In our last talk Andrew took us deeper into various metaphors for atonement – and asked which best fits scripture and gospel. In this talk, Tony supplements that deep dive by zooming back out and asking, ‘what is the real question, for which the cross and salvation is the answer?’ He concludes that Penal Substitution is the answer to the wrong question and explains why. He then refines the better question – a question for which adoption is a better answer. Get full access to Gospel Conversations...
Dec 18, 2023•37 min
In this episode of our Cross and Creation series, Andrew continues his summarising of the metaphors for the atonement. He argues that every metaphor has its limits and cannot be pushed universally. But he argues that the adoption/sonship model of the atonement offers the best fit for the various metaphors, and that the alternative wrath of God/judicial model narrows and even distorts the grand sweep of the gospel story. To assist with the talk Andrew has provided a short set of Powerpoint slides...
Nov 30, 2023•38 min
In this talk Tony amplifies the intriguing phrase ‘Circle of Glory’ which David Bentley Hart mentioned in his final talk in our recent GC series. The phrase was coined by Gregory of Nyssa and Tony explores the extraordinary vision of the Trinity bound up in the term – and how it reveals our participation in the ‘circle of glory’. Tony does this by a detailed commentary on the original treatise of Gregory’s where ‘circle of glory’ is the climax to a transcendent vision of God and creation. Get fu...
Nov 15, 2023•37 min
Session 5 - What is humanity’s destiny and purpose? Is heaven more like a marriage or a motel visit? In this final talk, David advocates the age-old vision of the Patristics that ‘God became human in order that humanity may become God’. This breathtaking vision is at once completely orthodox, but almost sounds blasphemous. Together Tony and David explore this vision of ‘deification’ through the work of Gregory of Nyssa and his touching homily on marriage as the culminating picture of the union b...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Session 4 - Is the Incarnation a master plan or a rescue plan? David builds on his epic book ‘YOU ARE GODS’ in this session, and widens our view of the incarnation from being a one-off rescue plan, to the master plan for all humanity. Clearly this is an intriguing thought, but it takes some deep conceptual shifts to absorb and that is what Tony and David dive into in the latter half of this fascinating topic. There are a set of notes that have been written to assist the listener to engage with t...
Oct 16, 2023•55 min
Session 3 - Has the ‘supernatural/natural’ dualism messed up our view of creation? David explains how both religious and secular thinking share a common dualism that distorts our view of reality. For the religious mind, the supernatural God becomes totally separate from the world of nature which it sees as material and fallen. So David and Tony turn to the mesmerising thought of Maximus the Confessor to find a more integrated view of God and creation in the wondrous vision of a ‘cosmic liturgy’....
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr
Session 2 - Has ‘original sin’ distorted the Christian view of humanity? Augustine’s doctrine of original sin eventually became ‘total depravity’ and it assumes that humans are intrinsically bad and cannot desire the good. It has become the pervasive anthropology of much of Christianity – but is it right? David and Tony explore the alternative view through the theology of the great Nicholas of Cusa who declared that at heart all humans desire the good – and thus they desire God. There are a set ...
Oct 16, 2023•52 min
Session 1 - Is the mind a machine? Nothing is more topical than the spectre of ‘artificial intelligence’ and the grim picture of humanity it suggests. David uses our experience of thought and language to demolish the fallacies behind this mechanistic picture of thinking. But he does not end there. He lifts our vision of language from a personal experience to a participation in something bigger than all of us – transcendence and the divine mind. There are a set of notes that have been written to ...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min
The 2023 Pamela Nutt lecture, sponsored by PLC, Sydney. David Bentley Hart addresses the subject, "What does Beauty tell us about God?" Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 10 min
In this latest edition in the Cross and Creation series, Tony and Andrew explore some of the metaphors for what happened at Calvary. None of them really fit the Penal Substitution metaphor. They range over several metaphors like reconciliation, and redemption, but focus in on adoption and dominion; Calvary was the great battle for dominion of the cosmos, and we are adopted into that kingship won at Calvary. The episode begins with a recap of our journey thus far. Get full access to Gospel Conver...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 12 min
In this panel discussion, two Christian indigenous leaders explain some of their spiritual heritage and how they have found deep resonances with the creation gospel in them. David Hart joins in, and explains that, far from being heretical, their views are close to the original views on creation developed by the church Fathers – and in particular the brilliant 7th century theologian Maximus the Confessor. The panel consisted of Australian First Nations Pastors Ray Minniecon and Gabriel Bani with ...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 31 min
David Bentley Hart on Suffering This is the first talk from David Bentley Hart during his visit to Australia. He addresses the vexed topic of suffering based on his book ‘The Doors of the Sea’. This talk is followed by a long series of questions which take the topic – and David’s views – deeper and more personal. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Tony opens up the wild, imagery laden world of Ezekiel 1 in this talk. He views it through the lens of literature and imagery in particular. And he explains how it is among the most innovative and paradigm shifting chapters in the history of the Old Testament – as Ezekiel discovers the ‘ubiquitous God’ who operates far beyond the tidy religious confines of Jerusalem – a Jerusalem that is about to be destroyed anyway. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/sub...
Aug 10, 2023•39 min
The Grand Inquisitor (2) on Miracles as a counterfeit for faith Tony gives us a second talk on the Grand Inquisitor and his assault on God and the re-vitalised Christ. In this talk Tony explains why the Inquisitor sees the human desire for miracles as false religion – and something that denies God what he wants. God wants his presence on earth not spectacular invasions of normalcy – which miracles are. So they cannot be the staple diet of a faithful life. Instead we must recognise the sacred spa...
