#121: What Christians should know about the Bible (with Michael F. Bird)

Michael F. Bird, editor of The New Testament in its World with N.T. Wright returns this week to discuss things that he wishes Christians knew about the Bible. Mike is a scholar and theologian and his new book, 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible, provides lots of fodder for thought and discussion. He lays out how the Bible came to be, how to respond to literalist claims about Scripture, examining why people should read the Apocrypha, and then we talk about critical race theory and why it’s important to read outside your own tradition, listening to the stories of folks who don’t look like you.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 4, 2021postmodernism, theology, critical race theory, bible, mikebirdComment

#112: A Theology of the Ordinary (with Julie Canlis)

This week, theologian, lecturer and mother Julie Canlis comes to The Puddcast, to talk about ordinary, embodied holiness. Julie is the author of A Theology of the Ordinary, and we discussed how the Holy Spirit connects us to our bodies in normal, everyday ways and how the full life of Jesus transforms all of the mundane moments of our lives into sacred pathways of holiness. We even discussed John Calvin, as Julie’s framework for understanding Calvin’s beliefs goes contrary to much of what I thought I knew about Calvinism. I highly recommend this conversation to you, it is full of earthy hope and simple love for creation and life.

Jonathan PuddleMay 7, 2021embodiment, discipleship, theology, life, eugene peterson, calvin, bible, jesus, holy spirit, kids churchComment

#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

This week I have the great delight of discussing the life and faith of Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier, who wrote his authorized biography. Winn has pastored for 25 years and was deeply impacted by Eugene’s work, both in The Message and in his many pastoral books. Winn now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. We discussed the holy ordinary, a major theme of Eugene’s life, and we reflected on a life lived in pursuit of divine love. Expect warmth and encouragement and hope.

Jonathan PuddleMarch 25, 2021eugene peterson, story, pastoring, bible, life, theology, churchComment

#77: Confidence and joy in God (with Emma Mae Jenkins)

My guest on the show this week is YouTuber and Instagram personality, Emma Mae Jenkins. Emma and I talked about God meeting us where we are, finding our confidence in who God says we are, dealing with haters online, loving yourself and those who attack & demean you, and finding joy in difficult circumstances, even in eyebrow bullying (which we have both experienced!). She shared some beautiful thoughts from her new devotional, ALL CAPS YOU.

Jonathan PuddleApril 30, 2020joy, trust, bible, covid-19, hope, influencersComment

#66: The New Testament in its World (with Michael F. Bird)

This week I chatted with theologian and New Testament scholar, Michael Bird, who was responsible for editing the landmark work,The New Testament in it’s World, with NT Wright. Mike and I talked about how to read the New Testament, what it tells us about power, empire, community, culture, history and more.

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 30, 2020bible, theology, history, paul, mikebirdComment

#53: Common Lies That Christians Believe (with Shane Pruitt)

Shane Pruitt is a blogger and evangelist, who, along with his wife Kasi have 5 kids—3 through adoption. Kasi oversees the Adoption & Foster Care Ministry at Lake Pointe church, and Shane, who is also the Director of Evangelism for The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, joined me for a broad ranging discussion on authenticity, personal hardship, adoption, God’s sovereignty, and rethinking God’s will for your life. We also discussed his book, “9 Common Lies Christians Believe - And Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better,” which he explained was the fruit of hearing too many bad Christian clichés during some of the hardest times of their life.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 19, 2019parenting, adoption, bible, god's goodnessComment

#16: The focal point of Scripture (with Alan Smith)

Alan Smith is a pastor and writer from Dallas, Texas. Drawing from a range of Christian traditions, we discussed faith, certainty, doubt and Scripture as an unfolding narrative with Jesus Christ as the lens of interpretation.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 13, 2018bible, god's love, theology, churchComment

#15: Scripture is a telescope aimed at God's heart (with Brian Simmons)

Brian Simmons is the translator of The Passion Translation, a new Bible translation that focuses on the life and passion inside of scripture. We discussed the beauty of an evolving understanding of the Bible, the science of linguistics, and how new translations lead us deeper into the heart of God.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 6, 2018bible, translation, passion translation, god's love, theology Comments