Episódios
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An interlude (sort of) in the middle of our present series. It does not address a historical challenge, but starts from the other end. What can Christians do today in responding to these challenges?
Barney interviews Professor Mark Glanville of Regent College, Vancouver, on his latest book, Improvising Church. We discuss questions like:
How can the Bible speak meaningfully to new situations Christians face today? How can every Christian exercise leadership in his or her church community? How can you get people to wake up for a prayer meeting at 5:30am?Thanks to Jamie Maule for his audio editing!
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Everyone has heard of the Spanish Inquisition. But how accurate is the popular understanding of it? What really happened and how does it reflect on Christianity? Is this an episode Christians should repent of? What lessons can we learn for the modern day?
These questions and others are discussed in today’s episode. Austin and Barney are joined by Dr. Dennis Castillo who teaches Church History at St. Mary’s Seminary and University.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
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Continuing our “Faith and the challenges of history” series, we turn from biblical history to later history. First of all we want to tackle the crusades, one of the most frequently mentioned in debates about the authenticity of Christian claims to bring peace and justice.
We have invited Dr. Mike Horswell to join us in this discussion. He has spent many years studying not only the crusades, but common perceptions of the crusades in the modern era. He is ideally suited to help us unpack: (1) what the crusades actually were? (2) How do people think of the crusades today? (3) How should Christians think of this episode in their history?
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
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It's a big event: our own podcast co-host's first published book: Austin Stevenson, The Consciousness of the Historical Jesus (T&T Clark: 2024).
The book discusses questions like:
What is the movement called 'the historical Jesus' and how should Christians think about it? How does our own way of doing history depend on our understanding of what it means to be human? How can we read the history of Jesus in a way that transforms our understanding of ourselves? Can the 'historical Jesus' do that? If not, what can?Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
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Is our New Testament the same as the original texts written in the first century? How do we know which manuscripts to trust, and who does the work of deciding? What are the implications of the fact that the biblical text itself has a history?
In this episode, we discuss these questions and more with Dr Jesse Grenz, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound editing!
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Does the Bible value women? Does it make sense to call God ‘Father’ from a feminist perspective? Why did God create gender difference in the first place?
These questions and many more are tackled by Dr. Amy Peeler, New Testament Professor at Wheaton College. Dr. Peeler has recently published Women and the Gender of God which goes into these issues in more depth.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound editing!
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In this episode we talk with Prof Michael J Gorman, New Testament Scholar and author of nearly twenty books including several major works on Paul. In this discussion, Prof Gorman draws a distinction between historical criticism and the historical critical method. He argues that understanding the original context is necessary, but not sufficient when it comes to interpreting the Bible today.
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Austin and Barney go back over the last few episodes and share our thoughts. What did we learn? What did we disagree with? How do we compare and contrast the Bible scholars and theologians we've interviewed so far?
What do YOU think though? Email us your thoughts at whatdoyouthink (at) faithatthefrontiers.com and we'll dialogue with you in future episodes!
This is NOT the end of ‘faith and the challenges of history’: it’s just a pause to catch our breath!
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So many Bible scholars and methods claim to be ‘historical’, but are they all the same? In this episode, Barney and Austin interview Professor Matthew J Thomas, who has come up with a taxonomy of FOUR methods for reading the Bible that are currently prevalent in scholarship:
Simple historical exegesis: interpreting the Bible with attention to its cultural and historical context. Investigating the history of the Bible’s composition, known as ‘source criticism’, ‘form criticism’, or ‘redaction criticism’. Critically assessing the truth of the Bible from another philosophical perspective. Whatever is popular in Germany right now (!)Tune in to hear Prof. Thomas unpack these four categories and their relevance for our faith today!
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!
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Austin and Barney interview theologian Dr Seth Heringer, who describes the development of modern historical methods and how these methods have impacted theology. We consider the ways in which not only the results of historical research, but the principles of the historical method themselves might stand at odds with theology. If history isn't as neutral a discipline as it seems, does that open up possibilities for fruitful dialogue with faith?
