TheoDisc Podcast

A Christian Response to Polarisation How do we love our enemies in a polarised world? It’s difficult to engage with those we have deep disagreements with, and doing so can often feel like compromising on our own convictions. This is particularly true with religious or political groups, and Christians can often become entrenched in their positions and unable to meaningfully connect with those we disagree with. On this episode, Kenny is speaking to Dr David Stuart about his Doctoral thesis entitled: Learning to Love - a Theological Response to our Polarised World. He proposes a way to love our enemies as Christ commands us to, and open ourselves to seeing them and ourselves in a new, more clear light - even becoming more faithful to our own commitment to Christ in the process. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Read David’s thesis: https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/32013 Find out more about David: https://wtctheology.org.uk/locations/scotland/  Contact David: david.stuart@wtctheology.org.uk   

How Interpretation Shaped Our View of Women On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny's guest is Mary Thomason, who is currently engaged in doctoral work about re-establishing a trust in the divine voice within Scripture which undoes the common ways women have been made to feel less than men, and by telling a redeeming narrative of women who are chosen and trusted by God. Her heart is that women and men would be released to be empowered by God without the burden of harmful interpretation which harms both women and men. We know you will enjoy this episode!  

Kenny's guest on this episode of TheoDisc is Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, who has been working to bring about unity between African, Caribbean, and majority-white congregations since the 1980’s. His book, Evangelical And African Pentecostal Unity, details the challenges and successes of such efforts up until the year 2005. Kenny and Hugh spoke about what has happened in the intervening years, and Hugh’s sense of next steps for a united church across the UK. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Hugh’s website: hughosgood.com ‘Evangelical and African Pentecostal Unity’: amzn.eu/d/4AGfcyg Hugh’s books: hughosgood.com/books Churches in Communities International: cicinternational.org/  

Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist – whatever you call it in your church tradition, we’re asking the question today about the place it plays in our gathered communities and our expectation of the work of the Spirit in and through this sacramental meal. In this episode of TheoDisc Podcast, Kenny is joined by Florian Simatupang, a pentecostal theologian from Indonesia whose latest book, The Eucharistic Spirit, explores the ways the Spirit engages the people of God through our taking of the bread and wine. These are the ingredients, so to speak, that can empower us to remember the past, experience unity and missional purpose in the present, and look forward to the future coming of the Kingdom. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Florian’s Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0F2ZB35ZY/ More about Florian and Christ the King Church: https://ctkchurch.id/oyan

In this episode of Theodisc, Kenny speaks with Mark Glanville, a professional jazz musician, theologian and preacher, about the evolving landscape of preaching in a post-Christian culture. They discuss the importance of creativity, community, and curiosity in preaching, as well as the metaphor of jazz as a way to approach the art of preaching. Mark emphasises the need for preachers to adapt their methods to connect with contemporary audiences while remaining rooted in scripture. This is also the first TheoDisc guest who has played an instrument live on the show! SHOW NOTES Find Mark’s Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mark-Glanville/author/B0CHY78JFW Visit Mark’s website: https://www.markglanville.org/   

God at Work in Prisons This episode of TheoDisc comes to you during Prisons Week which takes place each year from the second Sunday of October and encourages the church to pray for prisoners and their families, those victims of and affected by crime and those working in the criminal justice system. It also aims to focus the Christian community on how we can join with what God is doing in prisons, where WTC has begun to provide theological training. It was in, what he calls "the pit", that Steven became a Christian, and after his release he studied theology with WTC and is about to matriculate at the University of Oxford. They spoke about his life experience, his reflections of prison, and the hope he has for more prisoners to come into a deep connection with God through theological study. Joining them in the conversation is Sarah Coppin, the Programme Director for WTC’s prison programme.   SHOW NOTES Find out about WTC’s Prison Programme: https://wtctheology.org.uk/prison-programme/ Participate in Prisons Week: https://www.prisonsweek.org/

Following Jesus in the Tough Times Even though Jesus says that those who follow him will have many trials and sorrows in this world, it’s still the case that we tend to view suffering as something to be avoided, or eliminated from our experience of faith. Perhaps this is rooted in a faulty gospel that proclaims, ‘follow Jesus and he will take away not only your sin, but your troubles too’. Dr Craig Keener has recently written an article called, How To Succeed at Suffering which might help us to accept that taking up our cross is central to the way we follow after our crucified Lord, and in this episode of TheoDisc, he chats with Kenny about the biblical basis for suffering as part of our discipleship. SHOW NOTES Craig’s Article: https://influencemagazine.com/en/Practice/How-to-Succeed-at-Suffering Craig’s Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Craig-S.-Keener/author/B000APBKEK Craig’s conversation with Lucy Peppiatt on ‘The Mind of the Spirit’: https://youtu.be/XbQVoPxv6IY

