Theology on Mission

Is Matthew 18 about Church Discipline, or something else? And is Church Discipline really about making people agree with you? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about the (in)famous passage about talking to others about their sin. Join them for this special summer episode. And check out their new "Church Planting Institute" at http://www.seminary.edu/church-planting-institute/

David Fitch interviewing Stanley Hauerwas about life, ministry, and friendship (breakfast meeting at the 2017 THEOLOGY AND MISSION LECTURESHIP).

What do the issues of power, justice, culture, and Jesus have in common? They are all things that church needs to figure out how to relate to! Professors David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about the 5 Challenges Facing the church as a sneak preview of the upcoming "Theology and Mission Lectures" with Stanley Hauerwas (WHICH YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS). Go to seminary.edu/onmission17

David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw (2 white guys) discussing the recent blow up about women bloggers. What could possibly go wrong?

Is Jesus' death a substitute for our penalty? Or does his substitution work in a different way? After David Fitch gets a little coffee (he needed it so bad he was stuttering), he and Geoff Holsclaw about the death of Jesus, the different ways of understanding it as a substitute, and what it means for the gospel. Don't miss this episode as you prepare for Easter.

Should Christians withdraw from a hostile culture? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss Rod Dreher's "Benedict Option" as a Christian response to American culture. While appreciative, Dave and Geoff offer points of concern and criticism.

Have we returned the favor and created God in our image? In Harlem, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was confronted with the reality that German Christians had fashioned Jesus in their own image, leading to the tragic rise of Hitler. What can we learn from this today? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus, a book by Reggie L. Williams. They discuss two pitfalls of the German Church and how they might affect us now.

Can we find peace in a polarizing world? Can we cultivate true dialogue in a defensive world? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about living on the thin line between stoking and reenforcing the cultural and political antagonisms of our day, and the need for staying alert to injustices in the world. What Ya Reading? The Souls of Black Folk ~ W.E.B. Du Bois Jesus and the Gospel in Africa ~ Kwame Bediako

How is joy a source of strength? Why was it joy for Jesus to endure the cross? Is joy just happy-clappy sentimentality? Mandy Smith and Scott Jones join Geoff Holsclaw to talk about the need to return to joy. Joy is not merely happiness connected to circumstances. Joy is connected to relationships. Beyond our politics that may seem hopeless, can we connect our longing and joy to the God who is always with us?

Is our world hopeless? Is engaging in politics hopeless? Author Michael Wear joins David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw to talk about Christian engagement in the world. Michael, working in the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Obama administration, calls us to hope in a world that often seems hopeless.

What does it mean to be subject to the government? What did Paul have in mind by that? And how does it fit with being submitted to Christ? After a long break, David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw finally get together for another episode of Theology on Mission. They tackle the issue of how the church relates to government and what Romans 13 has to say about it. Quote of the episode: "I need music. Music is the, the uh, juice, of the nectar of life." ~ Fitch

Do you need a 1st Century Church Planting Manual? Or, What does 1 Peter teach us about being faithful to Jesus? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk with Dennis Edwards, a pastor and scholar, about exiles, the vocation of the church, and submitting to all human institutions (and what that might mean). They use Edwards' forthcoming commentary on 1 Peter as a springboard for their discussion.

Sometimes the best thing to do is listen. With so much going on in America, Geoff Holsclaw and David Fitch slow down and talk with two area ministers, Juliet Liu Waite and Greg Armstrong, about what they are seeing, feeling, and experiencing.

This Thanksgiving, what are you to do when your only relationship with someone is that they are your relative? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw offer three quick tips on how to bring Jesus into every Thanksgiving situation without being all religious. They are: 1) Be present to others, 2) Find the deeper common ground, and 3) submit to others (or even ask for forgiveness). No problem, right?

