The Two Cities (The Two Cities Podcast)

The sports world is in disarray during this global pandemic. For many, sports are a perennial source of conversation and entertainment. But when there's no sports to watch, but everyone's stuck at home, that makes for a sad state of affairs in an already horrible situation. In this episode, John Anthony Dunne chats with his brother Jacob Dunne about current storylines, future possibilities, and media coverage of this phenomenon. Jacob co-runs a fantasy basketball podcast (Take A Ride) and writes for fantasy basketball and fantasy baseball blogs as well.

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In this episode we discuss Virtue, Agency, and Christian Caregiving with Dr. Keith Dow, who is the Manager of Organizational and Spiritual Life with Christian Horizons, a nonprofit charitable organization working with people with intellectual disabilities in Canada and around the world. Dr. Dow is also the author of Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving (published by Baylor University Press). In our conversation, Dr. Dow tells us about his background and how he got interested in caregiving for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Given his theological interests in ethics and virtues, he explains what his understanding of a distinctive ethic of Christian care might look like in terms of the agency of those who receive care and the humility of those who provide it. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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In this episode we debrief a recent conference on socio-scientific approaches to religious enmity that Dr. Chris Porter organized at Trinity College, Melbourne. For this conversation we are joined by two keynote speakers from the conference: Dr. Sam Perry, who is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma, and Dr. Elizabeth Shively, who is Senior Lecturer in New Testament at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (in Scotland). Each of us summarize our respective presentations from the conference, including Dr. Perry's research on White Christian Nationalism and Dr. Shively's research on how stories shape identity, with specific attention given to Jesus’ controversial interaction with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7. As the conversation progresses, we talk about the importance of interdisciplinary study, the benefits of social-scientific approaches to biblical studies as well as the importance of the humanities for social sciences, and the need to do interdisciplinary work in an ethical way. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Chris Porter.

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Carrying on our broader conversation on Apologetics, we are joined by an analytic theologian, Dr. James T. Turner, who is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Anderson University and the author of On the Resurrection of the Dead: A New Metaphysics of Afterlife for Christian Thought(published by Routledge). In this conversation we touch on the nature of apologetics as an enterprise designed to demonstrate that Christianity is not fundamentally irrational. As Dr. Turner contends, this is all apologetics really ought to be, and he goes further to explain that the idea of removing intellectual objections to the faith won’t actually lead people to bow the knee to King Jesus. Another branch of our conversation then delves into the subject matter of Dr. Turner’s book, which is the resurrection and the nature of the afterlife. Dr. Turner is a hylomorphist, which is the view that everything is comprised of matter and form. The soul, then, is the form of all living organisms (humans, plants, trees, dogs). The form thus can’t float free from the matter, and cannot be separated from it. This has huge implications for popular apologetics that point to near death experiences as an argument for God (usually implicitly given in the form of a narrative, such as books like Heaven Is For Real). Dr. Turner explains that he holds this view because he believes that the Bible places all of its hope on the bodily resurrection of human beings, as well as the physical restoration of creation, not on immaterial souls going off to Heaven after the body dies. Team members from The Two Cities on the episode include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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Concluding our series on the intersection of faith and politics we turn to address fake news and the spread of misinformation. In this episode Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Chris Porter are joined by Rachel Wightman, who is Associate Director for Instruction and Outreach at the library at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Over the course of our conversation we discuss what makes misinformation so problematic, what unique factors in our communication today have caused the surge in disinformation, how confirmation bias causes misinformation to be so appealing, why people of faith in particular should be concerned about not spreading misinformation, whether Christians are uniquely susceptible to misinformation, and how we should engage friends/family who are spreading false information online. Along the way, Rachel gives us some practical advice for recognizing fake news stories and for evaluating whether a bit of news is legitimate, including when "experts" appear to be spreading misinformation (e.g. the Fresno doctors who downplayed COVID, the doctors who announced that hydroxychloroquine cures COVID, the Plandemic documentary, etc). She also helps us recognize that bias in journalism does not equate with "Fake News."

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In this episode we talk with Dr. Chris Gooding about the process ofrehabilitating from human trafficking. Dr. Gooding is Assistant TeachingProfessor in the Theology Department at Marquette University, a member of the Mennonite Church USA, and the author of the new book that we discuss in this episode, Beyond Slavery: Christian Theology and Rehabilitation from Human Trafficking (published by Cascade). During our conversation, Dr. Gooding tells us about his firsthand experience working with survivors and social workers in India, pointing out the complexities involved when survivors seek rehabilitation from trafficking, and he offers a theological vision to undergird this important work. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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Carrying on with our Christian Anti-Judaism series, we discuss the early reception of John the Baptist as a key figure for the “parting of the ways” between Christianity and Judaism. Joining us for this discussion is Dr. Nathan Shedd, who is the author of A Dangerous Parting: The Beheading of John the Baptist in Early Christian Memory (published by Baylor University Press). In our conversation, Dr. Shedd discusses the collective memory of John the Baptist’s violent and traumatic death, which was unfortunately weaponized in some anti-Jewish ways by early Christians as a polemical critique of Jews and Judaism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we're joined by Professor Maryanne Wolf to discuss Dyslexia. Prof. Wolf is the Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and the author of a number of books, including Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (published HarperCollins), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (also published by HarperCollins). In our conversation, Prof. Wolf explains to us that reading is an invention, and that the human brain was never intended to read. We have to build a circuit in the brain in order to read; we don’t enter the world equipped to do so. People with Dyslexia, though, have a differently organized brain, with patterns of organization that pre-date our invention of literacy and numeracy. As Prof. Wolf emphasizes, there are advantages that come with these differently organized brains, such as creativity, entrepreneurship, and non-linear thinking. Thus, Dyslexia is something to be understood, rather than overcome. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Madison Pierce.

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In this episode we discuss Disability in the Greco-Roman World and the New Testament with Dr. Louise Gosbell, who is Principal of Mary Andrews College in Sydney, Australia, and the author of The Poor, The Crippled, The Blind, and the Lame: Physical and Sensory Disability in the Gospels of the New Testament (published by Mohr Siebeck). At the outset of our conversation, Dr. Gosbell shares her personal story struggling with chronic health issues that have developed into a disability, as well as the way that disability has affected her wider family. Over the course of our conversation, we discuss the Great Banquet of Luke 14, the woman with the issue of blood, and the man born blind in John 9. As Dr. Gosbell emphasizes with us, disability is not a static experience, either in the ancient world or the modern one, and is an inevitable reality rather than a rare experience. Thus, our accommodation and our framework towards disability needs to shift so that we are much more intentional around disability in our churches, including in our teachings and in our practices. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Grace Emmett, Stephanie Kate Judd, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

Series Disclaimer: We know that this space is fraught, and we don’t speak for every PWD. We may inevitably get some things wrong in this series, but we ask for your patience in advance since we think it’s more important to have the conversation than shy away from it out of fear of saying the wrong thing. At the same time, this is a learning process for all of us, and we want to maintain a posture of learning throughout the series and beyond. Thanks for listening!

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On this episode in the Cultural Identity series we are joined by Dr. Janette Hur Ok, who is associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of the forthcoming monograph Constructing Ethnic Identity in 1 Peter: Who You Are No Longer in the Library of New Testament Studies series. Dr. Ok addresses a number of key issues related to contextualized readings of the New Testament, noting first of all that western biblical scholarship is also contextualized. In other words, there’s no such thing as an a-contextualized reading of Scripture. As such, Dr. Ok tells us a bit about how she developed her own Asian American approach to biblical studies, and we talk about her forthcoming monograph on 1 Peter in particular, which provides an interesting approach to the issue of ethnicity in the letter. As the conversation continues we discuss a range of important topics that help to round out our series, such as various issues of intersectionality, like Asian American feminist scholarship. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Grace Sangalang Ng, and Dr. Kris Song.

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In this episode of The Two Cities podcast we talk with Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, professor of history at Calvin University, about her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted A Faith and Fractured A Nation (Liveright, 2020). Over the course of the conversation Dr. Du Mez tells us about some of the most shocking findings from her book, how Jesus and John Wayne fits within her longstanding research interests in militant Christian masculinity in the US, and how those themes can be traced through the teachings of key Christian leaders like James Dobson, John Eldridge, Douglas Wilson, Doug Phillips, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Jerry Falwell Sr., and Jerry Falwell Jr., among others. We also go beyond the book in connecting the insights from it to the events of January 6, the insurrection at the Capitol building, and the recent attempts to overthrow American democracy. The Two Cities team members on the episode include Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Emmett, Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Continuing our conversation on Apologetics we want to take the next two episodes to ask whether apologetics helps us read Scripture. This week we want to ask that question in relation to the Old Testament specifically. We are joined by Dr. Brent Strawn, Professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School and Professor of Law at Duke University. He is the author of The Old Testament Is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment (Baker), and more recently, Lies My Preacher Told Me: An Honest Look at The Old Testament (Westminster John Knox). In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about a number of issues pertaining to the use of the Old Testament in apologetic discussions. We pose several questions to Dr. Strawn, such as, why is it that apologetics makes it hard for us to read our Bibles, why we are perhaps less open to critical scholarship on the Old Testament than the New Testament, and what we should make of apparent contradictions if we aren’t going to feed the apologetic impulse to “tame” or “fix” the problem? Dr. Strawn contends that we need to see the big picture and put everything into perspective relative to central claims of our faith. He suggests that his approach is more compatible with a classic apologetic that is not mired in modernism and modernist constraints about what counts as facticity, historicity, etc. In the end, Dr. Strawn helpfully calls us to read with the grain of the text and to consider Augustine’s position that good interpretation ought to brings us into greater love of God and love of neighbor. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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In the second installment of our Christian Anti-Judaism series we discuss the Pharisees with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine, who is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies at Hartford Seminary, as well as University Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. Prof. Levine is also the co-editor of the volume, The Pharisees (published by Eerdmans in 2021). Over the course of our conversation we discuss many of the misunderstandings that people have of the Pharisees, and many of the ways that the Pharisees often become a label to identify Jews more broadly (typically as a negative label). Prof. Levine helps us situate the Pharisees within first century Judaism in order to better understand Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament figures, and even gives pastors some tips on how to handle the Pharisees in their sermons. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

