In part two of our series, we will go through the Biblical narrative and explore some of the "pagan saints" of the Bible to see that the Biblical story has always affirmed a variety of epistemological paths to salvation in Christ alone.  Plus, have we completely misunderstood the Apostle Paul's argument in the book of Romans to make the Good News of Jesus Christ feel more restrictive than Paul intended? Listen and let me know what you think in our Patreon Discussion Forum for this episode (see the link below) If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Ever since I was a kid, there was a nagging question in my mind about what happened to the indigenous people who lived and died on this continent long before missionaries ever brought the message of Jesus to them. Or what about the Daoists who lived in China in the 1st century? Did they have access to salvation? What about a Muslim child in Syria who died in the rubble of another bombing?   Is there a biblically supported and historically Christian option between believing that either all religions are equally salvific or believing that many, if not most, humans who have ever lived died without access to the possibility of salvation? This is part one in our multi-part series exploring what I believe are better answers to the questions many Christians have about salvation in our pluralistic world. If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Jon Guerra is a singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas. His album Keeper of Days is a brilliant work of "devotional music" that's among one of my favorite records in recent years.  He also composes music for the soundtracks of Terrance Malick films. In today's episode, I talk with Jon about his spiritual journey and what drew him to music, what once caused him to become cynical about God and music, and what brought him back to his calling. What is it about an experience of beauty that disarms our cynicism and invites us into a journey of wonder with God? You can find out more about Jon Guerra at: https://www.jonguerramusic.com/ Listen to Keeper of Days on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/album/0flP7iXzaUHPPyOeizocTn?si=2YXkF7GdSEONwUqrzq1jZw If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Dan Kent is an author and pastor at Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also co-hosts with Greg Boyd a podcast called "Apologies & Explanations with Greg Boyd." Dan joined me way back in episode 21 to share his personal story and insights from his book "Confident Humility". So if you want to know more about Dan's back story, then go back and listen to that episode. Dan also has his Master's in Christian Thought from Bethel Seminary and is a major proponent of Open Theism and  his friend Greg Boyd's "warfare view." We've talked on several occasions together about why I am no longer convinced by the Open view and thought it might be fun to hash out some of our differences together in a way that lets other people listen in. After I completed my finale of the Problem of Evil series, several listeners in our Patreon community reached out with questions and respectful objections in defense of the open view, so I thought it would be a good idea to work through some specific issues relating to open theism, Satan and spiritual warfare, and even animal suffering & veganism!   You can find out more about Dan Kent at: https://thatdankent.com/ If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

For those who see the Bible as inspired and authoritative, are we stuck having to choose between believing the Bible or our science textbooks? Here to talk about three difficult sections of Genesis that frequently emerge in science and faith discussions is Dr. John Walton. John Walton is an Old Testament scholar who specializes in Ancient Near Eastern culture. He’s a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, and has authored numerous commentaries and books. Most notably (for the purposes of today’s episode): NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible https://www.amazon.com/NIV-Cultural-Backgrounds-Study-Bible/dp/0310431581/ref=nodl_ The Lost World of Genesis One https://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Genesis-One-Cosmology/dp/0830837043/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24F38TL8J6WKL&dchild=1&keywords=lost+world+of+genesis+one&qid=1615766976&s=books&sprefix=Lost+world+of+gene%2Cstripbooks%2C184&sr=1-1 The Lost World of Adam & Eve https://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Adam-Eve-Genesis/dp/0830824618/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/143-4558116-9547317?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0830824618&pd_rd_r=2f28dd49-d481-4f8a-8416-7e8bac0aa5df&pd_rd_w=mvDuR&pd_rd_wg=nx0O9&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=SRRPYXZ3KH87T2Z25938&psc=1&refRID=SRRPYXZ3KH87T2Z25938 The Lost World of the Flood (with Tremper Longman III) https://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Flood-Mythology-Theology/dp/083085200X/ref=pd_bxgy_img_3/143-4558116-9547317?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=083085200X&pd_rd_r=ab477638-60d5-4711-b8f7-ac02ba251f1c&pd_rd_w=6sotH&pd_rd_wg=DVxzX&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=ZT91H5TQV6CFXE95EFYA&psc=1&refRID=ZT91H5TQV6CFXE95EFYA If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

