Theology in the Raw

This is a recording of the live podcast conversation between Ruslan Karaoglanov and Ameen Hudson at the Exiles in Babylon Conference (April 2024). Ameen is the co-host (with KB) of the popular Southside Rabbi podcast and Ruslan is the host of the Bless God YouTube channel and podcast. In this conversation, Ruslan and Ameen banter around about politics, culture, theology, and the evangelical church...

Dr. Dennis Edwards (PhD in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America) serves as the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of North Park Seminary in Chicago. He’s an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church and is the author of several books including his recently released Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character. Our conversation begins...

Laurie Krieg is the president of Impossible Ministries, a coaching/consulting, teaching, and podcasting ministry with the mission to equip Jesus-followers with a gospel-centered approach to marriage and sexuality. Laurie serves on the Board of Directors for The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, and is earning a master’s degree from Wheaton Graduate School in Evangelism and Leadership. Laur...

Ed Uszynski (MA and MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; PhD American Studies, Bowling Green State University) has been a content specialist for Cru, Athletes in Action, and FamilyLife for over three decades. He also serves as a oneness and diversity consultant for church and parachurch organizations. His first book which releases next week is: Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Chris...

In this podcast conversation, we talk about raising boys, biblical masculinity, Jordan Peterson, toxic masculinity vs. biblical masculinity, the so-called "war on men," and other related issues.  Dr. Anthony Bradley (Ph. D. Westminster Seminary) was most recently professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College, Theologian-In-Reside...

Tim Alberta is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and staff writer for The Atlantic magazine. He formerly served as chief political correspondent for POLITICO. In 2019, he published the critically acclaimed book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump" and co-moderated the year's final Democratic presidential debate aired by...

Dr. Jules Martinez-Olivieri is a theologian, practitioner, and author focusing on the intersection of social, pastoral, and systematic theology. Jules holds an MDiv and PHD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has taught in Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Perú, and the United States seminaries and universities. Martínez's ecclesial experiences include pastoral ministry, church planting, and commun...

Preston Perry is a poet, performance artist, teacher, and apologist from Chicago. Preston’s writing and teaching has been featured on ministry platforms such as The Gospel Coalition, the Poets in Autumn Tour, and Legacy Disciple.  Preston is co-host, with his wife Jackie Hill Perry, of the popular podcast With the Perrys. He created Bold Apparel and the YouTube channel Apologetics with Preston Per...

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In the full episode, we discuss: 0:00 Introduction 2:12 It seems like you and some of your critics define "heresy" differently- what do you think constitutes heresy vs. bad/wrong beliefs about God? 10:02 Is it wrong for someone to get married who doesn't want kids? Does this desire for only...

Jay is the co-founder/owner of Newman Family BBQ, a top rated BBQ catering company in East Nashville, TN. Jay is also and avid reader and a self-described Christian Anarchist. In this podcast episode (which is rated PG13 due to Jay's colorful tongue), we talk about Christian Anarchism, voting, the deep state, the military industrial complex, why power and money drives everything, why the governmen...

Josh Garrels is one of my favorite musicians of all time and my absolute top Christian artist. His songs are incredibly powerful and meaningful, and his sound is hard to compare. I'll admit. I sort of fan-boyed in this interview, so I apologize for my awkwardness. I talked about Josh's heart behind his music, his journey as a Christian, and we even worked through several of my favorite songs of hi...

Dr. Yousef AlKhouri (Ph. D. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is Christian Arab Palestinian theologian and activist. He was born in Gaza to a Christian family that has a long heritage of serving in the priesthood of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is married to Merna and they live in Bethlehem, Palestine. Yousef has written several poems in Arabic. In 2007, he published his first poetry collection under...

Austin Fischer is the Lead Pastor at Vista Community Church near Austin, TX and is the author of several books, including the recently released Us for Them: Seeking Higher Ground in the Cultural Holy Wars , which forms the basis for our discussion in this episode. We focus primarily on how to lead people in our ideologically polarized society, especially when it comes to political and social issue...

Noah Filipiak is church planter and pastor of Mosaic Church in Grand Rapids, MI and is the author of Beyond the Battle and Needed Navigation. He hosts The Flip Side Podcast and blogs at noahfilipiak.com .  In this podcast conversation, we talk about pornography and discipleship, focusing specifically on the need for the church (parents, leaders, etc.) to disciple their people better in this conver...

Alisa Childers recently had Dr. Christopher Yuan on her YouTube channel to discuss various problems they see in what they call "Side B Christianity," and my name often came up in their critiques. They also offered several critiques of the Exiles in Babylon 2024 conference, which I hosted last month.  In this episode, I work through their conversation and respond to several things where I believe t...

Mia Hughes, a journalist for the think tank Environmental Progress, discusses the controversy surrounding pediatric medical transition and the collision of trans rights with the rights of women and the LGB community. She authored the recently released WPATH files, which expose the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) as an activist group with questionable medical practices...

Elizabeth Woodson, a Bible teacher and theologian, discusses her passion for Bible study, discipleship, and theological education in the local church. She shares her personal journey of searching for the relevance of the gospel in her own life and how it led her to pursue theological education. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of creating pathways for discipleship and theological education with...

Dr. Michael F. Bird is a biblical scholar and theologian who serves as the Deputy Principle and Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College (Melbourne, Aus), and is the author of over a dozen books, including his recently released Jesus and the Powers , which he co-authored with N.T. Wright.  In this podcast conversation, we talk all about politics and the gospel, agreeing on so many things and disagre...

Ed Uszynski sits down with Preston in his basement the day after the "Exiles in Babylon" conference to debrief. This is a raw and authentic convo where we discuss and react to various sessions and speakers. We talk about the GenZ evening, the Israel-Palestine conversation, Deconstruction and Reconstruction, Women, Power & Abuse in the church, and many other topics and speakers at the conferenc...

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In the full episode, we discuss: 0:00 Introduction 0:38 Thoughts on Christians and masturbation--is it always sinful or is there room for conversation? 5:35 What do you when the the God in the Bible isn't acting the way Jesus would? 12:15. What are your top 5 all-time books, any subject? 19:...

Dr. David Fitch (Ph. D Northwestern University) is the Betty R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary and has pastored for 30 years, and has been involved in 8 church plants over the course of his ministry. He is married to Rae Ann and they have one son named Max. He is an ordained pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He’s coached hockey for the YMCA USA Hockey pro...

Angela McArdle currently serves as Chair of the national Libertarian Party, serves as Co-Organizer for the Rage Against The War Machine, and is a two time candidate for California’s 34th Congressional District. Angela was a key organizer for the Los Angeles 2021 initiative to overturn the Los Angeles vaccine mandate. Angela believes strongly in the sanctity of personal choice and allowing people t...

Dr. Nijay Gupta (DPhil, University of Durham) is a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and has written several academic books including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He has co-edited The State of New Testament Studies, Dictionary...

As the author of Not Forsaken: A Story of Life After Abuse and the recently released Defiant Joy: Find the Hope to Light Your Way, Even in Darkness , Jennifer Michelle Greenberg has risen to become one of the foremost voices against child abuse in the church. She writes for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. In this conversation, Jennifer te...

Brent leads Cherish Uganda with his wife Leah. Cherish was formally an orphanage and now functions as a spiritual formation community center using medical, education and family strengthening to reach the community we serve. In this conversation, Brent tells the story of how Cherish changed from being an orphanage to a holistic education and care center, where HIV kids and their families were being...