Podcasts by Almost Heretical
Join Nate and Shelby Hanson, a dynamic duo consisting of a former pastor and a Bible scholar, as they take a fresh look at Scripture. Are you questioning traditional views of heaven and hell? Feeling like the foundational beliefs you held are starting to wobble? If you're not quite ready to abandon the Bible but seek a new perspective, "Almost Heretical" is the podcast for you. Engage in this transformative journey to deconstruct and reimagine Christianity, and take comfort in knowing you're not alone—hundreds are on this path with you.
(Guests include: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rob Bell, Rainn Wilson (Dwight on The Office), Rachel Held Evans, Tim Mackie (of The Bible Project), Lisa Sharon Harper, Christena Cleveland, Kristen Du Mez and more!)
Further podcasts by Tim Ritter & Nate Hanson
Podcast on the topic Christentum
All episodes
Women and The Fall - Genesis 3 from 2023-09-27T09:30
→ To support the show, visit patreon.com/almostheretical. Thank you for your support! (Supporters get bonus episodes, ad-free show, private Facebook group, and more!) Join us as we delve into Genes...
ListenIs Genesis 2 Anti-Gay? - Genesis 2:24 from 2023-09-20T09:30
→ To support the show, visit patreon.com/almostheretical. Thank you for your support! (Supporters get bonus episodes, ad-free show, private Facebook group, and more!) Notes: Is Genesis 2:24 an inst...
ListenSatan Wasn't In the Garden of Eden - Genesis 2:1-18 from 2023-09-13T09:30
→ To support the show, visit patreon.com/almostheretical. Thank you for your support! (Supporters get bonus episodes, ad-free show, private Facebook group, and more!) Did you ever wonder why Satan ...
ListenRainn Wilson: Spirituality and the Meaning of Life from 2023-07-19T09:22
We dive deep into spirituality and societal transformation with Rainn Wilson, renowned actor and author of Soul Boom. Join us as we explore the pressing need for a spiritual revolution in today's c...
ListenNeil deGrasse Tyson - Christianity and the Cosmos from 2023-06-14T09:22
Listen to a whole hour of Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity in a way you've probably not heard before. Neil is the author of Starry Messenger, host of StarTalk an...
ListenMany Creation Stories - Genesis 1:1-5 (Part 1) from 2023-05-31T09:22
(Listen to Part 2) – In Genesis 1:1-5, we encounter intriguing aspects that invite deeper reflection. We explore the use of the pronoun "us" in the early chapters, raising questions about its conne...
ListenSex, Orgasm, Masturbation and Purity Culture with Sheila Gregoire from 2023-05-17T09:22
In this episode of Almost Heretical, we dive into a candid conversation about sex and purity culture with special guest Sheila Gregoire, author of "The Great Sex Rescue." Join us as we explore the ...
ListenSarah Bessey - Navigating an Evolving Faith from 2023-05-03T09:22
In this episode, we speak with Sarah Bessey about the idea of evolving faith and its accompanying challenges. We dive into what it means to have faith during times of change and whether there are a...
ListenWriting Worship Music While Deconstructing Christianity with Sam Hedrick from 2023-04-19T09:22
(Listen to the second half of this chat with Sam here.) The final episode of the Worship series, with Sam Hedrick - a worship leader at Cascade Church in Portland, Oregon and songwriter who has bee...
ListenWriting Worship Music While Deconstructing Christianity with Sam Hedrick from 2023-04-19T09:22
(Listen to the second half of this chat with Sam here.) The final episode of the Worship series, with Sam Hedrick - a worship leader at Cascade Church in Portland, Oregon and songwriter who has bee...
ListenWilliam Matthews: The Evolution of Worship from 2023-04-05T09:22
(Watch the full uncut version of this episode). What does worship look like when you're questioning, leaving, or changing your faith? How can we bring everything back to our humanness, and what rol...
ListenWorship: Revisiting the Melodies of Our Past from 2023-03-22T09:22
Welcome to the Worship series. After our faith evolution, we now have a complicated relationship with worship music. Join us as we sing three songs (The Heart of Worship, How He Loves, and The Stan...
