The Alabaster Jar

In this conversation, Dr. Lynn Cohick interviews Dr. M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall (Liz Hall) about her book When the Journey Hurts: Finding Meaning in Suffering for Heart, Mind, and Soul. Drawing from her own stage two breast cancer diagnosis and a decade of research, Liz explains the psychological concept of meaning-making, distinguishing between global and situational meaning and how their tension fuels distress. They also explore common ways churches mishandle suffering—vagueness, triumphalism, and defensive theodicies—and instead emphasize purposes in suffering, especially deeper intimacy with Christ and participation in His sufferings. Liz and Lynn also discuss practices like lament, active surrender, forgiveness, and testimony as concrete ways Christians can honestly face pain while rooting their stories in God’s larger redemptive narrative.

Resources Mentioned: 

When the Journey Hurts: Finding Meaning in Suffering for Heart, Mind, and Soul by Dr. Kelly Kapic, Dr. M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall, and Dr. Jason McMartin

Dr. Liz Hall

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Let Her Lead  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this conversation, Dr. Lynn Cohick interviews Tiffany Stein about her book, Mourning God: Grieving Loss, Wrestling with God, and Finding Your Way Back to Life. Tiffany shares the story of her son David, who lived 53 days in the NICU, and how his death led her into both profound grief and a disorienting season of feeling God’s absence after initially sensing His nearness. Drawing on Tim Keller and others, she describes different kinds of suffering—especially the “suffering of mystery” and the secondary loss of the God you thought you knew—and unpacks practices of lament, honest wrestling, and “joyful sorrow.” Lynn and Tiffany also explore how deep grief reshapes our understanding of God, the role of the church community in carrying the bereaved, and practical ways both to walk through our own grief and to accompany friends in theirs.

Resources Mentioned:   

Mourning God: Grieving Loss, Wrestling with God, and Finding Your Way Back to Life by Tiffany Stein

The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich  

Philippians (The Story of God Bible Commentary Book 11) by Dr. Lynn Cohick

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Let Her Lead  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this conversation, Dr. Lynn Cohick interviews Dr. Sandra L. Richter, the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College, to talk about reading Proverbs 31 in its ancient context. Richter explains that Proverbs 31 is the climactic conclusion of a high-level work of wisdom literature, framed as the queen mother’s counsel to her son, King Lemuel, about the kind of partner he truly needs. Together they challenge the way Proverbs 31 has been used to burden women with an impossible ideal, showing instead a heroic portrait of a woman, whose economic savvy, courage, and Torah-shaped wisdom build her family and community. Overall, they both highlight how this passage dignifies women’s work in both the domestic and public spheres and reveal the text as surprisingly life-giving and, in many ways, profoundly pro-woman.

Resources Mentioned:  

The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament by Dr. Sandra L. Richter

The Epic of Eden Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video, Updated Edition: Understanding the Old Testament as Your Story by Dr. Sandra L. Richter  

Psalms Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video: An Ancient Challenge to Get Serious About Your Prayer and Worship (Epic of Eden) by Dr. Sandra L. Richter  

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Let Her Lead  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar Podcast, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer complete the final episode of their 5-part series on the book of 1 Corinthians by exploring Paul’s rich teaching on the resurrection in chapters 15–16 and why a bodily resurrection is central to the Christian faith. They unpack how Christ’s resurrection defeats both sin and death, securing not only our personal hope but the restoration of the whole creation. They discuss the role of the Trinity in redemption, the promise of our own transformed, glorified bodies, and what it means to live in the “already and not yet” between Christ’s resurrection and His return.  

Resources Mentioned:

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar Podcast, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer cover part 4 of their 5-part series on the book of 1 Corinthians by exploring 1 Corinthians 11–14, where Paul addresses worship, headship, and life together in the church. Dr. Cohick unpacks the debated term kephalē (“head”) and considers how early church voices, cultural context, and Paul’s own rhetoric shape our understanding of hierarchy, source, and representation. They then move to women praying and prophesying, spiritual gifts, and the call for orderly worship that builds up the whole body of Christ. Then they conclude on the Lord’s Supper and how status, power, and neglect of the vulnerable can distort true communion, challenging listeners to embody a freedom that expresses itself in love for one another.  

