The Stone Chapel Podcast

Mesa Global is truly a global organization operating in 50 countries across six continents.  Today, three of their key leaders join David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcast to discuss their history and mission: Milton Acosta, David Baer, and Jack Messara. They are deeply invested in theological education for the Majority World.  With seminaries closing or merging in the west, there is a growing nee...

For our 300 th episode N. T. (Tom) Wright joins David Capes to discuss questions that arose from Beth Moore's book, Walking with God: A Five Week Journey in Step with the Savior.   In fact, he helped David with his homework!   Tom rehearses his growing up years and spiritual influences that has led him to be one of the top scholars in the world.   •    More Stone Chapel Podcast episodes •    A tra...

Denis Salgado and Pete Forde join David Capes today on The Stone Chapel Podcast .   They are both working for the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (csntm.org).   Their mission is to discover and preserve through high quality images the 5000 plus manuscripts of the Greek New Testament.   This is vital because these manuscripts are deteriorating at an alarming rate.   What's more!  ...

Dr. N. T. Wright has lectured at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston seven times.   He was in Houston recently to give a lecture in the Stone Chapel: "Reading the Bible the Right Way Up."   You can find that on our YouTube channel.   He joined David Capes on the podcast to talk about his lecture and to discuss his new book God's Homecoming, The Forgotten Promise of Future Renewal (HarperOne)...

Dr. Peter Lillback joins David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast to talk about George Washington.  He has written an important book entitled George Washington's Sacred Fire.  He tackles the historical question: Was George Washington a Deist? A good historian will not answer that question until he/she has read everything Washington ever wrote or said.  Beyond that, the historian will want to hear f...

Dr. Benjamin Wall is back on The Stone Chapel Podcast .   This time he talks with David Capes about disabilities and the church.   Rather than seeing disabilities as something we have to "accommodate" Wall asks us to consider some other deeper, more abiding questions about all of us.   What are they?   Take a listen and see.  Dr. Wall's previous episode . Here is a transcript of this episode. List...

Preston Sprinkle has gone from uncertainty to certainty on the question of women in leadership in the churches. He sets his reasoning and thinking through scripture in a new book, From Genesis to Junia. The subtitle describes it as an honest search for what the Bible really says about women in leadership. Preston joins David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast to talk through some of the issues. Wat...

Dr. Ellie Paley is a newly minted PhD from Cambridge University.  She has been dubbed "the Job girl" by friends because she has written a "crackin'" thesis on Job AND she has memorized Job in the Hebrew.  That's quite a feat.  She joins David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcast to talk about her work and to hint at the question: is there a resolution to the book of Job?  Email us at podcast@lanierli...

Dr. Benjamin Wall joins David Capes today on The Stone Chapel Podcast.  He and his family have been resident for a few months at the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center.  Dr. Wall is a theologian and an ethicist. He has been working on several articles related to C. S. Lewis' notion of humanity, particularly related to his book, The Abolition of Man.   Listen to more episodes of The Sto...

Dr. Michael Bird joins David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcast to talk about his book What Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine through the Apostles Creed. This book is essential Christian doctrine taught through the lens of the Apostle's Creed.  Dr. Bird is a prolific writer, teacher, and podcaster.  And he despises coffee, but don't hold that against him.  Watch the...

"Before there was Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus; there was Zechariah, Elizabeth, and the baby John."     Dr. Robert Morgan joins David Capes for this episode of "The Stone Chapel Podcast." He is a prolific author who loves Scripture, theology, and the great hymns of the faith.   He has written a wonderful book entitled God Hasn't Forgotten You: 24 Remarkable Ways God Is Working in You and throu...

Veteran Old Testament scholar, Dr. Dan Fredericks, joins David Capes today on The Stone Chapel Podcast to talk about his book, Reframing Biblical Theology: The Eternal Design .  Why does it need to be reframed?  Well, stop what you're doing right now and listen!  Dr. Fredericks is about to tell you. More intriguing episodes of TSCP Here is a transcript of this episode . Email us at podcast@lanierl...