ListenRemembering 16 Women of the Bible (International Women's Day) from 2023-03-08T15:47
In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, we're dedicating this episode to highlighting some of the lesser-known women of the Bible. We'll share a list of 16 of our favorite women who have been largely ...
ListenTeaching Your Kids While Deconstructing Christianity - Sarah Swartzendruber from 2023-02-22T10:22
What if I still want to pass on faith to my children, but I'm not sure what I believe? What do kids need to be learning about Christianity at different stages? What do kids have to teach us about h...
ListenSecrets of Raising Children During a Spiritual Transition - Cindy Wang Brandt from 2023-02-08T10:22
Parenting&Deconstruction Part 1: Do formerly fundamentalist parents project their own trauma on their children? What kind of “stability” do kids of deconstructing parents actually need? Is it okay ...
ListenFrom Outreach to Outsider: Katherine's Story from 2023-01-25T02:22
In this episode, we hear from listener Katherine about her disillusionment with Christianity due to Trump, hell, and bad biblical interpretations on women. What was your breaking point? Join us as ...
ListenCanon: Extra-Canonical Text from 2023-01-11T16:27
What kinds of texts were rejected from the New Testament canon? Are extra-canonical texts as dangerous and bad as we used to think? How does history and archaeology affect how we read the Bible tod...
ListenCanon: The Criteria of the New Testament from 2022-12-07T10:22
How did the early church determine which texts would go into the canon and which would not? Are all texts outside the New Testament heretical or dangerous? Does the truth of the canon formation pro...
ListenCanon: Is the Bible Inspired, Inerrant and Infallible? from 2022-10-19T09:22
Is the Bible the inspired words of God? What does it mean for the Bible to be infallible? If the Bible isn't inerrant, is it worthless? Nate&Shelby continue to explore the canonization of the New T...
ListenCanon: Timeline of New Testament Writings from 2022-09-07T09:22
When were the documents of the New Testament written? Does it matter that details of the Gospels changed over time? What did “Bible,” “scripture,” or “canon” even mean in the first century? In this...
ListenWhat is Almost Heretical? from 2022-08-31T21:33
Do you feel alone and crazy as you reimagine your faith? There are so many people on this journey or reexamining Christian faith and doctor, and we provide resources to help you see the Bible in it...
ListenAnalyzing the Capitol Prayer: Examining the intersection of politics and religion from 2022-08-04T17:33
In the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection on January 6, a prayer was said by the perpetrators in the Senate chamber. The shocking words of that prayer left us stunned. Join us as we dissect the ...
ListenExploring Religious Pluralism with Barbara Brown Taylor from 2022-05-11T09:22
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on religious pluralism as we interview Reverend Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others. Explore the possibility of ...
ListenPushing Back on Matt Chandler's Views on Deconstruction and Leaving Church from 2022-04-27T09:02
What are pastors getting wrong about deconstruction? Do we need more grace for church abuse? Is there ever a good reason to leave church? Nate and Shelby listen to a recent sermon by Matt Chandler ...
ListenWoman: Jesus, Paul and Mary Magdalene from 2022-04-06T09:22
Was Jesus a perfect example of how to treat women? Did Paul actuallytell women to be silent in church? Why did Mary Magdalene disappear after the four gospels? Nate and Shelby conclude the Woman se...
ListenWoman - Sexual violence and God's silence from 2022-03-23T09:22
Why is the rate of sexual violence the same inside and outside the Church? Does God condone rape in the Old Testament? What has the Bible taught us about the value of women's bodies? In this episod...
ListenWoman: Silenced voices of the Bible from 2022-03-02T10:22
How can the Dead Sea Scrolls help us recover women's voices? What are the implications of women's voices making up 1% of the Bible? Was the first #MeToo movement really 2,000 years ago? Let's dig i...
ListenWhat Bible translation should I use? (Patreon Teaser) from 2022-02-23T10:22
This is a clip from a patron-exclusive episode of our second podcast called Utterly Heretical. ★ Support our work and get: 2 bonus episodes each month, a montly Zoom call with Nate, Shelby and othe...
