With All Due Respect

This season of With All Due Respect is sponsored by Morling College, a Christ-centred higher-education institution shaped by its Baptist heritage and broad evangelical vision. Morling is committed to rigorous theological study, deep spiritual formation, and learning how to engage faithfully and thoughtfully with difference. Study options include ministry and theology, counselling, chaplaincy, and education. Download a course guide to explore whether Morling is the right place for your next step. 

Sam Chan
Reverend Dr Sam Chan is a cultural analyst, public speaker and medical doctor, born in Hong Kong, who studied medicine in Sydney and completed a PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He is a fellow at The Keller Center, a public speaker for City Bible Forum and Third Space, and the head trainer and mentor at the EvQ School of Evangelism. He is also an award-winning author of books on evangelism and cultural engagement. He carries the unique talent of playing the recorder with his nose, complementing his engaging personality.

Key Points:

• Cultural apologetics is expanding beyond traditional apologetic approaches to include engagement with society's broad cultural landscapes, focusing on what is considered true, good, and beautiful.
• Sam Chan highlights that "evangelism today is not just about what is true, but about what is good and beautiful," underlining the relevance of cultural apologetics in the modern world.
• Through a lens forged by thinkers like Kevin Van Hooser, cultural exegesis involves a dialogue with cultural texts to understand societal worldviews.
• The overlap between cultural engagement and apologetics offers fresh avenues for articulating Christian truths within the cultural fabric, reaching out to believers and non-believers alike.
• Jane Austen's enduring works provide a historical perspective, underscoring the synthesis between faith and cultural storytelling, which remains relevant in navigating contemporary cultural dialogues.

Notable Quotes:

1. "Evangelism today is not just about what is true, but about what is good and beautiful." - Sam Chan
2. "Cultural apologetics strives to fulfill cultural storylines, making the gospel relatable in a rapidly changing world." - Sam Chan
3. "Every culture has a worldview and cultural texts that express this worldview, which we then interpret, and that these texts further shape" - Sam Chan outline of how culture and worldview interact.
4. "No one's ever truly a blank slate." - Sam Chan outlining the historical rootedness of cultural engagement.
5. "We need to talk in a way that isn't cobblers—we need to do that act of translation in a way that resonates." - Michael Jensen

Resources

• Book Discussed in Episode: "The Gospel After Christendom" by various authors including Sam Chan.
• Paul Gould's Book: "Cultural Apologetics" (2019)

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This season of With All Due Respect is sponsored by Morling College, a Christ-centred higher-education institution shaped by its Baptist heritage and broad evangelical vision. Morling is committed to rigorous theological study, deep spiritual formation, and learning how to engage faithfully and thoughtfully with difference. Study options include ministry and theology, counselling, chaplaincy, and education. Download a course guide to explore whether Morling is the right place for your next step. 

About the Guest:

Professor Brian Brock
Originally from Texas, Professor Brian Brock holds a personal chair in moral and practical theology at the University of Aberdeen. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Disability and Religion and has authored numerous books, including "Wondrously Wounded: Theology, Disability in the Body of Christ" and "Christian Ethics in a Technological Age." His expertise lies in exploring the relationship between theology and ethics, focusing on disability, technology, and creation. His latest work, "Joining Creation’s Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness," explores ethics from a theological perspective centered around creation.

Key Takeaways:

• Dynamic Ethics Approach: Emphasizes understanding the Bible not as a static rulebook but as a guide showing how to live and think faithfully.
• Role of Praise: Christian ethics should center around recognizing and praising God’s work, bringing joy and liberation.
• Contextual Decision-Making: Encourages considering the context of each situation to make ethical decisions that align with God's character.
• Freedom from Fear: Advocates moving away from fear-driven ethics towards faithfulness inspired by God’s consistent love and actions.
• Ethical Formation: Highlights the significance of ethical imagination and conscience development through spiritual practice and the community.

