Untangling Christianity Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gregg Monteith
Defusing destructive ideologies, unsnarling confused ideas, considering love and truth in Christianity
In evangelical Christian communities where self-deceit is prevalent, this dysfunction manifests as particular sets of expectations and codes of conduct that are tacitly created and act as “standards of faithfulness” for that community. So whether similar to my previous examples or varied by type or degree, the creation of self-deceit based standards of faithfulness effects not […]
The post Examples of self-deceit 3 (176) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Having walked through one example, in the previous episode, of how an approach that is “self-deceit-aware” can reveal that a popular, evangelical belief is held because it is useful and self-serving, I want to analyze another, popular evangelical belief as well as several church situations, all using the same perspective of self-deceit. My second example […]
The post Examples of Self-Deceit 2 (175) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In the context of evangelical Christianity, self-deceit functions to develop and maintain the “false consciousness” that key beliefs are held because they are true and that devotion to God, or piety (however flawed or imperfect) is the Christian’s main aim. This false consciousness is a mask that we wear to obscure the real consciousness, which […]
The post Examples of Self-Deceit 1 (174) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode is in some ways the culmination of all of the previous episodes on “First Steps”—the point toward which they were all building. On the one hand, the content of this episode directly addresses the most problematic aspect of evangelical dysfunction: its seeming invisibility to those that participate in it. On the other hand, […]
The post Foundations 7: Introducing Self-Deceit (173) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Module 6 of “First Steps” addresses the development of self-awareness in order to become “full selves” and thereby, for non-Christians to better evaluate the value of Christianity and for Christians to reach maturity in their faith. Yet the notion of “self-awareness” immediately poses several challenges. First, the term is often used without sufficient definition, making […]
The post Foundations 6: Self-awareness and Experience (172) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
The Foundations of Flourishing program is designed to assist Christians to recognize and overcome the entrenched dysfunction within evangelical Christianity and to assist non-Christians to decipher and evaluate the accessible, ‘here and now’ value within Christianity. This dual approach overcomes two related problems that, left unattended, create alienation between (and potentially within) each group. First, […]
The post Foundations 5: Conceptual Toolbox (171) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
“. . . in key ways, the evangelical church is neither able to help those inside become truly “Christ-like” nor is it able effectively to persuade those outside that “Christ-likeness” is a valuable or viable way of being. To put it in Christian terms, in my view the evangelical church essentially fails at both discipleship and […]
The post Revamping Untangling Christianity (170) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
The intention of this episode, the fifth episode on the Foundations of Flourishing curriculum 1, was for it to be a “round-up” of the previous four podcasts with a goal of highlighting the most important or perhaps under-exposed aspects of the first half of the curriculum that they present. However, over the course of producing […]
The post Why Evangelicalism Fails (169) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode features content from module four of the “First Steps” curriculum, entitled: “Dialogue Skills: listening gently, speaking honestly.” Module four address a key skill for Christians, yet one this is mostly overlooked. Specifically, as a religion eager to communicate its beliefs to outsiders—many of which are unreceptive and even hostile to these beliefs—it is […]
The post Foundations 4: Communication is Key (168) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This is the third in a series of eight to ten episodes explaining the first curriculum (called “First Steps”) in the Foundations of Flourishing teaching program. In this episode Gregg focuses on the double-task of understanding, or “inventorying,” personal beliefs and then assessing how much one values these beliefs (and why). At first glance “inventory […]
The post Foundations 3: Inventory-taking (167) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This is the second in a series of eight to ten episodes explaining the first curriculum (called “First Steps”) in the Foundations of Flourishing teaching program. After last episode’s focus on the three negative elements that typically afflict evangelical churches (Legalism, Fear, Ignorance), here Gregg examines fear as the principal element that links legalism and […]
The post Foundations 2: Understanding Fear (166) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Legalism, fear, and ignorance: these three words represent tendencies and orientations that none of us would like to own up to, much less that Christians would want to admit to. Sadly, however, the members of this trio are all too frequently cited by outsiders as reasons that Christians are phoney and that the Christian church […]
The post Foundations 1: Legalism, Fear, Ignorance (165) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This is the third of the three-episode series where Gregg offers his views on the Whitehorse Inn podcast, “Do all paths lead to God?” Specifically, Gregg is replying to the claim that this podcast is an example of how Christians “engage well” with outsiders—how they engage thoughtfully, on point, and respectfully with non-Christians and interact with […]
The post Christians Go Back to Kindergarten (164) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This is the second episode in a three-part miniseries where Gregg offers his views on the Whitehorse Inn podcast, “Do all paths lead to God?” Specifically, Gregg is replying to the claim that this podcast is an example of how Christians “engage well” with outsiders—how they engage thoughtfully, on point, and respectfully with non-Christians and […]
The post Non-Christians Have “Reason Enough” (163) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg reviews an episode from the Whitehorse Inn podcast by Christian academician Michael Horton entitled: “Do all paths lead to God?” Gregg begins by noting that this podcast was offered in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group as an example of how Christians engage well with non-Christians (i.e., how Christians can engage thoughtfully, […]
The post Fuzzy non-Christianity misrepresents non-Christians (162) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg returns to the notion of interpretation and its importance, particularly for Christians, given to the extent a central text—the Bible—informs and grounds their beliefs. Gregg explains that interpretation is a way of engaging with the world that we are always already doing. This is so much the case that interpreting is […]
The post Foggy Interpretation (161) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg follow-up to Episode #159, where they began discussing the process of letting go of what is old and familiar in favour of what is better, especially as it relates to Christian beliefs, beliefs about ourselves & our world, how we interact wit other information sources. Topics for today include […]
The post The Lightning Round (160) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg consider Anna’s comments regarding the episode Problems with the Westminster Confession (155) and how they might respond to some of the situations that Anna is experiencing. Anna writes: I think that each person lives their lives according to a unique narrative that belongs to them and them alone. No […]
The post Does Belief Have to Make Sense? (159) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg takes up John’s challenge of episode #157 to to lay out exactly what Gregg meant in #157 by explaining that we all seek to “occupying the narrator’s position” in our own lives, and particularly what he meant by the idea of narrative identity (and why he believes that this way of formulating […]
The post Narrating, Not Writing Your Life (158) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this podcast John and Gregg team up to discuss the notion that Gregg raised in Episode #153, where he rejects the idea that we “write our own stories.” John finds the idea of writing one’s own story to be very important, to the point the we are “victims” if we do not. Gregg wonders […]
The post Do We Write Our Own Story? (157) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode is the fourth of a four-part series where Gregg reads excerpts from—and comments on—an excellent conversation that took place in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group. All comments and names are used with permission of the authors. In this podcast Gregg engages with Amy’s comments about “preaching the Word of God” and “sensing the […]
