Mark Glanville discusses the importance of improvising church and being open to the spirit's call. The conversation includes topics such as reimagining church leadership, connecting church worship with neighborhood identity, and the significance of local roots and aesthetics in church settings.

Discussions on the decline of reading, the role of books in Christian discipleship, and the importance of wise recommendations. Trends in Christian publishing towards social justice and contemplative spirituality. The impact of online marketing on bookstores and the value of physical spaces for lifelong learning.

Expert Adam Graber discusses the impact of technology on humanity, highlighting the influence of smartphones and key technologies. The conversation delves into the balance between screen time and creativity, the concerns and benefits of AI, biases in AI systems, and the use of AI in data analysis for Bible study. It emphasizes the need for critical evaluation and the limitations of AI interpretation.

Preston Sprinkle, an expert in biblical views on sexuality and LGBTQ+ advocate, discusses his journey into the LGBTQ+ communities, theologies, and conversations. He explores his convictions about biblical views on sexuality. Preston and Dru also talk about the theology of podcasting, who should be doing it, and the impact podcasting has on fostering intimacy and changing minds.

Stephen T. Pardue, author of Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church, discusses the influence of Christianity beyond the Western world, cultural differences and objections towards embracing diversity, the geographical and cultural diversity of biblical literature, the importance of engaging with the whole church, and concerns and encouragements for the American church.

Audio editing (and strategic bleeping) by John Viinalass. In the first half of this extra long episode: We discuss the strange biography of Ben "Doc" Askins, from combat medic to seminary student to Army physician's assistant (PA) to Psychiatric PA researching psychedelic medicine and trauma.    In the second half of this extra long episode: We discuss if there is an appropriate roll for various drugs, including psychedelics and MDMA, in assisting the dying, integrating traumas, and more. We also figure out what a "bad trip" on LSD might be. 

Discovering the relevance of Leviticus, understanding the values behind its laws, reflections on living Levitically, exploring the impact of ritual exercises, perception of shame in biblical law, and understanding justice in Leviticus.

The Biblical Mind and the Center for Hebraic Thought are entering a new phase after ending a formal partnership with The King’s College. Additionally, CHT director of operations and TBM editor Celina Durgin will leave her position at the center on July 28, 2023. In this mini episode, Dru and Celina provide a bit more context, and Celina bids the CHT goodbye and shares a little about where she's going next. The Biblical Mind magazine and podcast will keep publishing during this transition, though less frequently and regularly than it had been until recently. The CHT’s other partnerships and affiliations will be unaffected. We hope and pray for a new partnership to allow the CHT to emerge from its period of dormancy and resume full programming in the coming months. Thank you for continuing to follow us.

Matt LaPine, PhD, pastor at Cornerstone Church, discusses the gap between seminaries and churches. They explore challenges in theological education, balancing academic knowledge with real-world experiences. The conversation delves into controversial teaching topics for children, innovations in Christian higher education, and feedback mechanisms in Christian leadership. The discussion highlights the need for seminaries to adapt to the needs of aspiring ministers already serving in churches.

Terms like "systemic sin" or "structural injustice" immediately make many people think of contemporary ideologies that they either strongly embrace or strongly oppose, such as socialism or the much-discussed (but poorly understood) critical race theory. These charged terms are often employed in vague or unhelpful ways. The Bible has many examples of sin and injustice that are not purely individual—of evil that is bigger than the sum of the evildoers, and iniquity that reverberates through generations. How can we think more clearly and biblically about the nature of evil and injustice? Sin is many things in Scripture: an action, an identity, an agent or power, and the brokenness of structures and systems. People err when they don't grasp the Bible's full, complex picture of sin. Michael Rhodes (PhD, Trinity College Bristol/University of Aberdeen) is a Lecturer in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, author of Formative Feasting: Practices and Virtue Ethics in the Deuteronomic Tithe Meal and Corinthian Lord’s Supper (2022), and co-author of Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give. Show notes: 00:26 Unjust kings don't act alone; the state is more than the sum of its parts 06:46 The positive side: people were created to be mediators of God's blessing 12:34 English hides the second-person plural 14:32 The structures of society create incentives and disincentives for behaviors 15:38 Intergenerational sin in Scripture 18:14 People's inconsistent resistance to the idea of systemic injustice and sin 22:49 What is sin? It's both individual and communal, personal and systemic 31:10 Is this leaning toward socialism or critical race theory? 41:06 Cornel West for president? 41:56 Exercising power faithfully in different kinds political, economic, and cultural contexts 43:48 Paradigmatic depictions of God's kingdom should be announced and emulated in the church Show notes by Celina Durgin