Theology in the Raw

Why would God give us sexual desires we can’t always fulfill? Can unmet sexual longing actually draw us closer to Jesus? Greg Coles and Julia Hejduk join me to explore what our desires reveal about being human—and about the God who longs for us.

Their book, Sexuality Beyond Sex: An Unexpected Conversation on Embodiment, Identity, and Desire, is one of the most theologically invigorating books I’ve read all year. Bringing Protestant and Catholic perspectives into conversation, Greg and Julia challenge the assumption that marriage and sexual activity are the ultimate fulfillment of our sexuality. What if our deepest longings point toward something even greater?

We discuss singleness, marriage, celibacy, suffering, and how unmet desire can cultivate humility and dependence on God. We also explore the surprising connection between sexuality and the Lord’s Supper, work through Catholic and Protestant disagreements about Communion, and consider what Mary’s story reveals about offering our bodies to God.

Greg Coles is a writer, speaker, and senior research fellow at The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender. Julia Hejduk is a Catholic scholar and professor of classics at Baylor University.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Can unmet sexual desire be good?

00:46 Introducing Greg Coles and Julia Hejduk

03:32 What is sexuality actually for?

05:45 Marriage, Genesis, and the image of God

08:36 Sexual desire beyond marriage and procreation

12:07 Are we expecting too much from marriage?

14:07 Why would God give us desires we can’t fulfill?

17:09 Sponsors

19:59 How unmet desire cultivates humility

23:36 Sexual longing, suffering, and following Jesus

24:04 Writing together across Catholic–Protestant differences

29:56 Where they agree and disagree about Communion

33:14 What does the Eucharist have to do with sexuality?

35:42 The cross and the wedding feast of the Lamb

37:09 Why can’t Protestants receive Catholic Communion?

42:22 Spiritual Communion and the pain of exclusion

44:58 Martin Luther on sex, marriage, and celibacy

51:10 Learning from the saints and Mary

54:59 Understanding the Catholic view of Mary

59:33 Sexual fulfillment beyond sexual activity

62:44 The church’s need for non-straight Christians

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What if studying theology made you more amazed by God? My friend Lisa Harper joins me to talk about what happens when the things we learn about God change how we pray, how we parent, and how we love the people around us.

Lisa’s book Theology for the Rest of Us is the jumping-off point for our conversation. We get into what we can know about God and what remains a mystery, how the Trinity shapes the way we think about community, and why the return of Jesus is a reason for hope. Lisa also tells the story of listening to her daughter gush about her first crush and thinking, “I remember when I talked about Jesus like that.”

And yes, somehow a sausage biscuit gets thrown out a car window, and we end up talking about atonement. This is why I love talking theology with Lisa.

Chapters

0:00 Theology was meant to be lived

0:40 Can studying God deepen our love for him?

3:38 Lisa Harper and her chaotic dissertation defense

14:57 Theology for the rest of us

15:46 What we can know about God and what leaves us in awe

24:00 The Trinity and why we need community

32:30 Using theology to invite people in

34:31 Finding hope in the return of Jesus

40:05 What baptism meant to the early Christians

46:42 “I remember when I talked about Jesus like that”

51:42 When words become armor

57:58 A sausage biscuit and a lesson in atonement

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Does the Bible support capitalism or socialism—or challenge both? What do Jesus’ teachings about wealth, the early church’s shared possessions, and the Old Testament’s economic laws mean for Christians today?

Dr. Michael Rhodes joins Preston to explore what Scripture says about money, work, poverty, generosity, and economic justice. From Jubilee and debt forgiveness to the difference between earning a profit and maximizing it, Michael challenges us to consider how following Jesus should shape our entire economic life.

We also wrestle with the role of government in helping the poor, minimum wage debates, the dangers of concentrated wealth and power, Michael’s critique of Elon Musk and the USAID cuts, and a question raised by When Helping Hurts: Can our generosity actually harm the people we want to help?