The post faith AND suspicion; belief AND scepticism (156) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode is the third of a four-part series where Gregg reads excerpts from—and comments on—an excellent conversation that took place in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group. All comments and names are used with permission of the authors. In this podcast Gregg explains his comments at the end of the previous episode, #154, where he […]
The post Problems with the Westminster Confession (155) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg continues his review of—and commentary on—a conversation that took place in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group. NB: All comments have been quoted (and names mentioned) with permission. As with the first podcast in this series, this podcast is likely to move faster be “denser” than most, and so re-listening to sections […]
The post Meeting Non-Christians Where They Are At (154) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg summarizes–and responds to–an interesting conversation that took place in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group in mid-September 2017. Note: all comments have been quoted (and names mentioned) with permission. Gregg begins by indicating that this podcast is likely to move faster be “denser” than most, and so re-listening to sections may be […]
The post Understanding Non-Christians Starts With Them (153) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg discusses comments made in the Untangling Christianity Facebook Group regarding comments that he made in episode #149. Specifically, a listener is advocating against Gregg’s view and is stating that Christians are seeking to engage with outsiders and are, generally, doing a good job at it. Gregg introduces the discussion by noting […]
The post Christians Disconnected From Outsiders (152) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg talks about the necessity for Christians to be pursuing excellence and the conditions for inclusivity within Christian communities. He does so by drawing on his experience of moving from a small town is South-Central Alberta to Canmore Alberta, 15 minutes from Banff National Park, and the differences in employment experience that […]
The post Excellence and Inclusivity (151) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg re-connect to discuss the idea of whether we “deserve” certain things. John takes this idea from the Bronnie Ware’s book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying (upon which John has also podcasted). John is intrigued by the notion of whether we “deserve” certain things and how we would […]
The post What Do You Deserve? (150) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg goes further regarding the Integration Project. He begins by expressing doubt that “seekers” actually exist, arguing that this is a fictional category of people created by Christians. Instead, Gregg views those people who appear most open to Christianity as perhaps a) those with past exposure but who have not been marginalized […]
The post Feeling Dirty at Church (149) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode, Gregg takes the discussion of the previous few episodes (on Coaching versus Christianity) as a point of departure to begin a new, solo podcasting series that focuses on “love and truth in Christianity.” Gregg explains the importance of this focus using the tagline of the Untangling Christianity podcast: “Defusing destructive ideologies, unsnarling […]
The post Considering Love and Truth (148) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg round-out their “coaching versus Christianity” discussion. Gregg begins by affirming his perspective that it is both normal and potentially helpful to find oneself more deeply engaged or compelled by pursuits other than Christianity. John wonders: what core questions could help listeners ask themselves to evaluate theses types of situations? […]
The post Going to the Next Level (147) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg record the podcast together for the first time in person in Drumheller, Alberta. In it they discuss their recent trip to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, one of the world’s preeminent dinosaur museums, that is located in Drumheller. John explains how, while at the museum, he was struck by the amount of […]
The post Dinosaurs and Drumheller (146) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg return to John’s positive engagement with coaching and his unfulfilling engagement with Christianity. Gregg’s hunch is that John’s situation offers an example that is very applicable for many listeners, in that the phenomena of finding one’s faith to be lackluster in comparison with other activities or pursuits seems not […]
The post Ownership, Coaching and Christianity (145) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode continues John and Gregg’s conversation about John’s excitement around coaching and lack of enthusiasm for Christianity. Yet Gregg proposes that this may actually offer positive orientation for John’s engagement with Christianity. Gregg believes that there are many Christians in a similar position to John, such that they are excited and enthused more by […]
The post Coaching and Christianity (144) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg take their discussion in a different direction. Beginning with a retrospective of the podcast, they discuss a potentially “new way” for Untangling Christianity to fulfill one of it’s original purposes which was to give hope to other people. John originally put this as, “I have to believe that there […]
The post Self Discovery as a Hobby or Lifestyle? (143) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an introspection on “where John is at,” touching on John’s views about God, his career, and life generally. John opens with his concern of being being misunderstood by listeners, and specifically not wanting to regret being “nailed down” to what he offers today while sharing personally and honestly. […]
The post What Belongs in the House? (142) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg resume their discussion from last episode of the article on apologetics in the Biola University Magazine: “Young people are indeed leaving the church,” by Craig Hazen and Larry Barnett. During this conversation John contrasts the above article with another, entitled “How becoming more secular brought me closer to Jesus,” […]
The post Paying an Intellectual Cost (141) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an article from the Fall 2016 Biola University Magazine entitled, “Young People are Indeed leaving the Church.” John summarizes the article as stating that the reason why young people are leaving the church is because they have “doubts,” and if these doubts can be sufficiently addressed then young […]
The post Bogus Commandments (140) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss what “core values” are and how they apply to Christianity. Gregg explains that he created a questionnaire for his church group when he understood that several participants were having a very hard time engaging with the material on self-deceit. One of those questions was: “What is satisfying to […]
The post Do Core Values Mix with Christianity? (139) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg talk further about Gregg’s Sunday morning “Discussion Group.” John wonders: How is the “back and forth” within the group affecting Gregg? Gregg notes that he is learning to pay attention to how some participants habitually “detract” from or even contradict his perspectives without actually engaging with the material, and […]
The post Recognizing Our Own Deceit (138) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg return to the topic of Gregg’s Sunday morning discussion group. Gregg explains that last week, instead of pursuing the course of study (on self-deceit), he presented the group with 10-question Questionnaire to help them assess their expectations, energy and commitment level to the discussion group. Could it be that […]
The post Choose Your Own Adventure? (137) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg continue to consider Gregg’s Sunday morning discussion group. John begins by returning to his uncertainty about Gregg’s contention that the beginning of the “Disciple’s Prayer” in Matthew 6: 9-13 (“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is […]
The post Identifying Self Deceit (136) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode, John and Gregg again speak about Gregg’s Sunday morning church discussion group. Gregg explains that the most recent session became rather fiery, particularly concerning the idea that the Holy Spirit does not do the majority the work in helping Christians understand the Bible’s original meaning. John notes how this belief is often […]
