Beer Christianity

We love Richard Rohr and his work, even when we don't agree with it. And those moments are fewer and further between than ever. Fr Richard Rohr talks to Jonty about the two halves of life, dualism and riding on the coat-tails of St Francis. An interview from 2010 that leads into a discussion about whether God changes and whether that might be a problem. We also give our views on a listener questio...

The words "Bless this mighty woman of God" feature in this episode. As does an advert that would be a serious money-spinner if it were real. Plus alcohol-free beer we like (and whisky we don't). AND :  Lucky Saint . Forgetting names during group prayers. Parenting in lockdown. Explaining Scotland. Listener messages. Epiphanies. And Malky's cockney child, the podcast sensation. We go off-piste, un-...

Don't know much about Israel and Palestine? This is a really good place to start, navigated by the Chair of History at Exeter University, Ilan Pappe . Ilan Pappe was born in Israel to parents who fled Germany in the 1930s. He is a historian, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and (with Noam Chomsky) On Palestine . This episode features an interview with Ilan Pappe in which we talk about Z...

Are Christians in Scotland being persecuted because their church buildings are closed? Were the protesters at the US Capitol this week taking the Lord's name in vain? Can you send our pod-pastor a picture of your dog please?  Our favourite Scottish minister, Amie Aitken, is back!  Covid-19 restrictions leading to church building closures in Scotland have prompted some Christians to consider a lega...

Atonement theory standoff! Plus resurrection and resolutions revisited. Featuring Doctor Helen Paynter and Tom Wright! This one is a goodie. Jonty refuses to go to A&E for a possible broken arm, despite the advice of theologian and actual doctor, Helen Paynter. A listener sends us a voice-note on SpeakPipe (God be praised!) and we ask Helen to answer it. Another Tom Wright answer to a question a f...

Is Hell just? Does it exist? Do Christians get judged after death? It's been a hard year so we're keeping it light. We're also answering questions like: do fundamentalist churches have anything to offer in brimstone preaching, and can we really take comfort in the idea of ceasing to exist rather than eternal conscious torment? What would Tom Wright six years ago say about it? And what kind of voic...

What's it really like at an American Christian college? We speak to Emily about her experience studying and pushing herself as an athlete at Jerry Falwell Jr's Liberty University, and the effect of Christian college, church and sporting culture on mental health. We share what works for us in terms of mental health and well being, discuss whether God wants us to focus on self-care, and the unhelpfu...

2020 may not feel like a year that us much cause for thanksgiving, but the Beer Christianity crew take a moment to cultivate gratitude while recognising privilege and the need to do things to help others to have reasons to give thanks.  We also debut our voicemail service! Leave us a question or comment to be included in the podcast at: speakpipe.com/beerchristianity and we'll love you forever.  W...

Christian podcast recommendations, movie recommendations and book recommendations aren't hard to come by. But how many of them come with a large helping of lefty Christian analysis of the US election?  We have no idea. But probably not a lot. Almost certainly.  Jonty, Lau-Lau and Malky talk about the joy that is Donald Trump losing and the horror that is people thinking Biden and Harris are leftis...

Justin Brierley did not "DESTROY RICHARD DAWKINS" regardless of what the internet would have you believe. He did interview him and get to ask him a significant question, with a fascinating answer. (You can find out what it was by listening to this interview.) He did also put Derren Brown and Rev Richard Coles together to talk about the Christian faith. That's because Justin Brierley is the masterm...

Is having a flag in your church wrong? What about church remembrance services for military causes? Is all patriotism bad? Stephen Backhouse of Tent Theology thinks that patriotism is incompatible with following Jesus. He makes a very strong case. Listen to this episode to find out how the Early Church dealt with babies being killed and how Jesus didn't take on the perpetrators of racial insults. T...

Do we have a duty to get arrested for the planet? Should followers of Jesus demonstrate, protest and publicly oppose power? Are there causes more important than law and order?  Laura goes to an Extinction Rebellion uprising and meets with the other Christians there, and she, Malky and Jonty talk about Christian attitudes to protest, democracy and demonstrations. We also hear from Stephen Backhouse...

Beer Christianity is a podcast that's more pub than pew, more fun than fundamentalist. Three Christians discuss faith, justice, politics and culture over a few drinks. Maybe more than a few. We laugh a lot, we're sweary, we like socialism and we love Jesus.  Politically we are left-leaning to the point of almost falling down, theologically we come from a variety of backgrounds (unchurched fundamen...

