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Theology in the Raw

Theology in the Rawwww.convergepodcasts.com
Helping believers think Christianly about theological and cultural issues by engaging in curious conversations with a diverse range of thoughtful people.
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Episodes

801: Black Lives Matter and the Gospel: Lisa Fields

Lisa Fields is the founder and director of the #Jude3Project, which helps the Christian community know what they believe and why they believe it, with a strong emphasis in equipping those of African descent in the United States and abroad. In this conversation, Lisa unpacks the #blacklivesmatter concept and movement and how it relates to the #gospel. "Black lives matter to God," Lisa says is the most important thing for people to understand. Lisa clears up some misunderstandings surrounding #BLM...

Jul 13, 202058 minEp. 801

800: The Trinity, the Book of Hebrews, and Women in Evangelical Education: Dr. Madison Pierce

Madison Pierce is a New Testament scholar and professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She did her Ph.D. on the book of Hebrews under Francis Watson at Durham University. In this conversation, we talk about various things related to her specialty in the book of Hebrews, specifically how the author (and we don't know who it is, by the way) weaves together Trinitarian thought throughout his quotations of Scripture. We also discuss what it's like being a female in Evangelical academia. Con...

Jul 09, 20201 hr 11 minEp. 800

799: Is it Okay to Hug a Woman in a Post-#MeToo World? Lore Ferguson Wilbert

Lore (pronounced Lor-ee) Ferguson Wilbert just released her provocative book Handle With Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry. And it addresses lots of questions that are on peoples’ minds these days—especially men. Can I hug a woman? Side hug or full frontal? Is “the Billy Graham Rule” a good thing or an insulting thing—or a bit of both? How can Christian men avoid affairs and sexual temptations without giving the impression that every woman he’s alone with in the ele...

Jul 06, 202046 minEp. 799

798: From a Gay Designer in Hollywood to a Radical Follower of Christ: Becket Cook

Becket’s story is absolutely incredible. He has one of those stories you hear from a distance and think, “this can’t be true.” But it is. Jesus is real and he is that powerful. Becket has an amazing story and he also has an amazing passion for an amazing savior. Becket shares his story in this podcast; he and Preston also dig into what it means to “leave homosexuality,” the controversy over gay identity (Becket is adamantly opposed to it), and what it was like hanging out with Katy Perry, Prince...

Jun 29, 20201 hr 17 minEp. 798

797: The Future of Christian Education: Spencer MacCuish

Spencer is a longtime friend, former boss, and the president of Eternity Bible College. We first met way back in Seminary nearly 20 years ago and have been friends ever since. Spencer is known for his towering height, shiny head, inability to be outwitted, but most of all for his imaginative and integrative approach to Christian education. In this episode, we talk about some of the things that are broken in our current models of education and explore fresh avenues for education which will be esp...

Jun 22, 20201 hr 1 minEp. 797

796: I Finally Discovered My Enneagram Number! A Convo with Enneagram Guru Jeff Cook

I've tried taking several Enneagram tests but I can never finish them. I hate the binary answers they give: When you walk into a room, do you want to dominate everyone or hide in the corner?" Ugh! What if it's neither!? That's why I reached out to my buddy Jeff Cook to have him give me a personal and conversational evaluation of my Enneagram score. Wait, is it a "score?" Or a number? I'm not a number, I'm a person! Don't put me in a box!! Whatever the Enneagram is, Jeff Cook is an expert in it. ...

Jun 15, 20201 hr 24 minEp. 796

795: #795 - A Christian Response to the Death of George Floyd: Justin Giboney

The death of George Floyd has sparked many questions related to race relations, systemic racism, the use and abuse of force and power among the police force, faith and politics, partisanship, and many other questions. To help us think through these questions, I recently interviewed Justin Giboney from the AndCampaign in a live YouTube conversation, and this podcast is the audio version of that conversation. Justin Giboney is an attorney and political strategist in Atlanta, GA. He is also the Co-...

