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UFOs. Aliens. Extraterrestrial life.  The possibility of these phenomena is getting increasingly serious attention from the media, the government, and true believers. How about the Church? Would the existence of alien life change the way we understand our faith? Join special guest Todd Timberlake (physics) along with Jon Parker (theology) and Mike Baily (political science) as we explore the Christian implications of extraterrestrial beings. An informative and fun episode!

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Today's episode features three adults who share their reflections on growing up as a PK (preacher's kid). Sarah Allred (sociology), Hannah McDonald (student), and Abbie Vegter (political science) discuss the unique challenges -- but also the great joys -- that children can experience when their parent is also the leader of their church family. Enjoy!

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The revival at Asbury University is approaching two full weeks of continuous prayer and worship that people are describing as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Church Potluck is honored to speak with Matthew Haugen, a Berry College alumnus who has strong ties with Asbury and currently lives on campus very close to the locus of the revival. After an enlightening conversation with Matthew, Jon Huggins (chaplain and pastor), Jon Parker (religion professor and pastor), and Dale McConkey (sociology professor and pastor) discuss the meaning of revival and the ways we can discern whether certain experiences are movements of the Holy Spirit. We conclude with a “second helping,” a brief discussion on the meaning of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. Pull up a chair and join a very interesting episode of Church Potluck!

Note: Jon Huggins references an essay he wrote for Anglican Compass. Here is a link to his article.

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It's a question we have debated since the founding of the country and there is little hope of providing a definitive answer. Nevertheless, we throw our mortarboards into the ring and share our thoughts on the relationship between Christianity and the United States. Join new guest Christy Snider (history), Brian Carroll (communication), Mike Bailey (political science), and Dale McConkey (sociology) as we explore the religious and secular roots of our country from a variety of angles.

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BONUS EPISODE! If you're looking for advice on making that special someone feel loved on Valentine's Day, go look somewhere else. But if you are looking for thoughtful conversation on Saint Valentine, the holiday that is named after him, and the nature of Christian love, then you have come to the right place. Join Michael Papazian (religion and philosophy), Tom Kennedy (religion and philosophy), Michael Bailey (political sccience), and Dale McConkey (sociology, pastor) as they wax semi-eloquently on the meaning of love. Happy Valentine's Day!

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.

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This week's episode explores Christian Nationalism from a sociological perspective. Dr. Sam Perry (sociology, University of Oklahoma) leads our discussion, along with Abbie Vegter (political science) and David Barr (Christian ethics). Following our primary conversation about Christian Nationalism, we have a rather large "second helping" where we discuss the relationship between Christian faith and social science. Dr. Perry's two most recent books are The Flag and the Cross and Taking  America Back for God. 

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Notre Dame philosopher Meghan Sullivan joins us for a discussion about her popular course on "God and the Good Life" and her corresponding book, The Good Life Method (Penguin, 2022). After Meghan provides an overview of her course and book, chaplain Jon Huggins and philosopher Matthew Lee (and a friend of Meghan) join the discussion. We also take time to chat a little about the movie Rudy and Touchdown Jesus!

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What does it mean for a Christian to live a good life? That's the question religion and philosophy professor and former dean Tom Kennedy discusses with us as we contemplate his book, Performing a Christian Life: God and the Good Life (Cascade Books). Tom is joined by Sarah Allred (Sociology), David Barr (Christian Ethics), and Dale McConkey (Sociology;  UMC pastor). 

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Join Dr. Brian Carroll (Communication), Dr. Tom Kennedy (Philosophy), and host Dr. Dale McConkey (Sociology) as we explore the religious dimensions of football and sports in general. How is football sacred? Is football displacing and/or replacing Christian worship? Do sports have the ability to create and sustain community bonds? Join us as we explore these and many other questions.

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Join Dr. Michael Bailey (political scientist) and host Dale McConkey (sociologist, pastor) in a one-on-one discussion that continues our exploration of technology we began in our previous episode. Are things getting better or worse with modern technology? How is it impacting our relationship with God and others? Is today's digital technology qualitatively different than previous forms?

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.