More info for Dr. Grace Emmett’s public engagement project for the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, called 'Reimagining Paul: Apostolic Portraits of Masculinity,' which was mentioned at the beginning of the episode, can be found here:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/siibs/news/call-artwork-proposals-siibs-reimagining-paul-project?fbclid=IwAR0XXOriJ5mKi9a5_OCpc7vXsFCP4n4eItv9cGKJIUERnagFnoUojOf-Iz8

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In this episode we discuss the legacy of the famous German resource of Rabbinic parallels to the New Testament, referred to often as Strack-Billerbeck. For this we’re joined by Jacob Cerone, who is a doctoral candidate at the Friedrich Alexander Universität, in Erlagen, Germany, and General Editor and one of translators of the English translation of Strack-Billerbeck (published by Lexham Press). In our conversation, Jacob tells us about the people behind the well-known volume, both Hermann Strack and Paul Billerbeck respectively, as well as the context in which this resource was produced. Further, we discuss the legacy and reception of this resource as well as some of the critiques and concerns about it. Throughout the conversation Jacob provides helpful insights into the various ways that newcomers to Strack-Billerbeck can make use of this great resource in a careful and critical manner. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Continuing our series on Disability & Theology we are joined by Dr. Meghan Henning to talk about Hell & Disability in Early Christian Literature. Dr. Henning is Associate Professor of Christian Origins and the Director of Undergraduate Programs at the University of Dayton (in Ohio), and the author of Hell Hath No Fury: Gender, Disability, and the Invention of Damned Bodies in Early Christian Literature (published by Yale University Press). At the outset of our conversation, Dr. Henning shares her personal and familial experience with disability and how that led her into disability studies, and from there the bulk of our conversation is focused on the representation of damned bodies in Hell within early Christian literature, particularly apocalyptic texts from the first few centuries of Christianity. Notably, Dr. Henning highlights the way that bodies in Hell are generally depicted as effeminate and disabled, which is a distinct development within Christian texts relative to broader culture, and she explains how/why this link would have been made in the ancient world. This conversation covers a difficult topic, but it highlights the way that ableism and misogyny, among other things, affects early Christian reflection on the afterlife, which ought to challenge our contemporary perspectives on disability, gender, and eschatology. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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In this episode we discuss Asian-American Representation in Film with Abel Vang. Abel Vang is an awarded independent film producer, director, writer, and Assistant Professor of Entertainment Producing at Biola University. Some of his major film credits include: What Lies Below, Bedeviled, and the forthcoming, They Live In The Grey. Over the course of the conversation, Abel gives us loads of firsthand insight into the complex challenges that Asian-Americans face in the film industry. He recounts many of the struggles that he has experienced personally, but notes some of the progress that he’s seen in recent years in the industry, and highlights how he puts his hope in God in order to continue persevering in his desire to see more Asian-American representation in film. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Kris Song.

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During this Coronavirus pandemic many of us are practicing social distancing, self-quarantining, and sheltering in place. It's a stressful time existentially and economically, and as a result, what we eat might not seem like much of a concern. Many of us have stocked up on non-perishable food items in case we need to stay tucked away for a few weeks or longer. During this time is it possible that there are better strategies for stocking up that might actually be beneficial for us? In this episode, John Anthony Dunne discusses these things with his sister Christina Fehrenbach, RND, LD, who is a clinical dietitian. Recipes/shopping list can be found below.

A) Tina’s healthy non-perishable shopping list

Dried or low sodium canned beans and lentils

Low sodium canned tuna/chicken

Dried whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain dried noodles)

Seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

Peanut butter/ almond butter powders

Dried fruits and vegetables

Low sodium broth/stocks (vegetable, chicken)

Whole wheat tortillas/whole grain breads

Frozen foods are also a great option (Frozen vegetables, fruits, meats, fish; remember to freeze fresh foods as able before they expire)

B) Tina’s Immune boosting Egg Scramble (Serves two)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 4 large eggs, beaten (substitute egg white for a low fat/calorie option)

Directions

· Using a large non-stick skillet with olive oil, heat pan over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until vegetables are softened

· Add spinach and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and stir mixture. A silicone spatula works best. Cook until eggs are done and reach a temp of 165 degrees.

· Serve with a side of roasted sweet potatoes for added nutrition! (cube fresh sweet potatoes, place in sheet pan with olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes on 375 degrees).

Nutrition Facts (estimated): 220 calories, 15 g fat (less for egg white variation), 5 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein.

C) Tina’s immune boosting chili recipe (Servings: 8)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion - diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper - diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 medium jalapeño seeded - finely chopped
• 1 (12 oz) bag rainbow baby carrots, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (substitute 8 oz ground turkey - fully cooked for meat option)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

• In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
• Add bell pepper and carrots, jalapeño and sauté for another 5-8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, broth, pumpkin, and stir.
• Add beans, turkey, spices and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low-medium and let simmer for about 1 hour or until carrots are slightly softened.

Nutrition Facts (estimated): 254 calories, 5.3 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 130% Vitamin A, 80% vitamin C.

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This episode is the first episode in our series on disability and theology, in which we’re joined by Prof. John Swinton, who is Chair of Divinity and Religious Studies and Professor of Theology at the University of Aberdeen (in Scotland). Prof. Swinton is also a Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) and a Registered Nurse for People with Learning Disabilities (RNMD), and the author of a number of books, including, Dementia: Living in the Memories of God (published by Eerdmans). In this conversation Prof. Swinton provides us with an overview of key terms and methodologies within the field of Disability studies as well as theological conversations around disability to help set up the conversations in our series. In addition to some of those foundational concepts and topics, Prof. Swinton also shares with us some of his insights surrounding the importance of personhood, belonging, dependence, participating in the Body of Christ, our conceptions of time, and the nature of resurrected bodies. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Stephanie Kate Judd, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

Series Disclaimer: We know that this space is fraught, and we don’t speak for every PWD. We may inevitably get some things wrong in this series, but we ask for your patience in advance since we think it’s more important to have the conversation than shy away from it out of fear of saying the wrong thing. At the same time, this is a learning process for all of us, and we want to maintain a posture of learning throughout the series and beyond. Thanks for listening!

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In this episode, Amber Bowen and John Anthony Dunne discuss Critical Theory with special guest Dr. Scott Coley, who is Lecturer in Philosophy and Director of the Global Encounters program at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Over the course of the conversation we address the history and origin of Critical Theory, including its chief aim to upend Modernity's conviction that empirical science is the ultimate arbiter of truth, splitting apart all statements into facts and opinions, and thus relegating issues of morality to the latter category. As we provide some context for Critical Theory, we then transition to understand how Critical Race Theory (CRT) relates to Critical Theory, and address what CRT's unique perspective is. There's been a lot of noise on social media, esp. recently in the midst of the present racial reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, about whether CRT is incompatible with evangelical Christianity. We discuss some strengths and weaknesses to the theory as well as some problems with the way that evangelical responses to CRT typically take shape.

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In this episode we’re talking about Artemis of the Ephesians with Dr. Sandra Glahn, who is Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, and the author of the book that we’re excited to discuss on this episode, Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament (published by IVP). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Glahn talks with us about how scholarship on Artemis of the Ephesians has had a paradigm shift away from viewing her as a fertility deity, which has implications for how we think about the influence of her cult on biblical texts like 1 Timothy, which says that women will be saved through childbearing. The conversation is a fascinating one about the significance of biblical backgrounds in general, and specifically for interpreting one of the most esoteric passages in the Pauline corpus. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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In the penultimate episode of our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology, we talk about living in the shadow of Christian Zionism with Tony Deik, who is currently a residential researcher at Tyndale House in Cambridge, where he is working on his PhD research in New Testament, as well as a lecturer in Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College, and a networking team member of the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation. Over the course of our conversation tell us his personal story, and stresses his surprise at the prominence of Zionism in Christian circles, especially within evangelicalism, and he addresses various problems that he sees with wedding together Christianity and Zionism. Towards the end we discuss how his perspective and experience as a Palestinian Christian informs his reading of the Bible.