Breaking from their script, David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw process their reactions to the election of Donald Trump. As two white males, nothing has changed about our lives, because we are privileged enough to be untouched by the recent events. But that is not true for so many people. As an extended “Fitch vs Fitch”, Dave reads through various posts he shot out on Facebook and Geoff responds. They talk about the place of anger and disappointment that 4 of 5 evangelicals voted for Trump, on whether the “church” voted for Trump (Fitch excommunicates half the church), and how we shouldn’t press the “Jesus is Lord” button to quickly (because it can sound trite and disengaged, and therefore another mark of privilege). And Geoff ends by naming his 1) horror and sadness on behalf of women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and Muslims in light of the bigotry unleashed by this election, 2) his relief that America can no long lie about its inherent racism and evangelicalism’s enmeshment in this, and 3) his hope for the church because Jesus is still Lord.

Were you looking for a "Theology on Mission Voter Guide"? Well, David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw are giving you one. They don't tell you who to vote for, but how to take a step back and really discern whether you should vote at all.

Is taking a walk part of God's mission? Could your commute be part of God's mission? Dan White Jr., author of "Subterranean: Why the Future of the Church is Rootedness" and co-author of "The Church as Movement", join Geoff and Dave to talk about what local neighborhood mission might look like.

This week David Fitch sits down with Scot McKnight to talk about some of the new projects they are working on. This is a crossover episode between Theology on Mission and Kingdom Roots.

What does the Kingdom have to do with Eschatology? Is the Kingdom coming only in the future? Is the Kingdom here in the present? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss how eschatology connects with mission, and how sometimes a proper balance is lost. They answer questions about whether 1) The Kingdom is about the future? or 2) Is the Kingdom coming in the present? and 3) Does the Church help bring in the Kingdom? or 4) Does the Church witness that the Kingdom has come?

When leaders of the Religious Right claim #Trump's misogynist and racists words are "no big deal", are they sharing in the sin of another? (1 Tim. 5:22) In this wide ranging episode, David Fitch, Geoff Holsclaw, and special guest Mandy Smith talk about the power of words, locker room talk, and the ways that religious conservatives claim that Trump's misogynist and racist words are no big deal. They discuss how this is #NotOkay. Be sure to listen to the 10 minute mark where Mandy challenges Dave and Geoff to confess their sins within the male dominated culture of evangelicalism.

Does Jesus seek Proselytes or Converts? And what is the difference? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss why the Apostle Paul was so angry with the Galatians, and whether we are called to renounce one cultural identity in favor of a new one (Proselyte Model) and or called to take up the same identity in a new way (Conversion Model).

Why do pastors burn out? And what can be done about it? Are you burning out? Is your church leading you to the brink? Like Pete Wilson or Perry Noble, pastors of churches of any size are constantly facing burning out. David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw offer three pieces of advice to mega-church pastors, or any pastor, to help them not burn out (and it probably isn't the advice that you are thinking of). Dave and Geoff respond to the advice of others and try to look at the problem from a different angle. Be sure to visit our home page: http://www.seminary.edu/dminleadership/ Learn more about the DMIN in Leadership here: http://www.seminary.edu/dminleadership/

Maybe the most important episode to date! Once evangelicals were on the frontline of social issues. Now the often take a backseat. What happened? And more importantly, from where might a renew of evangelicalism come? This episode offers an exclusive report from the Lausanne Young Leaders Gathering as part of a larger conversation about looking to world evangelicalism as a corrective to American evangelicalism. In the previous episode Geoff announced that all of us, even Billy Graham and Christianity Today, were not true evangelicals but were still recovering from a fundamentalist hangover. This episode fills that out and points a way forward. David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss the classic evangelicalism of the past (before the onset of fundamentalism) and look to the Lausanne Movement for inspiration. For resources on classical and world evangelicalism, see the show notes here. http://www.seminary.edu/world-evangelicalism-a-future-for-the-west

Does systematic theology have a future? And if so, where should it start? And what does it matter? Geoff Holsclaw and regular guest Scott Jones (because Fitch is big-timing it in Pasadena) discuss the three major critiques of systematic theology and then talk about three possible ways to begin theology and how we need them all.

Are we all just reacting to various Fundamentalisms here in America? Is there a doctrinal identity or a practical mission at the center of American Evangelicalism? Is there a hidden affinity between conservative and progressive Evangelicals? In this provocative beginning to Season Two of Theology on Mission, Geoff Holsclaw and David Fitch talking about the various evangelical off-ramps that people take on the American religious highway. Geoff goes so far as claiming that we have never been "evangelical": not himself, not Ed Stetzer, not Rachel Held Evans, not Christianity Today, and not even Billy Graham (think of the famous definition of anyone who likes Billy Graham is an evangelical).

