Theology on the Go

Though they now reside thousands of miles from one another, Jonathan and James are face-to-face today, broadcasting from the West Coast and discussing the Donatist Controversy.  In the early fourth century, the Roman emperor authorized a final wave of persecution of the Church that caused some bishops and pastors to leave their churches, while some gave in to pressure from Rome. When Constantine became emperor and stopped the persecution, the bishops who fled returned to duty and encountered their replacements. And here we have the crux of the issue. Were these returning pastors and bishops legitimate? What about those that gave in to Rome? Is the efficacy of the sacraments dependent upon the holiness of the bishop? Were the sacraments invalid if performed by an “illegitimate” bishop? Are the issues raised by the Donatist Controversy still present in the Church today?

Chief Scottish Man Jonathan's and James' special guest is a friend with whom they share good memories. Sandy Finlayson is library director and professor of Theological Bibliography at Westminster Theological Seminary and the author of Chief Scottish Man: The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers.  What makes this 18th-century man such an extraordinary figure, both then and today? As a recently converted minister—and, at a very young age—Chalmers was able to diagnose the problems plaguing his parish and effectively address them. He would eventually become the leader of the Evangelical Party in the Church of Scotland, which was later to become the Free Church of Scotland. Join us as our guest recounts Chalmers' fascinating life and ministry.    We would like to offer our listeners the opportunity to win a free copy of Chief Scottish Man. Sign up! The books are offered compliments of Evangelical Press.

Questions Women Asked (and Might Still Be Asking)   Simonetta Carr returns to the podcast to share highlights from her new book. Simonetta is a contributor at PlaceForTruth.org through her column Cloud of Witnesses and an acclaimed author known for the series Christian Biographies for Young Readers published by Reformation Heritage Books.    In her latest book, Simonetta shares the stories of women in church history, framing their biographies around important questions being raised during their lifetimes–questions pertaining to theology, philosophy, societal norms, and more. Some are still being raised today. Join Simonetta, Jonathan Master, and James Dolezal for this intriguing conversation.    We are pleased to offer our listeners the opportunity to win a free copy of Simonetta’s Questions Women Asked. Sign up! The copies are offered as compliments of Reformation Heritage Books.

What Hath Athens to Do With Jerusalem? What does philosophy have to do with theology, the Church, and Christian doctrine? Should Christians be interested in philosophy, and—if so—why? To address these questions, Jonathan and James invited a good friend and former colleague. Bob LaRocca is an assistant professor of Liberal Arts and Science at Cairn University where he teaches Introduction to Philosophy and Apologetics. Bob sets the foundation for the discussion by defining philosophy and its purpose. What can philosophy teach us about faith that hasn’t already been addressed and explained in Scripture? In a simple but eloquent way, Bob provides an introduction as to how philosophy applies to many areas of life, whether your interests lie in politics, the environment, theology, or elsewhere. Listen in—you may discover that you’re already a philosopher! We are happy to recommend the book The Consequences of Ideas by the late R. C. Sproul and are pleased to offer you the opportunity to win a free copy. The books are a gift from our friends at Crossway. Sign-up to enter!

Gary Schnittjer returns this week to continue the fascinating and vital conversation about his book Old Testament Use of Old Testament. Released just a few weeks ago, it has already proven to be an essential tool in the hands of Bible scholars, pastors, and students of theology. One tragic issue in the Church today is that great portions of the Old Testament are viewed as "non-essential" at best or even embarrassing for Christians. Gary demonstrates why reading scripture with Old Testament authors and walking with them is crucial. He encourages pastors to not shy away from using the Old Testament to help their congregations answer the difficult questions we face today. He also guides us through the structure of his book and offers helpful suggestions for use.  If you haven’t listened to part one of this helpful conversation we encourage you to do so! We are thrilled to be able to offer our listeners the opportunity to win a free copy of Old Testament Use of Old Testament. Register! The books are a generous gift from our friends at Zondervan.

Things have shifted a bit, as James is now thriving on the West Coast while Jonathan remains in the Southeast. Regardless of the distance and time difference, both are delighted to welcome a friend and former colleague Gary E. Schnittjer. Gary joins them to discuss one of the most anticipated books of the year, Old Testament Use of Old Testament.  You’re likely familiar with how New Testament writers used the Old Testament. Gary explains that the New Testament authors modeled their interpretation based on how later Old Testament authors interpreted earlier Old Testament authors. His book is designed to help students and ministers make this connection and align their perspectives with the Old Testament authors as they study Scripture. Part 2 of this eye-opening conversation is coming up in our next episode! We’re giving away a few copies of Old Testament Use of Old Testament. Register for the opportunity to win this great work published by Zondervan Academy.

This week, Jonathan and James chat with Ken Golden. Ken’s a writer and contributor for reformation21.org, pastor of Sovereign Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Illinois, and the author of Presbytopia and Entering God’s Rest. Today, Ken is joining us to talk about his most recent book, Eating and Drinking with God, which is an introduction to the Lord’s Supper.  Ken explores the supper as a means of grace, describes the blessings attached to it, and explains how the supper relates to the body, soul, and mind of man. Is the Lord’s Supper only a remembrance, or is there more to it? What does the supper mean in different Christian traditions? Join us for a truly enriching conversation!  We’d enjoy putting Ken’s book in the hands of a few of our listeners, so register for the opportunity to win a free copy of Eating and Drinking With God. The copies are offered compliments of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Faithfulness of Christ or Faith in Christ? Jonathan and James are joined by good friend and former colleague Kevin McFadden, associate professor of New Testament at Cairn University. He is on the podcast to talk about his new book, Faith in the Son of God: The Place of Christ-Oriented Faith within Pauline Theology, an academic defense of justification by faith that carries significant implications for the lay Christian. The book is a broad study of faith in Christ in Paul’s theology, set in the context of the pistis Christou debate. Pistis Christou is a phrase that appears eight times in the Pauline letters. Because the phrase is ambiguous in the original Greek a debate has arisen among scholars as to the meaning. Why is there a debate about this term? How did it come about? What is really at stake here? Listen as Kevin makes a strong theological argument for the position the texts overwhelmingly point to.    We have a few copies of Faith in the Son of God. Register for the opportunity to win a free one. They are a generous gift from our friends at Crossway.

Jonathan and James go guestless, discussing one-on-one the answer to Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 38 concerning the benefits believers will enjoy from Christ at the resurrection. Though we are already thoroughly blessed by our relationship with Christ, there are three distinct benefits that will be ours only when we are raised incorruptible. What is it about the bodily resurrection of believers that will “reverse the curse,” both physically and spiritually? In what ways will we be “perfectly blessed?” Don’t miss this encouraging conversation!   Show Notes Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 38

Evangelism Around the World Jonathan and James have the privilege of speaking with Anthony Curto, professor of Missions and Apologetics at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Anthony also has extensive experience serving as a pastor, church planter, and missionary worldwide, all of which qualifies him as the ideal guest for today’s conversation.  Dr. Curto discusses his experience building a ministry “from the ground up”–quite literally laying down the bricks of a theological college's foundation before developing the curriculum, forming pastors, then helping them to plant churches. If that doesn’t sound challenging enough, imagine needing to learn the local cultural background, vocabulary, and beliefs before being able to teach the philosophy of theology to the locals! He brings a lot of valuable insight based on his experience to today’s show. Show Notes ICRC - International Conference of Reformed Churches We are pleased to be giving away a few copies of John Piper’s Let the Nations Be Glad! Register for the opportunity to win one! The books are a generous gift from our friends at Baker Academic.