A History of Christian Theology

Today we sit down with Dr. Tiffany Kriner, Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College, whose new book "In Thought, Word, and Seed: Reckonings from a Midwest Farm" (Eerdmans, 2023) discusses her recent life on a farm in Northern Illinois and how her interactions with the land have reconfigured her own faith. This literary work, engaging with a variety of themes and intersections of various fields, incorporates theological considerations in a manner that draws our focus toward the importance of attention and its constituent elements. 

Today our longtime Editorial Assistant, Grant Bellchamber, joins us for an interview with Dr. Dru Johnson on his recently published book "What Hath Darwin to Do With Scripture?: Comparing the Conceptual Worlds of the Bible and Evolution" (IV Press, 2023). We discuss the evolutionary notions of scarcity and fit in relation to the Old Testament writers' own conception of Creation as Dr. Johnson attempts to put the two understandings into a dialectical relation. Join us as we explore an interesting approach to an, often, highly-fraught intellectual relationship.

We welcome my good friend Drew Martin to the podcast today to talk about his book The Covenant with Moses and the Kingdom of God (Brill, 2023). His work crosses disciplinary boundaries like history, theology, and political theory. We talk mostly about how covenant theology works and how that overlaps with political theory.

In her book, Augustine on the Will (Oxford University Press, 2019), Dr. Kantzer Komline discusses Augustine's theological stance on the will, which developed throughout his lifetime, and its implications for his theology and Western thought as a whole. On this podcast, we've invited her for an in-depth discussion on Augustine's theology and his broader intellectual development, a topic which has been the focus of much debate amongst scholars.

Ty Paul Monroe, an associate professor of Theology at Assumption University, joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Putting on Christ: Augustine’s Early Theology of Salvation and the Sacraments” (CUA Press, 2022). With his deep, theological approach to a reading of Augustine, his work fits right in with our host’s own academic work. Join us as we interrogate the connection between Augustine’s early understanding of central Christian beliefs and Donatist and Neo-Platonist lines of thinking.

Jacob Wright offers a compelling proposal for Why the Bible Began (Cambridge University Press, 2023) in his book of that title. This book was chosen as one of the best books of 2023 by the New Yorker. In our conversation, we talk about what it means that the Bible laid the foundation for a people and the scribes who wrote, edited, and collected the work. We talk briefly about what it means for the people of God in the 21st century in the land of Israel and Palestine and the catastrophic events of October 7th.

Also, please consider supporting A History of Christian Theology by subscribing to our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT), where we will be posting exclusive content and episodes in the upcoming weeks.

Andrew Hofer’s new study The Power of Patristic Preaching (Catholic University Press, 2023) surveys several key early Christian theologians and preachers. We talk through Origen, Leo the Great, and Gregory the Great, three figures we haven’t discussed much on this podcast. 

Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing to our Patreon, which helps make this possible: https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT

Join us as we delve into Dr. Benjamin Laird's latest book, 'Creating the Canon' (IVPress, 2023), offering a comprehensive exploration of the intriguing journey behind the New Testament's origins. Dr. Laird focuses on the pivotal concept of apostolic authority and unravels the challenges and rewards associated with emphasizing this narrative in the New Testament's formation. 

Additionally, check out our Patreon, as we'll begin providing exclusive benefits to subscribers soon:
https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT

In a monumental third interview, we venture into the fascinating world of Paul Hinlicky, a multifaceted individual who wears two significant hats: farmer and theologian. Join us as we explore the compelling narrative of how he embarked on this unique path, the intricacies of his agricultural endeavors, and the profound intersection between his Christian faith, particularly within the Lutheran tradition, and the art of farming. This conversation promises to be a captivating exploration of faith, agriculture, and the meaningful synergy between the two in Paul's life.

We have Scot McKnight on again to talk us through his new translation of the New Testament with IVPress called The Second Testament. We talk through translation choices, different methods of translation, and why it’s so important to read the bible in Greek. 

Emily Dumler-Winckler brings our conversation into the modern period with her book Modern Virtue: Mary Wollstonecraft and a Tradition of Dissent (Oxford University Press, 2022). Dr. Dumler-Winckler has some insights into the nature of tradition and how Wollstonecraft fits into the virtue tradition. Also, we discuss Wollstonecraft’s lesser known theological convictions which are often overlooked in scholarship on the early feminist. 

Dr. KJ Drake works through the history of the doctrine known as the Extra-Calvinisticum in his book The Flesh of the Word: The Extra Calvinisticum from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy (Oxford University Press, 2021. Although this is not a popularly discussed doctrine it drives at the heart of what the Reformers were debating in the early years of the Protestant Reformation. Dr. Drake provides a window into how the Reformers answered the question: “where is Christ after the resurrection?”

Dr. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez gives his case for a new way of thinking about theology in his book Theological Fragments (Westminster John Knox Press, 2023). We talk about our experience teaching undergrads at a Jesuit university and how that has shaped Dr. Rosario’s approach to teaching and doing theology. 

Grant Kaplan has been working on the relationship between Faith and Reason in the Christian tradition (Catholic University Press, 2022). We discuss differing Catholic and Protestant approaches to the question and why many of the ancient doctors of the church have the greatest insights. 

Paul Hinlicky comes back on the pod to discuss Between Humanis Philosophy and Apocalyptic Theology: The Twentieth Century Sojourn of Samuel Stefan Osusky (T and T Clark, 2016). This fascinating man confronted some of the great historical disasters of the twentieth century from Communism to Nazism and found that the biblical faith of his childhood was the only thing which could carry him through the dark times. 

Matthew Lynch talks with us about his new book Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God (IVPress 20223). We cover how the question of violence has to be considered canonically as well as dig into the weird stories of the Nephilim.

CONTENT WARNING: Rape; in the context of Old Testament studies

Today we talk with Dr. Scot McKnight professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary about his recently released book Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Zondervan, 2023). We talk about his own background with Revelation as well as our mutual love for baseball. I hope you will enjoy this episode.

Dr. Paul Hinlicky is Professor Emeritus of Theology at Roanoke College in Virginia. Dr. Hinlicky talks with us about early Christian reception of the Greek philosophical tradition in a work entitled Divine Complexity (Fortress Press, 2010). We also delve into his work in Slovakia and his connection to Robert Jenson. 

This week we do a deep dive into Augustine's rhetorical theology. We talk about the ways Augustine as a rhetorician framed his theology in different ways using the tools he learned from his particular trade. Dr. Gronewoller's book, Rhetorical Economy in Augustine's Theology (Oxford University Press, 2021) has many fascinating elements, but we focus mainly on how rhetoric helps Augustine better explain the problem of evil. 

In this episode, Tom, Trevor, and Chad rejoin forces to discuss St. Augustine's Enchiridion and his definition of hope. Trevor is currently writing his PhD thesis on hope in the field of philosophical theology, so we are certainly in for an apt and in-depth conversation on this important aspect of the Christian life and theology. We hope you enjoy the conversation!