This is a recording of the live podcast conversation between Ruslan Karaoglanov and Ameen Hudson at the Exiles in Babylon Conference (April 2024). Ameen is the co-host (with KB) of the popular Southside Rabbi podcast and Ruslan is the host of the Bless God YouTube channel and podcast. In this conversation, Ruslan and Ameen banter around about polit…

Dr. Dennis Edwards (PhD in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America) serves as the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of North Park Seminary in Chicago. He’s an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church and is the author of several books including his recently released Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Bac…

Laurie Krieg is the president of Impossible Ministries, a coaching/consulting, teaching, and podcasting ministry with the mission to equip Jesus-followers with a gospel-centered approach to marriage and sexuality. Laurie serves on the Board of Directors for The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, and is earning a master’s degree from Wheaton Grad…

Ed Uszynski (MA and MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; PhD American Studies, Bowling Green State University) has been a content specialist for Cru, Athletes in Action, and FamilyLife for over three decades. He also serves as a oneness and diversity consultant for church and parachurch organizations. His first book which releases next we…

In this podcast conversation, we talk about raising boys, biblical masculinity, Jordan Peterson, toxic masculinity vs. biblical masculinity, the so-called "war on men," and other related issues. Dr. Anthony Bradley (Ph.D. Westminster Seminary) was most recently professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flouris…

Tim Alberta is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and staff writer for The Atlantic magazine. He formerly served as chief political correspondent for POLITICO. In 2019, he published the critically acclaimed book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump" and co-moderated the ye…

Dr. Jules Martinez-Olivieri is a theologian, practitioner, and author focusing on the intersection of social, pastoral, and systematic theology. Jules holds an MDiv and PHD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has taught in Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Perú, and the United States seminaries and universities. Martínez's ecclesial experiences incl…

Preston Perry is a poet, performance artist, teacher, and apologist from Chicago. Preston’s writing and teaching has been featured on ministry platforms such as The Gospel Coalition, the Poets in Autumn Tour, and Legacy Disciple. Preston is co-host, with his wife Jackie Hill Perry, of the popular podcast With the Perrys. He created Bold Apparel and…

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In the full episode, we discuss: 0:00 Introduction 2:12 It seems like you and some of your critics define "heresy" differently- what do you think constitutes heresy vs. bad/wrong beliefs about God? 10:02 Is it wrong for someone to get married who…

Jay is the co-founder/owner of Newman Family BBQ, a top rated BBQ catering company in East Nashville, TN. Jay is also and avid reader and a self-described Christian Anarchist. In this podcast episode (which is rated PG13 due to Jay's colorful tongue), we talk about Christian Anarchism, voting, the deep state, the military industrial complex, why po…

Josh Garrels is one of my favorite musicians of all time and my absolute top Christian artist. His songs are incredibly powerful and meaningful, and his sound is hard to compare. I'll admit. I sort of fan-boyed in this interview, so I apologize for my awkwardness. I talked about Josh's heart behind his music, his journey as a Christian, and we even…

Dr. Yousef AlKhouri (Ph.D. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is Christian Arab Palestinian theologian and activist. He was born in Gaza to a Christian family that has a long heritage of serving in the priesthood of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is married to Merna and they live in Bethlehem, Palestine. Yousef has written several poems in Arabic. In 200…

Austin Fischer is the Lead Pastor at Vista Community Church near Austin, TX and is the author of several books, including the recently released Us for Them: Seeking Higher Ground in the Cultural Holy Wars, which forms the basis for our discussion in this episode. We focus primarily on how to lead people in our ideologically polarized society, espec…

Noah Filipiak is church planter and pastor of Mosaic Church in Grand Rapids, MI and is the author of Beyond the Battle and Needed Navigation. He hosts The Flip Side Podcast and blogs at noahfilipiak.com. In this podcast conversation, we talk about pornography and discipleship, focusing specifically on the need for the church (parents, leaders, etc.…

Alisa Childers recently had Dr. Christopher Yuan on her YouTube channel to discuss various problems they see in what they call "Side B Christianity," and my name often came up in their critiques. They also offered several critiques of the Exiles in Babylon 2024 conference, which I hosted last month. In this episode, I work through their conversatio…

Mia Hughes, a journalist for the think tank Environmental Progress, discusses the controversy surrounding pediatric medical transition and the collision of trans rights with the rights of women and the LGB community. She authored the recently released WPATH files, which expose the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) as an …

