Inverse Podcast

How did the early church’s theologians think of atonement and violence? We ask Dr Ben Myers. Dr Ben Myers oversees the higher degree research programs at Alphacrucis College in Australia. (Honours, MPhil, DMin, PhD). He has worked extensively in research and postgraduate supervision, and has been a research fellow at the University of Queensland, a lecturer at Charles Sturt University, and dean of liberal arts at Christian Heritage College. His international appointments have included visiting fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary and member in residence at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton. He is a Research Fellow of the Public and Contextual Theology Research Centre (PaCT) at Charles Sturt University and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Queensland. Ben has published widely in theology, literature, and the history of Christian thought. His current research focuses on poetry and theology in the 17th century, especially George Herbert and John Milton. Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by [Julie Kerr ](https://www.instagram.com/juliekkerr/)(@juliekkerr) with music provided by [David Andrew ](https://www.instagram.com/davidjandrew/)(@davidjandrew)

Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, and creative curate who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create art and moments that speak to our deepest experiences. Using his passion and commitment to craft, Scott has been a working artist for over a decade, and has had his work appear on CNN, National Geographic, and various magazines, newspaper outlets, and book covers. As a speaker, Scott brings his training as an educator and his experience as a visual communicator to all of his presentations. His goal is to bring something for his “A.D.D. brothers and sisters out there”… making sure every speech is thoughtful, entertaining, wondrous, and filled with visual elements and live creating. He is the writer and performer of two one man shows. Wrestling with his own professional burnout and clinical depression, “We Are Not Troubled Guests” is a performance story-telling piece in which he navigates the surprising gift of an existential crisis. His current show, “SAY YES: A Liturgy of Not Giving Up On Yourself”, juxtaposes story-teaching, participation, humor, and image curation as Scott walks us through the very personal and universal conversation about the death of a dream and the overwhelming voice of Giving Up in our lives. He is the co-author of Prayer: Forty Days of Practice and May It Be So, the author of Honest Advent, a Spiritual Director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife. Scott lives in Austin, TX and is most loved by his wife Holly and his children Anders, Elsa, and Jones. Follow on Scott on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/scottthepainter/) @scottthepainter Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by [Julie Kerr ](https://www.instagram.com/juliekkerr/)(@juliekkerr) with music provided by [David Andrew ](https://www.instagram.com/davidjandrew/)(@davidjandrew)