This is the finale of The Problem of Evil series. Last week (Ep 87/ Part 17), I began sharing with you my conclusions and so I think it is important to listen to that one before you listen to today's episode. I imagine that some of you will still have questions, observations, and probably plenty of disagreements with where I have landed, but know that I welcome them all. The best way to share them is via our Patreon Discussion forum for this episode or by messaging me on Patreon. The next best option would be to reach out to me on Twitter. You'll find the links for all of those things below. Some work that I engage with in this episode includes the work of (no particular order): Karl Barth, Greg Boyd (Open Theism), Thomas Jay Oord, Ireneaus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Plotinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Luis De Molina (Molinism), Gottfried Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, Process Theism, and J.R.R Tolkien If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Well, this year-plus-long series is almost at an end. I have tried to be an impartial tour guide over the past 16 episodes (17 if you included the convo with Greg Boyd & Thomas Jay Oord), but now I get to share with you my own conclusions. I can honestly say that my own theodicy has changed as a result of going through this series together. This conclusion will be in 2 parts. Today, I talk about what to do with the book of Job and the obvious differences in the Old Testament and New Testament. Plus, I will share some nuanced agreements and disagreements with theologians like Karl Barth and Greg Boyd. I'll also talk about points of connection between the Cross, the Big Bang, and evolution. Finally, I will lay out three categories for interpreting our experiences of pain or suffering that will serve as an important framework for our finale. Are there evil AND good kinds of suffering? How could we discern them and respond properly? I'm sure questions and disagreements may abound, so I encourage you to participate in the Group Forum discussion on Patreon. You can find these forums on the Deep Talks Patreon page linked below. If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Ted Kim is senior pastor of Evanston Vineyard. He did his undergrad degree at the University of Chicago and has Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Ted joins me today to discuss the role of “story” in our quest for meaning in an increasingly “post-secular” America. How should followers of Jesus who believe in a true-overarching story for humanity interact with the stories we are constantly consuming via streaming services, movies, books and podcasts?  How do we sift through our cultural stories to find points of harmony and dissonance with the grand story of Scripture? How is Christ at work in the our mythological fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars? What can be mutually gained by expanding our cultural horizons through friendship with people in different macro and micro-cultures? We’ll discuss all this and more in today’s episode. To watch the most recent Deep Talks video on Luke Skywalker/Star Wars mentioned in this podcast, visit the Deep Talks YouTube channel at : https://youtu.be/_7ixhW_Ts7Y If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. Starting in 2021, WE HAVE A NEW BONUS REWARD- A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. To find out more and help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons which will sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection, visit: https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

The week after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, I talked with my friend Adam Russell on The Ferment podcast about the historical, theological, & psychological reasons for the development of "Culture War Christianity" and American Civil Religion. How did we get here as Christians in America? What can we do differently in our church communities? This conversation was released last week on The Ferment podcast and I'm re-airing here this week as I recover from COVID 19.  Adam has been on Deep Talks several times before. Most recently in Episode 61, where you can hear more of his story and bio.  Here's the link to that convo: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ieq4a-dcee40 If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In part 17 of The Problem of Evil series, I talk with theologians Greg Boyd and Thomas Jay Oord about their unique responses to the problems of evil and suffering. Why did each of them find traditional responses to the problem of evil in various forms of classical theism unsatisfying? What is similar and different about their respective positions? Does either Boyd's Open Theism or Oord's Essential Kenosis/God Can't theodicy provide more satisfying answers than what people like Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Leibniz, Barth provided in the past? How do they both respond to some of the more challenging theological or philosophical critiques aimed at their ideas? Dr. Gregory A. Boyd is theologian with advanced degrees from Yale and Princeton, senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is author of numerous books. Some of the more relevant books to today's conversation are: God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God  God at War: The Bible and Spiritual Conflict  Satan & the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Volumes 1 & 2   Dr. Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian and philosopher with advanced degrees from Nazarene Theological Seminary and Claremont Graduate University.  He directs the doctoral program at Northwind Theological Seminary and the Center for Open and Relational Theology. He's also authored numerous books and articles including: God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love After Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils  The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement  If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner