
Kingdom Roots
The Kingdom Roots Podcast with Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett facilitates conversations about how the Kingdom took root 'then' and how it takes root 'now.'
Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study.
Cody Matchett is a pastor, professor, and writer from Calgary Alberta Canada. He is a PhD candidate at Ridley College (Australian College of Theology) exploring portrayals of human character in the Graeco-Roman World, the co-author of Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call To Follow Jesus As A Dissident Disciple (Zondervan Reflective), and co-host of Kingdom Roots Podcast with Dr. Scot McKnight. Cody is passionate about bible literacy and engagement, psychology and philosophy, and all things coffee. He lives in Calgary with his wife Brianna, a counselling-therapist (Garden Counselling Services), his daughter Aletheia Theodora and his son Atticus Ignatius.
Latest episodes

Jan 7, 2021 • 34min
Redeeming Power (Conversation with Diane Langberg) - KR 167
In this episode, Scot and Laura talk with Diane Langberg. She is an internationally recognized psychologist and counselor with forty-seven years of experience. She speaks regularly on abuse and trauma all over the world. She recently wrote a book entitled Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church.
Power has a God-given role in human relationships and institutions, but it can lead to abuse when used in unhealthy ways. Speaking into current #MeToo and #ChurchToo conversations, this book shows that the body of Christ desperately needs to understand the form's power takes, how it is abused, and how to respond to abuses of power.
Purchase Diane's book here* 👉 https://amzn.to/2Lm7fDP
*amazon affiliate link

Dec 17, 2020 • 32min
Jesus and John Wayne (Conversation with Kristin Kobes Du Mez) - KR 166
How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate’s staunchest supporters?
Scot and Laura investigate these questions evaluated by acclaimed historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez. She asks these questions and more in Jesus and John Wayne, which delves beyond facile headlines to explain how white evangelicals have brought us to our fractured political moment. Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump for purely pragmatic reasons, Du Mez reveals that Donald Trump in fact represents the fulfillment, rather than the betrayal, of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values.
Purchase* Jesus and John Wayne here 👉 https://amzn.to/3npuMSo
*This is an amazon affiliate link.

Dec 3, 2020 • 35min
Who Was the Mary of Christmas? - KR 165
What do we know about the mother of Jesus?
Would you like to meet the real Mary of Nazareth? The real Mary was an unwed, pregnant, teenage girl living in first-century Palestine. And yet, from the moment she learned of God's plan for the Messiah, she showed herself to be a woman of courage, humility, and resolve.
In this sermon, Scot McKnight shows us how this seemingly insignificant woman was used by God to shift the tectonic plates of history. You may never look at the powder blue figurine in your nativity scene the same way again!
Want to learn more about Mary from Scot McKnight? Check out this book >> https://amzn.to/36zwWJf

Nov 19, 2020 • 32min
Fresh Insights on Ephesians (Conversation with Lynn Cohick) - KR 164
The recently named Provost of Northern Seminary, Lynn Cohick, joins Scot for a conversation on her new commentary. Lynn Cohick investigates the epistle of Ephesians and the complex relationship between Jews and gentiles within the text and in the broader cultural context as she analyzes the epistle’s description of the Church. This has major implications for discipleship today! Cohick’s historically sensitive and theologically rich commentary will resource a new generation of scholars, pastors, and lay leaders.
Purchase your copy of Ephesians in the NICNT - https://amzn.to/2Kb38K9

Nov 5, 2020 • 32min
7 Ways Churches Can Resist Toxic Cultures (A Church Called Tov Series) - KR 163
👉 Get your copy of A Church Called Tov for 20% OFF 👉 bit.ly/Tovpromo
Leave a review 🎉🎉 for A Church Called Tov. Then fill out this form 👉 bit.ly/Tovreview
You Could win one of 3 bundles that include:
Pastor Paul ($21.99), Reading Romans Backwards ($29.99), Blue Parakeet ($19.99), The State of NT Studies ($42.99), and a year subscription to Seminary Now (seminarynow.com/ - $240) Value of $350+
Scot gives 7 practical ways to combat toxicity in a church. It takes great intentionality to nurture Christ-likeness and these 7 suggestions are a great starting point to combat narcissism.

Oct 15, 2020 • 45min
Jesus and Kingdom Politics (Wheaton College 22nd Annual Theology Conference) - KR 162
👉 Get your copy of A Church Called Tov for 20% OFF 👉 bit.ly/Tovpromo
Leave a review 🎉🎉 for A Church Called Tov. Then fill out this form 👉 bit.ly/Tovreview
You Could win one of 3 bundles that include:
Pastor Paul ($21.99), Reading Romans Backwards ($29.99), Blue Parakeet ($19.99), The State of NT Studies ($42.99), and a year subscription to Seminary Now (https://seminarynow.com - $240) Value of $350+
How did Jesus engage with the politics of His day? Scot suggests we must start with what Jesus has to say about Kingdom. When we understand how Jesus invites His followers into participating in His Kingdom, then we will be able to let Jesus speak into how His followers are to engage with the world. Scot will show how the local church stands at the center for how Jesus is leading the Kingdom to liberate the world.
Watch the lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkxJfc4cZeo
Want to explore more what Jesus means when He says Kingdom? Check out Scot’s book Kingdom Conspiracy 👉 https://amzn.to/3lNMDkQ

Oct 2, 2020 • 44min
7 Habits to Nurture Tov in Church Culture - KR 161
👉 Get your copy of A Church Called Tov for 20% OFF 👉 http://bit.ly/Tovpromo
Leave a review 🎉🎉 for A Church Called Tov. Then fill out this form 👉 http://bit.ly/Tovreview
You Could win one of 3 bundles that include:
Pastor Paul ($21.99) , Reading Romans Backwards ($29.99), Blue Parakeet ($19.99), The State of NT Studies ($42.99), and a year subscription to Seminary Now (https://seminarynow.com/ - $240) Value of $350+
“CHURCH CULTURE MATTERS. As we live in our culture and also into our culture, our culture begins to live in and into us.” Scot makes this powerful suggestion about church cultures in A Church Called Tov. In this episode of Kingdom Roots he unpacks the 7 Habits that nurture a Tov culture such as things like empathy, grace, and Christlikeness.

Sep 18, 2020 • 40min
The False Narratives Churches Tell (A Church Called Tov Series) - KR 160
Want a chance to win a copy of Scot’s New Book (A Church Called Tov - https://amzn.to/33APjL6)? On your favorite social media platform, share a screenshot of you listening to the podcast. Make sure to use #churchcalledtov Once wee hit 950k downloads we’ll announce the winners.
Scot McKnight addresses how toxic cultures DEMONIZE THE CRITICS, SPIN THE STORY, GASLIGHT THE CRITICS, and 5 other narratives these toxic cultures implement. Jesus is truth and expects His churches to be filled with truth. There can be no tov without truth. In this episode, Scot unpacks these tactics that can be a templet to identify toxic cultures void of tov.

Sep 3, 2020 • 36min
How the Willow Creek Scandal Led to a Book on Goodness (A Church Called Tov Series) - KR 159
What is the way forward for the church when so much of what we hear is 👎?
Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches―from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. In this episode they unpack the story of how this book came to be and their hope for how it can be used to foster good cultures.
Purchase book here 👉https://amzn.to/31RNhXl

Aug 21, 2020 • 55min
Scot's Key Observations from 30 + Years of Studying Jesus (Seminary Now Live Event) - KR 158
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In this episode, Dr. Scot McKnight discusses his 30+ years of studying Jesus, the evolution of his thinking on key topics, and the developments in Gospel studies that inform the church's theology and mission.