ListenWoman: Men wrote the Bible from 2022-02-09T10:22
What does it change knowing that the authors of the Bible were men? What about gender-neutral translations? Have we missed a foundational part of Jesus' gospel? Nate and Shelby look through the len...
ListenWoman: The Gender of God from 2022-01-20T10:22
Why do we call God "He"? What if Paul was wrong about women having authority over men? What do we lose by treating God like a single father? In the Woman series, we reframe the foundations of how w...
ListenAudrey Assad - Psychedelics, Christian Music and Parenting from 2021-04-28T09:22
What does it feel like to change your beliefs? What can we teach our children when we're not sure what we believe? Nate talks to Audrey Assad who was part of creating and then leaving the evangelic...
ListenDr. Mario Livio - Galileo and science deniers from 2021-03-24T09:22
Why is science denialism more prominent in the Christian church? What are the consequences of suppressing scientific curiosity in the Church? How do we have conversations with friends and family wh...
ListenKrispin and D.L. Mayfield - Mister Rogers, Dave Ramsey and Attachment Theory from 2021-03-10T10:22
Why is Mister Rogers' message to children better than Sunday school? How did Dave Ramsey make the accusation of money a christian value? How can Attachment Theory shine a light on shame-filled mess...
ListenJulie Anne Smith - Spiritual and Sexual Abuse from 2021-02-24T10:22
In light of the scandal involving Ravi Zacharias, Nate talks with Julie Anne Smith about Lori Anne Thompson's survivor story and power structures in the Church that allow for both spiritual and sex...
ListenDr. Kristin Du Mez - From Jesus to Trump from 2021-02-10T10:22
How did a suffering servant named Jesus of Nazareth lead to Christians in America electing and defending someone so opposite in Donald Trump? When and why did voting Pro Life become the main issue ...
ListenWhat happened in 2020 from 2021-02-03T10:22
Why did we take a break from the show for almost a year? Nate and Tim share about what happened to them personally in 2020 and talk about what is coming next for the show. (More) ★ Support our work...
ListenUnequally yoked from 2020-03-18T09:22
What does it even mean to be unequally yoked? And does any part of the New Testament actually forbid Christians getting married to people who aren’t Christian? And if so, why? (More) ★ Support our ...
ListenThe Disappointment of the Spirit from 2020-03-11T09:22
God’s spirit living inside of our bodies. That is the central, climactic idea of the New Testament. But what if this grand climax also turned out to be a little disappointing? And what if much of t...
ListenSacrifice after Jesus from 2020-02-26T10:22
How did the early church think about the Levitical system and sacrifices after Jesus? Nate and Tim discuss this common and problematic question while seeking to avoid antisemitic supersessionism an...
ListenShower first, spirit second from 2020-02-12T10:22
Is baptism really just a bath? Does God really only forgive ignorant people? What is the order of operations related to atonement? Nate and Tim respond to a few more listener questions. (More) ★ Su...
ListenAtonement must be Universal from 2020-02-05T10:22
Nate and Tim respond to a few listener questions, discussing how forgiveness itself is tied to liberation as well as why universal atonement isn’t just a possibility but a necessity. (More) ★ Suppo...
ListenWhat Does Ransom Mean? from 2020-01-29T10:22
What does holiness and chemical atonement have to do with liberation and ransom? Did Jesus pay a ransom price, and if so, to who? And how might we better synthesize these various ways of describing...
ListenChemistry and Scapegoats from 2020-01-22T10:22
What do ancient science, the “scapegoat” of Yom Kippur, and holy tree branches have to do with Jesus’ death? And what does resurrection have to do with everything? Nate and Tim continue discussing ...
ListenDid Jesus have to die? from 2020-01-15T10:25
Did Jesus have to die, or is that not even how we should think about it? And why is blood both a source of holiness and defilement? Also, what do menstruation and “nocturnal emissions” have to do w...
ListenHoliness is the Gospel from 2020-01-08T10:25
Holiness and purity were two of the central concerns of the entire Levitical system. Neither were moral categories, but rather had to do with something like chemical states. In this episode, Nate a...
