Crackers and Grape Juice

Mark Edwards joins the podcast to talk about his new book "Christ Is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers)."

Christ Is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) welcomes you to the jungle of Barth's head-banging opus, the Church Dogmatics, with the beats, rhythms, and lyrics of Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Metallica, and more. Based on lectures at Princeton Seminary, Edwards distills Barth's treatment of key questions in philosophical and systematic theology, offering a playlist of greatest hits on trinity, Christology, prayer, and others. With the care of a scholar and the energy of a stack of Peaveys, Christ Is Time testifies that the eternal God "gives it away" as time through Jesus Christ. Let's face it: Karl's style is a bit Beastie. And since Depeche Mode can say it best, this just might be a match made in Nirvana. Go gaga.

Mark James Edwards is an adjunct professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and The College of New Jersey; a Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Princeton University; and Director of Youth Ministry at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

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The author of Monsters, Daniel van Voorhis is the host of the Christian History Almanac and a former co-host of the Virtue in the Wasteland podcast and an author and speaker at the 1517 legacy Project. After receiving his PhD in Modern history from the University of St. Andrews, Dr. van Voorhis spent 11 years teaching history and political science at Concordia University, Irvine and was most recently the Assistant Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. van Voorhis has published articles and chapters in books on subjects ranging from the Reformation to Modern American history. He speaks nationally in academic and general conference settings on topics from history, addiction, religion and politics. He has been married to Beth Anne since 2001 and has 2 sons, Coert (2009) and Raymond (2012). He grew up in Irvine and moved back to Orange County in 2006. He is fanatical in his love of the Los Angeles Rams. He realizes that his emotional state in the fall rises and falls with the fortunes of the prodigal team come home. His depressive bouts over the past few years are certainly correlated with the team being statistically, the worst in the NFL. He also has a cat that he named Waffles, immediately regretted, and has referred to as Kitty for almost 12 years. His literary influences include Nathaniel Zuckerman, Jack Torrance and Voltaire. His musical influences include Cap'n Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters and the Zack Attack.

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Our guest this week is Dr. Jeannine Brown who’s got a new commentary out on Paul’s most popular epistle, Philippians!

Dr. Brown joins us to talk about Paul, Jesus, and a narrative understanding of the New Testament. Check it out, I think it was a fun conversation.

The letter to the Philippians illuminates a warm relationship between the apostle Paul and the Philippian believers. Despite difficult situations being experienced on both sides, Paul finds ample reason to celebrate what God in Christ has done and is doing in the believers' lives. Jeannine K. Brown's commentary on Philippians explores the themes of this epistle and how its message is still relevant to Christians in the twenty-first century. Brown shows how motifs of joy, contentment, and unity abound as Paul reminds the Philippians of the supreme value of knowing Jesus the Messiah, and she highlights their significance for shaping the contemporary church toward living more deeply in its identity in Christ. This Tyndale New Testament commentary examines the text section-by-section―exploring the context in which it was written, providing thoughtful commentary on the letter to the Philippians, and then unpacking its theology. It will leave you with a thorough understanding of the content and structure of Paul's writing, as well as its meaning and continued relevance. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries are ideal resources for students and teachers of theology, as well as for preachers and individual Christians looking to delve deeper into the riches of Scripture. Insightful and comprehensive, Jeannine K. Brown's commentary on Philippians is a brilliant introduction that will give you a renewed appreciation for this rich Pauline epistle and a greater knowledge of why it is important to the Christian faith.

Jeannine K. Brown is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her books include Scripture as Communication, The Gospels as Stories, and biblical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. She is also a coeditor of the second edition of The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.

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Our guest is Jim Belcher, author of the new book Cold Civil War: Overcoming Polarization, Discovering Unity, and Healing the Nation.

America's political landscape is experiencing dangerous polarization and fragmentation, with the extremes pulling the country apart.