The ancient confession of the Apostles Creed was not simply a declaration of what the church was prepared to die for but why they were unwilling to kill. Join us with scholar Sharon Baker Putt (Messiah University) as we discuss her new book “A Nonviolent Theology of Love: Peacefully confessing the Apostles Creed” in our @inversepodcast Nonviolent Atonements series. Sharon says of her work: "When I’m not teaching (or grading papers!), I research and write in the areas of non-violent atonement theory, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace. I also work in the area of inter-religious dialogue, comparative theologies of religion, and Continental Philosophy. As a professor in an academic institution, I teach diverse doctrines and views of Christians in various cultures throughout Christian history in as unbiased a manner as possible." Although not super active on Twitter, you can find Sharon on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BakerPutt ) @bakerputt Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Join us for a special episode as we bring you a conversation hosted by friend of the Inverse Community Carol Ng'ang'a - founder of Msingi Talks - who interviews Drew Hart and Jarrod McKenna. In this conversation, Carol speaks with Drew and Jarrod on "good trouble"; what it looks like to be co-conspirators in pursuit of justice, as well as how churches, communities, academia, and organizations can embody justice. This episode first aired on the Msingi Talks podcast. https://anchor.fm/msingitalks Msingi Talks is a podcast hosted by Msingi Trust, an organisation that ventures deeper and makes connections in the world of faith advocacy activism. To support the work of Carol and Msingi Trust, please consider making a donation via Paypal: msingikenya@gmail.com and their Patreon:www.patreon.com/msingitrust Follow Msingi Talks on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/msingitrust/) @msingitrust . Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Revered Doctor Sally Douglas was a teacher before responding to the – rather surprising – call to be a Minister. Sally works in the mode of ‘scholar – pastor.' As well as serving at Richmond Uniting Church parish, she is an Honorary Research Associate within the University of Divinity and an Associate Lecturer within the University of Divinity, at Pilgrim Theological College. Sally’s doctoral research investigated very early, often suppressed, understandings of Jesus. Her book Early Church Understandings of Jesus as the Female Divine: The Scandal of the Scandal of Particularity was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2016. Her ongoing research interests span biblical studies, early church history and theology, and the implications of these in contemporary context. The driving question in Sally’s work in the parish, in her writing and in her research is ‘So what?’ – So what does this ancient text mean in contemporary context? So what does this mean for understandings of the Divine? So what might this mean for how we live? She is fed by ancient Christian contemplative prayer practices and, at present, is very into reggae and other (loud) music. Sally continues to be humbled by this strange calling to ordained ministry and deeply values accompanying others in their faith and doubt journeys as they explore what it might mean to be a disciple of Jesus in their own lives and who God is calling them to be. Follow Sally on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wordstitch) @wordstitch Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. Follow Brian on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BrianZahnd) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/brianzahnd) @brianzahnd as well as [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BrianZahnd/). Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He serves as a reader and monastery preacher at All Saints of North America Orthodox Monastery. He also occasionally teaches at The Bridge in Abbotsford. Through his books and seminars, Brad shares the good news that God is Love, perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He teaches others how to encounter God through the practice of ”listening prayer,” through which God’s love heals wounded hearts and empowers us to heal this broken world. Follow Brad Jersak on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bradjersak/) @bradjersak and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bradley.jersak/) @bradleyjersak. Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Dr Emerson Powery is the Professor of Biblical Studies at Messiah College. His research, writing, and editing relates to the New Testament and African American experience, including Jesus Reads Scripture (Brill, 2003) and True to Our Native Land: An African American NT Commentary (Fortress/Augsburg, 2007). His most recent (co-authored) publication, The Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved (WJKP, 2016), engages the function of the Bible in the 19th-century ‘slave narrative’ tradition, including the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs. Powery served on the editorial board of the Journal of Biblical Literature (2005-2013) and the editorial board for the Common English Bible; also, he was a recent past (regional) President of the Society of Biblical Literature (SE Region; 2006-2007). Presently, he co-chairs the “Slavery, Resistance, and Freedom” section of SBL. Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Rev Dr Rodney Sadler Jr is a co-Editor of the Africana Bible, The African American Devotional Bible, and author of books like “The Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved” and “Can A Cushite Change His Skin? An Examination of Race, Ethnicity, and Othering in the Hebrew Bible”. As well as Rev Dr Sadler Jr being the associate professor of Bible and the director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte North Carolina, he is a kind and humble brother who is deeply involved in the work of justice. Follow Dr Sadler on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/rodney_sadler) @rodney_sadler and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/rodney.sadler.9) . Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Grace Semler Baldridge is a writer, a producer, and a musician. She is an openly queer Christian artist who recently had the top Christian album, namely *Preacher's Kid* on iTunes dethroning* Look Up, Child* by Lauren Daigle, which was released in 2018. *Preacher's Kid* carries a parental advisory for explicit lyrics. Grace says, “I want to grab the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian music chart and claim it for anyone who has been cast out in the name of God.” Grace, a talented journalist, also has a docu-series on Refeinery 29 called *State of Grace*. It is a series that explores the intersection of human rights, sexuality, and faith. Grace dives into controversial soceital realities tha Americans face everyday and how to navigate the modern world while remainting faithful. Follow Grace on [Twitter](http:///twitter.com/gracebaldridge) and [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/gracebaldridge/) @gracebaldridge *Preacher's Kid *is out now on all music platforms. Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/inversepodcast) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/inversepodcast) @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew).