Theology Unpacked

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ compares the two significantly different Gospel accounts of the Roman trial, with Luke focusing on the legal process and the distinctive episode of Jesus before Herod, while John centres the drama on an extended, searching dialogue between Jesus and Pilate. Luke presents Jesus as repeatedly declared innocent by Roman and Jewish authorities, s...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ compares the parallel accounts of Jesus’ trial before Pilate in Mark and Matthew, the summary highlights how Matthew elaborates the scene by shifting responsibility onto the Jerusalem crowds while still exposing Pilate’s weakness in the face of pressure. He reflects on how Matthew's details were later misread with deadly consequences, fue...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ follows the story to Jesus’ first trial before the high priest and the council, comparing how each Gospel narrates this moment and drawing out the theological importance of the judgment theme. Mark and Matthew present an informal trial focused on Jesus’ identity , Luke reshapes the scene to emphasise political motives , and John offers a uniq...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ shows how all four Gospels share the same basic sequence of Jesus’ agony, betrayal and arrest, yet each narrates the garden scene with a distinct theological emphasis. Mark highlights Jesus’ fear and humanity, John presents him as taking divine initiative, Luke underscores healing and cosmic conflict, and Matthew (though less discussed) frame...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ reflects on what the Eucharist may have meant to early Christians by beginning with Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians and then tracing Eucharistic themes across all four Gospels. It shows that the Last Supper was understood not only as a memorial of Jesus’ saving action but also as a sign of intimate union with him, expressed through themes of...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the Gospel accounts structure the Last Supper within the themes of covenant, sacrifice and divine love, while also allowing for a comparative look at the three synoptic accounts and their shared institution of the Eucharist. It shows how Jesus’ actions and words are rooted in Passover, the covenant at Sinai and the prophetic prom...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the synoptic writers narrate Jesus’ prophetic judgment speech over the Temple and the city of Jerusalem, each offering a slightly different perspective on the end time, and then places John’s Gospel in dialogue with them. While the synoptics emphasise dramatic prophecies about the Temple’s destruction and cosmic upheaval, John re...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ examines Jesus’ final prophetic discourse over the Temple and Jerusalem, showing how the synoptic Gospels narrate this moment differently and offer distinct perspectives on the end time: Mark emphasises imminent judgment and hope for persecuted believers, Matthew shifts the focus to long-term vigilance and compassionate action through parable...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ moves into Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem through the synoptic Gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, each shaping the narrative with distinct emphases. He centres on Jesus’ confrontations with the religious leaders in the Temple, where his teaching and authority provoke mounting tension and reveal divine judgment at work. The episode culminates w...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ traces ideas of sin and atonement in the Jewish tradition that lie behind much of Christian language, such as the Jewish Day of Atonement with the Christian seasons of Lent and Easter, where Ash Wednesday and Good Friday recall collective repentance and Christ’s sacrifice carrying the sins of the world into the wilderness. He also reflects on...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores ancient reflections on cosmic justice, reward, and punishment across Greek, Hindu, and Jewish traditions, showing how different cultures grappled with the suffering of the righteous. The stories of Plato’s philosopher, Arjuna’s divine duty, and Job’s trials reveal a shared search for meaning and vindication through encounter with the...

In this final episode of the "Galilee to Jerusalem" series of the “Theology Unpacked” podcast, Dr John Moffatt SJ looks at the theme of miracles, a challenge for many people shaped by today’s scientific way of thinking. He suggests that instead of seeing miracles as impossible events, we can understand them as signs of God at work in people’s lives. The Gospel stories then become invitat...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ revisits how the Gospels and Paul’s letters, shaped by Jewish scripture and tradition, formed early Christian understandings of Jesus as both divine and human, laying the groundwork for later doctrines of the Trinity and Christ’s dual nature. He highlights the range of early interpretations—from those that denied Jesus’ divinity to Gnostic vi...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explored the diversity of early Christian spiritual experiences, particularly regarding the role of the Spirit. Whether through charismatic expressions or the spirituality grounded in word, action, and discernment, the Spirit was recognised by its confession of Jesus as Lord and God made flesh. At its heart, Christian spirituality is revealed...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the different layers of text articulating expectations for those who commit to a Christian way of life, and the different models present in early Christianity itself. In time, the mark of true Christian ethics emphasis on character, intention, and the transformative power of grace over mere rule-following. 📧  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow u...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ unfolds through powerful dialogues that put every listener at a crossroads: the crowds after the feeding of the five thousand, the fiery disputes with the Judeans and Pharisees, and the intimate Last Supper discourses with the disciples. Across these moments, Jesus as the “bread of life” discourse and "as one with the Father" has le...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores key dialogues of Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael, the Jerusalem witnesses, Nicodemus, and the Samaritan woman that guide both the characters and the reader toward deeper insight into who Jesus truly is.  Through symbolic language and spiritual metaphors, the Gospel of John moves its audience from surface-level misunderstandings to a...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ outlines how John’s Gospel differs from the others by presenting Jesus’ divine identity from the very beginning and shaping the narrative around festivals, signs, places, dialogues, and meditations that all reveal him as the Son of God. Temple rituals, geography, and miracle “signs” are reinterpreted as symbols fulfilled in Jesus, while intim...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how John’s Gospel differs from the Synoptics in its structure, layered composition, and extended dialogues, highlighting traditional identifications of its author with John the Apostle and his community. It presents a developed theology of Jesus as the eternal Word and Wisdom of God, drawing on Jewish scripture and Greek philosophy t...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Matthew and Luke offer contrasting interpretations of the destruction of Jerusalem as divine judgment, rooted in prophetic tradition yet shaped by their distinct theological aims.  It emphasises the importance of reading these ancient gospel texts carefully and in context, especially in light of the harm caused by decontextualise...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores a key Lucan theme: the outsider, emphasising how Jesus redefines true faith through mercy and the acceptance of those once considered beyond the fold.  The Good Samaritan becomes a symbol of the restoration of Israel, showing that even those once excluded, like Samaritans, are central to God's plan. In accepting the rejected, Jes...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores Luke’s powerful portrayal of mercy and forgiveness, especially through Jesus’s interactions at a series of “disastrous dinner parties,” where he challenges social and religious norms by extending grace to sinners and outsiders. These meals become moments of revelation, emphasising that true righteousness comes not from status or ritu...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Luke shapes his Gospel in a unique way, adding stories and details that bring extra depth to Jesus’ life and teaching.  Compared to Matthew and Mark, Luke focuses more on real-life encounters, a broader view of history, and the world Jesus lived in. He also offers a more balanced view of the Pharisees and highlights how powerful...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ presents the Gospel of Luke presents a sophisticated narrative that subtly embeds prophetic references, highlighting the continuity of salvation history from the Tanach (Tanakh) to the Christian era.  The Gospel of Luke emphasises the importance of the faithful ' people' who recognise God’s work in Jesus, contrasting them with resistant relig...

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how Matthew presents Jesus as the authoritative interpreter of the Tanach (Tanakh) , offering the Sermon on the Mount as the foundation for a new, authentic way of living the covenant—centred on inner transformation, mercy, and righteousness. In a time of tension with emerging Jewish authorities after the destruction of the Temple, J...