ListenHillary McBride - Getting healthy from 2019-12-11T10:25
Many of us are rethinking faith and leaving old beliefs behind, but how do we get healthy? Nate and Tim talk with Dr. Hillary McBride about what it actually takes to build new community, how to dea...
ListenWhy blood? from 2019-12-04T12:36
Why all the blood in the Old Testament? There is actually an important bit of ancient science underlying the whole idea of sacrifice and atonement. Also, what happens if we just can’t believe that ...
ListenContagious from 2019-11-13T10:25
Why sacrifice animals? Why send some people outside the camp? Why all the rules? Nate and Tim discuss how the threat of viral contagion is the primary principal underlying the Levitical system, and...
ListenCosmic campout from 2019-11-06T10:25
What all is required in order to camp out with God? And what is holiness anyway? Nate and Tim discuss all this and more, including why there are so many long lists of detailed instructions in the T...
ListenRabbi Danya Ruttenberg - Forgiveness and Pharisees from 2019-10-30T09:25
On the 1-year anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, we sit down with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. What constitutes a good apology? How do we appreciate both forgiveness and j...
ListenPriests are holy bouncers from 2019-10-23T09:25
Did you know that Adam and Eve worked as security guards in the Garden of Eden? And what does it mean to be a priest? And once again, why is there a snake in the garden? Nate and Tim discuss the ro...
ListenGod might kill us from 2019-10-16T09:25
Are we supposed to be afraid of God? Why did the ancient Israelites fear the Lord? What was it that scared them exactly? Nate and Tim discuss how we may have gotten this all very wrong for a long t...
ListenDistance and Separation from 2019-10-09T09:25
The New Testament claims Jesus is helping reconcile humanity and God, but why were they ever separated in the first place? Does God want to separate from us because we’re awful, or is there somethi...
ListenBlood and Guilt from 2019-10-02T09:25
What were the sacrifices for? What did blood do? What is the main problem which the tabernacle and temple and then Jesus were trying to solve? Nate and Tim introduce a new series on Leviticus, aton...
ListenShould you go to church? (Patreon Teaser) from 2019-09-25T09:25
This is an episode of Utterly Heretical, Nate and Tim’s second podcast for Patreon supporters. They have a candid conversation about the emotionally complicated topic of going to church. Listen to ...
ListenDid Jesus just call her a dog? from 2019-09-18T09:25
Did Jesus really call a Canaanite woman a dog? Was this as heartless and mean as it sounds, or is something else going on? Nate and Tim discuss this startling passage in Matthew 15 and more. (More)...
ListenThe clearly unclear Bible from 2019-09-11T09:25
If the Bible is clearly sufficient for all our needs and sufficiently clear so that we can understand it, why doesn’t it feel that way? Nate and Tim discuss the history of these ideas, the role the...
ListenWho is the Bible? from 2019-09-04T09:25
When we say, “The Bible says,” what do we really mean? Who exactly are we talking about? Nate and Tim try to answer that question and more as they discuss the relationship between the people who wr...
ListenChoose your own adventure Bible from 2019-07-24T09:25
What if many of the texts are written in order to place us at a crossroads between two valid interpretations? And how does understanding the Bible as a mosaic of texts help us deal with troubling p...
ListenDoes the Bible condone rape? (Part 2) from 2019-07-10T09:25
Does the Bible condone rape? What some of the texts condemn reveals some disturbing insight into what they seem to condone. So, what do we do? Nate and Tim continue their conversation on the topic ...
ListenYes, David raped Bathsheba (Part 1) from 2019-06-26T09:25
Is there any evidence that David raped Bathsheba? Let's look a bit closer. This is the first part of a conversation about rape in the Bible. Nate and Tim discuss the role of rape stories in the Heb...
ListenChristena Cleveland - Getting free from 2019-06-12T09:25
At some point we have to ask ourselves do I really want to be free? Freedom is no longer caring whether we’re crossing the lines that other people are creating for us. Nate and Tim sit down with re...
