The Theology Pod

Send us Fan Mail Can the church still thrive in the bush? When James Wood's father declared, "The church has abandoned the bush," it became a call to action. Now, as parish priest in Warracknabeal, Victoria, James is proving that rural ministry isn't dead—it's being reimagined. In this episode of The Theology Pod, Dean Michael Davies sits down with Rev. James Wood to explo...

Send us Fan Mail In Australia, one woman is killed by a current or former partner every ten days. Half of all LGBTIQ people in relationships have experienced intimate partner violence. These aren't just statistics; they are our neighbours, our friends, people in our congregations. Join trauma theologian Alexandra and pastoral voice Michael as they tackle one of the church's most urgent c...

Send us Fan Mail In 1611, forty-seven scholars completed a translation that would change the world. The King James Bible shaped Shakespeare's language, fueled democratic revolutions, inspired abolitionists, and provided the vocabulary for both liberation and oppression. It's been quoted by Frederick Douglass and slaveholders, by Martin Luther King Jr. and segregationists, by suffragettes...

Send us Fan Mail Need a break from the chaos? This episode is your retreat. For centuries, Christians have fled to deserts, monasteries, and quiet corners seeking God in the silence. But what actually happens on a retreat? And what transforms a weekend away into a genuine spiritual encounter? Join Alex and Michael as they explore the rich history of Christian retreats: from the fourth-century dese...

Send us Fan Mail Think Christmas movies are just snow, sentiment, and nostalgia? Think again. Join Alex and Michael as they unwrap the hidden theology in beloved holiday classics like It's a Wonderful Life , Joyeux Noel , A Christmas Carol , and Elf . From George Bailey's crisis of meaning to soldiers singing carols in the trenches of WWI, these aren't just feel-good films. They&apo...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know the Bible contains toilet jokes? Or that medieval priests brought donkeys into cathedrals and had congregations bray instead of saying "Amen"? Join Alex and Michael for a hilarious and profound exploration of Christianity's surprisingly rich comedy tradition. From Elijah's savage mockery of Baal's bathroom breaks to Jesus's absurdist para...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered why you can't remember last week's sermon, but "Amazing Grace" has been stuck in your head for decades? In this episode of The Theology Pod, hosts Alex and Michael dive into the hidden theological power of hymns – those songs that have shaped what billions of Christians actually believe about God, often more profoundly than any sermon or creed. Fr...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an artist becomes the analyst of their own work? In this episode, co-host Alex takes us inside her oil painting of an Australian payphone—examining it through the lens of Hagar's trauma narrative from Genesis. Together, Michael and Alex explore how obsolete infrastructure witnesses to systemic abandonment, how silence encodes theological meaning, and what it...

Send us Fan Mail "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater"—a phrase weaponised against anyone who dares to question harmful systems. International theatre-maker Jamie Garner transforms this warning into art with their play "Babies and Bathwater," which chronicles one woman's escape from religious coercion and her discovery of her own voice. Drawing from their own...

Send us Fan Mail What makes being a school chaplain "even more exciting than being an Archbishop"? In this episode, Alex sits down with Reverend Andrew Stewart at Mentone Grammar School to explore the unique world of Anglican school chaplaincy. With 25 years of experience ministering to what he calls "the least religious generation in Australia's history," Andrew shares in...

Send us Fan Mail In this compelling second part of our conversation with Father Chris Bedding, we dive deep into the intersection of faith, performance, and institutional power. Chris reveals how his award-winning comedy show Pirate Church - a work of "public theology" that toured nationally - became weaponised against him by those seeking to silence his advocacy work within the Anglican...

Send us Fan Mail In this compelling two-part conversation, hosts Michael and Alex sit down with Father Chris Bedding, an Anglican priest who has carved out a unique path at the intersection of ministry, activism, and social justice. Chris serves as Executive Officer of the Faith Workers Alliance - Australia's first trade union for clergy and faith workers - a role that has emerged from his de...

Send us Fan Mail During World War II, as Japanese forces occupied Papua New Guinea, missionaries and local Christian converts faced an impossible choice: flee to safety or remain faithful to their beliefs, knowing it could cost them everything. In this compelling episode, we explore the remarkable stories of both Australian missionaries and indigenous Papua New Guinean Christians who chose martyrd...

Send us Fan Mail In this compelling second part of their exploration of the Nicene Creed, Father Michael and Dr. Alexandra Banks dive deeper into how this ancient statement of faith continues to shape Christian worship and identity today. Building on the historical foundation laid in Part 1, they examine the creed's sophisticated Trinitarian structure and explore the famous Filioque controver...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: Every time congregations recite "We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth," they connect directly to a pivotal gathering from 325 CE that nearly split early Christianity. Join hosts Alex and Michael as they explore the Council of Nicaea's 1700th anniversary, examining the Arian controversy that threatened the newly l...

Send us Fan Mail We are excited to announce that The Theology Pod will officially launch on Monday, August 25th, 2025 . The Theology Pod represents a new venture in thoughtful theological discourse, bringing together diverse perspectives on faith, doctrine, and spiritual inquiry. Our mission is to create a space where deep theological questions can be explored with intellectual rigor, pastoral sen...