What the Hell is a Pastor?

In which a question about the mother of Jesus morphs into a discussion of Irenaean recapitulation and Schleiermachian redemption.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast at https:...

In which Jo resigns.  Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Have thoughts about what we said, want to send us a reading list, or, apparently, give us ideas about Patreon tiers? Email us at wtheckisapastor@gmail.com.   Like Twitter? We do too, we guess. Find us under the handle @wthisapastor.   And fol...

In which Spanks and the Dude talk about Tick, Tick, Boom! before pivoting to the challenge of dreaming when you're exhausted.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast at https://an...

In which Ethan shares a heartwarming story from church, the duo talk eschatology and Christ the King, and Jo ruminates on her new job.  If you're looking for a good religion journalist to follow on Twitter, Ethan shouts out Chrissy Stroop in this episode (though he does not get her name right, and we're sorry about that.)  Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life?...

In which Tera Rising joins Spanks Rebok and the Dude to talk about Christian community, the complexity of peace, and the fear of being immoral.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other pod...

In which Sam joins Ethan and Jo to spend about half an hour explaining what his week looks like.  Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Have thoughts about what we said, want to send us a reading list, or, apparently, give us ideas about Patreon tiers? Email us at wtheckisapastor@gmail.com.   Like Twitter?...

In which Storyteller joins Spanks and the Dude to talk about lockdown life in Australia, how to generously deal with people who are being difficult (like Paul the Apostle), and what it's like to serve as a minister in Australia's capital. Want more Storyteller in your life? You can listen to her podcast Peacock's Roost and follow it on instagram , look up her books, blog, and liturgy at https://ww...

In which storyteller, poet, and minister, the Rev. Dr. Sarah Agnew joins the podcast for some nuts and bolts conversation about ministry in the Uniting Church of Australia, how getting a PhD fits into her ministry, and why there are peacocks in her front yard.  Want more Sarah in your life? You can listen to her podcast Peacock's Roost and follow it on instagram , look up her books, blog, and...

In which Spanks talks about Tillich, Schleiermacher, and some ideas for his dissertation. Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast at https://anchor.fm/hookah-chats . Want to send us a s...

In which Ethan and Jo talk about ordination services.  You can read Jeremy Smith's "State of the UMC" series over at HackingChristianity.net .  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's blacksmith shed here: https://gofund.me/497a4487 Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap...

In which Spanks Rebok explains the aesthetics of white supremacy to the Dude, along with some ideas about how we might topple it.  In this episode, we reference The Aesthetics of Solidarity: Our Lady of Guadalupe and American Democracy by Nichole M. Flores and Bleak Liberalism by Amanda Anderson.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's...

***Major Ted Lasso Spoilers*** In which Nick and Angie join Ian and Jo to discuss the women of Ted Lasso, Nate's character arc, receiving trauma dumps, and what seminarians and pastors alike can learn from Ted Lasso. It's a fun one, friends! Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Have thoughts about what we said, wan...

In which Ethan and Jo talk about the fear at the heart of a lot of churches right now, the challenges of ministering with people in intractable situations, and getting advice from Boomers on LinkedIn.  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's blacksmith shed here: https://gofund.me/497a4487 Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? S...

In which the Dude shares all her hot takes on the Salem Witch Trials, Doc Meatus takes the ball and runs with it, and the whole crew discusses teeth, yoga, Night Vale, the numinous, and Tillich's concept of the shock of non-being.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Inte...

In which CJ makes her glorious return to the podcast to talk the origins of the horror genre, the fraughtness of belief, Frankenstein, Hell Houses, and more.  Recommendations from this episode: Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol Clover and the 2001 documentary, Hell House .  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's b...

We've been living our best October lives over on Pillow Talk this month, and we wanted to share that with you all! Enjoy this episode of Pillow Talk, which concludes with Ian sharing the scariest story he knows.  Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Have thoughts about what we said, want to send us a reading l...

In which the Dude talks about officiating her aunt's funeral and Spanks reflects.  The book we talk about is This Incomplete One: Words Occasioned by the Death of a Young Person , edited by Michael D. Bush.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening...

In which Ethan and Jo discuss those little things Boomers sometimes say, including the current situation with the Boy Scouts.  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's blacksmith shed here: https://gofund.me/497a4487 Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Have thoughts about...

***Midnight Mass spoilers*** ***The Haunting of Hill House spoilers*** ***The Haunting of Bly Manner spoilers*** In which Ethan and Jo discuss the things they loved and the things they'd change about the latest Mike Flannigan Netflix series. Topics covered include beautiful filmmaking, quality acting, the importance of caring for your characters, dealing with poverty in film, and what counts as th...

In which Spanks and the Dude talk about wildly varying reactions to sermons, visiting a COVID memorial, and what freedom in Christ really means. Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast...

In which Spanks Rebok explains CM Punk to the Dude.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast at https://anchor.fm/hookah-chats . Want to send us a suggestion for a minisode topic?...

In which Ethan and Jo discuss their weeks, the first two episodes of Midnight Mass ***with mild spoilers***, feminism, and Pastor Appreciation Month.  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's blacksmith shed here: https://gofund.me/497a4487 Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed life? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthia...

In which Spanks and the Dude navigate pastoral prayer politics and recent twitter debates.  Ready for Jesus to come back tomorrow? You can give us some of that material wealth that's weighing you down over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wthiap . Interested in listening to Spanks Rebok kick back with friends? Check out Ethan's other podcast at https://anchor.fm/hookah-chats . Want to send...

In which Jo and Ethan talk through a worship service, Proverbs 31, and housing challenges.  The book Ethan mentions is Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject by Saba Mahmood.  Want to help beat some tools for war into tools for plants? Help fund Corey's blacksmith shed here: https://gofund.me/497a4487 Feeling sympathy pains for that grad school/under-employed lif...

CW: Brief discussion of suicidal ideation between the 30- and 40-minute mark. In which Jürgen Moltstan joins John Westley and the Dude to discuss WTS's favorite theologian, the joys of learning and sharing systematic theology, and what it means to have hope.  You can find both of Dr. Monica Coleman's books we mention in the episode here: https://monicaacoleman.com/books/ Ready for Jesus to co...