In Drunk In The Spirit, Dr Merrill Greene gives us a behind-the-scenes and BANANAS look at the ways that charismaticism is not only lived out today, but is rooted in some truly weird experiences outlined in our holy texts.

I had Merrill on a few years ago (ep 39), and now that this conversation is done, I can’t wait to have him on again! Oh, for reference to the How God Works podcast ep I was referencing on shamanism, it’s right here.

Thanks for reading Marc Jolicoeur (aka Jolly Thoughts)! This post is public so feel free to share it.

For this episode of the pod, I wanted to hear from someone who is both a friend & brother in Christ and has also fallen on the other side of where I have on a variety of ideological lines. Oh, and if he can be funny too, bonus. Cue Phil Hutchings.

We only get the briefest snapshot of Phil’s story in this podcast, but rest assured, it’s a wild one. In this generous conversation, Phil knowingly walks into chats he knows I largely differ with him about (civil disobedience, religious liberty, the primacy of “tongues”, and the taboo topic of “biblical prosperity”), and yet he engages thoughtfully & gracefully (if not also “pointedly”). Did Phil convince me on these topics? No. Am I more of a fan of Sean Feucht’s music now than I was before? No. But am I glad to have been able to talk like this? You better believe it!

Chapters:

00:00 - Opening

08:03 - Building a Community and Church Ownership

11:27 - Musical Connections and Shared History

15:15 - Podcasting and Conversations

16:47 - Sean Feucht’s Controversial Visit to Canada

24:04 - Revival in Canada: Perspectives and Experiences

26:52 - The Nature of Religious Persecution

29:56 - Revival and the Church’s Power

34:44 - Government Overreach and Church Response

38:42 - The Church as a Rescue Center

43:21 - Healing, Blessing, and the Holy Spirit

52:55 - Understanding Prosperity in Faith

55:38 - The Purpose of Prosperity

57:30 - Money as a Tool for Impact

1:00:38 - The Hypocrisy of Anti-Prosperity Preachers

1:03:28 - Understanding Prosperity in the New Testament

01:06:13 - The Role of the Church in Financial Blessings

01:10:08 - The Power of the Holy Spirit and Prosperity

01:12:07 - Unity in Diversity of Beliefs

keywords: church, revival, Sean Feucht, COVID-19, prosperity, faith, community, podcast, music, civil disobedience, jesus, religious freedom

“...the Bible is from God, and God exists outside of time. When we enter into the Bible, we are entering into the life of God, and this enables us to make the past and future of the Bible our present, to read ourselves into its stories and see our life through its pages…”

- Michael Niebauer, Four Mountains

This is one of my favourite kinds of conversations; a chat about the Bible with a wise & gifted person who has spent intentional time viewing it from an angle I’m unfamiliar with. Michael was generous with his time & perspective, and we’re the better for it. We discuss his book, Four Mountains: Encountering God In The Bible From Eden To Zion, which provides a framework for understanding the whole of scripture in a way that shows us Christ on the opening pages of the book.

This conversation is just the briefest snapshot of the book, so if you find you’ve enjoyed the chat, I’d highly encourage you to check it out.

Chapters:03:03 - Journey to the Anglican Faith05:27 - Church Planting and Ministry Focus08:36 - Theological Education and Writing Journey11:35 - Understanding Mountains in the Bible14:30 - Figural Readings and Early Christian Interpretation17:35 - Mountains as Spiritual Encounters20:38 - The Significance of Eden as a Mountain23:28 - Exploring Mount Sinai and Its Importance26:37 - Cultural Context of Mountains in Religion29:17 - Understanding Zion: A Complex Concept34:51 - The Tabernacle: Climbing the Mountain of Worship39:23 - Hierarchy in Worship: Individual vs. Corporate Experience48:17 - Mount Tabor: The Transfiguration of Jesus56:01 - Interpreting Scripture: Balancing Tradition and ExplorationKeywords:

Jolly Thoughts Podcast, Michael Niebauer, Four Mountains, Biblical Theology, Church Planting, Anglican Ministry, Encountering God, Systematic Theology, Spiritual Growth, Worship

If worship is for God and not for humanity, is there any real argument for worship to be “contextual” (look different at different times and in different places)? If such arguments do exist, how much flexibility is there? The music? The architecture? The sacraments? Is anything sacred… or is everything sacred?

