Rethinking Faith

This week, Dr. Thomas Jay Oord returns to the podcast for the fourth time. We had an awesome conversation focused around Tom's latest book "Open and Relational Theology: An Introduction to Life-Changing Ideas". Open and Relational Theology has been a steady theme on the show, however, we never did a proper episode just on Open and Relational Theology. So this week, Tom and I sat down for an introd...

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, today is Marty's last week on the show. We talk about his experience and celebrate all that Marty has done. Best of luck Marty! Peace and love bro.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guess who's back, back again... Prop is back! Tell yo' friends.  In Propaganda's latest book, "Terraform", he looks at the ways in which our world is broken. Using the metaphor of terraforming—creating a livable world out of an inhospitable one—he shows how we can begin to reshape our homes, friendships, communities, and politics. In this transformative time—when we are redefining what a truly jus...

When Rachel Pieh Jones moved from Minnesota to rural Somalia with her husband and twin toddlers eighteen years ago, she was secure in a faith that defined who was right and who was wrong, who was saved and who needed saving. She had been taught that Islam was evil, full of lies and darkness, and that the world would be better without it. Luckily, locals show compassion for Jones who can’t keep her...

This week, Terence Lester joins the show for the second time! It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the injustices that we see in the world. We don't know what to do and might think that we don't have anything to offer. But by using our gifts in collaboration with others, we can do more together than we ever could on our own. Mobilizing and acting together empowers us to do what we can't do as i...

This week, Ben Kirby joined us to discuss the ideas in his new book "PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities". What started as a joke account on Instagram has turned into a movement. Through this provocative project, the Ben is helping thousands of Jesus followers wrestle with the inevitable dilemmas created by a culture obsessed with image and ente...

This week, Gabriel Gordon helps us to (re)think our ideas around biblical inspiration. We explore a number of problematic issues facing popular notions of Inspiration today. Gordon applies the idea of Essential Kenosis to the inspiration of scripture and reveals how it provides a better theological basis for developing a doctrine of Biblical Inspiration. If God cannot control the biblical authors,...

This week we were joined by our friend Fr. Nebojsa Pantic. Fr. Nebojsa is a Greek Orthodox priest and he joined us to share about his faith tradition. What is the history of the Orthodox Church? What does it even mean to be Orthodox? What are some of the theological distinctions?  Our hope is that this episode will help to widen your perspective on the Christian Faith and help you to celebrate the...

This week we had the opportunity to sit down with JC Groves from the Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast. We had a really fun conversation about JC's time growing up in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist tradition and what it has looked like for him to (re)think his faith and move away from that denomination. Enjoy! Resources: The Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast  Learn more about your ad choic...

This week we had the privilege of being joined by our new friend Meghan Tschanz. We had a really great conversation around the ideas present in Meghan's new book "Women Rising".  Women Rising is Meghan Tschanz's personal journey of transformation. But it's also a Christian blueprint for anyone wanting to confront injustice against women while pointing to a biblical standard for gender equality. Wi...

This week we had the privilege of being joined by bible scholar and theologian, Scot McKnight. McKnight recently released a new book, "A Church Called Tov: Forming A Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing."  Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from So...

This week Julien Smith helps us to (re)think Paul’s vision for the life of human flourishing under the reign of Jesus. Smith places Paul’s letters in conversation with both ancient virtue ethics and kingship discourse, Smith outlines the Apostle’s christologically shaped understanding of the good life. Salvation and human flourishing―a life marked by fulfillment and well-being―have often been divo...

This week Trace Bell joins the show for an awesome conversation. We talk about a really helpful tool called Spiral Dynamics. The evolution of human consciousness is fascinating, and this tool when applied can help aid us in our spiritual journey and growth. Enjoy! RESOURCES: TraceBell.com Me, We, Everybody Part 1 Me, We, Everybody Part 2 Me, We, Everybody Part 3 Me, We, Everybody Part 4 Learn more...

This week Diana Butler Bass joined the show to help us rediscover Jesus. As you know, many people wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership when they try and fit Jesus into a box. Many Christians have left their churches but find that they cannot leave Jesus or their faith behind. Diana helps free us to embrace Jesus in his prismatic nature, and renew your...

It's not every day that you get to sit down and talk with a living legend. This week Josh had the privilege of being joined by Dr. John B. Cobb. John Cobb is a theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist. Cobb is often regarded as the preeminent scholar in the field of process philosophy and theology. We cover a variety of things from interfaith studies to the journey of faith to the process the...

This week Dr. John Haught joins us for a fun conversation about his book "The New Cosmic Story: Inside Our Awakening Universe". Over the past two centuries, scientific advances have made it clear that the universe is a story still unfolding. He contends that many have overlooked a crucial aspect of cosmic history: the drama of life’s awakening to interiority and religious awareness. Science may il...

This week R.T. Mullins joined the show to help us (re)think what it means to say that God has emotions. In this conversation, we cover some important issues around the emotional life of God as they relate to happiness, empathy, love, and moral judgments. We also take a deep dive into the impassibility/passibility debate. Enjoy! RESOURCES: God and Emotion (book) RTMullins.com  Learn more about your...

This week we were joined by Shane Claiborne to discuss the dismantling of the death penalty. Today it is not uncommon for Christians to say they are "pro-life" and at the same time be the biggest supporters of the death penalty. Is this the way of Jesus? We think not! Enjoy this conversation as we hang out with our friend Shane Claiborne. Resources: Executing Grace (book) ShaneClaiborne.com Learn...

This week we had the privilege of being joined by Bible Scholar Tim Mackie. Tim Mackie is the founder of BibleProject and the host of the Bible Project Podcast. We had an awesome conversation about this sacred book we call the Bible. We threw a wide variety of questions at Tim in regards to the Bible and what are we supposed to do with it. Enjoy! Resources: BibleProject.com Learn more about your a...

This week, Christiana Peterson joins us to discuss her latest book, 'Awakened by Death'. Christiana helps us (re)think death and challenges to embrace death's mysteries to live a richer, fuller life. Enjoy.  Resources: Awakened by Death (book) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we were joined by our friends Sarey and Dan to discuss their new website project, SoYoureDeconstructing.com. "Most people who find themselves in a crisis of faith start by asking good (but tough) questions. These questions can make people around them uneasy, and are often met with only one “acceptable” answer. Often, what comes next is a difficult experience of insecurity as we doubt ou...

This week Stina Kielsmeier-Cook joins us to discuss something very important and very personal. Stina's husband left Christianity several years into their marriage, and Stina was left "spiritually single". She was struggling to live the Christian life on her own, taking her kids to church by herself, and wrestling with her own questions and doubts. Stina shares her story of finding community in an...

This week, Josh and Marty are joined by two of their friend for an important conversation. After spending time together working in the same toxic church environment we wanted to ask the question, "is this church redeemable"?  We hope that this will be a conversation that will shine some light into a dark situation. Perhaps you too have experienced something similar. We want to let you know that yo...

This week Josh was joined by Robert P. Jones to discuss his latest book 'White Too Long: The Legacy of White supremacy in American Christianity. Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Rob delivers a provocative examination of the unholy relationship between American Christianity and white supremacy, and issues an urgent call for white Christians to reckon with this le...

This week we were joined by Jemar Tisby to have a practical conversation about his latest book, 'How To Fight Racism'. Racism is pervasive in today's world, and many are complicit in the failure to confront its evils. Jemar believes we need to move beyond mere discussions about racism and begin equipping people with the practical tools to fight against it. Resources: How To Fight Racism (book) Jem...