Christians make unique claims not only about Jesus being the Son of God, the Savior of the World, fully God and fully human, etc but they also hold to the unique belief that Jesus is the supreme example for how we are to live in the world. If this is true, why are there such diverse opinions among Christians about how we are to live in the world? In America alone, you bump into MAGA/Trump-loving Christians and Woke Progressive Christians with preferred pronouns. How can this be? At least one factor that contributes to this, is an easy Bible-reading mistake that gives people an imaginary Jesus instead of the Jesus of the Gospels. It's a simple mistake I made for years too, but I think there's a better way.   If you want to support this podcast and become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community, go to this link: 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 today's episode, we'll do a deep dive exploration into one of the more troubling books of the Bible - Ecclesiastes. Is everything meaningless?    We'll explore both Biblical scholarship and insights from psychology to help us unpack how this book can help us in our own crisis of meaning.   Thanks to Deep Talks Patreon Member, Nathan for this week's excellent question. If you want to support this podcast and become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community, go to this link: 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

One of our Deep Talks Patreon members, Sam, asked a great question about 1 Corinthians 3 and whether the Apostle Paul believed in purgatory. Is Paul teaching "salvation by works" here? To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   TODAY'S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:  Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner  

My guest in today's episode is Justin Brierley. Justin is the longtime host of Unbelievable?, an award-winning show in the U.K. where skeptics, atheists, historians, scientists, theologians, and philosophers exchange meaningful conversations about God, Christianity, philosophy, and the big questions of life. Along with Unbelievable?,  Justin also hosts Ask N.T. Wright Anything.   In our conversation together, I talk with Justin about how he began this program and what he's learned in nearly 15 years of hosting the show. Justin discusses a shift he has seen in the last decade with a movement away from the New Atheism of Richard Dawkins into a new curiosity about Christianity and religion sparked by curious agnostics like Jordan Peterson and Tom Holland.   For more information about Justin Brierley, Unbelievable?, his book or any of his upcoming events visit: https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable https://www.unbelievable.live/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714CP5M9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://www.youtube.com/user/PremierUnbelievable   TODAY'S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:  Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In our last episode in this series, we explored how Molinism attempts to solve the problem of evil; but in today's episode, we will explore some of the objections to Molina's creative theodicy. How might Hitler and the Joker get us to reconsider whether this theodicy does what it sets out to do? Plus, how did the evil and suffering perpetrated by "Christians" in the 16th-18th century lead to the beginnings of secularism? What is natural theology? How did the scientific revolution lead to its popularization? How did natural theologians like Gottfried Leibniz attempt to address the problem of evil? What are the strengths and weaknesses of trying to do theodicy within the framework of natural theology?   TODAY'S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:  Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Jen Meyerson is the Director of Relief for Preemptive Love, an NGO that focuses on disaster relief in some of the most war torn places on the planet. Jen has worked extensively in places like Iraq & Syria, bringing medical relief, education, and support to those most tragically effected by the devastations of war. Jen has also worked for the United Nations serving those experiencing the horrors of war, genocide, and famine. In today's episode, I ask Jen to help us understand the conflicts in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and share the personal stories of the real people caught up in the geopolitical conflict.  In the midst of so much tragedy and suffering, is there any evidence of hope? What can we possibly to do stop the cycle of violence and to bring relief to those who need it most? This is an important conversation you don't want to miss. You can find out more about Jen's work for Preemptive Love at: https://preemptivelove.org/   TODAY'S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:   Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Luther and Calvin both made a strong case for evil as the "alien acts of God." Calvin made an especially strong argument that the implications from the theology and metaphysics of people like Augustine and Aquinas should lead to a belief in God's predestination of all things. His argument was so strong that it forced people to reassess the "classical" doctrines of God and the metaphysical beliefs about the nature of reality in order to try and find a way to maintain a belief in libertarian free will and human responsibility for their choices. One of the first challenges to this classical position emerged as a slight variation away from the classical view by a 16th century Jesuit name Luis De Molina. Molina's new ideas would become known as Molinism.  In today's episode, we'll explore the basic concepts of Molinism and see how Molinist's attempt to give answers to the problem of evil. Maybe even a couple of well-known movies can help us understand this complex school of thought... TODAY's EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Shema Apparel https://shemaapparel.com/ Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

The era known as the Protestant Reformation is among the most important eras in recorded history. Most Christians who aren't Catholic or Eastern Orthodox can trace their theological influence directly back to Martin Luther and John Calvin. Luther and Calvin are not only a couple of the most important theologians who have ever lived, but they are among the most controversial... even within Protestant circles! Luther and Calvin both believed they were reclaiming historic Augustinian Christianity from the corrupt Roman Catholic church, arguing for God's predetermining of all things even evil, suffering, and the damnation of the wicked. But were they right?  Don't make up your mind until you've heard their explanations.   TODAY's EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Shema Apparel: https://shemaapparel.com/ Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In part 6 of The Problem of Evil we head into Europe's Middle Ages, a time of horrific moral and natural evils. From plagues to crusades, many superstitious explanations abounded for why these evils occurred. Simultaneously, this was an era filled with significant advancements in the arts and education.  Arguably the greatest medieval philosopher and theologian, Thomas Aquinas believed that the existence of God was not threatened by the philosophical and theological challenges that evil and suffering presents.  In this episode, we'll explore his famous "Five Ways" or the five logical arguments he thought proved the existence of God. Plus we'll see how Aquinas differed philosophically from Origen and Augustine and how that philosophical difference affected his understanding of evil, suffering, and the fundamental nature of God's creation. TODAY's EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Shema Apparel https://shemaapparel.com/ Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content, Q & A opportunities, and more! To Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In part 5 of The Problem of Evil, we explore the theology of Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine in the 4th-5th Century. These two men would become pillars of the Christian traditions of the East and West. It's really important to have listened to Part 4 where we discussed Plotinus and Origen in order to make sense of the theology of both of these men. We'll see in today's episode how Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine answered questions related to the problem of evil such as: - How do we define "evil"? -Will evil ever end? Will God save and restore all things eventually...even the most wicked people? -Are we born into the world evil, good, or neutral? -If we do have sinful souls, how did they get to be sinful? -Are humans free to chose God and the True, the Good, and the Beautiful? Do we have free will at all?   It's hard to underestimate the importance of these men (especially Augustine) in how they influenced most Christians throughout the history that follows on how we think about God, evil, sin, salvation, and even sex.   TODAY's EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Shema Apparel https://shemaapparel.com/ Deep Talks Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast Become a member of the Deep Talks Patreon Community to help support this podcast and receive bonus content. To Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 Connect on with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner