TheoDisc Podcast

Marijke Hoek - Professionals on Kingdom Mission

At WTC, we believe that theological education should be accessible to everyone, not just those in paid ministerial work. As a result, more than half of our student body aren’t in paid Christian ministry, but are working in the marketplace, education, health, trades, and other venues. Our guest on this episode, Marijke Hoek, believes that professionals should be viewed as those on kingdom mission in the world and should be supported, equipped, and learned from in their communication of the gospel. This was such an interesting and thought-provoking discussion and we hope you enjoy it.

Andrew Parker - Leading like Jesus

In recent years we’ve seen a crisis of leadership in the western Evangelical world. We can all name names and shake our heads, but perhaps we ought to step back and think more widely about the models or leadership we’ve adopted and put into practice. In this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny talks with Professor Andrew Parker about the ways in which we need to re-engage with and train people in the kind of leadership modelled by Jesus - servant leadership. Enjoy.
This is our 24th episode of TheoDisc, so if you haven’t heard all our previous episodes, please dig into our back catalogue. You can receive all future episodes by subscribing to TheoDisc on whatever podcast platform you use.

Alister Wallace - Narrative Threads in Judges and Ruth

In this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Alister Wallace about how the books of Judges and Ruth ought to be read together, and how women and the treatment of women are vital to the theological trajectory of these books. Our often simplistic presentations of Biblical figures like Gideon and Samson can obscure the fact that the book in which they feature, Judges, is a grim exploration of Israel’s inability to remain faithful to their covenant with God and the resulting consequences. By contrast, the book which immediately follows Judges is Ruth, a book brimming with displays of covenant faithfulness. 

Carmen Imes - Being God’s Image

On today’s episode, Kenny had a  conversation with the wonderful Dr Carmen Imes. Carmen holds a PhD from Wheaton College and is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University in California. In her work, Carmen shows a real passion to help everyone engage with the Old Testament and to discover how it is still relevant for us today. She does this through her Torah Tuesday Youtube Podcast and through her books ‘Bearing God’s Name’ and her most recent work ‘Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters” where she explores what it means for us to be made as the image of God. Kenny had a chance to talk with Carmen about her latest book and we hope this will provoke your own thinking about how you live out this core identity. Enjoy.

Scot McKnight - The Second Testament

In this episode, Kenny chats with Scot McKnight about his latest publication - The Second Testament - a new Bible translation of the New Testament. Enjoy!
Episode 21 Outline:
Start-01:37 - Introduction.
01:37-04:20 - Welcome to Scot and 3 questions.
04:29-13:39 - What was your motivation for The Second Testament behind the translation project? How does this Bible translation differ from other more familiar ones? How have you resisted compromise by staying close to the Greek text?
13:48-28:33 - When translating from the Greek, how do you consider the history of established English tranlations in the process? Was this familiarity  an issue for you? Your use of 'new' words for well-known ones, is very interesting, so how did you make these decisions? Discussing examples of these, including 1 Cor 11.
28:41-36:10 - As a translator, you make certain decisions that have consequences, so how do you make the choice in a faithful way? For those who don't speak or read Greek, how can you reassure them that the translation process is being faithful to the text?
36:18-End - Close and further information.
 

Nick Crawley - Bible for Life

In this episode, Kenny chats with Rev Nick Crawley about engaging with the Bible in meaningful ways and how this grounds our discipleship. Enjoy!
Episode 20 Outline:
Start-01:31 - Introduction.
01:31-04:10 - Welcome to Nick and 3 questions.
04:19-13:03 - How did Bible for Life get started? What has your own journey with the Bible been like? How can Christians engage more with the habit of studying the scriptures?
13:11-26:50 - Discussion of the book of 1 Thessalonians based on the 'whole book' idea. What are some of the ways you recommend others to dig into the Bible in this way? What are some of the tools on the Bible for Life website?
27:01-30:10 - What effect has Dallas Willard had on you personally and also on the approach of Bible for Life?
30:18-End - Close and further information.
 

