A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar

Text us your questions! Who doesn't like a good conversation about the end of the world/end times/rapture/dispensationalism? We sure do...over a good scotch. In this episode, we tackle eschatology and end times theology and all the good, bad and ugly of it. Should we be afraid of the future, or hopeful? Is the planet earth going to burn up, or is this all headed somewhere good? What have peop...

Text us your questions! What does it mean to be "saved"? We talk with Megan Westra about her book Born Again and Again , which offers a compelling reframing of the typical white American evangelical concept of salvation. We touch on everything from the role of racism in how churches present this concept, to her experience growing up as a southern fundamentalist, to the importance of dial...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we talk with Dr. Shaun Blanchard. Shaun is a Catholic scholar and our conversation ranges from clerical celibacy, ordaining women, the LGBTQ community and Catholicism, abuse scandals, papal authority, and how Catholic and Protestant Christians can understand and love one another well. It's a fun one. You can find some of Shaun's work here . We sam...

Text us your questions! Dr. Nicholas Oschman joins us for a free-flowing and almost totally unscripted conversation about certainty, deception, whether religious people really believe what they say, orthodoxy, cynicism, charismatic experience, Islamic philosophy, and more. The conversation is raw, honest, and iconoclastic, but also gentle, humble, and hilarious. Whoever you are, we guarantee there...

Text us your questions! Does the idea, or the very phrase, "Biblical Womanhood" make you shudder a bit? Us too. In this episode, we interviewed Beth Allison Barr about her book The Making of Biblical Womanhood . Beth is a Historian at Baylor University, and her book makes a brilliant case that the idea of "Biblical Womanhood" is more of a product of the patriarchal world that t...

Text us your questions! In this episode, Kyle and Randy geek out a little bit about truth. Truth is a tricky term these days, with everyone believing their own "facts" or having their own truths and alternative facts. How does a philosopher see and pursue truth? What is a healthy pastoral way to approach and pursue truth? Is there such a thing as truth at all, let alone absolute truth, a...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we chat with the one and only Brian McLaren . Brian has given his adult life to the Church in many ways and has created space for followers of Christ who feel like they exist on the margins of faith and Christianity. Brian has written many influential and important books, and in this episode we chat about his newest book: Faith After Doubt . This is a beaut...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we speak with Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns about what it means (and what it's like) to be a feminist Pentecostal, the interplay between reason and mystery, the relationship between virtue and spiritual formation, hermeneutics and ontology, the divine feminine, and even the gift of menopause. It's a rich conversation, and Cheryl's is an important...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we chat with Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer about their new book that's making waves called A Church Called Tov . This book is extremely important and is a prophetic call to the Church to form a goodness culture that resists abuses of power and promotes healing. We chat about recent scandals of abuse and coverup in the modern church, why we've...

Text us your questions! In this bonus episode, we share an Ash Wednesday gift with you. Mark Werner is Randy's Spiritual Director, and is well acquainted with contemplative spirituality and is a bit of an expert in the ways of the Enneagram. In this episode, Mark shares about his "dark night of the soul" and having a faith crisis while in pastoral ministry, and the more ancient prac...

Text us your questions! Ever had an issue with violence in the Bible? How about the many inconsistencies in the Scriptures? What about the rampant patriarchy, sexism, and misogyny? There are all sorts of issues and problems within Christianity's sacred text, but does that mean that we have to choose between believing that everything is prescriptive and inspired or walking away from the Bible...

Text us your questions! What is the Bible? How should we read it? What does it mean for a text to be authoritative? Do I have to believe the Bible is inerrant in order to be a Christian? In this episode, we discuss the beautiful messiness that is the Bible and talk about our relationships with this incredible and ancient text. Catch Part 2 of this conversation here . The whiskey featured in this e...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we chat with Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her book that's been making waves and is brilliantly titled Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation .  This book is probably our favorite of 2020 and is a must-read. During the course of this interview, we chat about everything from toxic masculinity and power hungry...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we chat with Brian Zahnd about his journey from a militaristic, warmongering brand of Christianity to a more peace-loving, Jesus-centered way. Along the way, we touch on everything from his take on the current state of the American church, the Christian's role in the state, the book of Revelation, his favorite philosophers, Christian ethics, the Bible,...

