Theology In Pieces

Send us a Question! Hello Darkness My old Friend... Today we sit down with Cody Balfour, the Director of Family Life at Koinonia Church, to discuss his book "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," which addresses fear and anxiety from a uniquely Christian perspective. Cody pastorally opens his heart and offers hope for many walking in darkness and despair. We reflect on hope, resilience, and...

Send us a Question! Can Christian centrism truly address the complexities of wealth, power, and racial injustice, or does it fall short of delivering meaningful change? Our latest episode welcomes Adam Joyce, a Chicago-based nonprofit consultant, who challenges the notion that centrist approaches can adequately tackle these pressing issues. We lament the recent article critiquing the positive exam...

Send us a Question! What happens when you blend the art of storytelling with the intricacies of faith? Renowned author Stephen James joins us, and his insights might just transform how you view fiction. As we navigate the complex themes in Christian art, we question the label of "Christian" and its implications. Drawing inspiration from literary icons like Flannery O'Connor and GK C...

Send us a Question! Today we have a packed house with not 1, not 2, but 3 historians weighing in on the question Who are Evangelicals?  With 81% of white evangelicals voting in one direction, it caused us to ask... what is it that holds evangelicals together?  You may be surprised by our conclusions.  We had a long but fantastic discussion including terrible tweets and responding to the most recen...

Send us a Question! Hey Listeners!   How likely is a Civil War in America?  What can you do now to prepare? In light of the horrors we're seeing in Gaza, how do we square our commitment to non-violence with what appears to be a violent Old Testament God?   On today's episode we respond to listeners questions. Before we delve into the heavy stuff, we look at the sermon cutting floor and r...

Send us a Question! On today's episode, we had the honor to sit down with the incredible Matthew Soerens from World Relief .  The topic of immigration feels radioactive and untouchable for the average person.  But Matthew brings real life examples, experience, research, and the scriptures to speak in a very common sense logical way.  This conversation was unbelievable!  Ear mark this episode...

Send us a Question! What's Law got to do with it?  On today's episode we sit down with Kent Mckeever, a lawyer, executive director of Greater Waco Legal Services (a non-profit legal firm), and a former pastor.  Kent lays out the beauty and application of his love for Jesus and Justice as inspiration for his work in providing legal assistance for All. Everyone regardless of their financia...

Send us a Question! On Today's Episode we respond to the horrific assassination attempt on former President Trump's life.  What does this mean for our country?  What spiritually can we glean from his life being spared?  Did God save Trump?  Does Ephesians 6:11 play a part?    Then we wrestle with Adam Joyce's article on Christianity and Third-Way-ism , titled "If there is a “th...

Send us a Question! Whose Fault is Poverty?  The poor, the rich, something else?  Today we tackle this tricky topic biblically.   Then the guys respond to a terrible tweet from the current President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his article: The Verdict Is In .  This is in response to former President Donald Trump convicted as guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business r...

Send us a Question! Can coffee really save the world?  Shouldn't we be allocating our time to ministry instead of business?  Why is the church missing this?!  Tune in to hear the 2024 Roasters of the Year and  owners of Bridge City Coffee discuss why Coffee is this beautiful fruit that has the potential to do far more than keeping you awake.  This product, this way of doing business, the peop...

Send us a Question! "Garden More."  On today's episode we wrestle with Dr. Jennifer Howell on why Christians should but don't care about our environment.  We name a number of the underlying  issues that keep us from seeing the fuller picture in the fabric of justice.    And though the darkness can be truly dark, Dr. Howell paints a path forward for every church member and churc...

Send us a Question! Over the last couple of years, the topic of Christian Nationalism has come up a number of times.  And today we're honored to have Dr. Andrew Whitehead on to help us think through this especially during this political season.  Dr. Whitehead is one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States.  He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Na...

Send us a Question! Are you ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride? Buckle up as we navigate the entwined tracks of faith, nationalism, and capitalism. Our spirited discourse leaps from the laughable to the profound, starting with the absurdity of a themed Bible endorsed by a political heavyweight. We'll untangle the motivations behind such moves and what they herald for America's rel...

