22: The risk of believing differently

22: The risk of believing differently

Update: 2018-05-09

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Is it worth losing the certainty you once had to pursue a better picture of God? What if God becomes harder to believe in? Tim and Nate talk about doing better and deeper theology and how that might make for a harder story to believe.

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Hosts: Nate Hanson / Tim Ritter

Music: Cale Haugen

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In Channel

54: Brandi Miller - Farewell white theology

“It took me ten years of following Jesus as a Black woman to realize that my theology was whiter than a North Dakota snowstorm.” Nate and Tim talk with writer and minister Brandi Miller about pursuing racial justice within evangelicalism, what the gospel really is, how American Christianity trains people to be controlled, and much more.

54: Brandi Miller - Farewell white theology

2019-02-0601:01:40

53: So... marry the Bible? (Questions Part 3)

John Piper, Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition say things like "Marry the Bible". Have we made an idol out of the Bible? In the third segment of question and response, Nate and Tim discuss whether the story of the Exodus ought to be taken literally, whether Christianity has made an idol out of the Bible, and more.

53: So... marry the Bible? (Questions Part 3)

2019-01-3000:42:38

52: So… divine healing. (Questions Part 2)

Is it your responsibility to call out your racist uncle? Does God heal people and is it helpful to believe that? Are the women heroes in the Bible messiah figures? Nate and Tim continue responding to your questions.

52: So… divine healing. (Questions Part 2)

2019-01-2300:36:12

51: So… evangelism. (Questions Part 1)

Should we try to get as many people to be Christians as possible? This week we respond to listener questions about evangelism and the great commission. Also, what churches did they work for? And beyond penal substitution, what are more positive ways to share the gospel?

51: So… evangelism. (Questions Part 1)

2019-01-1600:47:012

50: 1 year in

In 2018, we launched the podcast and recorded 49 episodes. Nate and Tim reflect on what they've learned.

50: 1 year in

2019-01-0901:08:501

49: Making Hezekiah Great Again (How The Bible Works)

Have you ever thought about Hezekiah as one of the main characters in the Old Testament? And what if we told you that the child named Immanuel spoken of in Isaiah referred not to Jesus but to Hezekiah (at least at first)? Nate and Tim look again at the literary technique of “snowballing” and discuss how biblical characters and even biblical texts are presented as disappointing failures that will have to be recycled and repurposed in the future.

49: Making Hezekiah Great Again (How The Bible Works)

2018-12-1900:27:24

48: Old Testament jerks (How The Bible Works)

Ever notice how all the “good guys” in the Old Testament turn out to be jerks? Tim and Nate talk about a narrative technique Tim calls “snowballing”, where the Biblical authors intentionally try to get us excited about each new hero figure, only to let us down in the end. It is this pattern that allowed Jesus to look back and say all these stories pointed to him.

48: Old Testament jerks (How The Bible Works)

2018-12-1200:36:11

47: Tim Mackie - A conversation starter (Part 2)

Dr. Timothy Mackie (The Bible Project) continues talking with Nate and Tim about the Bible and ethics. Does the Bible end conversations about ethics or start them?

47: Tim Mackie - A conversation starter (Part 2)

2018-12-0500:57:36

46: Tim Mackie - Riddles in the Bible (Part 1)

Dr. Timothy Mackie (The Bible Project) talks with Tim and Nate about the often missed literary designs in the Bible. What kind of patterns and repetitions do we often overlook? And what does it mean that the Bible contains riddles and texts with multiple meanings?

46: Tim Mackie - Riddles in the Bible (Part 1)

2018-11-2801:02:28

45: Why Seams & Stitching Matter (How The Bible Works)

All the talk about stitching and literary complexity got Nate and Tim talking about why this stuff even matters. What does thinking of the Bible as a literary mosaic change? How does paying attention to redaction and arrangement affect our views of Christianity and how we relate to one another?

45: Why Seams & Stitching Matter (How The Bible Works)

2018-11-0100:25:16

44: Scrolls & Seams (How The Bible Works)

Ancient scroll technology led to literary binding techniques evident in the Bible. Collections of texts were stitched together through canonical seams and enclosed within literary introductions and conclusions. This seam work is how we got a Bible.

44: Scrolls & Seams (How The Bible Works)

2018-10-3000:30:28

43: Literary Layers & Ananias and Sapphira (How The Bible Works)

Collectively, the Bible consists of complex literary layers stacked atop one another. Stories and motifs are recycled and re-used. When we read any individual story, we must read it as a single layer of a greater whole. The strange story of Ananias and Sapphira, for example, is written in conversation with a series of Old Testament stories as well as at least one other Ananias story in the Book of Acts. We aren’t reading it well unless we learn to read it as a literary layer.