Dr. Nancy Dawson is back on The Stone Chapel Podcast to talk with Dr. Capes about a woman in the New Testament who followed Jesus.   Few could name her or tell us anything about her.  Her name is Joanna.   She came from elite circles to follow the Nazarene in a less than luxurious life. Luke tells us (Luke 8:1-3) that she supported Jesus' work financially and was a close follower of him.  There ar...

George Kalantzis, professor of theology at Wheaton College, joins David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcast to discuss five key movements in early Christianity.  He is at the Lanier Theological Library to teach a course for the Lanier Certificate in Theology and Ministry.  He planned to cover 500 years in five hours.  Did he make it? Listen and see.  You too can join the certificate program. For mor...

Since the work of W. D. Davies, the Jewishness of Paul has been well established.  But there have been other scholars like Dr. Joseph Dodson who regard Paul's Greek background as also formative to Paul's thinking and ethics.   He joins David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast to discuss his new book, Paul the Rabbi Philosopher: Stoic and Jewish Philosophy In the Apostles' Thought.  How was God at w...

Veteran New Testament scholar, Ben Witherington III, is coming to lecture at the Lanier Theological Library April 18, 2026.  He joins David Capes on this episode of the podcast to give the audience a preview of the kinds of insights and arguments he will make regarding the identity of "the Beloved Disciple."  Listen to see if you agree or disagree.   Here is the transcript for this episode . Liste...

Many parents (and grandparents) are concerned to send their sons and daughters off to secular colleges because they may lose their faith.  But Karl Johnson, Executive Director of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers, thinks this is a good time to send them to certain elite universities. Why?  Well keep listening and you'll find out.  For more information about the Christian Study Centers, cli...

J. D. Atkins was a scholar-in-residence at the Lanier Theological Library in Autumn 2025.   He stopped by to talk with David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcast about his book, The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church : The Post Resurrection Appearance Stories of The Gospels in Ancient Reception and Modern Debate .   According to Atkins, "doubt" in the Gospels does no...

This is part two of David Capes' discussion with Caleb Friedeman about his book Gospel Birth Narrative and Historiography: Reopening a Closed Case (Baylor University Press, 2025).  In this podcast Friedeman comments on the historical sources behind the birth stories in Matthew and Luke. There are many opportunities for scholars to do further study into these matters.  Listen to more great episodes...

For decades historical Jesus scholars assumed the birth stories in the Gospels (Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2) were not historical accounts; but they were legends or myths.  Case Closed.   Not so fast. Caleb Friedeman is reopening the cold case and asking the right kinds of questions. Not just of the Gospels, but of other kinds of ancient biographies. The kinds you read in Suetonius, Philo, and Plu...

Nicole Martin is coming to lecture at the Lanier Theological Library February 27—March 1, 2026. She is the newly appointed CEO and president of Christianity Today.   Dr. Martin is a marvelous leader and influencer. She's written a number of books on leadership. We discuss one of her recent books, Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender (InterVarsity, 2025).   Get the...

Starting a seminary in Jerusalem has been no easy task with the Covid-pandemic and the war in Gaza since 2022. But somehow, providentially, it is not only surviving in Jerusalem, it is thriving. You can study in Jerusalem with some gifted and committed teachers.  Earn a certificate or a MA in Biblical Studies.  Jerusalem Seminary's president, Baruch Kvasnika, joins David Capes to talk about the in...

Dr. Obi is Secretary General of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, AEA.  His organization represents 380 million evangelicals and Pentecostals in Africa. There are more Christians in Africa than people in the United States. In this podcast David Capes talks with Master Obi about "the Africa God Wants."  Africa has been changed by the gospel yet there is so much work to do.  There is also t...

Lyndon Drake, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, joins David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast to talk about his upcoming lecture at Lanier Theological Library in Houston.  Dr. Drake has two doctorates: one in Artificial Intelligence; and another in Theology.  He brings his expertise to the question of how our tech tools shape us. There is a lot of talk these days about AI.  This is ta...

Many people today are on a journey of deconstruction, that is, deconstructing their faith because of doubts, injury, or some other issue.   Often, deconstruction comes in a college classroom when a university professor endeavors to help his/her students shed their unreasonable beliefs.   Melissa Cain Travis joins David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcast to discuss the philosophy behind deconstructi...