The post Stuck in a Loop of Self Deceit (135) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the morning discussion that Gregg facilitates every Sunday. John is interested in the newest developments, and Gregg highlights how engaging with a foreign mindset can be continually surprising. For example, Gregg summarizes the culture in his church as “hyper-trustful” relative to certain ways of reading the Bible. Yet […]
The post The Holy Spirit Reads the Bible for Me (134) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a recent session at the Sunday morning group that Gregg facilitates. Gregg explains how this session was quite different because the adolescents joined the adults for this discussion. The history of his involvement with this group is that Gregg has been trying to engage them in re-considering their […]
The post Is God Always in Control? (133) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss two different cultures, those who find Christianity and Christian beliefs to be suspect and those who are not questioning or believing that anything is wrong with their beliefs. They then focus on how to work with the latter group. Gregg explains that indeed he is experiencing culture shock […]
The post Questioning Beliefs and Trust (132) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a meeting that Gregg had with a street preacher. Gregg explained that he has never spoken to a Street Preacher before but had his curiosity piqued and so began a conversation. After recounting his encounter with the Street Preacher, Gregg goes on to explain that he had always […]
The post Street Preacher Experience (131) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a quotation by Yogi Bhajan, submitted by an Untangling Christianity listener. John sees the discussion about Gregg’s response to the Yogi Bhajan quotation as an extension of their conversation about Christian Praise music (in episode #128, “Let them have their music”). John’s concern here is similar to his […]
The post You Guys are Too Picky (130) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a poem from an anonymous newspaper clipping titled “I am a Christian.” Gregg received the poem on Facebook as, perhaps, a way of defining what a Christian is. In Gregg’s view a Christian can be defined in two ways: a) as someone who claims to be a follower […]
The post I am a Christian (129) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg again discuss Christian worship music, focusing on a listener comment about the song “Fierce” by Jesus Culture. John is of two minds in his response to the song. On the one hand he wonders if the song, in describing God’s love for us as a “hurricane that I cannot […]
The post Just Let People Have Their Music (128) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an article by Tim Lawrence, “Everything doesn’t happen for a reason.” This post “went viral” and concerns people trying to support those who suffer tragic circumstances by commiserating that “everything happens for a reason.” John notes both the author’s passion and a sense of hopelessness and is curious […]
The post Everything Doesn’t Happen for a Reason (127) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg are joined by Evan from Virginia, the second person ever to contact the podcast. Evan found the UC podcast through his wife’s concerns about Kyle Idleman’s not a fan. Having mentioned that he plays in a church worship band Evan joins John and Gregg to share his insights on Church worship […]
The post Exploring Worship Music with Evan (126) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the article “Between Easter and the End,” posted in the Untangling Christianity private Facebook group. John found the article both tough to unpack and to be difficult to connect with / find value in. When Gregg wonders why John feels disengaged from the article, John notes that in […]
The post Unsatisfying Transformation (125) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg return to their discussion from the last episode titled Problematic Praise Music following comments by listener “Lynette.” In partial response to Lynette, Gregg undertook to re-write the lyrics to one of the main Christian choruses of which Gregg was critical. Gregg’s new (amended since their reading in this episode) […]
The post Praise Music Progress (124) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week’s episode is sparked by a satirical post titled Worship Leader Caught In Infinite Loop Between Bridge And Chorus from the Babylon Bee. This leads to a critical discussion of two songs–How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin and I’ll Obey (author unknown). Gregg asserts that worship music should more accurately articulate God and the wider message […]
The post Problematic Praise Music (123) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg follow up from the previous episode where they both find it problematic when there is only one “politically correct” view on a given matter. Gregg offers an example of this, when he was living in Vancouver and attending a party. At the party a number of people were commenting […]
The post Superstitious Christianity (122) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg pick up from their last episode where they discussed the idea of how the craftsmanship sees meaning in an object and brings this meaning forth. For example, a sculptor may see a figure within a block of stone and simply removing the unnecessary pieces in order for the figure to […]
The post When Reasonable People Disagree (121) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss John’s reading of Deep Work, by Cal Newport. A recent interview with Cal Newport is found on the Productivityist Podcast. John wonders specifically about how the themes and concerns of the book relate to Christianity and lack of depth / thought in one’s beliefs. The author offers a […]
The post Deep Work (120) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg again welcome listener “Anna” to the discussion. Much of the conversation centers on Anna’s responses to the earlier discussions in the last two episodes.
The post Another Conversation with Anna (119) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg recap their discussion from last episode with long-time listener Anna. John explains that he felt greatly encouraged to hear Anna’s story, despite the fact that Anna has experienced setbacks and that there certainly has been no “happy ending” in it for Anna. Gregg also values the discussion with Anna […]
The post Bible Pastiche (118) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg connect with long-time listener “Anna.” Anna was the first Untangling Christianity listener to respond with feedback to John and Gregg and has been listening for over 2 years now. Anna explains how she was listening to many podcasts about Christianity at that time but responded to John and Gregg because she […]
The post Anna’s Story | Interpreting Experience (117) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg follow-up to last week’s episode “You’re Wrong Unless You Have the Right Emotional Response” which discussed a popular post by Dr. Everett Piper’s titled “This is not a daycare. This is a university.” John kicks this episode off by expressing concern that Dr. Piper’s letter so strongly emphasizes the view that […]
The post Being Right Might be Wrong (116) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an open letter by Dr. Everett Piper, President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. The letter concerns Dr. Piper’s response to a student who felt “victimized” by a sermon on 1 Cor 13, a chapter of the Bible devoted to explaining the nature of love. (NB: Gregg has created two […]
The post You’re Wrong Unless You Have the Right Emotional Response (115) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John, Gregg, and Charlie continue their discussion from the previous episode on the problem of evil. John notes his frustration that hard topics like evil are sometimes brushed away or avoided by appealing to God’s mysteriousness or our inability as humans to understand God’s ways. Gregg counters this idea strongly. In his view […]
The post The Christian Easy Button and Evil (114) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg are again joined by John’s good friend Charlie, now from Portland OR. During this meeting Following their previous discussion Gregg expresses his excitement about how Charlie experienced more self-awareness, a greater sense of connection with others, and a greater sense of connection with God through his time in San […]
The post Do People Grapple with the Problem of Evil? (113) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg are joined by John’s good friend Charlie, now from Portland OR. Charlie describes his current sense of feeling disconnected with God, something that John quite resonates with. Charlie describes his experiences with Christianity, from his upbringing in a conservative church, through spending a term studying at L’Abri in Boston, […]