Michael Rhodes holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen and lectures in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College in New Zealand. His books include Just Discipleship, Practicing the King’s Economy (coauthored), and Reimagining Biblical Politics.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 “I Am the Rich Person”
• 00:36 Introducing Dr. Michael Rhodes
• 01:44 How Should We Read the Bible on Economics?
• 05:06 Jubilee, Land Ownership, and Care for the Poor
• 08:57 Beyond Charity: A Soup Kitchen or a Potluck?
• 10:49 Why Did the Early Christians Sell Their Possessions?
• 15:23 Did Jesus Expect Everyone to Give Everything Away?
• 18:43 The Bible’s Warnings About Wealth Apply to Us
• 19:46 Should Biblical Economics Shape Government Policy?
• 22:36 Daniel, Proverbs, and Challenging Those in Power
• 27:35 Can We Trust the Government to Help the Poor?
• 31:15 Minimum Wage: Moving Beyond Political Talking Points
• 38:24 A Business Owner Rethinks Profit—and Encounters Bad Policy
• 41:10 Biblical Principles for Work, Generosity, and Economic Life
• 44:15 Food Aid, Debt Forgiveness, and Breaking Cycles of Poverty
• 46:59 Capitalism, Socialism, or Something Else?
• 49:12 Is Profit Maximization Against God’s Will?
• 50:29 Billionaires, Government, and Concentrated Power
• 52:57 Elon Musk, USAID, and Christian Responsibility
• 55:54 When Party Loyalty Overrides Our Convictions
• 57:38 When Helping Hurts: Can Generosity Do Harm?
• 62:30 Reimagining Biblical Politics

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Is the gospel simply about having our sins forgiven so we can go to heaven? N.T. Wright joins Preston to explore how Isaiah changes the way we understand Jesus, salvation, and the announcement that “Jesus is Lord.”

Drawing on his book, Into the Heart of Isaiah: The Meaning and Message of Isaiah 40–55, Tom walks us through the story of God’s return, the suffering servant, and the renewal of creation. Who is Isaiah’s servant: Israel, Jesus, or both? How does Isaiah help us understand John’s Gospel and Jesus’ parables? And why would the early Christian announcement of good news challenge the most powerful empire in the world?

We also discuss biblical authorship and inspiration, the idols Christians can remain captive to, what Jesus’ authority means for earthly politics, and how to read the Old Testament without missing the bigger picture.

N.T. Wright is a New Testament scholar, former Bishop of Durham, and senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. His many books include Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian, and After You Believe.

In our Extra Innings conversation, I ask Tom why he believes women can serve in every position of church leadership. Hear his response, including his reflections on Mary Magdalene and Phoebe, by joining the Theology in the Raw community:

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Is our gospel missing something?
• 00:46 Introducing N.T. Wright and the gospel in Isaiah
• 03:18 Why a New Testament scholar studies Isaiah
• 05:08 Why Isaiah 40–55 belongs together
• 07:55 Who wrote Isaiah, and does it matter?
• 09:30 Can God inspire editors?
• 12:25 Exile, the temple, and God’s promised return
• 16:07 Why God works through human beings
• 17:00 Israel, the servant, and renewed creation
• 19:19 Sponsor: Boll & Branch
• 20:26 Is the suffering servant Israel or Jesus?
• 24:18 How Isaiah shapes the New Testament
• 26:32 A gospel bigger than escaping the world
• 27:18 Isaiah behind John’s Gospel and Jesus’ parables
• 31:12 What “good news” means in Isaiah
• 33:25 Is the gospel more than forgiveness?
• 34:10 Jesus, Caesar, and the power of the cross
• 35:47 “Jesus is Lord” and turning from idols
• 37:17 What does Jesus’ authority on earth look like?
• 38:24 The politically subversive message of Jesus
• 40:08 American polarization and the church
• 41:28 How to read Isaiah without getting lost
• 46:05 N.T. Wright, the Beatles, and Coldplay
• 48:43 Advice for preaching Isaiah

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Is the death penalty biblical? Should Christians support capital punishment—or does following Jesus lead us toward a different understanding of justice, mercy, and redemption?

