Theology in the Raw

Reading the Gospels as Narratives and Depictions of Jesus in Film: Dr. Jeannine Brown 20.07.2026 1год 3хв

Dr. Jeannine Brown is The David Price Professor of Biblical and Theological Foundations at Bethel Seminary, where she has taught for 26 years. She focuses her research on the New Testament, hermeneutics, and integration. She’s written a bunch of books and commentaries, including Scripture as Communication, Becoming Whole and Holy, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (editor), commentaries on Matthew, Philippians, and 1 Peter (forthcoming), and a couple books most pertinent to our conversation: Gospels as Stories and The Greatest Story Ever Retold (with John Anthony Dunne). Jeannine is a member of the NIV translation committee. In this podcast conversation, we talk about reading the gospels as narratives versus harmonizing the 4 Gospels, and we also talk about the portrayal of Jesus in film, including the popular The Chosen series. Time Stamps:00:00 Introduction02:57 Why Read the Gospels as Narrative?07:36 Are the Gospel Differences Contradictions?11:45 Ancient Biography and the Gospels21:45 Why John's Gospel Is Different33:44 How Each Gospel Presents Jesus39:15 How to Read the Gospels Well44:15 Bible Movies and Portraying Jesus54:20 The Chosen: Creative License and Biblical Faithfulness See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sexual Desire, Singleness and the Beauty of Christian Sexual Ethics: Andrew Bunt 16.07.2026 1год

If you want to access our extra innings conversation, become a member of the TITR community here Request a free copy of Heroic Faith here: Andrew Bunt is the Content Director at Living Out, a UK based ministry that equips the church in matters related to sexuality and gender from biblical perspective. (living out.org). Andrew is a pastor, speaker, and author who’s written several books including his latest book: Getting God’s Perspective: A Short Christian Introduction to Worldviews, Sexuality & Gender. In this conversation, we discuss questions about the Christian sexual ethic—is it beautiful or oppressive and harmful? Why a Christian worldview is essential for understanding the Christian sexuality ethic. How a Christian view of freedom and progress are important for understanding sexuality. And then, in our "extra innings" portion of this conversation, we discuss, once again, whether Christians should “identify” as gay (and what the term “identity” even means).Time Stamps00:00:00 Introduction00:02:12 The Beauty of Christian Sexuality & God's Design 00:06:33 Why the Secular Story About Sexuality Falls Short 00:14:17 Talking with Young People About LGBTQ Friends & Biblical Boundaries 00:22:58 Living with Unmet Sexual Desires and Spiritual Growth 00:27:15 Singleness, Loneliness, and the Community Jesus Envisioned 00:34:30 The Importance of Deep Friendship and Belonging in the Church 00:45:00 Why Worldview Matters for Conversations About Sexuality & Gender 00:55:00 A Christian Worldview of Progress and Living Faithfully in a Changing Culture See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everything You Need to Know About the Book of Job: Dr. Ellie Paley 13.07.2026 1год 25хв

Request a free copy of When Faith is Forbidden here.Dr. Ellie Paley received her Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where she studied the book of Job, and she’s currently pursuing a post-doc at Bar-Illan University in Israel. Ellie literally memorized the entire book—in Hebrew…in 6 months! Job is her gig and she knows more about the book than anyone I know. In this episode, Ellie gives a master class on the book of Job, discussing its date, the setting, the meaning of “The Adversary” (hasatan, or Satan?), the purpose of the prologue (Job 1-2), the content of purpose of the dialogue cycle of Job’s 3 friends, the purpose of the transitionary wisdom poem of Job 28, the role and function of Elihu’s speech and why she thinks he’s a rather presumptuous young buck who thinks he knows better than he really does, God’s response to Job, and how the book resolves in the latter chapters. We end by reflecting on Job’s contribution to the question of theodicy and the problem of evil. To follow Ellie’s work, check out her Substack “Compulsively Contemplative” here.Time Stamps00:00:00 Introduction00:01:05 Why Memorize the Book of Job? (Hebrew, Theology & Spiritual Formation)00:12:30 Who Wrote Job? Date, Setting & Historical Background00:24:28 Is Job Historical? Debating the Origins of the Book of Job00:28:10 Satan in Job: Understanding the Divine Adversary00:38:42 God's Speeches & the Meaning of Suffering in Job00:43:57 What’s up with Job’s friends? Retribution Theology Explained00:55:14 Who Is Elihu? His Role in the Book of Job01:01:05 God Answers Job from the Whirlwind01:06:41 Job's Repentance, Restoration & the Ending Explained01:16:05 Theodicy: Job on the Problem of Evil, Suffering, and Trusting God01:23:17 Ellie Paley's Ministry, Writing & Substack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everything You Need to Know About the Book of Job: Dr. Ellie Paley 13.07.2026 1год 25хв