ListenLGBTQ - Why do people marry? (Part 2) from 2019-06-05T09:25
Did God really define marriage? Or is it just something people have often done? And what did Jesus really say about men and women? Nate and Tim continue the conversation about whether the Bible eve...
ListenLGBTQ: The so-called Divine Ideal (Part 1) from 2019-05-31T09:25
Is the Bible even about a return to original ideals? Or is the idea that of a forward march through history where humans partner with God to usher in new and unknown territory? Nate and Tim begin a...
ListenRob Bell - Outside the camp from 2019-05-15T09:25
We ask Rob Bell what it felt like to hear "Farewell Rob Bell" by John Piper after writing Love Wins and what he wants to be remembered as when he's gone. Plus, we get to lots of our Patron's questi...
ListenRachel Held Evans tribute from 2019-05-05T18:05
In memory of Rachel Held Evans. Woman of Valor. #becauseofRHE #SaintRachel Please donate to Dan and her two children here: https://www.gofundme.com/supporting-rachel-held-evans Learn more about you...
ListenThe Heaven Ethic (Heaven Part 4) from 2019-04-24T09:25
The Bible’s cosmology can be weird and hard to believe. What is there for us if we can’t get excited about ruling over angels? Nate and Tim wrestle with this question, discussing the profound and p...
ListenBodies for Both Worlds (Heaven Part 3) from 2019-04-17T09:30
This is where things start to get weird. Nate and Tim look at the Bible’s strange hope that humanity would one day come to rule not only on earth but over the gods in the heavens. And to Paul, for ...
ListenHeaven as a Revolution (Heaven Part 2) from 2019-04-03T09:25
God will one day lead a revolution to overturn the power structures of the world. The biblical writers call this "heaven." Those at the bottom will be put at the top and vice versa, and it may have...
ListenI'll fly away, old glory (Heaven Part 1) from 2019-03-27T09:22
Did you used to picture flying away to be in heaven? Or, maybe you've thought of new creation as what heaven is. After spending 3 episodes talking about hell, Nate&Tim work to complicate the concep...
ListenWho the hell knows (Hell Part 3) from 2019-03-20T09:22
What if Matthew and Luke imagine life after death differently? And why don’t Paul or John ever mention anything like Hell? And lastly, if there is no consensus on a singular notion of Hell, then ho...
ListenTo hell with hell (Hell Part 2) from 2019-03-13T09:22
Where did "hell" come from? What is Sheol? Hades? Gehenna? And who goes to these places (or are they are even places?) In Part 2, Nate and Tim look at several passages in the scriptures to begin an...
ListenScared to Death (Hell Part 1) from 2019-03-06T10:22
Many of us are terrified of Hell, but should we be? Is Christianity supposed to ease our anxieties around death or exasperate them? And is Hell really about torture? In this first conversation in a...
ListenWade Mullen - Church abuse and cover-up from 2019-02-27T10:22
Tim interviews Wade Mullen (@wad3mullen), a professor who researches the ways evangelical churches and organizations try to cover up abuse and protect their image. In a conversation that hits a lit...
ListenBrandi Miller - Farewell white theology from 2019-02-06T10:22
It took Brandi ten years of following Jesus as a Black woman to realize that her theology was whiter than a North Dakota snowstorm. Nate and Tim talk with writer and minister Brandi Miller about pu...
ListenJohn Piper said something crazy (Questions Part 3) from 2019-01-30T10:22
John Piper, Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition say things like "Marry the Bible". Have we made an idol out of the Bible? In the third segment of question and response, Nate and Tim discuss wheth...
ListenIs divine healing real? (Questions Part 2) from 2019-01-23T10:22
Is it your responsibility to call out your racist uncle? Does God heal people and is it helpful to believe that? Are the women heroes in the Bible messiah figures? Nate and Tim continue responding ...
ListenWhy do Christian's evangelize? (Questions Part 1) from 2019-01-16T10:22
Should we try to get as many people to be Christians as possible? This week we respond to listener questions about evangelism and the great commission. Also, what churches did they work for? And be...
