Theology In The Raw

Becket’s story is absolutely incredible. He has one of those stories you hear from a distance and think, “this can’t be true.” But it is. Jesus is real and he is that powerful. Becket has an amazing story and he also has an amazing passion for an amazing savior. Becket shares his story in this podcast; he and Preston also dig into what it means to “leave homosexuality,” the controversy over gay identity (Becket is adamantly opposed to it), and what it was like hanging out with Katy Perry, Prince, Paris Hilton, and other Hollywood stars.Becket spends much of his time in ministry speaking at churches, universities, and conferences helping believers (and non-believers) understand this issue biblically, theologically, culturally, and personally. Balancing grace and truth when teaching on this subject is of primary importance. His goal is to challenge the current cultural narrative about sexuality in general and homosexuality in particular by demonstrating through his personal testimony and biblical truths that, y

Spencer is a longtime friend, former boss, and the president of Eternity Bible College. We first met way back in Seminary nearly 20 years ago and have been friends ever since. Spencer is known for his towering height, shiny head, inability to be outwitted, but most of all for his imaginative and integrative approach to Christian education. In this episode, we talk about some of the things that are broken in our current models of education and explore fresh avenues for education which will be especially pertinent in the wake of Covid-19.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

I've tried taking several Enneagram tests but I can never finish them. I hate the binary answers they give: When you walk into a room, do you want to dominate everyone or hide in the corner?" Ugh! What if it's neither!? That's why I reached out to my buddy Jeff Cook to have him give me a personal and conversational evaluation of my Enneagram score. Wait, is it a "score?" Or a number? I'm not a number, I'm a person! Don't put me in a box!! Whatever the Enneagram is, Jeff Cook is an expert in it. Watch him as he uses the force to draw out the inner me with all its grit and grime. After we find out my number, we turn to the biblical writers to see what number they are and why it matters. Yup, we even dare to figure out what Jesus is on the Enneagram. We haven't been struck down by lightening—yet.Jeff Cook teaches philosophy at UNC and pastors Atlas Church in Greeley, Colorado. He speaks about all things enneagram on the Around the Circle Podcast, and is the author of "Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes" (

The death of George Floyd has sparked many questions related to race relations, systemic racism, the use and abuse of force and power among the police force, faith and politics, partisanship, and many other questions. To help us think through these questions, I recently interviewed Justin Giboney from the AndCampaign in a live YouTube conversation, and this podcast is the audio version of that conversation.Justin Giboney is an attorney and political strategist in Atlanta, GA. He is also the Co-Founder and President of the AND Campaign, which is a coalition of urban Christians who are determined to address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Giboney has managed successful campaigns for elected officials in the state and referendums relating to the city’s transportation and water infrastructure.In 2012 and 2016, Georgia’s 5th congressional district elected him as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention and he served as the co-chair of Obama fo

Chris Wienand is like the master Yoda of church planting. From planting churches in South Africa to Los Angeles, to mentoring dozens of leaders around the globe, Chris has gained much wisdom about church and the gospel over the years. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be the church and the role that meals and organic gatherings should have in the life of the community. Chris believes that the table should be the heartbeat of our churches.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Due to the incredible response I got from John’s first appearance on Theology in the Raw (Ep. 788), I had to have him back on! John is an infectious disease expert at the University of Chicago and he gives us an update on the virus. We talk about lockdown versus reopening, the probability of a second wave, the politicalization of the whole mess, what churches should do as they reopen, and much much more.John has over 15 years’ experience working in high containment laboratories (BSL3) with high consequence pathogens (i.e. anthrax, plague, highly pathogenic avian influenza, Brucella abortus), with an effective history of training lab workers, clinical care workers, first responders, first receivers and custodial workers to safely work with and control high consequence pathogens such as MERS, SARS and Ebola.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleYoutube | Preston SprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjo

