On Second Thoughts...

Second thoughts on "Would God really say that?" with Tania Harris

Rev Dr Tania Harris is a pastor, author, practical theologian and the director of God Conversations, an organisation that helps people hear and respond to God’s voice. In this conversation, we discuss Tania’s book, Hearing God’s Voice: Towards a Theology of Contemporary Pentecostal Revelatory Experience [https://brill.com/display/title/68992?language=en]. Our conversation begins with discussing how I came to learn about Tania and her work. From there, we explore some questions around how we can understand whether God is really speaking to us. History shows that all kinds of evil have been committed by people claiming that God told them to. I was reminded of this through watching a true crime television show a couple of years ago. The show was called Under the Banner of Heaven [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Banner_of_Heaven_(miniseries)], starring Andrew Garfield and Sam Worthington. In it, almost every bad thing that happened was associated with a claimed divine revelation, including the murders that were the focus of the plot. Surely there are some things that a God of love would not command people to do. With her wisdom and experience, Tania helped me through some of the specific questions prompted by my reflections on that television show. You can learn more about Tania at the God Conversations website, [https://www.stevenfelixjager.com/] where you can also find links to her books and publications. For more on Tania’s story and the topic of whether God speaks through dreams, visions and prophecy, I recommend checking out her appearance on Unbelievable [https://youtu.be/VijU8DRurd0?feature=shared]. If you’re interested in seeing what I have written on violence, war, justice, what it means to be a man, and several other topics, I recommend taking a look at my series inspired by watching popular movies: https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com/t/film-series [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com/t/film-series] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onsecondthoughts.substack.com [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Second Thoughts on Biblical Violence with Jared Neusch

Dr Jared Neusch is a Bible scholar who earned his PhD in New Testament from King’s College London. With years of experience teaching in both university and local church settings, Jared is passionate about equipping others with a deeper understanding of Scripture. His recent contribution, “Nonviolent Hermeneutics”, featured in the Handbook on Postconservative Theological Interpretation [http://Handbook of Postconservative Interpretation], was the topic of our conversation. This was a deep conversation about biblical violence and how our interpretation of these texts impacts our lives today. After establishing some terms and laying out a couple of reading approaches from two prominent contemporary scholars, we attempted to see how these approaches translate into specific texts. I went first, offering my reading of Exodus 32, where Moses commands the slaughter of three thousand people. From there, I asked Jared to offer an interpretation on Acts 5 and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Links below for the key references discussed: Cross Vision (Greg Boyd) [https://amzn.asia/d/9oRmS3N] Flood and Fury (Matt Lynch) [https://amzn.asia/d/bLQas6J] For some basic background on a couple of things mentioned in the interview, you may want to check out the Wikipedia articles for Marcionism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcionism] and the Phinehas Priesthood [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Priesthood]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onsecondthoughts.substack.com [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

MonoThreeism with JD Lyonhart

Dr. JD Lyonhart is a Canadian theologian, philosopher, pastor, and author. In this conversation, we discuss his book, MonoThreeism: An Absurdly Arrogant Attempt to Answer All the Problems of the Last 2000 Years in One Night at a Pub, which combines deep theological and philosophical exploration with an engaging narrative that unfolds in a lively pub dialogue on Christmas Eve. In this conversation, we delve into the themes and ideas of MonoThreeism and the creative approach that the book takes. Dr. Lyonhart shares his insights on faith, philosophy, and the human condition, offering a fresh and accessible take on profound questions about existence, meaning, and the Trinity. Whether you're curious about theology or enjoy pondering life's mysteries, you may find this an interesting conversation. For more information on Dr Lyonhart, you can check out his website, where you’ll also find links to his books: https://www.jdlyonhart.com/ [https://www.jdlyonhart.com/] MonoThreeism: An Absurdly Arrogant Attempt to Answer All the Problems of the Last 2000 Years in One Night at a Pub [https://a.co/d/cBLZH29] Also, check out Jonathan’s soon-to-be-released book: The Journey of God: Christianity in Six Movements [https://a.co/d/fGUV9nm] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onsecondthoughts.substack.com [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Christ in Film with Chris Magnussen

Chris Magnussen is an Associate Lecturer in Theology at Alphacrucis University College. He is involved in teaching and assisting with courses related to ministry, theology, and higher-degree research. Additionally, he serves as the subject coordinator for the course "Introduction to Theology", which explores foundational Christian doctrines and their application to life and mission. I met Chris when I first began my post-graduate studies in theology and took my first class on Christian Worldview. I had an experience during one of the tutorials that has stayed with me and prompted me to write a series of theological reflections on film. In our conversation, we discuss that moment and explore the role that art, and film in particular, has in opening us up to the divine. We talk about some controversial portrayals of Jesus in movies, even one that was banned in many places. For the post I wrote on film portrayals of Jesus, see Not Gladiator II [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com/p/not-gladiator-ii?r=1lwlmn] If you’re interested in taking a class with Chris, I recommend checking out the courses on offer at Alphacrucis University College [https://www.ac.edu.au/] (https://www.ac.edu.au/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onsecondthoughts.substack.com [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Problem and Promise of Freedom with Steven Félix-Jäger

Dr. Steven Félix-Jäger is an artist and academic whose work deals primarily with the intersection of faith and culture. Steven is currently an associate professor of theology & worship and director of academic research at Life Pacific University. In this conversation, we discuss his latest book, The Problem and Promise of Freedom: A Public Theology for the Church [https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Promise-Freedom-Public-Theology/dp/1540968146/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3KIK83YCUIX74&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bnkWkBPq-DVF5DdMwPDFYsMbFN_f7uI3z70EKscdGbnGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.B43ZfZNI_yVQ2-RwFJK8zJWtpnC67J7FN_yZOZ5jTpo&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+problem+and+promise+of+freedom&qid=1734216876&sprefix=the+problem+and+prom%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1]. Our conversation begins with discussing how Christian public engagement is often undergirded by certain eschatological systems; as Richard Middleton has famously said, “Ethics is lived eschatology”. From there, we explore the implications for 21st-century Christians before briefly touching on some of the most difficult topics related to ethics and handling sacred texts. You can learn more about Dr Félix-Jäger on his website, [https://www.stevenfelixjager.com/] where you can find links to his art, music, podcasting, and books. For anyone interested in my reflections on war movies that are mentioned in the interview, see: What do we do in times of war? [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com/p/what-do-we-do-in-times-of-war?r=1lwlmn] If you have never seen the photos from Nagasaki, I encourage you to visit: Atomic Bombing in Nagasaki and the Urakami Cathedral [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/atomic-bombing-in-nagasaki-and-the-urakami-cathedral-nagasaki-atomic-bomb-museum/uwXRRfqvSwUA8A?hl=en], where 10,000 Christians out of 15,000 lost their lives. For anyone interested in Marius Nel’s book that is mentioned, see Pacifism and Pentecostals in South Africa: A new hermeneutic for nonviolence [https://www.amazon.com/Pacifism-Pentecostals-South-Africa-hermeneutic/dp/1138587184] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onsecondthoughts.substack.com [https://onsecondthoughts.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]