Theology in the Raw

Dr. Leonard Sax (M.D., Ph.D.) is a physician, psychologist, speaker, and best selling writer. In this episode, Preston and Dr. Sax talk about why kids are growing up much more fragile and unhealthy (mentally and physically). Part of it has to do with parents who are coddling their kids and shrinking back from establishing God-given parental authority. Lack of boundaries on screen-time (and content) also plays a significant role in the epidemic of anxiety, depression, and suicidality among kids. Sax is also a leading expert in sex and gender theories, especially as it pertains to trans* identities and experiences, something he’s written about in his latest edition of his book “Why Gender Matters” (2017). Both of these topics--kids and gender--come together and shape Sax’s concern for some disturbing things going on in the medical field regarding kids who identify as trans*.

Preston’s very good friend and mentor, Lesli Hudson-Reynolds, joins him on the podcast to talk about Trans-related questions, gender dysphoria, LGBTQ people in the church, and how to lead with love even when (or especially when) there’s disagreement. Lesli has been filling a massive void in the church—helping LGBTQ people wrestle with their faith, sexuality, or gender identity with grace and truth.

In this energetic conversation, Greg and Preston talk about various hot-button issues from nonviolence to nationalism in the church to Open-Theism (a term Greg doesn’t actually endorse), along with Annihlationism, hopeful Universalism, violence in the Old Testament, hermeneutics of hard passages, and Greg’s favorite less-then-sanctified heavy metal bands.

As the president and owner of The Barna Group, David has been analyzing data about Christianity in America for more than 20 years. Despite being a terrible bird hunter, David is one of the most important and relevant Christian analysts in America today. His most recent book Faith for Exiles helps Christians think through how to best disciple the next generation of Christians in our post-Christian, post-internet culture.

Justin is a lawyer by trade and co-founder of the And Campaign, which helps Christians become less tribalistic and more Christian in their political affiliations. Preston and Justin talk about faith and politics, democratic candidates, and the pros and cons of political affiliation. Then, they launch into conversation about some blind spots that white evangelical Christians have about race relations and racism in the church today.

Lianne was born with an intersex condition called Mixed Gonadal Dysgenesis, where some of her cells have a Y chromosome while others do not. Lianne was originally reared as a male, but later had surgery to become male. (Or, did her surgery confirm her male status that was there all along? Or both? Or neither? It’s beautifully complex…) Most of all, Lianne is an incredibly intelligent and compassionate child of God who preaches and embodies the gospel. In this conversation, we talk about many things related to intersex, gender identity, Christianity, and how the “I” relates to the LGBTQIA conversation.

It’s been said that artists are the prophets of the church. Propaganda is the embodiment of that truth. Preston sits down with Prop for the first time to discuss his journey in evangelicalism. Son of a Black Panther father, raised in a Latinx and then white neighborhood, journeying in and (sort of) out of reformed evangelicalism, and now outspoken toward the supremacy of Jesus in all things and the social-political implications of the gospel, Prop is a voice that needs to be reckoned with. Prop and Preston talk about racism, tribalism, hip-hop, the gospel and culture, white evangelicalism, and humility—among many other things.

Preston is a big fan of the work of Mark Cortez, so this conversation is long awaited! Marc is a specialist in the discipline of theological anthropology; in particular, the relationship between the mind and the body. After spending the first 30 minutes discussing theological anthropology and various approaches to the mind-body relationship (e.g. physicalism vs. dualism), Preston and Marc banter around about trans-related questions as they pertain to theological anthropology and why a biblical view of embodiment should reframe how we think about diet, exercise, sleep, and health.

Preston is joined by his long-time friend Dr. Michael Bird. Mike is a renown biblical scholar who just finished writing a definitive introduction to the New Testament with N.T. Wright. Preston and Mike talk shop about all things related to New Testament scholarship, women’s ordination, Anglicanism, N.T. Wright, Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles, and American evangelicalism.

Preston talks with one of his good friends, Kat LaPrairie, about their experience as a transgender Christian. And yes, Kat and Preston talk quite a bit about what Kat means by “transgender,” along with many other topics related to gender dysphoria, transgender/non-binary identities, masculinity and femininity, sex-segregated bathrooms, and how the church can better love trans-identified people.

Preston sits down with his good friend, mentor, and board member Laurie Krieg to talk about sexuality, the gospel, mixed orientation marriages, the gospel, masculinity and femininity, the gospel, homosexuality, the gospel, marriage, the gospel, sex, the gospel, progressivism and conservatism in the LGBTQ+ conversation, and other topics related to the gospel.

Preston has his good friend Jason Soucinek on the show to talk about all the stuff referenced in the title. Jason is an expert in sex and youth culture, along with many other related topics. They talk a lot about porn in the first part of the podcast, but then get into purity culture, purity rings, Joshua Harris, and the relationship between sex and procreation.

In this episode, Preston gets to know Hugh Halter, who’s done some innovative “church” plants—if we can even call them that. Preston and Hugh talk about the different kingdom projects that Hugh’s been a part of, especially his most recent project at “post commons”—a missional, kingdom-minded venture that might be the way forward in our post-Christian context. How can we integrate community-centered, kingdom-minded, for profit businesses with church planting and the gospel? Preston and Hugh explore this question in their conversation.

On episode #752 of Theology in the Raw Preston has a conversation with Tish Harrison Warren. Tish and Preston talk about poking the progressive bear, egalitarianism in the NT, Tish’s journey toward priesthood in the Anglican church, and her hot new book Liturgy of the Ordinary. 

On episode #751 of Theology in the Raw Preston has a conversation with Peter Lynas. Peter and Preston talk about the current state of the transgender conversation in the U.K., evangelicalism in Northern Ireland, and how to embody both truth and grace in a culture hostile to the Christian faith.