In this mind-bending conversation with Dr Kenneth Wallace Jr, we talk about his work in ethnodoxolgy, and we graze around our theological fields trying to determine which of the cows are sacred. From questions about the necessity of “wine” for the Eucharist to the questioning of water being required for baptism, this conversation is enough to make anyone’s head spin, but (hopefully) also help us see the importance of connecting our rituals to meaning.

I’m curious: What did you think? 👇

Chapters -

00:00 - Introduction to the Jolly Thoughts Podcast

05:43 - Exploring Ethnodoxology and Worship Contexts

13:06 - Kenny Wallace’s Journey and Background

19:03 - Understanding Ethnodoxology

24:39 - Cultural Expressions in Worship

31:26 - The Need for Ethnodoxology

37:13 - Accretions in Worship Practices

44:42 - Cultural Context and Worship Practices

47:38 - Curiosity and Respect in Interactions

51:44 - Engaging with Indigenous Ceremonies

56:17 - The Meaning Behind Rituals

1:00:13 - Contextualization of Communion

1:05:25 - Understanding Baptism in Different Cultures

Keywords: ethnodoxology, worship, cultural expressions, Kenneth Wallace, Jolly Thoughts Podcast, worship practices, church history, cultural heritage, worship studies, community engagement, cultural context, worship practices, curiosity, respect, indigenous ceremonies, communion, baptism, ethnodoxology, spirituality, Christianity

Takeaways:

* Ethnodoxology is about worship in local contexts.

* Cultural expressions of worship are essential to understanding faith.

* Kenny Wallace’s journey reflects a diverse background in worship studies.

* The importance of contextualizing worship practices in different cultures.

* Historical church practices have influenced modern worship.

* Accretions in worship can dilute the core message of the gospel.

* Cultural heritage can enrich worship experiences.

* Trust and respect are vital in community and worship settings.

* The role of curiosity in understanding different cultural practices.

* Worship should reflect the diversity of God’s creation. Self-mutilation and sexual immorality are not acceptable in Christian worship.

* Technology can dehumanize individuals, affecting our respect for them.

* Cultural items in worship must be critically evaluated against scripture.

* Curiosity about others fosters respect and understanding.

* Engaging with indigenous ceremonies requires sensitivity and awareness.

* The function of a ritual can change based on cultural context.

* Communion can be expressed through various cultural forms without losing its meaning.

* Baptism can be contextualized using indigenous practices like sage smoke.

* Understanding the meaning behind rituals is more important than the form they take.

* Building relationships is essential for effective ministry.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, King James Version)

Is that verse a promise or an observation? For over half a century now, Christian parenting books have been banking on (and banking from) it being the former. In their own book (The Myth of Good Christian Parenting), Marissa Franks Burt & Kelsey Kramer McGinnis raise the question anew, and ask us to do the same.

This was a hard conversation for me, in many respects. Not because the authors of the book were anything short of pleasant, and not because their work is anything less than well-executed, but because engaging with it caused me to look pretty deep inside & question some of my own presuppositions & unexamined feelings about the parent-child relationship.

Maybe I’ll be alone in that. Maybe not.

Below you’ll find bios for both authors, links to follow them online, and opportunities to order the book (which launches in Canada on October 14th, 2025). You can also leave a comment or reach out with any of your own thoughts. Oh, and for a video version of this convo, here’s the YouTube link.

