Outpost Theology

In this episode, Josh interviews Kelly about You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News. Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn't create us to do it all.

Kapic explores the theology behind seeing our human limitations as a gift rather than a deficiency. 

Andrew Abernethy (PhD TEDs) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. 

In this episode, Josh talks to Andy about his unexpected route to becoming a Bible professor, and about Andy's new book, Savoring Scripture: A Six-Step Guide to Studying the Bible.

Andy's primary research area has been in Isaiah, though Psalms, the Latter Prophets, biblical theology, and the topic of eating attract his attention too. He has written numerous articles and is also the author of several books: Eating in Isaiah (Brill, 2014); The Book of Isaiah and God’s Kingdom (IVP, 2016); God’s Messiah in the Old Testament (Baker, 2020); Discovering Isaiah (Eerdmans/SPCK, 2021).

Ben Myers is the author of A Poetics of Orthodoxy: Christian Truth as Aesthetic Foundation.

Ken Schenck (PhD Durham) is Vice President for University Partnerships at CampusEdu. 

Ken is a New Testament scholar who has worked for years in Christian education, serving at Indiana Wesleyan University, Wesley Seminary, and Houghton College.

Given Ken's writings on the subject, Josh asks Ken about the challenges facing Christian colleges and seminaries--and about the way forward.

This episode is sponsored by Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Go to OKWU.edu to find out more.

O. Alan Noble (PhD Baylor) is associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, editor-in-chief of Christ and Pop Culture, and author of numerous publications. Alan's books include, Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age, and You are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World--which is the topic of this conversation.

Josh and Alan talk about what makes modern life uniquely dehumanizing, why the myth of self-belonging contributes to anxiety, how the Heidelberg Catechism can help, what drew Alan to literature, and why Christians should read Cormac McCarthy.

Her new book (Resisting the Marriage Plot) explores the work of four beloved female novelists: Jane Austen, Anne Brontë, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Each of these authors appealed to the Christian faith through their heroines to challenge cultural expectations regarding women, especially in terms of marriage. Although Christianity has all too often been distorted to oppress women, Fisher demonstrates that in the hands of these novelists and through the actions of their characters, it could also be a transformative force to liberate women.

Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Seminary) is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, in California. He is also the founder of Truth Unites, which seeks to provide an irenic voice on theology, apologetics, and the Christian life.

In this interview, Josh and Gavin discuss Gavin's latest book, Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn't: The Beauty of Christian Theism.

Gavin has established himself not only as a prolific author and theologian, but also as a gracious and thoughtful voice in the arena of apologetics.

Rev. Amy Peeler (PhD Princeton) is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College.

Amy's primary research centers in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which is why we took this chance to ask her about the famous "warning passages" which have raised both anxiety and questions for some readers (2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; 12:14-29).

For an accessible intro to these passages, see Amy's blog post, "It is a fearful thing to fall out of the hands of the church."

Hebrews articulates what Amy believes is true of all Scripture: it is living and active and sharp enough to penetrate our hearts, minds, and spirits. If we give it our attention and respect, God will reward that work. Consequently, she always discovers new insights into the character of God and his ways with the world as she explores the entire Bible with her classes, colleagues, fellow church members, and family. Her husband Lance, a church organist, and their children, Kate, Maxson, and Kindred serve as her most dear companions on this race of faith (Heb 12:1-2).

Roles reverse as editor David McNutt of IVP Academic interviews Josh McNall about Josh's new book, Perhaps: Reclaiming the Space between Doubt and Dogmatism. 

Topics include:

• Why Perhaps fuses theology, fiction, and cultural critique.
• Being spiritually caught between warring, partisan extremes.
• What's wrong with certainty, from a biblical perspective?
• The place of mystery in theology.
• Who has said "perhaps" in helpful ways?
• How kids inspire projects.
• Writing rituals and habits.
• The fictional story of Eliza Johnson.
• Advice for pastors leading between doubt and dogmatism.
• David's advice for aspiring writers.

In this episode, Josh interviews A. J. Swoboda about A. J.'s new book, After Doubt.

Topics include: causes of religious deconstruction amongst younger Christians, how to walk through seasons of doubt, and the kind of churches that can minister well in the wilderness of suffering and unanswered questions.

A. J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and World Christianity at Bushnell University. He also leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos) and the recently released After Doubt (Brazos). He is the co-host of the “In Faith and Doubt” podcast with Dr. Nijay Gupta. He lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife Quinn, son Elliot, dog Diggory, and a coop full of emotionally unstable chickens. 

Aaron Perry is associate professor of pastoral theology and leadership at Wesley Seminary.

