We talk about his remarkable encounter with Benny Hinn, his recent thoughts on church unity, how he’s revisited his beliefs about the Eucharist, and we reflect on the pros and cons of being educated at The Master’s College (now University) and Seminary.
In this podcast, we discuss why the idea that LGB people are “born that way” does not match the scientific data; instead, sexual orientation is a complex blend of nature and nurture. We then talk about the phenomenon of sexual fluidity--a topic that Lisa has become an expert on.
Grant Skeldon is a leading expert in understanding GenZ and has spent the last several years of his life raising up and discipling GenZ leaders. In this podcast episode, Grant walks us through an indepth look at GenZ and corrects some wrong assumptions older people have about this vibrant generation.
In this podcat episode, Preston and Lindsey talk about the beautiful complexity of female sexualtiiy and why so many teen girls today identify as bisexual (as opposed to lesbian or striaght).
A. J. Swoboda is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University. He also leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning Subversive Sabbath.
In this podcast, we banter around about all kinds of things related to politics, race, discipleship in 2021, pastoring in a post-Covid world, nationalism, partisanship, and how to deal with Christians who are heavily influenced by the partisan politics of our day.
Humans can live without sex, but we can’t live without love, intimacy, and community. So where does this leave Christian who are gay, who are also pursuing celibacy as a vocation? Pieter Valk helps us think through this question on a rich, theological, and practical level.
Illegal drugs should be criminalized. Period. The harsher a society is on drug use and drug dealing, the fewer problems it will have. Right? Not necessarily. As long as there are buyers, there will be producers. And as long as people experience pain and trauma, they will seek ways to numb it.
Oftentimes, we don’t know what to do with the ascension. I mean, we believe in it, but we don’t often appreciate the theological necessity of it. Get your Bible’s out for this episode, because Patrick and I dance through various passages of Scripture to reconstruct the lost doctrine of the ascension of Christ.
Is it possible for Christians to maintain unity when they are so divided over hot-button issues like politics, race, and points of doctrine? Do you have to sacrifice conviction for the sake of unity? Is it possible for a zealous Trump-supporter and an ardent Biden-supporter to worship together in the same church without thinking the other person is evil? There is no better person to help us navigate these issues than Dr. Tim Muehlhoff.
Dr. Sandy Richter is one of my favorite--and one of the most provocative--biblical scholars, and she comes back on Theology in the Raw for the second time in 10 months to help us think through this important question: should Christian care for the environment?
The answer, of course--if you read the Bible--is yes. But why are so many Christians resistant to this question? (Pssst...it’s because we’re often shaped more by American political tribal identities than the actual Bible.) We also wrestle with questions like: What age will we be in the resurrection? Will animals be resurrected in the new creation? And why won’t there be marriage in the resurrection?
Kurt is the author of the brand new book: Echoing Hope: How the Humanity of Jesus Redeems Our Pain And his forms the bulk of our discussion. Do we believe Jesus was really human? Do we overemphasize his deity and therefore lose out on embracing the beauty of his humanity? When did Jesus realize he was God? Do his miracles prove his divinity or show that he was empowered by the Spirit?
Clare De Graaf is a cancer survivor, sort of “retired” businessman, a friend, a mentor, the chairman of the board for The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, founder of many Christian non-profit ministries, and one of the most zealous, faithful, wise Christian leaders I’ve ever met. In this conversation, Clare talks about his journey in the faith--which involves many twists and turns, ups and downs--and his contagious outlook on the kingdom of God.
As the title suggests, this episode is all about the question of multi-ethnicity in the body of Christ. And Dr. Gray is the right person to challenge us in this conversation. Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, one of the largest multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped communities in the U.S., located in Indian Land, South Carolina, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ed is attracted to the same-sex and has committed his life to celibacy and the ministry of the gospel. In this episode, we talk about his journey as an SSA Christian man and minister and about the themes unpacked in his latest book Purposeful Sexuality.
We discuss three issues in this podcast: (1) Imperial critical readings of the New Testament (i.e. how the NT critiques the Roman empire in its language), (2) the benefit of studying first-century philosophy for understanding the New Testament, and (3) why Romans 7:9-25 is not talking about a Christian or Christians.
Don and I talk about what it takes to be a successful writer, the pros and cons of Christian publishing, the role that having a platform plays in landing a book deal, what to do if you feel called to write a book, the kind of financial advances that new authors should expect, and many other things related to the industry.
The last couple of years has kicked up a lot of dust regarding race relations in America and in the church, but why did it take so long? Thabiti, or “Pastor T,” helps us understand some of the concerns and frustrations that black people have had about how white people (progressives and conservatives) have gone about the race conversation. Pastor T helps us understand what Critical Race Theory is, the real meaning of systemic racism, why issues of justice are not subsidiary to the gospel, and how the church can have better conversations about race.
Justin Bronson Barringer is a pastor, consultant, writer, editor, and a PhD candidate in religious ethics at Southern Methodist University. He’s also a star in the hit reality show Duck Dynasty. (Just kidding.) I met Justin many years ago when he agreed to read (and critique!) early drafts of my book Fight, now called Nonviolence: The Revolutionary Way of Jesus. He was very influential in helping me understand Christian nonviolence and the ethical challenges it presents. In this episode, we talk about his new book that he edited: The Business of War: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Military-Industrial Complex. Once we understand how profitable war can be, it sort of changes your view on the whole military industrial complex.
On episode #705 of Theology in the Raw Preston has a conversation with Scot McKnight. Scot is an American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, theologian, and author who has written widely on the historical Jesus, early Christianity and Christian living.
