Podcast List — THE UNCENSORED UNPROFESSOR

God created the universe, and planet earth, with an inherent quality of free-play. Free-play is where energies, gravity, animals, weather and more all have their ability to move and be and impact reality. Given that, is life a matter of chance? Still more, is life a matter of unruly randomness? Both the Reformed and the Arminians have a high emphasis on the sovereignty of God; too often that is taken so that God is a kind of secrete puppet-master. But that doesn't jive with the existence of free-play. So how do we go about making sense of all those apparently competing elements? That's the aim of this show. I roll out a high view of God's sovereignty in light of the existence of free-play, chance, and even randomness. Let's laugh together as we think about complex matters!

Jul 24

Jul 24 373 Ref. vs. Arm. (11) Prior Grace vs. Human Agency

Across my last five or so episodes I've put enormous weight on human agency in understanding a biblical theology. This cast O' the pod, following Reformed vs. Arminian constructions and the priority of prevenient grace, emphasizes both the 'that' and the 'why' of God's revelation (the Gospel) being the premise of salvation. We cannot save ourselves; cannot be compassionate enough; cannot be intelligent enough; cannot make ourselves live forever; cannot resurrect ourselves. God—alone—is the premise, the life giver, the source of salvation. In the show's opening I work through Jesus' warning to the Laodiceans: the hot water they had piped-in from some 6 miles way was now tepid, just like them. They were pretending to be Christian. What is a possible contemporary parallel? Come laugh and think with me.

Jul 17

Jul 17 372 Ref. vs. Arm. (10) Grace—Common and Mundane

The Reformed doctrine of Total Depravity rather necessitates their doctrine of Common Grace, or better, common graces. When I was in seminary I realized that most other Christians talked about life in terms of grace, whereas my tradition spoke about life in terms of God's Spirit. What are the benefits of each? What are important biblical frames for each? Against what was the Reformed doctrine of Grace reacting in the 16th century? Me? Because I reject the premises of Reformed theology I have other theological avenues by which to process life. Life is so magical! So personal! Why? Because of the omnipresence of God's Holy Spirit. But in the episode's opening I variously discuss: praying for the wounded, the care of my teeth (and a couple recent dental visits), rubbing respectable Christians the wrong way, Christianity and politics, and the amazing experience of watching philosphy books take incarnate form and springing to life. Come laugh and think with me!

Jul 10

Jul 10 371 Ref. vs. Arm. (9) Can You Lose Your Salvation?

The P of TULIP is Perseverance of the Saints. And so the question rises, "can you lose your salvation?" Just asking that question will get you kicked out of many in-home bible studies! Nevertheless, the Reformed and the Arminian Protestants answer this in ways that we note and unpack. And then me? The UU? Who takes Trinity (and so personhood, and agency, and mission, and love) as my theological foundation, what do I say? What bible verses inform my thinking? What theological commitments inform my thinking? At the show's opening I make a couple cultural reflections (because the Lordship of Christ does not stop at the boundary of cuulture) on judging evil vs. doing evil. Which of those two is worse? I also a question provocative for contemporary Christianity, was Jesus tame? Come think and laugh with me!

Jul 3

Jul 3 370 Ref. vs. Arm. (8) Grace vs. Works (Meh!)

Is the grace of God resistible? Can the Holy Spirit's efforts be frustrated? When does the new birth (regeneration, justification) happen in time? In their historical context, why do Protestants, both Reformed and Arminians, so resist having works be involved in salvation? Those questions are all plowed-through in this eighth episode in this series. Once having set up the R'n'A dispute, and their respective answers (and mutual critiques), I offer other categories for framing salvation and grace and works. Do I believe works are saving? No, of course not. Do I think that rules works out of our missional calling? That is another question entirely. Then, because the Lordship of Christ does not halt at the boundary of culture, I variously discuss the Declaration of Independence and the way it grounds our human rights, the chaotic state of higher education, "normophobia", and how it is that today's religious impulse is manifesting itself. Come laugh and think with me for such a time as this!

Jun 26

Jun 26 369 Ref. vs. Arm. (7) God and Problem of Evil

Probably like me you hear it all the time, "everything happens for a reason." More than likely? Those who say that do not realize they are espousing Reformed theology, or drawing on Reformed sensibilities. But really, does the Bible teach that everything happens for a reason? And if so, doesn't that make God the author of evil, and so make him a moral monster? My essential problem with Reformed and Arminian theological framing is that they are not God-enough, not Trinitarian enough, not biblical enough. How so? Then, because the Lordship of Jesus does not stop at the boundary of culture I examine why American culture loves war so much. How do our international brothers and sisters perceive us in light of that love of war? What drives our nearly century-old love of war? This is difficult but important to think through.