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In the final episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series (which began with our introductory episode [Episode #106] on 02/02/2022), we turn to discuss Jewish-Christian relations and interfaith dialogue with Larry Behrendt, who is an attorney and treasurer at his synagogue, having been involved in inter-religious dialogue for over ten years, and Dr. Anthony Le Donne, who is professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary (Ohio). Together they are the authors of Sacred Dissonance: A Richer Faith through Jewish-Christian Dialogue (published by Hendrickson). At the outset Larry and Anthony discuss how their interfaith dialogue first began, how it eventually turned into a book, and some of the realizations and discomforts that came about from the process. Over the course of our conversation Larry and Anthony discuss the asymmetries of experience between Christians and Jews that make dialogue difficult, and the kind of “holy envy” that comes about through appreciation of the other side (as well as how problematic that envy can when it extends to appropriation). Team members of the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode of our Jesus Film series, we’re talking about costuming with Dr. Katie Turner. Dr. Turner is an independent scholar who completed her PhD at King’s College, London and has a forthcoming monograph, entitled, Costuming Christ (with T&T Clark). Over the course of our conversation we discussed the difference between ancient clothing and modern costuming in Jesus films, what evidence we have for ancient dress in the second temple period and the Greco-Roman world, and how Christian art informs costuming decisions in Jesus films and communicates certain exegetical decisions, some of which have harmful consequences. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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CW: References to self-harm. In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Isaac T. Soon, who is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University in New Brunswick, and the author of A Disabled Apostle: Impairment and Disability in the Letters of Paul (published by Oxford University Press). Drawing upon the cultural model of disability, Dr. Soon explains that Paul likely had three kinds of disabilities, in terms of how these conditions were stigmatized in the ancient world, including: demonic oppression, circumcision, and dwarfism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, and Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng.

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Kicking off our brand-new series on apologetics we begin with the end! Our first guest is Dr. Myron Bradley Penner, the author of The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness in a Postmodern Context (published by Baker), and the Rector at the Anglican Parish of Saint Paul in the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, Alberta. Dr. Penner helpfully kick starts this series by asking what the goals of apologetics ought to be? He draws attention to many problems with the modern apologetic enterprise with their goals essentially being to win epistemic standoffs and show a force of rational domination. He highlights that many of the key figures in Christian apologetics are engaged in a project that is ironically secular, drawing as it does upon a modernist frame in order to attempt to win a battle against modernity. In our conversation, we discuss the problems that occur with reducing Christianity to propositions, as is so often done in this mode of apologetics. In our postmodern age, we are rightly skeptical of claims to “objective,” “universal,” and “neutral” knowledge, and so such an apologetic approach is also out of touch in addition to being so often less-than-Christian. Many of the questions that people are asking nowadays are also not the same ones in which classical apologetics first began. For all of these reasons, modern apologetics needs to die; and raised in its place must be something more personal, holistic, relational, and communal. Team members of the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Jeremiah Coogan, who is Assistant Professor of New Testament at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, and he’s a co-author of Encountering AI: Ethical and Anthropological Investigations which is a book-length special issue of the Journal of Moral Theology, which we discuss in this episode. Our conversation focuses on the contemporary matters of artificial intelligence that demand our ethical consideration, such as the ways that humans are programming A.I. presently, rather than simply what sort of doomsday scenario might occur in the future. We cover such topics as the alignment problem, longtermism, large language models, and the use of A.I. in education. Team members on episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Continuing our conversation on gender dynamics in Scripture and the Church, in this podcast episode we talk about the binary of Complementarianism and Egalitarianism regarding how to conceive of the relationship of men and women in marriage and in the church. Has the entrenchment of the binary led us to miss aspects of the text? For this conversation, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Emmett, and Grace Sangalang Ng are joined by Dr. Michelle Lee-Barnewall, Associate Professor of New Testament at Biola University in La Mirada, CA and author of Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian: A Kingdom Corrective To The Evangelical Gender Debate (with Baker in 2016). Over the course of the conversation Dr. Lee-Barnewall tells us what she finds to be deficient in both Complementarianism and Egalitarianism, what is often missing from and overemphasized in the debate, how her unique approach fits in church contexts, how Complementarians and Egalitarians alike have responded to her book, how her books fits into contemporary gender identity and gender discourse, and how to think of her ideas in the light of broader cultural interests in diversity of all sorts.

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In this episode we review the new Dune film by Denis Villeneuve with Matthew William Brake, the series editor for the Theology and Pop Culture series published by Fortress and Lexington Press. Over the course of our conversation we talk about our appreciation of the film, how it did as an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, and how it compares to David Lynch’s much-maligned film version from 1984. Key themes that we dig into include: cultural representation and a lack of other-worldliness in the new film, the relationship of individuals to the larger group, Messiah tropes, prophecy, and “future memories,” and what other films might secretly be set within the Dune universe. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Kris Song.

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In this episode we celebrate 100 podcast episodes! In the spirit of celebration, we have an eclectic episode full of feedback from some of our previous guests as well as questions from listeners and responses from all twelve of our podcast hosts. In addition we conclude the episode with a number of bloopers followed by the origin story of our theme music, and the unveiling of our new theme music for the next 100 episodes! Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Jennifer Guo, Brandon Hurlbert, Stephanie Kate Judd, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Logan Williams. 

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The Two Cities, which began as a blog in 2011 (thetwocities.com) is launching a new podcast all about Theology, Culture, and Discipleship. You can expect an eclectic array of theological integration on this podcast by professors, PhD students, and pastors around the world.

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As the penultimate episode in our Apologetics series, we discuss the need for Urban Apologists in particular to address how Christianity has been whitewashed. For this conversation, we are joined by Pastor Jerome Gay, Jr., who is the founder and pastor of Vision Church in Raleigh, NC, the author of The Whitewashing of Christianity: A Hidden Past, A Hurtful Present, and A Hopeful Future, and one of the contributors to the recent volume on Urban Apologetics (published by Zondervan). As Pastor Jerome explains, whitewashing is the way that Christianity is inaccurately portrayed as being a White religion from the very beginning, including the way that prominent African figures in the early church, including figures like Athanasius and Augustine, are regularly represented as white in Christian art. This is an important issue for many reasons, esp. since it is a hurdle to extending the gospel to black communities. Beyond matters of imagery, Pastor Jerome also speaks to the need to live out the gospel and empathetically enter into the experience of others when doing Urban Apologetics. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Sangalang Ng, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we discuss the concept of “Biblical Womanhood” from a historical perspective. To do so we are joined by Dr. Beth Allison Barr, who is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of History at Baylor University (Waco, TX), and the author of the forthcoming book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth (with Brazos). In her new book, Dr. Barr contends that “Biblical Womanhood” isn’t biblical at all, but rather is the product of people. She relays to us in our conversation some of the ways that she defends that thesis in her book, some key insights and motivations behind writing the book, and also some of the plans she originally had for certain chapters. Along the way we make reference to Jordan Peterson, whether a concept like “Biblical Womanhood” can be salvaged and reinvested with new meaning, the cultural tensions of patriarchy and feminism, and the implications of Dr. Barr’s new book for recent sexual abuse scandals that have come to light regarding Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Emmett, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled 5–4 against President Trump's attempt to repeal former President Obama's executive order on Immigration, known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). In this episode, John Anthony Dunne and Rev. Daniel Parham are joined by Jon Garcia, a PhD student in Religion at USC. Over the course of our conversation we talk about the implications of this ruling, President Trump's possible determination to try to repeal DACA once more, the relationship between immigration policy and growing nationalism in America, the nature of the conservative argument in favor of voting for Trump in 2016 on the grounds of gaining conservative justices given the two rulings from last week that went against certain conservative positions (i.e. regarding LGBT rights and immigration), and how certain cultural and societal trends have particularly led white evangelicals to be disinclined towards seeing immigration as a subject worth Christian reflection and action.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Watkin to talk about Biblical Critical Theory. Dr. Watkin is Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and he’s the author of Biblical Critical Theory: How The Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture (published by Zondervan). In our conversation, Dr. Watkin talks about how all critical theories speak out against the status quo, and that the Bible itself offers us a storied version of a critical theory. In particular, Dr. Watkin emphasizes how the story of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, invites Christians to a third way to approach culture that is neither simply demolitional nor straightforwardly affirming. It does so, he contends, not as a metanarrative, but as a mesonarrative, a story that unfolds in the midst of history rather than standing over and above it. As he explains, all critical theories make life viable, visible, valuable, and the Bible’s own critical theory does so as well. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we discuss the relationship of scholarship on the Gospels and the historical Jesus with Dr. Mark Goodacre, who is Frances Hill Fox professor of Religious Studies at Duke University, the author of a number of important studies on the historical Jesus, the Gospels, particularly the Synoptic Problem, and the Gospel of Thomas, and the creator of one of the original biblioblogs, called NTBlog, as well as one of the original biblical studies podcasts, called the NTPod. Over the course of our conversation we discuss a number of aspects of Jesus films and how those relate to contemporary Gospels scholarship, including, the role of the imagination in historical reconstruction, the nature of Jesus’ self-understanding, first-century crucifixion, and the composition of the Gospels from earlier sources. Some of the Jesus films that we address at length include: Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Arcand’s Jesus of Montreal (1989), and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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How should we define the gospel? Recently, there have been some heated discussions about the nature of the gospel. What should the central identifying feature be? Should it be the legal declaration of Justification by Faith? Or should it be the regal proclamation that Jesus is King? In this episode, Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, Chris Porter, Kris Song, and Logan Williams call into question whether identifying a "center" to the gospel is even helpful in the first place, and draw attention to the broader implications about what tends to happen in our theological discourse when we talk about what the gospel is and is not. The way the gospel is often addressed in these kinds of conversations have implications for creating insiders and outsiders. In the end, we attempt to provide an account of what the gospel is in ten words or less, but conclude with the observation that the personal nature of the gospel and a relational understanding of the truth of the gospel breaks beyond reductionistic propositions.

