The Two Cities

In this episode we’re closing out our short mini-series on Children's Bibles and Children's Books by chatting with Natasha Kennedy, who is a freelance designer, graphic novelist, and illustrator of the FatCat Series, and Dr. Todd Hains, who is Associate Publisher of Acquisitions and Development for Lexham Press at Faithlife, andauthor of the books in the FatCat Series. The FatCat Series is...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Brian Wright about the Children’s Book series on the Minor Prophets that he’s been helping to produce called God’s Daring Dozen (published by Christian Focus). Dr. Wright is a church-planting pastor in Pensacola, Florida of Redeemer Community Church, and he studied under Dr. Mike Bird at Ridley, College in Melbourne, Australia for his PhD in New Testament. In our c...

In this episode we talk about why it’s important to teach the Old Testament to children with Dr. Kaz Hayashi, who is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Bethel Seminary (St. Paul, MN) and Shelley Henning, who is the Co-founder and CEO of GrowFamily, which provides family resources for parents and church leaders, the Children’s Ministry Catalyst for the Reformed Church in America, and one of ou...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Chris Gooding about the process ofrehabilitating from human trafficking. Dr. Gooding is Assistant TeachingProfessor in the Theology Department at Marquette University, a member of the Mennonite Church USA, and the author of the new book that we discuss in this episode, Beyond Slavery: Christian Theology and Rehabilitation from Human Trafficking (published by Cascad...

In this episode we talk about the Bible really has to say about “biblical womanhood” with Dr. Philip Payne, who has served as a missionary, pastor, and professor in a number of settings, and is the author of several studies on the Bible’s teaching about women in ministry, including the new book that we discuss in this episode, The Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood: How God's Word Consistently Affir...

In this episode we’re joined by Zachary Wagner to talk about Non-Toxic Masculinity. Zach is editorial director for the Center for Pastor Theologians, a doctoral candidate in New Testament at the University of Oxford, and the author of the book that we discuss in this episode, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality (published byIVP). Over the course of our conversation, Zach expla...

In this episode some of our team members get together to talk about the new season of one of our favorite TV shows, Black Mirror. The newest season (season 6) of this dystopian anthology just came out on Netflix last month and we discuss it all here. We start with some quick thoughts on the new season as a whole, followed by discussion on each of the five episodes in order. At the very end of the...

In this episode we're talking about Christianity and Conspiracy Theories with Dr. Mike Austin (Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University), who is the co-editor (with Dr. Gregory L. Bock) of the new book, QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories (published by Eerdmans). Joining him we also have three of the many contributors who wrote essays for the volume:...

In this episode we talk about Faith & Fake News with Rachel Wightman, who is Associate Director of Instruction and Outreach at the Concordia University library in St. Paul (MN) and the author of Faith & Fake News: A Guide to Consuming Information Wisely (published by Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, Rachel talks with us about how the media landscape has changed since the 202...

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior – writer, literary scholar, and professor – to talk about her new book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created A Culture In Crisis (published by Brazos). As Dr. Prior explains, she is engaging the issue of evangelicalism as an insider, highlighting various concerns that she has not with evangelical beliefs...

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Constantine Campbell, who is Professor and Associate Research Director at the Sydney College of Divinity and the author of a number of works in biblical studies and ancient Greek, as well as the book we’re excited to discuss on this episode, Jesus V. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement (published by Zondervan Reflective). Over the course of...

In this episode we’re talking about Celebrities for Jesus with Katelyn Beaty, who is the editorial director for Brazos Press and who previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today . She’s also the cohost of the Saved by the City podcast, and the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church (published by Brazos). In our conversation...

In this episode we are joined by Sheila Wray Gregoire and Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach to talk about their new book, She Deserves Better (published by Baker). Over the course of our conversation, we discuss the findings of their survey research of over 7,000 women about how experiences and teaching in youth group affect women longterm regarding their self-esteem, marital and sexual satisfaction, et...

In this episode we are talking about representation of Asian American Christianity in the Netflix and A24 production of the show BEEF starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. Joining us for this conversation is Pastor Jason Min, who is lead pastor at Citizens LA in downtown Los Angeles and cohost of the podcast, Off thePulpit, and was a consultant on the show for the worship scenes in the show and also...

In this episode, which is part two of a two-part conversation, we are joined by Prof. Esther Lightcap Meek to talk about teaching as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of her book, Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (published by Baker). Prof. Meek is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at  Geneva College  and Senior Scholar at  The Seattle School of Theology and Psyc...

In this episode, which is part one of a two-part conversation, we are joined by Prof. Esther Lightcap Meek to talk about learning as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of her book, Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (published by Baker). Prof. Meek is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at  Geneva College  and Senior Scholar at  The Seattle School of Theology and Psyc...

In the final episode in our series on Disability and Theology, we are joined by Rev. Dr. Kirk Patston, who is the Director of the Centre for Preaching and Pastoral Ministry at Sydney Missionary Bible College and the co-founder of Our Place Christian Communities, to talk about the research he did for his doctoral thesis at the University of Sydney, entitled, “Job, Otherness and Christian Theology o...

In this episode, which is the penultimate episode in our series on Disability & Theology, we’re talking about Becoming the Baptized Body with Dr. Sarah Jean Barton, who is Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School, and the author of Becoming the Baptized Body: Disability and the Practice of Christian Community (published by Baylor University Pre...

In this episode we’re talking about Autism and the Church with Professor Grant Macaskill, who is Kirby Laing Chair of New Testament Exegesis and co-director of the Centre for Autism and Theology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and he is the author of several books, including: Autism and the Church: Bible, Theology, and Community (published by Baylor University Press). In this episode Pro...

In this episode we discuss Virtue, Agency, and Christian Caregiving with Dr. Keith Dow, who is the Manager of Organizational and Spiritual Life with  Christian Horizons , a nonprofit charitable organization working with people with intellectual disabilities in Canada and around the world. Dr. Dow is also the author of Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving (publish...

In this episode we talk about mutuality in ministry with friends and nature with Melissa and Ben Conner. Melissa Conner is executive director and certified advanced therapeutic riding instructor at Renew Therapeutic Riding Center in Holland, Michigan. Dr. Benjamin Conner is Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry at Western Theological Se...

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Brian Brock to reflect on disability from within the Christian theological tradition. Prof. Brock holds the personal chair in moral and practical theology at the University of Aberdeen (in Scotland), and he’s the author of Wondrously Wounded: Theology, Disability, and the Body of Christ (published by Baylor University Press) and Disability: Living into the...

In this episode in our Disability & Theology series, we are joined by Dr. Shane Clifton to talk about virtue ethics and what it means to live a good life with a disability. Dr. Clifton is a disability ethicist and theologian, Principal Policy Officer and Director of Respect & Inclusion at the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation against People with Disability, a...

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Amy Kenny, a disabled scholar and Shakespeare Lecturer, to talk about her book, My Body Is Not A Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church (published by Brazos). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Kenny shares with us her lived experience of disability and marginalization in the church, and the pain of unwanted prayers that essentially want to rid h...

Carrying on in our series on Disability & Theology, we turn to think critically about the representation of disabilities in popular culture. In particular, we focus on the representation of Squibs in the Harry Potter series with Emma Brandel and Dr. Julye Bidmead. Emma Brandel is an undergraduate student at Chapman University (Orange, California) majoring in ancient cultures and languages, and...