Jack Johnson - Prayer

In this episode, Jack and Kenny go on an exploration of prayer and how our understanding of the nature, attributes, and character of God gives ground to our efforts in prayer. Happy listening!
Episode 18 Outline:
Start-01:31 - Introduction.
01:31-04:25 - Welcome to Jack and 3 questions.
04:25-14:28 - You quote Evagrius Ponticus, who says: "If you're a theologian, you truly pray; if you truly pray, you're a theologian." What then is the connection between our understanding of God (our theology) and our prayer life? Why has the work you've done on prayer been important to you? What are the different types of prayer and their implications?
14:28-29:20 - When we expect God to act on our prayers, specifically through petition or lament, what are the underlying theologies within our expectations? What are we getting into when we're asking God to respond to our prayers? What are some of the implications?
29:20-32:35 - What does it mean for God to be omniscient and for us to have a will, in a practical sense, for us to pray?
32:35-End - Closing prayer and further information.
 

Matt Lynch - Flood and Fury

In this episode, Kenny and Matt Lynch discussed passages in the Old Testament like the flood and the conquest of Canaan, that on the surface contain moments of troubling violence. But Matt contends that a closer and slower reading of passages like these can actually reveal a critique of violence and show us more of the goodness and mercy of God. We hope this episode will help bring some clarity to some of the difficult questions raised when we read the Old Testament, particularly in light of the God we see revealed in Jesus Christ.
Episode 18 Outline:
Start-01:31 - Introduction.
01:31-04:54 - Welcome to Matt and 3 questions.
05:03-13:33 - What led you to write Flood and Fury? Is the Old Testament a language we don't understand anymore? How has our discomfort around the passages of violence contributed to our general inability to connect with the Old Testament? What kind of approach you would advocate for when reading violent texts?
13:41-30:36 - You help to sharpen our focus on the contrast between shalom and violence presented in Genesis 1–11. How does this reframe the dilemma God faces in the flood narrative? In reading the Book of Joshua, can you help us make sense of how God would command Israel to totally destroy the Canaanites, including men, women, children, and animals?
30:45-34:02 - I was struck by your observation that Jesus shows us the kind of person it’s possible to become with a deep immersion in, and understanding of, the Hebrew Bible. That must mean there’s hope for us as his disciples? How does the character of God revealed in Jesus act as a culmination of the Old Testament narrative instead of being in conflict with it? How would you encourage people to engage more with the Old Testament?
34:02-End - Close and further information.
 

Matthew Bates - Why the Gospel?

This conversation revolves around Matthew’s latest book Why the Gospel? Matthew has contended that the “good news” of the gospel is the proclamation that Jesus is King, but why is this message necessary and what difference can it make in our lives? Enjoy.
Episode 17 Outline:
Start-01:46 - Introduction.
01:46-05:06 - Welcome to Matthew and 3 questions.
05:15-10:05 - Discussion about Matthew's latest book 'Why the Gospel?' and how our understanding of the Gospel has been malformed and its presentation incomplete.
10:13-18:19 - In his new book, Matthew refers to 'Christ' not being Jesus' last name, but a reference to his authority. How does this affect our sharing of the Gospel?
18:27-30:38 - Why do we have the Gospel? How do you address this in the book?
30:46-34:43 - In our allegiance to Jesus the King, how can we invite others into this kingdom in a healthy way? How do we address faith and doubt?
34:43-End - Close and further information.
 

Jason Myers - Paul, Politics, and Pragmatism

In this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny talks with Dr Jason Myers about how Paul’s attempts to help the church navigate life under the Imperial rule of Rome can inform our own approach as kingdom witnesses in our context. Enjoy.
Episode 16 Outline:
Start-01:31 - Introduction.
01:31-06:01 - Welcome to Jason and 3 questions.
06:09-16:28 - Paul was operating in the context of the Roman Empire, and we sometimes miss the nuances of what his political views were like. Could we sketch out a rough picture of what this empire was like and how Paul operated in this context? Paul seems to communicate to the church that they are an alternative society… that they are citizens of another kingdom. What kind of tension would this introduce?
16:37-26:21 - The language of Paul’s letters is so familiar to many of us that it’s difficult to see that many of the things Paul wrote had the potential to be politically inflammatory. Could we talk about some of those terms that have lost their edge with familiarity? What do you think of the pastoral language Paul uses with the church in the midst of empire?
26:29-34:52 - In our context today, what does Paul have to say to us as a church about how we need to think about the political cultures around us and how we express the kingdom of God in that and navigate it in a faithful way?
34:52-End - Close and further information.
 

