perfect? Probably not... do we have it all figure out... NO! We will continue to learn and listen and grow. We will continue to work towards racial reconciliation. We are committed to being anti-racist. Enjoy.
Story is a powerful thing. This week Josh & Marty were joined by 3 friends of theirs for an important conversation. Christine, Keith, and Ronny have something in common... they are all Black Pastors in predominately White Spaces. With this comes tension. Again, story is powerful and important and the story of these 3 individuals need to be heard.
Please join us in (re)thinking racism. Enjoy.
We've all seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe you have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It's easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church?
This week, Chuck DeGroat joins the conversation. Chuck has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is.
DeGroat helps us to take a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse (Book)
Chuck's Website
This week Drew Hart joined the conversation to help us (re)think how the church views racism. In this deep and challenging episode, Drew helps us to see the racial hierarchy of not only our world, but also in the Church. He contends that racism is not just a sociological but also a theological issue as well. Will you join us in (re)thinking how we view racism? Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (Book)
Drews Website
This is the 3rd and final episode in our mini-series on atonement. This week we were joined by Dr. Tony Jones to discuss the atonement ideas he put forth in his book, "Did God Kill Jesus?"
A lot of Christians believe that God the Father demanded his only Son die a cruel, gruesome death to appease His wrath, since humanity is so irredeemably sinful and therefore repugnant to God. Tony Jones, argues that this understanding is actually a medieval invention and not what the Bible really teaches.
Christians today must transcend the shame and guilt that have shaped conceptions of the human soul and made us fearful of God, and replace them with love, grace, and joyfulness, which better expresses what the cross is really about.
Jones argues that how we understand the cross reflects directly what kind of God we worship. By letting go of the wrathful God who cannot stand to be in our presence unless he pretends to see Jesus in our place, we discover the biblical God who reaches out to love and embrace us while "we were yet sinners." Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Did God Kill Jesus?: Searching for Love in History's Most Famous Execution (Book)
Tony's Website
Tony's Podcast
The Champion - Carman
This week we are joined by Josh McNall for part 2 of our Atonement series. Josh recently released a new book called "The Mosaic of Atonement".
Modern debates of this doctrine have tended toward either a defensive hierarchy, (one model is singled out as most important), or a disconnected plurality, (multiple images are affirmed but with no order of arrangement). McNall pushes back against both of these approaches and argues for a reintegration of four famous "pieces" of atonement doctrine through the governing image of a Christ-shaped mosaic.
While no one model is set above or against the others, Josh notes particular ways in which the "pieces"--the feet, heart, head, and hands--mutually support one another to form a more holistic vision of Christ's work. "This is my body," Jesus said to his followers, and by reintegrating these oft-dismembered aspects of atonement, we will note fresh ways in which it was given for us. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
The Mosaic of Atonement: An Integrated Approach to Christ's Work (Book)
JoshuaMcnall.com
Outpost Theology (Podcast)
This week we are kicking off our 4 Part mini-series on the Atonement. During this series, we will be approaching the atonement from a variety of angles and perspectives. For part one, we were joined by JD Myers. We discussed some of his ideas from his book, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus". Enjoy!
Resources:
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: How the Sacrifice of Jesus Saves the World From Sin (Book)
The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Compassion, and Interpretation (Book)
RedeemingGod.com
This week we are joined by rapper Nehemiah. Nehemiah has heard the 9 and seen the grind of the crime trap... but the good news is that he survived that! We had an awesome conversation detailing some of the songs of off Nehemiah's latest album, "Survivor". Nehemiah speaks truth and shares his story in his music... we were lucky enough for him to share some of his story with us this week. Enjoy!
Resources:
NehemiahBuildingBlock.com
I Survived That - Music Video
Of the world’s three major religions, only Christianity holds to a doctrine of original sin. The fact that many Christians believe there is something in human nature that is, and will always be, contrary to God, is not just a problem but a tragedy.
This week, Danielle Shroyer joined the conversation to help us (re)think the doctrine of Original Sin. Why does the doctrine’s assumptions of human nature so infiltrate our sermons and theological bookshelves? How is it so misconstrued in times of grief, pastoral care, and personal shame? How did we fall so far from God’s original blessing in the garden to this pervasive belief in humanity’s innate inability to do good?
During this conversation, Danielle Shroyer walks us through an overview of the historical development of the doctrine and brings the primary claims of original sin to their untenable (and unbiblical) conclusions. Danielle shows us not only how we got this doctrine wrong, but how we can put sin back in its rightful place: in a broader context of redemption and the blessing of humanity’s creation in the image of God. Enjoy!
Resources:
Original Blessing: Putting Sin in Its Rightful Place (Book)
DanielleShroyer.com
We are for sure in a crazy time amongst the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are claiming that God is behind COVID-19... Many believe that COVID-19 is the wrath of God or in some way a test or judgment from God. Many are calling forth biblical prophecies and making claims about the end times. So what up with COVID-19? Is this the wrath of God? Are we living in the end times?
