TheoDisc Podcast

Resisting the co-opting of Christ and the Gospel. How can the church and individual Christians respond to extremist movements in ways that truthfully represent Jesus well, avoid demonisation, and create the opportunity for much-needed dialogue? Our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Helen Paynter, has been writing and speaking on this subject for some time, and many of her previous concerns are now being realised in the public square. She is inviting us to think biblically and theologically about nationalistic claims to Christianity while avoiding the tendency towards extreme polarisation that is present in our cultural conversation. Her hope is that the church becomes a prophetic voice for the good and of peace for all. We hope you enjoy this conversation! SHOW NOTES Get Helen’s book: Faithful Presence in a Fractured World HERE See Helen’s Other Books: HERE Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence: HERE Read the Theos report on Christian Nationalism: HERE

The Way of Christ for Men and Women Very often, the conversation around women leading and teaching in the church gets mired in partisan and entrenched positions rather than centering on a careful examination of the Scriptures. In his latest book, 'True Complementarity: the Way of Christ for Men and Women', our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Andrew Bartlett, argues for a mutuality between men and women, acknowledging their beautiful differences while maintaining that men and women are equally gifted and released into ministry and leadership and ministry by the Spirit. We hope this conversation gives you plenty to think about. Get Andrew’s Books: HERE Read Andrew’s articles hosted on Terran Williams’ website: HERE

Supralapsarian Christology for Faith and Practice On this episode of TheoDisc we are exploring the question: "Which came first: creation or or the incarnation?" Could texts like Colossians 1, which says that all things were made through Christ and for him, or that he is the firstborn of all creation, could they hint at a different story? That’s the claim of our guest on this episode, Professor Edwin van Driel, who argues for a supralapsarian Christology, which is the idea that creation exists because God first intended to be incarnate. This conversation may bend your thinking, so have a seat, get comfy, and settle in for a thought-provoking exploration of the incarnation. SHOW NOTES Purchase Edwin's book: HERE Find out more about Edwin: HERE

Hésed - Understanding God’s relation to humanity in the Old Testament In our quest to understand the old testament scripture, we tend to look for themes around which we can plot the narrative, like tent poles that hold up the biblical story. But what if, instead of hinging our understanding on singular themes, the Old Testament could be understood as emerging from a relational seed from which the story grows and expands? Dr Jennifer Matheny has identified the Hebrew concept of hesed as that seed which enables possibilities in human relationship with God while maintaining the complex and rich nature of the Hebrew Scriptures. Her latest book, Hesed, the Seed of the Biblical Story, is the basis for this episode of TheoDisc. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Get Jennifer’s Book: HERE Find out more about Jennifer’s work: HERE

Working with God for deeper renewal in your church Does the Holy Spirit still move in signs and wonders in the church today? If the Spirit does, is it possible for us to hold the tension between responsible exercise of gifts and open-handedness for what the Spirit wants to do, even if that makes us uncomfortable? And where can we look to learn how to participate in this work of the Spirit without hype and with deep pastoral care? Well, one such place is the new book by Paul Harcourt called Spirit Filled Churches, where he lays out a biblical, theological, pastoral, and practical approach to being open to the renewal of the Spirit in our churches for the sake of the mission of the Kingdom of God. We’re going to talk about that renewal in our conversation on this episode of TheoDisc. SHOW NOTES Purchase Paul's book, Spirit-Filled Churches HERE

A conversation about Thomas Aquinas and the infused moral virtues How does the grace of God change a person? And how can we account for the times when grace most definitely has not changed a person? Thomas Aquinas, spoke of virtue, both natural and supernatural, that helped form a Christian’s moral character. In Prof Angela Knobel's book, Aquinas and the Infused Moral Virtues, she navigates a path to help us understand the relationship between those virtues we can develop in our own right, and those gifted to us by grace, as she aims to help us see the root of the challenges we face in our Christian formation. She joins Kenny on this episode of TheoDisc as they talk about the virtues and Aquinas. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Get Angela’s book: HERE Listen to Angela lecture on Aquinas and the infused moral virtues: HERE

Why the church needs artists again Our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Martin Young, says that the seeds of prophetic re-engagement with the arts are starting to bloom within the church today. In this conversation, Kenny and Martin talked about his theme book for Spring Harvest called No Greater Life, how Mark’s gospel contains enormous dramatic potential, and how creatives can have a place in the church where their giftings contribute to and enhance our kingdom mission. We hope you enjoy this conversation around No Greater Life, the Gospel of Mark, and the prophetic potential of the arts. SHOW NOTES Get Martin’s book: HERE Get the Leader's Toolkit: HERE Visit Spring Harvest: HERE Find out more about Saltmine Theatre Company: HERE  

Dallas Willard’s Formational Theology and Missional Vision The late Dallas Willard has had a profound impact on the way many Christians have understood the kingdom of God, discipleship to Jesus, and spiritual formation. His book, The Divine Conspiracy has been deeply revered and discussed ever since its publication. Yet, Dallas’ main concern, that Christians would belong to church communities where they would be taught as apprentices to Jesus, growing in Christlikeness in preparation for sharing in God’s good rule, has not always been fully embraced. Recently, Dallas’ work has increasingly been the subject of academic study, and one such example is the recent publication from Dr Keas Keasler entitled Kingdom Apprenticeship: Dallas Willard’s Formational Theology and Missional Vision. In this study, Keas draws together all of the strands of Willard’s work on formation to present a holistic picture of his vision for Christian discipleship. SHOW NOTES Find Keas' book HERE

'The Good Life' in Relation to the Christian Faith When you think about the apostle Paul writing his letters to the churches, what do you think of as his primary aim? His letters are so filled with deep theological truth that they are often taught as if Paul’s main concern was that the churches believed the right things. This is almost certainly part of what Paul was aiming at. But to what end? What if Paul was not just teaching right belief, but how Christians should live ‘The Good Life’, and that good life as God defines it in Christ rather than how the surrounding philosophies and cultures defined it? That’s the contention of our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Dr Joshua Jipp. SHOW NOTES Find Joshua’s books: HERE Find out more about Joshua: HERE   

The Spirituality and Lived Experience of Black British Pentecostal Women For those who are in the majority of a majority culture, practices, language and values are often considered to be the neutral baseline, the normal where everyone starts from. As a result, the experience, wisdom, and perspectives of people of different cultures can go unconsidered, or be framed as ‘outside the norm’. This is as true in the church as it is in wider society. One such perspective is that of Black Female Pentecostals, whose lived experience has much to teach the church about spirituality and vibrant faith. Our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Dr Marcia Clarke, has worked to draw attention to the faith expression of African-Caribbean women in the Pentecostal tradition in the UK, and what we might learn from their powerful witness. We do hope you enjoy this episode!   SHOW NOTES Get Marcia’s book: HERE Visit Marcia’s website: HERE