All In! Living the Mission of God

Episode 118: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, an Interview with Award Winning Historian Dr. Wayne Flynt

Hey everybody! Welcome to the final episode of this season of All In! I have a question for you: what do these people have in common? * Tim Cook (Apple CEO) * Fannie Flagg * Harper Lee * Booker T. Washington * George Washington Carver * Hugo Black (Supreme Court Justice) * Rick Bragg (Pulitzer Prize) * Helen Keller * Truman Capote * Hank Aaron * Martin Luther King Jr. * Joe Namath * Jesse Ownes * Rosa Parks * Condoleeze Rice * Lionel Richie * Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. They are all from Alabama. I grew up in a very town of about 200 people in Alabama. I fled the state when I was 19 years old. I moved to the Pacific Northwest, about as far as I could go while remaining in the lower 48 states. I had a very thick southern accent I worked diligently to overcome. When someone finds out you are from Alabama, they generally ask backwardness, bigotry, and incest. To be honest with you. It was challenging. While on a rare visit to see family, I was in a large bookstore, when I found a book that caught my eye, “Alabama in the Twentieth Century [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081731430X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=081731430X&linkId=45da11c78c79c15c0a9dbdea8028cb8c].” I bought the book and started reading it. When I finished the book, I had two main thoughts: 1. This is how history is supposed to be written. This was a great book. 2. This guy helped me find the beautiful I knew existed in Alabama that is too often hidden by the stereotypes, the rednecks, fundamentalist religion, narrow-minded intolerance, and gratuitous meanness. Dr. Wayne Flynt is the author the book I read. He was born in Mississippi but grew up primarily in Alabama and graduated from Anniston High School.  He attended Samford University as a ministerial student; double majored in History and Speech. He also attended graduate school at Florida State University, receiving his Ph.D. in American History. He is a prolific author. Of his fourteen books (three of which are co-authored): * two deal with Florida politics, * three deal with evangelical religion, * three deal with poverty, and * three are broad surveys of Alabama history, including his two most acclaimed, POOR BUT PROUD: ALABAMA’S POOR WHITES [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BHSELOO/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01BHSELOO&linkId=1c693ed4ff6ba3653ec116c8e3f54620], and ALABAMA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081731430X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=081731430X&linkId=98316adddea9a0390ce99dcdf5d87141]. * His memoir entitled, KEEPING THE FAITH [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817317546/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0817317546&linkId=8b72bab0b272377614df9e2f72f267df], was published in 2011, and * his history, SOUTHERN RELIGION AND CHRISTIAN DIVERSITY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HRN3Z54/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01HRN3Z54&linkId=b3ba06684ac3ad0c8752c23f7224725f] was published in July 2016. * His most recent book (2017) is MOCKINGBIRD SONGS: MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HARPER LEE [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006266008X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=006266008X&linkId=f0dee8d2a512dd0734d39cad70cbb63c], which won the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Literary Prize for Excellence in Writing. * Two of his books have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and one won the Lillian Smith Award for non-fiction (the oldest and most highly regarded book prize in the South, given by the Southern Regional Council). * Two of his books have won the Alabama Library Association prize for best works of non-fiction, * three times he has won the James Sulzby book award for best work on Alabama history (awarded by the Alabama Historical Association), and * three times the University of Alabama Press has bestowed the McMillan prize on his manuscripts as the best received in history. Dr. Wayne Flynt is a community activist, serving American Cancer Society’s Committee for the Socio-economically Disadvantaged, was a co-founder of both the Alabama Poverty Project (now called ALABAMA POSSIBLE) and Sowing Seeds of Hope. Dr. Flynt has been awarded more than can be covered. He has taught and spoke across America and the world. Dr. Flynt is active in a number of professional organizations, six of which have honored him with their highest awards for service. In 2003-04 he served as president of the Southern Historical Association, the largest professional organization devoted to the study of southern history and culture, with some 5,000 members worldwide. He was founding general editor of the online Encyclopedia of Alabama from which he retired in September 2008.   I hope you enjoy our conversation today! If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me onFacebook [http://www.facebook.com/j.roper.7]. You can also submit any feedback or questionshere [http://jeffroper.com/questions-comments-feedback/]. Don’t forget to subscribe inApple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-living-mission-god/id918676805]or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me onFacebook [https://www.facebook.com/jeff.roper.7?fref=ts&ref=br_tf]orTwitter [http://www.twitter.com/roperfmi]. It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visitThe Global Missions Fund. [https://www.foursquaremissions.org/give/global-mission-fund/] Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!

