Delgado Podcast

In this episode, we learn from Dr. Gregory Coles about his love of literature, reciting Hamlet when he was eight years old, pursuing a PhD in English Literature, how he came out to his loved ones and church, why he wrote "Single, Gay, Christian," how he's dealt with criticism from Christians about his sexual identity, how he's processed pain and grief, and what led him to write his latest book: "No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation," published by InterVarsity Press.

Gregory Coles (PhD, Penn State University) is an author, playwright, speaker and songwriter. Gregory spent fifteen years growing up in the Muslim neighborhoods of Southeast Asia, in the shadow of a golden-domed mosque marked by a spire with a silver crescent moon. The son of two committed Christian teachers, Greg learned from a young age to look for God in the world around him. At age eighteen, he returned to the United States to pursue his education.

Greg is a frequent collaborator with organizations like Revoice and The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. When he isn’t writing or speaking, he can usually be found playing piano at a local church, dabbling in songwriting, jogging, or baking homemade granola. Gregory is also a contributor to Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Author Quest—a collection of short stories published by Grosset and Dunlap (Penguin Random House).

Learn more about him here:

We have the honor to learn from Dr. Vince Bantu about ancient African theology and the beautiful Christian tradition that emerged in Africa -- and how Christianity and spiritual traditions from this region reveals how Christianity is not a product of the Western world.

He also discusses the need for ethnic representation in our churches, the sins and destructive impact of systemic racism and white supremacy in our church history, ways for us to better support our Black and Brown church communities during times of tragedy and trauma, and the powerful faith and example that our Black church has set for all Christians. He also shares ways that parents can help raise anti-racist children.

Dr. Vince Bantu is a professor of Church History and Black Church Studies at Fuller Seminary.

He earned his PhD in Semitic and Egyptian languages from the Catholic University of America and also earned a Master of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, THM in church history from Princeton Seminary and undergraduate degree in theology from Wheaton College.

He is also the author of the book entitled “A Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity’s Global Identity” published by Intervarsity Press.

You can catch the video from this conversation the blog:

EPISODE 26: Reverend Tish Harrison Warren talks with us about ways to build a prayer practice, how to pray when feeling faithless or angry at God, and why it’s beneficial to pray liturgical prayers and psalms, as well as a discussion of the Anglican compline prayer (and how it can shape our prayer life).

Tish Harrison Warren is the author of the new book entitled “Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep” — and she addresses ways to pray when we’re grieving, lamenting or angry at God.

You can catch the video from this conversation here:

Dr. Chloe T. Sun discusses the theology of divine absence — and how this theology is portrayed in the biblical canon. She shares ways theologians and academics approach divine absence in the books of Esther and The Song of Songs. She also shares advice for anyone who is studying the Bible and how to personally deal with God’s absence in our lives.

In her latest book, "Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther," Dr. Sun addresses three main questions: What is the nature of God as revealed in texts that don’t use his name? How do we think of God when he is perceived to be absent? What should we do when God is silent or hidden?

Chloe T. Sun (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of Old Testament and academic dean at Logos Evangelical Seminary and has published books in Chinese and English, including The Ethics of Violence in the Story of Aqhat, Love Already but Not Yet: A Commentary on the Song of Songs and Attempt Great Things for God: Theological Education in Diaspora.

Get her latest book from Intervarsity Press: Conspicuous in His Absence: Studies in the Song of Songs and Esther.

Dr. Mark R. Glanville and Dr. Luke Glanville talk with us about their new book "Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics."

They discuss Biblical passages dealing with marginalized and displaced people and God's command to extend kinship, compassion and love to hurting communities

They also address arguments from those who want closed borders and stricter immigration policies due to ways immigrations might impact on economics, national security and culture. You can learn more about their awesome new book here:

You can also catch the video from this conversation here:

Mark R. Glanville (PhD, Bristol University) is associate professor of pastoral theology at Regent College, Vancouver, and an Old Testament scholar. He is the author of Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy and Freed to Be God's Family: The Book of Exodus and has written articles for a variety of publications including the Journal of Biblical Literature, Refuge Journal, Journal of Missional Practice, Christian Educators Journal, Evangelicals for Social Action, Faith Today, The Light Magazine, and The Presbyterian Pulse. Glanville previously ministered in a missional urban community, Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, Vancouver, and was a professor of congregational theology at the Missional Training Center in Phoenix.