We discuss Aaron's new book on pastoral counseling, Kairos Care: A Process for Pastoral Counseling in the Office and in Everyday Encounters.

That's the question asked by Drew Anderson in his book, No Longer Self Evident. 

Drew is lead pastor of Sumter Chapel, a Wesleyan church in Americus, Georgia. 

Without vilifying or baptizing American identity, Drew asks us to untangle those aspects of our Christianity that may be more informed by our national cultural than by the gospel itself.

Aimee Byrd is an author, speaker, and Christian thinker. 

Her latest book is Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover her Purpose (Zondervan, 2020). 

Far from challenging Scripture, Byrd calls Christians back to the Bible and away from views of of masculinity and femininity that merely call themselves "biblical." In particular, her work questions some of the scriptural and trinitarian claims made by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). Byrd's book is a resource to help Christian leaders improve the culture of their church and disciple men and women to read, understand, and apply Scripture.

Follow Aimee's work on Twitter (here), and on her blog (here).

Drs. Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer teach at Biola University. 

They are the authors of Winsome Conviction: Disagreeing without Dividing the Church.

The Winsome Conviction Project was launched from a heartfelt concern for the toxic, polarized and simply unloving communication climate that is permeating our nation and penetrating the body of Christ. Rick and Tim believe that followers of Christ are obliged to communicate with others in loving ways that preserve human dignity, even as we engage in honest and passionate disagreement. They hope to foster conversations within the church and the broader culture that deepen relationships and enrich lives rather than tear us apart.

Matthew Y. Emerson (PhD) is Dean of Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry at Oklahoma Baptist University.

His book, He Descended to the Dead: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday, was winner of the 2020 CT book of the year in theology.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What the Apostles' Creed means when it says Jesus descended to the dead.
• How interpretation of Christ's descent evolved over time.
• Our participation in the cult of CrossFit.
• Matt's favorite fiction from the past year.
• How pastors can preach Christ's descent this Lenten season.

This episode is sponsored by Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Dr. Timothy C. Tennent is president and professor of world Christianity at Asbury Theological Seminary. 

In his new book, For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body, Dr. Tennent looks at what it means to be created in the image of God and how our bodies serve as icons that illuminate God's purposes. He examines topics like marriage, family, singleness, and friendship, and he looks at how the human body has been objectified in art and media today. He also offers a framework for discipling people today in a Christian theology of the body.

Michael F. Bird is Lecturer in Theology and Academic Dean at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia.

Mike grew up in Brisbane before joining the Army and serving as a paratrooper and intelligence operator. During his time in the military he came to faith from a non-Christian background, and soon after felt a call to ministry. He earned his PhD from the University of Queensland (2005). 

Mike describes himself as a “biblical theologian” who endeavours to bring together biblical studies and systematic theology. Remembered by students for his mix of outlandish humour and intellectual rigor, he makes theology both entertaining and challenging.

As an industrious researcher, Mike has written and edited over thirty books. His book Evangelical Theology is an attempt to develop a truly gospel-based theology that promotes the advance of the gospel in Christian life and thought. He often speaks at conferences in Australia, the UK, and USA and has recently published a New Testament Introduction co-authored with N.T. Wright. He also runs a popular blog called Euangelion.

Michael is married to Naomi and they have four children.

Matthew Thiessen (PhD, Duke) is associate professor in the department of Religious Studies at McMaster University.

His latest book is Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels' Portrayal of Ritual Impurity in First-Century Judaism (Baker Academic, 2020).

In this episode, we discuss how the Gospels portray ritual impurity in corpses, genital discharges, and certain skin conditions. Thiessen's claim is that Jesus does not oppose the system of ritual purity, but rather the impurities themselves, which Jesus consistently removes from those who suffer them. Consequently, Jesus’ ministry of removing impurities suggests that his ministry is one of bringing life to those suffering from the power of death. 

Thiessen's other books include, Paul and the Gentile Problem, and Contesting Conversion: Genealogy, Circumcision, and Identity in Ancient Judaism and Christianity.

Jeremy Treat (PhD, Wheaton) is pastor for preaching and vision at Reality LA in Los Angeles. He is the author of Seek First: How the Kingdom of God Changes Everything (Zondervan, 2019) and The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology (Zondervan, 2014). He and his wife, Tiffany, have four daughters.

In this episode, I ask Jeremy why Christians have often neglected the topic Jesus spoke of most: The Kingdom of God. We also talk about 

• pandemic pastoring in Los Angeles, 
• how the cross and Kingdom go together, and
• how idols claim the throne in our lives.

