The Whole Church Podcast

The crux of our discourse centers on the profound significance of love as articulated by Jesus in John 13:34-35, wherein He commands His disciples to love one another as He has loved them. In our conversation with Pastor Matt Walker Thrift, the Lead Pastor of Koerner Heights Church and author of "Follow: Genuine Discipleship in the Modern Age," we delve into the intricacies of discipleship in the...

This episode features a profound exploration of the intersection between music, spirituality, and community, as hosted by Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell. Our esteemed guest, Kate Bluett, a poet and lyricist from North Texas, articulates the significance of collaboration in the creative process within the Porter's Gate Collective. The dialogue delves into the theological implications of communal sing...

This episode features a profound conversation with Jonathan Foster, author of "Indigo: The Color of Grief," who explores the intersection of grief, love, and theopoetics. Jonathan emphasizes that acknowledging and valuing sadness can foster deeper connections within faith communities, as it allows individuals to be present with one another without rushing to provide answers. He shares his personal...

Join us as we delve into the vital themes presented in Dr. Wylin D. Wilson's book, "Womanist Bioethics: Social Justice, Spirituality, and Black Women's Health." Dr. Wilson discusses how mainstream bioethics often overlooks the perspectives of Black women, leading to significant health disparities and negative healthcare outcomes. She emphasizes the importance of understanding lived experiences and...

This Round Table discussion delves into the intricacies of Christian spirituality and contemplative practices, focusing on how they can foster unity among diverse faith traditions. The panelists, including radical theologian Josh Patterson (host of "(RE)Thinking Faith") and philosophy professor J. Aaron Simmons, explore the significance of personal experience in shaping one's spiritual journey and...

Today's episode is all about our friend, Dr Tom Oord and his newest 2 volume set: "Amipotence: Support & Criticism" and "Amipotence: Expansion & Application"! This 2 volume set is a collection of essays by various scholars and friends in response to Dr Oord's doctrine for Amipotence and the argument he laid out in his book, "The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence". For this speci...

J. Aaron Simmons, Ph. D., joins us for our first episode of the year to discuss what it means to live a life worthy of our finitude and to risk our lives in the direction of faith! Joshua Noel and TJ, Tiberius Juan, Blackwell discuss with Aaron what it means for people who believe in an afterlife to still live as though this life matters! They also discuss how we should go into this new year, why...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Whole Church and Systematic Geekology fans! Joshua Noel is joined by Nick Polk to discuss how Substack might take the place of Twitter and can help us get out of our echo chambers. They also discuss both of their substacks - Tolkien Pop and The Kingdom Key - and they geek out about Christmas some and talk about where to get Nick's new book, "Tolkien and Pop Culture: Vol 1"! . What...

Christian is joined once more by Joshua Noel to discuss Leviticus 27. (GoFundMe for Joshua's dog's recovery: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-coppers-recovery-from-gunshot-wound?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet_ai&utm_content=amp8_t4&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link) Why would people be sold in Israel? How many times was Jubilee actually practiced? Are tithes mandatory? How much sh...

Dr Tom Oord joins the show again to discuss with Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell ideas around the use of mystery language in the Church today. Joshua and Dr Oord have slightly different perspectives on how useful this language can be in modern contexts. . What is the meaning of divine mystery? What is the greatest mystery in the Catholic Church? What is biblical meaning of mystery? Wh...

Dr James McGrath joins Joshua this week for a special episode discussing the historical and Biblical accounts of John the Baptist! In this discussion, we also talk about James faith journey, Joshua's beliefs as a Christian Taoist, the use of surrender language, and how historical analysis of Biblical figures is conducted! . Can you be Taoist and Christian? How does Taoism view Jesus? Can a Taoist...

Joshua Noel interviews Chris Herlinger, international correspondent to Global Sisters Report, about his most recent book, "Solidarity and Mercy: The Power of Christian Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine". They discuss what Chris' work as a reporter is like, what the state of Ukraine really is, the fears many Christians in Ukraine face around president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, and how we can...

