Theology Unplugged

What happens when we become convinced that our church, our tradition, or our denomination is the official gatekeeper of the kingdom of God? In this episode of Theology Unplugged , Michael explores a surprising pattern that runs throughout the Gospels. Again and again, the disciples appoint themselves as the guardians of God's kingdom. They try to stop outsiders from ministering in Jesus' name, cal...

In this episode, Michael introduces a new term for an old interpretive problem: Biblical Docetism . Borrowing from the ancient Christological heresy of Docetism—which denied the true humanity of Christ while affirming His deity—Michael argues that many Christians approach the Bible in a remarkably similar way. They affirm the divine origin of Scripture but neglect its genuinely human character, tr...

In this episode, Michael explores one of the most fascinating questions in biblical interpretation: Can Scripture mean more than its human author intended? If God is the ultimate Author of Scripture, is it possible for Him to communicate truths that transcend the conscious awareness of the biblical writers while remaining faithful to their intended meaning? Along the way, Michael introduces the co...

In this episode, Michael examines the major theories of biblical inspiration and asks one of the most important questions in theology: Where does inspiration reside? Is Scripture merely the product of exceptionally gifted men? Does the Holy Spirit simply elevate human insight? Is only part of the Bible inspired? Are some passages more inspired than others? Or did God dictate every word mechanicall...

In this episode, Michael reflects on passion, conviction, and the danger of treating every issue as if it deserves the same level of intensity. In a culture where outrage gets clicks and every disagreement becomes a battlefield, Christians must recover a proper hierarchy of passion. Drawing from John Wesley's famous line about setting oneself on fire, Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15 about mat...

In this session of Through Theology in a Year, we begin our study of one of the most foundational doctrines in all of Christianity: the inspiration of Scripture. What does it mean when Christians say the Bible is "God-breathed"? Does inspiration reside in the authors, the message, the readers, or the very words of Scripture itself? And why has this doctrine become such a defining issue within evan...

In this session of Through Theology in a Year, we explore one of the most important and misunderstood topics in modern Christianity: Bible translations. Why are there so many English Bibles? Why do some translations sound more literal while others read more naturally? And what are translators actually trying to accomplish when they create a new version of Scripture? In this lesson, we walk through...

The New Prophets: Authority, Experience, and the Collapse of Trust Podcast culture is telling us something—and it’s not just about who people are listening to, but why they trust them. As voices like Joe Rogan and Shawn Ryan rise, trust in institutions continues to collapse. Government, media, and even scientific authorities are no longer seen as stable sources of truth. But this does not mean tru...

Israel, the Camaro, and the Faithfulness of God Can a promise from God mean more than the original hearer understood without meaning less than what God actually said? In this episode of Theology Unplugged, we look at one of the most important questions in biblical interpretation: how should Christians understand Old Testament promises in light of Christ, progressive revelation, typology, and the N...

Ontological Argument: The Definitive Explanation In this episode, I walk through the ontological argument the way Anselm actually framed it—not the simplified version, but the real thing. God is defined as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived.” Once you understand that definition, the argument starts to press in on you in a way that’s hard to escape. If God exists only in the mind, th...

Basement Theology: Dispensationalism (With Gavin) This is something new—and honestly, something I should have started a long time ago. My nephew Gavin and I sat down in the basement, turned the cameras on, and had an unscripted conversation about dispensationalism. No prep, no polish—just real theology in real time. I’ll be the first to admit, it’s rough. The camera work needs help, the audio has...

#81 - The Self-Authentication of Scripture

#1 - Miracles (Pilot Episode) This is the pilot episode introducing our new journey through Craig S. Keener’s monumental two-volume work **Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts**. Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries –...

In this session, we explore the structure of Roman Catholic authority from a Protestant perspective. What is the Magisterium, and how does it function alongside Scripture and Tradition? What does apostolic succession really mean, and how is infallibility understood? This episode aims to unpack the internal logic of Rome's authority structure-not to caricature it, but to understand it. My goal is t...

In this episode, I step into unfamiliar territory as a Protestant: making the strongest possible case for the inclusion of the deuterocanonical books-those writings often labeled *Apocrypha* like *Tobit*, *Judith*, *Wisdom*, *Sirach*, and *1-2 Maccabees*. I walk through the theological logic of the Catholic position: the organic relationship between Scripture and Church, the role of apostolic trad...

In this first session of our series on Roman Catholicism, we explore its foundations from a Protestant perspective-graciously and truthfully. What is Rome? How did it develop? Why does it matter today? This series invites you to understand the structure, beliefs, and beauty of the Roman Catholic Church, even while wrestling with key differences. Let's get to know Rome-not as outsiders, but as info...

In this session, we explore the definition and historical development of the biblical canon. What do we mean when we talk about "the canon of Scripture"? How did the Church recognize which books belonged in the Bible-and when? We will trace the formation of the canon through: - The early church's criteria for recognizing Scripture - The role of Church Fathers and early councils - The distinction b...

Today we explore the legacy of one of the most powerful papal names in Church history-Leo. With the election of Leo the Fourteenth, many are asking what it means to choose that name. We walk through the legacies of Leo the First (Leo the Great), Leo the Third, Leo the Tenth, and Leo the Thirteenth-tracing a line from theological clarity and imperial coronations to Reformation crisis and modern ren...

In today's episode, we dive into Genesis 6 and 1 Kings 22 to crash those neatly packaged theological assumptions. These passages remind us that God intentionally includes the bizarre and the unexpected in Scripture to keep us from getting too comfortable. Just because something is bizarre doesn't mean it's not real-our worldview as Christians must embrace the reality of the strange and supernatura...

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the clearest and most haunting illustrations of sin in the Bible: Esau trading his birthright for "that red stuff." What compels us to give up what matters most for something so empty and fleeting? We'll unpack how sin functions like spiritual impulse buying-a split-second decision that feels urgent but ends in regret. I'll share a personal story about a s...

In this episode of Theology Unplugged, C. Michael Patton explores one of the most personal and humorous tensions in his theological journey: what if we're still wrong in heaven? What if glorification doesn't mean omniscience, but sanctified curiosity? From being kicked out of a Calvinist fellowship in the '90s to debating theology over coffee with Arminians like Paul Copan and Wesleyans like Thoma...

When we ask, "Who is God?", we often assume we're going straight to the Bible. But we're not. The truth is, every Christian pulls from at least 12 different sources-often unconsciously-when building their theology. In this episode, we look at how things like culture, tradition, emotions, friends, family, reason, pastors, creation, and theologians influence what we believe. Some of these are good....

Before we ask Who is God?, we have to answer a more foundational question: What is God? In this episode, we walk through four ways people-consciously or unconsciously-define "God": 1. That Which We Worship - what we value most 2. A Celestial Being - something more powerful than us 3. The Creator (Unmoved Mover) - the source of all things 4. The Greatest Conceivable Being - the perfect, ultimate re...

In this episode of Through Theology in a Year, C. Michael Patton explores how the canon of Scripture was recognized rather than arbitrarily chosen. He challenges some common fables of canonicity-like the idea that books were accepted based purely on age, apostolic authorship, or language-and instead shows how the early church organically received certain writings as authoritative. It's not about c...

In this episode of Theology Unplugged, I kick things off with a deep dive into the Pseudepigrapha-those fascinating ancient writings that didn't make it into the biblical canon, but still show up all over early Christian thought. Then I shift into a raw retelling of a recent demonic night terror-an intense dream that left me rattled and reflecting on the reality of spiritual warfare. After that, t...