Click here for your free copy of When Faith is Forbidden by Todd NettletonDr. Ellie Paley received her Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where she studied the book of Job, and she’s currently pursuing a post-doc at Bar-Illan University in Israel. Ellie literally memorized the entire book—in Hebrew…in 6 months! Job is her gig and she knows more about the book than anyone I know. In this episode, Ellie gives a master class on the book of Job, discussing its date, the setting, the meaning of “The Adversary” (hasatan, or Satan?), the purpose of the prologue (Job 1-2), the content of purpose of the dialogue cycle of Job’s 3 friends, the purpose of the transitionary wisdom poem of Job 28, the role and function of Elihu’s speech and why she thinks he’s a rather presumptuous young buck who thinks he knows better than he really does, God’s response to Job, and how the book resolves in the latter chapters. We end by reflecting on Job’s contribution to the question of theodicy and the problem of evil. To follow Ellie’s work, check out her Substack “Compulsively Contemplative.” Time Stamps00:00:00 Introduction00:01:05 Why Memorize the Book of Job? (Hebrew, Theology & Spiritual Formation)00:12:30 Who Wrote Job? Date, Setting & Historical Background00:24:28 Is Job Historical? Debating the Origins of the Book of Job00:28:10 Satan in Job: Understanding the Divine Adversary00:38:42 God's Speeches & the Meaning of Suffering in Job00:43:57 What’s up with Job’s friends? Retribution Theology Explained00:55:14 Who Is Elihu? His Role in the Book of Job01:01:05 God Answers Job from the Whirlwind01:06:41 Job's Repentance, Restoration & the Ending Explained01:16:05 Theodicy: Job on the Problem of Evil, Suffering, and Trusting God01:23:17 Ellie Paley's Ministry, Writing & Substack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Q&A on Women in Leadership and From Genesis to Junia 09.07.2026 1год 4хв

If you want to watch the full Exiles Conference on demand, you can get access to the whole thing—including all the breakout sessions—for just $49 here.In today’s episode, I’m working through some of the top upvoted questions from my conversation with Sandy Richter at Exiles 26 about women in leadership and my new book, From Genesis to Junia. If you haven’t listened to that conversation yet, I’d encourage you to go back and start there, since this episode really picks up where that one left off.Thanks so much for all the thoughtful questions—and sorry it took me a month to get to them. I’m grateful for how engaged you all were in this conversation, and I hope this follow-up is helpful. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bonus Preview: Patreon Only Q&A for July 08.07.2026 19хв

To listen to the full episode, join the Patreon Community for as little as 5 dollars a month! You'll also get access to Zoom chats, Live Q&A's, Exiles Content, and more!Here's the questions answered in the full episode:0:46 You mentioned you have a complicated relationship with church. However, as a trained Bible scholar, what do you view your responsibility is to the local church? 8:52 Is regular sexual intimacy necessary for marriage? I am thinking about a mixed orientation marriage or a marriage where one or both partners are asexual.14:04 Thoughts on lay people going to seminary? If we can’t find good theological training/space to discuss from local church, where to get it in person(not online)?19:03 What Bible verses would you reference when a Christian college student asks why it's sinful to have sex before marriage?28:24 Most churches lack women leaders and training for women— how do we collectively get more female pov heard and taught at church?34:22 What do you think of IVF and egg freezing?35:40 What do you think makes a healthy church? ( from your experience being exposed to so many different churches)45:37 Fiscal conservatism is a hallmark of the political Right. Is a conservative financial approach consistent with the bible as it describes how we relate to money?54:20 What are your thoughts on usage of social media as Christian— with the rise of Christian contents/pastors on social media using as platform?58:55 What has your experience been like or thoughts on building community or friendships— in church or outside of church/faith community that felt flourishing?1:01:25 Whose job is it to gatekeep a closed communion? Should clergy stop people from taking communion, or is it up to the individual?01:05:30 Thoughts, insight or advice? I sometimes feel more drawn to read about the Bible than read the Bible or more drawn to those drawn to Jesus than Jesus himself.01:09:19 Matthew Vines referenced your discussion on the Hebrew word "kenegdo" in a conversational debate with David Bennet: how would you respond to his pushback?01:13:58 Hypothetically, with humility about our own blind spots, what warning can we give about what Jesus might say on Judgment Day to supporters of the Gaza genocide?01:17:46 Is there anything uniquely troubling to you about Trump, or do you see him as just another flawed leader of a flawed Babylon? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Women in Leadership: Live Dialogue from Exiles 26 with Dr. Sandy Richter 06.07.2026 1год 13хв