Jun 08, 202043 minEp. 795

794: What If Church Centered on the Table Not the Stage? Chris Wienand

Chris Wienand is like the master Yoda of church planting. From planting churches in South Africa to Los Angeles, to mentoring dozens of leaders around the globe, Chris has gained much wisdom about church and the gospel over the years. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be the church and the role that meals and organic gatherings should have in the life of the community. Chris believes that the table should be the heartbeat of our churches. Support Preston Support Preston by going to...

Jun 01, 202055 minEp. 794

793: Covid-19 and the Politicalization of a Pandemic: Another Conversation with John C. Bivona

Due to the incredible response I got from John’s first appearance on Theology in the Raw (Ep. 788), I had to have him back on! John is an infectious disease expert at the University of Chicago and he gives us an update on the virus. We talk about lockdown versus reopening, the probability of a second wave, the politicalization of the whole mess, what churches should do as they reopen, and much much more. John has over 15 years’ experience working in high containment laboratories (BSL3) with high...

May 25, 202059 minEp. 793

792: On Being a Woman Pastor-Theologian: A Conversation with Dr. Sharon Hodde

Sharon is a passionate follower of Christ who’s got a sharp mind and humble heart. Preston and Sharon talk about lots of things related to being a woman in pastoral and theological ministry. Sharon Hodde Miller leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC alongside her husband, Ike. In addition to earning her PhD, Sharon has blogged at SheWorships.com for nearly ten years, making God's Word accessible to women everywhere. Author of Free of ME: Why Life is Better When It’s Not About You, she has been a...

May 18, 202052 minEp. 792

791: #791 - What’s Wrong with Calling it the “Chinese Virus,” and Other Controversial Topics: Eugene Cho

Oh boy, are you in for a good one! Preston and Eugene talk about politics, so-called “Chinese viruses,” multiethnic churches, and much more in this controversy-laden podcast. We also talk about Eugene’s latest book Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk, which helps Christians navigate the cesspool of partisan politics with truth and grace. Eugene Cho is a pastor, speaker, author, visionary and humanitarian. A son of Korean immigrants and a natural entrepreneur, Cho spends much of his time circling the globe ...

May 11, 20201 hr 13 minEp. 791

790: #790 - White Evangelicalism, Anti-Trumpism, Dialoging across the Divide, and Mitch Claiborne

In this long overdue Q & A podcast, Preston works through a fistful of scintillating questions sent in from his followers: Why he's not a fan of the documentary hypothesis, is his podcast anti-Trump, how to dialogue with people you really, really disagree with, unbiased news outlets, why he doesn't like the phrase "white evangelicalism," should churches post LGBTQ statements on their websites, and much more. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Twitter...

May 04, 202049 minEp. 790

789: Church in a Post-Covid-19 World: Hugh Halter

Of all of Preston's favorite church planters, Hugh is definitely at the top of his list. In this podcast, Preston and Hugh talk about simplifying church in a post-Covid-19 world and exploring other ways of integrating discipleship into the marketplace, community, and natural rhythms of life. They also discuss the pros and cons of church services and their effectiveness for helping people live the Christian life. Hugh Halter has been a leading missiologist and thought-leader within the contempora...

Apr 27, 202047 minEp. 789

788: #788 - The Truth about Covid-19: John C. Bivona

In this podcast, John C. Bivona shares a wealth of information about the truth about Covid-19. John is a Senior Biosafety Officer for The University of Chicago – Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory, a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, as well as a Registered Biosafety Professional with ABSA International (American Biological Safety Association). John was a lead trainer with the Duke Infectious Disease Response Training (DIDRT) Program, funded through an NIEHS-NIH Grant, that was designed to prepare ...

