Jonah is one of the greatest little stories in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and it’s also one of the most-popularly-misunderstood stories. So, how exactly is the common interpretation of Jonah so off-base? What is a better, more faithful way to read this wild little book? And what in the world could a story of a man getting swallowed by a f…

I’m taking a slightly different approach in today’s episode, in engaging with a prominent current event. A group of pastors, some of whom are quite well-known, led by John MacArthur, recently released a “statement on social justice” that is making quite a stir in Evangelical-Christian circles. I take this slightly-longer-than-normal episode to enga…

In the previous episode, I spent time explaining some of my background and putting forward a helpful definition of the term 'evangelical.' In this episode, I do a deep-dive into my personal wrestling match. It's an honest back-and-forth discussion, in an attempt to highlight compelling arguments on both sides of the debate, and I finally reveal whe…

In this first of a 2-part discussion, I wrestle openly and honestly with the term 'Evangelical.' Since the 2016 election, the discussion around the relevance of the term 'evangelical' has been raging in Christian circles, and it has provoked deep soul-searching for me. In this episode, I briefly explain some of my personal background, my own discov…

In this (slightly) longer-than-normal episode, I'm concluding the discussion started last week, on responding to the skeptical question, "How can you trust the Bible??" While the previous discussion was centered on the presuppositions and tensions smuggled into this question, this episode will put forward positive responses to the trustworthiness o…

In this second installment of the "for skeptics" series, I'm tackling the common question from modern, skeptical people: "How can you trust the Bible??" A seemingly simple question actually contains a myriad of complicated questions and issues, and positive progress will only happen if we can start to untangle what's going on when someone asks this…

In this final discussion of Genesis 4, we come to a bleak portrait of human history. And it's a portrait the comports quite well with our own modern understanding of our roots in agriculture and urbanization. As with all sections of scripture, there are surprising insights everywhere, even if they aren't exactly the insights we like to be confronte…

In part 2 (of 3) of our discussion through Genesis 4, we come to the epicenter, the "beating heart" of the story of Cain and Abel: A CHOICE. It's a powerful scene, and actually is extremely relate-able to every honest person today. Don't believe me?? Then listen in and decide for yourself...Af Joel Wentz

Here we have yet another famous Biblical story, and one that is so misunderstood. The narrative of Cain and Abel has SO MUCH packed into it, that it will take 3 whole episodes to even begin to untangle. Join me for this initial discussion, in which I begin to tease out some of the high-level themes that we are approaching when we read this story...…

In this introduction to a new series called "For Skeptics," I tackle one of the most frequent questions/challenges I get from skeptical people: The Reality of God. How can you know that God is real? What does that even mean? What are we *actually* talking about here? So basically, I'm trying to take on one of the most historically complex philosoph…

And here it is, everyone's favorite Bible passage, the part that you couldn't wait to analyze: THE CURSE. We finally get a glimpse of the outcome of the human's disobedience. And today, this passage is relentlessly pointed at by atheists/skeptics as evidence that we need to ditch the Bible (it's so savage and primitive!) and by fundamentalist Chris…

In part 3 of this exploration of the Genesis 3 story, I examine God's response to the transgression of the humans. If you are even passingly familiar with this story (or the Old Testament in general) you probably imagine God as a Zeus-like, bearded sky-man, ready to smite at a moment's notice. And what better smiting opportunity than immediately af…

Continuing our exploration (and untangling) of Genesis 3, we turn to one of the central symbols of the whole story: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Have you ever stopped and wondering why God made this one of the trees in the garden? And why was it the only one they couldn't eat from? And what exactly made them break that rule? And why …

In this next episode, I finally dive into one of the most widely-known (and probably widely-misunderstood, honestly) scripture passages of all time: the fall of Adam and Eve!! **cue dramatic music** This chapter is so dense, so insightful, and yet so radically misunderstood, that it's going to take 4 whole episodes to even begin to untangle it. And…

There's so much in the chapter - we are introduced to the two famous trees, the rivers, the naming of the animals and, at last, the creation of "woman." But why exactly was "woman" (she isn't yet named 'Eve') created? Are there common misunderstandings about this today? What does it mean for discussions around "gender" today, if anything? And what …

