I spoke with the Rev Lauren R.E. Larkin about our mutually favourite liturgical season, Advent. We discuss the power of the Christ child lying in the arms of an unclean woman, the way death and life overlap in the birth event, and the future horizon of Advent when Christ comes again (and its effect on ethics).

We also play a "Dear Abby" inspired game called "Dear Lauren", when the good Reverend answers peoples questions on how to live Advent lives in the midst of a busy Christmas season. And trust me, Lauren's answers will shock and inspire!

Rev Lauren R.E. Larkin is a priest in the Episcopal Church and host of the Sancta Colloquia podcast: Find out more here: https://laurenrelarkin.com/ You can follow her on Twitter @laurenrelarkin

Follow the show: @RinseRepeatPod

Follow me: @liammiller87

Website: loverinserepeat.com

Music by Fyzex

I interviewed Professor Christine Helmer about her work Theology and the End of Doctrine. We talk about how doctrine became a dirty word; that doctrine inhabits a dialectic of construction and surprise, time and eternity; the lure of eternity; why so many have got Schleiermacher wrong; she critiques the cultural-linguistic approach which situates doctrine as grammar of a worldview; and what contemporary doctrinal work excites her today. In the latter part of the interview we talk about her new book How Luther Became the Reformer – which explores partly, how Luther became a figure of German nationalism, a prescient conversation for our time.

Christine is Professor of German and Religious Studies at Northwestern University, She is the current holder of the Arthur E. Andersen Teaching and Research Professorship. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in theology from the University of Helsinki for her work on German reformer Martin Luther, as well as for her commitment to theology as an important contributor to the intellectual life of the university. During the academic year 2017-2018, she is Visiting Corcoran Chair in the Center for Christian-Jewish Relations at Boston College, researching Luther’s anti-Judaism in his biblical interpretation. Professor Helmer is Associate Chair of Willard Hall. She teaches undergraduate courses on key religious thinkers in western thought, religion and sports, and the popular “Why College?” class. Her course “Luther and the West” is available as a free massive open online course (MOOC) at www.coursera.org/learn/luther-and-the-west.

Buy Theology and the End of Doctrine - https://www.bookdepository.com/Theology-End-Doctrine-Christine-Helmer/9780664239299?ref=grid-view&qid=1541729683383&sr=1-1

Pre-order How Luther Became the Reformer - https://www.bookdepository.com/How-Luther-Became-Reformer-Christine-Helmer/9780664262877?ref=grid-view&qid=1541729690995&sr=1-9

Follow the show: @RinseRepeatPod

Follow me: @liammiller87

I interviewed Rabbi Shai Held, author of the two-volume The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion. We discuss the character of love in the Torah, the importance of human responsibility, finding theological gems in unexpected places, reading characters as archetypes, particularism and universalism in a pluralistic age, and Judaism’s greatest gamble… also, why we need an Isaac movie.

Rabbi Shai Held is theologian, scholar, and educator. President, Dean, and Chair in Jewish Thought at Hadar, where he also directs the Center for Jewish Leadership and Ideas.

This is a special episode of Love Rinse Repeat, co-presented with Insights, the magazine of the Uniting Church in Australia’s Synod of New South Wales and the ACT.

Buy the Book: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Heart-of-Torah--Volume-1/9780827612716

I interviewed Geoff Thompson about his new book, A Genuinely Theological Church: Ministry, Theology, and the Uniting Church. We dive into his robust and dynamic definition of theology (looking especially at the role of imagination in theology, and how theology is marked by puzzling proclamations, unexpected tangents and strangeness), we discuss the novel and particular nature of Christian confession, the post-Christendom church, the missional vocation of theology, and much, much more.

Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/A-Genuinely-Theological-Church/9780648232421

Geoff Thompson is Coordinator of Studies: Systematic Theology at Pilgrim Theological College part of the University of Divinity. His writings include Disturbing Much Disturbing Many: Theology Provoked by the Basis of Union, Jesus Christ According to the Basis of Union, and the forthcoming Doctrine: a guide for the Perplexed.

Follow the show: @RinseRepeatPod

Follow me: @liammiller87

"Following Jesus is a big, weird, amazing thing that individual believers, movements, and denominations have expressed in remarkably different ways over the centuries"

I sat down with Bonnie Kristian to talk about her new book A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What it Means to Follow Jesus Today. We talk about her own journey in discovering the flexibility within Christian doctrine, the incredible people from many varied Christian communities and traditions she interviewed in the book, her hopes for neigbourhood ecumenicism, and the importance of understanding and dialogue in the contemporary world.

Bonnie Kristian is a writer who mainly thinks about theology, politics, and guinea pigs—not necessarily in that order. She is the weekend editor at The Week and fellow at Defense Priorities. Her writing has also appeared in Time, CNN, Politico, The Hill, Relevant Magazine, Rare, and Missio Alliance.

Buy her book: https://www.bookdepository.com/Flexible-Faith-Bonnie-Kristian/9781478992097?ref=grid-view&qid=1529899801975&sr=1-1

Follow her on Twitter: @bonniekristian

Follow the show: @RinseRepeatPod

Follow me: @LiamMiller87

I spoke with Austen Hartke, author of the new book: Transforming: the Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians. It is a wonderful book, and this discussion gives a great insight into why it is so essential for our times.