Shane Claiborne joins me to discuss what the Bible says about the death penalty and why we both changed our minds. We explore Old Testament laws, Jesus’ teaching on “an eye for an eye,” the early church’s response to violence, and whether Romans 13 justifies capital punishment.

But this conversation goes beyond biblical interpretation. Shane shares stories from years of visiting people on death row, including encounters with people who were later exonerated, families of murder victims, and a former executioner. We wrestle with difficult questions: Can you be pro-life and support the death penalty? What about justice for victims? And what does it mean to believe that no one is beyond redemption?

Shane is an author, activist, and co-founder of Red Letter Christians. His books include Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us and Rethinking Life.

For my further thoughts on Romans 13 and the death penalty, join the Theology in the Raw community and watch or listen to Extra Innings:

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00 The Bible Belt is the death belt
• 00:33 Why Christians are debating the death penalty
• 05:27 Shane Claiborne: Why I changed my mind
• 08:32 How the death penalty works in practice
• 10:18 Who gets executed? Race, poverty, and geography
• 12:05 The human cost of death row
• 14:11 Can people on death row change?
• 16:50 What does biblical justice look like?
• 17:37 Don Johnson: Redemption on death row
• 20:01 What about the victims?
• 23:59 Forgiveness after the Charleston church shooting
• 25:10 Christian leaders and the death penalty
• 26:36 An invitation to pray on death row
• 29:20 Does the Old Testament justify capital punishment?
• 30:44 Jesus and “an eye for an eye”
• 31:54 The early church on killing and state violence
• 35:38 Why Christians still defend the death penalty
• 37:07 Reading Old Testament laws as Christians
• 39:22 Wrongful convictions and trusting the state
• 41:10 Race, wealth, and unequal justice
• 43:56 A Jewish perspective on the death penalty
• 44:48 Does Romans 13 support the death penalty?
• 47:50 The Reformation and the power of the state
• 49:58 Wrestling with a change of mind
• 51:12 Firing squads and the toll on executioners
• 52:54 Forgiveness, consequences, and the gospel
• 53:37 Shane’s books and further resources

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Have we lost something in communion? Is the Lord’s Supper simply a symbol that reminds us of Jesus’ death, or is something more happening when we receive the bread and wine?

Anglican priest Hannah Miller King joins Preston to explore the Eucharist and its role in spiritual formation. They discuss Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican understandings of Christ’s presence, why communion has become an afterthought in some churches, and whether we should expect to feel anything when we take it.

Drawing from her book, Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness, Hannah shares how communion has shaped her experience of grief, belonging, and healing. They also discuss her experience as a female priest and how Christians can remain in fellowship while disagreeing about women in church leadership.

In Extra Innings, Preston asks Hannah why some evangelicals are drawn to Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches. Hear her own journey and the extended conversation by joining the TITR community: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Is communion more than an object lesson?
• 00:46 Have we lost something in communion?
• 04:35 Introducing Hannah Miller King
• 05:01 Different Christian views of the Eucharist
• 07:33 The early church, Luther, and Calvin
• 10:55 What can Christians agree on about communion?
• 13:34 Wasn’t the Lord’s Supper an actual meal?
• 17:03 Sponsors
• 19:09 Has communion become an afterthought?
• 20:42 Making the table central to worship
• 24:05 Wine, grape juice, and why the elements matter
• 26:24 Communion, grief, and those we’ve lost
• 29:43 What if I don’t feel anything?
• 33:25 Embodiment, trauma, and healing
• 37:58 Lament and the hope of resurrection
• 39:06 Bringing our suffering to the table
• 41:30 Teaching a richer understanding of communion
• 43:23 Being a female Anglican priest
• 47:25 Disagreeing about women’s ordination
• 49:41 Unity without agreeing on everything
• 51:57 Why male-only bishops?
• 55:15 Faith when the miracle doesn’t come

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Are evangelicals really defined by Donald Trump, culture wars, and the pursuit of political power? Or are we missing a much bigger picture?