Notable Quotes:

1. "I think people in the churches very often treat the Bible as a kind of repository of answers to ethical questions."
2. "Maps are kind of a deskilling. But we need to learn to recognize the landmarks in our space and time."
3. "How were the biblical authors actually approaching the task of living faithfully?"
4. "The stability is in God’s character… God is faithful to step in and interrupt us."
5. "We can pray and hope that God will actually show up and interrupt the things that generate entrapment."

Resources:

• Brian Brock's Book: Joining Creation's Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness
• Journal of Disability and Religion: Journal Website
• Previous Works by Brian Brock: Wondrously Wounded," "Christian Ethics in a Technological Age

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This season of With All Due Respect is sponsored by Morling College, a Christ-centred higher-education institution shaped by its Baptist heritage and broad evangelical vision. Morling is committed to rigorous theological study, deep spiritual formation, and learning how to engage faithfully and thoughtfully with difference. Study options include ministry and theology, counselling, chaplaincy, and education. Download a course guide to explore whether Morling is the right place for your next step. 

About our Guest
Jeri Jones Sparks is the Ministry Director of the Good News series, an evangelistic video resource aimed specifically at reaching South Asians. Her impactful work extends to her role as a strategic consultant for the Satya Network, which focuses on engaging and integrating South Asian Christians in Australia. Jeri is also an Outreach Minister at St James Anglican in Croydon, Sydney, an area with a substantial immigrant population. Born in Chennai, South India, Jeri and her family migrated to Australia when she was just four years old. Her journey and advocacy stand as a vital testament to cultural integration and spiritual transformation.

Key Takeaways:

• Immigration Debate: Recent protests have highlighted the complexity surrounding immigration in Australia, often fueled by misinformation and political agendas.
• Cultural and Religious Shifts: Australia's demographic changes bring both challenges and opportunities as the country navigates a more multicultural and religiously diverse population.
• Christian Response: The necessity for Christians to redefine what it means to engage with 'the other,' drawing from biblical examples of how to treat foreigners among us.
• Intercultural Church Dynamics: The importance of churches evolving towards interculturalism, incorporating various cultural perspectives to enhance community and belonging.
• Understanding Heritage: Emotional and personal journeys uncovering one's ancestry, as showcased in the SBS series, can redefine individual and communal identity.

Notable Quotes:

• "We're not as good at estimating numbers or proportions. It all comes through filters of bias." — Megan Powell du Toit
• "I think there's going to be some kind of shift in our normal of engaging with cultural commentary." — Jeri Jones Sparks
• "It's really messy. There's going to be conflict. But there's something gospel-hearted in how it shapes our gathering." — Jeri Jones Sparks
• "The church has a lot to teach our society by modeling that kind of internationalism, that kind of welcome which is blind to race." — Michael Jensen
• "When we know that it's God who appoints where and when all people should live, who are the people that God has put around us?" — Jeri Jones Sparks

Resources:

• Satya Network
• The Good News Series
• SBS TV Series: The Secret DNA of Us
• ABC Online article by Michael Jensen on immigration

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Michael Jensen and Megan Powell du Toit kick off this teaser with exciting news: With All Due Respect is partnering with Hope1032, Sydney's community-funded radio station, for a fresh season launching January 15th, 2026.

If you're tired of polarised debates and want to see how people can disagree well on the big stuff, you're in for a banger! Next season, Michael and Megan are diving into cultural apologetics, immigration debates, true crime through a Christian lens, and finding the sacred in everyday life. They're tackling the contentious issues many of us wrestle with—but doing it with grace and genuine conversation.

Big thanks to WADR's sponsor, Morling College, whose commitment to deep thinking and respectful dialogue aligns perfectly with the podcast's mission. Morling offers courses in ministry, theology, counselling, and chaplaincy—all designed for discipleship formation. Download a course guide to explore whether Morling is the right place for your next step. 

Get ready for conversations that challenge without the aggro.

