Crackers and Grape Juice

Days after the Red Wave— I mean, Ketchup Fizzle— Christian Ethicist Robin Lovin is on the podcast to talk about what we are to do when no one is listening. More on Lovin’s new book:A trusted senior statesman in Christian ethics and ministry addresses the crisis of political polarization threatening the existence of the church.Polarization and political gridlock have been the norm in the United States for decades. As that reality seeps into every aspect of our society, churches find themselves not only affected, but often at the very center of the conflict. Rather than remaining places of inclusive community and generous dialogue, our sanctuaries have too often become ground zero of the culture wars.What can pastors do to restore the church’s witness to the unity of all things in God—especially when it feels like members of the congregation would rather position the church’s identity firmly on one side of the political spectrum or the other? And how can church leaders maintain peace while speaking the truth on important social issues—without either alienating parishioners who disagree or resorting to inane bothsiderism?Widely respected pastor and ethicist Robin Lovin offers sage counsel in this helpful book, arguing that to resist the trend of polarization in our church we must rediscover how the gospel teaches us to understand ourselves, our neighbors, and the purpose of politics. In part one, Lovin provides an overview of the situation in which we find ourselves, showing how polarization developed over recent decades and how, in both our society and our churches, we have adapted to division as the norm. In part two, he considers how Christians can shape a different response by learning to listen—to the word of God, to the world, and to those who are not usually heard. With questions for discussion and reflection aligned with the content of each chapter, What Do We Do When Nobody Is Listening? provides an accessible road map for navigating out of the morass of polarization into a brighter future of church unity, during election seasons and beyond.

It's All Saints Sunday this weekend so the podcast posse from Hermeneutics got together to talk about death, time, heaven, and how Christianity needs to reclaim its weirdness.Don’t forget to head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.comClick on “Support the Show.”Become a patronSubscribe to CGJ+For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.Follow us on the three majors of social media:https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuicehttps://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuicehttps://twitter.com/crackersnjuice

This week we have the honor of getting to talk mid-term politics with our friend Gretchen Purser. We talk about the importance of democracy to Christians and where she is seeing hope in our nations political future.

Our friend Matt Milliner returns to the podcast to talk about his latest article at the Bulwark, Putin’s Outright Satanism. You can find the piece here: https://www.thebulwark.com/on-putins-outright-satanism/ Dr. Milliner holds an M.A. & Ph.D. in art history from Princeton University, and an M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a six-time appointee to the Curatorial Advisory Board of the United States Senate, and has written for publications ranging from The New York Times to First Things. He was awarded a Commonwealth fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and is author most recently of The Everlasting People: G.K. Chesterton and the First Nations and Mother of the Lamb: The Story of a Global Icon.

Jason was recently a guest for the Weekend Edition of 1517's Christian History Almanac podcast, hosted by Dr. Dan Van Voorhis. Though no one elected him, Jason speaks here for all Methodists everywhere.

For this week's episode, we've got the second session from Jason's recent series of talks on Grace and Proclamation for the Anglican Church of Canada's Bishop's Clergy Conference.

Does Jesus need more celebrities tweeting and influencing on his behalf?Katelyn Beaty joins the pod to discuss her new book, ‘Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church’ (http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/celebrities-for-jesus/406890). Katelyn Beaty is the author of A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Howard Books / Simon & Schuster), and A Woman’s Place: A Bible Study Exploring Every Woman’s Call to Work (Abingdon Press), the companion group study guide. For nearly a decade she helped to lead Christianity Today, where she served as the magazine's first female and youngest managing editor. An Ohio native, she has written for The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vox, Religion & Politics, and The New York Times, and has been interviewed about faith, politics, and culture by NPR, CNN, ABC News, Religion News Service, and the Associated Press.Katelyn currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she enjoys exploring the city's parks and museums, live music, and karaoke. She currently works as an acquisitions editor for Brazos Press. Learn more at KatelynBeaty.com.Don’t forget to head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.comClick on “Support the Show.”Become a patronSubscribe to CGJ+For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.Follow us on the three majors of social media:https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuicehttps://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuicehttps://twitter.com/crackersnjuice

