Theology In The Raw

Whenever people consider the reliability of the Bible, they usually look to historical or archaeological evidence. And indeed, I covered that in the previous video. But in this final video of our 3 part series on the reliability of the Bible, I want to consider the message of the Bible itself as evidence for its authenticity.The Bible critiques power, humanizes women (compared it its surrounding culture), has a deep concern for the poor and marginalized, and exhibits many other values that go against the views of its surrounding culture.Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Does archaeology prove or disprove the Bible? What about ancient historical records? Do they correlate or conflict with the biblical account? Is the Bible historically accurate or inaccurate?In this talk, I discuss the reliability of the Bible in light of ancient historical and archaeological records. As we'll see, the Bible actually has a very good track record when it comes to history and archaeology.Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

The Bible didn't just fall from heaven. There was actually a rather complex and sometimes messy journey from writing the biblical books to putting the "Bible" into your hands. In this episode, I discuss the so-called Canonization of the Old and New Testaments, asking questions like: why are these books included in the Bible--no more, and no less? What about the Apocrypha? What about other books like the Didache or the Gospel of Thomas--who decided that those books shouldn't be in the Bible? And what was the criteria for determining (or recognizing?) which books should be in the Bible? And, why does all of this matter?Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Tony Scarcello is a friend, pastor, and the author of the forthcoming book: "Regenerate: Following Jesus After Deconstruction" (Oct 2020) Tony is also attracted to other guys and is married to a woman. How does that work? We talk a lot about this in our conversation. Their marriage is actually one of the most vibrant and healthiest marriages I've ever seen. Because marriage is so much more than a place to satisfy your sexual desires. We also talk about his journey in and out and back into Christianity, how he's had to restructure his view of God and the world around what the Bible actually says, and we discuss the perennial problem of evil. This is where we get super raw and real about our own struggles with the faith.Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be s

Dr. Sandy Richter is LEGIT!! In this fascinating conversation, Sandy helps us understand the alleged "marry your rapist" law in Deuteronomy 22:28, which has been mistranslated as you'll see. She also walks us through the "marry your conquered enemy's wife" allowance in Deuteronomy 21. These texts have troubled me for YEARS and have raised questions in my own mind about whether the Old Testament dehumanizes women. Actually, it does the opposite. When you understand it in its own cultural context, you'll see that the Bible actually humanizes women much, much more than we realize.Sandy's awesome book ("The Epic of Eden") that I referenced can be found hereSandra Richter is the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. Richter earned her PhD from Harvard University’s Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department and her MA in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY, Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, M

The Rev. Canon #EsauMcCaulley, PhD is a New Testament scholar and an Anglican Priest. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of St Andrews where he studied under the direction of N.T. Wright. His research and writing focus on Pauline theology, African American Biblical interpretation, and articulating a Christian theology of justice in the public squareHis doctoral dissertation, called Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance, was published by T & T Clark in 2019. Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance looks at the role Jewish messianism played in Paul’s argument in Galatians that Jesus has made believers heirs in the Messiah to the Abrahamic promises.His second book #ReadingWhileBlack: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope will be published by Intervarsity Academic press (September 1, 2020). Reading While Black looks at the tradition of African American biblical interpretation and argues that the Bible rightly understood and read from a decidedly black perspective can speak a wor

I asked THE Dr. John H. Walton to come on my YouTube channel and talk about the Bible and science, and I can't believe he say "yes!" This dude is LEGIT! I mean, this scholar is very qualified to speak into this topic with much wisdom and sound biblical knowledge. Anyway, in this episode, we talk about the biblical creation account and science, the historicity of Adam and Eve, the meaning of the tower of Babel, and much much more.Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Mike Austin is the author of the book "God and Guns in America" Mike navigates this super touchy subject with grace and wisdom, not coming down hard on either extreme: "Take away all the guns!" or "More guns = less crime!" Mike is a philosopher, so he carefully considers all sides and arguments of the gun debate.Watch this episode of the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Heather Skriba has experienced #genderdysphoria most of her life and transitioned from female to male a few years ago. But after encountering Jesus, she heard God telling her that she was "daddy's girl" and that God desired her to live as the female He created her to be. Filled with compassion, truth, and authenticity, Heather Skriba helps us understand her transgender experience, gender dysphoria, and what role the church can play in helping people who are wrestling with their gender identity and sexuality.Watch the podcast on YouTubeSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Connect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Dr. Michael Heiser is a biblical scholar with a Ph.D. in Semitic Studies, and he's the author of many scholarly books related to the spiritual realm, including the best-selling book The Unseen Realm.In this challenging conversation, we talk about the divine council that informs God's decisions, the meaning of "Elohim," the origin of demons, the nephilim, the anakim, other giants in the Bible, and lots of other "strange things" in the Bible that are only strange to modern readers.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on YouTubeConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

The Bible seems to say that God created on man, Adam, and the rest of humanity sprang from his loins. (Creepy image, I know.) But the science suggests otherwise.In this conversation, Old Testament scholar Dr. Tremper Longman helps us navigated the thorny issue of the Bible and science as we consider both the biblical and scientific evidence for the historicity of a historical person named "Adam."Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on YouTubeConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Tremper is one of the top evangelical Old Testament scholars alive today, and he's an evolutionary creationist. In this conversation, Tremper explains why he believes that the science clearly shows that the universe and the earth are old and that this fits perfectly fine with Genesis 1-2. Genesis is simply uninterested in the age of the earth.We discuss the meaning of "day," the phrase "evening and morning," the problem of the sun and moon being created on the 4th day (i.e. how do we determine a "day" without a sun or moon?), and the connection with the Sabbath command in Exod 20/Deut, which seems to assume a literal 24 hour day in Genesis 1.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on YouTubeConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