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In this all-women episode, Amber Bowen discusses the unique experiences of women in the theological academy, including the challenges that women have to navigate as well as the particular benefits that they bring to the theological task. Joining Amber for this rich conversation are two special guests to The Two Cities: Dr. Jill Firth (PhD, Ridley College), who is Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Christa McKirland (PhD, University of St Andrews), who is Lecturer in Systematic Theology at Carey Baptist College in Auckland, New Zealand. The episode is filled with personal reflection, theological insight, and deep encouragement regarding the importance of women being equal contributors in the academy.

Here is the link to the BYU Magazine article on women that Dr. Christa McKirland mentioned on the podcast, “When Women Don’t Speak.”

Here is the link to Logia's webpage: http://logos.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/logia/

The edited volume that Dr. Jill Firth mentioned is called, Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in the Evangelical Tradition, edited by Jill Firth and Denise Cooper-Clarke.

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In this episode a group of team members from The Two Cities (Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Emmett, Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Logan Williams) are joined by Dr. Ekaputra Tupamahu, who is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Portland Seminary, to discuss his recent piece published with the Public Theology Network, entitled, “The Stubborn Invisibility of Whiteness in Biblical Scholarship” (Here is the link: https://politicaltheology.com/the-stubborn-invisibility-of-whiteness-in-biblical-scholarship/). Dr. Tupamahu explains that the key to resisting the imposition of whiteness onto others, Christian scholars ought to bring the church’s questions to scholarship rather than taking the scholarly nuggets to the church. Scholars are asking different questions than those in the church, but, more importantly, scholars also tend to be asking the questions of white European-Americans. One of the common issues in biblical studies that Dr. Tupamahu situates within the particular concerns of whiteness is the Synoptic Problem, which he contends is generated by the rise of the printing press in the West. Given this situatedness, Dr. Tupamahu provides some advice on how to teach Synoptic Problem as a uniquely European-American concern. Dr. Tupamahu also provides us with a sneak peek on how his own current research resists the concerns of whiteness, telling us that his current book project with OUP on “tongues" and “languages" in 1 Corinthians situates the discussion within the immigrant context of Corinth in which multiple languages would have been spoken. He explains how in the whole discussion on tongues Paul is insisting on monolingual order in a multilingual context.

Dr. Tupamahu’s piece is part of a series of essays at the Public Theology Network, which are also worth checking out:

Jacqueline Hidalgo, “Occupying Whiteness: A Reflection in 2020” (link: https://politicaltheology.com/occupying-whiteness-a-reflection-in-2020/).

Angela Parker, “Invoking Paul’s μὴ γένοιτο and Sofia’s ‘Hell No’ Against the Stubborn Whiteness of Biblical Scholarship” (link: https://politicaltheology.com/invoking-pauls-%ce%bc%e1%bd%b4-%ce%b3%ce%ad%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%b9%cf%84%ce%bf-and-sofias-hell-no-against-the-stubborn-whiteness-of-biblical-scholarship/).

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In this episode in our Disability & Theology series, we are joined by Dr. Shane Clifton to talk about virtue ethics and what it means to live a good life with a disability. Dr. Clifton is a disability ethicist and theologian, Principal Policy Officer and Director of Respect & Inclusion at the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation against People with Disability, and an Honorary Associate for the Centre of Disability Research and Policy, the University of Sydney. He’s also the author Crippled Grace: Disability, Virtue Ethics, and the Good Life (Published by Baylor University Press). During our conversation, Dr. Clifton shares with us his experience of a spinal cord injury that left him with quadriplegia and the way that experience compelled him to re-explore happiness, or eudaimonia, within the virtue tradition as a pursuit specifically for people with disabilities. This conversation is rich with discussion on virtue ethics and full of raw and honest reflections on pain and pleasure. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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To kick off our series on Art & Culture we are joined by Dr. Esther Meek, who is Professor of Philosophy at Geneva College, and the author of a number of important works on epistemology, including Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (with Brazos) and Loving to Know: Introducing Covenant Epistemology (with Cascade). In this episode Dr. Meek addresses the relationship between Art and Knowing. Over the course of our conversation we discuss how modernism has sidelined philosophy along with art, which has really taken away a key facet of what it means to be human in the world. Along the way as we discuss everything from boredom to Harry Potter to the Enneagram and the Night Blooming Cereus, Dr. Meek models a lively and exuberant appreciation for reality and an approach to knowing that is inherently creative, integrative, and beautiful. Team members on the episode include Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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Following up on our previous conversation on Critical Theory from last week ("Understanding Critical Theory with Dr. Scott Coley"), in this episode Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, and Logan Williams are joined by ethicist and political theologian, Dr. Matthew Arbo, who is Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Oklahoma Baptist University. Over the course of our conversation we explore the ethics of Critical Theory (and Critical Race Theory), noting its relationship to ideologies such as capitalism and marxism, and how it manifests itself in society through avenues like activism.

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Continuing our series on Cultural Identity, we turn to discuss Critical Race Theory and its potential for intersection with the gospel. In previous episodes on Critical Theory (CT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT), we have primarily focused on the common characterizations and misunderstandings of the movement, the theories, etc. In this episode we are joined by scholars who make use of CRT in an intentionally Christian way. Our guests include, Dr. Nathan Cartagena, who is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, Dr. Jeff Liou, who is the Director of Theological Formative at Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the co-founder of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, and Dr. Robert Chao Romero, who is Associate Professor of Chicano/Chicana Studies and Asian American Studies at UCLA. Over the course of the conversation, Dr. Cartagena, Dr. Liou, and Dr. Romero explain how CRT relates to the goof news of Jesus Christ and how CRT helps the spread of the gospel through evangelism in racially minoritized communities. This episode contains many powerful challenges for the church to boldly engage in the work of antiracism for the sake of the gospel. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Continuing our series on Jesus films, we are joined in this episode by Dr. Siobhán Jolley to discuss the representation of Mary Magdalene. Dr. Jolley recently completed her PhD at the University of Manchester with a thesis entitled, “Reimaging the Magdalene: Liberative Reception Criticism and the Counter-Reformation Magdalene.” In our conversation Dr. Jolley talks to us about how little we actually know about Mary Magdalene from the Gospels themselves, and how her legend and myth evolves in art history and church history to present her as a sex worker, among other things. We review some of the films that reflect this tradition, esp. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988; dir. Martin Scorsese), and talk about how this portrayal is developed further than anywhere in Jesus films in the series, The Chosen (2017; dir. Dallas Jenkins). We also discuss the romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene that develops in various aspects of Mary Magdalene’s reception, most notably in The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown), and we address the significance of that for the interest in the modern forgery of “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife.” Among other things we also chat about the rehabilitation of Mary’s character in the recent film simply entitled, Mary Magdalene (2018; dir. Garth Davis), starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode we’re joined by Zachary Wagner to talk about Non-Toxic Masculinity. Zach is editorial director for the Center for Pastor Theologians, a doctoral candidate in New Testament at the University of Oxford, and the author of the book that we discuss in this episode, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality (published byIVP). Over the course of our conversation, Zach explains to us how Toxic Masculinity is dehumanizing, turning women’s bodies into objects of male sexual desire, and turning men’s minds into that of animals. Zach is therefore keen to offer a vision of masculinity that pushes back against the popular Christian vision of masculinity that comes from Purity Culture, which perpetuates Toxic Masculinity within Christian subculture.Zach also powerfully shares his own personal story from which his thoughts and reflections stem. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Matthew Novenson, who is Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about his new book, which is a collection of essays on Paul’s writings, entitled, Paul, Then and Now (published by Eerdmans). Dr. Novenson explains that this collection is meant to be more meta, considering the way we approach Paul hermeneutically. As part of this project, he is concerned to defamiliarize Paul for us, to make him "weird" again. Over the course of our conversation we talk about some of the things that makes Paul weird to us, particularly his eschatological anthropology, and how we should situate Paul relative to ancient Judaism and medieval  monotheism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Today (April 8, 2020) marks the 30th anniversary of when the classic TV show Twin Peaks first aired. In our previous episode ("Twin Peaks: Why We Love It – Part One"), John Anthony Dunne and Kris Song discussed the cultural phenomenon that is Twin Peaks. In this episode, we discuss further how dreams function within the show as well as the broader work of David Lynch.

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In this episode we recap and reflect on the gender series that we’ve been doing since mid-November 2020. The series spans eighteen episodes, beginning with “Paul and Masculinity with Grace Emmett” (November 11, 2020) and ending with “The Great Sex Rescue with Sheila Wray Gregoire” (March 10, 2020). As we explain in this conversation, we regard every episode in between these two episodes as being part of the series, including the ones on racial matters, such as, “Whiteness in Biblical Scholarship with Dr. Ekaputra Tupamahu,” “Critical Theory: Fact, Fiction, or Fallacy? With Dr. Matthew Arbo and Dr. Scott Coley,” and “African American Readings of Paul with Dr. Lisa Bowens.” Over the course of the episode, we debrief some of our highlights from the series, some connections and themes that we noticed across the episodes, some reactions and responses we received from people who tuned in, and we also extended the discussion further to emphasize the importance and implications of these conversations for current events related to violence against women in the light of the murder of Sarah Everard in London in early March 2021. Contributors on the episode from The Two Cities include Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Emmett, Brandon Hurlbert, Grace Sangalang Ng, Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Logan Williams, and our newest contributor, Jennifer Guo, who is a PhD student in New Testament at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN).