A Biblical Theology for a Decolonised Mission We're back! After a bit of an hiatus over the summer, TheoDisc is pleased to be bringing you some truly insightful chats with truly insightful theologians again! Our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Rev Dr Israel Olofinjana, wants us to consider the ways that western Christian mission has been deeply influenced by the powers of colonisation, and that those influences are still felt today by people from the Majority World. By drawing us back to Jesus’ own experience and ministry under a colonial power, Israel provokes the church to consider ways that we can reflect Jesus’ subversive practices that witness to the way the kingdom of God overturns the power structures and patterns of worldly powers. In order for that to happen, Israel says, we need to decolonise the way we view Christian mission with Jesus as our guide. Enjoy! SHOWNOTES: Israel’s essay, ‘Why Did Jesus Speak Aramaic?’: https://bit.ly/3SIUaE9  Israel’s Books: https://bit.ly/4l6kUuu Israel’s Blog: https://israelolofinjana.wordpress.com/   

Crystal Downing is our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, and her latest book, The Wages of Cinema, speaks to the connection between film and faith, but not in the way you might expect. Plenty of authors have tried to extract moral or spiritual lessons from the narrative of a film, but Crystal challenges us to pay attention to the details, the structure, the way films are constructed that might give us theological insight. Connecting the language and history of film with theology, church, work, and the riches of Christian symbolism, Crystal challenges us to move beyond film as entertainment towards film as a powerful force that reveals truth, goodness and beauty. Find Crystal’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Crystal-L.-Downing/author/B078WL2GWL

An exploration of WTC’s vision to deliver theological education to people in prisons At WTC, we’ve never held theology, the presence of the Spirit, and daily life, mission, and ministry as separate or in competition. Instead, we believe that good theology contributes to Spiritually-formed people who express the kingdom of God wherever they are. That’s why, on this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny talked with Sarah Coppin about the way God has enabled WTC to take accredited theological education into prison so that prisoners can be equipped and empowered in faith and ministry. Enjoy! Find out more about WTC’s Prison Programme: HERE  Contact Sarah: HERE Read Sarah’s Substack: HERE

What do theology and spiritual formation have to do with one another? Lucy Peppiatt has found many ways in which she has taught and encouraged the integration of study and deep spiritual formation at WTC. We are delighted to have her on this episode to share how theological study can be a foundation for wholeness, maturity, and formation into Christlikeness. If you would like to explore what studying theology would look like for you, then please visit wtctheology.org.uk. All of our programmes are part-time and are designed to fit around life, work, and church, because we believe that embarking on a journey of study can be transformational for you and your faith in Jesus. We have multiple study options available, so visit our website to find out more. SHOW NOTES Lucy’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Lucy-Peppiatt/author/B00A4LNCS2 Study with WTC: wtctheology.org.uk Kyle Strobel on TheoDisc: https://youtu.be/9dibh6Qxh7c Kyle Stobel’s Substack Article, ‘A Training in Wisdom and Love’: https://kylestrobel.substack.com/p/a-training-in-wisdom-and-in-love

How do we really love God with our minds? For Christians the emphasis is often on loving the Lord with our heart, soul and strength, but when it comes to our minds, there can be some reticence. There can be a real pressure in the church to act as if we know it all, or a fear that theology and learning might lead us to not know what we believe. The call to love God with our minds has never been more important. On this episode of Theodisc, Kenny is joined by AJ Swoboda, who thinks that learning is deeply embedded in the Christian tradition. He contends that our faith gives us tools and examples of how we can learn to be the best learners – and not just for the sake of knowledge, but in order to be Christ’s faithful witnesses in our world. We hope you learn as much as we have from this episode! SHOW NOTES Get AJ’s book, ‘A Teachable Spirit’ -  https://amzn.eu/d/4NSunXm  Read AJ’s Substack - https://ajswoboda.substack.com/ Listen to our previous episode with AJ: https://theodisc.podbean.com/e/aj-swoboda-the-gift-of-thorns/ Listen to the Slow Theology Podcast: https://ajswoboda.com/slow-theology-podcast/