Resources Mentioned:

1 Corinthians: A Theological, Pastoral, and Missional Commentary by Dr. Michael J. Gorman

Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul's Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians by Dr. Lucy Peppiatt

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar Podcast, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer begin part 3 of their 5-part series on the book of 1 Corinthians by exploring 1 Corinthians, un 7-10, showing that Paul’s vision of freedom in Christ is not for personal autonomy but for loving service within community. They highlight Paul’s radically countercultural teaching on mutuality in marriage and his affirmation of singleness as a faithful vocation, especially for women. Dr. Cohick also unpacks the complex issue of food sacrificed to idols, explaining how knowledge without love can damage weaker believers and compromise Christian witness.  

Resources Mentioned: 
 
The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar Podcast, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer embark on episode 2 of this 5-part series on the book of 1 Corinthians by exploring 1 Corinthians 1–6, unpacking Paul’s call to a cross-shaped life marked by humility rather than status or eloquence. Lynn explains how the Corinthians’ fascination with elite leaders, worldly wisdom, and personal freedom clashes with the shame and power of the cross. She also highlights Paul’s warnings about divisions in the church, misguided ideas of “servant leadership,” sexual immorality, and lawsuits among believers, all rooted in a distorted view of spiritual freedom.  

Resources Mentioned:   

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien


The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar Podcast, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer introduce a 5-part series on the book of 1 Corinthians by setting the historical and cultural scene of ancient Corinth. Dr. Cohick explains Paul’s 18‑month ministry there, the city’s significance as a hub for the Isthmian Games, and how its love of rhetoric, status, and public performance shaped the church’s problems and priorities. She also highlights the presence and agency of influential women such as Junia Theodora, Phoebe, and Priscilla, challenging assumptions about women’s roles in Corinth and the early church. They also sketch Paul’s multi‑letter, sometimes painful relationship with the Corinthian church and preview key theological themes of the series: the cross and resurrection, the church as the body of Christ, Christian love, and living in the “now and not yet” between Christ’s resurrection and his return.  

Resources Mentioned:  

The Satires by Juvenal

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick sits down with New Testament scholar Dr. Scot McKnight and trauma counselor Adrienne Gibson to discuss their new book, Traumatized Church: What Paul's Relationship with the Corinthian Church Teaches Us About Helping Those Who are Hurting. Adrienne explains what trauma is, how it impacts the body and brain, and unpacks key concepts like complex trauma and the survival responses of fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Scot then applies trauma theory to 2 Corinthians, exploring how the Apostle Paul himself shows signs of trauma in his relationship with the Corinthian church. Together, they outline what a trauma-informed church might look like today, highlighting pillars such as safety, boundaries, empowerment, and emotional awareness for both pastors and congregations.  

Resources Mentioned: 

Traumatized Church: What Paul's Relationship with the Corinthian Church Teaches Us About Helping Those Who Are Hurting by Dr. Scot McKnight and Adrienne Gibson

2 Corinthians: Leading in the Middle of Tension (New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series) by Dr. Scot McKnight

Comfort in the Ashes: Explorations in the Book of Job to Support Trauma Survivors by Dr. Michelle K. Keener

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Dr. Judith L. Herman

The Visual Museum for Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.

In this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick talks with theologian and author Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing about her new book, Forgiveness: Reclaiming Its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear. Together they explore why forgiveness is often misunderstood in both secular culture and the church, and how it can uphold, rather than undermine, justice. Dr. Orr-Ewing unpacks different models of forgiveness, the relationship between forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation, and how trauma survivors can move toward healing without minimizing the evil done to them. They also discuss self-forgiveness, the role of community and church liturgy, and how a robust theology of forgiveness can reshape our lives, our churches, and even our national stories.  

Resources Mentioned:   

Forgiveness: Reclaiming Its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing

Mary's Voice: Advent Reflections to Contemplate the Coming of Christ by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing

Amy Orr-Ewing

Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Dr. Robert D. Putnam  

The Visual Museum for Women in Christianity  

The Center for Women in Leadership  

Episode Sponsor:  

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.