ListenMaking Hezekiah Great Again (How The Bible Works) from 2018-12-19T10:22
Have you ever thought about Hezekiah as one of the main characters in the Old Testament? And what if we told you that the child named Immanuel spoken of in Isaiah referred not to Jesus but to Hezek...
ListenOld Testament jerks (How The Bible Works) from 2018-12-12T10:22
Ever notice how all the “good guys” in the Old Testament turn out to be jerks? Tim and Nate talk about a narrative technique Tim calls “snowballing”, where the Biblical authors intentionally try to...
Listen46: Tim Mackie - Riddles in the Bible (Part 1) from 2018-11-28T10:22
PART 1 (Listen to PART 2 here.) Dr. Timothy Mackie (The Bible Project) talks with Tim and Nate about the often missed literary designs in the Bible. What kind of patterns and repetitions do we ofte...
ListenTim Mackie - Riddles in the Bible (Part 1) from 2018-11-28T10:22
PART 1 (Listen to PART 2 here.) Dr. Timothy Mackie (The Bible Project) talks with Tim and Nate about the often missed literary designs in the Bible. What kind of patterns and repetitions do we ofte...
ListenWhy Seams&Stitching Matter (How The Bible Works) from 2018-11-01T09:22
All the talk about stitching and literary complexity got Nate and Tim talking about why this stuff even matters. What does thinking of the Bible as a literary mosaic change? How does paying attenti...
ListenScrolls&Seams (How The Bible Works) from 2018-10-30T09:22
Nate and Tim discuss how ancient scroll technology led to literary binding techniques evident in the Bible. Collections of texts were stitched together through canonical seams and enclosed within l...
ListenLiterary Layers&Ananias and Sapphira (How The Bible Works) from 2018-10-24T09:27
Collectively, the Bible consists of complex literary layers stacked atop one another. Stories and motifs are recycled and re-used. When we read any individual story, we must read it as a single lay...
ListenCopy, Paste&Psalm 108 (How The Bible Works) from 2018-10-24T09:22
If the Bible is a mosaic, then the meaning is in the stitching. Nate and Tim look at how Psalm 108 is an example of clear editing and repurposing of texts within the Hebrew Bible, and how the Gospe...
ListenHow does the Bible work? from 2018-10-17T09:22
Nate and Tim open up a new series of conversations exploring how the Bible actually works. They introduce the idea of the Bible as a literary mosaic in which various texts are pieced together to fo...
ListenLisa Sharon Harper - Good news&bad news from 2018-10-09T09:22
Lisa Sharon Harper talks about what Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court really means, how we got here, and what the gospel has to say about it. ★ Support our work and get: 2 bonus e...
ListenScience Mike McHargue - Anger and hope from 2018-10-02T09:22
Mike McHargue (Science Mike) sits down with Nate and Tim to talk about sexual assault, the Bible, why so many people are over church, finding hope amidst cynicism, and much more. The conversation h...
ListenGender. So, what now? from 2018-09-19T09:22
Part 9 (conclusion) of the gender series. We talk about what we've learned, what we can do, and respond to your questions. Oh, and a poem from Tim. ★ Support our work and get: 2 bonus episodes each...
ListenWomen elders? (1 Timothy 3) from 2018-09-12T09:22
Part 8 of the gender series. Nate and Tim discuss Paul’s words to Timothy concerning “elders” and “deacons”. Can women be elders? Or is Paul mandating male leadership? Is he even creating formal “c...
ListenWomen on gender (Conversation) from 2018-08-29T09:22
Part 7 of the gender series. Nate and Tim host their moms as well as some friends and listeners for a round table discussion on the topic. If you only listen to one episode in the series, listen to...
ListenAdam, then Eve (1 Timothy 2:11-15) from 2018-08-22T09:22
Part 6 in a series on gender, power and hierarchy. Nate and Tim wrap up the discussion on 1 Timothy 2, discussing Paul’s reference to Adam being created first and the concluding line about women be...
