The Undisputedly Pauline Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Nasmith
The audio-blog of Benjamin Nasmith, a seminary graduate and PhD candidate in mathematics. I'm interested in the role of experience in theology and look to Paul as an important exemplar of an experiential Christian faith.
In this episode I begin a conversation with my friend Juan Torres about one of his favourite theologians, Jürgen Moltmann. We talk about a collection of essays entitled "God Will Be All In All: The Eschatology of Jürgen Moltmann", edited by Richard Bauckham, and focus on the first essay written by Bauckham. Our discussion ranges from the meaning of eschatology, its significance, practical implications, and even the role of the metaphysics of time in theology. Juan and I plan to discuss this book again sometime soon.
In this episode I speak with my friend Juan Torres again, this time about a brief section of a book by Jürgen Moltmann that Juan selected for us. I've long felt that the Christianity that I received growing up had an implicit framework of justice as retribution, and I've been trying to grow out of it. Moltmann provides a helpful perspective in which the justice of God is creative, a source of healing and reconciliation rather than merely mechanical recompense.
In this episode I share another sermon that I gave at Next Church in Kingston ON. This time I speak about Paul in Galatians chapter 3. I argue that Paul's concern is that we not quench the Spirit, as he writes elsewhere. This gives me a chance toward the end to list a number of ways that Christians are tempted to quench the Spirit in their midst today. Listening to this sermon again, I realize that it is about as close as I've come to articulating a theological manifesto of some sort for the church today.
In this episode I share a sermon I gave at Next Church about hope and the godforsaken experience. You may notice that in Mark and Matthew's Gospel, Jesus dies crying out "My God, My God, Why have you Forsaken me." In contrast, Luke's Gospel has Jesus die commending his Spirit into his Father's hands. In this sermon I try to bring together these two aspects of Christian experience using Paul's basis for hope in Romans 5:5, the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately the recording was cut short at the end, so the sermon is missing the last three minutes or so. Feel free to supply your own ending, and choose your own adventure.
In this sermon I talk about Paul in Philippians 3 alongside Soren Kierkegaard, one of my favourite philosophers. To get ready for this sermon I re-read my favourite Kierkegaard book, Practice in Christianity. I realized that one of the things that makes Paul so interesting is that he exemplifies Kierkegaard's notion of contemporaneity with Christ. Paul wasn't one of the original twelve disciples. He didn't walk alongside Jesus during his ministry. And yet Paul lived in the presence of Jesus Christ in a way that is just as possible for us today as it was for him.
In this episode I interview my friend Juan Torres about our shared interest in the apostle Paul and his lasting impact upon Christianity.
In this episode I share a sermon that I gave (virtually) at Next Church in Kingston ON on 24 May 20. I try to explain how I approach the Psalms as a modern person, given that they are the songs and prayers of ancient people. I also try to explain what these ancient songs and prayers can mean in the present moment, especially in a truly historical present moment.
Welcome to the first episode of "The Undisputedly Pauline Podcast", an audio-blog hosted by Benjamin Nasmith. In this episode I share a 29 July 2018 talk I gave at Next Church, in Kingston ON. This talk captures much of what I value in the Christian faith. Listening to it is a great way to get to know me and what I care about in theology.