Bonnie Kristian joins Preston to discuss her book, In Defense of Evangelicalism: A Response to Its Cultured Despisers. A journalist and deputy editor at Christianity Today, Bonnie offers a defense of evangelicalism while openly criticizing its failures and explaining why she isn’t a Trump supporter.

We explore what “evangelical” actually means, the accusations leveled against the movement, and why Bonnie believes some critiques overlook the ordinary faithfulness of millions of Christians. We also discuss evangelical support for Trump, what voting statistics can and can’t tell us, and the difference between voting for a candidate and embracing everything that candidate represents.

The conversation also tackles Christian nationalism, the line between voting your values and imposing your beliefs, evangelical attitudes toward war, and Bonnie’s disagreements with Jesus and John Wayne. Can we take evangelical hypocrisy seriously without reducing an entire movement to its worst examples? And can we criticize someone’s politics without dismissing their faith?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Critiquing politics without condemning people

00:30 Are evangelicals really that bad?

03:50 Introducing Bonnie Kristian

06:45 What does “evangelical” actually mean?

10:31 Why hesitate to call yourself evangelical?

11:41 Five accusations against evangelicalism

16:35 Are evangelical faith and Republican politics inseparable?

18:24 Putting the “81 percent” statistic in context

20:18 Why evangelicals vote for Trump

24:13 Culture wars, political power, and voting your values

27:12 When does voting your faith become Christian nationalism?

33:28 Defending evangelicals without supporting Trump

35:45 War, conscience, and rejecting both parties

39:28 Why do evangelicals support war?

43:48 Torture, the Golden Rule, and the influence of faith

45:58 Pushback on the book and Jesus and John Wayne

50:42 Why Bonnie won’t denounce evangelical Trump voters

53:36 Criticism, reform, and contempt for evangelicals

54:40 Engaging critics and knowing when to step away

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What does faith look like when healing doesn’t come? And how can churches move beyond welcoming people with disabilities to creating genuine belonging? Cameron and Annie Horner join Preston to explore disability, marriage, suffering, and what the church misses when disabled voices are sidelined.

Cameron and Annie share how they met at the Exiles in Babylon conference and how vulnerability shaped their relationship. Together, they challenge assumptions about disability and offer practical ways churches can remove barriers to worship, community, and leadership. 

Cameron Horner is a quadriplegic pastor, speaker, and ministry leader who became paralyzed from the chest down at age 18 after a diving accident. Annie Horner is a mental health therapist with Living Whole Hearted, a clinic based in Portland, Oregon. Together, they lead Accessible Grace, equipping churches to move beyond inclusion to genuine belonging for people with disabilities.

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Faith when healing doesn’t come
• 00:45 Why disability belongs in the church conversation
• 03:36 Meet Cameron and Annie Horner
• 04:22 A love story that started at Exiles in Babylon
• 07:18 Annie’s story: abuse, faith, and finding hope
• 11:40 From Ireland to a marriage proposal
• 12:47 Dating, disability, and assumptions about relationships
• 16:37 Building a relationship on what matters
• 19:33 Sponsor: Western Seminary
• 20:30 What people misunderstand about their marriage
• 21:24 Purity culture and the “ideal spouse” checklist
• 24:06 How vulnerability made room for love
• 26:46 When disability happens during a marriage
• 29:59 Disability and the church: where do we start?
• 32:08 Accessibility beyond ramps and parking spaces
• 35:21 Seeing disability as part of the body’s diversity
• 38:48 How church culture can exclude families
• 40:59 Who gets to lead in our churches?
• 43:12 Cameron’s calling to pastor and teach
• 46:03 Moses, disability, and God’s accommodation
• 48:11 “Stand if you’re able”: why language matters
• 52:31 Disability theology and the resurrected Jesus
• 56:18 How should we talk about disability?
• 58:29 A first step for church leaders: listen
• 61:09 What disability teaches us about being human
• 62:48 Celebrating faithfulness without a miraculous ending
• 65:18 Cameron and Preston’s marathon rivalry

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When does church leadership become spiritual manipulation? And how do you disagree with a pastor who says, “God told me”? Preston talks with New Testament scholar Joshua W. Jipp about how even well-meaning Christian leaders can cross the line from serving people to controlling them.