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In this episode we kick off our brand-new series on Christian Anti-Judaism. Here we introduce the key topics of the conversation, and provide some context for why we regard this conversation as an ethical imperative for Christians, since our collective history is steeped in anti-Judaism. Along the way, we define some of the key terms, including anti-Judaism, which we distinguish from anti-Semitism as being more focused on essentialist religious ideas than strictly ethnic categories (even though there is a lot of overlap at times), supersessionism, which is the idea that the Church replaces Israel, and philo-Judaism, which can be a form of anti-Judaism that is characterized by cultural appropriation. We hope that this introductory episode helps to set up the conversation that will unfold with our special guests, including both Christians and Jews, over the next several weeks. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

Reading List For Further Engagement:

Belser, Julia Watts and Melanie S. Morrison, “What No Longer Serves Us: Resisting Ableism and Anti-Judaism in New Testament Healing Narratives,” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Fall 2011): 153–70.

Mason, Steve. “Jews, Judaeans, Judaizing, Judaism: Problems of Categorization in Ancient History.” Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period 38, no. 4–5 (2007): 457–512.

Miller, David M. “Ethnicity, Religion and the Meaning of Ioudaios in Ancient ‘Judaism.’” Currents in Biblical Research 12, no. 2 (February 2014): 216–65.

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In this episode we're kicking off a Summer series on Jesus films! Today we're joined by Matthew Page to talk about his new book, 100 Bible Films (published by The British Film Institute with Bloomsbury). In our conversation, Matthew talks about the history of movies according to Bible films. He highlights the ways that Bible films can teach us about cinema more broadly rather than strictly about the Bible, though he does address the topic of Bible films specifically as adaptations of literary source material. Key film discussions emerge around Darren Aronofsky's Noah (2014) and mother! (2017), Amos Gitai's Esther (1986), and the must-be-watched-to-be-believed Assassin 33 A.D. (2020), which is our pick for the worst Bible film of all time. This conversation situates Jesus films within the broader phenomenon of Bible Films and sets up the next several episodes in our series nicely, where we will dive more deeply into Jesus films. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Amy Kenny, a disabled scholar and Shakespeare Lecturer, to talk about her book, My Body Is Not A Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church (published by Brazos). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Kenny shares with us her lived experience of disability and marginalization in the church, and the pain of unwanted prayers that essentially want to rid her of her disabled body. Instead of thinking in terms of healing, Dr. Kenny wants Christians to approach disability with the realization that God has always been at work in disability, since many biblical characters had a disability of some kind, and that, at the eschatological banquet in Luke 14, people with all sorts of disabilities will be present with their disabilities. Indeed, as she affirms, there's even something we can learn about disability from the broader community of God's creation, where nature resists the straight and orderly design of ableist structure. This conversation is rich with powerful testimony, witty one-liners, and incisive reflection on some of the problematic aspects of the church's approach to disabilities. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Kris Song.

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In this episode we review the recent annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. In the first half of the episode our team members share a bit about our respective highlights as well as the papers we presented, including the following team members from The Two Cities: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth. Then in the second half of the episode we switch over to hear from various scholars in the book stalls and the craft beer reception (SBLAAR), including (in order of appearance): Prof. David deSilva, Dr. Christoph Heilig, Dr. Mike Bird, Dr. Daniel Gurtner, Dr. Leslie Baynes, Dr. Ekaputra Tupamahu, Rev. Dr. Daniel Morrison, Rev. Warwick Fuller, Dr. Logan Williams, Dr. Matthew Sharp, Dr. Adam White, Dr. Rick Wadholm, Caleb Cooke, Prof. Craig Blomberg, Taylor Patz, and Dr. J. Andrew Cowan.

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In this episode, we discuss what it means to believe the gospel, following up on our previous episode discussing recent debates on the blogosphere about what the gospel is and isn't ("Talking about the Gospel"). Building upon that previous conversation, Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, and Logan Williams discuss binary thinking that impairs how we conceive of what faith is, and then address more helpful ways beyond that restrictive way of thinking that is more in line with how the Greek words for “faith” (πίστις; pistis) and “believing” (πιστεύω; pisteuō) were used and understood in the New Testament—as expressions of trust.

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In this episode in our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology we discuss the intersectionality of the Palestinian experience by discussing matters of identity from a feminist perspective with Marah Sarji, who is a Christian Palestinian working on a master’s degree in Anthropology from Tel Aviv University. Over the course of the episode, Marah talks with us about the complexities of her identity, being a Christian Palestinian woman living in Jerusalem. In particular, Marah shares so much with us about her lived experience feeling unable to identify fully with the broader culture, sometimes passing as an Israeli, and hearing men “break the silence” with her about what they formerly did in the West Bank as members of the IDF. Marah’s main emphasis is that Palestinian Liberation Theology from a feminist perspective should not only seek liberation from Zionism, but also from patriarchy, and should also seek the liberation of all Palestinians, not simply Christians. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Nico Catman.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Dennis Edwards to talk about the interpretation of Philemon. Dr. Edwards is Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, and the author of Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice (Herald Press) with a forthcoming book on humility coming out soon. In our conversation, Dr. Edwards talks about the possible backgrounds that occasioned the letter, and how different theories about that background changes how we read the letter (esp. if we move away from the common view that Onesimus is a runaway slave). We discuss various implications that this letter creates, including how to read and think through and even preach through this letter in the light of our contemporary setting. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we give a joint review of the two Summer movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer. Over the course of our conversation we talk about the themes that emerge when the two ostensibly different films are juxtaposed and interpreted together, including: death, existential angst, technology, feminism, and power, and we have a lot of fun along the way. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Barbie (Dr. Madison Pierce), Ken (Dr. Brandon Hurlbert), and Allan (Dr. John Anthony Dunne).

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In this episode we are joined by Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, to talk about her forthcoming book, Women and the Gender of God (published by Eerdmans on October 4th). Over the course of our conversation, Rev. Dr. Peeler explains that this book is trying to address where women fit in the family of God by looking primarily to Mary, the Mother of God. Furthermore, Rev. Dr. Peeler describes how thinking through Mary’s role in the incarnation helps her address the role of women in ministry as well as the difficult issues related to the gender of God, including the language of Father and Son for the persons of the Trinity and even the question of God’s “preferred pronouns” in Scripture. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

You can pre-order the book from Amazon or, preferably, from the publisher’s website:

https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7909/women-and-the-gender-of-god.aspx

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In this episode we’re once more talking about the new book, Theology and Black Mirror (published by Lexington and Fortress Academic, imprints of Rowman & Littlefield), that was edited by team members from The Two Cities podcast, Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Joining us for this conversation are four additional contributors to the volume, who each discuss what they would like to see from a new season of Black Mirror (in light of the recent announcement of a forthcoming sixth season on Netflix) as well as the ideas addressed in their respective essays. Our guests are Dr. Jeremiah Bailey, who is an adjunct professor at Baylor University, Elizabeth Culhane, who is a PhD candidate in philosophy and religion at the University of Queensland (Australia) and is a tutor at Ridley College (Melbourne, Australia), Professor James F. McGrath, who is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, and Dr. Nathaniel A. Warne, who is priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mishawaka, Indiana. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Kris Song.

The essays from Amber and John’s new book, Theology and Black Mirror, discussed in this episode include the following:

Chapter 10, “Re-Dos and Re-Visions: Replay and the Search for Meaning in the Shepherd of Hermas and The Entire of History of You” (by Jeremiah Bailey)

Chapter 12, “Alternate Eyes: Perspective Shifting in the Samson Narrative and Black Mirror” (by Brandon Hurlbert)

Chapter 13, “‘Not Some Crazy Spiritual Thing’: Rewards, Punishment, and Afterlife in Black Mirror” (by James F. McGrath)

Chapter 15, “Reflecting the Infinite or the Finite? The Mirror Motif in Gregory of Nyssa and Black Mirror” (by Elizabeth Culhane)

Chapter 16, “Memoria and The Entire History of You” (by Nathaniel A. Warne)

Chapter 18, “Where are You? San Junipero and the Technology of Shared Space” (by Kris Song)

Chapter 19, “Uploaded to the Cloud: Transhumanism and Digital Hope in Black Mirror” (by John Anthony Dunne)

The book is presently available for purchase in hardcopy and as an e-book wherever you get your books (with plans to make a paperback at some point). For those interested in purchasing the book, there is a discount code for the publisher’s website (rowman.com) for 30% off (use code the discount code is LXFANDF30 at checkout).