Chapters:

00:01 - Intro

03:11 - Exploring Parenting Dynamics and Backgrounds

04:44 - The Genesis of a Collaborative Project

07:56 - The Myth of Good Christian Parenting

10:55 - Understanding Parenting Expertise and Experience

13:40 - Promises and Threats in Christian Parenting

16:39 - Methodology and Research Insights

20:04 - Key Themes in Christian Parenting Resources

23:01 - Authority and Obedience in Parenting

25:54 - Rhetorical Choices and Language in Parenting Discussions

28:21 - Authority and Parenting Dynamics

33:54 - Discipline: Rethinking Approaches

47:35 - The Role of Authority in Parenting

58:55 - Cultural Influences on Parenting Practices

Keywords:

Christian parenting, parenting promises, discipline, authority, evangelical families, parenting resources, child development, parenting methodology, parenting insights, parenting challenges, bible

Marissa Franks Burt (MA in Theological Studies, Columbia International University) is a novelist, editor, teacher, and cohost of the At Home with the Lectionary and In the Church Library podcasts. She lives in a small town in Washington’s Snoqualmie Valley with her husband, six children, and heaps of books.

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis (PhD, University of Iowa) is a musicologist, educator, and correspondent for Christianity Today, writing on worship practices and Christian subculture. She is an adjunct professor at Grand View University in Des Moines and previously worked at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.

The book is available for pre-order across platforms:

Find the book on Amazon

Order from Baker for guaranteed release day delivery

Bookshop book link

Audible link

* Instagram: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcginnis

* Threads: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcginnis

* Facebook: @mburtwrites | @kelsey.kramermcginnis

* Bluesky: @mburtwrites | @kkramermcginnis

* TikTok: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcg

* Substack: @mburtwrites | @kelseykramermcginnis

* YouTube: @mburtwrites

* Website: Marissa |

“It is not as though our choice is between history and imagination. Our only choice is between historically informed imagination and imagination unconstrained by historical evidence.” (pg 156 of Christmaker by James F McGrath)

Who was “John the Baptist”? You might feel like you already know the answer, or you might not even care about that question, but either way, James McGrath’s recent pair of works (Christmaker and John of History, Baptist of Faith) will very likely change your mind.

In this conversation we dive right in on what motivated McGrath to take this deeper look into the historical sources on John, who the Mandaeans are, and what a nice kid from Brooklyn is doing in a life of Biblical studies.

In the intro I mention that James wrote the introduction to Alan Streett’s most recent book (which I talk with him about in this podcast) and that I wrote a review of a book that he contributed to for RSR (The Biblical World of Gender) over here. This conversation was a long time coming!

James was an extremely kind & gracious conversation partner, and I hope you appreciate this conversation even half as much as I did!

Marc Jolicoeur (aka Jolly Thoughts) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Keywords:

John the Baptist, Jesus, influence, Gospel of Matthew, message, Brood of Vipers

Chapters:

00:01 - Intro

03:10 - The Journey to Biblical Scholarship

05:20 - Exploring John the Baptist: The Christmaker

08:00 - Researching John the Baptist: A Year of Discovery

10:20 - The Influence of John on Jesus

13:30 - The Mandaic Connection: Understanding John the Baptist

16:10 - Jesus as a Disciple of John the Baptist

19:15 - Implications for Christian Faith and Practice

32:42 - Exploring the John the Baptist Movement

35:24 - The Historical Context of Baptism

39:47 - Baptism: A New Approach to Forgiveness

48:18 - Rebaptism and Its Significance

55:18 - John the Baptist: A Unique Figure in History

“...we find consistent and systematic emphasis on repetitive and daily practices throughout Wesley's life and teachings that have the potential to train the person to breathe.” - Chad Maxson

What might “breathing” (the physical act of bringing in & pushing out breath from our lungs) have to do with spirituality in general and Wesleyan Christianity in particular, and how does Taoism figure into the conversation (if, indeed, it does at all)?

In this conversation, Dr Chad Maxson (longtime friend, first time podcast guest) walks us around his recent article hosted in the Wesley Theological Journal entitled Agency & the People of God: How Daoism Makes Christianity More Efficacious. It partially scratches a constant itch of mine, namely the interaction between God’s actions & our own human actions, so I was excited to have had the opportunity to chat with Chad all about it.

(For a video version of this conversation, check out my YouTube channel here.)

