Theology On Mission

Fitch is tired of people accusing him of a third way that is laissez faire and avoidant. Introducing "subversive apocalyptic." How does this approach to culture determine how we engage questions around issues like human sexuality and power? Remember to sign up for our Theology & Mission Lectures with Sarah Coakley. If you want to study with us and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, Jonathan Tran, check us out at www.seminary.edu Check out the Pastor's Table podcast from our friends here at Northern Seminary.

Note: there is an echo for the first 25 seconds of the podcast! We are back for 2023 and broadcasting from la la land. On this episode Moore and Fitch talk about what happens when a community turns inward and self-protected--the symptoms of what Fitch calls "communal narcissism." Remember to sign up for our Theology & Mission Lectures with Sarah Coakley. If you want to study with us and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, Jonathan Tran, check us out at www.seminary.edu

Theology on Mission Podcast is announcing our speaker for the annual Theology and Mission Lectures! Rev. Dr. Sarah Coakley will be delivering the lectures and we have a limited number of spots for breakfast (50 spots...and dwindling) For listeners of the podcast we want to give you the inside scoop. Sign up here: https://www.seminary.edu/coakley/

Katelyn Beaty joins the podcast to talk about her new book Celebrities for Jesus. In this episode Fitch, Moore and Beaty discuss the history and contemporary state of celebrities in the American evangelical church. Katelyn Beaty is a writer, journalist, editor and podcast host. Her work has appeared in several news outlets and she is also the author of A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World.

Dr. Lisa Weaver Swartz has written a phenomenal ethnography that explores the interplay of gender and power within American evangelicalism. Dr. Weaver Swartz surveys the gender narratives at two evangelical seminaries--Southern Seminary and Asbury Seminary. She joins the podcast to talk about Reformed evangelicalism, Genesis 1-3, culture studies and more. Dr. Weaver Swartz is assistant professor of sociology at Asbury University. If you want to learn from our team of excellent scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

Who is one person we are consistently told should be on our show? Andrew Root! Andy joined us to talk about Charles Taylor, parenting, church planting and more. Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of four volume Ministry in a Secular Age series. If you want to learn from our team of excellent scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

If you have listened to Theology on Mission you are well aware that there has been no greater influence on our show than Stanley Hauerwas. In this episode Stanley joins us to talk about the current state of the church in America--politics, abortion, friendship, and evangelicalism. Stanley Hauerwas was a longtime professor at Duke University, serving as the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School. If you want to learn from our team of excellent scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

Welcome to season eight! Fitch is convinced house gatherings will renew the church. After all...it's biblical! Moore isn't as convinced. If you want to learn from our team of excellent scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

We are teaming up with V3 and JR Woodward to offer a Masters in Church Planting! You can read more about our partnership here: https://www.seminary.edu/programs/v3andmatm/ We had some challenges with the audio, but the content is still gold! Learn more about V3 cohorts here: https://thev3movement.org/training/

A few months ago Fitch and Moore recorded this episode and forgot about it! In this episode they chat all things church planting and how to gather a people for mission.

Luke Bretherton kindly grace the podcast to discuss the relationship between the church and the world, the place of politics in the Christian life, and gives us a masterful Hauerwas impersonation. Luke Bretherton is Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology and senior fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Check out Luke's newest book on political theology: Christ and the Common Life: Political Theology and the Case for Democracy.

Behind the podcast the book Fitch and Mike have talked about the most this year is Jonathan Tran's "Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism." In this episode (part one) Dr. Tran discusses the contemporary state of anti-racism, the racialized underpinnings of our political economy, and the station of the church in our discourse and practices. Jonathan Tran is the Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion at Baylor University. We are delighted that Dr. Tran will be teaching in our new doctoral program. If you want to learn from him and other scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

Behind the podcast the book Fitch and Mike have talked about the most this year is Jonathan Tran's "Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism." In this episode (part one) Dr. Tran discusses the contemporary state of anti-racism, the racialized underpinnings of our political economy, and the station of the church in our discourse and practices. Jonathan Tran is the Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion at Baylor University. We are delighted that Dr. Tran will be teaching in our new doctoral program. If you want to learn from him and other scholars like Fitch, Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Lyn Cohick, Drew Hart, check us out at www.seminary.edu

Mike published an article in Christian Today detailing an emerging group, the 'Umms'. Unlike “Nones” and “Dones,” many church-adjacent Christians want to return to a local body—but they feel stuck. Building off the biblical metaphor of home, Fitch and Moore discuss a new social architecture for the church. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/march-web-only/church-statistics-return-in-person-nones-dones-umms.html

In Christendom, where the culture largely supports Christian life and values, the church’s role with children is to teach and reinforce doctrine. In post Christendom we will not be able to disciple our children if the adults/parents do not have a vibrant life with God in Christ. Fitch and Moore take on this topic in the most recent episode. Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, Lynn Cohick and visiting professors like Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more.

What difference does Jesus, Lord of the world, Ruler of all, make in a world of war and violence? What can Christians do while millions suffer in Ukraine? Here are a few commitments to consider for those of us committed to Christological non-violence. 1) Refuse (to participate) in Evil 2) Stand with the Oppressed 3) Promote Truth 4) Pray 5)Lastly, consider the place of the police force.

Fitch is reading Luke Bretherton's book "Christ and the Common Life." This brings us to questions about how the church relates to capitalism, accumulation, and the common life. How should we steward our finances, practice generosity, understand debt, and own property? Join us in March for the first session of the Theology on Mission Book Club. We will be discussing Brian Zahnd's book "When Everything is on Fire." Limited to 30 guests, sign up here: https://northernseminary.formstack.com/forms/theology_on_mission_book_club Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, Lynn Cohick and visiting professors like Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more.

Neil Young removed his music from Spotify because of vaccine misinformation shared by Joe Rogan, the host of the leading podcast show on Spotify. What can we learn from Neil Young about witness and how does power work in relation to truth claims? (We had a bunch of audio challenges on this episode, so you might hear our voices modulate quite a bit) Join us in March for the first session of the Theology on Mission Book Club. We will be discussing Brian Zahnd's book "When Everything is on Fire." Limited to 30 guests, sign up here: https://northernseminary.formstack.com/forms/theology_on_mission_book_club Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, Lynn Cohick and visiting professors like Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more.

Here is our "cold take" on the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast. Fitch and Moore discuss the misogyny and power abuse that was embedded in the practice and leadership of Mark Driscoll and what it means for the church today. Join us in March for the first session of the Theology on Mission Book Club. We will be discussing Brian Zahnd's book "When Everything is on Fire." Limited to 30 guests, sign up here: https://northernseminary.formstack.com/forms/theology_on_mission_book_club Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, Lynn Cohick and visiting professors like Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more.

What is so controversial about saying Scripture interpretation is shaped by your social location? Fitch & Moore take up a debate about the place of social location in doing faithful and contextual biblical study. Here are the articles mentioned: https://www.9marks.org/article/editors-note-defending-sound-doctrine-against-the-deconstruction-of-american-evangelicalism/ https://michaelfbird.substack.com/p/some-parts-of-evangelicalism-do-not Come explore Northern's Master's in Theology & Mission, or Doctorate in Contextual Theology alongside Fitch, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, Lynn Cohick and visiting professors like Greg Boyd, Drew Hart, Michael Gorman and more.