The post Charlie’s Story | Connection With God (112) appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss some feedback by listener “Anna.” Anna re-posted a Face Book post by Mick Mooney where he offered some views on what the gospel is. Mick writes: “The truth is that we all have our interpretation regarding what the gospel actually is, what promises it contains, what power it […]
The post 111: Inspiration and Interpretation appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss some of Gregg’s ideas about sin. John sets the discussion in the context of N. T. Wright’s Surprised by Joy, which John is reading along with his parents. John notes how N. T. Wright’s emphasis on Jesus’ bodily resurrection is an indication that the kingdom of God has (partially) […]
The post 110: What is Sin All About? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the topic of Christian apologetics. John contextualizes the discussion by explaining how he goes through various rhythms of being more and then less engaged with the podcast, and how listener feedback is often a stimulus to rekindle John’s interest. Specifically, John remarks on Lynette’s contention that he (and […]
The post 109: Making It Real appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the focus article of the September 2015 edtion of The Atlantic magazine: “The Coddling of the American Mind,” by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. Gregg wonders about the hyper-sensitivity that seems to be dictating how we are (or better, how are not) to interact with each others. Particularly, […]
The post 108: Facing Uncomfortable Topics appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss one of Gregg’s recent blog posts where Gregg lays out his approach to others, both Christians and non-Christians, in preparation for examining (and as distinct from) how Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias (and other Christian apologists) engage with non-Christians. Gregg notes that he is very excited by this blog […]
The post 107: Being Your Best Self appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the difference between dialogue and debate, focusing on a number of distinctions between the two that John found on-line. John notes that while he generally agrees with the definition of dialogue, he also preferred some of aspects of debate. Gregg notes that how Christians view and present their knowledge […]
The post 106: Debate vs Dialogue appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss their thoughts on two podcast episodes from The Whitehorse Inn (“Sustainable Churches” and “Consumerism, pragmatism, and the triumph of the therapeutic“) which listener Amy linked to in the Untangling Christianity Facebook group. John explains how he found the first podcast rather inaccessible. Specifically, he had trouble relating to […]
The post 105: A Trip to the White Horse Inn appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg begin by discussing John’s experience of explaining the Untangling Christianity podcast to co-participants at Podcast Movement 2015 and from this they consider when and how to tell someone that one is a Christian. John notes that, while briefly explaining the Untangling Christianity podcast, he was asked if he was […]
The post 104: Are You A Christian? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss books that they have been recently reading. John explains that he has been reading N. T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope with his parents. Given that this is the first book by N. T. Wright that any of them have read, John notes that the absence of fuller explanations […]
The post 103: Has Apologetics Run Its Course? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg go further with offering the benefit of the doubt: the idea of viewing others as generally “doing their best” in a given situation. John is hesitant about commenting on the experience of Gregg’s father and brother being killed (this discussion last focused, and which raised some doubts for John), […]
The post 102: Giving the Benefit of the Doubt appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss some questions about versions of the Bible, the book of Job, and the upcoming discussion group / gathering that Gregg is facilitating. In the book of Job, John notes that Job’s friends also take the perspective that Job has done something to cause God to act against Job. Gregg responds […]
The post 101: More About Job | Church Discussion Kickoff appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Today John and Gregg celebrate–and reflect on–100 episodes of the “Untangling Christianity podcast!” John begins by mentions how he and Gregg have met their goal of publishing 100 episodes in (at least) 100 weeks, and by keying on a listener’s question, from Amy, about whether the podcasts have changed over time. He notes that his perspective […]
The post 100: What’s Next for Untangling Christianity? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the idea that being a Christian should be “easy,” a notion with which Gregg largely disagrees. As part of doing his own work John has been making slow progress in his reading of a Chronological Daily Bible, with commentary by F. LaGard Smith. John has been in Genesis […]
The post 99: Is Christianity Easy? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this podcast John and Gregg once again return to “the Eagle” in order to discuss the notion of experience and, particularly, to contrast everyday experiences with exceptional experiences. Gregg begins by explaining how he wants to relate exceptional experiences, and particularly experiences of God, to something called Speech Act theory (by J. L. Austin). John […]
The post 98: Examining Exceptional Experiences appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg welcome Dan Dailey, author of the blog post that’s been the subject of the last two podcasts–Episode 96 and Episode 95. Dan’s posts, The Sin of Forsaking Fellowship, is here: https://danieldailey.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/the-sin-of-forsaking-fellowship/ . John and Gregg talk with Dan to get a better sense of the intentions behind his blog post […]
The post 97: Talking Church with Dan Dailey appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg continue from last week’s podcast by resuming their conversation concerning Dan Dailey’s blog post titled “Sin of forsaking fellowship.” Gregg notes, concerning his comment about being obligated to attend church in last week’s podcast, that this is, more accurately, an obligation to love others “rightly” (i.e., even as one […]
The post 96: Evangelizing a Church? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a blog post entitled “The Sin of Forsaking Fellowship,” by Dan Dailey, first raised in the Untangling Christianity private Facebook group. John wonders about a comment that Gregg left on the blog post. Gregg explains that he was struck by what he saw as a crucial contradiction at […]
The post 95: Obligated Church Attendance? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Greg to discuss a recent discussion John had with his parents around NT Wright’s book Surprised by Hope. While discussing the first chapters, John referred to some ideas Gregg has put forth. John was surprised when his father suggested that, “It’s great that Gregg has those ideas, but you have […]
The post 94: Do Your Own Work appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg revisit their discussion from last podcast, where they considered the validity of claiming that certain experiences are “from God.” In this episode they discuss the example of “the eagle” (i.e., being on a hike with a group of people and seeing an eagle in the sky, and one person […]
The post 93: The Eagle Circles Again appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss some of Gregg’s ideas about how / what it means to “experience God.” Reflecting on their past discussion in episode #77, John wonders if Gregg views God’s action in the world being solely for the purpose of furthering God’s kingdom rather that touching / engaging with people individually? […]
The post 92: Questioning Experiences of God appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg resume their discussion about church attendance, this time regarding children. John starts by wondering about Gregg’s process in allowing his children to make choices about where to attend church, and also about the difference between teaching our children to believe Christianity, versus to understand (life, and so Christianity). Gregg […]
The post 91: Kids and Church | Belief vs Understanding appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
During this episode John and Gregg again discuss church attendance, especially as their earlier conversation on this topic generated much feedback from listeners. John continues to grapple with the notion that one may abstain from going to church, the more so as he tracks with one of our listener’s who has also pressed pause” on […]
The post 90: How to Decide on Church appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss listener Stephanie’s question: “Is it possible to have an authentic Christian experience without going to church?” Gregg is enthusiastic that Stephanie developed this conversation in the Untangling Christianity private FaceBook group. He comments on the role of “obedience” in terms of going to church, noting that Hebrews 10:24-5 […]
