Delgado Podcast

Today, we're honored to learn from Dr. Jennifer Wodruff Tait about her book "Christian History: In Seven Sentences," which is published by InterVarsity Press.

In this conversation, Dr. Tait shares insights on some of the key historic moments and creeds that shaped Christian thinking. She also talks about some of the key points that led to the spread of Christianity in different parts of the world.

Dr. Jennifer Woodruff Tait (PhD, Duke University) serves as a priest in the Episcopal church and is the managing editor of Christian History magazine. Her book “Christian History: In Seven Sentences” is published by InterVarsity Press.

In today’s episode, Dr. John Goldingay shares his approach to studying the Old Testament -- and ways he prepares to write Biblical commentaries.

He encourages us to study our Bible with both an analytical and spiritual mind – and to come to the Bible humbly with our questions. He also shares tremendous wisdom on how to deal with passages in the Old Testament that perhaps don’t make sense to us, and how to better explore and question those difficult texts. He shares his insights on the Book of Joshua and ways to understand the battle of Jericho. He also discusses a scripture reading plan to help us thoughtfully read through the entire Bible three chapters at a time.

Dr. John Goldingay studied theology at Oxford, earned his PhD from the University of Nottingham, and a Doctor of Divinity from the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. Learn more about him and his books:

Today, we’re honored to learn from Dr. Anthony Aveni about the development of creation myths – and how various cultures around the world have attempted to explain our origins.

He also talks about his awesome new book entitled: Creation Stories: Landscapes and the Human Imagination” which is published by Yale University Press.

In this episode, Dr. Aveni shares ways ancient cultures used natural landscapes in myth formation – and how natural surroundings and animal life impacted origin stories. He shares how creation stories evolved over time in different regions and ways to see truth in myths. He also spends some time talking about various creation stories – including Chinese, Egyptian, Mayan, Navajo and the creation acount in Genesis.

Dr. Anthony Aveni, the Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and Anthropology and Native American Studies at Colgate University, helped develop the field of archaeoastronomy and is widely considered one of the founders of Mesoamerican archaeoastronomy. He is the author of Star Stories: Constellations and People and In the Shadow of the Moon: The Science, Magic, and Mystery of Solar Eclipses.

You can get the notes from the show and video conversation here:

In this season, we’ve been looking at the way our cultural viewpoints, church traditions, and personal experiences impact our view of the Bible.

Today, we’re honored to learn from Dr. Amy Erickson about her insightful and detailed commentary on the book of Jonah. -- and ways to better appreciate this story through academic and various theological lenses.

In today’s podcast, Dr. Amy Erickson talks about Christian and Jewish understandings of Jonah, why Jonah has been viewed as both the villain in the story and a type of Christ, she discusses why Jonah has a theological problem with God, she provides insights into Islamic interpretations of Jonah’s prophecy that Nineveh would be overthrown, and gives fascinating insights on how to understand the odd ending of the story. The episode ends with her personal takeaways on Jonah and advice on how to study this complicated and exciting story.

Dr. Amy Erickson is associate professor of Hebrew Bible and the director of the Masters of Theological Studies program at the Iliff School of Theology.

YouTube video of this show:

Blog and notes:

Are you curious about the development of ancient Hebrew literature and how some of these texts became sacred? And are you curious about how ancient Judeans thought about their God?

In this podcast, we learn from Dr. Dalit Rom-Shiloni about ancient Judean literature and how some of these texts became sacred. She discusses ancient scribal traditions, polytheism and monotheism in ancient Israelite communities, ways the Judean God compared to other ancient near east gods, how Isrealites used anthropomorphic langague to describe God, and why God was portrayed as warrior and enemy.

She also discusses ways ancient Judeans thought about God amid times of pain, suffering and destruction, which is one of the subjects featured in her important new book: “Voices from the Ruins: Theodicy and the Fall of Jerusalem in the Hebrew Bible” from Eerdmans Publishing.

You can get podast notes and watch the full video from this podcast here:

Thank you for listening and/or sharing with others. :)

You can find me @DelgadoPodcast on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.

Dr. Douglas S. Bursch discusses the different ways that social media impacts us, how we should respond to criticism and trolling behaviors, ways to develop more empathy for those who disagree with us, why it’s important to think about our motivations when posting content on social media, ways to create more loving and helpful content, and why need to be aware of the echo chambers that we might be drawn to.

Douglas S. Bursch is co-pastor of Evergreen Foursquare Church in Auburn, Washington. He serves on the US Doctrine Committee, International Doctrine Committee, and Education Commission of the Foursquare Church, and he has taught theology courses as adjunct faculty for Life Pacific College and Life Ministry Institute.

He earned a DMin from George Fox Evangelical Seminary with his dissertation research focusing on social media. A former newspaper columnist and talk radio host, Doug has produced and hosted over 1,200 Christian radio broadcasts. He is the producer and host of the Fairly Spiritual Show radio program and podcast.

Video and show notes:

Learn more about Dr. Douglas S. Bursch:

What can we do to make our churches more inclusive for our disabled and neurodiverse communities?

