Theology On Mission

The good news is bigger and better than we imagined. Is the gospel good news for us today? Many Christians—especially young Christians stepping into a world and a church devastated by division, scandal, and abuse—are asking this question and deciding it simply isn’t. For many, it seems like our faith has little to offer the world around us. Our gospel has become too small—it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh.  How do we recover this gospel? When we turn to the parable of the prodigal son—a story of elaborate parties, upside-down kingdoms, and reunited families—we can hear in Jesus’ own words a clear presentation of what he is doing, of a truth that is bigger and better than we’ve imagined. In these pages, author and pastor Jonny Morrison invites us on a journey to help us find ourselves and Jesus in the welcoming arms of this familiar parable, zooming out to show how this story shapes the entire story of Scripture. Along the way we discover the radically inclusive power of the g

In this episode of Theology on Mission, Dave Fitch and Mike Moore sit down again with Andy Crouch to dive deeper into the complexities of power in the Christian context. Building on themes from Crouch’s book Playing God, they explore the tension between creative and coercive power, framing the conversation around the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. With lively debate and thoughtful reflection, Fitch and Crouch wrestle with authority in the church offering clarity and connection. The episode wraps up with a powerful call to reclaim God's presence and power in the church's practices.Timestamps:01:45 Diving into Power Dynamics05:12 Genesis vs. Jesus: Different Starting Points11:18 The Role of the State and Power24:10 Creative Leadership and Coercion28:47 Understanding Mutual Submission29:08 God's Power vs. Worldly Power29:17 Legal Disputes Among Christians30:56 Jesus' Power and Authority32:22 Debating the Nature of Jesus' Power34:48 Peter's Resistance and Jesus' Response36:18 The Concept of Creative

How does God want His people to deal with power? Andy Crouch & David Fitch have nuanced ways in which they see God’s invitation to embrace and use power in the world.  The discussion explores topics such as coercive versus creative power, idolatry and injustice, and the pervasive influence of systems like Mammon in modern Christian thought. This candid conversation over the implications of using power in the name of God. From the Genesis narrative and historical stances on ecclesiastical power. This deep dive aims to unpack the complexities of wielding power within Christendom, ultimately emphasizing a return to true worship and dependence on God as a solution.Timestamps: 01:36 Introducing Andy Crouch02:28 Andy Crouch's Journey and Work03:56 The Crisis in Evangelicalism05:20 The Theology of Power10:55 The Creative and Coercive Power20:02 The Problem of Magic and Mammon23:54 Introduction to Power Distortion24:40 Summarizing the Issues of Power25:23 The Two Powers and Their Origins26:09 Critique of Andy Cro

Listen to The Pastor’s Table on your favorite platform: https://pod.link/1661366136 In a world where we can see the abuses of power everywhere.David Fitch & Mike Moore from The Theology on Mission Podcast join Mark and Tara Beth to discuss power dynamics in the church's life.  Church leaders must discern power and avoid its abuses and traumas. By learning from the church's historical pitfalls, Christians can be empowered to relinquish worldly power and make space for God to disrupt and transform our culture for his kingdom.In this episode they explore the appropriate exercise of power within the church, distinguishing between God's and worldly power, and the importance of mutual submission and humility. The conversation addresses how pastors can discern when they are misusing power and the need for a community and friends to hold them accountable. Timestamps:01:08 Meet the Guests: Dr. Mike Moore and Dr. David Fitch03:35 The Challenge of Power in Pastoral Leadership05:00 Distinguishing God's Power from Wor