43: Literary Layers & Ananias and Sapphira (How The Bible Works)

2018-10-2400:30:27

42: Copy, Paste & Psalm 108 (How The Bible Works)

If the Bible is a mosaic, then the meaning is in the stitching. Nate and Tim look at how Psalm 108 is an example of clear editing and repurposing of texts within the Hebrew Bible, and how the Gospel of Luke is tracking with this literary mechanism at work.

42: Copy, Paste & Psalm 108 (How The Bible Works)

2018-10-2400:25:10

41: How does the Bible work?

Nate and Tim open up a new series of conversations exploring how the Bible actually works. They introduce the idea of the Bible as a literary mosaic in which various texts are pieced together to form a kind of theological portrait. This episode is the first in what will be an ongoing series called How The Bible Works.

41: How does the Bible work?

2018-10-1701:12:23

40: Lisa Sharon Harper - Good news & bad news

Lisa Sharon Harper talks about what Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court really means, how we got here, and what the gospel has to say about it.

40: Lisa Sharon Harper - Good news & bad news

2018-10-0901:05:351

39: Science Mike McHargue - Anger and hope

Mike McHargue (aka Science Mike) sits down with Nate and Tim to talk about sexual assault, the Bible, why so many people are over church, finding hope amidst cynicism, and much more. The conversation happened on the heels of a long and emotional week relating to how our society and the church treats women and victims of sexual assault in light of Christine Beasley Ford's testimony at Brett Kavanaugh's hearing. It made for a raw and honest discussion.

39: Science Mike McHargue - Anger and hope

2018-10-0201:15:212

38: Gender. So, what now?

Part 9 (conclusion) of the gender series. We talk about what we've learned, what we can do, and respond to your questions. Oh, and a poem from Tim set to music - you don't want to miss it!

38: Gender. So, what now?

2018-09-1901:09:55

37: Women elders? (1 Timothy 3)

Part 8 of the gender series. Nate and Tim discuss Paul’s words to Timothy concerning “elders” and “deacons”. Can women be elders? Or is Paul mandating male leadership? Is he even creating formal “church offices” at all? And what do these titles even mean? We seek to answer these questions and more while showing how and why we usually get Paul so wrong.

37: Women elders? (1 Timothy 3)

2018-09-1201:02:38

36: Women on gender (Conversation)

Part 7 of the gender series. Nate and Tim host their moms as well as some friends and listeners for a round table discussion on the topic. If you only listen to one episode in the series, listen to this one. Hear our five guests - Molly, Julia, Emily, Ada and Julie Anne - as they share their perspectives on how gender ideologies play out in relationships, church and the broader culture. The conversation covers an array of view points and, in the end, answers the question, “What do Christian men and pastors really need to hear from women like you?”

36: Women on gender (Conversation)

2018-08-2901:26:42

35: Adam, then Eve (1 Timothy 2:11-15)

Part 6 in a series on gender, power and hierarchy. Nate and Tim wrap up the discussion on 1 Timothy 2, discussing Paul’s reference to Adam being created first and the concluding line about women being saved through childbirth. Is this Paul rooting patriarchy in “God’s creation order” or is Paul once again saying the exact opposite of what it sounds like he’s saying?

35: Adam, then Eve (1 Timothy 2:11-15)

2018-08-2201:03:34

34: Authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:11-15)

Part 5 on Christianity and gender. Nate and Tim begin to tackle 1 Timothy 2 by considering the context of the letter, the significance of the goddess Artemis, and the Greek word translated as “exercise authority”. Once again we see that paying close attention to the gender passages in light of their original context opens up whole new avenues of interpretation.

34: Authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:11-15)

2018-08-1500:56:46

33: Silencing women (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

Part 4 in a series on gender. Nate and Tim discuss some of the more infuriating ways complementation theology affects Christian women and explore the frustrating passage where Paul seems to tell women to sit down and shut up. But what is Paul really saying? And how could he tell women to be silent while simultaneously encouraging them to preach and prophecy in the church gatherings?

33: Silencing women (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

2018-08-0600:59:201

32: Husbands and slave masters (Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Colossians 3:18-4:1)

Part 3 in a series on Christianity and gender. Nate and Tim discuss two more key passages related to gender, trying to understand why Paul grouped husbands & wives, children & fathers, and slaves & masters. What do wives, children and slaves have in common? And what does Paul say to them? And how does he address husbands, fathers and slave masters? Listen to see how Paul’s theology of power makes surprising sense of it all and shows how these passages mean the exact opposite of what many claim they mean.