Drawing on his book, How (Not) to Be a Tyrant, Josh explores what the Bible’s worst rulers reveal about power, ambition, and the temptation to use God’s authority to advance our own agendas. We discuss why charisma and results aren’t enough to identify a healthy leader, how fear can become a tool of control, and what makes Jesus’ approach to leadership radically different.

We also wrestle with church leadership structures, Paul’s use of authority, Romans 13 and Revelation 13, and when Christians should submit, push back, or leave. Along the way, we consider the faithful pastors whose humility and service rarely make the headlines.

Joshua W. Jipp (PhD, Emory University) is associate professor of New Testament at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of several books, including his most recent book, How (Not) to Be a Tyrant: Ten Lessons on Life and Leadership from the Bible’s Worst Rulers (Brazos Press).

CHAPTERS

00:00 When spiritual authority becomes control

00:39 Introducing Joshua W. Jipp

02:19 Why study the Bible’s worst rulers?

07:04 Leadership and power throughout the Bible

09:55 Did God want Israel to have a king?

13:32 Sponsors

15:53 The temptation facing well-meaning leaders

17:47 Using God to advance a leader’s agenda

18:59 Why success and charisma aren’t enough

23:16 Does the Bible prescribe a church leadership structure?

28:29 How can a servant leader exercise authority?

34:58 Subtle warning signs of controlling leadership

37:57 When disagreeing with a leader means disagreeing with God

39:46 Can other leaders genuinely push back?

40:59 How fear becomes a tool of control

42:18 Submitting to bad rulers: Romans 13 and Revelation 13

47:30 When should you push back on church leadership?

51:13 The faithful pastors who don’t make headlines

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Are Christians being fair in how we understand Islam? Palestinian Christian scholar Dr. Daniel Bannoura joins Preston Sprinkle to explore Islam and Christianity, religious violence, what the Quran says about Jesus, and the treatment of women.

In the fourth and final episode of our Understanding Islam series, Daniel helps me process my conversations with Javad Hashmi, Gabriel Said Reynolds, and Fariza Gulomikova, including some of the pushback the series received.

Daniel grew up in the West Bank and earned his PhD in Islamic Studies at Notre Dame, focusing on the biblical subtext of the Qur’an. We discuss the relationship between the Quran and Hadith, Islamic teachings about Jesus and the Trinity, and Daniel’s interpretation of the Quran’s passage on the crucifixion.

We also wrestle with Christianity’s own history of justifying violence and how politics, culture, and education shape Muslim communities. And I press Daniel on whether Christianity and Islam offer distinct visions for the treatment of women.

It’s a challenging conversation about real theological differences, our own assumptions, and what it means to love our Muslim neighbors faithfully.

Watch or listen to Extra Innings at https://patreon.com/theologyintheraw, where Daniel and I tackle your questions: Is Islam animated by dark spiritual forces? Is it a Christian heresy or a separate religion? What can Christians learn from Muslims? And how should we respond to fears about Sharia law in America?

CHAPTERS

00:00 A Palestinian Christian’s experience of violence

00:31 Understanding Islam: The series finale

02:22 Meet Dr. Daniel Bannoura

05:13 Learning to love Muslim neighbors

08:31 Reflecting on the Islam series

12:31 Was Javad Hashmi representative of Islam?

18:22 The Quran, Hadith, and Islamic scholarship

24:22 What does Islam teach about Jesus?

28:27 The Quran and the Trinity

30:08 Does the Quran deny Jesus’ crucifixion?

35:43 How religious traditions develop

38:14 Why focus on violence and women?

40:27 Comparing Christian and Muslim violence

44:30 Muslim diversity beyond the stereotypes

45:43 Colonialism, politics, and religious extremism

48:37 Women, culture, and education

52:08 Do Christianity and Islam treat women differently?

55:00 Jesus’ countercultural treatment of women

59:41 Your questions answered in Extra Innings

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