The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, is head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a diverse body of 80 million Christians in 165 countries. Beer Christianity caught up with Archbishop Justin at Greenbelt Festival (2019) to talk about power, the World Church and theological diversity. Turns out he's a lovely chap! Although he's not a person, apparently. Which is awkward.  Liste...

Must we empathise with Nazis? How can we disagree better? Are there limits to forgiveness and how do we avoid becoming monsters as we fight them? Dr Helen Paynter of Bristol Bible College talks about the weaponised Bible, God and violence. From right-wing nationalism in the USA to domestic violence pretty much everywhere, the Bible has been used to justify violence and oppression when the christia...

It's Beer Christianity's birthday! One year of left-leaning, beer-drinking, laugh-having news, views and interviews. It's only right that we revisit the wonderful Greenbelt Festival , plus talk about how Christianity doesn't need to be right-wing, power obsessed or mean. We also have a special appearance by the lovely Harry and Chris , our favourite Comedy-Jazz-Rap duo OF ALL TIME. Chris sings a s...

What do WAP, Stone Cold Bummer from 30 Rock and the Democratic ticket have in common? This. Frickin. Podcast. Drabs, Laura and Jonty talk Biden-Harris 2020, ideology and the next generation, fear of death and hope in an afterlife. We also ask what a Christian politics would look like and how to save Labour and the Democrats from the right wingers within (with no answers whatsoever). More important...

USA Christians are Republicans , right? Wrong. Linda Seger, author of Jesus Rode a Donkey, talks politics, faith and the Democratic Party, and Jonty gives her a hard time about Joe Biden.  Check out the latest edition of Jesus Rode a Donkey by Linda Seger. Follow  Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity  and find us on  Spotify ,  Apple Podcasts ,  YouTube  and  Stitcher .  All Beer Christianit...

Genocide in the Bible. Did Joshua really kill all those people? Should we take scumbag Samson at his word? How to talk to right wing Christians. How the flood story is all about God's re-Creation. All part of this interview with academic from Bristol Baptist College and head of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, Dr Helen Paynter. Plus, we reply to a listener who thinks we're a good ex...

George Floyd was killed by a Minnesota policeman and his violent and unprovoked death has sparked protests and riots because it is far from an isolated incident. How should Christians respond and what can we do? Should we be concerned about violent protests? What can white people do to fight racism? Pearl Mashabane is a black South African who has been part of the Christian embassy to the UN - she...

Simon Cross describes himself as a heretic. In more serious moments he describes his position as post-liberal. We'd call him post-evangelical, post-monolithic Christianity and post-certain. In this episode he talks to Drabs, Lau-Lau and Jonty about the blessing of plurality. It's an exciting, challenging, sometimes controversial way of seeing Christian faith, and we gave him a bit of a hard time....

Brian McLaren is one of the most influential Christian thinkers of a generation. He expresses a Christian faith that is perfectly in tune with contemporary progressivism.  Jonty spoke to him at Greenbelt Festival in 2014 and discussed the interview in 2020 with Drabs and new guy Alex (don't worry, Laura will be back, but Al was kind and took these great photos). It's a great interview, we're not g...

Can you be a Christian and believe in science? Can you be a rational, science-friendly person and believe in God? Are there any real scientists who take religion seriously? Is Richard Dawkins a competent theologian? Drabs and Jonty talk to a Southern Baptist to find out. Naturally. Six Day Creationism, science, scientists and faith with Mario Russo, a regular writer for Biologos.org . Follow Mario...

Dating disasters, myths about singleness and unfair expectations on single Christian women. As well as our WORST DATES EVER. Beer Christianity talks singleness, particularly Christian single women, with A Tale of Two Singles podcast presenters Geraldine and Sarah. You can check out their podcast at https://soundcloud.com/ataleoftwosingles and find them on Instagram. Follow  Beer Christianity on Tw...

Can Christians be part of Extinction Rebellion? Hell Heaven yeah! Christian Climate Action actually came before Extinction Rebellion and Holly-Anna Petersen has long been active in both. She has a drink with Jonty and Laura and talks about how her faith informs her activism, when it's okay to upset the children and what she used to cry about after drinking in uni (it's super cute and wholesome!) ...