Adesola Akala - Glory in the Gospel of John

In episode 15 of TheoDisc, we spoke about the theme of Glory in the New Testament. In the preamble to his gospel, John declares of the Son, the Word made flesh, “We have seen his glory”. We explored what this glory means in relation to God, to the early witnesses of Christ, and to us today. Enjoy.
Episode 15 Outline:
Start-01:31 - Introduction.
01:31-05:38 - Welcome to Adesola and 3 questions.
05:46-18:18 - To start, could we define the word 'glory' in a biblical context? When we open John’s Gospel, the prologue presents us with numerous symbols - how will John be using these throughout his gospel? What prominence does John give to the Father-Son relationship we see in terms of God's self-revelation?
18:26-28:06 - How does John flesh out throughout his gospel, how people have 'seen' the glory of the Father revealed through Jesus? When Jesus prays for his disciples in John 17:22, and says: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one”, what does that participation look like?
28:15-34:42 - How can we continue to participate in the story of God’s glory and how can we see God’s glory revealed in and through us to the world around us?
34:51-End - Close and further information.
 

Ali Blacklee Whittall - Seeing the Women of the OT

*Republished episode 14* For many of us, our reading of the Old Testament has been formed in a theological environment that has obscured the often subversive nature of the Bible’s presentation of women and led to interpretations that can be harmful to women. That’s the conversation Kenny had with Ali Blacklee Whittall for this episode. With special thanks to Dr Tamara Knudson for her insightful research into the women of the Old Testament.

Ruth Perrin and Ed Earnshaw - Student Ministry

In episode 13 of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Dr Ruth Perrin and Ed Earnshaw about emerging adults and how the church can be more proactive in reaching out to students in today's context...
Episode 13 Outline:
Start-00:57 – Introduction.
01:01-05:27 – Welcome to Ruth and Ed, and 3 questions.
05:35-15:39 – Discussion about Ruth’s research into emerging adults and looking at the differences between Millennials and Generation Z.
15:47-23:54 – What is the current attitude of students towards faith and spirituality? What are the opportunities for the church in reaching the student generation?
24:02-31:41 – How can we encourage people in our churches to invest in outreach to students in our areas?
31:50-End – Info about the Student Ministry GradDip, close and further information.
 

Jasper Knecht - Reading the Scriptures with the Early Church

In episode 12 of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Dr Jasper Knecht. Jasper teaches Christian Doctrine at WTC. He grew up in the Netherlands, and completed his PhD in Systematic and Historical Theology at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. His interests include the history of doctrine, and particularly the development of Christological thought in the Patristic era, Late Antiquity, and the Early Medieval Church. Jasper is married to Stefania and is a big fan of classical music.
In this conversation, Jasper and Kenny talked about how the early church provides a rich field of study of the Scriptures for the Charismatic church of today. Topics like exegesis, sola scriptura, allegory, and historical critical method abounded in our discussion, and it was truly fascinating. We hope you enjoy it!

Christine Westhoff - Reframing the Prophetic

In episode 11 of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Christine Westhoff. Chris serves on the Int’l team for 24-7 Prayer, and is the founder of Akouo Missions. She is also the author and developer of ReFraming the Prophetic, a biblical reflection course on the gift and purpose of the prophetic. You can find out more at reframingtheprophetic.com
In our conversation, Chris unpacked some of the misapplication and misunderstandings of prophetic gifting that she sees in churches, and speaks about her passion to see this vital gift flourishing across the church in a healthy, scriptural and vibrant way. We hope you enjoy this episode!

Danny Hampson – Theology & Ministry

In episode 10 of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Danny Hampson. Danny and his family live and minister in Ibiza as part of 24/7 Prayer and, he is also completing a Masters with WTC. In our conversation we talked about the real Ibiza, the necessity of continual prayer for our awareness of God’s kingdom at work, how theological awareness impacts day to day ministry, and Danny’s MA dissertation which focuses on a trinitarian perspective on peace. We hope you enjoy it!
Episode 10 Outline:
Start-00:59 - Introduction 
01:07-03:11 - Welcome to Danny and 3 questions.
03:20-10:35 - Tell us about your work with 24/7 Prayer in Ibiza... How did you end up there with 24/7 Prayer and what is the Ibiza you have experienced?
10:42-21:45 -  What are some of the things you are involved in with 24/7 Prayer on Ibiza? What does it look like on a practical basis?
21:53-28:42 - Tell us about your Masters with WTC and your dissertation on a trinitarian perspective on peace.
28:50-End - Close and further information