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This episode has been one of the highest listened to episodes in the WADR catalogue! With schoolies ongoing as well as the holiday season just over the horizon, we'd like to replay this ep and to stir some thought and discussion.

Discuss!? Glad you asked - head to our WADR group here on Facebook!

In this episode, the WADR team talk about how to have better sex. No, this is not Megan and Michael's opportunity to present the evangelical version of the karma sutra. Rather, they want to talk about the ways Christianity has got sex right - or a lot of the time wrong - and what can be done better for everyone's sake. 
First up, Megan and Michael invite on to the show the co-author of the influential Christian book The Great Sex Rescue, Sheila Wray Gregoire. Sheila shares what she and her co-authors discovered when they talked to 22,000 Christian women. 
Then the WADR duo talk about the Australian #metoo moment and what they think about consent education. 
Finally, we finish the show with the film Give Me Sex Jesus, a title that sells itself. And consider this your warning. This episode is talking about sex, so it is definitely for mature audiences.

LINKS

Follow this link to check out Sheila's book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You've Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended, by Sheila Wray Gregoire, psychology graduate Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach and epidemiologist and statistician Joanna Sawatsky.

You can watch Give Me Sex Jesus for free on Vimeo - it's a Staff Pick!

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It’s the final episode for season 10 of With All Due Respect!

This year marks 1700 years since the creation of the Nicene Creed, one of Christianity's seminal documents (outside of the Bible).

Our hosts discuss why this creed matters and debate whether more churches should use it in their services.

Theologian Beth Felker Jones then joins the show to discuss the creed's historical and theological significance, before Michael and Megan share their thoughts on the 2017 documentary The Song Keepers.

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This week, our hosts are joined by AFES worker Christine Jolly to discuss whether Gen Z women are going missing from the church, while their male counterparts convert in droves.

Michael and Megan attempt to make sense of this concerning trend before turning their attention to the 2024 biographical thriller Cabrini, which tells the story of the first American saint, Francesca Cabrini.

• (00:00) - - Intro
• (01:36) - - Be Our Guest
• (41:39) - - For Arguements Sake
• (53:36) - - Through The Wardrobe

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This week, Michael and Megan grapple with the problem of pain.

It’s a complex issue for Christians - some seek out pain as a spiritual discipline, while for others, pain can drive them away from faith altogether.

Professor Philip Siddall joins the show to help us further understand why pain occurs - and how to deal with it, both physically and spiritually.

Finally, our hosts cast a critical eye over the second season of the hit TV series Severance.

Out now, wherever you get your podcasts.

• (00:00) - - Intro
• (01:36) - - For Arguments Sake
• (18:04) - - Be Our Guest
• (47:34) - - Through The Wardrobe

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This week, Michael and Megan tackle the difficult topic of church control. 

They discuss how much—if any—control churches should be allowed to have over members and how to safeguard against any misuse of power by leaders.

Christian psychologist Kylie Walls then joins the show for a sobering discussion on spiritual abuse, before our hosts review the hit podcast Sons of Patriarchy, which deals with the hyper-conservative ministry of Douglas Wilson.

If this episode has raised concerns for you, help is available. Call 1800 737 732, or head to the website 1800respect.org.au.

• (01:20) - - For Arguments Sake
• (18:42) - - Be Our Guest
• (50:52) - - Through The Wardrobe

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The recent feature film ‘Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin' attracted controversy for its portrayal of Europe’s most celebrated martyr of the 20th century.

There are so many questions surrounding the life of Bonhoeffer - chief among them, how involved was he in the botched 20 July plot to kill Hitler?

Our hosts this week share their thoughts on the film and are also joined by Center for Pastor Theologians President Dr. Joel Lawrence to discuss Bonhoeffer's life and work.

Finally, Michael and Megan try to define a Christian hero and discuss whether the church should have any heroes aside from Jesus.

• (01:44) - - Through the Wardrobe
• (31:40) - - Be Our Guest
• (44:03) - - For Arguments Sake

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