ListenAuthority over a man (1 Timothy 2:11-15) from 2018-08-15T09:22
Part 5 on Christianity and gender. Nate and Tim begin to tackle 1 Timothy 2 by considering the context of the letter, the significance of the goddess Artemis, and the Greek word translated as “exer...
ListenSilencing women (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) from 2018-08-06T09:22
Part 4 in a series on gender. Nate and Tim discuss some of the more infuriating ways complementation theology affects Christian women and explore the frustrating passage where Paul seems to tell wo...
ListenHusbands and slave masters (Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Colossians 3:18-4:1) from 2018-07-23T09:22
Part 3 in a series on Christianity and gender. Nate and Tim discuss two more key passages related to gender, trying to understand why Paul grouped husbands&wives, children&fathers, and slaves&maste...
ListenAuthority over her own damn head (1 Corinthians 11:2-16) from 2018-07-19T09:22
Part 2 in a series on gender and the Bible. Nate and Tim discuss the first of six key New Testament passages pertaining to gender that have traditionally been used to support male authority. What i...
ListenJesus ended hierarchy from 2018-07-16T09:22
Part 1 in a series on Jesus and gender: Nate and Tim discuss some prerequisites to looking at New Testament texts pertaining to gender. Jesus explicitly taught that his disciples were to follow his...
ListenLet's start talking about gender from 2018-07-11T09:22
Episode 1 of the Gender series. The church has a long history of oppressing and silencing women, and using the Bible and Paul to justify that. We are going to push back on that and show that Paul t...
ListenBiblical Misuse: Exposing the Truth on Immigration&Family Separation from 2018-06-25T09:22
Last week Jeff Sessions used the Bible to justify kidnapping children, separating families, and continuing one of the cruelest immigration policies in US history. We're sickened, so we put out an i...
ListenConnecting #churchtoo, Kaepernick and Christian nationalism from 2018-06-20T09:22
What is the connection between rampant pastoral abuse in evangelical churches and evangelicalism’s collusion with conservative politics? Nate and Tim discuss how American slaveholder religion insti...
ListenJesus and self defense from 2018-06-06T09:22
Tragically, school shootings happen seemingly every week in America these days, and every time they do a debate breaks out over guns and the right to bear arms. Many believe it’s “a God-given right...
ListenJonathan Wilson-Hartgrove - Slaveholder Religion from 2018-05-30T09:22
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove reflects on the painful reality that much of white American Christianity is more akin to slaveholder religion than the Christianity of Christ. He discusses how to distingu...
ListenPost traumatic history disorder from 2018-05-23T09:22
Acknowledging the truth of our history can be painful, overwhelming and even traumatic. The history itself is also one of traumatization. Nate and Tim continue the conversation about the tragic tru...
ListenMark Charles - The truth of our history from 2018-05-16T09:22
Mark Charles retells the founding of America to expose political, social and spiritual implications. You may need to sit and process for a while after this episode. What if we're remembering Abraha...
ListenThe risk of believing differently from 2018-05-09T09:22
Is it worth losing the certainty you once had to pursue a better picture of God? What if God becomes harder to believe in? Tim and Nate talk about doing better and deeper theology and how that migh...
ListenBrian Zahnd - Making Christianity possible again from 2018-05-02T09:22
Brian Zahnd joins us to talk about how to make Christianity viable for this generation and generations to come. Check out his latest book, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God. ★ Support our work a...
ListenRachel Held Evans: Faith, Doubt&De-Weaponizing the Bible from 2018-04-25T09:22
Nate&Tim explore the multifaceted nature of the Bible with special guest, author Rachel Held Evans. Delving into her book Inspired, we discuss religious pluralism, how the slippery slope of deconst...
ListenThe myth of the slippery slope from 2018-04-18T07:55
If you start believing things outside your faith circle you might fall down a slippery slope... Should you be afraid of that? According to the ancient Christian tradition, the slippery slope might ...
ListenWrath and Liberation from 2018-04-11T08:22
How does getting crucified liberate anyone? Is liberation the central driving force behind the gospel? And is the wrath of God something we need to be liberated from or instead something that liber...
