Theology in the Raw

Latest Episodes:

S8 Ep874: Race, Multiethnic Churches, and Slavery in the Bible: Dr. Dennis Edwards Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

In this invigorating conversation, Dr. Edwards discusses his views on race in the church, the pros and cons of how the church has handled this topic over the last year, and his mixed views on multi-ethnic churches. We then get into a discussion about slavery in the Bible and answer some difficult questions about a difficult topic.

Dr. Edwards has long been inspired with a hunger to understand scripture. Growing up in NYC, Dr. Edwards attended a storefront church whose pastor was an earnest, faithful, and dedicated spiritual leader. After attending seminary, his desire to better understand scripture continued. Dr. Edwards says, “I pursued my PhD largely in an effort to quench my thirst for enlightenment and understanding of God’s Word.”

Ordained through the Evangelical Covenant Church, Dr. Edwards has diverse ministry experiences as a church planter and pastor in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. Dr. Edwards received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, an

MDiv (Urban Ministry) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, an MA and a PhD in Biblical Studies from Catholic University of America. Dr. Edwards currently serves as Associate Professor of New Testament at Northpark Theological Seminary.

https://www.northpark.edu/faculty-staff-directory/dennis-edwards/

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873: Pastoring a Mega-Church through COVID and Politics: Dr. Darren Whitehead Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Darren was a teaching pastor at Willow Creek, then decided to plant a church in Franklin, TN, which ended up growing into another Mega Church. In this episode, we talk about his interesting and unpredictable journey, what it’s like pastoring mega churches and planting churches, and how he navigated the very difficult year of 2020.

Originally from Australia, Darren has lived in the United States for over 20 years. He earned his Masters in Ministry from Wesley Seminary and his Doctorate from Capital Seminary and Graduate School, with his dissertation focus on Millennials and the future of the Western church. He recently released his second book, Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship, co-authored with worship leader Chris Tomlin.

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872: Christian, Black, Latino, and Married to a Palestinian: Eli Bonilla Jr. Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Eli is the real deal. He not only understands the race conversation. He embodies it. In this episode, we talk about all things related to race, ethnicity, the church, and America, and we also discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East.

Eli is an emerging leader in the Next Gen space. He serves several national networks in varied roles. He is the Next Gen Regional Co-Chair for North America with Empowered21, and he also fills the position of National Millennial Director for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC). His full time responsibilities are with OneHope as a Masters Fellow

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871: Responding to Arguments for Same-Sex Marriage: Dr. Darrin Snyder Belousek May 31, 2021

Show notes

Darrin W. Snyder Belousek teaches philosophy and religion at Ohio Northern University. He has taught previously at various church-related colleges: Bluffton University, Louisburg College, Bethel College, Lithuania Christian College, Goshen College, and St. Mary's College. He received a Ph.D. in history and philosophy of science from the University of Notre Dame (1998) and a certificate of theological studies from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (2017).

Dr. Belousek has written an outsstanding book about same-sex marriage titled: Marriage, Scripture, and the Church: Theological Discernment on the Question of Same-Sex Union. In this podcast, we talk about the meaning of marriage, Ephesians 5, sex difference (or sexuate correspondance, as he calls it), Genesis 1-2, and why the question of marriage is at the center of these debates.

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870: Another Take on the Pronoun Debate: Dr. Julie Maxwell May 27, 2021

Show notes

Should Christians use a trans* identified person’s chosen pronouns (i.e. ones that don’t align with their biological sex)? I (Preston) have argued for “pronoun hospitality,” that Christians should use a person’s pronouns. And Julie generally agrees with this perspective, but she believes that it’s sometimes better for the long term well-being for trans* identified children and adolescents when their parents don’t use their chosen pronouns. In case you didn’t know, this is super controversial! Which is why we need to have this conversation.