Is there a difference between female and male? And if there is, why? And how do we explain it? These are the pertinent questions that our culture casts before the church. Dave and Geoff talk about different ways people ground gender differences, and some of the Kingdom guidelines to help us move forward.

Why does it seem that more information does not lead to better transformation? Why does correcting false facts always seem to backfire on us? From political conflicts to pastoral care, we must dig deeper in every conversation. In this new episode of Theology on Mission, Geoff Holsclaw and David Fitch talk about the how are personal identities are at stake in all the information we hold dear, how this affects pastoral ministry and cultural issues. They talk about how we must always listen for the conversation below the conversation, and 2) how we must always give an alternative identity to people, not just alternative information.

What has authority for you? Where do you find answers to your deepest questions? Too often Science and Scripture are pitted against each other. David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss the role of Science and Scripture in forming balanced disciples of Jesus, moving beyond an extreme view on either end.

Does the missional movement have a low Christology? Does our view of Jesus affect how we understand his mission? Does Christology matter for everyday living for us? Is Christology a practical in any way? Geoff Holsclaw and special summer guest Scott Jones talk about superheroes, kinds of Christologies, and God's mission in the world through us. Low, middle, and high Christologies are different views of who Jesus is, what his work accomplished for us, and how we participate in this work (and Geoff leaves in that part where I don't turn my phone off).

"In the beginning God raised Jesus from the dead" ~Michael W. Pahl Where does theology come from? Where is it going? How does it all fit together? Theology is the handmaiden of mission, but too often mission becomes the prisoner of an overly propositional theology. Theology at its best is here to help us tell the story of God rightly, not reconstruct the story into a joyless system. Geoff Holsclaw and special guest Scott Jones talk about "theology" as holding together the 1) Word OF God, 2) words TO God, and 3) words ABOUT God, relating them to make a theology on mission.

What does the Trinity have to do with anything anyway? Well, a lot! But sometimes it feels like Evangelicals are just discovering the Trinity. In this special crossover episode Geoff Holsclaw, with the hosts of "New Persuasive Words", Scott Jones and Bill Borror, talks about the Trinity, reading the Bible, and connecting with the tradition.

Are we pursuing God, or is God pursuing us? And what does it matter if we reverse the emphasis? With special guest Joshua Ryan Butler, Geoff and Dave discuss talk about God's pursuit of us. Evangelicals of the contemplative lean or activist bent have their own set of practices they feel helps them pursue God. But often these lead to a dead end or burn out. Can we understand life with God as God’s pursuit of us, and what might this mean for our understanding of the atonement and the church, and even the uniqueness of Jesus. We end by talking about the different practices of being “found” by God.

Is it always great to experience revival? Or is there pain and waiting in the coming of new life? Mandy Smith and Cyd Holsclaw join Geoff to talk about the hopes and disappointments of the Spirit at work among us as things are torn down and built up.

Is there a future for Reformed theology? Yes, there is! But it might look different. This internationally diverse panel discusses how the Reformation can still impact the West. In this round table is Ruth Padilla Deborst, Carl Ellis, Jin Kim, Cherith Fee Nordling and David Fitch, hosted as ever by Geoff Holsclaw. Recorded at the Missio Alliance event, "The Young, Restless, and Always Reforming", around the panel titled, "The Reformed Tradition and the Christendom Legacy."

Is the Spirit at work in the world? Or in the Church? Yes, the Spirit is. The Spirit of Mission is at work in the neighborhoods in and through the local churches. With special guest Alan Roxburgh, Geoff Holsclaw and David Fitch discuss the church in Northern America, the God who is on mission, and the opportunity we all have to participate. Please check out Al's newest book, Joining God, Remaking the Church, Changing the World: The New Shape of Church in our Time, and see also Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood.

