Crackers and Grape Juice

Andrew Rillera joined the pod to discuss his new book, Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’s Death

From the publisher (Wipf & Stock):
Lamb of the Free analyzes the different sacrificial imagery applied to Jesus in the NT in light of the facts that (a) there is no such thing as substitutionary death sacrifice in the Torah--neither death nor suffering nor punishment of the animal has any place in the sacrificial system--and (b) there are both atoning and non-atoning sacrifices. Surprisingly, the earliest and most common sacrifices associated with Jesus's death are the non-atoning ones. Nevertheless, when considering the whole NT, Jesus is said to accomplish all the benefits of the entire Levitical system, from both atoning and non-atoning sacrifices and purification. Moreover, all sacrificial interpretations of Jesus's death in the NT operate within the paradigm of participation, which is antithetical to notions of substitution. The sacrificial imagery in the NT is aimed at grounding the exhortation for the audience to be conformed to the cruciform image of Jesus by sharing in his death. The consistent message throughout the entire NT is not that Jesus died instead of us, rather, Jesus dies ahead of us so that we can unite with him and be conformed the image of his death.



Andrew Remington Rillera is assistant professor of biblical studies and theology at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada.




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Gretchen Purser, host of The Mess is Mine Podcast, joins Teer, Todd, and Jason to preview Election Day 2024. Gretchen helps us understand how we got to where we are and what we might expect on Election Day and the following days, weeks, and months.

Gretchen is a recovering evangelical, former political hack, and Republican refugee.


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Brad East joined the pod to discuss his new book, The Church: A Guide to the People of God. 

From the publisher (Lexham Press):
The Bible tells the story of God and his people. But it is not merely history. It is our story. Abraham is our father. And Israel’s freedom from slavery is ours.

Brad East traces the story of God’s people, from father Abraham to the coming of Christ. He shows how we need the scope of the entire Bible to fully grasp the mystery of the church. The church is not a building but a body. It is not peripheral or optional in the life of faith. Rather, it is the very beating heart of God’s story, where our needs and hopes are found.

Brad East (PhD, Yale University) is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He is the editor of Robert Jenson’s The Triune Story: Collected Essays on Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2019) and the author of four books: The Doctrine of Scripture (Cascade, 2021), The Church's Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context (Eerdmans, 2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (Lexham, 2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (Eerdmans, 2024).

His articles have been published in Modern Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Theological Interpretation, Anglican Theological Review, Pro Ecclesia, and Political Theology; his essays have appeared in The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Comment, Commonweal, First Things, The Hedgehog Review, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The New Atlantis, Mere Orthodoxy, Plough, and The Point.

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Paul, a farmer and theologian, discusses his journey into farming and theology, his formation in the faith, and his theological influences. He emphasizes the importance of the object of faith and the danger of turning justification into the object of faith. He also addresses the issue of antinomianism in Lutheranism and the need to retain God's law. Paul and Jason discuss the misuse of the term 'genocide' in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also touch on the challenges of engaging in the public square as a Christian. In this conversation, Paul Hinlicky discusses various topics including politics, preaching, the book of Joshua, the Gospel of Mark, and mental health. He expresses his concerns about the polarization in politics and the influence of corporate power on both major political parties. He also shares his experience of preaching and how it led to the creation of his book on preaching. Paul talks about his commentary on the book of Joshua and his love for the Gospel of Mark. He discusses the challenges of navigating disagreements and the importance of civil discourse. Lastly, he explores the topic of depression and the impact of lost connections on mental health.

In this conversation, Jason Micheli, Teer Hardy and Jack Levison discuss various topics, including their experiences in Greece, and the role of the Holy Spirit. They explore the physicality of the Holy Spirit and its connection to the resurrection of Jesus. They also touch on the dematerialization of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology and the need to reclaim its materiality. The conversation highlights the importance of recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit in the proclamation of the gospel and the sacraments. 

In this conversation, Beverly Gaventa discusses her new commentary on Romans and the themes within the book. She talks about the last time she cried and the hymn that moved her to tears. She also shares her experience as a parishioner in her son's church and the challenges of preaching Paul's letter to the Romans. Gaventa highlights the importance of understanding the concrete audience of the letter and the role of women in interpreting and delivering it.

In this conversation, Mark Edwards discusses the concept of prison as a sacrament of freedom. He highlights the global problem of mass incarceration and the need for prison abolition. Edwards explores the theology of Karl Barth and his prison sermons, which offer a unique perspective on the nature of prison. He also delves into the definition of sacrament and expands it beyond traditional notions. Edwards examines the role of proclamation in the sacrament of prison and its connection to the biblical narrative and the civil rights movement. This conversation explores the themes of prison ministry, the transformative power of imprisonment, and the role of protest and reform in carceral conditions. The chapters cover topics such as the first Christian community in prison, the reconciliation and liberation found in Christ's imprisonment, the truth about ourselves revealed in prison, and the presence of Christ in prison. The conversation also delves into the humanitarian concerns of prisons, the church as an imprisoned body, and the theological understanding of imprisonment as a sacrament. The chapters conclude with a discussion on protest and imprisonment in the context of Bonhoeffer's theology and the sacrament of imprisonment as a means of freedom.