Genesis 2 launches the famous (or maybe infamous?) story of Adam and Eve. But, like most things, what seems "simple" on the surface quickly turns out to be complex, nuanced, and extremely insightful. But how exactly does Genesis 2 connect with Genesis 1? What is the driving point of this story? How can modern people take it seriously? Tune in for a…

The previous episode ended on the theme of "chaos" and "order," but what happens next? How does this process continue to unfold in the creation story? Is there truly anything worthy of our modern respect here? This episode covers the remainder of chapter 1. In it, you will discover a radical, startling affirmation of human dignity, and a reminder o…

In this (re)re-launch of Ten Minute Theology, I am tackling an entire new series and subject! The driving question is: "Can we respect ancient Scripture today??" And if so, how do we do that? What would it look like to take a fresh look at ancient words? Would we find life-giving wisdom, even for our modern existence? Well, I think so! But I need t…

Have you ever stopped to think about how your conception of God is shaped by historical theologies? Most people, including Christians, haven't. In reality, our understanding of the divine being has been influenced by millenia of thought, and not all of it is biblical. But how do we start to sift through all these influences? How can we evaluate our…

Does the notion of the Trinity give you a headache? Does the idea of a 3-in-1 divine being make your brain spin? If so, you just might be a normal person. Join me for part 2 of our discussion on "God." In this episode, I briefly survey the roots of the idea of Trinity, and more importantly, I discuss why it matters. Does this have any impact on our…

Ten Minute theology is back, with a new mini-series. It may seem strange to focus on a topic as broad as "God" in a 10-minute podcast, but I think you'll find that the deeper you get into this topic, the more interesting in gets... Up first: the Incarnation! Strap on your thinking cap and dive into the paradox of full humanity and full divinity in …

After a nearly-summer-long hiatus, Ten Minute Theology is back! Join me for an all-too-brief overview of two major theological options regarding God's relationship to the future: Process Theology and Open Theism. What is it that these views believe about God? Are they based in Scripture at all? What has all the controversy been about? Take a listen…

Join me for a brief discussion surrounding a heated controversy - is the Bible "inerrant?" Or, put more simply, "can the Bible be trusted?" What do we modern people do when we encounter seeming contradictions or scientific errors in the Biblical text? Is this cause to abandon faith altogether? How can Christians navigate this important discussion?…

The "wrath of God" is a frequently-used phrase, especially in Evangelical popular theology. But what is God's wrath, exactly? What is it directed towards? How does it affect what you believe about God? Join me for a brief discussion of these questions and concepts, as what you believe about God's wrath actually has a huge impact on what you believe…

A frequently-overlooked controversy raged in the early church: the question of using images in worship. Why would this be a concern? Why would scholars, emperors, and early theologians bother talking about it? Join me for an overview of the issue, as well as a conversation about the man who played a significant role in shaping its resolution, impac…

Easter is the most important event in the Christian calendar - the resurrection of Jesus, the son of God! The stories of the resurrection are told and retold every year in Christian gatherings around the world, but what are the unique nuances of the Easter stories as told in the original Gospel documents? More importantly, does paying attention to …

This "crash course" is a special episode of "Ten Minute Theology." The audio is taken from a lecture I gave at a young adult gathering last week in Portland, Maine, in response to many questions about how to read and understand the Old Testament documents. It's a **bit** longer than 10 minutes, but if you are at all interested in the theology of th…

What do Nic Cage, some Puritan preachers, and the book of Revelation all have in common? Aside from a lot of confusion, they all are connected by a field of theology called "Eschatology," or the "study of the end." Join me for a discussion of various ways to interpret the end of the age. What are the important biblical verses? How have they been un…

Join me in this brief introduction to the controversy around creation, evolution, and the age of the earth. What are the scientific and theological ideas wrapped up in this debate? How are we supposed to talk about it, and what are we to make of the book of Genesis?Af Joel Wentz

Check out the first episode of "Ten Minute Theology," seeking to think rightly about God, scriptures, and the church....ten minutes at a time. This inaugural episode is centered around a concept that garners much discussion in books, blogs, and sermons, and is something I am quite passionate about: atonement. How does Jesus' death and resurrection …