The Pastor Theologians Podcast

Samuel Parkison joins the podcast today to talk about his recent book, To Gaze upon God: The Beatific Vision in Doctrine, Tradition, and Practice (InterVarsity Press 2024.) He also shares with us his story and calling to academic ministry at the Abu Dhabi Extension Site at Gulf Theological Seminary in the United Arab Emirates. What is the beatific vision? What does the beatific vision have to do with this moment in history for the church? This and more on today's podcast!Exiles in Babylon

For our April episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading:CR Wiley, In the House of Tom Bombadil (2021)Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way (2014)Percival Everett, James (2024)Harold Netland, Religious Experience and the Knowledge of God (2022)Exiles in Babylon

Nadya Williams joins the podcast to talk about her recent book, Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic: Ancient Christianity and the Recovery of Human Dignity (IVP Academic, 2024.) How do our attitudes towards motherhood reflect either a commodification of human life or, by contrast, a rich affirmation of the imago dei? This and more on today’s podcast! Exiles in Babylon

Stephen Campbell joins us today on the CPT podcast. Stephen tells us about witnessing his family's ministry through his childhood. He also shares how the Lord prepared him for his current context pastoring in Germany, and his research on the book of Deuteronomy. This and more on today's podcast!Exiles in Babylon

Matt O'Reilly joins us today to talk about his recent book Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification.  What does the Bible teach us about holiness? How can the broader Evangelical community learn from historically Methodist theologies of sanctification? How can ecclesial styles of theological writing serve pastors and congregations as they work through topics like this one? This and more on today's podcast!Exiles in Babylon

Brad Littlejohn joins the podcast today to talk about his new book, Called to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License. What is human "freedom"? Where do American theological, moral, and political concepts of freedom and liberty come from? How do Scripture and our culture view "freedom" differently, and how can pastors help the Church's ability to think Biblically about "freedom"? This and more on today's podcast!Exiles in Babylon

Steve Turnbull, a senior pastor and New Testament professor, shares his journey of merging pastoral ministry with biblical scholarship. He discusses the importance of historical context in understanding scripture and the challenges of sermon preparation. Turnbull emphasizes cultivating a biblical imagination within congregations, encouraging leaders to connect contemporary issues with ancient narratives. He also explores the dual identity of pastor theologians and how it shapes their leadership, ultimately promoting effective engagement in diverse church contexts.

We are excited to have Carl Trueman on the podcast today. Carl discusses his some of his recent books, including To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse, which provides an introductory intellectual history of Critical Theory, primarily non-polemically. In this episode, Carl walks us through the key figures and orienting ideas of Frankfurt School and Critical Theory. What is the connection between Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory? How can pastors steward the church's confession as they help congregations navigate their contexts which may be influenced by these ideas? This and more on today's episode. Exiles in Babylon

Aaron Friesen joins the podcast today to share his story of becoming a pastor theologian. Aaron describes how, in part though his seminary education at Fuller, he developed a vision and sense of calling for integrating theological education and service to the local church within his pentecostal tradition. Today, Aaron serves at CitySalt church in Eugene, OR and teaches in an adjunct capacity. 

Today we are joined on the podcast by Rhys Laverty as we discuss Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy  (Davenant Institute, 2024). This volume, edited by Laverty, is a collection of essays highlighting Lewis's insights on topics such as gender, contraception, bureaucracy, and transhumanism, as he wove them into the Ransom Trilogy. What questions does Lewis explore in his fiction that are pastorally relevant in our context today? How can the Ransom Trilogy continue to inform Christian living? This and more on today's podcasts!