Currents in Religion

In this episode, Zen speaks with Gary Dorrien about his new book, Anglican Identities , recently published by Baylor University Press. Learn more about the book and Gary here: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481320931/anglican-identities/

Episode Overview In this episode, Zen speaks with Adam Bond about his story and scholarship. Adam Bond joined the Religion Department at Baylor University in the summer of 2023. Prior to his time at Baylor, he served as the pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia. Bond is a historian of Christianity in the United States. His research and writing focus on the narratives...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Léon van Ommen about his new book, Autism and Worship , out now from Baylor University Press. Resources from the Episode Buy the book: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481319898/autism-and-worship/ Learn about the Centre: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sdhp/centre-for-the-study-of-autism-and-christian-community-1725.php Listen to the Centre's Podcast: https://podcasts.a...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Robin Jensen and Mikeal Parsons about their new co-edited volume Early Christians and Their Art , which is out now with SBL Press. You can learn more about the book at the link below. Our Guests Robin Jensen is the Patrick O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. But she is also a concurrent faculty member of Art History and Classics and a fel...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Elise Edwards about her new book Architecture, Theology, and Ethics: Making Architectural Design More Just (Lexington Books, 2024). Dr. Elise Edwards is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Baylor University. You can order the book by clicking here . Other Episodes You Might Like Feminist theology and the arts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Menachem Fisch and Debra Band about their illuminated philosophical commentary, Qoholet: Searching for a Life Worth Living. You can learn more about the book by clicking here . Other Currents in Religion Episodes You Might Like: Natalie Carnes feminist theology and the arts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/natalie-carnes-on-feminist-theology-and-the-arts/id16...

Rebecca Poe Hays is working on several projects that bring the Psalms into conversation with recent research on trauma and resilience. She joins us today to talk about her research, both how it helps us better understand the psalms historically and how it makes them relevant in the life of faith today. Rebecca Poe Hays is Assistant Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Seminary at...

In this episode, Zen recaps some interesting, important, or otherwise intriguing religion news headlines. Polls/Reports Cited in Part 1 Is Religion Good for You? https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/512216/religion-spirituality-tools-better-wellbeing.aspx Asian American Nones & Connection to Religion: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/10/11/religion-among-asian-americans/ Generationa...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Jeff Hubbard about publishing academic journal articles. As a graduate student, Jeff has published in seven different peer reviewed journals and has a lot of wisdom (and humor) to share. You can learn more about Jeff by visiting his academia page (https://baylor.academia.edu/JeffHubbard/). Other Episodes You Might Like Writing Religious Studies: https://podcasts.ap...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Dr. Susan Benton about her research on women in early Christianity and the Greco-Roman world and her work as a member of the ministry guidance team in Baylor's Religion Department. Learn more about the ministry guidance program at Baylor University: https://religion.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/ministry-guidance Check out Gary Dorrien's new book with Baylor U...

This episode is a rerun from November 2022. In this episode, I speak with Dave Nelson, who is the director of Baylor University Press. We speak specifically about AAR/SBL from a publishers perspective. Dave offers honest advice about networking and discusses why he enjoys conferences like this one. AAR/SBL discount: Get 30% off and, if you're in the US, free shipping on all orders from BaylorP...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Philip Jenkins about his new book A Storm of Images: Iconoclasm and Religious Reformation in the Byzantine World , recently published by Baylor University Press. Dr. Philip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History & Director of the Program on Historical Studies of Religion at Baylor University. Related Episodes: Jessica Wai-Fong Wong on icon theology and a...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Laine Scales and João Chaves about the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable and their new book Baptists and the Kingdom of God (Baylor University Press, 2023). BSIR Call for Papers https://religion.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/sites/g/files/ecbvkj1166/files/2023-10/BSIR_Call%20for%20Proposals%202024%20%282%29.pdf Giveaway Enter to win a free copy of A Storm of I...

