How do Christianity and politics go together? Do they? Jesus said his kingdom was ‘not of this world’ and yet ever since God made a nation out of Abraham’s descendants the people of God have always been ‘political’ in one way or another. In part one of this series, Jacob and Jonathan try to get a handle on what we mean by 'politics' from biblical times into early church history.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

We live in a world shaped by the Industrial Revolution, but what do we make of it out the other side? Modern life would not be possible without this transition, but does that just cloud our judgement? Are the immense benefits, on balance, worth the costs? Can we even imagine an alternative? The way we answer these questions has much to do with how we evaluate the moral meaning of history as well as our daily lives.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

The Industrial Revolution is one of the biggest shifts in human history, but what did it involve, and what does it mean for us today? In part one of this two-part series, Jonathan and Jacob survey what actually changed, how things changed, and what it looked liked for the people who lived through it. It's a story which spans much of the globe, and one we need to understand if we're to live well in the modern world.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Additional credits: Mezhdunami, 2017; Rage Against the Machine, Epic Records, 1992 & 1996.

Which foodstuffs are most at risk of slavery? How does slavery get into—and out of—supply chains? On this episode, Jacob talks to Heather Roberts from Just Kai, an organisation which promotes slave-free choices in food. Food made with slave labour is hidden in plain sight in every supermarket – Heather’s here to tell us how we can be part of the change to a more just food system.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

To celebrate the launch of Manna Gum's new website and a new logo, Jacob and Jonathan take the opportunity to discuss the what, how, and why of Manna Gum. What is it all about and where is it going? There is no doubt that some things about Manna Gum are a bit unconventional - this episode will help make a little more sense of the method behind the madness.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

From Constantine to Scott Morrison… that’s a lot of water under the bridge. We live now on the other side of Christendom, but we still live in its shadow. How does all that’s come and gone since the days of “the Christian West” mean Christians should approach politics, power, and active citizenship in Australia today? What might we need to un-learn—and re-learn—in order to gain a clearer view of the good and how to do it in this century?

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

It’s an understatement to say that the legacy of Constantine is a divisive issue! In this episode, Jonathan and Jacob canvas a range of perspectives from scholars of the Constantinian Shift: does the entry of Christianity into the halls of power constitute a failure of the church or does it represent a triumph of the gospel?

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

For the first three hundred years, Christianity was a minority religion on the margins of ancient Roman society. Only half a century later, it was the state religion for a quarter of the world's population. How did this happen, and how should Christians understand this profound shift?

In part one of this series, Jonathan and Jacob try to straighten out the history of the first Christian Emperor—Constantine—and lay the foundations for a debate about Christendom, Church, and state which continues to today. 

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

In part one of this double episode, we suggested contemporary concepts of Christian vocation often suffer from being too thin or too narrow. In part two, Jacob and Jonathan get stuck into what the “counter-cultural ethical content of the gospel” might mean for thinking about vocation in a variety of Aussie circumstances. How might a richer understanding of the call of Christ on our lives play out in the everyday?

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.