32: Husbands and slave masters (Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Colossians 3:18-4:1)

2018-07-2300:42:44

31: Authority over her own damn head (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

Part 2 in a series on gender and the Bible. Nate and Tim discuss the first of six key New Testament passages pertaining to gender that have traditionally been used to support male authority. What is Paul really getting at about women covering their heads? Does “the head of the woman is man” really mean men are supposed to be in charge? Who gets authority over women’s bodies? And what in the world do angels have to do with any of this? All this and more as Nate and Tim take a closer look and show how most of us were taught that Paul was saying the exact opposite of what he really meant.

31: Authority over her own damn head (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

2018-07-1900:30:361

30: Jesus ended hierarchy

Part 1 in a series on Jesus and gender: Nate and Tim discuss some prerequisites to looking at New Testament texts pertaining to gender. Jesus explicitly taught that his disciples were to follow his example and abandon all sense of status, power and hierarchy. This was Christianity 101 to the apostles and early church and therefore any interpretation of the gender passages that today seem so offensive to women must acknowledge this overarching Christian ethic. If Jesus said there weren’t even supposed to be positions of status in the church, and Paul believed every Christian was to lay down their power over others, how could the New Testament possibly “teach” that men are supposed to have authority and women are supposed to submit?

30: Jesus ended hierarchy

2018-07-1600:28:541

29: Let's start talking about gender

Get ready for some episodes talking about gender. The church has a long history of oppressing and silencing women, and using the Bible and Paul to justify that. We are going to push back on that and show that Paul thought the opposite. Tell your friends, tell you dad, tell your mom.

29: Let's start talking about gender

2018-07-1100:15:00

28: Immigration and kidnapping the Bible

Last week Jeff Sessions used the Bible to justify kidnapping children, separating families, and continuing one of the cruelest immigration policies in US history. We're sickened, so we put out an impromptu episode calling BS on that. Our theology matters because it can lead to death or life. Which will you choose?

28: Immigration and kidnapping the Bible

2018-06-2500:52:31

27: Connecting #churchtoo, Kaepernick and Christian nationalism

What is the connection between rampant pastoral abuse in evangelical churches and evangelicalism’s collusion with conservative politics? Nate and Tim discuss how American slaveholder religion instilled a reverence for authority that is the root of both these issues. Listen in as they touch on #churchtoo, Colin Kaepernick, protecting the status quo, the notion that we’re all just supposed to be grateful for authorities, and more.

27: Connecting #churchtoo, Kaepernick and Christian nationalism

2018-06-2000:59:15

26: Jesus and self defense

Tragically, school shootings happen seemingly every week in America these days, and every time they do a debate breaks out over guns and the right to bear arms. Many believe it’s “a God-given right” to own and use a gun, and many think that Jesus affirmed and even commanded armed self-defense. Others insist that Christianity is inherently pacifist and that following Jesus means giving up one’s right to bear arms. This week Tim finally went out to the shed to record an episode looking at where Jesus really stood on self-defense.

26: Jesus and self defense

2018-06-0600:28:05

25: Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove - Slaveholder Religion

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove reflects on the painful reality that much of white American Christianity is more akin to slaveholder religion than the Christianity of Christ. He discusses how to distinguish between the two and shares some of his own journey of reconstructing the gospel.

25: Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove - Slaveholder Religion

2018-05-3000:51:533

24: Post traumatic history disorder

Acknowledging the truth of our history can be painful, overwhelming and even traumatic. The history itself is also one of traumatization. Nate and Tim continue the conversation about the tragic truth of American church history by reflecting on last week’s discussion with Mark Charles and more.

24: Post traumatic history disorder

2018-05-2300:49:172

23: Mark Charles - The truth of our history

Mark Charles retells the founding of America to expose political, social and spiritual implications. You may need to sit and process for a while after this episode. What if we're remembering Abraham Lincoln and our founding all wrong? What if the systemic issues of our national history are still unresolved today?

23: Mark Charles - The truth of our history

2018-05-1601:18:273

22: The risk of believing differently

Is it worth losing the certainty you once had to pursue a better picture of God? What if God becomes harder to believe in? Tim and Nate talk about doing better and deeper theology and how that might make for a harder story to believe.

22: The risk of believing differently

2018-05-0900:27:431

21: Brian Zahnd - Making Christianity possible again

Brian Zahnd joins us to talk about how to make Christianity viable for this generation and generations to come.

21: Brian Zahnd - Making Christianity possible again

2018-05-0201:02:352

20: Rachel Held Evans - Using and abusing the Bible

Rachel Held Evans joins us to discuss the Bible and what to do with it.

20: Rachel Held Evans - Using and abusing the Bible

2018-04-2501:13:241

19: The myth of the slippery slope

If you start believing things outside your faith circle you might fall down a slippery slope... Should you be afraid of that? According to the ancient Christian tradition, the slippery slope might be the way to true spiritual maturity.