Text us your questions! Did humans come from monkeys? How old is the earth? Should we interpret the Bible literally? Does any of it matter? In this episode, we discuss creationism and evolution, a recurring topic at Randy and Kyle's church Q&A's. The whiskey featured in this episode is Driftless Glen bourbon. If you're local to Milwaukee, check out our friends at Story Hill BKC...

Text us your questions! CONTENT NOTE: This episode contains references to trauma, abuse, suicide, and mental illness. Not recommended for children. On this episode, we're joined by William Paul Young (author of The Shack and Eve ) and Brad Jersak (author of A More Christlike God and Her Gates Will Never Be Shut ). We discuss their new co-authored novella, The Pastor: A Crisis , a raw story of...

Text us your questions! How does Jesus's death work? In this episode, Randy, Kyle, and Elliot discuss atonement, the theological issue of how Jesus saves humans. It's a deep dive, and a bit nerdy, but we think it's important. The whiskey featured in this episode is Bulleit Rye . Content note: this episode contains some mild profanity (in the closing bloopers). ===== Want to support...

Text us your questions! In this episode we talk with Lisa Koons, who is the national director of 24-7 Prayer USA. Our conversation covers the role of prayer in social justice, why more American Christians aren't focused on racial justice, how anger fits into the Christian response to injustice, and more. Lisa has a powerful, healing presence, and we encourage you to meditate on her words here...

Text us your questions! In this episode we tackle the good, the bad, and the ugly of American evangelicalism. This conversation represents the culmination of something Kyle and Randy have been discussing for a while, and something that comes up a lot when they do live church Q&A's. Is "evangelicalism" salvageable? Listen to find out. The bourbon featured in this episode is Wille...

Text us your questions! In this episode we talk with Jim Vining, a professor of communication and rhetoric, about the state of our current political and religious discourse in the United States. The bourbon featured in this episode is Maker's Mark Cask Strength . ===== Want to support us? The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon . Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount. If you...

Text us your questions! In this episode Randy, Kyle, and Elliot tackle the thorny issues of patriotism, nationalism, and their relationship to the American Christian church. They don't pull any punches. The bourbon featured in this episode is Stagg Jr. by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Content note: this episode contains some mild profanity (in the context of quoting the President of the United St...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we interview Jared Byas, author and co-host of the hit podcast The Bible for Normal People . We discuss his new book Love Matters More , available now wherever books are sold. It's a lively discussion about love and truth, and how those concepts are often abused by religious people under the guise of "telling the truth in love." The beer feat...

Text us your questions! In this episode Randy and Kyle discuss disagreement, a current topic if there ever was one. Kyle did his PhD dissertation on the epistemology of disagreement, and this conversation explores what it is, some common pitfalls, how to do it better, and what it looks like for Christians in particular. For more of Kyle's thoughts on this, see here . The beer featured in this...

Text us your questions! In this episode, we interview Jenny Heckman (MS, LPC, NCC) about dealing with anxiety and staying mentally healthy during the pandemic. Jenny is a licensed professional counselor and a former pastor, and we think her insights here are important and timely. The beer featured in this episode is Strawberry Rhubarb Wild Fruit Ale by New Glarus Brewing Company . ===== Want to su...

Text us your questions! In this episode, Randy, Kyle, and Elliot discuss American Christian fundamentalism and why they have, to borrow a phrase, kissed it goodbye. The whiskey featured in this episode is Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon . AUDIO NOTE: There is some slight distortion and static at various places in this episode. We have since fixed these problems for all upcoming episodes. Sociall...