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Continuing our series on disability and theology, we conclude our look at textual matters within this series by looking at protagonists and their impairments in early Christian literature with Dr. Kylie Crabbe, who is Senior Research Fellow in Biblical and Early Christian Studies, and Director of Graduate Research Programs for the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry, which is part of Australian Catholic University. She holds a current Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian Research Council (2022-2024) for her project ‘Inside Others: Early Christian Protagonists and Their Impairments’. Over the course of our conversation, we discuss the function of the impairments of protagonists within early Christian texts. In particular, we look at the infertility of Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, the representation of John in the apocryphal Acts of John, and the representation of Peter’s daughter in the apocryphal Acts of Peter. As we do so we juxtapose this discussion with the representation of Paul within the canonical book of Acts relative to his description of himself in his letters. Dr. Crabbe is keen to point out the differences at work when a character with an impairment is the main character in their own story rather than a peripheral character whose purpose is to show us something about the unimpaired protagonist. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we talk about the recent scandals committed by major leaders in the church, most notably Ravi Zacharias. For this conversation we are joined by Aimee Byrd, the author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (published by Zondervan), and Dr. Michael Bird, who is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College, Melbourne. We wanted to have Aimee and Mike on with us because they have been having robust and lively conversations together on YouTube called "Birds of a Feather," and we wanted to be a part of one of their interesting conversations on The Two Cities. Over the course of our discussion we talk about various reactions to the Ravi Zacharias scandal in particular, and more generally we reflect on the cultural factors in the evangelical world that might lead to abuse and how to have systems set in place within the church and within denominations to properly handle situations of abuse. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Grace Sangalang Ng, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Cynthia Long Westfall, Associate Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College (Hamilton, Ontario) and the author of Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle's Vision for Men and Women in Christ (Baker, 2016). Our the course of our conversation we discuss a number of historical and cultural background issues, including, the Artemis cult at Ephesus, Paul's Hellenistic background, whether Paul wrote 1 Timothy (and if that has any bearing on how we should handle 1 Timothy as a whole), and maternal mortality. Textually, we dive into the meaning of a number of exegetical and lexical issues in 1 Timothy 2, including the meaning of "saved through childbearing" (1 Tim. 2.15), how Adam and Eve relate to the exhortations that Paul is giving related to his command that women ought to learn, and whether the passage is directed to husband and wife dynamics in the home or to a worship context. Team members from The Two Cities on the episode include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Grace Sangalang Ng, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we’re beginning a short series on Palestinian Liberation Theology, starting with a discussion on Zionism and the Nakba with Yousef AlKhouri, who is a Christian Arab Palestinian residing in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he is a lecturer in Biblical Studies and Mission at Bethlehem Bible College, and he is currently working on his doctorate in contextual interpretation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Over the course of our conversation, Yousef provides helpful historical context for Zionism and the traumatic experience of the Nakba, when Palestinians were forcefully displaced from their homes. As he articulates this, he shares many gut-wrenching stories of his personal and familial experiences of occupation, and also conveys his heart for constructive theological reflection on the contested issue of the land. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Nico Catman.

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Carrying on in our conversation on gender, we turn to discuss women in 1 Corinthians with particular attention given to the passage about head coverings in 1 Cor. 11 and women being silent in the church in 1 Cor. 14. In this episode, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Logan Williams are joined by Dr. Lucy Peppiatt, who is Principal of Westminster Theological Centre in the UK and author of a number of related books, including Women and Worship at Corinth (Cascade, 2015), Unveiling Paul's Women (Cascade, 2018), and Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women (IVP, 2019). Dr. Peppiatt's background is in Systematic Theology, so she identifies herself as coming to the text as a theologian rather than a Pauline scholar. In her reading of 1 Cor. 11.2–16—the passage that speaks of head coverings and kind of sounds like women are inferior to men—these verses are not Paul's words, but rather part of rhetorical response to the perspective of the Corinthians. Dr. Peppiatt explains that she does not think that Paul believes these words, and that, if he did, the only legitimate interpretation in her view would be that Paul affirms the subordination of women both functionally and ontologically. She notes that this is how one scholar, Michael Lakie, reads the passage does, suggesting that Paul views women as subordinate and less than men. See Michael Lakie, Image and Glory of God: 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 As A Case Study in Bible, Gender, and Hermeneutics (LNTS 418; London: T&T Clark, 2010). On its face, Dr. Peppiatt does not disagree with Lakie's interpretation of 1 Cor. 11.2–16; she disagrees with him regarding who's perspective it is. She affirms that that theology is in the text, but she contends that it's the perspective of the Corinthians. If it were Paul's perspective, it would not fit what Paul says elsewhere in his letters, or what Jesus says in the Gospels, or indeed what we know from the rest of the Bible. For these reasons and more Dr. Peppiatt reads the passage as a rhetorical interaction with the Corinthian perspective. Such a reading benefits from the fact that Paul does quote “Corinthian slogans” elsewhere in 1 Corinthians, and so Dr. Peppiatt extends this phenomenon to include 1 Cor. 11.2–16. Otherwise, Dr. Peppiatt explains that there's also no reason for women to refrain from wearing head coverings either. At this point in the conversation we had a little bit of fun commenting on who was and wasn’t wearing head coverings during the recording of the podcast. From there we shift to 1 Corinthians 14 and the passage about women being silent in church. We talk about the interesting text-critical possibility that Paul did not write 1 Cor. 14.33b–36, and that these verses were inserted later by a scribe, but Dr. Peppiatt explains why she does believe that Paul wrote those words originally. We then discuss some practical matters about how to engage with people who are committed, on the basis of conscience and a sense of Scripture's authority, with reading 1 Corinthians 11 as teaching that head coverings are mandatory and women are subordinate to men ontologically. And further we conclude with hearing from Dr. Peppiatt on how people should address this topic further who want to see more women in ministry, but feel like they cannot get beyond what they see as the implications of 1 Cor. 11.

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In this episode we discuss parenting children on the spectrum with Naomi and Mike Bird. Naomi Bird is Assistant Children’s and Family minister at her local church and a connect leader with MOPS Australia, and Mike Bird is an academic dean and lecturer in theology at Ridley College, Melbourne. Over the course of our conversation Naomi and Mike share their experience of parenting their son, Markus, who is on the Autism spectrum. They address the joys and challenges of parenting Markus, what’s been most helpful and unhelpful in the process of parenting him, and what they have learned about God through Markus. They stress the importance of recognizing that everyone is made in the image of God, and that within the Church we are all members of the Body of Christ with unique giftings and experiences. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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Revd Dr. Chuck Degroat is a licensed therapist, as well as a Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality, and Executive Director and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Western Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books, including When Narcissism Comes to Church, Leaving Egypt, and Toughest People to Love.

In this episode we begin our series on “trauma” with an introduction to trauma. We explore some definitions of trauma, various misunderstandings of trauma, trauma and resilience, typical trauma responses, and how to begin processing our own trauma.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Sydney Tooth, and Dr. Logan Williams.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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In this episode we’re talking about Celebrities for Jesus with Katelyn Beaty, who is the editorial director for Brazos Press and who previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She’s also the cohost of the Saved by the City podcast, and the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church (published by Brazos). In our conversation with Katelyn, we discuss the allure of celebrity in American evangelicalism, the lack of interrogation of whether church growth is an automatic work of the Spirit, whether institutions are irreparably flawed, and how the rise of celebrity inthe church connects with Enneagram personality types, among many other interesting things. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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Back by popular demand, Dr. Matthew Arbo and Dr. Scott Coley join Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne for a joint discussion on Critical Theory. Dr. Arbo is Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Oklahoma Baptist University and was previously on our podcast episode entitled “Critical Theory and Ethics”; Dr. Coley is Lecturer of Philosophy and the Director of the Global Encounters program at Mount St. Mary’s University, and he was on our podcast episode entitled “Understanding Critical Theory.” In this episode we discuss whether some of the most common objections to Critical Theory (and particularly Critical Race Theory) constitute “Fact, Fiction, or Fallacy” (or some combination of the three). This episode was recorded Epiphany, the day of the violent insurrection against the US Capitol in Washington DC by pro-Trump extremists attempting to undermine our democracy while Congress was certifying the Electoral College votes. This blatant display of white privilege is an important backdrop to the conversation that we need to name explicitly and reject unequivocally.

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In this penultimate episode in our cultural identity series we discuss the role of whiteness in New Testament scholarship with Prof. David Horrell, who is Professor of New Testament Studies and the Director of the Center for Biblical Studies at the University of Exeter (England), and the author of Solidarity and Difference: A Contemporary Reading of Paul’s Ethics (T&T Clark, 2005), and, more recently, Ethnicity and Inclusion: Religion, Race, and Whiteness in Constructions of Jewish and Christian Identities (Eerdmans, 2020). Over the course of our conversation, Prof. Horrell talks with us about his new book on the particularities that contribute to the modern state of New Testament scholarship, and specifically the particularities that have contributed to New Testament scholarship on the relationship between Judaism and nascent Christianity, that the former is particular and ethnocentric, whereas the latter is non-particular and universal. Prof. Horrell situates this within a Euro-centric perspective that lauds western liberal values, with many implications that continue to impact New Testament Studies. In our conversation Prof. Horrell also reflects on his former research under this light, particularly his studies on Paul’s ethics, and helps us consider how we can come to see the effects of whiteness on New Testament scholarship as “strange” by de-centering white western perspectives on the text. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior – writer, literary scholar, and professor – to talk about her new book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created A Culture In Crisis (published by Brazos). As Dr. Prior explains, she is engaging the issue of evangelicalism as an insider, highlighting various concerns that she has not with evangelical beliefs but with the application of those beliefs. Over the course of our conversation we talk about the social imaginary that informs and buttresses evangelicalism, what a reformation of evangelicalism might look like, and how we should situate evangelicalism in relation to power in the light of typical evangelical eschatology.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Constantine Campbell, who is Professor and Associate Research Director at the Sydney College of Divinity and the author of a number of works in biblical studies and ancient Greek, as well as the book we’re excited to discuss on this episode, Jesus V. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement (published by Zondervan Reflective). Over the course of our conversation, we discuss how American Evangelicalism is too politicized and partisan, too keen on power, and too focused on celebrity. We also chat about the difficulty of defining evangelicalism today since Bebbington’s famous quadrilateral fits British Evangelicalism, but has less and less to do with American evangelicalism. Dr. Campbell distinguishes between three types of evangelicals – theological, cultural and political – as an attempt to bring clarity, but suggests that a new term altogether may be preferable to trying to salvage a term that has come to be associated with something far away from the nature of God as revealed in Jesus. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stanley Ng, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