GregColes is back! Actually, he never left. We just split our conversation into two parts. In our first conversation, Greg shared about his coming out story and what advice he'd give to parents with gay kids, and to gay Christians who are thinking of coming out. Speaking of "gay Christians," that phrase is super debated, misunderstood, and has become the subject of much turmoil in the evangelical community. Greg helps us understand what people mean and don't mean by the phrase. We also talk about other words and phrases like "homosexual," "the gay lifestyle," "practicing homosexual," "same-sex attraction," and "the gay agenda." And we discuss whether same-sex attraction, or "being gay," is itself a morally culpable sin from the perspective of a traditional Christian sexual ethic.Here's the blog series Greg and I referenced in the video:https://www.centerforfaith.com/blog/gay-vs-same-sex-attraction-a-dialogueSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comVenmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on Yo

My good friend Dr. Greg Coles hangs out with me in my basement and we talk about faith, sexuality, and what it was like to comeout as gay. Greg gives some fantastic advice to Christian parents with gay kids and how to respond well when they come out. He also helps those who are wrestling with their sexuality to consider the right context, time, and person to come out to.Greg has an awesome book titled "Single, Gay, Christian," which you can buy here:Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comOr Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on YouTubeConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Evan Wickham is a pastor, church planter, song writer, and worship leader. He's the pastor of Park Hill church in San Diego (https://www.parkhillsd.church) and has been wrestling with how to handle CA governor Gavin Newsom's order against indoor church gatherings. Should Christian churches obey or disobey this order? How essential are large indoor gatherings for "being" the church? Are Christians being persecuted?We also discuss the weirdly controversial topic of wearing masks.Should we do it? Protest it? What's the rationale for wearing or not wearing a mask?Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comOr Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1Watch the podcast on YouTubeConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

My friend #SamAllberry joins me to talk about the perennial question: "Is God Anti-Gay?" Many people think he is, that the Christian God has it out for gay people. But, as someone who experiences #samesexattraction and who also loves the Christian God with all his heart, Sam begs to differ. In this conversation, we talk about some pushbacks to the traditional sexual ethic, what the church can do better, the meaning of the term #gay, and how teenage Christians who experience #SSA should think through identity.Check out Sam's book "Is God Anti-Gay?"Watch this conversation on YouTube.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Tyler Burns is the vice-president of The Witness, which is a black Christian collective that engages issues of religion, race, justice, and culture from a biblical perspective. Tyler is also the co-host of "Pass the Mic" podcast. In this extra raw conversation, Tyler helps us understand current race conversations from a black perspective and educates white evangelicals on our own blind spots and how we can embody Christ in our culture moment. Two things from this convo that really stand out.First, that white people typically respond cerebrally to situations (what are the facts? Show me the evidence?) while black people typically respond with emotion. Neither is "right or wrong," but it's incredibly helpful to understand both social environments.Second, Tyler said that the progressive woke white crowd is just as unproductive as the far right, white supremacist crowed. Black people aren't concern with Aunt Jemima and white, woke, political correctness. Rather, black people want to see actual justice and change.

Lisa Fields is the founder and director of the #Jude3Project, which helps the Christian community know what they believe and why they believe it, with a strong emphasis in equipping those of African descent in the United States and abroad. In this conversation, Lisa unpacks the #blacklivesmatter concept and movement and how it relates to the #gospel. "Black lives matter to God," Lisa says is the most important thing for people to understand. Lisa clears up some misunderstandings surrounding #BLM as a movement and a phrase.Check out Lisa's ministry: https://jude3project.orgPlease consider supporting Lisa's invaluable ministry: https://jude3project.givingfuel.com/wwwjude3projectcomdonateSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Madison Pierce is a New Testament scholar and professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She did her Ph.D. on the book of Hebrews under Francis Watson at Durham University. In this conversation, we talk about various things related to her specialty in the book of Hebrews, specifically how the author (and we don't know who it is, by the way) weaves together Trinitarian thought throughout his quotations of Scripture. We also discuss what it's like being a female in Evangelical academia.Connect with MadisonTwitter | @madisonpierceSupport PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Lore (pronounced Lor-ee) Ferguson Wilbert just released her provocative book Handle With Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry. And it addresses lots of questions that are on peoples’ minds these days—especially men. Can I hug a woman? Side hug or full frontal? Is “the Billy Graham Rule” a good thing or an insulting thing—or a bit of both? How can Christian men avoid affairs and sexual temptations without giving the impression that every woman he’s alone with in the elevator is a stumbling block? Unfortunately, Preston’s internet literally shut down toward the end of this podcast (and, in case you care, it didn’t start working again for another 48 hours, which in these Covid-19 quarantine days is like spending two days in hell with everyone out to lunch). But the 40 minutes they did capture were too good to scrap, so we’ll have to live with the technological embarrassments.Lore Ferguson Wilbert is a writer, thinker, learner, and author of the book, Handle With Care. She writes for Sh