The AND CAMPAIGN seeks to equip Christians for faithful civic engagement, beyond false choices and toxic partisanship. 

In this episode, I talk with Michael Wear about the (&) Campaign's new book, Compassion (&) Conviction (IVP, 2020), which he coauthored with Justin Giboney and Chris Butler.

@AndCampaign

Esau McCaulley (PhD) is a New Testament scholar and an Anglican Priest. 

His new book is Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. It looks at the tradition of African American biblical interpretation and argues that the Bible can speak a word of hope to African Americans in the United States.

Esau completed his PhD at St Andrews, where he studied under the direction of N.T. Wright.

He is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and his writing has appeared in outlets such as Christianity Today and the Washington Post. Esau is also the host of the Disrupters Podcast and functions as a Canon Theologian for his diocese.

Dr. McCaulley, currently, serves as assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. He is married to Mandy, a pediatrician and a Navy reservist. Together, they have four wonderful children. You can follow Esau on Twitter, @easaumccaulley.

Glenn Packiam is one of the associate senior pastors at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the lead pastor of New Life Downtown, a congregation of New Life Church. Check out all his content at glennpackiam.com.

In this episode, we discuss his new book, Worship and the World to Come: Exploring Christian Hope in Contemporary Worship (IVP Academic, 2020).

Born in Malaysia, Glenn discovered contemporary Christian worship music through a Hosanna "tape of the month" club. He later came to the United States where he became an acclaimed worship leader and songwriter. 

Glenn earned a Doctorate in Theology and Ministry from Durham University in the UK, and is a Visiting Fellow at St. John's College at Durham University as well as an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary. He is an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). Glenn, his wife, Holly, their four children are enjoying life in the shadow of the mighty Rocky Mountains.

Karen Swallow Prior, PhD, is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012), Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014), and On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos, 2018). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Relevant, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, Religion News Service, Books and Culture and other places.

Our conversation focused on Karen's writing, her involvement with the #MeToo and Pro-Life causes, and (most importantly!) how scary it is to be interviewed by a member of the Wesleyan "deep state."

We talk about her new book, Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (IVP Academic, 2019).

This work focuses on why the Old Testament (and specifically the Torah) still matters for Christians.

In the episode, we look specifically at the commandment not to "take/bear God's Name in vain," since Carmen argues that this is about far more than cursing or improper speech: It is a call to "bear" YHWH's Name in a way that shows how God has loved and transformed us.

Carmen and her husband, Danny, have served overseas as missionaries with SIM. They have three children. Her dissertation is published under the title Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai: A Re-Examination of the Name Command of the Decalogue (Eisenbrauns). Carmen is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Institute for Biblical Research, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. Although she enjoys hanging out with other Bible geeks at conferences, her passion is to help the Bible come alive for laypeople. Carmen blogs at www.carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com, Christianity Today, and The Well (InterVarsity). She also releases weekly Torah Tuesday videos on her YouTube channel.

Steve McVey is  founder of the Dirt Roads Network, which focuses on transforming rural America by planting and revitalizing life-giving churches in small towns and communities. For twenty years, Steve served as Lead Pastor of Lamont Wesleyan Church, a thriving church of 400 people in a town of 28 inhabitants. While he has handed off the Lead Pastor duties at LWC, Steve remains on staff there as Rural Missions Pastor.

Steve is cohost of the DirtRoads Circuit Riders Podcast, an honest rambling discussion between three leaders in the rural American church.

Our conversation focused on lessons learned in rural ministry, how rural ministry differs from urban or suburban contexts, misconceptions about middle America, and God's plan to big things in small places.

Jemar Tisby is a historian, writer, and speaker. His first book is The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (Zondervan, 2019).

The episode was recorded just after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. In that light, Jemar speaks about the history of racism in the American church, and of what it will take to move from complicity to courage for racial justice.

Jemar is President of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and he is a cohost (with Tyler Burns) of the "Pass the Mic" podcast.

Show note: Since the interview was recorded on May 28, 2020 (after the slaying of George Floyd), we were not able to talk about the important events that have taken place between that time and the release of the episode.

David Kinnan is Lead Pastor of Fountain Springs Church in Rapid City, South Dakota.

In this episode, we talk about how God works to revitalize the church, even in overlooked places. 

David's story is one surprising renewal and revival in a church that had been dying. 

Topics include:

• How new life comes to struggling churches.
• Preaching to a post-Christian culture.
• Changing patterns of church attendance.
• Wrestling with "ego" and how to receive constructive critique.
• How God can do big things in small places.

Her latest book, Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts, was just selected as the 2019 Readers' Choice Book of the Year from IVP Academic. Check it out!