Faith Improvised

In this episode, I recommend a wonderful work of fiction, called Dear Committee Members: A Novel (Doubleday, 2015), and I talk about two approaches to Scripture: Lectio Divina and the Law/Gospel contrast.

In this episode, I recommend Hillary McBride's wonderful new book, The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection through Embodied Living (Brazos Press, 2021), and I talk about critical thinking when it comes to engaging with Christian Scripture.

After a longer layoff than I had anticipated, I begin this fourth season by talking about what I've been up to over the last 3 1/2 months, note some of the books I've been reading, and give an overview of what I intend to explore in the upcoming season.

In this episode, I wrap up season 3 and the exploration of Paul's Letter to the Romans.

A brief update on two books I'm reading--The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, by David Graeber and David Wengrow, and The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community, by Stephanie Spellers. I also talk about the closing section of Paul's letter to the Roman Christians.

In this episode, I recommend J. Richard Middleton's wonderful and compelling new book, Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, The Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God (Baker Academic, 2021), and I talk about Romans 14:1-15:13, which is the climax of Paul's argument in the letter. Middleton's book is available with free shipping from Baker Book House (https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/...

In this episode, I recommend Daniel Silliman's wonderful new book, Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith (Eerdmans), and I talk about Paul's exhortations in Romans 13. I also mention Stephen Colbert's thoughts about the relationship of his Christian faith to his comedy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUaWDqDOWPk), and the brilliant fake conspiracy theory 'Birds...

I share a few reflections about exploring how to be Christian, I recommend the PBS documentary on Billy Graham, and I talk about Paul's exhortations to the Roman Christians in Romans 12. You can find the documentary here: https://www.pbs.org/video/billy-graham-tp3vqn/. 

In this episode, I share a few more reflections about conspiracy theories, I recommend Kiese Laymon's book, Heavy: An American Memoir (Scribner), and I talk about what it means to be Christian and how to remain Christian when relating to people who identify as LGBTQ+ inside and outside the church.

In this episode I recommend Randall Balmer's new book, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right (Eerdmans), and I talk about the conclusion to Paul's argument regarding Israel in Romans 11.

In this shorter-than-normal episode, I share a few reflections and recommend Bridget Eileen Rivera’s book, Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church (Brazos Press).

I share some updates on what I've been doing over the break, I recommend Gregory Alan Thornbury's really interesting book, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock (Convergent), and I talk about Paul’s argument regarding Israel in Romans 10. I also mentioned this article: "'An American Tradition': Lessons from a year covering conspiracy theories,...

I recommend J. Russell Hawkins's excellent new book, The Bible Told Them So: How Southern Evangelicals Fought to Preserve White Supremacy, and I talk about Paul's argument in Romans 9.

I offer some reflections on random topics, but especially about the notion of 'kayfabe' as a way of understanding behaviors in the world. I refer to Gregory Thornbury's article "On Metaphor and Kayfabe," which can be found here (https://daviddark.substack.com/p/on-metaphor-and-kayfabe). And I talk about the conclusion to Paul's second major movement in Romans 8.

In this episode I offer some thoughts on whether Romans 7 can help Christians who struggle with addictions, and consider Jesus' abrasive and insulting statement to the Syrian-Phoenician woman in Mark 7.

I recommend Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry's insightful book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, and I talk about Paul's argument in Romans 7.

I recommend Danté Stewart's brilliant memoir, Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle, and I talk about the communal and cosmic shape of Paul's exhortations in Romans 6.

In this episode, I give an update of what I've been up to on my little hiatus, I list a few books I'm currently enjoying, and I begin talking about the second major movement of Paul's argument, which starts in Romans 5:12-21.

I'm taking a little break from the podcast and plan to be back at it soon!

I recommend Tim Otto's beautiful and hope-filled book, Oriented to Faith: Transforming the Conflict Over Gay Relationships, and I talk about the final passage in the first major movement of Paul’s argument in Romans (Rom 5:1-11).

I recommend Rebekah Eklund's wonderful new book, The Beatitudes Throughout The Ages , and I talk about how Paul argues for the unity of the Roman Christians by citing Abraham in Romans 4.

I recommend The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race (Yale University Press), one of the most brilliant and breathtaking books I've ever read, and I talk about Paul's argument in Romans 3:21-31.

I recommend Spencer Ackerman's new book, Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump , and I talk about the conclusion to Paul's opening argument in Romans 3:1-20.

I recommend Michael Gormans excellent book Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation, and I talk about how Paul's argument progresses in Romans 2, in which he confronts the group in the Roman churches that is passing judgment from a sense of moral superiority.

I recommend an excellent work on the Book of Acts, Kavin Rowe's World Upside Down: Reading Acts in the Graeco-Roman Age (Oxford University Press), and I talk about Paul's opening rhetorical move in Romans 1:18-32.