This week we are joined once again by New Testament Scholar, and Revelation expert Dr. Rob Dalrymple. Rob unpacks these questions and helps us to understand what the Bible and specifically the book of Revelation have to say about these times. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Articles:
COVID-19 and the Love of God: Is COVID-19 and Act of God's Judgement?
Are the Seven Seals of the Book of Revelation Unfolding Today?
Books:
Understanding the New Testament and the End Times
Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation
Previous Episode With Rob:
Revelation and Why It Matters - With Rob Dalrymple
We all carry sexual shame to some extent. Whether you grew up in the midst of purity culture or not, all of us have been taught that sex, outside of a very specific context, is taboo. This week, Psychotherapist Matthais Roberts joins the conversation to help us rethink what it means to have healthy sex, helping us to overcome our shame in the process.
Roberts is a licensed mental health counselor associate and the host of Queerology: A Podcast on Belief and Being. He holds two master's degrees, one in theology and culture and one in counseling psychology. In his psychotherapy practice, he specializes in helping LGBTQ+ teens and adults live confident and fulfilling lives.
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Beyond Shame: Creating A Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms
MatthiasRoberts.com
Queerology Podcast
This week, Meggie Lee Calvin joined us to discuss some of the ideas from her latest book, 'I Am My Own Sanctuary'. Meg is gifted at helping spiritually-attuned go-getters heal past wounds and reclaim their personal power so that they can have a life they love.
In this fun, humorous, helpful and sometimes irreverent episode, Meg shares with us some of her helpful ideas to aid us in spiritual, emotional and personal growth. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
I Am My Own Sanctuary: How A Recovering Holy-Roller Found Healing And Power (Book)
MegCalvin.com
What does it mean to say that the Bible is inspired? Conservative scholars and pastors have struggled for years to prove that the Bible is without errors... our guest this week thinks this is a fool's errand.
This week, Dr. Greg Boyd joins the conversation to help us rethink what it means to say the Bible is inspired. What if God inspired the Bible's contradictions to function as assets and not problems? Perhaps we should embrace the mistakes and contradictions in Scripture, because they show that God chose to use fallible humans to communicate timeless truth... enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Inspired Imperfection: How the Bible's Problems Enhance Its Divine Authority (book)
Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence (book)
The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Volumes 1 & 2 (book)
ReKnew.org
This week Dr. Eric Seibert joins the conversation to discuss divine violence. It's no secret that one can find some troubling images of God in the Old Testament. It is also no secret that the Old Testament has a troubling legacy to many. So... Did God really command the complete genocide of men, women, children and animals in the Old Testament?
For 2,000 years Bible Scholars and Theologians have wrestled with the violent images of God and the seeming sharp contrast between those images and the image of God we find in Jesus. Seibert joins the conversation and helps us to think through the various ways people have talked about the issue of divine violence. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God (book)
The Violence of Scripture: Overcoming the Old Testament's Troubling Legacy (book)
Does God really plan everything that happens? Bonnie Kristian returns to the podcast, this time to discuss God's providence and foreknowledge. Does God choose everything that happens? Does God choose who will be saved and who will be damned? Does God know the future? Is there even a future to be known? Kristian breaks down 4 different positions regarding these kinds of questions including Calvinism, Molinism, Arminianism and Open Theism. Enjoy
RESOURCES:
A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What it Means to Follow Jesus Today (Book)
The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Book)
BonnieKristian.com
The idea of hell has haunted many dreams and disturbed much sleep. Many wonder at the justice (or injustice) of it all, feeling confounded by a God who deems it necessary to send the majority of humanity to burn there forever.
This week, Sharon Putt (Formerly Sharon Baker) joins the show and offers a safe space to contemplate tough issues and rethink traditional views of hell. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Razing Hell: Rethinking Everything You've Been Taught about God's Wrath and Judgement (book)
Executing God: Rethinking Everything You've Been Taught about Salvation and the Cross (book)
This week, Aimee Byrd joins the conversation calling us to rethink 'biblical' manhood and womanhood. Do men and women benefit equally from reading the Bible? Are they equally responsible for sharpening one another and passing down the faith to the next generation?
Aimee contends that until both men and women grow in their understanding of their relationship to the Bible, there will continue to be tension between the sexes in the church. Church leaders must be engaged in thoughtful critique of the biblical manhood and womanhood movement, and the effects it is having on their congregations.
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover Her Purpose. (Book)
Aimee's Blog
The religious Right has taught America to misread the Bible. Christians have misused Scripture to build power, provoke fear, and defend against enemies. But those who have been hurt by the attacks of Christian nationalism can help us rediscover God's vision for faith in public life.
This week Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove joins the conversation to help us rethink our political values and understanding of scripture. Wilson-Hartgrove shows us how religious culture wars have misrepresented Christianity at the expense of the poor, and how listening to marginalized communities can help us hear God's call to love and justice in the world.
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good (Book)
Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom From Slaveholder Religion (Book)
JonathanWilsonHartgrove.com (Website)
PoorPeoplesCampaign.org (Website)
Content Warning (This episode contains conversations around heavy topics including sexual abuse and assault. If you have small children around, please be advised. Also, if you are a survivor and this episode brings up past memories please seek help. We stand with and for survivors of sexual abuse and assault.)
