Crackers and Grape Juice

Tim Keller caused a stir this week on Twitter when he wrote, "Jesus didn't come primarily to solve the economic, political, and social problems of the world. He came to forgive our sins." Did Jesus come to save us from our sin? Was the purpose of the incarnation to correct the economic, political, and social problems of the world?

With the soon to be election day dilemma for conservative evangelicals across Alabama, David French questions where the faith of evangelicals has gone.In this episode, Teer and Jason interview French discussing trends in media and entertainment in the era of Trump, the evangelical dilemma, and the negative polarization of America.http://www.nationalreview.com/article/453637/roy-moores-evangelical-supporters-lack-faith

Reading the Bible does not have to suck. That might sound like news to many. The Bible is a book that begs to be read critically and read often but if you've been told you're not allowed to read it or that your reading is 'wrong,' you might have put it down.Christian Piatt's new book 'Surviving the Bible: A Devotional for the Church Year 2018,' is a weekly devotional grounded in the Lectionary and he joins us to talk about reading the Bible in plain English and how we need to recapture the practice of hermeneutics.

Church revival is not an easy task. While it took Jesus 3 days to overcome death, revival within the church takes more time. Donna Claycomb Sokol, pastor of Mount Vernon Place UMC in Washington, D.C., is leading her congregation in a revival.Donna co-wrote A New Day In The City, about this transformation alongside L. Roger Owens.In the interview Teer talked with Donna about Mount Vernon Place's public repentance for its role in white supremacy, as well as prophetic preaching. On its 100th anniversary, October 2017, the historic congregation, located along busy Massachusetts Ave., repented for its history of being a "representative church".This particular portion of the interview is important because the banner signed by members of the congregation was displayed outside, along the busy streets of Washington, D.C. This was not only a public display of repentance but it was also a prophetic statement in the midst of white supremacists becoming more emboldened and less afraid of sharing their hatred publically.Fast forward to November 27, when this banner outside the church were vandalized. If the events of Charlottesville, VA were not reminder enough that white supremacy, and the accompanying hatred is alive and strong in America, let the vandalism at Mount Vernon Place remind us all. We hope you enjoy this episode of C&GJ.

In this interview Jason talks with Emma Green of The Atlantic. Green is a staff writer at ​The Atlantic, where she covers politics, policy, and religion. She's also responsible for the viral video based on what one of her articles, "Do Democrats Have a Religion Problem?" She and Jason discuss that question, the Trump administration, race in Southern Baptist Church, and the role of religion in the public square. https://www.theatlantic.com/author/emma-green/

Todd Littleton joined to team for this interview with Adam Clark and Christian Piatt at the Theology Beer Camp in January. While the interview was over 9 months ago, who would've thought that the conversation would STILL resonate today as we deal with issues of race and social justice.

Jason had the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with Mike McCurry, the White House Press Secretary during the Clinton administration. Their conversation covers a range of topics including CJ Cregg on the West Wing, the cynicism that comes with working for the government, fighting Newt Gingrich, the absence of faith in politics, and thoughts on A Way Forward for the United Methodist Church.

500th Anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses, Jason, Teer, and Johanna talk with the Beyonce of Anglicanism, Fleming Rutledge, about ongoing relevance of Protestantism’s primary message of grace and God’s agency.

Teer and Taylor traveled to the Conference Office in Glen Allen, VA to interview Bishop Lewis. Their conversation covers a range of topics including the vision of the Annual Conference, how to respond to racism, and Bishop Lewis even shares her thoughts about Jason's book Cancer Is Funny.

Back in the day, Ruben taught Jason Barth for the first time. Now, they're both black sheep, closet Reformation guys in Catholic and Wesleyan folds respectively. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez teaches theology at St. Louis University and is the author of the powerful new book Christian Martyrdom and Political Violence. Jason and Ruben talk about racism, liberation theology, the limits of post-liberalism, and martyrdom as a necessary possibility to any definition of Christian 'witness.'