
Episode 167 | Rethinking Funerals | Guest: Dr. Matt Love
From Honestly, Though by Rebecca Carrell
March 9, 2026 · 57 min
About this episode
Rebecca Carrell and Liz Rodriguez discuss with Dr. Matt Love the Christian approach to funerals and the importance of incorporating the gospel in moments of grief.
In this episode of Honestly, Though, Rebecca Carrell and Liz Rodriguez sit down with pastor Matt Love to rethink the way Christians approach funerals. Drawing from his Christianity Today article, Love explores how American culture often gives grief only “two weeks and a casserole” while many services quietly remove the gospel from the moment it’s needed most. Together they discuss the place of lament, the hope of resurrection, and how the church can proclaim Christ even in the shadow of death. Matthew D. Love, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Preaching and Ministry at Harding School of Theology, where he trains and mentors the next generation of preachers and church leaders. He holds a PhD in preaching from Baylor University, along with an MDiv from Harding School of Theology and a BA in Bible from Harding University. In addition to his academic work, Love has spent many years in congregational ministry and preaching, including serving as preaching minister for the Beebe Church of Christ in Arkansas. His writing focuses on preaching, pastoral theology, and the life of the church, and his work has appeared in outlets such as Christianity Today. Read his article, The Death of a…
People in this episode
Hosts: Rebecca Carrell, Liz Rodriguez
Guest: Dr. Matt Love
Topics covered
- funerals
- grief
- Christianity
- resurrection
- lament
- church ministry
Keywords
- funerals
- grief
- Christianity
- resurrection
- lament
- church
- preaching
- pastoral theology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Christianity Today, Harding School of Theology, Baylor University, Harding University
Books & works: The Death of a Eulogy
Places: Arkansas
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