In this podcast, we learn from Dr. Lamar Hardwick about what it feels like to grow up with undiagnosed autism and what led him to pursue autism testing in his mid-thirties. He talks about what it meant to receive the autism diagnosis and ways he processed the information.

He also discusses the autism grief cycle, how to love and care for people with autism, and how to combat the stigma of autism at church.

Dr. Hardwick also shares key insights for ministry leaders on ways to remove barriers at church for those with invisible disabilities and how disability theology gives us an important lens for viewing God and our Bibles.

I pray this conversation helps us all grow in more awareness, acceptance and advocacy for our disabled communities.

Lamar Hardwick (DMin, Liberty University), also known as “the autism pastor,” is the lead pastor at Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia. He writes and speaks frequently on the topic of disability, especially autism, and he is the author of the best-selling book "I Am Strong: The Life and Journey of an Autistic Pastor." His latest book "Disability and the Church: A Vision for Diversity & Inclusion" is published by InterVarsity Press.

Learn more about him and his books:

You can see the video from this conversation and other insights from his book on the blog:

http://www.mikedelgado.org/podcast/lamar-hardwick/

How we understand our Bible can depend on our cultural viewpoints, church traditions, theological background, and personal experiences.

And our view of Scripture can also be largely shaped by any sort of trauma we've experienced (and this includes trauma inflicted on us by our spiritual leaders and/or churches).

In today's podcast, we're honored to learn from Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis about how trauma impacts us, ways to overcome the silent stigma of mental health at church, ways to see gender oppression in our denominations, how to better read and understand traumatic stories in Bible (especially when the offender is seen as the Biblical hero), and ways that we can better love and care for trauma victims in our life.

Dr. Thema also provides key insights into ways to read several traumatic Bible stories; including: The Story Hagar, The Trauma & Silencing of Tamar, and seeing Bathsheba as victim (instead of David's seductress).

Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis is a licensed psychologist, ordained minister, and sacred artist who has worked nationally and globally to provide relief and empowerment to marginalized persons. Dr. Thema, a professor at Pepperdine University, is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women. Her contributions to psychological research, policy, and practice have been honored by national and regional psychological associations.

Please be aware that this podcast episode includes conversations on assault and abuse in the Bible, which may be hurtful and/or upsetting.

The video chat version of this podcast is available here:

Follow Dr. Thema on Twitter and Instagram at @DrThema. You can also subscribe to her podcast, videos and articles on her website:

Pastors Duke L. Kwon and Dr. Gregory Thompson build a historical and theological case for reparations -- and address the various thefts of white supremacy that continue to hurt our Black communities in their latest book: Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair.

In this podcast episode, Duke L. Kwon and Dr. Gregory Thompson talk about why they need to write a theological case for reparations, why it's important to support and love hurting communities, reasons why Christians debate the reparations issue, ways church leaders and pastors can properly address systemic sins at church, ways to address racial justice issues and reparations in church meetings, and how white supremacy is a theft of truth, power, and wealth, ways to talk with children about racism, and what the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us about love and reparations.

You can catch the YouTube video of this conversation here:

Duke L. Kwon (MDiv, ThM, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is the lead pastor at Grace Meridian Hill, a neighborhood congregation in the Grace DC Network committed to building cross-cultural community in Washington, DC. Kwon is active in public conversations around race, equity, and racial repair in the American church, and he lectures on these topics around the country. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Witness.

Gregory Thompson (PhD, University of Virginia) is a pastor, scholar, artist, and producer whose work focuses on race and equity in the United States. He serves as executive director of Voices Underground (an initiative to build a national memorial to the Underground Railroad outside of Philadelphia), research fellow in African American heritage at Lincoln University (HBCU), and visiting theologian for mission at Grace Mosaic Church in Washington, DC. He is also the co-creator of Union: The Musical, a soul and hip-hop-based musical about the 1968 sanitation workers' strike. Thompson lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Dr. Darian R. Lockett talks with us about his new book entitled: "Letters for the Church: Reading James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude As Canon," published by InterVarsity Press:

In Letters for the Church, Dr. Lockett reveals how the Catholic Epistles provide a unique window into early Christian theology and practice. Based on evidence from the early church, he contends that the seven letters of James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude were accepted into the canon as a collection and should be read together. Dr. Lockett introduces the context and content of the Catholic Epistles while emphasizing how all seven letters are connected. Each chapter outlines the author, audience, and genre of one of the epistles, traces its flow of thought, and explores shared themes with the other Catholic Epistles.

In this podcast, Dr. Lockett discusses his conviction to write a book focused on the Catholic epistles and how these books are thematically connected. He talks about how the New Testament canon was formed and gives insights on how to properly study these books. He also gives advice for those of us who struggle with difficult scriptures -- and how to read our Bibles critically and devotionally.

Darian R. Lockett (PhD, St. Andrews) is professor of New Testament at Biola University. His many publications include Letters from the Pillar Apostles, Understanding Biblical Theology, and An Introduction to the Catholic Epistles.