Christian is joined once more by Joshua Noel to discuss Leviticus 23 and 24. Why does God mandate festivals and holidays? What are the purposes of these days and what can we learn from them now? Why is the Sabbath so important? Why would God ordain holidays that weren't to be celebrated before the conquering of the Promised Land? What does it mean to blaspheme God's Name? Does the ethnicity of the...

Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell welcome Andrew Fouts, from Open Doors Canada, back to the show to discuss the state of persecuted and martyred Christians around the globe today! . What does the Open Doors Organisation do? What denomination is Open Doors? What is the Canadian aid to persecuted Christians? What is the new name for Open Doors? What was the persecuted church in the Bible?...

We are back with another Round Table episode - this time inspired by a recent episode of My Seminary Life with Brandon Knight! Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell are joined by Christian Ashley and Joe Dea to discuss how we can have unity with Christians who annoy us, are obstinate, care more about being right than loving others, etc. . In this episode, we will: Explain what we mean by "a...

In a special episode, Joshua Noel is joined by Will Rose to discuss some life events, thoughts on the election (recorded before we had the results), and much more! This is not a normal episode, but more like an extended version of our God Moments segment. . Where do we see the Divine in our darkest times? What should Christians do now that the USA election is over? How do we process trauma? How ca...

Joshua had a family emergency and could not make it to the recording, so special guests and friends of the show, Will Rose and Josh Patterson, were kind enough to be our guest hosts for a very special episode interviewing Father Derek Miller from St Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, Maryland! . What does an Episcopalian believe? What is the difference between Catholic and Episcopal? What...

Christian is once more joined by Joshua Noel of The Whole Church Podcast and Dummy for Theology to discuss Leviticus 16-18. Why did Aaron and his sons need to sacrifice for themselves first? Who or what is Azazel? How are scapegoats introduced here? What is atonement? What is the Day of Atonement and what does it have to do with Yom Kippur? Why is blood forbidden by God from being eaten? Why does...

Back with a Holiday Special, Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell discuss the celebrations of Halloween, Reformation Day, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day with Rev Shayna Watson of Trinity - St James Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. and Pastor Will Rose of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, NC! . What is the meaning of All Saints Day? Is All Saints Day a Catholic holy day? Wh...

Finishing up our series, "What's Next", our hosts Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell reflect on what we've learned together the last 9 weeks! They discuss the episodes recorded, what we're doing after this, and how we can practice being present in our current moment. . What does practice presence mean? How do you practice presence? What is the spiritual practice of being present? What do...

This week Christian is joined once again by Joshua Noel of The Whole Church Podcast (https://the-whole-church-podcast.captivate.fm/) and Dummy for Theology (https://dummy-for-theology.captivate.fm/listen) to continue in Leviticus 7-8. What more needed to be said about the guilt offering? Why does God call for animals to be killed in place of humans? What is the purpose of the fellowship offering a...

Getting near the end of our series, we look at the state of the world today and ask Pastor Will Rose what's next once we get back to normal? Hosts Joshua Noel and TJ (Tiberius Juan) Blackwell ask Will about COVID-19, Political Violence and strife, and C. S. Lewis! . When was the COVID-19 pandemic? Is COVID a pandemic or epidemic? What are the problems with the Covid-19 pandemic? How much damage wa...

This episode is all about how to worship and focus on God through music during times of political polarization. When we are most tempted to be overcome with anxiety over political strife, can worship music help us focus on God instead? Joshua Noel, Taylor Clyde, and Matthew Winter review three songs that were put together through a collaboration of The Porter's Gate Collective and the After Party...

This is a repost from The Whole Church Podcast, where Joshua Noel, TJ Blackwell, and Nick Polk discuss Johnny Cash's "Songwriter". To hear the original audio or see the the show's description use the link below: https://the-whole-church-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/what-do-johnny-cash-tolkien-and-moses-have-in-common/ Mentioned in this episode: Pull up a chair, grab a mic, and join in the conversa...

This episode is a reposting from The Whole Church Podcast. Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell, the hosts, interview the Professor of Worship at Charleston Southern University, Andrew Lucius. Use the link below to see the original posting and shows description: https://the-whole-church-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/how-different-can-our-worship-services-really-be/ Mentioned in this episode: Anazao Podcast...