Elizabeth Woodson, a Bible teacher and theologian, discusses her passion for Bible study, discipleship, and theological education in the local church. She shares her personal journey of searching for the relevance of the gospel in her own life and how it led her to pursue theological education. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of creating pathwa…

Dr. Michael F. Bird is a biblical scholar and theologian who serves as the Deputy Principle and Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College (Melbourne, Aus), and is the author of over a dozen books, including his recently released Jesus and the Powers, which he co-authored with N.T. Wright. In this podcast conversation, we talk all about politics and th…

Ed Uszynski sits down with Preston in his basement the day after the "Exiles in Babylon" conference to debrief. This is a raw and authentic convo where we discuss and react to various sessions and speakers. We talk about the GenZ evening, the Israel-Palestine conversation, Deconstruction and Reconstruction, Women, Power & Abuse in the church, and m…

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In the full episode, we discuss: 0:00 Introduction 0:38 Thoughts on Christians and masturbation--is it always sinful or is there room for conversation? 5:35 What do you when the the God in the Bible isn't acting the way Jesus would? 12:15. What a…

Dr. David Fitch (Ph.D Northwestern University) is the Betty R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary and has pastored for 30 years, and has been involved in 8 church plants over the course of his ministry. He is married to Rae Ann and they have one son named Max. He is an ordained pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance…

Angela McArdle currently serves as Chair of the national Libertarian Party, serves as Co-Organizer for the Rage Against The War Machine, and is a two time candidate for California’s 34th Congressional District. Angela was a key organizer for the Los Angeles 2021 initiative to overturn the Los Angeles vaccine mandate. Angela believes strongly in the…

Dr. Nijay Gupta (DPhil, University of Durham) is a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and has written several academic books including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He has co-edit…

As the author of Not Forsaken: A Story of Life After Abuse and the recently released Defiant Joy: Find the Hope to Light Your Way, Even in Darkness, Jennifer Michelle Greenberg has risen to become one of the foremost voices against child abuse in the church. She writes for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and the Evangelical Council for Ab…

Brent leads Cherish Uganda with his wife Leah. Cherish was formally an orphanage and now functions as a spiritual formation community center using medical, education and family strengthening to reach the community we serve. In this conversation, Brent tells the story of how Cherish changed from being an orphanage to a holistic education and care ce…

Dr. Caryn Reeder (Ph.D. Cambridge) is professor of New Testament at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California. Her research focuses on questions of gender, the household, women's lives, slavery, and violence in the biblical worlds. In this podcast, we discuss her book The Samaritan Woman's Story: Reconsidering John 4 After #ChurchToo. Caryn offer…

Jason Woodruff is the founder of The Pour Over, a Christian news organization with over half a million subscribers. The Pour Over is both a podcast and Newsletter that focus on providing limited news content that is not partisan or aimed and telling you how you should feel about the events they're reporting on, but simply tells you what's going on …

Dr. Elizabeth Phillips (Ph.D. Cambridge) is Director of Education and Engagement at the Woolf Institute, an interfaith institute in Cambridge, England. She teaches political theology and conflict transformation. Her latest book is Apocalyptic Theopolitics: Essays and Sermons on Eschatology, Ethics, and Politics, and her earlier book, Political Theo…

In this bonus Q & A episode, I respond to loads of questions sent in from my Patrons, including: What are my thoughts on the rapture? Is it better for people to be an affirming church than in no church at all? Does my stance on non-violence prevent me from using force to rescue those in human trafficking? What are my thoughts on the "he gets us" ad…

In this second episode on Kephale, I begin by looking at how Paul uses Kephale in Ephesians 1:22 and then 4:15, before jumping into its use in 5:23. I think go into great detail about the genre of "household codes" in the ancient world and how Paul is participating in this kind of conversation. I finally look at Eph 5:21-33 in light of the househol…

Sandra Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and the author most recently of Nobody's Mother. She's also the general editor of the fascinating book: Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible (Kregel Academic), which forms the basis of our conversation. We talk about the Samaritan Woma…

I've been researching the meaning of the Greek word kephale ("head") for the last several months and I've been blogging about my findings over at theologyintheraw.com This podcast episode is the first (quite long) summary of how I understand the meaning of kephale in extra-biblical Greek literature; namely, the LXX, secular Greek literature, and th…

In this conversation, we talk all about Brandon's previous work in an Orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania, and how he came to realize that Orphanages are doing more harm than good when it comes to caring for orphans and their families. Brandon Stiver is an advocate, educator, and practitioner on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children with a special emp…