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There are many ongoing debates about “Black Lives Matter” v. “All Lives Matter,” though it does seem that, broadly-speaking, people have been coming around to recognizing what the slogan “Black Lives Matter” truly means, and why it’s crucial that we all affirm it without qualification. Yet, some disputes obviously persist. As a possible way forward, we discuss the topic of Transcultural Identity. Transcultural Identity is about the ways in which our identities are sometimes not so easily placed within neat categories or boundaries. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Porter and Dr. John Anthony Dunne discuss Transcultural Identity as a helpful way to address both the universalism and particularism of all people in the midst of the ongoing racial concerns and hang ups in the aftermath of the racial revolution inspired by the murder of George Floyd. Along the way we discuss Paul’s letter to the Galatians and the way that Paul navigates the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ vis-à-vis their continual ethnic and cultural differences. We also address the example of Peter, who retreated from eating with Gentiles in Antioch out of fear for how that might look to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, and Paul’s desire to be “all things to all people,” as expressed in 1 Corinthians 9.

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In this episode we’re talking about the new book, Theology and Black Mirror (published by Lexington and Fortress Academic—imprints of Rowman & Littlefield), that was edited by team members from The Two Cities podcast, Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Joining us for this conversation on our favorite technological dystopian show on Netflix are four contributors to the volume, who each tell us what they love about Black Mirror and what they wrote about for our volume. Our guests are Dr. Megan Fritts, who is assistant professor of philosophy at the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minnesota), Dr. Rebekah Lamb, who is lecturer in theology and the arts at the Institute of Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (Scotland), Dr. Joanna Leidenhag, who is lecturer in theology and liberal arts at the University of Leeds (England), and Dr. King-Ho Leung, who is senior research fellow at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (Scotland). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

The essays from Theology and Black Mirror that were discussed in this episode include the following:

Chapter 2, “Barbarism, Boredom, and the Question Concerning: Pornography in Fifteen Million Merits” (by Amber Bowen)

Chapter 6, “Arkangel and the Death of God: A Nietzschean Critique of Technology’s Soteriological Scheme” (by Amber Bowen and Megan Fritts)

Chapter 7, “Seeing and Being Seen in a Black Mirror, Dimly: Phenomenology and the Dim View of White Christmas” (by King-Ho Leung and Patrick McGlinchey)

Chapter 14, “Be Right Back and the Ethics of Mourning: (In)Authenticity and Resurrection in the Digital Age” (by Rebekah Lamb and Joanna Leidenhag)

The book is presently available for purchase in hardcopy and as an e-book, wherever you get your books (with plans to make a paperback at some point). For those interested in purchasing the book, there is a discount code to use on the publisher’s website (rowman.com) for 30% off (use code LXFANDF30 at checkout). Otherwise, you can also request that your local library or institutional library purchase a copy (whether physical or electronic).

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In this episode we revisit the subject of women in the academy with Dr. Beth Allison Barr and Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg. Dr. Barr is Professor of History and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at Baylor University and the author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood (published by Brazos) and Dr. Renberg is Assistant Professor of History at Anderson University, having completed her PhD under the supervision of Dr. Barr. Over the course of the conversation, Dr. Barr and Dr. Renberg talk about the unique experiences of studying for a PhD as a woman under the supervision of a woman with the unique advantages and benefits that come from that. They also discuss the challenges in academia for women relative to rank and experience, as well as relative to marital status. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen.

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In this episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series, we take a closer look at supersessionism. Specifically, we discuss whether Paul was a supersessionist with Dr. J. Brian Tucker, who is Dean of Faculty and Professor of New Testament at the Plymouth campus of Moody Theological Seminary (Michigan), and the author of Reading Romans After Supersessionism (published by Cascade). In our conversation, Dr. Tucker talks about various problems with supersessionistic readings of Paul that disaggregate Israel from continuing to have their discrete identity as the covenant people of God. Dr. Tucker very helpfully connects the ills of supersessionism to societal problems like misogyny and racism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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As we close out Black History Month, we wanted to highlight how the topic of our present series on Anti-Judaism intersects with Anti-Blackness. Joining us for this conversation is Liz Loeb, who completed a PhD in Law and Society from NYU, worked as a Civil Rights Attorney, and is presently a Community Organizer for an interfaith organization called Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light. Speaking from her legal experience, activism, interfaith organizing, and lived experience, Liz helpfully highlights the interconnectedness of all forms of discrimination and injustice inspired by White Supremacy. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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CW: domestic and family violence

In this episode we explore an important source of trauma for many: family and insecure attachment. For this conversation we're joined by Aundi Kolber is a licensed professional counselor, and the author of ⁠⁠Strong Like Water⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Try Softer⁠⁠. Aundi defines attachment and we explore some typical attachment “styles.” We also talk about how secure attachments are formed and explore how to find safety in adulthood and how to care for those around us to provide them with more feelings of safety and security.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: generational trauma, genocide

Dr. Karen O’Donnell is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Worship and Human Community at Westcott House at the Cambridge Theological Federation. She is the author of Broken Bodies and The Dark Womb, and the co-editor of Feminist Trauma Theologies and Bearing Witness. (Bonus note: Her co-editor is next week’s guest Katie Cross.)

In this episode we explore trauma theologies with Dr. O’Donnell, who introduces us to the concept of trauma theologies and relates those to trauma theories. She helps us to understand how trauma and processing trauma affects our bodies, and she explains how various types of trauma connect with the work of Christ–both in the Incarnation and in the Eucharist.

And while you’re at it, be sure to check out our previous episode with Dr. O’Donnell about theology and reproductive loss (here).

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: gender-based violence, sexual assault, religious trauma, intimate partner violence

Dr. Katie Cross is Lecturer in Practical Theology at Christ’s College at the University of Aberdeen. She is the author of The Sunday Assembly and Theologies of Suffering and the co-editor of Feminist Trauma Theologies and Bearing Witness. (Bonus note: Her co-editor is last week’s guest Karen O’Donnell!)

In this episode we learn about feminist trauma theologies. Dr. Cross explains how her work with the Sunday Assembly, an atheist community, and their understandings of suffering and trauma led to her explorations of trauma theologies broadly and feminist trauma theologies specifically. She explains the importance of bearing witness to stories and carefully sitting with those who have experienced trauma.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: gender-based discrimination, religious trauma

Aimee Byrd is the author of several books, including Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and The Sexual Reformation.

In this episode we hear Aimee recount her experiences of trauma in conjunction with her ministry as an author and speaker. She shares about her gender-based discrimination and the harm caused by her denomination, how she has processed the trauma, and how to be a good ally to those experiencing harm.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Rev. Dr. Christopher Porter.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: Sexual Harassment, Gender-Based Discrimination

Tiffany Bluhm is an author and speaker who serves at the intersection of justice and faith. In the book we feature her book Prey Tell.

In this episode, she explains how women often experience abuses of power and portions of her story where she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation. She also offers a really helpful approach to bystander intervention and incorporates some powerful conversations about women in Scripture, including the story of David and Bathsheba and the story of the woman (allegedly) caught in adultery.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: Domestic and Family Violence

Erica Mandi Manga (née Hamence), who is Associate Minister of Formation and Training at St Barnabas Broadway in Australia, joins us to talk about the trauma caused by Domestic and Family Violence.

In this episode, we talk about Erica's work in resourcing churches, define "domestic and family violence," which encompasses far more than intimate partner violence, characteristics of these unhealthy environments, and how some of the students in Erica's care have come to recognize them.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Stephanie Kate Judd and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: suicidal ideations, obsessive compulsive disorder

In this episode we’re talking about trauma and mental illness with John Andrew Bryant.

John Andrew Bryant is a caregiver, writer, and part-time street pastor in a small steel town outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he is the author of A Quiet Mind to Suffer With, published in 2023 with Lexham Press. He defines and then shares his own experiences with OCD including how a particularly severe season of his disorder caused significant trauma. In the midst of this story of pain, he offers a beautiful vision of Christ's care and presence in the midst of trauma.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Madison Pierce.

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CW: microaggressions, institutional trauma, intergenerational trauma

Pastor Juliet Liu is a co-pastor of Life on the Vine in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and she serves as Chair of the Board for Missio Alliance.

In this episode, we talk about what constitutes racial trauma, how this occurs differently in different environments, how intergenerational trauma affects the children of those who have experienced racial trauma, and various practices that can help to process trauma. Pastor Liu and the BIPOC hosts share their stories of racial trauma.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Christopher Porter, and Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

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In this episode we discuss our appreciation of, and enduring fascination with, Netflix's breakout South Korean horror-drama, Squid Game. Over the course of our wide-ranging conversation we discuss the show's critique of capitalism and connect that critique to the historical and theological insights of Albert Hirschman and Kathryn Tanner. We also delve further into the ways that the show portrays how the economic game leverages gender disparities and corrupts religious adherence. And we conclude with a discussion about a fan theory regarding the father of Gi-Hun (aka player 456). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Grace Sangalang Ng, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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Dr. Tim Middleton is Tutorial Fellow in Theology & Director of the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent’s Park College at Oxford University. 