Jun 19

Jun 19 368 Reformed vs. Arminian (6) For Whom Did Jesus Die?

The New Testament, from the Gospels to Revelation, proclaim Jesus to be the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." But how do the Reformed and the Arminians process the effective nature of Jesus' atoning death? I explore the logic of each divergent camp's theology. What does John Piper teach? What did John Calvin teach? What interesting thing do the Arminians teach about Christ's atonement and infants? Also, because the Lordship of Christ does not stop at the boundary of culture, I unpack still more about what is going on between men and women. There are measurable demographic studies that show important trends at work both in the United States and in Europe. Come laugh and think with me!

Jun 12

Jun 12 367 Reformed vs. Arminian (5) Election

The Reformed and Arminians agree that God predestined the elect, but they don't agree together who the elect are. They also don't agree on what God decreed about the reprobate (unbelievers). Frankly, they don't agree on several important things: God's power and whether He can (or does) limit himself; the levels of mystery at work in life; or the theological emphases that should guide the Christian perception of life. In this fifth episode I address, compare, and contrast all of those most consequential elements. And because the Lordship of Christ does not stop at the boundary of culture, a two-fold cultural reflection comprises the show's first segment: what is happening at my alma mater, Fuller Theological Seminary? And what is our reigning culture pressing down upon women? Why are young women, particularly, so unhappy? Why is our nation's birth-rate plunging? Why—are you kidding me?!—are young men attending church at greater ratios than young women?

Jun 5

Jun 5 366 Reformed vs. Arminian (4) Predestination

Predestination: it's a big topic of controversy. The Reformed and Arminians each emphasize predestination in varied ways. Why did God predestine? Whom did God predestine? I also explore the very common sentiment, "but, I only want to believe what the Bible says!" That sentiment has historic (and, gulp!, philosophic) roots that those who assert it do not realize. Still more, that "bible and me" sentiment only makes for worse problems. Then, in the cultural-reflection, I remark on the character of the recent Trump conviction. What does history clarify about such trials? What would it feel like if Joe Biden were tried in bright-red Rexburg, Eastern Idaho? But maybe most important of all? I unpack why the Trump conviction matters to the Church. Come think and laugh with me.

May 28

May 28 365 Reformed vs. Arminian (3) Total Depravity

The Reformed and Arminians (R'n'A) seldom agree. But they do agree on the doctrine of total depravity. In this episode I work through what that means, respectively, to the R'n'A. What did Sproul say about it? What did Wesley assert? Then I ask questions about what it means to be human: a) do we still, after the fall, exist as the image of God? b) does the doctrine of salvation eliminate or build on the doctrine of creation? c) where do I (do I?) agree with the doctrine of total depravity? In the cultural reflection I work through still more of how SCOTUS has, across 60+ years, enforced their rulings in favor of compulsory feminism. What was it like, for me, to take compulsory sexual-training HR sessions? Who is against equality of the sexes? Not me! But unlike Lord Zeitgeist, I am not in favor of treating both male and female as non-existent and accidental qualities.

May 22

May 22 364 Reformed vs. Arminian (2) Hiking with Decrees

"God seeks glory." That is critical and foundational to both a Reformed and an Arminian theological perspective. But the two camps diverge on how it is, principally, that God seeks glory. And it finally comes down to a matter of premises. It's sort of like when you go hiking: you get to the trail head and you have a choice between different trails. And even though each trail will involve walking in your boots, elevation changes, scenic views of creeks and ponds and lakes, the destination varies. The Reformed and Arminian each set up their tents every night in a camp named "Salvation and Glory!" but they get there by different trails. Still more? I ask, do they each start hiking where the Bible does? That's a scary, but foundational, question. This show's cultural reflection delves still further into how our legal system (but not the marketplace of ideas) has ram-rodded a kind of compulsory feminism down our throats. No wonder we are seeing the dissolution of male and female across the land.

May 15

May 15 363 Reformed vs. Arminian (1) Meet the Families

Let's compare the Reformed with the Arminians (no, not Armenians!). What are their emphases? Where, at surface level, do they disagree? Who are the famous leaders on each side? I'm betting that my listeners will be surprised to learn that the Arminians started out in the Reformed branch of the Church. One way (not the only way, as this series will make clear) to distinguish them is to posit the differences between monergism and synergism. This episode's first half continues a reflection equality of the sexes, and how that has morphed into compulsory feminism, and how that is eating (from the inside out) male, female, the hetero-family, and babies. University elites have foisted upon us categories and commitments through the court system; and that all happened outside of the marketplace of ideas. So this terminal absurdity we are all enduring is both strategic and intentional.

May 8

May 8 362 Refuse Their Terms!