What does Pentecost have to do with leadership? And how does it look in a local church? Beyond Hierarchy (one on top) and Democracy (all on bottom) is a Spirit-guided leadership through gifts and calling. In this rebroadcast of "The Spirit of Leadership", Fitch and Holsclaw discuss the theological and personal reasons we tend toward unhealthy leadership structures, the difference between vision-casting and consensus-building, and the foundations of being led in Christ by the Spirit.

What does it mean that "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?" Is this messages distorted amid a culture of affluence and ease? Are we prepared for bad things to happen? Fitch and Holsclaw discuss what it means that God loves us and how this intersects with evil in the world. They talk about how God’s love is not for PROTECTION, but solicits our PARTICIPATION. And in a violent and selfish world, participating in the love of God will be costly and painful.

Does the Reformation help us engage in mission? Does typical protestant theology have a power problem and a context problem which work against mission? And what does it matter anyway? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss two different problems facing Protestantism and its theological framework (the problem of power and the problem of context).

(Rebroadcast) Is being a bi-vocational pastor a necessary evil or a positive opportunity? In this episode of “Theology on Mission”, David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw discuss bi-vocational ministry; how it is an opportunity to rethink pastoral vocation and church ministry, all wrapped in personal stories.

Does your understanding of salvation makes sense of the entirety of Jesus’ life? Does your theory of the atonement integrate every part of Jesus’ life, his life, his death, his resurrection? Or do we tilt toward just Jesus' death? Fitch and Holsclaw talk about a popular way of explaining salvation (the Bridge Illustration) and ask if it needs to be changed. Tune in if you wonder about how to connect Jesus' death with his life, and how Penal Substitution fits with Christus Victor.

What does complimentarianism and equalitarianism have to do with church planting? Is there a third way concerning women in ministry? And what is the role of the Holy Spirit in all this. Fitch and Holsclaw tackle the tangled issues of openness to the Holy Spirit, openness to women in ministry, and "opening" a new church.

Dread? Fear? Hope? Optimism? All words people are feeling about the current presidential primaries. But the truth is, whoever is in the White House is not the savior, nor the destroyer, of the world. Fitch and Holsclaw talk about different options for understanding politics (the Lutheran "Two-Kingdoms" view and the "Kuyperian" view), and ask "What is the Church to do?"

"Enjoy the Show!" and other things that shouldn't be said about a worship service. David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about whether 1) a worship service is a central, peripheral, or complimentary part of a church (plant), and 2) if it matters whether people come to your worship service or not.

Is Lent a time of punishment or preparation? Is Lent at time for binding the flesh or building up faith? Remember that you will die. After Fitch confesses that he's been wearing the same clothes for three days, Holsclaw and Fitch talk about Lent as a time to remember how God builds faith in us, to remember that we will die, and to remember that we will live in Christ.

What is the core of discipleship? Is it information about Jesus? Is it following the actions of Jesus? Is there something missing from this equation? Fitch and Holsclaw discuss the important aspect of "seeing yourself in another story" in the process of discipleship. Only in a conversion of our imagination, immersed in a different story of the world and ourselves, can we truly begin to follow Jesus.

Have we lost the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr? Have we assimilated him into the American Dream, losing the Dream he had for America? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw sit down with local pastor Pierre Keys and student-activist Josiah Daniels to talk about the past and future of the Civil Rights Movement.

What makes your community tick? What is the glue holding you together? Is it what you THINK of God or what you DO with God? Kicking off the New Year David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about how church's can not longer merely gather around common beliefs but common practices (practices that promise the very presence of Christ).

FROM THE *MISSIONAL COMMONS* hosted by Northern Seminary and Ecclesia Network. In this special episode, Mandy Smith talks about the process of preaching to and through vulnerability.

FROM THE *MISSIONAL COMMONS* hosted by Northern Seminary and Ecclesia Network. In this special episode, Matt Tebbe leads us in considering that proclamation is much bigger than merely preaching, but that we need to get the gospel back into every proclamation.

FROM THE *MISSIONAL COMMONS* hosted by Northern Seminary and Ecclesia Network. In this special episode, Tara Beth Leach leads us through the slow process of letting the Holy Spirit brew in us the words we will preach (and she is quite funny too).