Sharon is a passionate follower of Christ who’s got a sharp mind and humble heart. Preston and Sharon talk about lots of things related to being a woman in pastoral and theological ministry.Sharon Hodde Miller leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC alongside her husband, Ike. In addition to earning her PhD, Sharon has blogged at SheWorships.com for nearly ten years, making God's Word accessible to women everywhere. Author of Free of ME: Why Life is Better When It’s Not About You, she has been a regular contributor to Propel, She Reads Truth, and Christianity Today, and has written for Relevant, (in)courage, and many other publications and blogs. She speaks regularly on topics ranging from leadership to body image to Scripture. She and her husband have two sons and one daughter.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Oh boy, are you in for a good one! Preston and Eugene talk about politics, so-called “Chinese viruses,” multiethnic churches, and much more in this controversy-laden podcast. We also talk about Eugene’s latest book Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk, which helps Christians navigate the cesspool of partisan politics with truth and grace.Eugene Cho is a pastor, speaker, author, visionary and humanitarian. A son of Korean immigrants and a natural entrepreneur, Cho spends much of his time circling the globe speaking about the intersection of faith, justice, and leadership.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

In this long overdue Q & A podcast, Preston works through a fistful of scintillating questions sent in from his followers: Why he's not a fan of the documentary hypothesis, is his podcast anti-Trump, how to dialogue with people you really, really disagree with, unbiased news outlets, why he doesn't like the phrase "white evangelicalism," should churches post LGBTQ statements on their websites, and much more.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Of all of Preston's favorite church planters, Hugh is definitely at the top of his list. In this podcast, Preston and Hugh talk about simplifying church in a post-Covid-19 world and exploring other ways of integrating discipleship into the marketplace, community, and natural rhythms of life. They also discuss the pros and cons of church services and their effectiveness for helping people live the Christian life.Hugh Halter has been a leading missiologist and thought-leader within the contemporary missional church movement. He has authored 8 books, and speaks extensively around the world helping the church be less churchy. He just moved his family to the St Louis area and has started a Neo-trappist marketplace mission as an incubator for good works and uses this story to help Christians rethink calling and kingdom contribution.Follow Hugh on Twitter.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprin

In this podcast, John C. Bivona shares a wealth of information about the truth about Covid-19. John is a Senior Biosafety Officer for The University of Chicago – Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory, a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, as well as a Registered Biosafety Professional with ABSA International (American Biological Safety Association). John was a lead trainer with the Duke Infectious Disease Response Training (DIDRT) Program, funded through an NIEHS-NIH Grant, that was designed to prepare workers at risk of infectious disease exposure. Additionally, he is a certified HAZWOPER/HAZMAT Trainer.John has over 15 years’ experience working in high containment laboratories (BSL3) with high consequence pathogens (i.e. anthrax, plague, highly pathogenic avian influenza, Brucella abortus), with an effective history of training lab workers, clinical care workers, first responders, first receivers and custodial workers to safely work with and control high consequence pathogens such as MERS, SARS and Ebola.Support Pr

Juli Slattery is an expert in all things related to sex, sexuality, purity culture, female sexuality, true intimacy, and sexual discipleship--a super helpful term she unpacks in this thought provoking episode. Preston and Juli talk about a lot of things in this episode that's not often talked about in church, yet absolutely NEEDS to be talked about in church. This episode will be particularly helpful for females, or anyone seeking to understand female sexuality.Dr. Juli Slattery is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker and the president/co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry dedicated to reclaiming God’s design for sexuality. Every Monday she hosts the podcast Java with Juli, where she and a guest sit down for coffee and honest conversation about relationships, sex, intimacy, pornography, singleness, and God’s design for our sexuality. Juli is the author of ten books, including Finding the Hero in Your Husband, Passion Pursuit, and Rethinking Sexuality. She and her husband Mike are the parents of 3 s