Current Events, Cult of the Now, Discernment, Knowledge

Because I taught college for 25 years I'm tracking the devolution of Pro-Hamas rallies on university campusi. But it wasn't that which provoked this show's one-off reflection. No, instead it was a couple articles in my denomination's quarterly ministers' magazine that smacked me upside the head. They accepted the premise. Accepted the definitions and premises of a progressive framing of reality. Uncritically, they took progressive (woke) terms and tried to run them through a Christian-coffee-filter in order to flavor (or baptize) those terms and make them Christian. In this episode I explain what is happening to pastors and churches who try to Christian-baptize progressive terms and premises. I also reflect on the recent water baptism of actor Russell Brand. Beautifully so, Brand seems to have been red-pilled not only by the madness of our era but by the work of the Holy Spirit. So come and think with me, laugh with me, and reflect with me on what being Christian means in our 21st century and its context.

May 1

May 1 361 Soaking in Divine Spirit (12) Ware—Carrying the Spirit

In this, the last, episode of my series on God's Holy Spirit I present the theology of Kallistos Ware. A bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ware emphasizes that God's Spirit is encountered especially through other people. More particularly, through holy fools and seasoned soul-guides. What are those two types? How do we, might we, encounter such personalities in our Protestant world? In the show's cultural-critique portion I continue my reflections on why it is so brutally hard to have hetero-nuclear families today. What is the ideology that weighs down upon them? Why is there such structural and systemic oppression? Come laugh and think with me about being a Christ-follower in a century speeding toward terminal absurdity.

Apr 24

Apr 24 360 Soaking in Spirit (11) Welker—Justice, Mercy, Knowledge of God

In the theological component of this episode we examine the unique contributions of Michael Welker to Pneumatology (God's Spirit). Why does Welker land where he does? Why does his presentation seem to take itself apart? What are his foundational commitments? Do they align with biblical commitments and teachings? Along the way I also unpack the significance of method for the doing of theology. So? Welcome, all you theology nerds! At the show's beginning I begin a multi-episode lament on what is happening to the hetero-nuclear family. Why is it so hard to do family life? Why do the hard-working, responsible, two-parent families take it so hard on the chin from our reigning and oppressive system? This is a little show about big ideas, so come and think (and laugh) with me!

Apr 17

Apr 17 359 Soaking in D. Spirit (10) Pinnock—More Than an Ornament of Piety

He came through a resolutely Baptist upbringing. In that context he was taught that the gifts of God's Spirit ceased with the time of the Apostles. So he was shocked when, attending a revival meeting at the Toronto Airport Vineyard, Clark Pinnock was dramatically healed of an eye affliction. It spurred him to go on and write an entire systematic theology about the Holy Spirit. What'd he emphasize in the doing? What about his systematic theology makes me (and many others), as a theologian, uncomfortable? What do I admire about what Pinnock wrote? In this show I also talk about whether Christians are to be 100% submitted to the state. I also work through some remarks made by a 25-year experienced exorcist.

Apr 10

Apr 10 358 Soaking in D. Spirit (9) Pannenberg—God as Personal Forcefield?

How is God present in and for His creation? Traditionally, that has been addressed through Christological categories. Our theologian for this episode, Wolfhart Pannenberg, presses us to consider that it is God's Spirit who is immanent (in, with, for, to) regarding creation. What does that look like? Is it biblically based? We also examine Pannenberg for his eschatological (end times) perspectives on Holy Spirit. Pannenberg was an intersting and courageous man; he stood for objective truth all-the-while he taught inside of ardently secular German universities. At the show's beginning I talk about a recent ban of Hillsdale College, share my reflections on the 2024 total solar eclipse, and reflect on what a Holy Spirit-driven earth care might look like compared to today's religious Green movement. Come think and laugh with me!

Apr 3

Apr 3 357 Soaking in Divine Spirit (8) Moltmann—Life and Experience!

While he was a young man Jürgen Moltmann was conscripted into the Germany Air Force. After an Allied bombing of his city Moltmann then spent 3 years in a Scottish prison. While there he encountered the Gospel. But his own dramatic experience became foundational seedbed for his own theological career. What did that mean for his theology? What did that mean for his teachings about God's Spirit? In this episode I explore all of that, celebrate what I appreciate about Moltmann's scholarship, and describe what and why I reject some of his theological formulation. Along the way I also re-vist how American Church leaders were manipulated by the Federal Government when Covid 19 was hitting the planet. What did those Church leaders do that is grotesque? Why did they do what they did? What can we learn about the power of narratives? What does this all reveal about the power of power among the powerful?! Come laugh and think with me!

Mar 27

Mar 27 356 Soaking in Divine Spirit (7) JR Williams—The Overwhelming Spirit