Pastors face unexpected challenges all the time.  Tara Beth and Mark talk about the many active struggles of ministry. Antagonism and all sorts of sources have created a polarized world. Often this blows up in the church.  Mark and Tara Beth share their insights from mediating conflicts, understanding underlying issues, and knowing when it might be time to move on from a pastoral role. Pastors foster a reconciling presence as Christ was a reconciling force through his ministry.  Listen to The Pastor’s Table on your favorite platform: https://pod.link/1661366136 Outline: 00:00 Introduction and Banter01:58 Special Guests Introduction04:23 Challenges of Ministry10:01 Antagonism in the Church18:09 Historical Context of Marriage18:49 Modern Affluence and Marriage Dynamics19:56 Pastoral Leadership in Conflict21:56 Understanding Congregational Antagonisms23:18 Modeling Reconciliation in Church29:53 Social Media's Impact on Pastors38:12 Differentiation and Pastoral Identity39:28 When It's Time to Leave41:03 Final Tho

Palestine is the birthplace of Christianity.  Despite the generations-long crisis existing between Israel and Palestinian, there are followers of Jesus faithfully living out their faith. David Fitch and Mike Moore sit down with Reverend Jack Sara, President of Bethlehem Bible College and a native Palestinian pastor. They delve into the pressing issues Christians face on the ground in the Gaza crisis and beyond. Pastor Jack shares his deeply personal account of living and ministering in a land torn by conflict, tracing the legacy of Palestinian Christians and their pursuit of peace amidst ongoing violence. From the challenges of navigating daily life under occupation to fostering interfaith understanding and resilience, this conversation sheds light on the work of the kingdom of Jesus in regions afflicted by long-standing hostilities. Listen in as we explore the role of faith, the power of nonviolent reconciliation, and the hope that persists for a better future in Palestine.Learn more about and support the wo

Countless hurdles stand in the way of people encountering the gospel. The religious trauma faced by so many people is clearly one of the largest obstacles to even hearing the gospel.  Charles Kiser and Elanie Heath recover the God of love from the structures of hate that pervade Christian communities in America today. In their new guide, Elanie and Charles work toward bringing this reformation to fruition through ministering specifically to the spiritually traumatized.  Fitch talks with Charles about this new book and how our faith communities can be better attuned to the trauma of others. Start making deeper connections and better cultivate communities of wounded healers.  Learn more the book and connect with Charles at his website:  https://www.charleskiser.com 

The constraints of the spiritual life, practiced in the community, are what set us free. Practicing spiritual disciplines can seem difficult, especially when we undertake them as isolated individuals. But we were never meant to practice them alone.Jared Patrick Boyd reveals how the constraints practiced in Christian community shape us into the way of Christ. He re-anchors the practices of constraint within the ascetic tradition of monasticism, religious orders, and the early church fathers. Boyd writes, "The constraints of a rule of life are what make life together, lived for one another, possible. A rule of life is not meant to be primarily personal, but communal. It's not primarily meant to guide my life. It is meant to describe our way of life together." Constraint is the practice of learning to pay deeper attention to the things in our inner world that prevent us from progressing in the school of love.Discover a deep conversation on freedom and constraint with six core practices of constraint that can for

We aren't always honest about how difficult normal human life is.For the majority of people, sorrow, despair, anxiety, and mental illness are everyday experiences. While we have made tremendous advancements in therapy and psychiatry, the burden of living still comes down to mundane choices that we each must make―like the daily choice to get out of bed.In this deeply personal essay, Alan Noble considers the unique burden of everyday life in the modern world. Sometimes, he writes, the choice to carry on amid great suffering―to simply get out of bed―is itself a powerful witness to the goodness of life, and of God.Purchase Your Copy of On Getting Out of Bed: https://www.ivpress.com/on-getting-out-of-bed 

What if we considered ourselves “exiles in Babylon” and turned to Scripture, not political parties, to shape our most passionate values? Politics are dividing our churches like never before. In his new book, Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire, Dr. Preston Sprinkle reminds us that the first-century church was not an apolitical gathering, where Christians left their Roman politics at the door. It also wasn’t where Christians mounted a Roman flag next to—or above—a Christian one. Church was a place where God’s plan for governing the world was revealed, where one could witness what it means to follow the Creator’s design for human flourishing. Fitch, Mike, and Preston explore why: Israel’s exile to Babylon profoundly shaped the political identity of God’s people—and still does today. Christians should see themselves as foreigners in the country where they live. The gospel of Jesus’ kingdom was politically subversive. The church today should view its political identity as fundamentally separate from the em

