Lisa Harper's Back Porch Theology

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore an argument that broke out among Jewish believers and Gentile converts to Christianity in the First Century that threatened to split the early church like an overripe watermelon. This chapter of church history recorded in the book of Acts is formally called “The Jerusalem Debate” and the hugely significant spiritual truism c...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to spend some quality time with Apostle Paul, the chief bully of ancient believers who was so gob-smacked by grace on the way to Damascus that he experienced a radical conversion, went on to write at least 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament, and laid the foundation for what we now call systematic theology. Eminent Pauline scholar...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about the spirit of radical generosity that permeated the early church in the book of Acts. Those ancient Christ-followers were so gifted at giving, they made Santa look bush league! In fact, the very first time the Greek word koinonia – which means a close fellowship between people, emphasizing what is common between them and...

During today’s episode of Back Porch Theology we’re stepping into new theological territory after spending the last 8 weeks in our “Wild About Jesus” series where we explored His perfectly simultaneous divine and human nature – otherwise known as the hypostatic union – His historicity, His early life, His empathy, His atoning death and His absolute superiority as the King of all kings and Lord of...

During today’s episode of Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about the most epic of all tattoos, which is the one John describes as being on Jesus’ thigh when He comes thundering through the sky on a white horse to claim His bride in Revelation 19: King of kings and Lord of lords. This divine, indelible ink includes not one, but two titles, that herald Jesus’ supremacy and authority over ever...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about how captivating Jesus was as a communicator. Although our Savior was omniscient, He wasn’t obnoxious. He didn’t expound on Torah with elitist, multi-syllabic, proprietary language to prove His other-worldly intellect, instead He told stories. He talked about transcendent things like God and the Kingdom of Heaven with imag...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re diving deep into the biblical concept of atonement – which the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible describes as: the act by which God and man are brought together in personal relationship. The term atonement is derived from Anglo-Saxon words meaning “making at one,” hence “at-one-ment.” It presupposes a separation or alienation that needs to be...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re discussing all things anthropomorphic – which in the theological realm involves the oft feeble attempt to use human context and metaphor to describe what is divine and transcendent. And we’re doing so to responsibly frame the thesis that our Creator Redeemer is not uniformly angry or solemn but instead expresses sheer delight within the perf...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology – the fourth in our “Wild About Jesus” series – we’re going to talk about how Apostle Paul compared the Christ to the dude who started that whole fig-leaves-for-pants trend when he referred to our Savior as the “Second Adam.” Which sounds like he was casting Jesus as a sort of new and improved “version” of mankind, doesn’t it? Like adding Christol...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology – the third in our “Wild About Jesus” series – we’re going to talk about the fact that Jesus is a proven historical figure. In fact, there’s overwhelming evidence about the work and person of Jesus Christ from numerous non-Christian sources from the earliest centuries of the Common Era! In his book, The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skeptici...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology – the second in our “Wild About Jesus” series – we’re going to dive deep into the Christological doctrine concerning our Savior’s absolute deity and His perfect humanity, which is summed up in the term – hypostatic union. That fancy phrase dates all the way back to the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, where it was determined that the Son of God was...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology – which is the very first episode of our second season so please forgive Ally, Dr. Howard and me if we sound gob-smacked with grateful joy but we just can’t help it because we’re over the moon that we get to continue this adventure with y’all - we’re going to begin an 8-week series that revolves around our Redeemer so we’re calling it “Wild About...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to sift back through the rapture and rupture of our first year of podcasting – we can hardly believe this is our 52nd week of BPT! We’re going to revisit some really cool theological concepts like orthodoxy, orthopraxy and orthopathy and I will surely mispronounce a multi-syllabic term or two because if you’ve spent even a short amount...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology Ally and I are beginning 2023 with fresh resolve to lean more fully into the love of Jesus Christ! Our goal is to grow in our devotion to God, as well as to have more wisdom regarding how to prune that which (and those who) diverts or distracts us from Him. According to recent polls, losing weight is a perennial top ten New Year’s resolution and I...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to dive into the joy-saturated stories of Anna and Simeon, two geriatric saints who never gave up hope that they’d meet the Messiah before they met their Maker. And we’re going to compare and contrast the solo Simeon warbled after meeting 7-week-old baby Jesus with Mary’s Magnificat – the gorgeous praise chorus she sang after Gabriel g...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to peruse the 400 Silent Years between the Old Testament and New Testament – which is formally called the Intertestamental Period – when God’s voice was not recorded. It’s tempting for us to associate silence with sadness, even badness, especially during seasons like Christmas when it seems the world around us is in an emotionally nois...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore a passage in Luke and expose the awe-deprivation that has permeated modern Christendom. Then we’re going to take off our spiritual Spanx and have a real and raw conversation about how we can recover the wonder we used to have at Christmas when we were absolutely undone by the truism of Immanuel – of God. With. Us. Remember w...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about some of the less prominent features – the “tucked away treasures” in the Christmas story that illustrate the fact that nothing and no one is insignificant to God. Even the quietest - often overlooked - details of this love story we call the Bible bellow the attentive compassion of our Kinsman Redeemer! From Joseph’s gentl...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore a colorful passage at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel account to help prepare our hearts for the miracle of Christmas during this, the first week of Advent. Because despite what retailers would like us to think, the Advent has nothing whatsoever to do with shopping! The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, whi...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to use a uniquely American holiday that involves consuming copious amounts of dead bird and marshmallow-slathered root vegetables as a springboard to talk about the global spiritual fruit of gratitude. Our hope is that this conversation will be beneficial to all Backporchers - whether you live in Nashville, Nairobi, New York or New Zea...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to get real and raw about those seasons in life when we seriously consider throwing in the towel. Or at least whacking an adversary with a wet one! In John 10:10 our Redeemer, King Jesus, promises us abundant life – but He never promised that it would be easy. As a matter of fact, in John 16 Jesus confided that in this life, we’ll actu...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about an eschatalogical passage toward the end of Mark’s gospel that at first glance comes across as alarming. Remember eschatology is just a fancy, multi-syllabic, theological term that refers to the doctrine of end times or last things. And regardless of what your personal or your denomination’s doctrinal view of eschatology...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to talk about a heart-warming story in Mark’s Gospel narrative that involves a man named Bart, who much like the little engine that could of children’s literature, persevered through significant adversity and by doing so, experienced both the miracle of physical and emotional healing. We’re also going to talk about a Greek word that’s...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to explore the miraculously cohesive band of brothers Jesus chose to be His disciples, and how they modeled unity not uniformity. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a group of men in the Ancient Near East who were more diametrically opposed with regards to cultural views and societal norms. The Hatfields and McCoys might’ve had mor...

During today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology we’re going to tackle all things theophany – which is a form of divine revelation where God’s miraculous presence is made visible and recognizable to mere humans. Some of the most familiar theophanies in Holy Writ are the flaming topiary through which God affirmed and called a stuttering Moses to lead Israel out of captivity, as well as the cloud...