The post 89: Do I Have to Go to Church? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an article from Relevant magazine, concerning an interview with Rachel Held Evans on how Millennials feel alienated from most church settings, and are looking for a committed community rather than for a church with “the right” programs or music. John notes, despite not being in the Millennial age […]
The post 88: Church Isn’t Working appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a very unusual ‘listener’ email. When Gregg was 22 years old his father killed himself, his son (Gregg’s younger brother), and two young parents in a car crash. Gregg’s father was traveling 100 mph in a 50 mph zone and was legally drunk at the time, and so […]
The post 87: Saying Father and Meaning It appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Today we discuss Easter. John characterizes Easter from his past as a moment of rejoicing that Jesus’ resurrection means that Christians have eternal life. He wonders what significance Easter holds for Gregg? Gregg’s view is that Easter is about how Jesus’ life and death broke down barriers, particularly in the sense that through Jesus’ life and […]
The post 86: Easter appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg again discuss the idea that Christians need “second opinions” about their faith. John sees parallels here with Wayne Jacobson‘s notion of listening to one’s “yuck meter,” where Christians need to attend to their negative reactions / feelings of unease regarding supposedly “Christian” responses (because this may be the Holy […]
The post 85: Listening to Yourself appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the notion of Christians getting a “second opinion” on matters concerning their faith, and even on their faith itself. Gregg introduces the topic by explaining how his spouse was reading a book on Christianity late one evening and was troubled by its contents. However, she was unable to […]
The post 84: Second Opinions appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg and John continue examining John’s mission statement. Johns clarifies his notion of owner as being someone who takes ownership for their life and situation and who is committed to “making things happen.” John explains that working with those who don’t want to / don’t seem ready to be helped is very […]
The post 83: Owning Everything appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
John and Gregg begin this episode by discussing an article from Relevant Magazine, entitled “3 Youth Group Lessons I’ve Had to Unlearn,” by Addie Zierman. Gregg explains that the article expresses a similar perspective to the one that he has adopted in his discussion with Tommi, on the matter of theory versus practice. Specifically, Tommi […]
The post 82: Unlearning Youth Group appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode Gregg and John discuss John’s mission statement and how it relates to the podcast. Gregg begins by reading John’s mission statement: “John brings order to chaos and clarity to a confusion so that owners can effectively communicate their truth and thrive.” John explains that “owners” are people who not only take charge […]
The post 81: Pushing Without Being Pushy appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss how one can or should disagree, in situations where others raise viewpoints that one thinks are questionable or does not believe. John gives the example of being at a party and someone making an offhand comment about the human soul after death. Several people added supporting comments […]
The post 80: How to Listen and Disagree appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John wonders why Gregg was so pleased when, during the last episode, Tommi disagreed with Gregg’s perspective. Gregg explains that he is excited and positive about several things. First, that listeners such as Tommi are listening attentively to our episodes, grasping what is being said, formulating their own views on the subject, […]
The post 79: Beneficial Disagreement appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg welcome Tommi Poelstra, John’s wife, to the show. Tommi joins John and Gregg to offer feedback on Episode #68. In Tommi’s view episode #68 was more focused on God’s kingdom than on God “meeting our needs,” which is what John and Gregg set out to discuss at the beginning […]
The post 78: Be More Practical and Less Theoretical | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
John begins by presenting the new, “Untangling Christianity” private Facebook group. John explains that the goal of this group is to be a place for deeper conversation about subjects raised on or related to the podcasts, and that the group can be accessed by sending us an email request. In this episode John and Gregg […]
The post 77: Was That Experience Really God? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John begins by voicing concern that his current “infatuation” with N. T. Wright may be misplaced: is Wright as good as he sounds (and as right as Gregg seems to think he is)? John explains that he went looking for criticisms of N. T. Wright and found several such podcasts, and so […]
The post 76: Plug Me Into the Bible Matrix appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg continue their discussion about the relationship between the covenant with Moses and the promise made to Abram (Abraham) in Gen 12:1-3, to bless all the nations through Abraham and his offspring. John wonders how Gregg would present the gospel, and this past week Gregg spent a number of hours […]
The post 75: Covenant, Promise and Mystery appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg return to their discussion of the Christmas story (from Episode #73) and the notion that “the gospel” does not begin with Christmas or Jesus’ birth but, essentially, with a promise that God made to Abraham and the reality that the gospel is also the culmination of God’s interaction with […]
The post 74: The Gospel Doesn’t Start at Christmas appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss several Christmas events that John attended over the holidays. John reads sections from the printed material from these events and then John and Gregg discuss this content. The first piece is a concert program with a welcome message. John is struck by the end of this message which […]
The post 73: The Wrong Kind of Mystery appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a post, “Are we supposed to balance love and truth?” on Gregory Boyd’s blog. John is surprised to learn that Gregg has hesitations about the article’s view. Gregg explains that while evangelicals tend to fix truth over love, this article fixes love over truth. Yet in his view […]
The post 72: Too Much Love and Mumbo Jumbo appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg again discuss “God meeting our needs,” and God doing so within the context of furthering / in order to further God’s kingdom (as discussed in episode 68). John is particularly uncertain how Gregg is able to hold this view given the parental sexual abuse that Gregg experienced in his […]
The post 71: Does God Act Individually or Personally? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John enquires into the result of Gregg’s 6 month stay in Switzerland, at Swiss L’Abri. Gregg recaps his time by noting that his writing has been very productive, and especially his most recent topic: “everyday” experiences versus exceptional experiences (particularly, ‘experiencing’ God). Gregg is concerned not only to lay out the content […]
The post 70: Eminence or Evidence | Expectations Around Experiencing God appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
John poses a question to Gregg about his lack of “experiencing God,” but first begins by explaining his personal routines and how this question came about through a book called The MIracle Morning. John shares about his morning and evening routines, both of which include an aspect of reflection and journaling. In his evening routine, […]
The post 69: Why Didn’t I See God Today? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss a recent conversation Gregg had with a person at Swiss L’Abri concerning their expectations that God should “meet their needs.” John’s sees the idea of “God meeting our needs” as one that was over-sold in his Christian experience. John feels this way because he felt that God has […]
The post 68: Hot Dogs & Tow Trucks | Does God Meet Our Needs? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg go further on the topic of “rigor,” which they initially discussed in episode # 64. In that episode they discussed rigor specifically in the context of reading and interpreting the Bible. In this episode they expand that discussion as Gregg suggests that rigor applies broadly to our entire lives. […]
