Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Is mental health just "all in your head," or is there something deeper happening within our physical design? In the premiere of this series, Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Ben Mathew, Professor of Counselor Education, to introduce a revolutionary way of looking at well-being: The Three-Legged Stool of Mental Health. We’re moving past the "quick-fix" culture to explore how our bodies, o...

Are we living in a "paid friend" culture? 🛋️ As mental health awareness skyrockets, the Church is at a crossroads. We’re seeing more counseling centers, more pastoral care roles, and more conversations about anxiety than ever before—but are we missing the spiritual heart of the matter? In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer and Ashish Varma are joined by Dr. Michael...

When faith leaders gathered at the White House for an Easter luncheon, the prayers offered weren't just politically awkward — they were theologically problematic. In this episode, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ashish Varma move past the headlines to examine the deeper issues: What happens when national identity absorbs Christian identity? What does the Bible actually say about kings, suffering,...

Is the way we view church leadership actually doing more harm than good? In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Christa L. McKirland—Dean of Faculty at Carey Baptist College and author of A Theology of Authority —to dismantle the "CEO model" of ministry and rediscover a biblical, communal framework for the Body of Christ. Why This Episode is a Must...

How can local churches maintain a historic Christian sexual ethic while still being a place where anyone can belong, ask tough questions, and encounter Jesus? In this episode of  Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer welcomes back Pieter Valk, a licensed clinical counselor and the director of Equip. Together, they tackle the practical, often messy realities that local churches face today whe...

“Have a safe summer!” “Travel safe!” “Stay safe!” 🛡️ In today’s world, safety isn’t just a wish—it’s a multi-billion dollar industry and a modern obsession. But as Christians, are we sacrificing our mission at the altar of security? In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Jeremy Lundgren , author of Th...

What happens when a life shaped by violence, poverty, and abandonment meets consistent love, purpose, and the message of the Gospel? In this powerful episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Greg Harris, Executive Director of Counteract International, to explore the realities facing incarcerated youth in Central America—and the transformative work being done to restor...

What should Christians do with the hardest laws in the Bible—texts about slavery, sexual violence, capital punishment, and social inequality? Should they be explained away… or even crossed out? In this episode of the  Thinking Christian Podcast ,  Dr. James Spencer  is joined by  Dr. Gary Edward Schnittjer , Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at  Cairn U...

In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Jillian Ross , professor of biblical studies at Liberty University, to discuss her article in JETS titled “Let Mercy Triumph Over Judgment: A Theology of Law in Judges.” Together, they explore why the book of Judges is so ethically and theologically unsettling—and how the Torah itself provides the interpre...

In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Rev. Dr. Andrew Hale , pastor, author, and host of CBF Conversations and Clergy Confessions , to discuss his new book Mending the Fracturing Church: How to Navigate Conflict and Build Trust for Thriving Communities . Drawing on decades of ministry experience—and insights from cognitive psychology, social psychology, traum...

In this episode of  Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by John Stonestreet , president of the Colson Center , to discuss the Truth Rising Project —a collaboration between the Colson Center and Focus on the Family . John explains how Truth Rising emerged from a growing realization: many of the cultural “hypotheticals” Christians debated decades ago have become l...

What if the most spiritually formative season of the Christian year isn’t Advent or Lent—but the long stretch of ordinary time in between? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Amy Peeler , Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College , to discuss her book Ordinary Time: The Season of Growth , part of the Fullness of T...

The abortion conversation in the church is often framed as a political battle— pro-life versus pro-choice , red versus blue. But what if that framing itself is the problem? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer talks with Angela Weszely , author of Becoming Pro-Grace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice and founder of the Pro-Grace mo...

Was America founded as a “new Israel”? And if so, what happens when biblical conquest narratives are used to justify colonization, displacement, and violence? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer speaks with Dr. Daniel Hawk , professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Ashland Theological Seminary and author of Undoing Manifest Destiny: Settler America, Ch...

Can Christians pursue success in business without sidelining their faith—or turning God into just another “box” in life? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Andrea Anderson , Christian business coach and author of Bread Like Rain , to talk about surrendered strategy , discipleship, and what it really means to follow Christ in entre...

What do you do when faith feels dry, confusing, or emotionally barren—when God seems absent, or even uncomfortably near? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer talks with Dr. Noelle Forlini-Byrte , author of God in the Desert: A Spiritual Theology of Wilderness in the Old Testament and part-time lecturer at Samford University , about the wilderness as a spiritu...

What if a major driver of today’s mental health crisis isn’t simply “more disorders,” but more people who feel unseen, unheard, and alone ? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer talks with Dr. Jackie E. Perry —Clinical Supervisor, Professor of Counselor Education at Columbia International University , and President of the Soulwell Cente...

In this final episode of our  German Reformation  series,  Dr. James Spencer  and  Dr. Greg Quiggle  step back from the 16th century to ask a pressing modern question:  what does it actually mean to be Protestant today—and what have we gained (and lost) since the Reformation? Greg frames Protestantism with a memorable realism: it isn’t perfect—...

In this episode of our  German Reformation  series,  Dr. James Spencer  and  Dr. Greg Quiggle  pivot to one of the defining features of Protestant tradition: the  Reformation Solas —and why they still matter for Christians today. Rather than beginning with a list of “five solas,” Greg frames the Reformation around  three theological questio...

In this episode of our  German Reformation  series,  Dr. James Spencer  and  Dr. Greg Quiggle  begin exploring what happens  after  the attempt to reform the Catholic Church breaks down and the division becomes permanent:  What does Protestantism look like under Luther once it’s no longer simply a reform movement? The conversation opens with a key...

In this episode of our  German Reformation  series,  Dr. James Spencer  and  Dr. Greg Quiggle  linger in  Wittenberg before the  Diet of Worms  and  Wartburg Castle  to unpack the moment everyone knows—but few understand:  Luther’s 95 Theses. Greg begins with the real backstory:  indulgence-selling  tied to the fundr...

In this episode of Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle pick up the story after Luther’s intensifying crisis of conscience. If the monastery wasn’t bringing peace—what could? Luther’s mentor,  Johann von Staupitz , attempts an intervention, first by sending Luther to  Rome , hoping the pilgrimage and the center of the Church might relieve th...

In this episode of  Thinking Christian , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle to continue the German Reformation series—this time focusing on  Martin Luther’s years in Erfurt  and the startling turn that led him into the  Augustinian monastery . Luther wasn’t headed toward ministry. He was a brilliant student on track for law, positioned to become h...

In this first episode of a new  Thinking Christian  series on the  German Reformation ,  Dr. James Spencer  is joined by  Dr. Greg Quiggle —a historian, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and leader of  Tours for Ten —to set the stage for the world that produced Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation. Before you can understand Luther, you hav...

What does it look like for Christians to pursue multicultural unity without flattening real differences—or turning ethnicity into an ultimate identity? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by recurring guest Ben Mathew (Professor of Counselor Education at Columbia International University ) to discuss multiculturalism in the church through both a cl...