In this episode, I talk with Julie about her perspective, evidence for and against it, and various other things related to the discussion about how to best treat trans*-identified children and teens. Julie is a licensed pediatrician in the U.K. and has written extensively about Gender Dysphoria and trans* identities.

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869: Understanding the Equality Act: Dr. Caleb Kaltenbach May 24, 2021

Show notes

Caleb Kaltenbach has become a leading voice in the conversation about faith, sexualtiy, and gender, and he’s spent many hours researching the Equality Act. In this episode, we discuss what the Equality Act is, look at its historical roots, the content of the act, its implications for religious liberty, and what it means for churches and Christian non-profits.

Caleb Kaltenbach is a pastor and founder of The Messy Grace Group where he helps churches love and foster community with LGBTQ individuals without sacrificing theological convictions. He's currently writing Messy Truth and has also authored God of Tomorrow and Messy Grace (where he discusses being raised in the LGBTQ community, following Jesus, and how loving others doesn’t require shifting beliefs).

Besides speaking, writing, and consulting, Caleb has been guest with or featured in The New York Times, Fox and Friends, The Glenn Beck Show, The Eric Metaxas Show, Christianity Today, Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, Church Leaders Podcast, The 700 Club, unSeminary Podcast, Moody radio shows, Q Ideas Podcast, Dallas Seminary Table Podcast, and more.

A graduate of Ozark Christian College, Talbot School of Theology (Biola University), he received his doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary. In addition to having served as a lead pastor and associate pastor, Caleb has served on the boards of ministries and colleges. He and his family live in Southern California.

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868: Addressing Moral Arguments Against Christianity: Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin May 20, 2021

Show notes

Dr. McLaughlin has a Ph.D. in English Literature from Cambridge University (U.K.) and has become a premier apologist for a new generation. Her book Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion won Christianity Today’s book award for 2020 and her latest book The Secular Creed is bound to stir things up.

In this episode, we talk about how most of the challenges to Christianity are more ethical in nature. People think Christianity can’t be true in light of its history of racism, slavery, misogyny, and homophobia--among other things. Rebecca addresses these kinds of legitimate arguments with intelligence and wisdom.

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867: Missology, Islam, Christo-centric Trinitarianism, and What it Means to Know God: Dr. Christy Thornton May 17, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Thornton recently finished her Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she currently serves as associate director of Ph.D. Studies and director of the Th.M program. Christy also served as a missionary in Morocco, which sparked her interested in the conversation about how best to reach Muslims (i.e. the C1-C6 spectrum).

In this conversation, we discuss the C1-C6 spectrum, Moorocan culture, and missions, and then we discuss her shift from Missiology to Systematic Theology, discussing different theological methodologies, epistemology, ontology, and Christo-centric Trinitarian theology.

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866: Addressing Suicide, Anxiety, Depression, and Abuse: Dr. Brooke Keels May 13, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Brooke Keels has Ph.D. in Psychological and over 10 years of counseling experience. She serves as the Executive Director of Counseling Services for Mercy Multiplied, nonprofit Christian organization that equips people to live free and stay free through Jesus Christ.

In this episode, we talk about the rise in suicidality, anxiety, and depression especially among teens. We also discuss the widespread problem of sexual abuse and how people can find healing from trauma.

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865: One of the Most Influential Persons in My Life: Bert Suluavale May 10, 2021

Show notes

I first met Bert in Fall 1997 when I transferred in as a Junior at The Master’s College (now University). Bert was one of my roomates and we quickly began a mentoring friendship. For the next 3-4 years, Bert poured into and helped lay some vital spiritual foundations in my life. He has been, quite simply, one the most influential persons in my life.

But Bert has his own tumultuous story, which involved getting saved out of a gang culture and thrust into the Christian spotlight as a singer, preacher, Chaplain, and mentor to many. After several years of major “Christian success,” he fell back into his old ways, even darker than before, and ultimately ended up in jail. He’s been slowly and faithfully building back his faith again, without needing the stage to validate his Christian worth.

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