Apr 20, 20201 hr 18 minEp. 788

787: #787 - Sex, Female Sexuality, and 50 Shades of Grey: Dr. Juli Slattery

Juli Slattery is an expert in all things related to sex, sexuality, purity culture, female sexuality, true intimacy, and sexual discipleship--a super helpful term she unpacks in this thought provoking episode. Preston and Juli talk about a lot of things in this episode that's not often talked about in church, yet absolutely NEEDS to be talked about in church. This episode will be particularly helpful for females, or anyone seeking to understand female sexuality. Dr. Juli Slattery is a clinical p...

Apr 13, 20201 hrEp. 787

786: #786 - Pride Parades, Vaccines, Corporal Punishment, and More

Preston is working through a stack of questions in this Q & A podcast. Would he ever participate in a pride parade? How should gay/SSA Christians build healthy relationships with people of the same sex? What are his thoughts on Vaccines? His thoughts on Robert Gagnon’s approach to same-sex sexuality/marriage? The value of reading books vs. blogs vs. periodicals? What’s the meaning of “the worm shall not die” (Mark 9:48)? How does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus fit in with the Annihi...

Apr 06, 202050 minEp. 786

785: #785 - Rethinking Church: A Conversation with Dr. John Whittaker

Preston sits down with his good friend and fellow Boise resident John Whittaker to talk about all things related to the church. Church structure, the role of the Sunday gathering, how preaching needs to change, the heightened need for discipleship, and why the LDS church might be on to something when it comes to Ecclesiology. John Whittaker is a preacher, teacher and pastor. He holds theology and ministry degrees from Boise Bible College, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological...

Mar 30, 20201 hr 11 minEp. 785

#784 - Still a Christian: A Conversation with Justin Brierley

Justin Brierley is the host of the very popular radio show (and podcast) Unbelievable. He’s interviewed many scholars, theologians, apologists, and atheists. He’s also hosted many debates between Christians and non-Christians--and he’s still a Christian. In this show, Preston and Justin talk about Christianity, defending the fact, the best arguments against Christianity, the problem of evil, atheism, and many other things related to Justin’s very interesting space in Christianity. Justin Brierle...

Mar 23, 202050 min

783: #783 - Trinitarianism Versus Unitarianism? A Conversation with Chris Date and Sam Adams

In this different sort of podcast, Preston moderates a discussion between Chris Date (Trinitarian) and Sam Adams (Unitarian) about whether God is three in one or just one. Sam argues that there’s one God and Jesus and the Spirit are not that God, while Chris Date believes that God is Trinity--three persons of one divine essence. And both argue from the text of Scripture for their view. Sam Adams is a born and raised Biblical Unitarian but has attended trinitarian evangelical churches for the las...

Mar 16, 20202 hr 10 minEp. 783

Old Testament in the Raw Week 6: Genesis 12-22

This week in OT in the Raw, Preston discusses the Abrahamic Covenant and how it relates to the gospel, Abraham’s fragile faith, the weird covenant ceremony of Genesis 15, and the startling incident of Genesis 22--“go kill your son. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Follow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

Mar 12, 20201 hr 3 min

782: #782 - Gay Christian, Celibacy, and the Lord's Prayer: Dr. Wesley Hill

Preston sits down with one of his "mentors from a distance"--the one and only, Wes Hill. Wes is a celibate gay Christian (or a Christian who happens to be attracted to the same sex and not the opposite sex) and a biblical scholar. Wes and Preston talk a lot about the phrase "gay Christian" and why it's become so volatile in some evangelical circles. They also talk about Wes' most recent book "The Lord's Prayer" and what the prayer means in the context of Matthew's gospel. Wesley Hill is associat...

Mar 09, 202047 minEp. 782

Old Testament in the Raw Week 5: Genesis 6-9

This week, we dive into the flood of Genesis 6-9, God’s covenant with Noah, the shady stuff that went on with Noah and his son Ham, and God’s promised seed of redemption named Abram. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Follow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 05, 202056 min

781: #781 - People of Color and Women in Evangelicalism: Nijay Gupta

Preston reconnects with an old friend from his Ph.D. days in the U.K. Nijay has quickly become a leading N.T. scholar and, as a person of color, is alert to the white-dominated culture of American evangelicalism, especially in the academy. Nijay and Preston also talk about various other scholarly N.T. interests. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enj...