The #MeToo movement has revealed sexual abuse and assault in every sphere of society... including the Church. Far too often, churches have been complicit in protecting abusers, reinforcing patriarchal power dynamics, and creating cultures of secrecy, shame, and silence.
This week, Pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart joins us to shine some light on the prevalence of sexual abuse and misconduct within faith communities. Ruth offers hope to survivors as she declares that God is present with the violated and stands in solidarity with victims. God is at work in the midst of the #MeToo movement to call the church to repentance and deliver us from violence against the vulnerable.
This is a very important conversation, we hope that it shines light in the dark and gives voice to the voiceless. Please join us in working against the injustice of sexual abuse and misconduct.
RESOURCES:
The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church's Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct
Ruined
RuthEverhart.com
This week, Josh and Marty were joined by WM. Curtis Holtzen (DTh, University of South Africa). Holtlzen joined the boys to discuss the ideas in his latest book, 'The God Who Trusts: A Relational Theology of Divine Faith, Hope, and Love."
The Bible affirms the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God. But might God also exhibit faith and trust?
Standing in tradition with theologians like John Sanders, who argued that God is one who risks, Holtzen contends that not only is God trustworthy and faithful, but God is also one who trusts and has faith. According to Holtzen, because God is a being of relational love and exists in relationship with humans, who can freely choose to follow God, then God is a God who trusts.
Perhaps this argument challenges your notion of who God is, however... Holtzen argues that understanding the relationship between divine trust and human faith can give us a fuller, truer and more beautiful picture of who God is, and who we are. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
The God Who Trusts: A Relational Theology of Divine Faith, Hope and Love (Book)
The book of Revelation is perhaps the most misunderstood and abused book in the Bible. Is Revelation a prophetic warning about the end of the world? Is Revelation teaching us about Armageddon? Is the rapture really a thing? What the heck is eschatology? Why does any of this matter?
This week, Josh and Marty were joined by Revelation scholar, Dr. Rob Dalrymple. Rob shines some light onto the book of Revelation. He breaks down the overall narrative and message of Revelation (hint: it's about Jesus) and he talks about eschatology and why it matters.
If you have ever wondered what the heck is going on in the book of Revelation, this episode is for you! If you have suffered from anxiety and/or depression because of bad end-times theology, then this episode is for you. Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
A Peacemaker's Pilgrimage With Rob Dalrymple (trip to Isreal)
Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the book of Revelation(book)
Understanding the New Testament and the End Times (book)
Dr. Rob Dalrymple Author Page
Determine Truth Podcast
Rob's Website
Determine Truth Bile Classes
twitter: @RobDalrymple Facebook: Rob Dalrymple@DetermineTruth
Saying no to God... is that even a thing? Matthew J. Korpman sure thinks so! He joins Josh this week for a conversation about his latest book 'Saying No To God: A Radical Approach to Reading the Bible Faithfully'.
Korpman proposes that the Bible itself reveals that just because 'God says it,' does not, in fact, mean 'that settles it.' Instead, a closer reading of scripture shows that God does not want us to just blindly obey him, but rather, invites us to 'lock hands' with him.
Could it be that readers are not asked to just accept what God says, but on the contrary: to say no to it? Not because they merely want to, but because the God of the Bible actually requires it.
Resources:
Saying No To God: A Radical Approach to Reading the Bible Faithfully (book)
Big thanks to Dan Koch for our new intro/outro music! For inquiries, check him out at:
DanKoch.net
This week, Josh and Marty discuss the name change and the things that have lead up to it. They discuss why they believe that change is important and necessary. Marty and Josh both share how they have been rethinking their own faiths, and talk about what is ahead for the show here in 2020... spoiler alert... it's going to be dope!
Hey everybody, this is just a brief announcement about our recent name change and what to look forward to in 2020. Don't worry... it will still be the same great podcast... just a new name :) Thanks for your support!
This week, Keith Giles joins the conversation and asks... What if the Bible is actually keeping us from hearing the word of God?
Keith believes that many Christians, think the Bible is the only way to know anything about God. But according to that same Bible, everybody can know God directly through an actual relationship with Jesus. Keith has an urgent call for the followers of Jesus to know Him intimately because the Gospel is not mere information about God, but a transformational experience with a Christ who is closer to us than our own heartbeat. Enjoy.
RESOURCES:
Jesus Unbound: Liberating the Word of God from the Bible (Book)
Heretic Happy Hour (Podcast)
So all theology is contextual... Our theology is shaped by our context and our environment would be another way to say it. Brian McLaren recently went on a trip he will never forget... a trip to the Galapagos Islands. There, he paid close attention to everything around him but also to what was happening within his heart. The good and beautiful natural world awakened his soul in a way that organized religion could not. During this trip, Brian kept a journal, and recently released a new book, a spiritual memoir about his experience.
Join us as Brian takes us to the beautiful Galapagos Islands, sharing a few really helpful spiritual insights on the way.
RESOURCES:
The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey (On Location) [book]
Brian's Website
