Prodigal Pastor

The Emergence of Sin with Dr. Matthew Croasmun

In this episode of Prodigal Pastor, Jonny sits down with theologian, church planter, and Yale professor Matthew Croasmun for a wide-ranging conversation about Scripture, theology, sin, emergence theory, and what it means to live a life worth living. Together they explore how asking difficult questions about the Bible can actually deepen faith rather than destroy it, why Scripture is less like a rulebook and more like a place of encounter with the living God, and how charismatic spirituality shapes the way we read and discern Scripture in community. The conversation then turns toward Matt’s groundbreaking work in The Emergence of Sin, unpacking Paul’s language in Romans, the “body of sin,” and the idea that sin is not only individual but also systemic, social, and even cosmic. Along the way they discuss racism, addiction, responsibility, the church’s tendency to oversimplify complex realities, and why recovering a richer understanding of sin might also help us recover a bigger, more beautiful vision of the gospel itself. Matthew Croasmun's Website [https://www.matthewcroasmun.com] Yale Center for Faith and Culture [https://faith.yale.edu]

Serving Up Scripture with Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw

In this episode of Prodigal Pastor, Jonny sits down with New Testament scholar Jennifer Garcia Bashaw to explore how we read the Bible—and how it reads us. Drawing from her books Serving Up Scripture and Scapegoats, Jennifer shares her journey from growing up in a Southern Baptist context to pursuing biblical scholarship after confronting limiting interpretations of Scripture around women in ministry. Together, they unpack her powerful cooking metaphor for biblical interpretation—showing how reading Scripture is both an art and a process shaped by our stories, cultures, and assumptions—and discuss how Jesus’ life consistently centers those pushed to the margins. Along the way, they explore scapegoat theory, the role of overlooked voices in interpretation, and why returning to Jesus is essential for making sense of Scripture’s many perspectives.

Sabbath Waters: Fly Fishing, Friendship, and Spiritual Formation

After a full stretch of conversations on atonement, this week’s episode of Prodigal Pastor takes a different turn—into rest. In the week following Easter, we practice Sabbath as a community at Missio Dei, making space to breathe, reflect, and “rest into resurrection.” This episode is an extension of that rhythm. Jonny sits down with his friend and fellow pastor Scott for a wide-ranging, unhurried conversation about fly fishing, spirituality, discipleship, and the kinds of practices that form us over time. What begins as a conversation about being on the water becomes something deeper—a reflection on presence, patience, and the quiet ways God meets us in the ordinary. This isn’t a typical episode—and it’s not meant to be. It’s slower. More spacious. Whether you fish or not, this conversation is an invitation: to step away, to pay attention, and to receive rest in whatever wilderness space you can find. We’ll be back soon with more episodes in our atonement series. For now—take a breath, and enjoy the conversation.

Cruciform Atonement with Dr. Greg Boyd

In this episode, Jonny sits down with theologian and pastor Greg Boyd to explore one of the most transformative ideas in contemporary theology: what if God truly looks like Jesus—crucified? Together, they trace Greg’s journey from academic theology into pastoral ministry, and into a lifetime of wrestling with Scripture, violence, and the character of God. The conversation centers on what Greg calls a “cruciform hermeneutic”—reading the entire Bible through the lens of the cross—and how that reshapes everything from troubling Old Testament passages to the nature of the kingdom of God. They also dive into: * Why the cross is the “center of the center” of Christian faith * How to read difficult or violent biblical texts without dismissing Scripture * What a cross-shaped (cruciform) kingdom actually looks like in everyday life * Rethinking atonement beyond punishment toward restoration and healing * How the church can embody a nonviolent, self-giving love in a fractured world

A (not so) new model of atonement with Dr. Michael Gorman

In this episode, Jonny sits down with New Testament scholar Michael Gorman for a rich conversation about atonement, the cross, and the new covenant. Together they explore what atonement means, what many popular models miss, and how the death of Jesus is not only the source of salvation but also its shape. Along the way, they talk about participation, transformation, reconciliation, and why the cross matters not just for individuals, but for communities and the whole life of faith.