Jul 27, 2023•19 min
In this session they Tony and Andrew look at some of the alternative theories of atonement over the history of the church – and how they have led to the dominance of the ‘penal substitutionary atonement’ theory of today. As always, our spirit is one of inquiry and discovery not dogma – so Andrew and Tony will continue to examine different perspectives around this theory that is so central to our faith. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min
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Jul 10, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Tony Golsby-Smith introduces the upcoming Gospel Conversations conference to be held in Sydney on the 25/26th August. He expresses the excitement that we all hold in anticipation of his visit. He also explains that Gospel Conversations is not just inviting a big name but rather a speaker who can help us to put the Lord Jesus Christ on a much higher pedestal than traditional Protestantism has done in the past. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 09, 2023•6 min
For this episode Andrew is in conversation with Leisa Aitken as they discuss Andrew's paper on the "Sacrifice of Isaac". The paper was a short exegesis on Genesis 22 and can be found at this link Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Tony continues looking at Ezekiel 12 - 14, this time through the lens of Dostoievsky’s ‘Grand Inquisitor’. Tony takes us into Dostoievsky’s famous imaginary confrontation where the Inquisitor berates Jesus for ‘overestimating’ humanity and wanting too much from them - love rather than servility. He draws a deep comparison between this and the idolatrous mindset. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 21, 2023•33 min
Tony looks to the passage Ezekiel 12 - 14 to address the subject of ‘Idolatry in the OT and how modern Christians get it wrong’. “Getting rid of idols in our hearts” is a common refrain in lots of preaching. But is it true to scripture - both in the NT and the OT? Tony dives into the worldview behind idolatry and the real challenge it presented to the Mosaic vision of the one true God. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 13, 2023•28 min
Ezekiel chapter 6 - Ezekiel and the ‘angry God’ of the OT. In this BWJ episode Tony confronts the question of the so-called ‘angry God’ or ‘just God’ of the Old Testament and whether this picture contradicts the loving and ‘broken’ God revealed in Jesus. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe
Jun 06, 2023•24 min
Introduction; Breakfast with Jesus kicks off again after a short break with a series of meditations on Ezekiel. Tony begins with a big picture introduction in which he compares Jeremiah and Ezekiel, their overlapping lives, and the way Ezekiel pioneers apocalyptic thinking and the hope of resurrection. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 01, 2023•16 min
In this episode, Andrew and Tony explore a radical alternative view of the Fall – as ‘lost dominion’. To do this they go back to the creation account and expand the concept of our being made in the image of God, and the implications of God calling humanity to have ‘dominion’. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe
May 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min
This is the second conversation with Andrew Baartz in our series on the increasingly controversial doctrine of ‘penal substitution’. The title of our series is ‘The Cross and Creation; can atonement combine both?’ This week Tony and Andrew explore the question - ‘What are the challenges in creation for which the cross was the solution?’ Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this latest BwJ talk of Jeremiah Tony investigates ‘allegory’ as a way to read the OT in particular. Is it an outdated, and fanciful method – or were the Patristics really onto something in their attraction to allegory as a legitimate way to read the OT stories and prophets? Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 16, 2023•38 min
This is the first conversation with Andrew Baartz in our series on the increasingly controversial doctrine of ‘penal subsititution’. The title of our series is ‘The Cross and Creation; can atonement combine both?’ True to our approach at GC, we want to explore the topic rather than wading into the blow by blow debate. Our guest is Andrew Baartz. Andrew and Tony talk about the big picture – what are the questions for which atonement is the answer? And what are the assumptions behind those questio...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Jeremiah 17:9 is often taken as a proof text for ‘original sin’ and “total depravity”. But is that a correct reading and is the human heart indeed ‘desperately wicked’? In this talk Tony explores this question and along the way uses the text – and its typical mishandling – as a starting point to explore smarter and more authentic ways to read Jeremiah – and indeed the Old Testament. This is pretty important as it unlocks the text from its cage of assumptions and lets it speak for itself – and so...
Feb 27, 2023•30 min
Tony takes an extensive look at the way Jeremiah uses the image of the ‘Valley of Hinnom’ (or Gehenna) in his prophecies about Jerusalem and its impending doom. He then looks at how the gospels, Matthew in particular, deliberately position Jesus as the modern ‘Jeremiah’ or ‘prophet’. This positioning shines a new light on what Jesus may have meant by his use of the metaphor of ‘Gehenna’ (the Aramaic for ‘Valley of Hinnom’). Finally Tony looks at the neglected high point of the new covenant in Je...
Feb 16, 2023•30 min
Tony Golsby-Smith interviews, Matt Clarke, on the subject of slavery in the 21st century – and how the normal Christian model of retribution and justice can get in the way of innovative solutions. Matt has worked in this field for years and became frustrated at the short sighted interventions of many Not-for-profits in this space. He has just written a great book, called ‘Disrupting Mercy’ about the topic which argues that we don’t just need a more holistic approach – we need a new paradigm of m...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 3 min
This is Tony’s follow up talk on Jeremiah 32 – the story of Jeremiah buying a field. In this talk he dives into the analogy and explores just what insight it offers us as to how to live in the present through the lens of hope. He argues that the lens of ‘self denial’ is not what the analogy really is teaching us about the way our hope for the future influences our lives in the present. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe...
Jan 23, 2023•27 min