Luke Glanville (PhD, University of Queensland) is associate professor in the department of international relations at Australian National University. He is the author of Sovereignty and the Responsibility to Protect: A New History, which won the Australian Political Science Association Crisp Prize in 2016 and the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award in 2014.

Rev. Dr. James Choung talks about his academic research on generational views of spirituality and the key gateway questions asked by each generation. He talks about how these key spiritual questions dealing with what’s real, true, and beautiful are important for all of us to know how to answer. He discusses the impact of COVID-19 and increased visibility of hate and racism and how it is impacting our children. He provides parenting advice for those raising Generation Z. He also discusses ways to talk with our Asian and Asian American children about racism and discrimination. You can catch the video here:

Follow Dr. Choung here:

Rev. Dr. James Choung talks with us about teaching and creating spiritual spaces during COVID-19, why he has a growth-mindset and seeks out mentorship on a regular basis, ways he cultivates self-awareness, how he determined his calling to pursue work in Christian ministry, how his father impacted his spirituality and modeled ways to be a great dad and husband.

You can learn more about him and watch the video of our conversation here:

Rev. Dr. James Choung serves as Vice President of Strategy & Innovation — overseeing evangelism, discipleship, multiethnic initiatives, and the Creative Labs — at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. He is also ordained with the Vineyard USA and written several books; including: "True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In" and its follow-up, "Real Life: A Christianity Worth Living Out."

He speaks frequently at campuses, churches, seminaries, and conferences, and teaches seminary classes on culture, leadership development and evangelism. His work is featured in Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, Outreach Magazine, and Exploregod.com.

James wrote his D. Min. dissertation on postmodern leadership development at Fuller Theological Seminary, received his M. Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and studied management science and marketing at MIT.

This season, we've been looking at the ways our theology and personal faith can evolve -- and how oppression, disability, trauma and racism can shift the way we understand God, our scriptures and ourselves.

Today, we’re going to be focused specifically on addressing the marginalization of our Asian American communities -- and how living in a liminal space (sometimes not accepted as fully American or fully Asian) has shaped Asian American theology -- and helped us to better understand our God who dwells in liminal spaces, too.

In this conversation, Dr. Russell Jeung talks with us about the history of Asian American studies, the birth of Asian American theology, how oppression and marginalization of Asian Americans has led to a theology of exile, and the disturbing rise of Christian nationalism along with Anti-Asian Racism.

Dr. Russell Jeung is a leading sociologist of Asian Americans, race, and religion. He is professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and author of many books focused on race and religion -- including "Sustaining Faith Traditions: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion among the Latino and Asian American Second Generation" that he wrote with Carolyn Chen, published by NYU Press.

In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project of Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and SF State Asian American Studies. It tracks Covid-19 related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism. His spiritual memoir, "At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus Among My Ancestors and Refugees Neighbors," shares his experiences living among the foreigner and the poor.

Videos and blog:

It's an honor to listen to Liuan Huska share her journey of managing pain, chronic illness and finding wholeness, which is the subject of her latest book "Hurting Yet Whole: Reconciling Body & Spirit In Chronic Pain & Illness" from InterVarsity Press.

Liuan Huska went through years of chronic pain and wondered why God seemed absent and questioned some of the common assumptions about healing. What do we do when our bodies don't work the way they should? How do we find faith amid the pain? Can we still be whole when our bodies suffer? How does our understanding of God change through these experiences?

In this episode, Liuan talks about her spiritual journey, struggles with chronic pain and feeling misunderstood, the spiritual pain of feeling dismissed by God, managing her mental health, how disability theologians address wholeness, ways our understanding of God can change during these darkest moments, and ways to better listen to those who are hurting around us.

Dr. Alister E. McGrath discusses why he decided to write a biography on Packer's life and faith. He discusses Packer's thoughtful decision to teach at Regent College, why his book "Knowing God" became a bestseller, why Packer loved reading the Puritan writers, his thoughts on theistic evolution, why he didn't like the term "inerrancy" to describe the trustworthiness of the Bible, why he signed the evangelical and catholics together document, his views on aging, going blind and finding hope in God.

Alister McGrath (DPhil, DD, Oxford University) is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University and fellow of Harris Manchester College, Oxford. After initial academic work in the natural sciences, Alister turned to the study of theology and intellectual history, while occasionally becoming engaged in broader cultural debates about the rationality and relevance of the Christian faith. He is the author of many academic and theological works, as well as the international bestseller The Dawkins Delusion, the acclaimed C. S. Lewis—A Life and A Theory of Everything (That Matters).