Mere Fidelity

Dr. Carl Trueman has written the book of the moment for Christian intellectuals this winter. He joins the entire Mere Fidelity cast and crew in this episode to where the modern notion of the self came from (at least since Rousseau) and how it led to the victory of sexual identity politics. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.

Derek, Matt, and Alastair are so excited about this book by Dr. Matthew LaPine. You will be too. LaPine tells the story of the separation of psychology from theology in the modern era, and what was lost, and how it can be regained. They also discuss practical issues about emotions and trauma that touch on very personal experiences. Show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.

Every year Americans celebrate Thanksgiving as a secular, not a Christian, holiday. But gratitude is baked into the very foundation of Christianity, and even of Creation itself. On this episode, Matt, Derek, and Alastair unpack the role of gratitude in theology and in Christian practice. One could even say Christianity is gratitude. And at the end, they enjoy an awkward moment of traditional sharing. Show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.

How does Evangelicalism differ between the UK and the US? The Mere Fidelity crew is perfectly situated to address this question from personal experience and expertise. Andrew Wilson joins this episode to round out the full complement. The two Brits and the two Yanks discuss how the profit incentive affects Christian writing for good and for bad, the effect that a state church has on excellence, how controversies are handled differently, and much more.

If all being originates in God, and God is One, how can there be many beings? This is just one of the questions that Dr. Thomas Ward discusses here with Matt and Derek, and in his book, Divine Ideas. Dr. Ward and Matt go way back. And Duns Scotus gets no fist bumps from Derek, even though he might be the hero of Divine Simplicity. Lexham Press Book of the Month discount code: MEREFIDELITYNOV

In the Christian Life, there is often a disconnect between our hearing and confessing and our doing. In light of this perennial problem, Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer joins Matt, Alastair, and Derek to discuss his work, "Hearers and Doers: A Pastor's Guide to Making Disciples Through Scripture and Doctrine," and share why we should never be content to let doctrine live in the abstract untethered from our hearts.

What is the everlasting destiny of animals? This is just one of the many fun and stimulating questions we recently discussed with our Patreon supporters. Enjoy a sample of this discussion, and if you wish to hear all 1 hour and 8 minutes of this particular episode, consider signing up and becoming a Patron of Mere Fidelity. Once you do so, you will instantly be able to hear this episode and be invited to similar events in the near future.

How do people keep ahold of the goodness of God in the face of the horror of death? While there is no easy answer to such a question, Dr. J. Todd Billings—professor of Reformed theology at Western Theological Seminary and a terminal cancer patient himself—joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his recent book, 'The End of The Christian Life: How Embracing Our Mortality Frees Us to Truly Live.' Listen in as Dr. Billings helps the cast and crew reflect on death, life, and what it means to be united in the death and life of our Lord.

Jake Meador, Editor-in-Chief at Mere Orthodoxy, joins Matt and Derek to discuss religious institutions. Listen in to hear discussions on what makes institutions different than websites, how to avoid institutional drift, what to do when charismatic figures effectively function as the institution itself, and more.

The pitfalls surrounding our speech and public proclomations are many: Why is it that we avoid topics so as to appease certain constituencies, and why is it that we are more than happy to engage others and make a show out of the speck in another's eye? The full cast and crew of Matt, Derek, Alastair, and Andrew sitdown to discuss these issues and divulge when and why they each decide to speak out on a given topic. This episode is sponsored by Lexham Press. Mere Fidelity is excited to announce our new partnership with Lexham, a publisher that seeks to increase biblical literacy, thoughtful Christian reflection, and faithful action around the world by publishing a range of Bible study materials, scholarly works, and pastoral resources.

What hath Jerusalem to do with Paris, or Carthage with Milan? Dr. Robert Covolo joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his latest work, 'Fashion Theology,' where he gives an account of the dynamic relationship between theology and fashion through the rich history of Christian thought as well as recent political, social, aesthetic, literary, and performance theory.

When considering his numerous encounters with the ritually impure, many today depict Jesus as a prophet who, in his ministry, was against Jewish laws and purity rituals. However, does this telling of the gospel accounts do justice to Jesus's handling of the impure and the dying? Dr. Matthew Thiessen joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his work, 'Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels' Portrayal of Ritual Impurity within First-Century Judaism,' to discuss these questions and more.

Matt, Derek, and Alastair discuss the recent scandal of Jerry Falwell Jr., former President of Liberty University, and what biblical and theological resources Christians have to view scandals in the church more broadly. Listen in to hear about the corporate implications of our sin, the difficulty and necessity to expose scandals, and how sin can take us from being Nathans one day to Davids the next.

What does it mean to be human? Who am I? and Why do I exist? Dr. Joshua Farris—Chester and Margaret Paluch Lecturer for 2019-2020 at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and former assistant professor of theology at Houston Baptist University—joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his new volume, 'An Introduction to Theological Anthropology Humans, Both Creaturely and Divine,' where he seeks to answer these questions using the vast tradition of Christian theology. Listen in to hear theological reflection on anthropological issues such as sexuality, gender, race, posthumanism, the image of God, vocation, the constitution of man, the beatific vision, and more.

What is the best polemical posture? Or are there ways to creatively rearticulate the truths of the faith that prevent the necessity of polemics in the first place? The full cast and crew of Matt, Derek, Alastair, and Andrew sit down to discuss these questions and a host of others about how to engage theological trends and care for those struggling in the church.

Matt, Derek, and Alastair discuss the passage in the gospels that depict Jesus's encounter with the Syrophoenician woman. At first, and perhaps even at a second, glance, this complicated passage appears to incriminate Jesus of some sort of racial prejudice. But is this the right reading of the text?

Dr. Harold Senkbeil joins Derek and Alastair to discuss his latest book, 'Christ and Calamity: Grace and Gratitude in the Darkest Valley.' Listen in to hear them discuss why mere ideas are not sufficient to help those who are suffering, why calamity is its own category of suffering, how to endure tragedy without immediately trying to fix it, and more.

The Imago Dei is one of the most used theological categories to argue why all humans deserve dignity and sanctity. However, is this all that the imago dei should be used for? The entire cast and crew of Matt, Derek, Alastair, and Andrew are here to discuss how to think and speak about the imago dei: was Barth right about the image, should it be used to describe human rights, and what are the actual contents of the imago dei? Listen in to hear all of these questions and more.

Matt, Derek, and Alastair take a respite from discussions surrounding current events to take up the biblical theological topic of the tabernacle. Listen in to hear how the tabernacle motif is carried throughout scripture and why it isn't merely a tool of foreshadowing or a recipe for aesthetics in churches today.

How should Christians think and act with respect to guns and gun ownership? Dr. Michael Austin (Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University), joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his recent book, "God and Guns in America." Listen in to hear questions like, are assault rifles necessary, why has owning a gun become a right of passage for some, and how do we steer clear from polarization on the topic of guns?