We talk about what it is like to write a book with helplines in the back, how conversations and the stories of others shape a theological work, what Biblical story Austen would turn into a movie, why the book centres on Biblical studies/exegesis, the connection of experience between Eunuchs in the ancient world and Transgender Christians today, the importance of the body in the New Testament, and a life lived beyond apologetics.

Austen Hartke is the creator of the YouTube series “Transgender and Christian,” which seeks to understand, interpret, and share parts of the Bible that relate to gender identity and the lives of transgender individuals. Austen is a graduate of Luther Seminary’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and is the winner of the 2014 John Milton Prize in Old Testament Writing from the same institution.

Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/Transforming-Austen-Hartke/9780664263102?ref=grid-view&qid=1525139492208&sr=1-1

Check out Austen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiwruBaq0T0qoFimIDAv9pw

Support Austen's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AustenLionheart

Check out his website: http://austenhartke.com/

Follow me: @liammiller87

Follow the show: @RinseRepeatPod

Check out more: www.theologycorner.net/loverinserepeat

I interviewed W. Travis McMaken about his book Our God Loves Justice: an introduction to Helmut Gollwitzer. We talk about the Gollwitzer movie Travis would pitch, Dialectical Theology, Socialism and the Kingdom of God (this is a great section), raising children socialist, Revolution, writing theology in an online community, and, we play a game of Conceptual Lightning Round... have you ever wanted tweetable definitions of Dialectical Theology, Socialism, and non-objectifiability? We got you covered.

Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/Our-God-Loves-Justice/9781451482744

Follow Travis on Twitter: @WTravisMcMaken

Check out DET: http://derevth.blogspot.com.au/

About W. Travis McMaken: W. Travis McMaken is associate professor of religion and assistant dean of multidisciplinary humanities at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. He is the author of The Sign of the Gospel: Toward an Evangelical Doctrine of Infant Baptism after Karl Barth (Fortress Press, 2013) and coeditor of Karl Barth in Conversation (2014). He is the founder and editor of the digital news magazine DET (Die Evangelischen Theologen)

Follow the Pod: @RinseRepeatPod // @liammiller87

I mention at the close of the podcast the online conference I've organised through my work with the Uniting Church Chaplaincy at Macquarie University -- you can join from anywhere in the world, www.Jesus1224.com

Love Rinse Repeat is part of the Theology Corner Network.

Music by Fyzex

I sat down with Mark Gregory Karris to talk about his new book "Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Uncontrolling Love of God". We discuss his reconstructed view of petitionary prayer based on his belief in an uncontrolling God of love. We talk about the issues with the status quo of petitionary prayer, the idea of conspiring prayer (as dialogue with God), and how all of this calls us into the work of justice and shalom.

If you want the book, get it here: https://goo.gl/5221et

If you want the workbook get it here: https://goo.gl/nBauS7

Check out www.conspiringprayer.com for more.

Follow the pod @rinserepeatpod, follow me @liammiller87. Find us at theologycorner.net/loverinserepeat

Love Rinse Repeat is part of the Theology Corner Network. Music by Fyzex.

This is a double feature. The first interview is with Pastor Sandra Dumas, the second, her husband, Pastor William Dumas. They are the Senior Pastors of Ganggalah Church and leaders of Ganggalah Training Centre and Ganggalah Aboriginal Arts.

Pastor Sandra is the first Indigenous female pastor ordained in New South Wales through Australian Christian Churches and is carving new ground for Indigenous women within Australia. Pastor William is the chairman of the ACCNI (Australian Christian Churches National Indigenous Initiative).

In this interview we discuss their work at Ganggalah, their passion for building up young Indigenous leaders, the mission of serving God and celebrating culture, and the long strides non-Indigenous Australians still need to take for their to truly be equality for Aboriginal people.

Check out (and consider supporting) the excellent work of Ganggalah - http://ganggalah.com/

The Saturday night session from our weekend Political Populism and a Theological Response. Here John Flett picks up the theological challenge of populism (explored in the first two sessions) and proposes an alternative focused on the political stance of a community which finds its identity as it moves beyond itself.

A fantastic talk from a challenging and vital weekend.

Interested in more from this course? http://statusconfessionis.com/

Follow John on twitter: @FlettJohn

John Flett is associate professor of missiology and intercultural theology at Pilgrim Theological College, Melbourne, Privatdozent at the Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethal, and Stellvertretender Institutsleiter am Institut für Interkulturelle Theologie und Interreligiöse Studien, Wuppertal. He specialises in intercultural theology, ecumenical relationships, and mission studies. He has lived and taught in the USA, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, the DRC, and Australia. His PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary examined the history and theology of missio Dei and was published as The Witness of God (Eerdmans, 2010). His Habilitationschrift, undertaken at the Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel, developed a critical account the church’s apostolicity and its continuity across cultures. This was published as Apostolicity: The Ecumenical Question in World Christian Perspective (IVP Academic, 2016). He is currently developing a text on how the German church understood the relationship between the Christian gospel and culture during the twentieth century. He is a minister of the Word in the Uniting Church in Australia, is married to Priscilla and has two daughters, Trinity and Mila.

At the end of the session we launched Jesus 12 24: Return, find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jesus-12-24-return-tickets-39470321795?aff=utm_source%3Deb_email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dnew_event_email&utm_term=eventurl_text