The post 67: Enjoying All of Life appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss feedback from a listener wanting to understand how to continue being part of / partnering with a church where one holds different views from that church’s? John identifies three questions out of this situation: a) What is the church? b) What is a Christian’s responsibility to the church? c) […]
The post 66: Church Challenged | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg consider a comment by listener Melinda to episode #35, Love is more than grace. Melinda makes three points/questions: That internalizing God’s love seems crucial, but sermons and the Bible often don’t seem to support this Gregg expressed that “grace is that mode of expression by which God most truly […]
The post 65: Self Love and the Ten Commandments appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Donald Miller’s Sept 25 blog post. While John usually appreciates Donald’s posts, John is critical of Donald’s view that Jesus valued people who blindly trusted him: that we should trust without reasons to do so (or even against having other reasons not to). Gregg had similar thoughts and […]
The post 64: Applying Rigor appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Gregg’s recent lecture at Swiss L’Abri, where Gregg began lecturing on his graduate thesis. Gregg explains that his thesis concerns a problem within recent, biblical hermeneutics, on the part of several evangelical scholars, and that this problem is twofold. First, some Christian scholars have preferenced the positive effect of […]
The post 63: Tension Not Principles appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Gregg’s view of love and how / to what degree he believes that experiencing God’s love is necessary to embracing Christianity. Gregg notes that through some of his interaction at Swiss L’Abri he is coming to see several things more clearly. First, that he needs to do more […]
The post 62: Love as a Promise appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg complete their discussion of Darin Hufford’s book The Misunderstood God. John notes that both he and Gregg decided not to discuss all the chapters, while Gregg notes that the same themes are recurring in different chapters (and under different topics). John gives the book three out of five stars […]
The post 61: Concluding The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss listener feedback from Evan in Virginia. Evan appreciated the recent podcast on Love and Biblical Illiteracy while posing several questions. First, can one’s love of biblical doctrine impact how we love others, whether positively or negatively? Next, Evan wonders how valuable the church’s tradition are and whether we lose […]
The post 60: Love of People or Doctrine | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter 11 of Darin Hufford’s Misunderstood God. John notes, after having read to this point, that the book does not seem to have any continuity between chapters, which makes it harder to follow. John also sees interesting connections between this chapter and Episode #33: “God is Not an Idiot.” Gregg […]
The post 59: Understanding Love By Being Loved | Chap 11 of Misunderstood God appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss two questions. First, a podcast John has been listening to raised the issue of how much study and learning one needs in order to know God? Second, John questions whether memorizing scripture holds the potential problem that one may not have the right interpretation of those verses (and so risks misapplying them)? The jumping off place for […]
The post 58: What I Get From the Bible is What it Means appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter 9 of Darin Hufford’s Misunderstood God. Gregg comments that he has never had a book that he has liked more and likes less at the same time. He identifies certain ‘nuggets’ of gold yet finds certain formulations or presentations of the material that seem so incorrect that […]
The post 57: Loved By and In Love With | Chap 9 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss listener feedback from Eric in the comments for Episode #41. Eric believes John and Gregg have been overly critical of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford in a way that is unnecessary and misses the value others have found in Hufford’s message. John and Gregg reflect on this […]
The post 56: Confidence or Arrogance | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss the fact that they, and particularly Gregg, are viewing and responding to the material that they are working with in a very different way from many other reviewers (such as their responses to Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan and Darin Hufford’s Misunderstood God). John reflects on how his […]
The post 55: Elephant or Not appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an article from the Biola University alumni magazine purporting to identify a “crisis of biblical illiteracy” within evangelical churches. The author, Kenneth Bearding, holds a Ph. D. in hermeneutics and biblical interpretation, and targets biblical illiteracy. John sees the article as “click bait”: dramatizing an issue in order to […]
The post 54: Is Biblical Illiteracy the Real Problem? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John begins by considering which is more important: “seeking” God’s kingdom or loving God? In doing so John considers how Gregg speaks of loving God as a very intense involvement with God that seems to be oriented around feelings and emotion. Yet what about the command to love? Is God really “commanding” […]
The post 53: Can Love be Commanded? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter 8 of Darin Hufford’s The Misunderstood God. John notes Hufford’s lack of scriptural references is both refreshing and problematic (as Hufford globalizes his own experience to his readers). Gregg replies that, in contrast to Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan (where Gregg and John were able to evaluate Idleman’s views based on the scriptural […]
The post 52: Gold in Them Hills | Chap 8 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter 7 of The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God by Darin Hufford. John begins with a quotation from page 72, “Why did God create us? Because love requires expression.” John finds this notion startling and compelling while wondering about its validity. Gregg believes two factors, in […]
The post 51: Generalize Not Globalize | Chap 7 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week John and Gregg kick things off by reading an iTunes review that summarizes well what they are trying to do. This being the 50th episode it’s also a good time to reflect again on how the podcast is going. Gregg’s “high light” is that, really, there have been no “low lights.” John relates some mixed feelings about how […]
The post 50: Retrospective | Looking Back and Looking Forward appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Gregg begins this episode by relating how his mediation training can help people be their best selves, which he also sees as both the focus and result of being a Christian. Part of his excitement concerns the hope that mediation can contribute towards restoring relationships–moving beyond the disposability of relationships to seeing yourself and the other person in new ways. So in […]
The post 49: God as Sovereign and Parent | Chap 6-7 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg continue their discussion from Episode 47 around Kyle Idleman’s message from May 25, 2014 titled The Inside-Out Way of Jesus: Humbled To Be Exalted (week 2) and attempting to answer listener Brandon’s questions. The notes John refers to taking from Idleman’s message are here. Gregg sums up his view of this sermon […]
The post 48: Starting With the Right Orientation | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Today’s episode and the next where sparked by listener comments and questions from Brandon in Louisville, Kentucky. Brandon writes: Hey guys. I’m a casual listener. I might have gotten through the first 10 or 12 podcast so far. Great job producing so much content consistently. A couple things. Early on Gregg mentioned a book he […]
The post 47: Step Away From the Boat | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Christian worship. Gregg relates a discussion on worship he recently participated in. Many of the participants were focused on the problems of hyper-subjectivity (where I equate my perceptions with reality and deem my feelings to be 100% accurate). Yet we must likewise be careful not to say that “what I like” or “what works […]
The post 46: Defining Worship appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week John and Gregg discuss Chapters 4 and 5 from Darin Hufford’s book The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God. While Gregg generally sees the book going in the right direction he expresses concern that Hufford has potentially mis-formulated or not formulated certain aspects of his message. This risks confusing or alienating the audience […]
