Since the October 7 attack Israel has been in the news. With the help of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens there has been a fascinating turn against Israel inside the U.S. Even conservative pastors are joining the shift. So, in this cast o' the pod I discuss what is replacement theory—that the Church has replaced Israel as God's covenant people—and what is wrong with it from a biblical perspective. In the show's cultural-reflection I discuss recent fears about A.I. and delineate why I am now less concerned than I was a short time ago. Then, having just read two biographies of Karl Marx, I talk about what my big takeaways are for civilization. I never quite saw the mayhem for what it was until I read those two books. Come join me in thinking through life from a Christ-centered perspective.

Here's some uber common thinking: Jesus when he felt pain or frustration did that in his humanity, but when he drove out demons or raised Lazarus from the dead he did so in his divinity. It is a common question: Did Jesus do different things, and exercise his power, alternately in his humanity and/or his divinity? I work through what the Gospels in particular, and the New Testament more broadly, show us. In the show's cultural reflection I opine on the Lindsay Clancey case in Massachusetts. What did the law (not prosecutors, not defense team, not the judge) in Plymouth, MA, get wrong? How did that case impact me as a grandpa?

I asked my Patreon posse for their theological questions. Pastor Steve came back with a beaut: why is Jesus called the Word of God? This resolutely theological episode unpacks the answers to Steve's great question. We explore not only pre-existing Hebrew and Greek concepts—Yahweh dabar and Logos—but we see how Jesus both fulfilled and surpassed those. I used to teach my theology students, "Jesus is always what you think of him, but so much more." Along the way we clarify the differences between Jesus and the Gospel, Jesus and other supposedly divine messengers, the errors of both Liberal and Progressive Christians, and learn why Jesus is both mysteriously beautiful and beautifully mysterious!

What's wrong with Socialism-Communism? From a biblical perspective, much; both epistemologically and theologically. But to my delight and surprise Catholics were decrying the horrors of Soc-Com ideology two years before Karl Marx even published his Manifesto. Clear back in 1846 Pope Pius IX was both watching what was lurking over the horizon and sounding the alarm. Subsequent traditionally Catholic Popes and Priests also had much to say about what they were witnessing with the embodied presence of Soc-Com. I work through some of their warnings and critiques. In this show I also reflect in humor-splashed ways on the outcome of a recent college football game, address a now-established meme that Jesus didn't think he was divine, talk about ongoing social media shaddow-banning, and work through whether I am a Catholic-o-phile. Come think and laugh with me.

The Catholic Church, for some 150 years, warned of the dangers of Socialism-Communism. But today massive chunks of the global Church are sympathetic to the claims and aims of Socialism. So it's a natural question, can a Christian be a Socialist? In this episode I work through the value system of Socialism to compare and contrast it with the biblical portrayal of reality. Within all that, fundamental to the Socialist system is the elimination of the traditional family. Why? Why is that such a constant through Socialism's history? I also discuss things like: today's Christian Emo music, the mascot of my High School, and the importance of not only looking through one's worldview (field of perception) but of looking at it. It is good to know why one believes (1 Pet. 3:15). Midway through the pod I discuss a development in Los Angeles that helps us understand the Socialist economy. Oh, I also note what Karl Marx did with regard to his own maid; he, the great Robin Hood for the working man, was a less than stellar boss. Come think and laugh with me!

What is evil? I note what some heavyweight theologians and philosophers have said about evil. Classic answers include: evil is the physical world, ignorance, or something willed by God. In this theology and culture mashup I work through the question using Socialism-Marxism as a foil. With the rise in popularity of Socialism (even among purported believers) it is good to understand what generates evil, what is its root and foundation, and where evil is headed here in the early 21st century. To help make my points I cite Mike Judge's 2006 movie Idiocracy, but I also describe how Joseph Stalin had one of his former good Communist friends tortured in prison. Will the ideological madness slow down soon or will it keep spinning spinning spinning? Come think and laugh with me.

One used to see it on bumper-stickers, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion." Why do Evangelicals sell it that way? More carefully, is that even true? In this cast o' the pod I define what the word religion means and explain why all Christians should, in fact, be proud to proclaim that following Jesus is, indeed, their religion, their rule of life. To make the point I note several ways by which we can make Christianity our rule of life. All of that is side "B" of the show. Side "A" is an unearthing of the whys and whats of our secular culture's take on religion. For at least 200 years Western culture has tried to diminish religion as the "private stuff" people privately believe in "they" heads. And frankly, we expect that from a culture that hates God. What we don't expect is that the church herself is pretty adept at cutting the branch she is sitting on out from beneath her. How so? I explain that and so much more.

Jesus was clear about the fount or root or heart of the Kingdom of God, but today's churches are not. In this episode I explain what Jesus taught and contrast that with so many confusions at work in our contemporary setting. In both halves of the show—culture and theology—I work through the epistemology of Neo-Marxism. I compare and contrast that epistemology with what Jesus, speaking to Pilate, said was his own epistemological frame. (Epistemology: the construction of knowledge; how we know; the tools we use to know.) What happens to nations when one tweaks the foundation? What happens to souls and families when the commitments of knowledge get warped? I work through those answers. Importantly, I also help my listeners understand why the American Church, including far too many Evangelical churches, have been captured by Neo-Marxist ways of being and evalutating. Come think and laugh with me!

It's not much discussed, but the state of our hearts is precious. In life we naturally guard what is precious: the homeland, our families and homes, our children and babies. But our culture does not emphasize protecting our hearts. In this episode I follow up on last week's show on Christian transformation and talk about simple, but wise, steps we can take to move toward Christ. Drawing on my award-winning dissertation I reference the wisdom of old-school Pentecostalism and Eastern Orthodox spiritualities. At the show's opening I work through the framework Pope Benedict 16 had with regard to the coming of anti-Christ. My listeners will be surprised at several of B16's prognostications; he was much aligned with Evangelicals on what and who anti-Christ will be. Come think and laugh with me.

Too much of Church history portrays becoming like Christ as a lifeless legalism; as though what the Lord only wants for us is that we sin less. For my PhD, when I compared Eastern Orthodoxy and Classical Pentecostalism, I found that they both believe (and teach, and model) that the Lord has still more for us when it comes to our own transformation into his image. More? Yes, like mission. God calls all of his own to the same mission, in different ways. And still more, God wants our selves to vibrate to the vibration of his eternally vibrating Holy Spirit. I explore all that in this uncorking of some theology. Also, during the show's opening cultural reflection, I comment on the historical and theological foolishness of the Democrat Socialists of America. Come laugh and think with me!