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
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Barney and Austin interview Old Testament Professor Iain Provan, who takes a different view to our previous guests on the historical reliability of the Bible. For him, there is every reason to trust the Bible's authors, and no reason not to trust them. Provan also suggests that:
The very idea of history comes from the Old Testament There is no 'neutral' way of reading the Bible: there are Christian or non-Christian ways of reading. Jesus gave us these texts, and that is why we read them.Tune in for more insights on a developing conversation.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
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Austin and Barney interview Professor Emeritus Hugh Williamson of Oxford University on how his faith relates to historical enquiry about the Old Testament. We discuss questions like:
How does Prof. Williamson hold together his identity as a scholar and his faith as a Christian? Does he ever see a conflict between them? What does the historical study of the Bible do for one's faith? What historical events in the Bible does Christian faith depend on?Thanks, as always, to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
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Is the Old Testament historically reliable? What difference does that question make to our faith? What do we mean by 'historical' and 'reliable' anyway?
In this episode, Barney and Austin interview Professor John Goldingay, a retired Old Testament scholar enormously influential in the Evangelical tradition. Prof. Goldingay shares his thoughts about the relationship between faith and biblical history, and then problematizes the question for us: why are we asking about this and in what way should it, and should it not, matter?
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound editing!
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Introducing the new co-host, Austin Stevenson, and our new topic for the next series. Austin and I will be wrestling with how the Christian faith relates to its own history. We'll be asking questions like:
Do Christians have to believe the Bible is historically reliable? Is there evidence to suggest the Bible is historically reliable? How ought Christians to read and interpret the Bible from a historical point of view? How should Christians think about the troubling aspects of their own history after the Bible: crusades, inquisition, colonialism?Tune in soon for the first episode in the series!
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!
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Let's open the science & religion debate to include voices from beyond the White Western world! In this episode Barney interviews two Anglican bishops who are doing just that:
Bishop Richard Cheetham, co-director for global engagement with ECLAS & a member of the Anglican Communion Science Commission. Bishop Joseph Galgalo, provincial secretary of the Anglican Church of Kenya, and assistant bishop of All Saints Cathedral diocese.This episode is full of insights about the way Africans conceive of the faith/science relationship, and what we can learn from it and other global perspectives.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
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Science is done in a society. Society affects not only what science is done, but how people understand it and its role. Dr. Thoko Kamwendo is part of a growing field of research called ‘sciencestudies’ which uncovers the social dimension of scientific research. She has studied in particular how church leaders approach science, and how they communicate its meaning and relevance to congregations. Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
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Do you love reading sci-fi or fantasy? Have you ever thought about its theologial potential? In this episode, Barney discusses the value of science fiction for exploring dimensions of the Christian faith, with:
Revd Prof. David Wilkinson Revd Dr Lucas Mix Dr Amanda Rees Revd Prof. Alan GregoryIf you like this episode and want to learn more, visit these ECLAS resources:
Science, Future and the Christian Imagination. Science Fiction and Public Theology. This article by Amanda Rees: Tales Of Technology And FaithThanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
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Barney interviews Pastor Alton Bell about his experiences persuading his church congregation to take the Covid vaccine. This episode digs into the history of black peoples' engagement with white medicine, and is not always easy listening. But its message is important: science is always communicated by someone, and if that someone is the government, there are political issues at play.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!
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How can scientists enrich and enliven their local church communities? We’ve invited Professor David Wilkinson, Petra Crofton, and Deb Fozzard to explore the impact of the Scientists in Congregations project that shows just how much scientists can do.
If you want to learn more, check out these free science and faith resources for schools and (church) children’s workers:
Wild and Wonderful UK.Also take a look at these children's books on science by Petra Crofton:
Science Geek Sam and His Secret Logbook Science Geek Christy and Her Eco-LogbookFinally, take a look at Petra Crofton's top book recommendation: Francis Collins, The Language of God.
As always, thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!
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What do Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians think of science? Two of their number discuss the distinctives of their tradition on this question:
Chris Done, Professor of astrophysics at Durham University Simo Frestadius, executive director of the institute for Pentecostal theologyAmong their many insights are that:
Charismatics place a lot of emphasis on experience and experiment - not so different to scientists! Charismatics are keen to ‘demythologise’ the Bible - but not the same way Bultmann did!Enjoy listening! Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!
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