Preston is working through a stack of questions in this Q & A podcast. Would he ever participate in a pride parade?How should gay/SSA Christians build healthy relationships with people of the same sex? What are his thoughts on Vaccines? His thoughts on Robert Gagnon’s approach to same-sex sexuality/marriage?The value of reading books vs. blogs vs. periodicals? What’s the meaning of “the worm shall not die” (Mark 9:48)? How does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus fit in with the Annihilation view of hell? Is corporal punishment (i.e. spanking) biblical? My thoughts on attending a UMC church that’s not taking a clear stance on marriage.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Preston sits down with his good friend and fellow Boise resident John Whittaker to talk about all things related to the church. Church structure, the role of the Sunday gathering, how preaching needs to change, the heightened need for discipleship, and why the LDS church might be on to something when it comes to Ecclesiology.John Whittaker is a preacher, teacher and pastor. He holds theology and ministry degrees from Boise Bible College, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. John has been serving in ministry for 30 years. He has served as a Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Boise Bible College for 19 years. He has also helped plant a church in Kuna, Idaho, where he preached for 11 years, served for 4 years as one of the teaching and campus pastors at The Pursuit, taught classes for Eternity Bible College and preached in various places around the country and the world. He’s the founder of Bible in Life online discipleship ministry at johnwhittaker.netWhen he’s not preach

Justin Brierley is the host of the very popular radio show (and podcast) Unbelievable. He’s interviewed many scholars, theologians, apologists, and atheists. He’s also hosted many debates between Christians and non-Christians--and he’s still a Christian. In this show, Preston and Justin talk about Christianity, defending the fact, the best arguments against Christianity, the problem of evil, atheism, and many other things related to Justin’s very interesting space in Christianity.Justin Brierley presents Premier Christian Radio's flagship apologetics and theology debate programme Unbelievable? every Saturday at 2.30pm. The show brings Christians and non-Christians together for dialogue and is also a popular podcast which has produced an annual evangelism and apologetics conference.Justin's book Unbelievable? Why, after ten years of talking with atheists, I'm still a Christian (SPCK) is available now www.unbelievablebook.co.uk. Justin was the editor of Premier Christianity magazine from 2014 - 2018.Justin enjo

In this different sort of podcast, Preston moderates a discussion between Chris Date (Trinitarian) and Sam Adams (Unitarian) about whether God is three in one or just one. Sam argues that there’s one God and Jesus and the Spirit are not that God, while Chris Date believes that God is Trinity--three persons of one divine essence. And both argue from the text of Scripture for their view.Sam Adams is a born and raised Biblical Unitarian but has attended trinitarian evangelical churches for the last 12 years. He has a bachelors degree from Cornell University and a masters degree from Harvard University both in biostatistics. He works in data science and artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. He has published many peer reviewed articles on subjects completely unrelated to theology. He is a highly-engaged and self-educated lay person on the topics of Unitarianism, Trinitarianism, church history, and related theological subjects. While he has never been called a world expert in anything, he enjoys havin

This week in OT in the Raw, Preston discusses the Abrahamic Covenant and how it relates to the gospel, Abraham’s fragile faith, the weird covenant ceremony of Genesis 15, and the startling incident of Genesis 22--“go kill your son.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonFollow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Preston sits down with one of his "mentors from a distance"--the one and only, Wes Hill. Wes is a celibate gay Christian (or a Christian who happens to be attracted to the same sex and not the opposite sex) and a biblical scholar. Wes and Preston talk a lot about the phrase "gay Christian" and why it's become so volatile in some evangelical circles. They also talk about Wes' most recent book "The Lord's Prayer" and what the prayer means in the context of Matthew's gospel.Wesley Hill is associate professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania and an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church. He is the author of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality (Zondervan, second edition 2016), Paul and the Trinity: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters (Eerdmans, 2015), Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian (Brazos, 2015), and The Lord's Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father (Lexham, 2019). A contrib

This week, we dive into the flood of Genesis 6-9, God’s covenant with Noah, the shady stuff that went on with Noah and his son Ham, and God’s promised seed of redemption named Abram.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonFollow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.

Preston reconnects with an old friend from his Ph.D. days in the U.K. Nijay has quickly become a leading N.T. scholar and, as a person of color, is alert to the white-dominated culture of American evangelicalism, especially in the academy. Nijay and Preston also talk about various other scholarly N.T. interests.Support PrestonSupport Preston by going to patreon.comConnect with PrestonTwitter | @PrestonSprinkleInstagram | @preston.sprinkleCheck out his website prestonsprinkle.comIf you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review.