In this episode, Zen speaks with Neil Messer, who has recently come to Baylor as Professor of Theological Bioethics. The discussion considers Neil's work in neuroethics. The episode also includes a plug for Autism and Worship: A Liturgical Theology by Armand Léon van Ommen . This new book is out now from Baylor University Press. Related Episodes: Interdisciplining Theology: How the Psychologic...

Are you applying to PhD programs in religion? Or thinking about it? This episode is for you. In this episode, Zen shares about the process for applying to Baylor's graduate program in religion. He speaks with currents, Lanie Walkup and Tyler Fulcher, and Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, a graduate faculty member. They discuss how to write a strong application and how to survive the process. The episode...

Welcome to our Fall 2023 season! In this episode, Zen speaks with Amy Carr and Christine Helmer about their brand new Baylor University Press book Ordinary Faith in Polarized Times: Justification and the Pursuit of Justice. Amy Carr is Professor of Religious Studies at Western Illinois University. Christine Helmer is Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Humanities at Northwestern University. Want to get a...

Summary: How might Paul help Christians today live faithfully in light of the ecological crisis? In this episode, Zen speaks with Julien C. H. Smith and Cherryl Hunt about how Paul’s writings are relevant to living faithfully today, with a specific focus on the ecological crisis. Themes: New Testament studies; environmental ethics; virtue theory; Pauline theology; creation care; ecotheology Additi...

Summary: Do you ever wish you knew how other writers come up with ideas, research for essays, or write their books? In this episode, Zen speaks with Alicia Myers, Amos Yong, and Christopher Hoklotubbe about how they approach writing, from generating ideas to organizing research to putting words on the page. Themes: Writing habits, writing style, research habits Additional Resources: • Helen Sword,...

Summary: In this episode, Zen speaks with the Primary and Co-Investigators of “Illuminating Theological Inquiry and Christian Ethics Through Training in Psychological Science,” a 2.5 million dollar John Templeton Foundation grant. Sarah Schnitker, Devan Stahl, Natalie Carnes, and Anne Jeffrey—who are Baylor faculty—share about grant and how its already helping to cultivate connections between the...

Summary: In this episode, Zen speaks with Mandy McMichael about her project on Baptist Women in Ministry and the art of interviewing for historical research. Themes: Baptists, women in ministry, oral history, historical research methods Additional Resources: • Baptist Women in Ministry (https://bwim.info/) • Baylor Institute for Oral History (https://www.baylor.edu/library/index.php?id=974108) Rel...

In this episode, Zen wraps up season one of Currents in Religion. In addition to giving thanks to our listeners and our guests, Zen shares about Summer School, which will be a short season in late June/early July. Thanks for a great first season!

Why do we call the main characters in the Book of Judges “judges”? Compared to what judges are supposed to do in Deuteronomy, for example, the “judges” of Judges don’t really look like judges at all. In this episode, Dr. Julian Chike joins me to discuss his work on the Book of Judges, in which he explores social, historical, and literary developments that might help clarify our understanding of wh...

In this episode, the Rev. Dr. Trevor Hart joins us to discuss Jesus and his works, christology and soteriology. We discuss topics like substitution, deification, participation, particularity, and more. The discussion engages with themes and ideas in Trevor's book In Him Was Life (Baylor University Press), a recently published collection of Trevor's essays. The Rev. Dr. Trevor Hart is Recto...

James Cone died five years ago this month. He is one of the legends of American theology, writing books like A Black Theology of Liberation , God of the Oppressed , and The Spirituals and the Blues . One of the last books of his celebrated career, The Cross and the Lynching Tree , was published in 2011. And, because this episode releases on Good Friday, when Christians remember Christ’s own lynchi...

In this episode, Dave Nelson talks about publishing academic books. He discusses the process of publishing a book, gives tips for turning a dissertation into a published book, and offers ideas on how to write better. Dave is an expert in these things, having served as an acquisitions editor at Baker Academic for years, before becoming the Director of Baylor University Press. Dave joined us on the...