Theology in the Raw

Latest Episodes:

How to Learn from Experts and Enemies: Dr. A.J. Swoboda May 19, 2025

Show notes

A.J. Swoboda (Ph.D., Birmingham) is an associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University and lead mentor for the Doctor of Ministry Program on Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns (Zondervan), After Doubt (Brazos), and the recently released: A Teachable Spirit: The Virtue of Learning from Strangers, Enemies, and Absolutely Anyone. He hosts the “Slow Theology” podcast (w/ Dr. Nijay Gupta) and writes the widely read “Low-Level Theologian” Substack. Join the Theology in the Raw community for as little as $5/month to get access to premium content at patreon.com/theologyintheraw

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Politics, Tariffs, and How Christians Should Respond to our Political Moment: Skye Jethani May 15, 2025

Show notes

Skye Jethani is an award-winning author, speaker, and co-host of the Holy Post Podcast. Skye has written more than a dozen books and served as an editor and executive at Christianity Today for more than a decade. His voice has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post. To listen to the final 25 min of this episode, where Skye and I debate the question "should Christians vote," go over to patreon.com/theologyintheraw.com to become a member, where you can access this convo and other premium content.

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Bonus Q&A: Why Christians Stopped Celebrating Biblically-Commanded Holidays Like Passover & Hanukkah May 14, 2025

Show notes

Bonus Q&A: Why Christians Stopped Celebrating Biblically-Commanded Holidays Like Passover & Hanukkah

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0:00 INTRO
0:32 Why did Christians stop celebrating Biblically commanded holidays? Passover, Sukkot, Shavuot, Hanukkah (Jesus celebrated). Not salvation issue but is it a loss?
7:55 Do you think biblical inerrancy should be a central or peripheral doctrine for Christians?
16:13 Are Christians who use Social Media or books to call out fellow Christians violating Matthew 18 about having private conversations first?
20:32 We have friends whose child is trans but say they do not have gender dysphoria. Is this common? I don't remember you ever addressing this in your writing.
22:33 Can you please put the death knell on dispensationalism and rapture theology?! Would you call it a heresy or a deception?!
26:17 Any ideas/strategies for campus ministry staff to engage with non-believing LGBTQ students well?
34:48 I’ve read that Rahab plays a subversive role in Joshua, though it’s not explicit. What safeguards ensure this reading stems from the text, not modern agendas?
39:09 What are your thoughts on Christian missionaries evangelizing a group then insisting the group adapt to their cultural values e.g. modesty/how much they wear
43:55. What are your thoughts on Christian couple traveling alone before marriage? Should they care about perception even if they’re not sleeping together?
47:12 Can I be saved if I believe gay marriage is wrong in God’s eyes but still choose to marry someone of the same sex?
50:12 Conditional Immortality: I've never heard you point out the duality of Rev 20:10 vs 21:8. Same punishment, very different results. Why not? Seems vital.
52:41 When reading church history, do you sometimes feel discouraged or unsettled (or maybe you feel encouraged)? What helps you read and keep healthy perspective. Join the Theology in the Raw community for as little as $5/month to get access to the full length Q & A episode at patreon.com/theologyintheraw

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Transgender People and the Church, Pt. 1: Dr. Preston Sprinkle & Dr. Mark Yarhouse May 12, 2025

Show notes

This episode is a recording of the session titled "Transgender People and the Church" at the recent Exiles in Babylon conference in Minneapolis. In this session, I give a short theological overview of Transgender identities and Mark Yarhouse gives a psychological perspective. And then, we had three people share their testimonies: Remi Rathjen (a Christian who experiences Gender Dysphoria and who hasn't transitioned), Julia Mallott (a transitioned transwoman who does not identify as a Christian), and Chloe Cole (a Christian who transitioned at an early age and then detransitoned). To listen to these testimonies and our 45 minute dialogue, go to patreon.com/theologyintheraw and sign up for a free (or paid) account.

