Orthodocs.faith

John and Ron conclude their series on the imprecatory psalms asking this question: Can Christians pray these psalms in light of Jesus' command to love our enemies? It will come as no surprise that they conclude Christians have to take the Bible as a whole, and there is no skipping the hard parts!

Some psalms go beyond simply asking God for help. They demand judgment—and they do it in violent terms. In this episode, John and Ron approach these imprecatory psalms head-on. What are these prayers doing in the Psalms? Why do Christians struggle with them? And, how do we read them without either excusing vengeance or pretending Jesus canceled these Psalms when he taught, "love your enemies....

Ron and John kick off Season 7 by revisiting some Orthodocs.faith basics. They reintroduce themselves as your hosts, clarify what the podcast aims to do, and explain why so much energy goes into the “heavy lifting” of careful reading, solid context, and clear theology. Along the way, you’ll get a peek at how an episode comes together—and a quick preview of what’s next this season.

In this episode John and Ron conclude Season 6 of Orthodocs.faith with a story about St. Benedict.  In the wilds of northern Europe, Benedict cut down a sacred oak dedicated to Thor to make a point and get his message out!

In Part 2 of Missionary Work, Medieval Style , John and Ron trace Gregory the Great’s mission to Britain in the early 600s. At the center is King Ethelbert of Kent and the monks who arrive in his territory asking to preach. How does a pagan king respond—and what unfolds next?

Ron and John are back with a new series: Missionary Work, Medieval Style . In this premiere, they tell some stories that you likely haven't heard. The accounts range from chilling to inspiring, but the guiding question is, "Where is the Holy Spirit at work?" Travel with them into the mysterious world of the early Middle Ages, and see how Christians tried to live out their witness.

How has the Church understood and practiced wisdom across the centuries? In this series finale, Ron and John move from Acts 6 and the Wisdom of Solomon , through Augustine and Aquinas, to Luther and Calvin. From there, they turn to today’s church to show how wisdom shapes our common life: what does a wise church look like?

What does the New Testament have to say about wisdom—and how does it build on the rich tradition of the Old Testament? In this episode, Ron and John explore Jesus and wisdom, from the Sermon on the Mount to Paul’s claim that Christ crucified is “the wisdom of God.” Along the way, they trace how New Testament wisdom moves from parable to cross to creation itself.

John and Ron begin their summer series on wisdom in the scripture. They start with a look at wisdom in the Old Testament, including the books traditionally called "wisdom literature" as well as some narrative pictures of wisdom. They also dig into the meaning of the phrase, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and examine how Israel's idea of wisdom stacks up...

John and Ron conclude their series on the creeds with this episode.  They look briefly at the Athanasian Creed and then discuss the influence of the creeds on several Protestant doctrinal statements.

John and Ron take the next step in their series on the creeds by looking at the Chalcedonian definition. Nicaea definitively answered some questions, but it left others wide open. How do the human and divine natures combine in Jesus Christ? How do Christians talk about that?  That's where Chalcedon picks up.

John and Ron move to the fourth century in this episode, a time of extraordinary historical intrigue and passionate disagreements.  They survey just a few of the events that make the century so pivotal.  They also introduce the Nicene Creed and the fundamental theological questions it addressed.

John and Ron continue their series on the creeds, and in this episode they look at the Apostles' Creed.  What is it?  Where did it come from?  What does it have to say? John and Ron also cue up their next episode.  They briefly cover the historical drama that led up to the fourth century.  You won't want to miss it.

In this episode, John and Ron introduce their new series on the creeds.  6What is the relationship between early Christian creeds and scripture?  How did they develop? In this first episode, John and Ron look at work by Irenaeus, a second century Christian figure, and the evidence he provides for early creedal material.

John and Ron are re-releasing the first episode in their 9-episode Introduction to Christian Theology.  The title is "Prolegomena." It refers to the things that need to be said before you can plunge into theological details! The series on the creeds is coming but delayed.  Expect to see the first episode in the next release two weeks from now.

John and Ron conclude their tour of the story of the Exodus in this episode.  They cover the climactic event of God parting the sea and Moses' song of triumph after the Egyptian army is destroyed.  Then they look at how much this story shapes descriptions of God's redemptive power throughout scripture.

In this episode, John and Ron review Passover, a key part of the central event in the story of the Exodus. The king of Egypt reaches his lowest point as the God of Israel makes his final, decisive move in their confrontation.

John and Ron continue to work through the Exodus story.  This time they work through the second and third sets of three plagues.  It becomes increasingly clear that the God of Israel is systematically dismantling the Egyptians' understanding of a well-ordered world -- and who maintained it!

John and Ron continue their series on the story of the Exodus.  In this episode, they begin to work through the plagues.  Time after time, the God of Israel forces a showdown with the gods of Egypt.  When the dust settles after each encounter, only the God of Israel is standing!

John and Ron begin season 6 with a new series where they review the story of Israel's Exodus from Egypt. It is the definitive story of God's redemption in the Old Testament, and it is alluded to and retold in numerous places throughout scripture.

John and Ron review a passage that is read so frequently around the time of Christmas that many Christians no longer realize how significant it is. As usual, they start with the passage in its original context. Then they move to the messianic significance it had to New Testament authors.

We observe the Advent season this year with a re-release from our Season 1 series, "Ultimate Hope Has a Name." In these times, it is important that we understand where to place our hopes and where not to—and why. Is there really such a thing as ultimate hope, something or someone beyond which there is no need to hope for anything else?

Ron and John continue their "audio tours" of archaeological sites with significant biblical connections. In this episode, they visit one of Ron's all-time favorite sites: Ephesus. 

John and Ron return to the Holy Land for a visit to Caesarea by the Sea. From the theater that faces out to sea to the impressive ancient engineering in the artificial harbor, Caesarea is a fascinating place to see.

John and Ron continue their audio tours of ancient sites, this time in Corinth, Greece. They discuss the crucial geography of Corinth and review the site with an eye towards Paul's visit as it is described in Acts 18.