ListenGod isn't the problem from 2018-03-28T09:22
The cross saves us from ourselves, not from God. Today we look at 10 different ways to think about the atonement that are key in the Bible. ★ Support our work and get: 2 bonus episodes each month, ...
ListenI used to be terrified of God from 2018-03-21T09:22
Nate shares why he used to be afraid of God. We explore why penal substitution is worth fighting back on. Part 2 in a series of discussions on what happened at the cross, we continue the critique o...
ListenMako Nagasawa - Beyond penal substitution from 2018-03-14T09:22
Is Penal Substitutionary Atonement really the gospel? Is it even true? And what other options are there for making sense of Christ's death? This week we're joined by Mako Nagasawa to kick off a ser...
ListenGive up power like Jesus (Part 4) from 2018-03-07T10:22
Contrary to popular evangelical practice, the call to follow Jesus is an invitation to relinquish power over others. Part 4 in a series on the Bible as a story about power, we contrast this ethic w...
ListenPower for the powerless (Part 3) from 2018-02-28T10:45
If you want power, you probably shouldn’t have it. This week we explore the relationship between the Jewish exile and power, the idea of two Jewish messiah figures and how Jesus was the key to unlo...
ListenThe Bible speaks truth to power (Part 2) from 2018-02-14T14:33
The Bible is trying to tell a story about power. Will we let it? The Old Testament weaves together two ideas: Humanity needs to wield power in order to set things right, but everyone who seeks this...
ListenThe Bible is a story about power (Part 1) from 2018-02-07T10:25
So much abuse and hurt is rooted in issues of power, yet power is rarely discussed in church. Though it’s been largely ignored, the danger and corrupting influence of power is a theme that runs thr...
ListenWhen theology hurts (Stories) from 2018-01-31T11:33
Last week Tim and Nate discussed why theology even matters. It matters because ideas have consequences and bad theology hurts people. This week we stop talking and listen to stories from people who...
ListenTaking responsibility for our theology from 2018-01-24T11:33
Nate and Tim step back from the Old Testament theology to reflect on why theology matters at all. Ideas trickle downstream. The affects of this trickle-down and the consequences of our theology mat...
ListenGiants and genocide from 2018-01-17T17:19
The episodes on the Fall introduced some crazy stuff about gods engaging in a battle to take over the human bloodline. Now we jump into the heated conversation on divine violence by reinterpreting ...
ListenIs God more tolerant of other religions than we are? from 2018-01-11T11:45
Rethinking the Fall (Part 5) — The reinterpretation of the Fall sparked further questions, so Nate and Tim slow down to reflect on some its implications. How does this all affect the theological de...
ListenGod gives up (sort of) from 2018-01-08T11:00
Rethinking the Fall (Part 4) — Nate and Tim take a fresh look at the strange story of the Tower of Babel and piece together some surprising biblical passages that tell of God giving up and delegati...
ListenEve and a war for power from 2018-01-05T11:45
Rethinking the Fall (Part 3) — Nate and Tim continue re-examining the Fall by piecing together clues in the Bible that point to a war for power initiated by the gods. ★ Support our work and get: 2 ...
ListenNate has questions from 2018-01-02T19:13
Rethinking the Fall (Part 2) — Nate has some good questions in response to the previous episode on the Fall and Tim tries to answer them. ★ Support our work and get: 2 bonus episodes each month, a ...
ListenWhy is there a snake in the garden? from 2018-01-01T16:35
Rethinking the Fall Part 1 — Tim Ritter kicks off the first episode in a series rethinking the Biblical idea of the Fall. There’s more to the Adam and Eve story than we’ve been led to believe. ★ Su...
ListenIn the beginning from 2018-01-01T16:23
Is there just one god? Tim Ritter and Nate Hanson jump into the theological deep end as they rethink the very essence of Biblical monotheism. Buckle up as they start to uncover surprising ideas beh...
ListenEx-pastors in a shed from 2018-01-01T16:17
How can we move forward after seeing the dark underbelly of Evangelical church world? Tim Ritter and Nate Hanson kick off Almost Heretical by starting the conversation. ★ Support our work and get: ...
Listen