Episode 117: Changing Culture, an Interview with Tammy Dunahoo

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Famous words mistakenly attributed to Peter Drucker.It doesn’t matter who said it, it is TRUE. We can glibly talk about changing culture, but culture is a hard this to change. Yet, if you want real and lasting change, you must do more than change policies, you must change cultures. I could think of no one better to talk about this topic than my friend, Tammy Dunahoo. Tammy hold the title of Vice President – Senior Director of Leader Culture+Care for The Foursquare Church. Tammy Dunahoo has served The Foursquare Church in multiple roles since 2003, including general supervisor, Arkansas District supervisor, vice president of Women in Leadership Ministry, on the National Church Health Initiative team, and multiple boards and committees. She serves on the Foursquare board of directors, the cabinet, and on the board of trustees of Life Pacific University (LPU). Besides these roles, Tammy pastored with her husband, Gary, for 38 years. Tammy’s greatest passion is to educate, train, mentor and sponsor emerging generations.She loves to see young leaders, women and men of every people group, living out their God- given design, and creatively and effectively engaging culture. Her role includes serving the president and partnering with him in architecting culture with a specific focus on discipleship and leadership development, diversity and NextGen. I think you'll really enjoy this conversation and I hope you find it helpful to your specific context. Enjoy!

Episode 116: Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good, and Interview with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a celebrated spiritual writer and sought-after speaker. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of Eastern University and Duke Divinity School. In 2003, Jonathan and his wife Leah founded the Rutba House, a house of hospitality where the formerly homeless share community with the formerly housed. Jonathan directs theSchool for Conversion [http://newmonasticism.org/about.php], a popular education center that works to make “surprising friendships possible.” He is also an Associate Minister at the historically blackSt. Johns Missionary Baptist Church [http://stjohnsmbc.org/]. Jonathan is a co-complier of the celebratedCommon Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals [https://www.amazon.com/Common-Prayer-Pocket-Ordinary-Radicals/dp/031033506X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348247926&sr=1-1&keywords=common+prayer+a+liturgy+for+ordinary+radicals], and the author of several books on Christian spirituality, includingReconstructing the Gospel [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830845348/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=0830845348&pd_rd_wg=cRnxl&pd_rd_r=QEZT2HPFEGWTTFT57JT5&pd_rd_w=bpVaH],Strangers at My Door [https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-My-Door-Finding-Unexpected/dp/0307731952],The Awakening of Hope [https://www.amazon.com/The-Awakening-Hope-Practice-Common/dp/0310293383],The Wisdom of Stability [https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Stability-Rooting-Mobile-Culture/dp/1557256233/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348247975&sr=1-1&keywords=wisdom+of+stability+by+jonathan+wilson+hartgrove], andThe New Monasticism [https://www.amazon.com/New-Monasticism-What-Todays-Church/dp/1587432242/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348248001&sr=1-1&keywords=new+monasticism+by+jonathan+wilson+hartgrove]. He is also co-author, with Reverend Dr. William Barber II, ofThe Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement [https://www.amazon.com/Third-Reconstruction-Mondays-Politics-Movement/dp/0807083607]. I first learned of Jonathan when I heard him interviewed on a podcast. His work sounded very interesting, so I bought his book, “Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good.”  I ended up reading it twice. An evangelical Christian who connects with the broad spiritual tradition and its monastic witnesses, Jonathan is a leader in the Red Letter Christian movement and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. He speaks often about emerging Christianity and faith in public life to churches and conferences across the denominational spectrum and has given lectures at dozens of universities and seminaries, including Calvin College, MIT, Bethel, Duke, Yale, Princeton, Jewish Theological, Perkins, Wake Forrest, St. John’s, DePaul, and Baylor. Now, he is making his big break as a guest on this podcast! I hope you enjoy this interview. You can connect with Jonathan through the School for Conversion [http://newmonasticism.org/about.php] or on his website [https://jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com/]. Additional Recommended Resources: * The Prophetic Imagination [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506449301/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1506449301&linkId=bfb10e1259132c9184d0c6a1832e3c95] by Walter Brueggemann If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me onFacebook [http://www.facebook.com/j.roper.7]. You can also submit any feedback or questionshere [http://jeffroper.com/questions-comments-feedback/]. Don’t forget to subscribe inApple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-living-mission-god/id918676805]or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me onFacebook [https://www.facebook.com/jeff.roper.7?fref=ts&ref=br_tf]orTwitter [http://www.twitter.com/roperfmi]. It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visitThe Global Missions Fund. [https://www.foursquaremissions.org/give/global-mission-fund/] Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!

Episode 115: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness and Reconciliation, an Interview with Miroslav Volf