19: The myth of the slippery slope

2018-04-1800:48:271

18: Wrath and Liberation

How does getting crucified liberate anyone? Is liberation the central driving force behind the gospel? And is the wrath of God something we need to be liberated from or instead something that liberates? This week Nate and Tim examine atonement through the lens of liberation.

18: Wrath and Liberation

2018-04-1100:38:421

17: God isn't the problem

Jesus saves us from ourselves, not from God. Today we look at 10 different ways to think about the atonement that are key in the Bible.

17: God isn't the problem

2018-03-2800:43:331

16: I used to be terrified of God

Nate shares why he used to be afraid of God. We explore why penal substitution is worth fighting back on. Part 2 in a series of discussions on what happened at the cross, we continue the critique of PSA and the uglier aspects of Calvinistic theology and answer questions from Nate’s grandma about hell, judgment and universalism.

16: I used to be terrified of God

2018-03-2100:46:441

15: Mako Nagasawa - Beyond penal substitution

Is Penal Substitutionary Atonement really the gospel? Is it even true? And what other options are there for making sense of Christ's death? This week we're joined by Mako Nagasawa to kick off a series of conversations all about atonement. He breaks down the problems with penal substitution, discusses an alternative "medical" view of atonement and explain the need to discern between retributive and restorative justice.

15: Mako Nagasawa - Beyond penal substitution

2018-03-1401:24:383

14: Give up power like Jesus (Part 4)

Contrary to popular evangelical practice, the call to follow Jesus is an invitation to relinquish power over others. Part 4 in a series on the Bible as a story about power, we contrast this ethic with the theology of power and submission that is rooted in American slavery and is alive and well in the American church today.

14: Give up power like Jesus (Part 4)

2018-03-0700:59:56

13: Power for the powerless (Part 3)

If you want power, you probably shouldn’t have it. This week we explore the relationship between the Jewish exile and power, the idea of two Jewish messiah figures and how Jesus was the key to unlocking the human problem with power.

13: Power for the powerless (Part 3)

2018-02-2800:49:33

12: The Bible speaks truth to power (Part 2)

The Bible is trying to tell a story about power. Will we let it? The Old Testament weaves together two ideas: Humanity needs to wield power in order to set things right, but everyone who seeks this power proves incapable of handling it justly. This episode explores how the prophets and the prophetic nature of the Bible play an important role in telling this story.

12: The Bible speaks truth to power (Part 2)

2018-02-1400:59:321

11: The Bible is a story about power (Part 1)

So much abuse and hurt is rooted in issues of power, yet power is rarely discussed in church. Though it’s been largely ignored, the danger and corrupting influence of power is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible. Nate and Tim start a new series exploring how the Bible tells a vitally important story about power that evangelicalism desperately needs to listen to.

11: The Bible is a story about power (Part 1)

2018-02-0700:53:321

10: When theology hurts (Stories)

Last week Tim and Nate discussed why theology even matters. It matters because ideas have consequences and bad theology hurts people. This week we stop talking and listen to stories from people who have been affected by bad evangelical theology.

10: When theology hurts (Stories)

2018-01-3100:52:471

09: Taking responsibility for our theology

Nate and Tim step back from the Old Testament theology to reflect on why theology matters at all. Ideas trickle downstream. The affects of this trickle-down and the consequences of our theology matter, especially when they’re coming from the top of white evangelicalism and may be propping up some of our nation’s ugliest ideologies.

09: Taking responsibility for our theology

2018-01-2400:56:551

08: Giants and genocide

The episodes on the Fall introduced some crazy stuff about gods engaging in a battle to take over the human bloodline. Now we jump into the heated conversation on divine violence by reinterpreting the conquest of Canaan in light of this mythological worldview. Did God decree genocide or gianticide, and what difference does it make?

08: Giants and genocide

2018-01-1701:02:42

07: Is God more tolerant of other religions than we are?

Rethinking the Fall (Part 5) — The reinterpretation of the Fall sparked further questions, so Nate and Tim slow down to reflect on some its implications. How does this all affect the theological debate about God being in control? And what does it imply about the Bible’s attitude toward other religions?

07: Is God more tolerant of other religions than we are?

2018-01-1100:48:23

06: God gives up (sort of)

Rethinking the Fall (Part 4) — Nate and Tim take a fresh look at the strange story of the Tower of Babel and piece together some surprising biblical passages that tell of God giving up and delegating other gods to rule the nations.

06: God gives up (sort of)

2018-01-0800:37:29

05: Eve and a war for power

Rethinking the Fall (Part 3) — Nate and Tim continue re-examining the Fall by piecing together clues in the Bible that point to a war for power initiated by the gods.

05: Eve and a war for power

2018-01-0500:50:561

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22: The risk of believing differently

22: The risk of believing differently

Tim Ritter & Nate Hanson