Political philosopher Jim Belcher shows that this is not merely a binary opposition between conservativism on the right and liberalism on the left, but also between conflicting visions of order and freedom on both sides. Through his unique quadrant framework, Belcher traces the people and movements in each position, examines their underlying narratives, and articulates their respective contributions and dangers. This quadrant framework not only reveals how polarization divides us but also shows us how to move beyond the right-left stalemate.

At the core of the competing visions are the seeds of a new vital center, a robust and surprising model that has the ability to transcend political tribalism and bring America back together again before it is too late.

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Back on the podcast, Dr. Fred Schmidt is here to talk about doubt, proclamation, and the calling of pastors. Fred is a professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and is the vice-rector at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Nashville, Virginia.

Here’s the bit he wrote that we discuss:

There you go. A perfect distillation of Boomer-esque spirituality. And a perfect summary of what is wrong with far too much of the modern American church.
“I don’t want answers. All that matters are the questions.” (Thank you, C. S. Lewis and the The Great Divorce) A faith with no discovery to share. A spiritual director with no direction. A church without a creed. A proclamation with no reliable hope to offer. Clergy every bit as lost as anyone else.
Do people need clergy who are willing to stand with them in the middle of the struggle and confusion? Yes.
Do people need spiritual directors who are prepared to ask questions that prompt people to listen, even as they struggle to understand why they have made the choices that they make? Yes.
Do people need spiritual directors who can with them without playing spiritual wack-a-mole, when they struggle, stumble, and fall? Yes.
Do people need pastors and priests who are willing to limp alongside them, lifted up by the One who emptied himself and became one of us? Yes.
But do people need clergy who are just as lost as they are? Only if all that clergy have to offer is their own certainties or pride in their own uncertainties.
But that is not the calling of pastors, priests, and ministers. Like the Samaritan woman, we declare, “He told me everything I have done.” Like Peter, we confess, ““Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
We don't offer them our doubts. We don't offer them our certainties. We offer them Jesus.

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For Good Friday, we have for you Jason Micheli’s homilies on the Seven Last Words of Jesus. In them, Jason interprets each of the last words of Christ in light of a key character in the Book of Genesis.

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Our mentor and muse, Will Willimon, is back on the podcast. His new book is Listeners Dare.

Discipleship and witness are not self-sustainable. Preaching equips God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11).

The gospel is news that passes from the lips of one who has heard to the ears of one who has not yet heard, then (God willing) it burrows in the soul, energizing the hands in daring response to a word received. Preaching is instigated by an astounding claim: Good news; God has spoken to us. The Christian life is what you get when ordinary folk respond: I have heard.

The book (a companion to Preachers Dare) is for anyone who listens to sermons―which includes preachers, since there’s no way to preach without gaining skills as a listener. Listening is a human skill, but as God’s word is proclaimed, the hearer experiences a vocal mix of preacher, listener, and God.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crackersnjuice.substack.com/subscribe

Aaron Simmons holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Vanderbilt University and is currently a Professor of philosophy at Furman University in Greenville, SC (USA). He is the President of the Søren Kierkegaard Society (USA) and has published widely in philosophy of religion, phenomenology, and existentialism. Among his authored and edited books are God and the Other: Ethics and Politics After the Theological Turn; The New Phenomenology: A Philosophical Introduction; Kierkegaard’s God and the Good Life; and Kierkegaard and Levinas: Ethics, Politics, and Religion. He and his wife, Vanessa, have been married 20 years and have an 11 year old son, Atticus. Although Aaron loves doing philosophy, he would almost always rather be fishing. Check out Aaron’s youtube channel: “Philosophy for Where We Find Ourselves,” and his TedX talk (also on youtube): “The Failure of Success.”

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Back on the podcast for #348 with Jason and Johanna is Fritz Bauerschmidt to talk about preaching, beauty, and making the word visible in the world. His new book is How Beautiful the World Could Be.

Frederick (Fritz) Bauerschmidt is professor of theology at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assigned to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. His new book is How Beautiful the World Could Be. His other books include The Love That Is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith..

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