Anabaptist Theological Perspectives

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives returns for a third conversation on Paul Kingsnorth's Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity. He examines Kingsnorth’s critique of the Age of Reason and how the rise of modern technologies—has reshaped Western faith, society, and the self. Topics include the Reformation and Martin Luther, the Anabaptist response (Schleitheim...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores the tension between Anabaptist practice and Reformed theology, tracing how early Anabaptists returned to Jesus and the Gospels instead of prioritizing Paul. The episode examines Paul’s claim in Titus 3:5, the seeming paradox of “no works” and commands to “work out your salvation,” and how misunderstanding Paul often stems from missing hi...

Host Jerry Eicher (Baptist Theological Perspectives) discusses Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity in the second session of the "Venture Into" series. Beginning around page 11, Eicher and the episode track Kingsnorth’s core argument about what happens when Christ is removed from the center of Western culture and the sacred order collapses. The episode covers Kingsnor...

Host Jerry Eicher opens a possible series on Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity, offering a close, reflective reading of the book’s major arguments. Eicher frames Kingsnorth’s diagnosis of modern malaise—how reason, technology, and the loss of shared narrative have hollowed out human life—and situates the work within religious and literary contexts. The episode cove...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the recent ICE shooting of protester Renee Good in Minneapolis as a lens into a broader problem: political forces—both left and right—have deeply penetrated the Christian world. Drawing on Russell Moore’s piece on Romans 13 and a critical article about Francis Collins, Eicher traces how mass movements during the Obama a...

This episode unpacks Mark 4:26–27 and the Parable of the Soils to explore how 'preparing the ground' relates to biblical sacrifice. Drawing from Old Testament examples—Cain and Abel, Abraham, and Jacob—Jerry Eicher contrasts transactional, contribution-based faith with sacrificial obedience and shows how true spiritual growth often comes without guarantees. Topics covered include...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives offers a solo, concise overview of the current Middle East situation, concentrating on Israel, the Iranian protests, and the collapse of Iran’s regional proxy network (Syria, Lebanon/Hezbollah, Gaza/Hamas, Yemen/Houthi). Jerry reviews recent flashpoints—from the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s military tactics to U.S. responses under Pre...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores the necessity of mercy—especially the practice of allowing another person’s evil to run its course so it may collapse under its own weight—without excusing wrongdoing or de-emphasizing justice. The episode examines James 2:13 and Romans 9:15–16, critiques overly deterministic readings that discard human will, and...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores the surprising spiritual meaning behind the phrase “making money while you sleep,” using Jesus’ parable in Mark 4:26–27 to show how God’s life can grow within us beyond our constant effort. The episode addresses the tension between inner faith and external disciplines—fasting, prayer, life boundaries, and community—and critiques mod...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspective responds to Kirk Cameron’s announcement that he no longer believes in eternal punishment, exploring biblical texts (e.g., Revelation 14), the atonement, and competing views of hell and annihilation. The episode covers two central proposals: the ‘preservation of the record’ idea for why evil might be maintained in a contained, demonstrable sta...

Host Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) quotes scholar Ken Wilson, PhD, on his research of Augustine and the origins of Augustinian Calvinism. The episode summarizes Wilson’s abbreviated booklet based on his PhD thesis, explaining his methodology and main claims. Topics covered include a chronological reading of Augustine’s works, comparisons with Stoicism, Neoplatonism...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores the historical origins of Christmas, drawing on John Berger’s article "The Roundabout Way: Early Christians Determine the Date of Christmas" and the scholarship Berger cites, including a professor of history referenced in the piece. The episode walks through early Christian attempts to calculate the date of Christ’s birth and death:...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the doctrine of the atonement, engaging with ideas from a forthcoming book by Eitan Bar and reflecting on centuries of Christian theology. Topics include penal substitution, the Jewish view of sacrifice as presence rather than punishment, the Christus Victor (victor) motif, the role of Satan in the passion narrative, debates over he...

In this episode Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) reflects on mission models past and present and features a recent presentation from the Anabaptist nonprofit OpenHands.org at Oak Hill Mennonite Church. The conversation examines how traditional material-driven missions have often failed to produce lasting spiritual change and contrasts that with Jesus’ model of meeting material ne...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives continues a series on God’s chosen people, examining how God worked through Israel and then opened the way for Gentiles. Drawing from Old and New Testament texts—Isaiah 53, the stories of Rahab and Ruth, and Matthew 15’s Canaanite woman—Eicher revisits three core questions: Were the Jews God’s chosen people? Why were they chosen? Are they st...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives tackles the recent rise of anti‑Jewish sentiment in Christian circles, disentangling religious theology from political noise. Guests and figures cited include Tucker Carlson, Kirk Cameron, Douglas Murray, and key Pauline theology. Topics covered: whether Jews are God’s chosen people, why God chose Abraham, Paul’s redefinition of “Jew” to include...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the theology behind how the gospel is presented, focusing especially on challenges faced by ex‑Amish listeners. He critiques a works‑based understanding (including a Luther-influenced view) that equates 'stopping the law' with dying to the old self, and explains why that framework ultimately exchanges one works gospel for another. E...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspective reflects on his unexpected journey into prophecy, including a pre‑COVID novel (Chosen to Die/The Road to Armageddon) that later echoed real events and led to church disciplinary fallout and his resignation. He surveys end‑times themes: the role and preservation of the Jewish nation, Romans 11 and Zechariah 14, the nature of God’s ‘‘wooing’’ of Isr...

This sermon message, “The Wooing of the Human Heart,” unpacks how God pursues relationship with humanity—especially the nation of Israel—by insisting on truth rather than mere displays of power. The speaker traces the theme from Abraham through the Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah and into Romans 11, using vivid images like the warrior-lover, the vineyard parable, and the language of divorce and...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptic Theological Perspectives examines the growing mixing of church and politics in light of recent events surrounding Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, and emerging voices like Candace Owens and Ali Beth Stuckey. Eicher warns about the historical dangers of church-state entanglement, traces contemporary problems—women speaking to men in political-tinged church spaces, OnlyFans...

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives leads a thoughtful episode on how Christians—especially students—can engage evolutionary theory in university settings. Topics include the common fear around evolution, Nietzsche’s critique of removing the divine from creation, and why the long‑ages vs. 24‑hour debate misses the deeper issue. Jerry explores reading Genesis from an earthly po...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives returns to the contested topic of penal substitution, tracing its resurgence in Reformed and Baptist circles and asking whether the theory has been given too prominent a role in atonement theology. The episode surveys atonement themes—penal substitution, Christus Victor (Gustav Aulén), sovereignty versus human freedom, and the implications for re...

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores what he calls God’s greatest work: the wooing of the human heart. He critiques Calvinist depictions of divine power, arguing that God’s true greatness is revealed through love, truth-speaking, and the cross’s paradoxical drawing power. Topics include the necessity of speaking truth in love, biblical imagery from Isaiah (the vineyard) and...

In this episode Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the clash between Charlie Kirk’s insistence that Christians must speak truth into politics and Tim Keller’s approach that urged restraint for gospel preachers. Eicher critiques Keller’s influence on church silence during cultural crises, shares personal anecdotes from Mennonite and Amish responses to COVID, and describes...

In this episode the host/speaker lays out a sweeping biblical case for rediscovering sacrifice as the heart of the gospel invitation. Tracing the theme from Cain, Abraham and Isaac, Saul, Solomon and David through the prophets (Micah, Isaiah) and into Hebrews and Christ’s own call to deny self, the talk contrasts a propositional, “hold-this-idea” faith with an invitational faith that requires whol...