Gospel Conversations podcast

Coleridge famously defined imagination as the human mind's replication of the divine creation of the world. In this pyrotechnic talk, Sarah unfolds Coleridge's extraordinary grasp of human creativity—and how we mirror the divine—through his touching introspective poem 'Frost at Midnight'. This poem is both a theological tour-de-force, as well as one of the great pieces of literature on the creative dynamic. Sarah completes the picture with her dynamic and passionate delivery. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

How can we be confident about what we know—especially in an age of scepticism? This is the question that John addresses in this compelling talk on the 'Need to Know'. You would think that Christians are on the back foot here because we rely on faith to know—but John turns the tables on the sceptics and proves that 'radical doubt' is everybody's lot in life. Strangely this leads to the only conclusion—'radical faith' must match radical doubt. The Q and A session at the end is a treasure. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Leisa Aitken is a practising psychologist who has discovered the significance of hope in human flourishing—but equally, she has discovered the shallowness of the profession's grasp of hope. She is now advancing a doctorate to integrate the richness of Christian hope with the practice of psychology. In the first talk, she takes us on her personal journey and introduces the points of interaction between theology and psychology.In the second half of her talk, Leisa takes us into more detail into the applications and consequences of her new frameworks of hope. This is very significant and promising, as it lays the groundwork for a new paradigm in Christian growth as well as an enriched paradigm in counselling.Slides:Hope: Psychology and Theologyin conversation Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Moses was the most innovative designer of a social system in world history. The ten commandments sit at the heart of this design. But where does the Sabbath fit? It is the only ritualistic member of the ten words, and it seems out of date in today's world. Tony claims that in fact the Sabbath is the linchpin of the whole design, and is vitally relevant to today's world. Discover why in this talk. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Tony looks at Moses as a social designer—which is a modern way of describing his role as prophet and king/leader. And not just any designer, but arguably the most innovative social designer in history. For in fundamental ways, he laid the foundation for the modern world. How did he do it, and what can we learn from him about how we might act, out of faith, in the public space? Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

In this talk, Tony introduces our theme for the year—the theology of Hope lays the foundation for action in the world. But Hope has not been well understood or developed by the church over the centuries, so we have narrowed this foundation down to a mere 'return of Jesus'. Tony explains that Hope in the Bible reframes how we look at everything in reality. It thus becomes the grounds for reform, optimism, and design. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

If the traditional evangelical gospel does not work for the postmodern world, what is the alternative? This is the question that Tony explores on this talk. His answer is to shift our framing of the argument from sin to creation. This does not deny sin, but it starts with a far bigger picture of the issues and one that is much more relevant to the hearts and minds of the postmodern generation. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Tony Morgan describes how he found God in Insurance. For years he was stuck in a dual carriage pathway that separated his faith from his work, but then he discovered that ‘insurance’ was not just the context for expressing his faith—it was co-working with God and thus it was true worship. Insurance also brought him face to face with one of the most imponderable areas of God at work—i.e. areas of huge natural loss. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Tony begins our Faith at Work series by stretching the scope from 'Faith at work' to 'God at work'. This immediately opens up the topic beyond the normal approaches of evangelism and ethics, to the role and nature of faith in the public space—indeed to the broad question of the relationship between the individual and the state. He gives us a broad framework with which to think about this important area in a fresh and expansive way. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Tony interviews Mark Scott about his experience of leading large organisations as a 'follower of Jesus'. Mark ran the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Australia's equivalent of the BBC) and helped it transform into the digital era. He now leads the NSW Dept of Education. How does a believer lead such large 'secular' organisations? Mark talks with remarkable candour and authenticity about how his worldviews framed his leadership and how his inner journey is fed by his highly personal walk with Jesus. Get full access to Gospel Conversations at gospelconversations.substack.com/subscribe