How does God leverage power?  In David Fitch’s new book, Reckoning with Power, he unpacks the difference between worldly power, or power over others, and God's power, which engages not in coercion but in love, reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and healing.On today’s podcast, Mike and Fitch focus on the power found at the very beginning of Genesis and how that sets the stage for how the church should reckon with power. 

In this episode, our friend Dr. Al Tizon unpacks his fabulous new book, Christ Among the Classes. In this discussion we explore the countors of discipleship, money, and how Jesus is prophetically present in the economy of God's kingdom. Rev. Dr. Al Tizon is an Affiliate Associate Professor of Missional & Global Leadership at North Park Seminary. An ordained minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Tizon has served churches and engaged in community development work, church leadership, holistic ministry, advocacy, and urban ministry both in the Philippines and in the United States. He was formerly co-president of Evangelicals for Social Action, an activist think tank that combines holistic ministry, public policy, and scholarship.If you want to study with us at Northern and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Beth Jones, Nijay Gupta, Dave Fitch, Ingrid Faro, and visiting lectures from theologians like Amos Yong, Jonathan Tran, and Jeannine Brown, then go to www.seminary.edu

We are honored to have our friend and colleague Dr. Ingrid Faro on the podcast to discuss the church, Augustine, power, sin, and more. Before you listen to the episode go and buy her new book with InterVarsity Press, Demystifying Evil. If you want to study with us at Northern and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Beth Jones, Nijay Gupta, Dave Fitch, Ingrid Faro, and visiting lectures from theologians like Amos Yong, Jonathan Tran, and Jeannine Brown, then go to www.seminary.edu

After years of doing the podcast together Moore and Fitch finally have a good ole fashion debate. Who wins? You won't be surprised.If you want to study with us at Northern and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Ingrid Faro, and visiting lectures from theologians like Amos Yong, Jonathan Tran, then go to www.seminary.edu

In this episdoe our friend, Eun (E.K). Strawser joins us to talk about discpleship and local church life. Eun is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o, non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii; a community physician at Ke Ola Pono; and an executive leader at the V3 Movement. If you want to study with us at Northern and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Ingrid Faro, and visiting lectures from theologians like Amos Yong, Jonathan Tran, then go to www.seminary.edu

Join us as we talk with Reverend Dr. Amy Peeler, Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Associate Rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Geneva, Ill.You can find out more about Amy and her work here: www.amypeeler.comIf you want to study with us and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Jeannine Brown, Ingrid Faro, and visiting lectures from theologians like Amos Yong, Jonathan Tran, and more check us out at www.seminary.edu

Season 9! Back in the saddle. Fitch starts this season by provoking: THE SPIRITUAL FORMATION MOVEMENT IS IN NEED OF A CORRECTION if it is not to devolve into merely a discipleship program for affluent millennial Christians.

This year's Theology & Mission lecturer joined Fitch and Moore for a conversation just hours before the public lectures. If you want to study with us and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, visiting professors like Jeannine Brown, Drew Hart, Jonathan Tran, check us out at www.seminary.edu

How do we make sense of sexuality and discern attraction? Fitch and Moore explore the ways various sexualities have been constructed by cultural forces and how the church should discern a way forward. If you want to study with us and other scholars like Greg Boyd, Nijay Gupta, Beth Jones, visiting professors like Jeannine Brown, Drew Hart, Jonathan Tran, check us out at www.seminary.edu

In this episode we welcome Brandan Robertson to the show to talk all things--sexual ethics, orthodoxy, scripture, and power. Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted author, activist, and public theologian working at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal. Check out more of his work here: https://www.brandanrobertson.com/