TheoDisc Podcast

'The Good Life' in Relation to the Christian Faith When you think about the apostle Paul writing his letters to the churches, what do you think of as his primary aim? His letters are so filled with deep theological truth that they are often taught as if Paul’s main concern was that the churches believed the right things. This is almost certainly part of what Paul was aiming at. But to what end? What if Paul was not just teaching right belief, but how Christians should live ‘The Good Life’, and that good life as God defines it in Christ rather than how the surrounding philosophies and cultures defined it? That’s the contention of our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, Dr Joshua Jipp. SHOW NOTES Find Joshua’s books: HERE Find out more about Joshua: HERE

In this episode of Theodisc, Kenny speaks with Mark Glanville, a professional jazz musician, theologian and preacher, about the evolving landscape of preaching in a post-Christian culture. They discuss the importance of creativity, community, and curiosity in preaching, as well as the metaphor of jazz as a way to approach the art of preaching. Mark emphasises the need for preachers to adapt their methods to connect with contemporary audiences while remaining rooted in scripture. This is also the first TheoDisc guest who has played an instrument live on the show! SHOW NOTES Find Mark’s Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mark-Glanville/author/B0CHY78JFW Visit Mark’s website: https://www.markglanville.org/

Following Jesus in the Tough Times Even though Jesus says that those who follow him will have many trials and sorrows in this world, it’s still the case that we tend to view suffering as something to be avoided, or eliminated from our experience of faith. Perhaps this is rooted in a faulty gospel that proclaims, ‘follow Jesus and he will take away not only your sin, but your troubles too’. Dr Craig Keener has recently written an article called, How To Succeed at Suffering which might help us to accept that taking up our cross is central to the way we follow after our crucified Lord, and in this episode of TheoDisc, he chats with Kenny about the biblical basis for suffering as part of our discipleship. SHOW NOTES Craig’s Article: https://influencemagazine.com/en/Practice/How-to-Succeed-at-Suffering Craig’s Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Craig-S.-Keener/author/B000APBKEK Craig’s conversation with Lucy Peppiatt on ‘The Mind of the Spirit’: https://youtu.be/XbQVoPxv6IY

Crystal Downing is our guest on this episode of TheoDisc, and her latest book, The Wages of Cinema, speaks to the connection between film and faith, but not in the way you might expect. Plenty of authors have tried to extract moral or spiritual lessons from the narrative of a film, but Crystal challenges us to pay attention to the details, the structure, the way films are constructed that might give us theological insight. Connecting the language and history of film with theology, church, work, and the riches of Christian symbolism, Crystal challenges us to move beyond film as entertainment towards film as a powerful force that reveals truth, goodness and beauty. Find Crystal’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Crystal-L.-Downing/author/B078WL2GWL

What do theology and spiritual formation have to do with one another? Lucy Peppiatt has found many ways in which she has taught and encouraged the integration of study and deep spiritual formation at WTC. We are delighted to have her on this episode to share how theological study can be a foundation for wholeness, maturity, and formation into Christlikeness. If you would like to explore what studying theology would look like for you, then please visit wtctheology.org.uk. All of our programmes are part-time and are designed to fit around life, work, and church, because we believe that embarking on a journey of study can be transformational for you and your faith in Jesus. We have multiple study options available, so visit our website to find out more. SHOW NOTES Lucy’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Lucy-Peppiatt/author/B00A4LNCS2 Study with WTC: wtctheology.org.uk Kyle Strobel on TheoDisc: https://youtu.be/9dibh6Qxh7c Kyle Stobel’s Substack Article, ‘A Training in Wisdom and Love’: https://kylestrobel.substack.com/p/a-training-in-wisdom-and-in-love

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny and Amanda Bedzrah talk about Bathsheba - one of the most misunderstood figures in the Old Testament, often labelled as a seductress who, along with David, is complicit in an adultress affair. But a closer reading of the biblical text shows that she is a victim of an abuse of power. Amanda's latest book, Becoming Queen Bathsheba, is a fictional account of Bathsheba’s experience based on fidelity to the Scriptures, historical and cultural research, and the experiences of women across the Old Testament. Kenny and Amanda's discussion deals with some sensitive issues around trauma and abuse of power, because they are central to the Bathsheba narrative. We hope you find this episode encouraging and healing, as Amanda prays at the end of this episode. SHOW NOTES Amanda’s website: https://amandabedzrah.com/ Amanda’s books: https://bit.ly/4284uLq The Empower A Woman Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amandabedzrah/videos

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Prof John Walton about the BIG questions: Who are we and where did we come from? What happened at the beginning? And what is Genesis actually trying to tell us? This discussion unpacks the human condition, 'cultural rivers', and original sin, to name but a few of the themes that emerge when one has a chat with John Walton. Enjoy! SHOWNOTES John’s latest book New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis is available HERE.