Mar 02, 202054 minEp. 781

Old Testament in the Raw Week 4: Genesis 3:15

This week in OT in the Raw, we continue looking at the fall in Genesis 3, God’s promise of redemption in 3:15, how this promise works itself out through genealogical lines, the story of Cain and Able, and other figures like Lamech, Enoch, and Noah. Oh, and we also talk about angels having sex with women to make huge giants. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Follow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the...

Feb 27, 20201 hr 6 min

780: Born Again This Way: Rachel Gilson

Rachel has a fascinating story and a witty pen. She's the director of theological development for the northeast for CRU and is the author of the forthcoming book "Born Again This Way." She's attracted to women, married to a man, and a loves studying and writing about Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity. We talked a lot about her interesting journey to faith and how she's wrestled with her faith and her sexuality. Rachel Gilson serves on the national theological team for Cru. She regularly speaks ...

Feb 24, 20201 hr 4 minEp. 780

779: #779 - Is Technology Enslaving Us? Jay Kim

Preston talks with his friend Jay Kim, who’s a pastor at Vintage Church in Santa Cruz, CA, and the author of the forthcoming book Analogy Church. Jay has been rethinking how we go about using technology in church and how we can break free from being enslaved to technology. Jay and Preston also talk about the unique, post-Christian, hyper progressive context of Santa Cruz and the challenges and opportunities his church faces in this context. Jay Kim serves on staff at Vintage Faith Church in Sant...

Feb 17, 202059 minEp. 779

778: Annihilation View of Hell: Q & A

Questions Covered in Today’s show: -Why has most church fathers and theologians held to eternal conscious torment? -What about the parable in Luke 16 where the rich man was suffering “in torment”? -What about Revelation 20:10-15, where it explicitly says that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet are being tormented “forever and ever”? -Does Genesis 2 really imply that humans are not immortal? -Aren’t the Old Testament passages about judgment thinking of “judgment in this life” and not som...

Feb 10, 20201 hr 10 minEp. 778

Old Testament in the Raw Week 3: Genesis 2-3

This week in Old Testament in the Raw (formerly known as OT Dive), Preston and his class dive into Genesis 2-3. We begin by looking at all the ways that Genesis 2 emphasizing the intimacy or imminence of God. Then we discuss the location and theological significance of the garden of Eden. Finally, we look at the Fall of Adam and Even and some relevant aspects of their sin that we can use to consider our own “fall into sin” that happens all the time. Support Preston Support Preston by going to pa...

Feb 06, 20201 hr 12 min

777: #777 - Kanye, White Evangelicalism, and Racial Reconciliation: Steve Patton

Preston is joined again by his friend Steve Patton to talk about the Kanye's conversion and white evangelicalism's response. And yes, Steve has some critical thoughts on the whole ordeal. Steve and Preston talk quite a bit about Kanye, then they banter around about the meaning of "white evangelicalism," then get sidetracked into a related conversation about racial reconciliation and what this should really look like. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Connect with Preston Tw...

Feb 03, 20201 hr 15 minEp. 777

2: Old Testament in the Raw: Week 2

Preston started teaching an Old Testament course at an adult Sunday school class at his church and is going to be releasing these talks on this podcast.This week in Old Testament dive, Preston digs deep into Genesis 1 and draws out the main theological theme of the transcendence of God. This theme is correlated with the theme of God’s immanence in Genesis 2. Both themes—transcendence and immanence—forge a robust and complimentary portrait of God that’s fundamental for a Christian worldview. Oh, ...

Jan 30, 20201 hr 9 minEp. 2
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