Chapters:

02:00 - Exploring Literature and Recommendations

02:32 - The Role of Education in Theology

04:54 - Agency and Revelation in Christianity

08:35 - Wesleyan Perspectives on Grace and Sanctification

11:23 - Wesley's Journey and Spiritual Assurance

14:21 - Empirical Expectations in Faith

17:39 - Understanding Sin and Transformation

20:33 - Theological Reflections on Paul and Wesley

21:28 - The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit

23:28 - Wesley's Organizational Genius and Its Challenges

25:04 - The Role of Poverty in Spiritual Transformation

27:24 - Sanctification and Relationships

30:21 - Eucharist as a Converting Ordinance

32:12 - Monism vs. Dualism in Christian Thought

37:08 - Daoism as a Wisdom Tradition

41:59 - Breath and Spirituality in Christianity

47:55 - The Nature of Grace and Human Agency

Keywords:

Christianity, Agency, Wesleyanism, Holiness Movement, Daoism, Spirituality, Transformation, Grace, Empirical Expectations, Breath

“...the shocking argument of this book is that cultural Christians could exist and even flourish in a world in which Christianity was a persecuted minority.” – Dr Nadya Williams, Cultural Christians in the Early Church

In this conversation, Dr Nadya Williams unloads a ton of mindblowing insight about the way culture has impacted Christianity since the very beginning. There are more hot-button topics in this hour than you can shake a stick at (prostitution, pornography, medical assistance in dying, Christian nationalism, COFFEE), so watch out!

You can watch this conversation on YouTube here: Jolly Thoughts on YouTube

To follow Nadya, check out her Substack: Nadya on Substack

For reference to the Religion News Service article on people participating in multiple churches: RNS Article

If you feel the need to subject yourself to the madness of a Tucker Carlson v Ted Cruz conversations, here’s the one referenced: Tucker Carlson & Ted Cruz on X

Keywords: Christianity, cultural Christians, early church, Nadja Williams, Ananias and Sapphira, Corinthian church, Christian nationalism, purity culture, church growth, historical context

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro & Exploring Cultural Christianity

05:00 - Ananias and Sapphira: A Case Study

09:00 - The Role of Food in Early Christianity

13:00 - Cultural Context of the Corinthian Church

16:00 - Legalism vs. Christian Freedom

21:00 - The Impact of the Pandemic on Worship

23:30 - Circulating Faith: The Role of Youth Groups

25:00 - Historical Context: Early Church Dynamics

29:30 - Sectarian Violence: The Donatist Controversy

32:00 - Military and Faith: Christians in the Roman Army

37:00 - Cultural Shifts: Alcohol and Christian Identity

40:15 - Purity Culture: A Double-Edged Sword

44:45 - The Church as Family: Care and Community

47:30 - Contemporary Issues: Hyper-Individualism and AI

51:30 - Christian Nationalism: A Historical Perspective

53:30 - The Imago Dei: Humanity in Conflict

What if your memory isn’t your memory? Would it matter? In what way would it matter?

In this mini-recording, I unpack my own self-discovery of something tantamount to an accidental self-deception, and open it to the crowd to see if there’s anything to be learned from it.

This is the podcast episode I mentioned: Devil & The Deep Blue Sea episode #7 (The Spell Breaks)

This is the super-cool bridge I mentioned: Confederation Bridge

This is the upcoming run I mentioned: Terry Fox Run across Confederation Bridge

And in case you don’t know who Anne Of Green Gables is…

Ep 83 with Keith Bodner LIVE!!!

I’m inclined to try & call this something like a “very special after-school special” episode of the Jolly Thoughts pod, but… it was actually recorded at school (Crandall University, to be precise, and aided by the illustrious Darrell Nevers). In this conversation, the incomparable Dr Keith Bodner gives us a bit of a flyover on the concept of reading the Bible as narrative literature. Why would we listen to his opinion on this? Oh, no reason, other than he basically wrote the book on it… or, edited the book on it.

This conversation is a little less “conversational” than I tend to like it, but it’s tough when you’re not only talking to your conversation partner but also a classroom full of onlookers with notepads. Also, I regret not titling this the “Bodcast”… missed opportunities abound.