

On The Line
Bryan Stecker
OTL is the Lutheran, Long-Form podcast that engages Theology and Culture. New Episodes Every Monday!
Episodes
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Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 18min
America is a Christian Nation: The History We've Forgotten | Dr. Jared Longshore
Join us in Moscow, Idaho, as we recover a biblical vision of politics, family, and freedom—exploring how God orders nations and households, why secular neutrality is a myth, and how Christians can live publicly and courageously in the world without compromising their faith.About Today’s GuestDr. Jared Longshore is a pastor and theologian whose teaching focuses on political theology, covenant, and the Christian household. A former Southern Baptist who entered the Reformed tradition, he now serves in Moscow, Idaho, where he writes and speaks widely on law, liberty, and Christian culture. Known for his clarity and conviction, Dr. Longshore calls the Church to reject secular illusions and to confess Christ’s lordship over every sphere of life.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 41min
Dr. Angus Menuge: Artificial Intelligence, Transhumanism, and C.S. Lewis' Warning About the End of Man
Join us at Concordia University Wisconsin as we wrestle with the philosophy of mind, the challenge of materialism, and the promise and peril of new technologies—from AI to transhumanism—and ask what it means to be truly human in light of God’s design.About Today’s GuestDr. Angus Menuge is a professor of philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin, where he has taught for over three decades. Born in England and educated in both the UK and the US, he earned his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a focus on philosophy of mind and action theory. He is the author of Agents Under Fire and a leading Lutheran voice critiquing reductionist views of human beings, defending human dignity, free will, and the Christian vision of personhood in the age of machines.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

10 snips
Sep 22, 2025 • 1h 55min
Jason Braaten: Grit, Determination, and Overcoming Challenges
Join us at St. John's Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, as we talk about resilience in the pastoral life, the discipline of daily habits, and the courage to face adversity—not as exceptions to the Christian life, but as God’s very means of shaping His people for faithfulness and strength.About Today’s Guest:Rev. Jason Braaten is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tuscola, Illinois, and podcast host. A confessional Lutheran voice with a heart for liturgy and pastoral care, he brings insight into sanctification, vocation, and the daily practices that sustain faith. Through parish ministry, podcasting, and teaching, Pastor Braaten encourages Christians to embrace both the gifts and the demands of life under the cross.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.net🔗 Stay Connected with Us📷 Instagram: @otl_podcast_📘 Facebook: facebook.com/onthelinepod𝕏 Twitter/X: @otl_podcast_Send us a text

Sep 15, 2025 • 1h 51min
Dr. John Bombaro: Why the Lutheran Teaching on the Eucharist & Liturgy Surprises Catholics
Join us at Concordia University Wisconsin as we enter a conversation that refuses to leave Christ as a vague center-point, but insists on Him as the very logic of theology, worship, and the Church itself. From liturgy to sacrament, from ontology to imagination, Dr. John Bombaro calls us to see Christ not as an idea, but as the living One who gives Himself wholly to His bride.About Today’s GuestDr. John Bombaro is a Lutheran pastor, naval officer, and theologian whose teaching and writing explore the intersection of Christology, liturgy, and culture. He has contributed widely to Lutheran thought, including with 1517, and currently serves as pastor of Saint James Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Known for his clarity and depth, Dr. Bombaro presses the Church to recover the sacramental imagination of her confessions—where all theology is Christology and all worship is grounded in Christ’s self-giving presence.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

5 snips
Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 24min
Doug Wilson: Christian Nationalism, Feminism, & Restoring Sanity
In this conversation, Doug Wilson, a prominent pastor and cultural commentator from Idaho, dives deep into the concept of Christian nationalism. He discusses how household voting can empower families and critiques the misconceptions surrounding theocracy. Doug emphasizes the significance of aligning laws with a moral framework and shares insights on raising boys and girls intentionally. He also proposes practical steps for nurturing a Christian America, including reforms in governance and a bold approach to writing and satire.

6 snips
Sep 1, 2025 • 1h 43min
Dr. Susan Mobley: This Idea Changed Everything (And We Barely Noticed)
Join us at the long table as we trace the story of education from the Reformation to today, uncover how classical models form character and cultivate virtue, and ask what it means to recover wisdom, truth, and beauty in a modern age of confusion.About Today’s GuestDr. Susan Mobley is a professor of history at Concordia University Wisconsin, where she has taught since 1998. A historian of education and the Reformation, her research explores how Lutheran and Catholic schools shaped faith and culture in sixteenth-century Germany. She is a frequent speaker on classical education and its relevance today, helping students and teachers recover an approach that unites faith, learning, and character formation.🔗 Stay Connected with Us📷 Instagram: @otl_podcast_📘 Facebook: facebook.com/onthelinepod𝕏 Twitter/X: @otl_podcast_Send us a text

Aug 26, 2025 • 2h 29min
Dr. Joel Biermann & Rev. David Ramirez: Debate on Christian Nationalism
In this thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Joel Biermann, a systematic theology professor, and Rev. David Ramirez, a parish pastor and political-theology scholar, tackle the complexities of Christian nationalism. They explore the role of government as a God-given institution and the risks of imposing Christianity on society. The guests debate the church's public witness through liturgical actions and the responsibilities of Christians in maintaining moral order. They also examine lessons from history, immigration, and the balance between political action and the church's mission.

4 snips
Aug 18, 2025 • 2h 8min
President Rev. John Hill: Where is the Lutheran Church Going? Leadership, Education, and Renewal
Join us at the long table as we reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing confessional Lutheranism today, from sustaining faithful congregations in rural America to building institutions that serve future generations of the Church.About Today’s GuestRev. John Hill is president of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a longtime parish pastor. With decades of pastoral experience and a heart for strengthening Lutheran identity, he has served congregations across the Mountain West while providing leadership to the wider church. Rev. Hill brings a steady pastoral voice and confessional clarity to the pressing questions of Lutheran life and witness in our time.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 28min
Dr. James Lee: Lutheranism After Luther (The Untold 1800s Story)
Join us at the long table as we explore the Lutheran confessional revival of the nineteenth century, uncover the lives and thought of its key theologians, and consider what their witness offers the Church today in an age of doctrinal confusion and historical amnesiaAbout Today’s Guest:Dr. James Ambrose Lee II is a church historian and theologian specializing in the nineteenth-century confessional revival, Lutheran worship, and German theology. He teaches courses on church history, religion in America, and Martin Luther, and is the author of Confessional Lutheranism and German Theological Wissenschaft (De Gruyter, 2022), along with numerous articles in leading theological journals. Holding degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School, and Saint Louis University, Dr. Lee brings scholarly depth and pastoral insight to his work in teaching, writing, and the study of Lutheran identity.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

4 snips
Aug 4, 2025 • 2h 17min
Tim Wood: What the Data Says About the Future of Lutheranism
Join us at the long table as we take an unflinching look at the numbers shaping the future of Lutheranism—and consider how honesty, clarity, and confessional faithfulness can guide the Church through challenge and change.About Today’s GuestRev. Tim Wood is a pastor and data analyst serving the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with a rare blend of theological conviction and statistical insight. With a sharp eye for demographic trends and a heart for the Church’s future, he helps Lutheran institutions read the signs of the times—faithfully and fearlessly. Whether interpreting numbers or proclaiming the Word, Rev. Wood brings clarity, candor, and care to the work of Christ’s Church.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text