Faith Seeking Understanding: A Podcast on Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

On this episode of "A Prophet with Honor," Pidge and Allan reflect upon Dietrich's understanding of the church formed largely by his time with the underground seminary which resulted in his book Life Together .

Who is Christ for us today? That is the central question in Dietrich's theology. In episode 12, Pidge and Allan reflect upon Bonhoeffer's understanding of Jesus not as an abstract doctrine, but as one who calls his disciples to follow in his way of life, death, and resurrection.

On episode 11 of "A Prophet with Honor," Bonhoeffer's book, The Cost of Discipleship is highlighted. Originally lectures he taught at the underground seminary, this book reveals how seriously Dietrich took Jesus' call to discipleship and faithful obedience. "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die."

On this episode of "Calmly Considered," Michael and Allan discuss the importance of polarity management, a way of viewing tensions not as either/or problems to be solved, but both/and tensions to be managed. When tensions are turned into problems as is so often the case in today's politics, stupidity reigns supreme and solutions remain elusive.

In this episode of "A Prophet with Honor," Pidge and Allan discuss the book, Letters and Papers from Prison which is a compilation of Dietrich's correspondence (published posthumously) while under arrest by the Nazis. These writings reveal a deeply personal side of Bonhoeffer as well as his deep reflections on faith and suffering.

It is generally believed that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was involved in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. He certainly knew of plots, but did he in some way participate in the planning? Pidge and Allan discuss the matter.

In his Letters and Papers from Prison , Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, "Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous." What does Bonhoeffer mean by "stupidity?" Is he referring to those who lack intelligence or is it something more complicated? Who is he referring to in his context of Nazi Germany? Pidge and Allan discuss th...

The Confessing Church was formed in Germany in May 1934 as an alternative to the German Nationalist Church which was complicit with Nazism. Dietrich would play a key role in its formation and work.

In 1930, Dietrich spends a year in New York City. He spends time in Harlem with the black community there. One of the shocking incidents that happens to Bonhoeffer is that one night he and an African American friend are refused service at a restaurant because of his friend's skin color. Bonhoeffer cannot fathom this. In this episode of A Prophet with Honor , Pidge and Allan reflect on Dietrich...

On this episode of Calmly Considered , Michael and Allan discuss deconstruction particularly as it relates to religion and faith. What is deconstruction? Is it new or something that's been around for a long time? Is deconstruction present in the Bible? Was Jesus a deconstructionist?

In 1930, Dietrich comes to the United States for a year of study at Union Theological Seminary in New York. It will be a formative experience that he will take back to Germany. In episode five of fifteen, Pidge and Allan reflect on Bonhoeffer’s transformative experience in America.

On this episode of Courageous Conversations , we interview Christy Staats of the National Immigration Forum. We discuss the current situation at the border between the United States and Mexico and separate fact from fiction. Christy also offers a Christian perspective on immigration and how the followers of Jesus can respond to those seeking asylum.

In 1939, Dietrich Bonhoeffer travels to New York for a second time hoping to avoid being drafted into the German army. When he arrives, he immediately begins to regret it, feeling he has abandoned his friends and the cause of the resistance. Six weeks later, he returns to Germany to continue the struggle. Episode four of A Prophet with Honor , looks at Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life as a secret ag...

In January 1933, Adolf Hitler is made Chancellor of Germany. Two days later, while Dietrich is giving a radio address critical of the Nazis, the broadcast is taken off the air and Bonhoeffer has a direct encounter with Hitler's fascism. On episode three of A Prophet with Honor , Allan and Pidge highlight the important events of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life from 1933-1937.

On April 1, 1933, the Nazis proclaimed a boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany in an attempt to intimidate German Jews and discourage others from doing business with Jews. The morning of April 1st, Dietrich's 91 year old grandmother, Julie went into town passing Nazi guards entering a Jewish owned department store and purchasing what she desired. She said, "No one is going to tell where...

On this episode of Calmly Considered , Michael and Allan discuss today's media in America and whether or not it can be trusted to give to the public a reliable picture of newsworthy events. They also ponder the implications for Christians who believe in telling and discerning the truth in a world of information overload. Episode Visuals: Media Bias Chart , Ground News .

In this first of fifteen episodes on the life and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Allan and Dr. Pidge Bannin discuss the reasons for the rise of Hitler and the Nazis after the First World War (1914-1918), and why Bonhoeffer was able to recognize the threat while many other Christians were not.

On this episode of Word Revisited , Allan interviews Dr. David W. Baker , Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. The conversation centers around the minor prophets. Why are they referred to as minor? What are the major themes of these twelve preachers? What is their relevance for us today? Dr. Baker is the author and editor of numerous bo...

On the episode of The Wesleyan Way , Allan interviews Paul Chilcote, Wesleyan historian and theologian on how a Wesleyan theological perspective can help us avoid the dangerous ideologies of legalism, nationalism, dispensationalism, and antinomianism.

On this episode of Calmly Considered , Michael and Allan discuss the growing global population, its implications for the future and why it's important for the followers of Jesus.

On this episode of "Seeing Is Believing," Allan interviews Stanley Hauerwas on his book, The Character of Virtue: Letters to a Godson . Among the topics discussed, Stanley wonders if Protestantism still makes sense, and he asks Allan why he remains a United Methodist.

On this episode of Calmly Considered , Michael and Allan discuss the sustainability of Social Security and the necessity of seeking the common good.

On this episode of The Wesleyan Way, Allan interviews Rev. Dr. Ben Witherington III on the phenomenon of religious revival and specifically the 2023 awakening taking place at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY.  What is revival? Is it something to take seriously as a movement of the Holy Spirit, or should it be dismissed as emotional hype? Rev. Dr. Ben Witherington III is Amos Professor of New...

In this episode of "Calmly Considered," Allan converses with Joy Moore and Michael Gorman on the subject of abortion. How can Christians offer a more robust understanding of abortion that moves beyond the pitting of rights against each other? How does Christian doctrine inform the discussion? If the church is an alternative to the way of society, how do Christians utilize their unique witness to b...

In this episode of "Calmly Considered," Michael and Allan discuss the rise of betting on sports in America and gambling in general. Does legalized gambling boost the economy? What are the challenges gambling presents to communities? Is it appropriate for Christians to gamble?