In this podcast conversation, we take a deep dive into the Greco-Roman world and look at things like Rome's transition from a republic to an empire, the marriage laws of Caesar Augustus, the rise of Christianity and some of the struggles they had with the broader Roman environment, classism in the ancient world and how Christianity when against it,…

This unique episode covers the release of Preston's book 'Exiles, The Church and the Shadow of Empire', the journey of Theology in the Raw podcast, the planning and execution of the Exiles in Babylon conference, and the concept of living as exiles in the modern world. The conversation emphasizes the importance of embracing a Christian political ide…

My book Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire releases tomorrow! (3/5). In this podcast conversation, my good friend Ed Uszynski interviews me about my book. As always, we get pretty raw and real--and drive off the road quite a bit. When it comes to the Bible, I feel pretty confident about what I believe about politics. And Exiles is primarily…

Originally from Australia, Dr. Darren Whitehead has lived in the United States for over 25 years. He is the founder and Senior Pastor of Church of the City with several locations across Nashville. He earned his Doctorate from Capital Seminary and Graduate School. Darren lives with his wife, Brandy, and their three daughters in Franklin, TN. Darren …

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In this Patreon-only episode, you'll get a sneak peak into my responses to some criticisms I've received over the last few months, such as: why am I having an open and affirming speaker at the Exiles conference? Do I really believe that gay peopl…

In this conversation, Preston and Josh talk about his latest book (release date: March 5) The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems our Partisan Divide, which is an incredible book about political discipleship and how followers of Jesus can faithfully engage the political world around us. Joshua Ryan Butler is a pastor and…

Amy Ford is the Founder and President of Embrace Grace, a nonprofit that equips churches to love and encourage women with unexpected pregnancies by providing spiritual, emotional, and practical support. Over 1,100 groups are active in churches around the world who utilize the Embrace Grace curriculum and host support groups to help those impacted b…

In this podcast conversation, we begin by wrestling with some innocent questions around AI but end up exploring some darker parts of this topic, including the reality of sex robots and cloning dead loved ones to ease our pain--and how this might destroy humanity. Christopher is a Tech Analyst and Industry Advisor and Chief Learning Officer at ChenM…

Gregory Coles is the author of Single, Gay, Christian, No Longer Strangers, and the recently released dystopian-ish novel, The Limits of My World. He holds a PhD in English from Penn State and lives in Boise, Idaho, where he works as a writer and speaker. Greg is a Senior Research Fellow at The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. In this podcast …

Dr. Austin Knuppe has a Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University and currently serves asan assistant professor of political science at Utah State University. Prior to Utah State, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College. His research interests include civilian survival d…

Ellen Radcliff, a therapist and the author of the forthcoming book: Love Covers Over: A Guide for Christian Parents Raising Kids in an LGBTQ+ World. Ellen channels her love for God, her clinical expertise, and her experience as a former lesbian to walk alongside individuals, couples, and families as they navigate the nuances of sex, sexuality, and …

Joshua S. Porter is pastor of teaching and creative vision at Van City Church in Vancouver, Washington. He is also a former member of the experimental art-punk band, Showbread, and the author of the novel Punk Rock Vs. the Lizard People. His most recent book is With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art, which exam…

JR Woodward, PhD (University of Manchester, UK) is a catalyst, author, and teacher. He is the national director of the V3 church planting movement. See jrwoodward.com. He's also the author of The Scandal of Leadership, which forms the backdrop of our conversation. We discuss the need for polycentric leadership, the problems with hierarchical leader…

Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription. In the full episode, we discuss: 0:00 Introduction 2:02 My wife has recently become affirming and I am not. I'm concerned about how she reads the Bible and what to do? 11:30 How important is it that you and your wife Chris are in step in your the…

Dr. A.J. Swoboda (Ph.D., Birmingham) is an associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University and lead mentor for the Doctor of Ministry Program on Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns (Zondervan), After Doubt (Brazos), and the award-winning Subversive Sa…

Dr. Daniel Lee Hill (Ph.D. Wheaton) is an assistant professor of Christian Theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He, his wife, and his young son live in Waco, TX with a jar of sourdough starter and a persistent jug of kombucha scoby. In this conversation, Daniel and I wrestle with a Hauerwasian approach to politica…

Dr. Kevin Grasso (Ph.D. Hebrew University) lives in the Atlanta area and is the founder of Biblingo: an innovative and effective way to actually learn biblical Greek and Hebrew. Dr. Grasso is a biblical scholar, author, linguist, and a husband and father of 4. In the academic space, he applies theoretical linguistics to exegetical problems, such as…