Chris Nye is a doctoral student at Duke University's Divinity School and the author of several books, including most recently, A Captive Mind, which explores Christianity's relationship to ideologies. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and various other publications. He lives with his family in Portland, Oregon. To connect further, visit chrisnye.co

In this episode of our crossover podcast with Tripp Fuller and Homebrewed Christianity, Tolkien Heads, we talk all things Middle Earth with my very own Gandalf, Brian Zahnd.

Despite widespread skepticism on the matter, a significant number of people today have stories of religious experience - moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions. How should rationally people respond? Our guest today is Dr. Dale Allison, Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. His new book, Encountering Mystery, is both a departure from his scholarly work and deeply connected to it.What would your reaction be if someone told you that, one night while sitting alone, she saw through the window a brilliant light descend from the sky until it was so large that it filled the room - and that it radiated a feeling of "pure love"? And what would you say if a friend confided that one night he woke up and could not move, felt he was being suffocated and sensed and evil spirit in the room?By default in the secular age we are skeptical about anything mysterious or supernatural. More likely than not, most people would respond to the stories above with embarrassment and concern about the person's grasp of reality, or they would attempt to explain them away through rational or scientific means. But the truth is that religious experiences like these are not as uncommon as they seem - although talking about such experiences often is. This is the case even in a faith tradition such as Christianity, despite the Bible's numerous accounts of miraculous and mysterious happenings.In Encountering Mystery, noted biblical scholar Dale Allison makes the argument that stories of religious experience are meaningful and not to be marginalizes - and that we have a moral prerogative to lovingly engage with such stories regardless of whether we have had similar experiences. Through a close look at phenomena such as moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions, Allison shows how ordinary practices of faith need not be at odds with individual religious experiences. Above all, he enjoins us to be honest about the persistence of religious experience in a secular age and to make space for those who encounter mystery in their lives.

The third in a three part online study of the new book Don’t Look Back: Methodist Hope for What Comes Next

Our guest this week with Jason and Johanna is Bekah McNeel. Bekah is a journalist who covers education, immigration, and religion. A graduate of the London School of Economics, her new book, Bringing Up Kid When Church Lets You Down is a guide for parents questioning their faith. By touching taboo topics Bekah brings up ways to give your kids agency in discovering their own faith.

The second in a three part online study of the new book Don’t Look Back: Methodist Hope for What Comes Next

Our guest today is our good friend, David Zahl, who has written a great new book, Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others ( and Yourself).It'll help you find mercy.Dave is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries ( www.mbird.com ) and a campus minister at UVA through Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA.More about the book:Many of us spend our days feeling like we're the only one with problems, while everyone else has their act together. But the sooner we realize that everyone struggles like we do, the sooner we can show grace to ourselves and others.In Low Anthropology, popular author and theologian David Zahl explores how our ideas about human nature influence our expectations in friendship, work, marriage, and politics. We all go through life with an "anthropology" -- an idea about what humans are like, our potentials and our limitations. A high anthropology -- thinking optimistically about human nature -- can breed perfectionism, anxiety, burnout, lonlinesss, and resentment. Meanwhile, Zahl invites readers into a biblically rooted and surprisingly life - giving low anthropology, which fosters hope, deep connection with others, lasting love, vulnerability, compassion, and happiness. Zahl offers a liberating view of human nature, sin, and grace, showing why the good news of Christianity is both urgent and appealing. By embracing a more accurate view of human beings, readers will discover a true and lasting hope.

Here’s audio from our first of three live-stream sessions with our friend and mentor, Bishop Will Willimon, on his new book, Don’t Look Back. To join the next sessions, register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vU7WWmhCT4GcS1o6PgOFBw