Restitutio

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Recently Tom Huszti interviewed me for his YouTube channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist. We talked about the importance of geography, archeology, and Greco-Roman history for interpreting the bible, especially the New Testament. Next we delved into early church history, starting with the earliest forms of Jewish Christianity in the first and second centuries. We talked about the Jerusalem church, the Nazarenes, and the Ebionites. Next we considered the persecution many Christians faced at the hands of the Romans for their unwillingness to give their ultimate allegiance to Caesar. The conversation was wide ranging, but what came through over and over is the importance of studying the bible and history in order to restore authentic Christianity and live it out today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KefOimH6ZU —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode For the trip to Greece and Turkey with Jerry Wierwille, see the itinerary here and the map here. Follow Huszti's YouTube Channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist Check out episode 478 Unitarian Anabaptist (Tom Huszti)  Get the free class on Early Church History here. Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts I'm so delighted to present you with an interview I did with Professor Nancy Pearcey, an author whose books have significantly helped me understand and live out my faith better. Today we're talking about masculinity. Have you noticed the critical and uncharitable tone in our culture towards men? Although our society celebrates women and girls who excel at sports, education, and business, men and boys often receive nothing but criticism, even outright hostility. Some even say masculine men are the cause of all the problems with the world. Listen in as I ask Pearcey about her recent book and how Christians should approach the whole issue of masculinity both biblically and historically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmzSm2_4RI Here are my 8 myths about masculinity that Pearcey responded to in this episode: Bible-believing Christians are slightly more likely to divorce than non-Christians or liberal Christians. Bible-believing Christian men are more likely to be harsh and abusive to their wives and children The Bible's endorsement of male patriarchy causes toxic masculine behaviors. Women initiated the suffragette movement in America because they wanted to be treated as individuals of equal value. Our time is the first when women in America have publicly accused men of toxic behavior. Men have traditionally worked outside of the home and have been the breadwinners. Traditionally women focused on keeping the home and raising the children rather than contributing economically. Blocking or limiting men's testosterone will solve the problems our society has with badly behaved men. Professor Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes,as well as Love Thy Body,The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She's been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual." —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode Get The Toxic War on Masculinity here More about Pearcey at NancyPearcey.com Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB

Although he's one of the lesser known Christian authors of the fourth century, Aphrahat is extremely important for our understanding of early Persian Christianity prior to the advent of Islam in the region. Amazingly a full-length book of his survives, called The Demonstrations. In today's interview I ask about Aphrahat's beliefs in general and his christology in particular. My guest today is Sam Tideman. Other than a master's degree from Harvard and working full time for Google as a data scientist, Tideman is also the host of Transfigured, a Youtube channel and podcast that covers a wide range of Christian topics, including church history our topic for today. He's had all kinds of guests on his show, including many notable scholars. Jordan Peterson even shared a clip of Tideman's conversation with John Vervaeke on social media a while back. But, today our focus is on the research Tideman has done on Aphrahat. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/8QpqvZYkI4E —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Have you heard of the quests for the historical Jesus? This has been going on for two and a half centuries. It has produced a massive amount of literature and occupied the minds of some of the most impressive biblical scholars over the years. What's all this about? Why do we need to search for the historical Jesus? Isn't he right there in the Gospels that we find in the New Testament? My guest today is Craig Blomberg whose new book, Jesus the Purifier lays out a thorough yet accessible survey of the four quests for the historical Jesus. He also explains why bible-believing Christians should care about critical scholarship. Lastly, he describes how his own work on the Gospel of John has revealed some exciting insights that challenge the Church today. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/gJtEbv56xNg —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode Check out Craig Blomberg's books on Amazon Listen to Blomberg's presentation on handling money in 4: A Biblical Theology of Finance Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