The post 45: How and Why | Chap 4-5 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss what it means to love / be in love with God, and the nature of the “greatest commandment.” They begin by referencing a previous conversation in Episode 40 about a Christianity Today article by Matthew Lee Anderson that is critical of “radical Christianity” in the style of Francis Chan, David Platt […]
The post 44: Defining Love appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg begin by discussing Gregg’s upcoming trip to Switzerland. Gregg explains that he will be working remotely while he and his family spend the summer at Swiss L’Abri. L’Abri is a Christian organization where John and Gregg met in 1999. At the time Gregg was agnostic and John was taking a hard […]
The post 43: Switzerland, Abraham and Obedience appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week John and Gregg discuss Chapters 3 and 4 from Darin Hufford’s book The Misundertstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God. Chapter 3, “The Hair Trigger God,” asserts that Christians often view God as being impatient and fear that, someday, God will finally get tired of our sin and abandon us. Neither John nor Gregg can relate to […]
The post 42: Sovereignty, Kindness and Interpretation | Chap 3-4 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week John and Gregg discuss Chapters 1 and 2 from Darin Hufford’s book titled The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God. We have mixed feelings about the book. Hufford makes some good observations about what doesn’t work in Christianity which is refreshing and yet also makes sweeping generalizations about how people feel […]
The post 41: Christian Insanity | Chap 1-2 of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss an article from Christianity Today titled Here Come the Radicals by Matthew Lee Anderson that examines several books on “radical Christianity” such as Kyle Idleman’s Not A Fan. John resonates with the author’s point that writers such as Idleman promote an intensity as key to whether one is really […]
The post 40: Informed Trust appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Luke 9:23, “taking up your cross” and “following Jesus.” From this John wonders generally about how we should be using the Bible. He gives the example of sermons where biblical passages are taken to mean exactly what they meant when they were written (and have essentially the same […]
The post 39: Using the Bible Well appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss listener feedback directed to both of them. The feedback to Gregg suggests that those who do not focus on grace are those who have not yet understood the enormity of their sin (on the example of the woman in Luke 7). The feedback sent to John concerns the […]
The post 38: Sin’s Significance appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Gregg’s approach to “untangling” Christianity. John sees it as a major shift in orientation, much like Wayne Jacobsen’s view, that instead of thinking of God as a being who cannot stand our sin (and so had to send his son to die on our behalf) we should see […]
The post 37: Judging God appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg investigate how (and how much) we see God as being involved in our lives, and how the perspectives on Christianity that we’ve been discussing / proposing differ from much of typical evangelical Christianity. John mentions Wayne Jacobson’s The Jesus Lens, which walks through both the Old and New Testament. John […]
The post 36: Embrace the Grappling appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John compares grace and love. Specifically, John contrasts a listener’s story and Gregg’s story (both being fairly radical departures from the Christian norm) with his own path of not overtly departing from these norms. John’s epiphany is that the message of love makes far more sense than the message of grace (to […]
The post 35: Love is More Than Grace appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss listener feedback from Joanne, on Episode 31. Joanne commented on relating to God as “father” and “abba.” Joanne explained this with reference to Romans 8:15, which refers to people being adopted into God’s family contrasted with earlier parts of Romans that also touches on slavery–a topic Kyle Idleman […]
The post 34: Beyond Salvation | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Today’s discussion is kicked off by comments that listener Melinda left for Episode #25, which is also related to Episode #20, were the topic of grace versus love was also raised. Gregg then turns to John to define and contextualize the notion of grace is in the evangelical world. John equates grace with ‘pardon’ and […]
The post 33: God is Not an Idiot–Grace and Truth | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode starts with John thinking more about topic of justice from the things Gregg shared in Episode #5. Gregg takes issue with John’s assertion that we’d all be better of if we all assumed other people were always doing the best that they can. Gregg wonders exactly what that means, especially when the stakes […]
The post 32: Justice is Easy appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
After a long journey we’ve finally arrived: Chapter 14 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, the book’s end. This is perhaps our most important episode on this book as it gets to heart of what we find wrong in Idleman’s “reward and punishment” approach to Christianity. So in the place of Idleman’s view that following Jesus […]
The post 31: Coerced Obedience | Chap 14 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Gregg opens with his view that Chapter 13 from Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman is among the most important in the entire book. This is because it connects to (and helps clarify) the book’s core message: insuring people make “the right decision” and spend eternity in heaven. In John’s words, the chapter emphasizes the need to […]
The post 30: Swallow the Pill | Chap 13 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode we riff on comments Charlie left on Episode Two, about the Bible. Charlie shares his conflicted feelings about how he views the Bible and and also his observation that many people just want to be told to a more literal view of what the Bible says instead of doing their own work […]
The post 29: Biblical Extremes and Openness to Dialog | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter Twelve from Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. John observes Idleman building this chapter around the idea that we are to go wherever God wants us to go and that it won’t be comfortable or easy. What doesn’t add up here, when contrasted with other parts of the […]
The post 28: Make Sure It Hurts | Chap 12 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This is John and Gregg’s second discussion of chapter eleven from Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. John observes a continued message of “try harder” and “it doesn’t count unless it’s painful,” combined with an orientation (as noted in previous episodes) that appears to lead to untenable conclusions. Further, instead of placing his message in a […]
The post 27: Life Not Death | Chap 11 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode finds John and Gregg discussing Chapter Eleven from Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Gregg begins by agreeing with Idleman’s view that crucifixion was ultimately humiliating. Specifically, the importance of ‘honour and shame’ in 1st century Palestine means that crucifixion not only results in a grueling death but also completely abases and discredits the victim. […]
The post 26: Honor and Shame | Chap 11 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg interact with listener feedback from Anna, who asks whether we believe that authors like Kyle Idleman or John Eldridge have any value to offer the Christian community. Gregg suspects these books are written within (and so informed by) an evangelical Christianity that has wrongly set truth above love, rather than understanding […]
The post 25: Truth Over Love | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg return to Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman and discuss Chapter Ten. John questions Idleman’s chapter-ending story where following Jesus equates to “giving up period.” In turn, Gregg doubts this includes “giving up on church” or even “waiting on God,” a theme John sees nowhere in Idleman’s relentless message of […]
The post 24: More Than Scripture Alone | Chap 10 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter Ten of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. John finds Idleman’s message repetitive and unconvincing. Gregg pushes things further: could it be that, instead of being poorly written or argued, this book actually proposes a view of Christianity that contradicts other aspects of Idleman’s own beliefs? John sees […]
The post 23: Ignoring Your Own Existence | Chap 10 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode looks at Chapter Nine of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. We start with John’s confusion and discomfort with the amount of “shoulds” and how following Jesus seems to be defined as being crazy, misunderstood, and even hated. John also observes Idleman’s continued emphasis on a Christian’s need to love and pursue God with no […]