Send us a Question! On this week's podcast we explore the intersection of faith and sports and we're joined by Dr. Paul Putz, the Assistant Dire​ctor of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor's Truett Seminary.  Paul is a friend, basketball phenom, and a historian who has studied the long history of sports in America and the ebbs and flows of its relationship to Christianity.  L...

Send us a Question! Is doubt good or bad?  Why is it so hard to find a good Children's Bible?  And what do we do with Romans 13?  Some think its the Be-All argument to always submit to the government, while others see rebellion as the only godly response.   Tune in to hear the guys weigh all this against the backdrop of scripture.  Doubt is a Ladder, Not a Home - Brad East The Quest for a Goo...

Send us a Question! On today’s podcast, Malcolm declares war on a certain pizza, we respond to some absurdity about empathy, feminism, and the church , revisit penal substitutionary atonement and respond to objections to the Christian Ethic of nonviolence in the world and from the bible.   For more resources on these subjects check out: Episode 21 – Atonement Theories w/ Dr. Jacob Randolph   The S...

Send us a Question! Should we be worried about DEI? Does Texas’ recent states rights argument set us up for a Civil War? And what do we think about the decline of trust in pastors? All that and we revisit the LGBTQ conversation from a listener’s questions.   Have more questions?  Write in hello@theologyinpieces.com If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave...

Send us a Question! The Mailbag is FULL.  We respond to a number of listener emails, wrestle with some toxic takes of 1 Peter 3, and explore questions surrounding reformed theology.     Terrible Tweet: https://x.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1744860622024548646?s=46&t=Krugcu1bTKRpnPSMcKlWxw   If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support...

Send us a Question!  Your 2023 Theology in Pieces Wrapped is here.  Listen in to hear ours and maybe your BEST thing you read, listened to, watched, and learned.  What surprised you this year?  And what are you Most looking forward to in 2024?  This episode was more reflective, more personal, and more hopeful than most!  But you heard our best.... what's yours? $2.00 A Day - Kathryn Edin and...

Send us a Question! Do you prefer Blue or Pink?  Action Movies or love novels?  Sports or nah? Today we unpack societal perceptions of gender roles, gender stereotypes, and gender-specific commands in the scripture. We rethink  the one-size-fits-all definition of biblical manhood and womanhood as we survey some of today's leading thinkers views on what it means to be a man and woman.  We can&...

Send us a Question! Join us as we attempt to unscramble the unique challenges facing the church's same-sex attracted believers. We respond to listener questions on the feasibility of celibacy,  eternal destiny's, and practically how these things play out in the church, all the while highlighting the importance of humility when navigating these conversations, reminding ourselves to focus...

Send us a Question! Unearth the profound intricacies of spiritual friendships, the Southern Baptist Convention controversy and, surprisingly, horror movies, as we journey alongside our guest, Eve Tushnet. Eve, an award-winning author ( Gay and Catholic ), blogger and freelance writer, brings her unique insights and experiences to shed light on these thought-provoking topics. The episode takes a bo...

Send us a Question! Are you thirsting for a deeper understanding on complex theological issues? Theology in Pieces tries to give you the tools to see the best arguments on any given theological issue.  Whether it be deeper commitments like baptism - who should it be for?  Or lighter things like terrible theological takes from the Texas Railroad Commissioner and Baal Worship.  Today's episode...

Send us a Question! Prepare for an in-depth look at what the scriptures have to say about all these questions surrounding Homosexuality.   With the help of the insightful Grant Hartley, co-host of the Life on Side B podcast , we aim to shake the dust off difficult scriptures and bring you a fresh perspective on their meaning.   As Ted Lasso would say, "Be Curious. Not Judgemental."   The...

Send us a Question! When life hands you a revelation at 11, it's hard to know where to go from there. That was the turning point for our guest, Dr. Nate Collins, president and founder of Revoice and author of All But Invisible , when he realized his sexuality and embarked on a journey of self-acceptance in a Christian home. With his background in New Testament studies and his experiences at M...