We continue in our conversation on the topic of healing from bullying. This episode applies not only to those who suffered in school, but also should prove helpful to any who have suffered abuse later in life as well. Jon Nessle taps into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount to gain practical advice on what to do to find wholeness. In particular, he went into much greater detail about forgiveness and praying for one's abuser. Once again, Nessle's example and personal testimony help illustrate how these principles work in real life. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/QwLAXO_T_B8 —— Links —— Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Were you bullied in school? How did you deal with it? Do you still harbor feelings of bitterness and vengefulness in your heart towards those who mistreated and abused you? Today my guest is Jon Nessle who faced ruthless ridicule and physical abuse from kindergarten to the tenth grade. He shares seven points to help you get the healing you need to let go of past trauma and experience God's healing. You have value; you are special. Find something you're good at and invest in that, especially education. Sublimate your emotional urges into good outlets. Don't allow rage to build and blow. Get help. Tell you guidance counselor or pastor. Cast your cares upon God. Pray. Forgive the bully. Refuse to seek vengeance for yourself. Pray for your enemies. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-VuEBrWPTE —— Links —— Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Do you struggle with evangelism? Do you feel like you should tell others about the gospel and yet, you can't seem to find a way to do that? If so, then this episode is for you. Part of our aim here at Restitutio is not just exploring the bible and church history to recover authentic Christianity, but also figuring out how to live your faith today. This means we sometimes have practical episodes. In this presentation, you'll learn about hospitality evangelism. The idea is simple: invite neighbors or coworkers over for dinner. Rosaria Butterfield put it this way: make strangers neighbors and neighbors family. This presentation will not only give you some useful advice on how to be faithful to the Great Commission, but will also provide you with some comedic examples of what not to do. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLyvaJoK2OQ —— Links —— See other episodes about evangelism Check out the evangelism seminar of Josh Anderson Get Rosaria Butterfield's book: The Gospel Comes with a House Key Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Today we are continuing where we left off with part 2 of my interview with Kegan Chandler. In our last episode we spent most of our time talking about UAPs and the evidence that has come to light for their existence as well as non-human origin. Today, we are shifting gears to focus on the faith question. If aliens exist, what would that mean for Christian theology? What biblical categories exist to think about non-human intelligences (NHIs)? The answers Chandler provides may surprise you. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Kegan Chandler Follow Chandler on Adademia.edu Check out his books on Amazon Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 5. You seem to be pointing to a potential overlap between science and what religions have been saying. How do you see this information impacting the ongoing discussion about “faith” versus “science”?  –    History of separation of methodological categories –    a convergence of discussion with scientific or non-religious institutions –    example of Bohr, etc. (short answer) 6. Do you think this is a difficult topic for Christians in particular to investigate?  –    Explain (long answer)  7. Are Christian theological discussions about the existence of NHIs something new, or something that’s been motivated only by recent events in the news? Have Christian theologians been interested in this topic before?  –    Brief history of this discussion in Western thought – Greek philosophers – anthroposolism vs. cosmic pluralism –    The Church Fathers –    Modern “exotheology” (CS Lewis, etc) –    Contemporary Evangelical UFO/Alien demonological and eschatological literature (short answer)  8. In what ways have theologians imagined that the existence of extraterrestrial life or NHIs could affect Christian theology? – soteriology – Christology/The Incarnation – doctrine of creation; evolution (medium answer) 9. What are some interpretive options for UAPs/NHI from a Christian theological perspective? Most important: a realization of our current category problem.  “Aliens” vs. “angels.”<– explain in detail >>>>Christians already believe in NHIs.<<<<< (!) From here, the options: –    “Demons” or “fallen angels” (negative) –    “good angels” (positive) –           Or a mixture of the above –    The “gods” as referred to in the OT and in ANE literature; or the “divine council” –    Simply other creatures of god who aren’t referenced in the Bible (long answer)

Last month, the US Congress held a hearing with three whistle-blowers who provided testimony about UFOs. Yes, I just said UFOs. No, I haven’t lost my mind or started subscribing to the tabloids. This is a topic that has moved from the fringes of conspiracy land right into serious public hearings in the US government. In today’s episode I’m interviewing Kegan Chandler who has been seriously thinking about this subject for many years. Kegan Chandler is a historian of religion currently working on his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Cape Town where he is researching monotheism in Japanese religions. He also holds a Master of Theology degree from Campbellsville University. He is the author of several books and articles and currently writes for his blog, Exploring Religion. Now, I know this is a Christian theology podcast, but we need to talk about this subject, and Chandler is the guy to guide us. He’s intimately familiar with the evidence and has thought this topic through. I think you’ll agree that there are significant theological implications if it turns out non-human intelligence is behind these unexplained flying objects. But, before we get to that, we need to first talk about the evidence and different theories for what these objects are.   Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Kegan Chandler Check out his books on Amazon Follow Chandler on Adademia.edu Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 1. What are UAPs and NHIs (non human intelligences)? Where did these terms come from and why are people using them now? 2. What are the possible explanations of UAPs?  –    Prosaic hypotheses (incl. advanced human technology) –    Extra-terrestrial hypothesis –    Crypto-terrestrial hypothesis –    Ultra-terrestrial / Inter-dimensional –    Time-traveling humans hypothesis –    Jacque Valle’s Control System hypothesis –    Reverse Engineered technology hypothesis –    Warning: fallacy of oversimplification 3. Why is the mundane explanation that these are experimental craft of terrestrial origin problematic? Explain. –    Government studies – some still “unexplained” –    Reported flight capabilities/characteristics –    Near-peer adversaries? –    Older reports –    Credible sources’ testimony 4. We sometimes hear that news of “aliens” would somehow negatively affect religion on planet earth. What impact do you think widespread acknowledgemen

Today we are picking up where we left off with Dr. Steven Nemes. We've been talking about communion (also called the eucharist or the Lord's supper). He's been presenting a case for memorialism. Today we begin with the words of institution, which Jesus gave at the last supper. What did he mean when he said, "This is my body?" Next I ask Nemes about church history and what he's learned there. He talks about the Didache, Ignatius of Antioch, and Cyril of Jerusalem. Then I ask him how we should engage with the eucharist today. His answer may surprise you. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Steven Nemes Check out Nemes’ personal website, blog on substack, and YouTube channel Follow Nemes on Twitter @snemes2 Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here