Context Matters

What can the church learn from embracing wine and engaging the vocation of being a vintner? After all, God is often called a vintner throughout the Old and New Testaments. Dr. Gisela Kreglinger-Smith encourages us to attend to the agrarian view of scripture.  Pour yourself a drink and join us as we discuss the beauty of wine.Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerLearn more about Gisela Kreglinger: https://www.giselakreglinger.comBuy The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of WineConnect with Dr. Kreglinger on Facebook or InstagramYou can even grab a group of friends and then ask Dr. Kreglinger to lead your group in a virtual Spirituality of Wine event. Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. 

What makes people gravitate towards diverse places or towards white places? Is the church being mindful of the narratives they choose to tell? Dr. Leong brings in the ideas of Bob Ekblad who talks of the church being the bridge between the margins and the mainstream. We also touch on the signifiant writings of Stanley Haurwas that emphasize how the church gathers to rehearse and retell the transformative story of the gospel. Are we even paying attention the diverse ways the gospel is playing out in social structures that are not our own?Buy Dr. Leong's book Race and PlaceRead Stanley Haurwas's book Resident AliensFrank Spina's book The Faith of the OutsiderJoin our Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerConnect with me on Facebook at Instagram or send me an email through www.narrativeofplace.com 

From the studies of urban environments to the church's responsibility to engage in reconciliation, Dr. Leong's book Race and Place is a must read. This week we discuss Dr. Leong's history and how it led him to write this book. Along with Race and Place, we discuss how important it is to create a sense of belonging if reconciliation is to happen.  Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Buy the book here: Race and PlaceLearn more about Dr. David LeongSend me comments and questions on Facebookor Instagram or through my website at:   www.narrativeofplace.com 

How well do we know our history? The stories we tell influence who we perceive to be the primary contributors to the Christian faith. Dr. Vince Bantu does an excellent job convincing us we should be paying attention to more voices than we normally listen to. This week we dive into more of the specifics of the untold stories of early church history that originated in Africa and Syrai. Hold on, you are going for a ride into some stories you’ve never heard of before.Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerRead more about Dr. Bantu: https://www.fuller.edu/faculty/vince-bantu/Read his book!!!  A Multitude of All Peoples Send me comments and questions on Facebook or Instagram or through my website at:   www.narrativeofplace.com 

Dr. Bantu grew up in a racially segregated St. Louis. His neighborhood was "the hood" (as he says), but he went to school in an affluent area. The church they went to was nearby, but it was over the line separating the white and black neighborhoods. This week we talk about the subtleties of cultural clues that get mixed into the expression of religions, and how detangling culture and religion pushed Dr. Bantu into his PhD studies. Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerRead more about Dr. Bantu: https://www.fuller.edu/faculty/vince-bantu/Read his book!!!  A Multitude of All Peoples Send me comments and questions on Facebook or Instagram or through my website at:   www.narrativeofplace.com 

This week we start by addressing a question a listener sent in to Dr. Kalantzis about the Eucharist and Ecclesiology. Then we get into who the early church mothers are and what we lose by not preserving and passing along their stories.Find out more about me: www.narrativeofplace.com Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/ Suggested book for learning more about early church theologians: The Spirit of Early Christian ThoughtFollow me on Facebook @narrativeofplace  Instagram @narrative_of_place Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD

The early church theologians were pastors who wrote to address the context of their local congregations. Some of their writings were lost and have been recently rediscovered. What can we know about these early thinkers and how do they impact what we believe now?Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/Follow me on Facebook @narrativeofplace  Instagram @narrative_of_placeTwitter @CyndiParkerPhD

Join the Patreon powerhouse team at: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerFather Andrew's website with connections to all his books and podcasts is found at: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/asd/Book on Mt. Athos: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Athos-Paradise-Graham-Speake/dp/0300093535David Dry's photography and writings are at: https://www.daviddry.comConnect with me on Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD   or at www.narrativeofplace.com

Can stages, rock bands, and moving lights usher us into the sacred? Many of you on social media said no, although you recognized your upbringing in such places. Do we value the theological teachings on Sunday over what the place of Sunday worship communicates? And is it possible that the place can be objectively "sacred" even when a person does not intellectually or emotionally feel it as sacred? These are all the issues we cover this week.Follow Father Andrew on Twitter  @FrAndrewSDamickOr find him online at www.andrewstephendamick.comJoin the Patreon team at  https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparkerCommunicate with me on Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD 

Join the Patreon Team! HERE!  Father Paul Drozdowski's website: https://www.pd-icons.comDavid Dry's website: https://www.daviddry.comExplore the "Jordanville" style icons and maybe get one for yourself HERE.Explore the online Rabulla Gospel and the Ascension image in particular.