The post 22: A Crazy Pursuit | Chap 9 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter Eight of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Idleman believes that Jesus decides what is most important and what He wants in a relationship with us. Gregg agrees that what God wants is important, however he does not believe we are completely subsumed in relationship with God–what we want […]
The post 21: Your Terms or God’s? | Chap 8 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode we are joined by Tommi, John’s wife. Tommi explains how understanding grace at Swiss L’Abri allowed her to overcome legalism and yet she still desires to know experientially that God loves her (to “live loved”). Gregg suggests that this minimally involves being open to and honest with God, including prayer, orienting my […]
The post 20: How We Know God Loves Us appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This short episode examines Chapter Seven of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Our discussion focuses on the author’s story about himself at the end of the chapter. Unlike every other chapter, which ends with someone else’s story, this chapter ends with a story of Idleman’s own. He met with the mother of one of his […]
The post 19: Dialog Fail | Chap 7 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg chew on the presentation of the Holy Spirit and how the Bible is used to make certain points in Chapter Six of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Gregg notes that Idleman seems to want God to “move in and take over,” and so wonders what about us God actually […]
The post 18: No Room For You | Chap 6 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Jerry Bridges’ view that “In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not sense” (Trusting God, p. 18). John notes that he would have put the book down right there. Gregg comments that viewing negative circumstances solely through “the […]
The post 17: Digging Deeper into Experience appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this special episode we interact with our first listener feedback: an email from Anna (who found our emphasis on authentic personal experience of God helpful) and Charlie’s comment about our motives from Episode Three. John also underscores how much we value and welcome listener feedback (negative and positive) while also welcoming questions on wider […]
The post 16: Experience, Motives, and Agenda | Listener Feedback appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode we take a look back at 2013 and a look forward to 2014. We also talk about the different books on our desks, where they’d like the discussion to go in 2014, and what we’re hoping the podcast will be. More than ever we’d like feedback from you, our listeners on what […]
The post 15: Reviewing 2013 and Anticipating 2014 appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John asks Gregg to clarify the terms “truth claims” and “truth values,” mentioned in the notes for Episode 5: When Your One Star Experience is Five Stars for Someone Else. This was in response to Gregg wondering what truth value people are attributing to the Bible’s truth claims, in the context of many Amazon […]
The post 14: Why Truth Claims and Truth Values Matter appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg discuss Chapter Five of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. They begin by wondering about whether the Christianity that Kyle Idleman is promoting is not rule-based after all, despite his claims to the contrary. John discusses how many Christians see Christianity as a set of “principles” and consider the Bible […]
The post 13: Following the Rules | Chap 5 of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week John questions what it means for Christianity to “work” and focuses the discussion using a quotation from Os Guiness’ Time for Truth: “Christianity is not true because it works, but it works because it’s true.” So John questions the role of personal experience in arbitrating truth. Gregg makes the distinction between absolute and relative truth. […]
The post 12: Experiencing Truth appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg riff on some ideas John found reading Brene Brown’s book Daring Greatly (highly recommended by John). For more exposure to Brown’s work, listen to her interview with Krista Tippet. John talks about experiencing shame as a major motivator in Christian circles and so wonders if books like Not A Fan trigger […]
The post 11: Vulnerability, Shame, Fear, Love, and Family appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode John and Gregg examine the notion that Jesus dying on the cross should prompt people to love God and embrace Christianity as a result. Specifically, is Christ’s death a motivation for loving God and is the matter presented this way in the Bible? John tells how Christians in the past have speculated […]
The post 10: What is Enough to Believe? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This week we discuss Chapter Four of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. This is the book’s first mention of love, which Gregg believes has been sorely missing. John and Gregg then both question Idleman’s use of Jesus’s proclamation that being a disciple means hating parents, siblings, and family. Specifically, Matthew and Luke both convey this […]
The post 9: Loving So Much You Hate | Chap 4 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
John and Gregg discuss Chapter Three of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. As Idleman’s use of the Bible in chapter one and chapter two seemed shaky, they are both pleasantly surprised to find that his use of Luke 7 squares with what they find in the Bible. Gregg then dives into a discussion of “knowledge” […]
The post 8: Knowledge or Intimacy | Chap 3 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Today we talk about love and being loved by God. Should we think that “Jesus died for me, so the least I can do for Jesus is love and obey him”? Gregg suggests that we compare this view with someone what might be a realistic response if you believed that someone had saved your life or the […]
The post 7: Responding to God–Guilt, Experience, or Understanding? appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode looks at Chapter Two of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. In light of Kyle Idleman’s view that Christianity must “cost us” and that authentic Christianity is marked by Jesus “interfering” with our lives, John opens the question of what constitutes Christian commitment. So we explore Idleman’s view that Nicodemus, while being impressed by Jesus’ love, […]
The post 6: Deciding or Commiting | Chap 2 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
Returning to part of our discussion in Episode #3, we delve deeper into John’s question about why people’s experiences differ. Specifically, while John and Gregg have been mostly negative about Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, the vast majority of Amazon reviewers have given it 5 stars (the highest review possible). How can so many people consider the […]
The post 5: When Your One Star Experience is Five Stars for Someone Else appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this episode we discuss Chapter One of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. Idleman asserts that Jesus pushes us to “define the relationship” (DTR) that we have with him. Idleman argues that a core distinction of being either a fan or follower of Jesus, is the need properly to resolve this crucial question: What if […]
The post 4: DTR With Jesus | Chap 1 of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this podcast John and I discuss how the Bible can be read from a devotional perspective and from an academic perspective, and that both have advantages and disadvantages. This led into a discussion of how he and I should reconcile the fact that we have taken a dimmer view of Kyle Idleman’s Not a […]
The post 3: Ways We Read the Bible appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
This episode kicks of our in-depth discussion of Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. We start in the Prologue and begin discussing Idleman’s core message–question of whether your are a “Fan” or “Follower” of God. Neither of us is convinced that these are the best categories. We also discuss Idleman’s loose handling and use of the […]
The post 2: Prologue | Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman appeared first on Untangling Christianity.
In this first episode John and Gregg talk about how this podcast came about and what’s behind it’s name and how it grew out telephone conversations Gregg and John have had over the years. Often these conversations explored aspects of Christianity that John found puzzling or problematic and wanted to clarify. Somewhere along the way John […]
The post 1: Introducing the Untangling Christianity Podcast appeared first on Untangling Christianity.