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny and Amanda Bedzrah talk about Bathsheba - one of the most misunderstood figures in the Old Testament, often labelled as a seductress who, along with David, is complicit in an adultress affair. But a closer reading of the biblical text shows that she is a victim of an abuse of power. Amanda's latest book, Becoming Queen Bathsheba, is a fictional account of Bathsheba’s experience based on fidelity to the Scriptures, historical and cultural research, and the experiences of women across the Old Testament. Kenny and Amanda's discussion deals with some sensitive issues around trauma and abuse of power, because they are central to the Bathsheba narrative. We hope you find this episode encouraging and healing, as Amanda prays at the end of this episode. SHOW NOTES Amanda’s website: https://amandabedzrah.com/  Amanda’s books: https://bit.ly/4284uLq The Empower A Woman Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amandabedzrah/videos

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Prof Beth Allison Barr, who talks about her new book, Becoming the Pastor's Wife, where she argues against a theology that says that leadership is not available to women. She discusses the role of women and their service in roles of leadership in the gospels and the early church, and how, in the history of the church, women's roles have often been hidden, forgotten or dismissed. In the 20th century, the role of ‘the Pastor’s Wife’ was equated with a ministry calling in itself, not as a leadership role, but to support and uphold the ministry of the male pastor. Kenny and Beth explore the ways that the ministry of women is valid without being attached to or subsumed by the role of men, and this episode promises to ruffle a few feathers. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Beth’s Books: https://bit.ly/4cqk5cL Beth’s website: https://www.bethallisonbarr.com/

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Prof John Walton about the BIG questions: Who are we and where did we come from? What happened at the beginning? And what is Genesis actually trying to tell us? This discussion unpacks the human condition, 'cultural rivers', and original sin, to name but a few of the themes that emerge when one has a chat with John Walton. Enjoy! SHOWNOTES John’s latest book New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis is available HERE.

Beholding Christ with Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Dr Grace Hamman, who is an expert in medieval studies and recently published her first book, Jesus through Medieval Eyes, a fascinating look at how Christians in the Middle Ages viewed and depicted Jesus through art and literature, and what we can learn from them today. In this discussion, they look at how Jesus was viewed as a Knight, a 'good Christian', and even as Mother! Kenny and Grace had a genuinely engaging and insightful chat, that would make you want to listen more... Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Grace's blog and podcast - HERE Buy Grace's book - HERE

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Rev Dr Kate Coleman who, in her latest book, Metamorph, asks us to consider transformation at the heart of leadership as revealed in the Scriptures. What we mean by ‘results’ and ‘success’ can shift our priorities and result in leadership that can disconnect what we do from who we are. They had a conversation about healthy leadership that focuses on personal, community, and missional transformation. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Get a copy of ‘Metamorph’: https://amzn.eu/d/efFen1B Visit Next Leadership: https://nextleadership.co.uk 

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined again by Prof Scot McKnight who has written and taught extensively around the question: "What if we have got the Pharisees, and Jesus, wrong?" Scot argues that’s exactly what’s happened, and a more complete understanding of 1st Century Jewish tradition and culture contradicts much of what Christians have taught and believed about the Pharisees, shielding us from how Jesus might critique our own traditions. We hope you enjoy this episode! Scot’s books - HERE

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by political theologian, Dr Roger Haydon Mitchell, whose starting point when reading the gospels, or indeed the whole Bible, is in a joining together of politics and love. This episode highlights a number of current issues facing the church today, from talking politics at the dinner table to living our lives in a Christlike manner, and Roger certainly does not tiptoe around any controversies. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have! Show notes: The Kenotic Way by Roger Mitchell - https://www.ashburnham.org.uk/kenotic-way/ The Kenarchy journal - https://kenarchy.org/ Roger's Books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Roger-Haydon-Mitchell/author/B00ENXHCII   Subscribe to TheoDisc here - https://wtctheology.org.uk/theodisc-podcast/ 

Have we made spritual disciplines a lifehack? On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny's guest Kyle Strobel, invites us to consider that importing ancient practices of "spiritual formation" or "spritual disciplines" into our current cultural moment isn’t straightforward, and we need to be wary of the propensity in our time to market or refashion our spirituality into a cheaper, individualised, idealised version of what was originally intended. Kyle has written a post on a 'rule of life', which is what most of the conversation centres around. See the link for Kyle's substack below. Show Notes Kyle’s Substack: kylestrobel.substack.com Kyle’s books: amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B001JS6EZ2