Hey everybody! Today I am giddy! I am thrilled to be able to have Dr. Miroslav Volf as a guest today. He is probably one of my favorite living theologians. I think you will enjoy this week's episode as we explore his book Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He was educated in his native Croatia, the United States, and Germany, earning doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (with highest honors) from the University of Tübingen, Germany. He has written or edited more than 20 books, over 100 scholarly articles, and his work has been featured in theWashington Post,Christianity Today,Christian Century,Sojourners, and several other outlets, including NPR'sSpeaking of Faith(nowOn Being with Krista Tippett) and Public Television’sReligion and Ethics Newsweekly. Some of his most significant books include: * ‍Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation(1996; revised edition, 2019), translated in 9 other languages, winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, and one ofChristianity Today’s 100 most important religious books of the 20th century * Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace(2006), which was the Archbishop of Canterbury Lenten book for 2006 * Allah: A Christian Response(2011), on whether Muslims and Christians have a common God * After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity(1998), winner of theChristianity TodayBook Award * A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good(2011) * The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World(2006; revised edition, 2020), winner of theChristianity TodayBook Award‍ * Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World(2016)‍ * For the Life of the World: Theology that Makes a Difference(2019), his most recent book, co-authored with Matthew Croasmun Prior to his appointment at Yale Divinity School in 1998, he taught at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia (1979–80 and 1983–90) and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1990–1998). A member of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical Church in Croatia, Professor Volf has been involved in international ecumenical dialogues (for instance, with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) and interfaith dialogues (on the executive board of C-1 World Dialogue), and is active participant in the Global Agenda Council on Values of the World Economic Forum. Miroslav regularly teaches and lectures in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and across North America. He has given over 30 prestigious lectureships at universities around the world, including Harvard University; Oxford University; Stockholm School of Theology; Duke University; Calvin University, University of Birmingham. Recommended Resources: * For the Life of the World Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-life-of-the-world-yale-center-for-faith-culture/id1505076294] * Episode 105: The Emergence of Sin, and Interview with Matthew Croasmun [http://jeffroper.com/2020/09/30/episode-105-the-emergence-of-sin-and-interview-with-matthew-croasmun/] If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me onFacebook [http://www.facebook.com/j.roper.7]. You can also submit any feedback or questionshere [http://jeffroper.com/questions-comments-feedback/]. Don’t forget to subscribe inApple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-living-mission-god/id918676805]or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me onFacebook [https://www.facebook.com/jeff.roper.7?fref=ts&ref=br_tf]orTwitter [http://www.twitter.com/roperfmi]. It’s your life, now go live it!

Episode 114: Discovering New Riches from the Old Testament: An interview with John Goldingay

Hey everybody! Welcome to this week's episode of all in. I have long wanted to interview John Goldingay and the day has finally arrived! You are in for a treat. John Goldingay (PhD, University of Nottingham; DD, Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth) is professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, but lives in Oxford, England. He is a prolific author. His Amazon.com Author’s Page covers six full pages of his books. His books include: * An Introduction to the Old Testament [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017T4FBE4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B017T4FBE4&linkId=9698f4d8cd1a6c2dea5b4b53253b4da6] * A Reader's Guide to the Bible [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0773SB6N1/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0773SB6N1&linkId=9636cf95314798569538ed07c6bd1caa] * Reading Jesus's Bible [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072LNFHH3/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B072LNFHH3&linkId=8d419e9ceecd3b584a9b2de135c1ec2e] * Do We Need the New Testament: Letting the Old Testament Speak for Itself [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830824693/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830824693&linkId=ac3ed1d692124384b2a4cb552be6a505] * Commentaries on Psalms [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801027039/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0801027039&linkId=2518f739565b40cbbb4cae2333db6c16], Isaiah [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830840397/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830840397&linkId=3079625231d75591c03c4649c3ac2346], and Daniel [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310526159/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0310526159&linkId=b5e3adae2a68f7f32f017376f4e71784] * Biblical Theology [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830851534/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830851534&linkId=c8aedaae462461f38b5893769a341ca2] * The three-volume Old Testament Theology: volume one [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830824944/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830824944&linkId=5bd97cba2b083668a8d36a90f2af9066], volume two [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830824952/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830824952&linkId=0d30449306e533d5044fca62ee926776], volume three [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830824960/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830824960&linkId=f98773f3159b718e340c2131bc744763] * the seventeen-volume Old Testament for Everyone [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664261760/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0664261760&linkId=f5ef9e150bb87517254fc5e19a5a6297] series * a translation of the entire Old Testament called The First Testament: A New Translation [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830851992/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830851992&linkId=9292efc0f0b1667ffbca81394de120d7] * and most recently, The Theology of Jeremiah [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830855270/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jefrop-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0830855270&linkId=3cdb88fda77bd063f867e524937f478b] Goldingay is a Church of England minister, and now that he is back in England likes walking by the Thames, rediscovering English food, worshiping in Christ Church Cathedral, and relearning British English. If you’re enjoying this podcast, spread the word by sharing it with your friends and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I encourage you to send me your feedback or suggestions for an interview. Help me help you. You can email me at jroper@foursquare.org, or direct message me onFacebook [http://www.facebook.com/j.roper.7]. You can also submit any feedback or questionshere [http://jeffroper.com/questions-comments-feedback/]. Don’t forget to subscribe inApple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-living-mission-god/id918676805]or where ever you get your podcasts. As always, you can connect with me onFacebook [https://www.facebook.com/jeff.roper.7?fref=ts&ref=br_tf]orTwitter [http://www.twitter.com/roperfmi]. It’s your life, now go live it! To support our global missions efforts, visitThe Global Missions Fund. [https://www.foursquaremissions.org/give/global-mission-fund/] Post may contain affiliate links. All proceeds are used to support the missions work. Thanks for listening!