Watch the full Exiles Conference On Demand and get access to the entire conference—including all breakout sessions—for just $49.At Exiles 26, my friend Dr. Sandy Richter joined me for a panel discussion and Q&A about my new book, From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Actually Says about Women in Leadership. Once we got going, we ended up talking longer than expected and only had about three minutes left for audience questions.So to make up for it, we’re releasing the full conversation here, along with a follow-up episode where I respond to the top upvoted questions from the event. That follow-up episode drops on Thursday. In the meantime, enjoy this conversation.You can find more from Dr. Richter at sandyrichter.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How Should Christians Think about Sports and Fandom? Dr. Paul Putz 02.07.2026 53хв

To listen to our extra-innnings conversation, where we talk about LGBTQ Pride Night at major league baseball games, become a member of the Theology in the Raw community at patreon.com/theologyintheraw.Dr. Paul Putz is Assistant professor of Christianity and sports and director of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. He's the author of The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big-Time Sports (Oxford University Press, 2024), and the forthcoming Jesus and James Naismith: A History of Basketball and Christianity from Origins to the NBA (Eerdmans. 2027). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Work, Calling, and the Challenge of Leading as a Woman: Brittany Dicus 29.06.2026 1год

Brittany Dicus is a sales and marketing director for a beverage company, a master's student at Talbot School of Theology, and serves on the teaching team at Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove, MN. With one foot in the corporate world and another in the church world, Brittany has thought a lot about viewing her work as mission. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An Israeli Settler and Palestinian Christian Become Friends. Fares Abraham and Daniel Klein 25.06.2026 1год 15хв

Fares Abraham is a Palestinian Christian and Daniel Klein is a Jewish Christian. Both Fares and Daniel grew up minutes from each other in the West Bank, and yet they were worlds apart—Fares lived in occupied Palestine and Daniel live in an Israeli settlement. Both of them share about their very different journies, which end up in similar places, culminating in a friendship, which offers a glimpse of what peace between Israelis and Palestinians could look like: not through politics or slogans, but through the reconciling power of Christ, honest truth-telling, mutual dignity, and a shared commitment to justice, mutual flourishing, and peace for all who call the Holy Land home. Daniel is the author of My Freedom from Zionism and Fares leads Levant Ministries. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sexuality, Celibacy, Marriage, and Gay Identity with Dr. David Bennett 22.06.2026 1год 2хв

To listen to the extra innings portion of this episode, where David discusses why it's okay for faithful Christians to identify as gay, head over to https://patreon.com/theologyintheraw to become a member of the Theology in the Raw community.Dr. David Bennett (DPhil, Oxford) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at the University of Oxford and Associate Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall. He is the author of the bestselling memoir A War of Loves --the story of his journey from atheistic gay activist in Sydney to celibate gay Christian—and a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s College of Evangelists. His Oxford doctoral thesis, Queering the Queer in Contemporary Theology: An Augustinian Ethics of Same-Sex Desire and Gay Celibacy, is in press with T&T Clark/Bloomsbury (2027), as is his second popular-level book, Beyond Compromise: Reclaiming a Biblical Vision of Love, Sexuality, and the Kingdom of God (Tyndale House). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lecrae on Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and Mental Health Struggles 18.06.2026 57хв

To watch my Extra Innings segment with Lecrae, join my Patreon community. You'll also get bonus episodes, Zoom meetups, Q&A's and more! Lecrae Moore is an American hip-hop artist, author, entrepreneur, and social activist. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in Christian hip-hop (CHH). He has accumulated over a dozen Grammy nominations and is a multi-Grammy Award winner, alongside numerous GMA Dove Awards, Stellar Awards, and Soul Train Music Awards. In 2014, his landmark seventh album, Anomaly, debuted at No. 1 on the mainstream Billboard 200 and the Top Gospel Albums chart simultaneously—a historic first. This episode is a raw conversation with Lecrae—his journey with Christ, music, and the evangelical church—a journey with many twists and turns, as you’ll see. In the extra innings portion of this episode, Lecrae opens up about his current place in Christian church—is he conservative, liberal, right, left, evangelical, or whatever. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reaching North Korean Refugees with the Gospel: Dan Chung 15.06.2026 52хв

Dan Chung is the Executive Director of Crossing Borders, an organization that brings the gospel to North Korean refugees. Dan is one of the foremost experts on the North Korean refugee crisis, with relationships with both organizations and scholars researching the ongoing developments of the Korean Peninsula. Dan’s book, A Hard Freedom: The Dreams and Trauma of North Korean Refugees, chronicles his insights and observations in his work with Crossing Borders. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Genesis to Junia: Responding to Critiques, Pt. 2 11.06.2026 1год 18хв

