Delgado Podcast

Dr. Robert Chao Romero talks with us about the role that the Latina/o church has played to fight oppression throughout history. He discusses why a percentage Hispanic voters supported Trump, despite his policies and ideas that have been used to hurt Brown communities.

He addresses the history of racism and colonialism in Latin America and tells the story of Antonio de Montesinos, a Dominican Friar who preached sermons to denounce colonists who were enslaving and abusing indigenous people in the Caribbean back in 1511. He talks about the role of faith in the life of Cesar Chavez. He also shares why there are biases against Christianity in Ethnic academic studies due to the abuses and trauma cased by our churches throughout history.

Robert Chao Romero has a unique perspective on social justice and race as the son of a Mexican father and Chinese immigrant mother. His latest book "The Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology & Identity" discusses the various ways our Latinx church fought oppression throughout history.

Robert Chao Romero (PhD, University of California at Los Angeles; JD, University of California at Berkeley) is associate professor in the Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of the award-winning The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940, Jesus for Revolutionaries: An Introduction to Race, Social Justice, and Christianity, and Mixed Race Student Politics. He's also a pastor and co-founder of Jesus 4 Revolutionaries, a Christian ministry to activists, and serves on the Board of the Matthew 25 Movement.

Michael Card talks with us about simmering on scripture and ways to thoughtfully analyze and understand the gospel accounts of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. He talks about why he has been focused on studying the gospels and how he has used music and his theological writings to connect others to the life of Jesus. He also shares how the parables and gospel accounts encourage us to use our imaginations to connect our hearts and minds to scripture -- and he provides actionable advice on how we can become better students of the Bible.

We're honored to learn from Makoto Fujimura about his book "Art and Faith: A Theology of Making," published by Yale University Press.

Art and Faith is a theological and poetic book that explores the ways art and spirituality interplay -- and how spirituality impacts our art (and how art can impact our spirituality).

Fujimura reveals how creative acts -- and making art can help us understand more about God's work in our lives and how our own creativity can mirror divine creative acts.

Makoto Fujimura is the founder of the International Arts Movement and the Fujimura Institute. He’s an award-winning artist, author and advocate for the arts. He also was the Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003 to 2009.

Video and blog:

Today, we’re honored to learn from Dr. Lisa M. Bowens about her new book entitled "African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance & Transformation” which provide a historical, theological and biblical analysis of interpretations of Paul by African Americans from the early 1700s to the mid-twentieth century -- and deals with the passages from Paul directing slaves to obey their masters.

Tragically, these passages from Paul were used by Christian pastors and churches to endorse slavery and oppress our Black communities in early America.

Dr. Lisa M. Bowens is associate professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary -- and in this episode she shares with us ways the African American community resisted the American church’s understanding that Paul endorsed slavery --- and instead used the BIble to promote liberation and freedom to preach the gospel.

She also shares bold and radical stories from African American preachers like John Jay, James W.C. Pennington, Zilpha Elaw and Jarnea Lee.

Video and podcast notes here:

We’re honored to learn from Dr. William Witt about his book “Icons of Christ: A Biblical and Systematic Theology for Women’s Ordination” from Baylor Press where he provides an analysis of the various arguments used by Protestants and Catholics against woman’s ordination as well as the biblical and theological cases for women’s ordination to the offices of both word and sacrament.

In this podcast, Dr. Witt discusses how those on both sides of the debate embrace new theological positions in response to cultural changes and outlines positive ecumenical arguments for the ordination of women and the importance of women in leadership roles in churches.

His arguments in support of women’s ordination stem from a biblical, historical, systematic and liturgical theology. He also reminds us that all Christians bear the image of God and are called to serve as icons of Christ in service of the gospel.

There is — of course — a lot of debate on this issue and I hope this conversation helps you grow in empathy for the reasons why many churches affirm women’s ordination and ways that we can support more women in their ministry work.

Dr. Witt is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Trinity School for Ministry and earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame and M.A. from St. Thomas Seminary.

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Matthew J. Thomas about his new book "Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception" published by IVP Academic Press.

Dr. Thomas talks with us about why early church writings (especially texts written in the second century) provide us keys to earliest understandings of the Bible. He discusses writings by Irrenaeus, the Epistle to Diognetus, Justin Martyr's First Apology and Dialogue with Trypho. He also shares how early church writings can help Christians gain insight into their foundational theological identity. The episode ends with a detailed explanation of Paul's meaning of faith and works.

Matthew J. Thomas earned his PhD at Oxford University and serves as assistant professor of biblical studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California and an instructor in theology at Regent College. His undergraduate work was done at Pepperdine University.

Video and blog here:

We're grateful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Matthew J. Thomas about his new book "Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception" published by IVP Academic Press.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas talks with us about writing his latest book, which digs into what the early church understood by Paul when he referred to works of the law. He also shares his spiritual journey into faith, his academic studies on scripture and the early church, ways that theologians have divided over this pivotal issue of justification by faith vs. faithfulness, how reformers like Calvin and Luther diverged from early church fathers, and why second-century writers can give us the clearest view of how these perplexing Biblical passages were meant to be understood

Matthew J. Thomas earned his PhD at Oxford University and serves as assistant professor of biblical studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California and an instructor in theology at Regent College. His undergraduate work was done at Pepperdine University.

Video and blog here:

Rabbi Rachel S. Mikva talks with us about her new book "Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity and Islam." She also shares ways for us to cultivate empathy for each other's religious traditions, the challenges of sola scriptura (and self-directed Bible study), the role of doubt in our faith journeys, what the commandment about "eye for an eye" really means, and ways texts of terror have been use to oppress (or even justify violence) toward women and our LGBTQ+ communities.

Rachel S. Mikva serves as the Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair in Jewish Studies and the Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Mikva served as a congregational rabbi for thirteen years before returning to academia. Her research and teaching focus on interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in various times and places, exploring how the ideas both shape and reflect the societies in which they unfold.

She earned her A.B. at Stanford University, M.A. Rabbinic Ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and PhD at Jewish Theological Seminary.

The video discussion and blog available here:

We're honored to learn from Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler in this week's podcast about their latest book "The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently."

In this episode, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Brettler discuss Jewish and Christian perspectives on the doctrine of original sin, how we pick and choose what Biblical laws to follow, and examples of monotheism and polytheism in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

We're honored to learn from Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler in this week's podcast about their latest book "The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently."

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Brettler talk with us about the importance of empathy and growing in awareness for the different biases and filters we all use when reading the Bible (even when we try to be objective). They also share with us about the importance of learning how different religious traditions interpret their Bibles -- and why we all need to become more familiar with each other’s perspectives. Dr. Levine also talks with us about how the Bible isn’t just a dialogue to engage in -- but a trialogue.