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Making Space for LGBTQ/SSA People in a Theologically Orthodox Church: Ashley Anderson May 08, 2025

Show notes

Ashley Anderson is the Missions Pastor at Church of the City (NYC) where she is a part of the teaching team and leads ministries that partner in the spiritual, social, and cultural renewal of New York City. As a part of that work Ashley leads a group called The Table, which is a group of LGBTQ/same sex attracted Christians at Church of the City who have consecrated their sexuality to God in alignment with an orthodox Christian sex ethic with the belief that a consecrated life is not only possible, but can be deeply satisfying.

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Should Christians Use AI? A Dialogical Debate w/Doug Smith and Jay Owen May 05, 2025

Show notes

Doug Smith offers an insider’s perspective on the power of technology, informed by over three decades of software development experience and a lifetime of Bible study. As a software developer, Doug has served Fortune 500 companies, startups, universities, government agencies, and media personalities. He’s currently an Android-focused engineer with Covenant Eyes and a proud ambassador for ScreenStrong.org. See his recent article on AI and ministry https://renew.org/should-we-use-generative-ai-chatbots-for-ministry/ and his recent book [Un]Intentional: How Screens Secretly Shape Your Desires, and How You Can Break Free. Jay Owen is the Founder and CEO of Business Builders, a marketing agency in St. Augustine Florida, and the executive director of communication at The Church of Eleven22. With over 20 years of experience growing businesses, Jay now helps others leverage AI technology for sustainable growth. Follow Jay's work at https://aiwithjay.com

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Behind the Scenes of Christian Publishing: Katelyn Beaty May 01, 2025

Show notes

Katelyn Beaty is a journalist, editor, and author who’s written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, Religion & Politics, and The Atlantic. She is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service), the author of 2 books including her latest: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022), and currently serves as the editorial director of Brazos Press.

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Bonus Q&A: Who Are The Spirits In Prison Christ Preached To? Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Who Are The Spirits In Prison Christ Preached To?

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0:00 Introduction
0:18 How do you explain the odd passage in 1 Peter about Christ being put to death and proclaiming to the spirits in prison?
5:57 ls the MAGA movement blasphemous and heretical? Can we call a spade a spade?
21:07 How do you view celibate partnerships? Are they biblical?
29:04 Is reading smut equivalent to viewing porn?
30:48 My church holds to a side B view of gender/sexuality, however they believe it's an "agree to disagree issue" with other churches. Thoughts?
33:50 Is the gospel of John trustworthy? I've heard different ideas about its reliability.
37:13 Does complementarianism imply that every female pastor has a "more worthy" man somewhere in the congregation? Consdier Debra...
39:41 Many Christians argue that much of the Old Testament is 'mytho-history' and that only the spiritual lessons matter. Thoughts?
43:30 What are the benefits of a complementarian reading of scripture?

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An Israeli Christian's Perspective on Israel-Palestine: Dr. Dan Sered Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Dan Sered is a COO for Jews for Jesus and overseas the Jews for Jesus teams in Europe, South Africa, Israel, and Australia. With a doctor of ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary, an MA in ministry and leadership from Western Seminary. Dan was born in Israel and had a secular Jewish upbringing. His family relocated to the United States when he was in his teens, where he came to Christ in the late 90’s. Dan helped to pastor All Nations Church in Israel for 17 years. He and his family returned to the US in 2020, when Dan was appointed chief operations officer.

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Living a Jesus Shaped Life: Lisa Harper Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Lisa is a world renown speaker and writer with over 30 years of church and para-church ministry leadership experience. She holds a Masters in Theology from Covenant Theological Seminary and is pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry from Denver Seminary. She’s the co-host of the popular “Back Porch Theology” podcast and the author of several books including her most recent book: A Jesus Shaped Life: How Diving Deeper into Theology Can Transform Us and Our World with the Radical Kindness of God.

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