In this episode, we talk about ecological trauma—the trauma experienced by the earth and as a result of climate change and other ecological conditions. Dr. Middleton explains how his work intersects with trauma theologies and brings Christology into the conversation.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: sexual assault, forced migration, intimate partner violence.

Dr. Alexiana Fry is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen and the author of Trauma Talks in the Hebrew Bible.

In this episode, we talk about how she began working on this topic as well as several different texts that have or could be read in light of trauma (e.g., Judges 19; Lamentations). She offers helpful complications for thinking about these difficulties in ways that are attentive to our own experiences. We also talk about forced migration and how the interpretations of significant events construct our collective memory.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: wartime violence, civilian casualities, suicide

Dr. Brian Powers is Vann Fellow in Christianity and the Armed Forces and Executive Director of the International Centre for Moral Injury at Durham University.

In this episode Dr. Powers defines the term “moral injury” and helps us to understand some of the applications of this term with respect to military personnel, veterans, and frontline healthcare workers. He relates moral injury and trauma, and he also illustrates instances of moral injury through modern war films as well as his own experiences. 

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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Dr. Barnabas Aspray is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD and the author of a recent article in the academic journal, Modern Theology, called "Jesus Was A Refugee: Unpacking the Theological Implications."

In this episode Dr. Aspray addresses the topic of the refugee crisis around the world by building upon the notion of the Holy Family as refugees in their flight to Egypt in Matthew's Gospel, and by putting a finer point on how all of humanity are, in a particular theological sense, refugees. As he carefully explains, his nuanced approach is not meant to diminish the experiences of refugees, but to highlight our shared humanity with them as a to buttress our international humanitarian efforts.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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CW: adverse religious experiences, church-related trauma, narcissistic leaders

Dr. Scot McKnight is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and Laura Barringer is an author and a Kindergarten Teacher.

In this episode, they summarize their two recent books (A Church Called Tov and Pivot). In the first part, in the light of abuse related to Willow Creek Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, they describe harmful dynamics and harmful responses when abuse is brought to light. And in the second part, our primary focus for the episode, they put forward a vision for transforming church cultures. They also give tips for identifying unhealthy cultures, addressing those unhealthy cultures, and understanding deconstruction in light of these things.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.

Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.

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CW: murder, depression

Dr. Matthew D. Kim is the Professor of Practical Theology; Holder of the Hubert H. and Gladys S. Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership at Truett Seminary at Baylor University.

In this episode, Dr. Kim introduces us to his book Preaching to People in Pain (Baker Academic, 2021) and his broader philosophies around trauma informed preaching. He explains some of the ways that preachers can attend to the pain of their congregations, attend to their own pain faithfully, and can ensure that those things do not override the primary message of the texts being preached. He also provides some very helpful examples of each.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, and Dr. Madison Pierce.

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CW: adverse religious experiences

Dr. Charles Kiser is a pastor and theologian with Storyline Christian Community in Dallas, TX, and Dr. Elanie Heath is the former Dean of Duke Divinity School and the author of The Mystic Way of Evangelism and Loving the Hell Out of Ourselves (and Others).

In this episode, we talk about Dr. Kiser’s and Dr. Heath’s recent book Trauma-Informed Evangelism. In addition to defining terms like “trauma” and “trauma-informed,” they tell how the book came about and the source of many of its stories. They also share how their approach centers those with whom Christ is being shared–allowing them to take the place of “host,” especially as they find safety post-religious trauma. Along the way, they explore various intersections of trauma and theology, such as the way that God offers empathy to those in pain.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Nicholas Elder, who is Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and the author of the book that we discuss in this episode, Gospel Media: Reading, Writing, and Circulating Jesus Traditions (published by Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Elder talks about some major myths that are perpetuated in scholarship regarding reading, writing, circulating, and publishing texts in antiquity and how precision in this area helps us understand the Gospels better in a number of ways. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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In this episode we’re talking about Dispensationalism with Dr. Daniel Hummel, who is the Director of the Lumen Center and Upper House in Madison, WI, a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the host of the UpWords podcast, and the author of The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle Over the End Times Shaped a Nation (Eerdmans, 2023). Over the course of our conversation we talk about what Dispensationalism is, how the system of thought developed and became so widespread within Christianity since the 19th century, and also how it fell apart at the time that it was popularized in the 1970s and subsequent decades in the writings of people like Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, etc. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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CW: violence against children, assault, domestic partner violence, adverse religious experiences, suicide

Rev. Dr. Scott Harrower is Lecturer in Christian Thought at Ridley College and an ordained minister in the Anglican Church.

In this episode, Revd Dr. Harrower offers a theological response to trauma through the doctrine of the Trinity–reflected in large part in his book God of All Comfort. We talk about how his background as a nurse informs his work as a theologian and pastor, how a richer understanding of the Trinity can provide secure attachment, and how the Gospel of Matthew offers a horrors and comfort together.

Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Rev. Dr. Christopher A. Porter.

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In this episode we’re joined by Professor Curtis Freeman, who is Ruth D. Duncan Director of the Baptist House of Studies and Research Professor of Theology and Baptist Studies at Duke Divinity School, and he’s the author of Pilgrim Letters, and the book that we’re excited to discuss in this episode, Pilgrim Journey. In our conversation we talk about the value of speaking Christianly about the world so that the church can be the church during throughout the journey of life, drawing upon Scripture, catechetical tradition, the Christian calendar, and the creeds. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Jonathan Downie (PhD, Heriot-Watt University), who is a Consultant Interpreter and Researcher in Multilingual Churches, and the author of Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in All Languages (w/ William Carey Publishing). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Downie articulates the importance of multilingualism as something that churches should incorporate and embrace rather than conveniently ignore. We talk best practices, how language is more than verbal communication, how multilingualism would impact different denominations differently, and how multilingualism relates to the church’s approach to topics like immigration and the global refugee crisis. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jason Staples, who is Asst Teaching Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at North Carolina State University, and the author of The Idea of Israel (CUP) as well as the more recent book that we’re discussing in this episode, Paul and the Resurrection of Israel (also with CUP). Over the course of our conversation, we talk about the imprecision in how we often use the term “Israel” in biblical studies, highlighting how attending to its nuances brings greater clarity to key passages in Paul’s letters, like references to Israel in Romans 9–11 and Galatians 6. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Chris Porter, the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we’re joined by Gabriel Gordon, who is a master’s student in Theology at Marquette University and the author of the book that we discuss in this episode, The Fundamentals of a Recovering Fundamentalist: Reorienting towards the True, Good, and Beautiful (Wipf & Stock). In our conversation, Gabriel talks about how he deconstructed his fundamentalist upbringing in favor of an indigenizing and decolonizing version of Christianity that, while firmly rooted in the Episcopalian tradition, nevertheless draws upon and incorporates his Jewish identity as a way to de-center post-enlightenment forms of Christianity that have been dominant in the West. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Rev. Daniel Parham.

Link to book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1666785687/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JIVV1ZGUTD97&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.h2IVqduNT8KinXf5Jh8FtZw6Ri2nt0hrdVX2gvvUdVwS_eM5OlpMi1XGmKNk9oNBG59DkjsSHYiec78Vfww-wkEQMnPTQjsC9gUpI4n2YcOURY--JiC-cXZHTkUWvm10_dsS_Px0HvnAsmpMF4XtOjLEThMjJQNnP19H9gcMTotI_EYcRWmIuQB9smgYijKsU9hl24E9XaGYvLGccO_-yF6Ydn42PQ3vUCHGtyAiruo.q2PawJ_Ez722mrlqXaP4uto0IsPbwGCI9qCXFLiujUw&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+fundamentals+of+a+recovering+fundamentals&qid=1719860568&sprefix=the+fundamnetals+of+a+recovering+fundamentals%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1

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CW: sexual and physical abuse, spiritual abuse, grooming, molestation, childhood trauma

 

In this episode we're joined by Ryan George, who is the author of Hurt and Healed by the Church: Redemption and Reconstruction After Spiritual Abuse. During our conversation, Ryan tells us his story, which centers on how his father was an abusive pastor in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist context, influenced by Bill Gothard’s teaching. As Ryan articulates, he had every reason to leave the church and never return, but his story includes redemption after he deconstructed his fundamentalist way of being Christian. From his vantage point, Ryan highlights some of the features that characterize safe churches for people who have been hurt by the church. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. John Inazu, who is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, and the author of the book that we discuss in this episode, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (published by Zondervan). Over the course of our conversation we talk about what the law profession can teach us about disagreeing well, and how to think through disagreement in a number of different contexts and about a number of different issues. Team members on the episode from the Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

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In this episode we’re joined by Aimee Byrd, who is the author of a number of books, including the one we’re discussing on this episode, The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment (published with Zondervan). In our conversation, Aimee points to the hope that she has in the midst of the negativity that she has experienced in her church context, and we talk about the importance of stories and truth-telling as a non-sensational expression of hope. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Sydney Tooth, and the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne.

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