Join my Patreon community to listen my Extra Innings where I respond to egalitarian critiques from Dr. Beth Allison Barr and more! Preston's book From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says about Women in Leadership has been out for 3 months and has received many positive reviews--but also some critical ones. In this episode, Preston responds to some of the critiques he's received, focusing largely on John Whittaker's critical response. Preston has responded to John's review on his blog.Learn more about the NLT hereRead John Whittakers Blog hereRead Preston's Response here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bonus Preview: Patreon Q & A From May 10.06.2026 22хв

Hey friends, every month I do bonus episodes where I tackle questions from my Patreon community. For May, I hit 16 questions (see below). For this free bonus, I've included the first few questions. For the full thing, join a bronze, silver, or gold tier on my Patreon! You'll also get access to Extra Innings, Exiles conference content, free tickets, Zoom chats and more! Questions:0:52. If a pastor commits adultery, but repents, is he still disqualified from his office for the rest of his life in view of elder reqs in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1?7:55. What were your thoughts on the Pete Enns session at Exiles? In particular, how would you steel man his position about the flood narrative? 22:27. When Pete Enns spoke at Exiles I think he mentioned maybe Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses did not actually exist. What are your thoughts on this? 29:16. Advice for initiating movement into mutualism in practice & policy?31:50. How do "non-affirming" traditions engage the practice of ecumenical unity with "affirming" traditions? Does "Side A" operate outside the bounds of orthodoxy? 37:39. Is your family's current church egalitarian? If not, now that you've landed on a position, has that impacted your ability to serve/teach/etc?42:19. Why follow some OT laws (lying) but not others (shellfish, polyester)? Had an OT prof that taught that ‘ceremonial/civil/moral’ distinction doesn’t hold water46:07. If the annihilation theory is correct, how does that help people see their need for a savior? If you don’t believe in God, ceasing to exist seems preferable. 48:13. Do you think the accommodating and not judging mentioned in Romans 14 could be applied to pronoun hospitality and how we interact with others we disagree with? 49:04. What spiritual rhythms feel most grounding for you in your ministry? And how do you balance a rhythm like scripture reading with scholarly work?50:46. How do you interact with non-Christian Biblical scholars? I have a hard time taking them seriously if they don’t actually believe in what they’re studying.52:56. I’ve read recently claims that most Israelites worshipped Asherah as Yahweh’s wife and that it wasn’t until later that she was condemned. Any insight?54:05. Has there been any updates or significant changes in research around gender dysphoria since Embodied was released?58:36. Do Jesus' statements in Matthew 19 and the Sermon on the Mount imply that anyone has grounds for divorce because lusting after someone is committing adultery?01:00:43. At what point does being wrong about theology become sin? I'm thinking of pre-civil-war churches preaching slavery was OK, and extrapolating to today's issues.01:02:41. I heard a conservative Christian reporter refer to individuals experiencing gender dysphoria as "gender confused." Do you consider this term pejorative? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Genesis to Junia: Responding to Critiques, Pt. 1 08.06.2026 1год 3хв

Preston's book From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says about Women in Leadership has been out for 3 months and has recieved many positive reviews--but also some critical ones. In this episode, Preston responds to some of the critiques he's recived, focusing largely on Tom Schreiner's critical review. Preston has also written a response to Tom Schreiner's review. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What's Really Going on in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran? Dave Decamp 04.06.2026 1год 11хв

Dave DeCamp is an American journalist and the news editor of Antiwar.com, where he covers U.S. foreign policy, war, and international affairs. He also hosts the daily podcast Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp.Visit https://www.vom.org/TITRFoxe to request your copy of Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Controversial Topics in a Time of Outrage and Fear with Dr. Gavin Ortlund 01.06.2026 1год 12хв

Order your free copy of When Faith is Forbidden: www.vom.org/titr Dr. Gavin Ortlund is a pastor, author, speaker, and apologist for the Christian faith. He serves as President of Truth Unites, Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville, and Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary. Gavin has a Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary in historical theology, and an M.Div from Covenant Theological Seminary. He is the author of nine books, including his forthcoming book: Why Christianity Makes Sense: A Book About Jesus, the Mysteries of the World, and the Longings in Your Heart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pursuing Jesus through Suffering, Trials, and Foolish Mistakes: Matt Chandler 28.05.2026 56хв

Join my Patreon Community for bonus episodes, Extra Innings, Q and A, and more! Matt Chandler serves as the Lead Pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX and is the author of several books including his most recent book: Becoming Like Jesus: The Everyday Journey to Living a Life of Holiness See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mental Health and The Gospel: Live from Exiles 26 25.05.2026 1год 1хв

Watch Part 2 for FREE on Patreon! Dan Allender, Brook Keels, and Chinwe Williams joined me in Minneapolis to help the church better engage mental health trends, Gen Z, trauma, anxiety, and more. Each gave a 15-20 minute talk, then they joined Preston on the couch for a panel conversation and audience Q & A that you can watch free on patreon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.