Shows
The DistillerySarah Barton | Becoming the Baptized BodyBaptism is a foundational practice, and is considered a sacrament in most Christian churches. This ancient practice has been significant since Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Churches today have divergent theologies and ways of baptizing people. But in today’s interview, Sarah Barton shares what can be learned about baptism across these theological and practical differences by learning from people with intellectual disabilities. Her recent book is “Becoming the Baptized Body: Disability and the Practice of Christian Community.” Barton is a theologian with dual appointments at Duke Divinity School and the Duke University School of Medicine in the oc...
2023-08-0230 minThe DistilleryKeri Day | Azusa ReimaginedIn the early twentieth century, a series of revival meetings in Los Angeles shocked the nation. They had unsegregated worship services where both women and men spoke in tongues, performed faith healings, and wildly claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. These meetings, held in a small run-down building on Azusa Street, were pivotal in the creation of the modern Pentecostal movement. In this episode, Keri Day shares from her new book “Azusa Reimagined: A Radical Vision of Religious and Democratic Belonging.” We consider what lessons the Azusa Street Revival can provide for those seeking new ways to crea...
2023-07-2031 minThe DistilleryKimberly Wagner | Fractured GroundSandy Hook. Uvalde. Pulse Nightclub. Hurricane Katrina. COVID-19. 9/11. For millions of people in our country, these words are shorthand for unthinkable traumatic events and the lingering effects of trauma. What can be said when a community is shaken to its core? How can a Sunday morning sermon help a fractured community? In this episode, Kimberly Wagner explores these questions and more as we discuss her new book, Fractured Ground: Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma. Wagner is professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Guest: Kimberly Wagner | H...
2023-06-0629 minThe DistilleryVictoria Atkinson White | Holy FriendshipsWhat happens when ordinary friendships become something deeper, something more sacred, something—dare we say—holy? On this episode, Victoria Atkinson White shares from her new book Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships that Sustain Pastors and Leaders. Explore the nature of “holy friendships”: how they’re formed, their benefits, and how they might be a key for sustaining those who lead.Guest: Victoria Atkinson White | Host: Shari Oosting
2023-05-0923 minThe DistilleryJonathan Lee Walton | A Lens of LoveQuestions of how the Bible should be read by modern Christians have never been more important than they are today. What does it mean to read the Bible through a sociohistorical lens? Can identifying the politics of its ancient Judean writers help us navigate the twenty-first century? On this episode of The Distillery, Jonathan Lee Walton discusses his book A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World. Join us as we explore the dangers of biblical literalism, unpack alternative approaches to hard-to-interpret texts, and discover how the Bible can lead us to a new...
2023-04-2629 minThe DistilleryAlexia Salvatierra & Brandon Wrencher | Buried SeedsIn an age of secularization, church planters face new, unexpected obstacles. Could the key to solving their problems be found in ministries started by marginalized communities? In this episode, Reverend Dr. Alexia Salvatierra and Reverend Brandon Wrencher discuss their new book Buried Seeds, an exploration of base ecclesial communities in the Global South and the hush harbors founded in secret by enslaved Africans throughout the American Antebellum South. Together, they might provide a blueprint for a new era of church engagement.Guests: Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher | Host: Shari Oosting
2023-04-1256 minThe DistilleryBarbara Brown Taylor | Holy EnvyWhat does it look like for Christians to live in a pluralistic society? What can be learned from neighbors who practice different religious traditions? In this episode, Barbara Brown Taylor shares from her book “Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others”. We discuss her journey from pew to pulpit to professors’ desk, and the lessons she learned from teaching Religion 101 to American college students. Listen as she shares the profound insights about what it means to love our religiously different neighbor as ourselves and how to engage with and learn from religious traditi...
2023-03-2934 minThe DistilleryMary Farag | What Makes a Church Sacred?In the wake of the Jesus Movement’s emergence from the underground, designated worship spaces like churches began to be seen as sacred spaces in and of themselves. How did this happen? According to Mary K. Farag, it was the result of centuries of debate between ancient Roman jurists, Catholic bishops, artists, and theologians. Farag is Assistant Professor of Early Christian Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, and her research focuses on Christian liturgical practices in late antiquity and their role in the wider Greco-Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic worlds. In this episode Farag shares from her book “What Makes a Chur...
2023-03-1632 min
The DistilleryJohn Swinton | Theology and Mental HealthFor centuries, the mentally ill have been misunderstood and ostracized within religious communities. What would it mean to seriously transform how we view, discuss and treat those struggling with mental illness as Christians? In this episode, co-host Shari Oosting sits down with John Swinton, professor of practical theology and pastoral care at the University of Aberdeen Scotland to examine these questions, and discuss his new book, Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges. John Swinton is a Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care and Chair in Divinity and...
2022-03-1131 min
The DistilleryJames K. A. Smith | The Gift of AugustineIn this episode, Shari Oosting sits down with author James K.A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin College, who sets out to speak to this question in his book, On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts, revealing how Augustine’s timeless wisdom speaks to the worries and struggles of contemporary life.James K. A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Smith has expanded on...
2021-06-1142 min
The DistilleryAnnie Lockhart-Gilroy | Fostering HopeAnnie Lockhart-Gilroy speaks on how we can nurture a “sanctified imagination.” In this episode, you will hear Shari Oosting talk with Annie about her book, Nurturing the Sanctified Imagination of Urban Youth. They discuss what it looks like to do ministry in an urban setting and how we might prepare urban youth for a future that is designed in partnership with God.Rev. Annie A. Lockhart-Gilroy, Ph.D. is a scholar in Christian education and practical theology with a focus on youth ministry and emancipatory pedagogy. She has taught students on many levels from middle school to docto...
2021-05-0749 min
The LuxcastAmanda Drury on testimony, innovation, and youth ministryToday’s guest is Dr. Amanda Drury, Director of Vision and Innovation at The Brain Kitchen in Marion, Indiana. Dr. Drury is also Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University where she writes and teaches about testimony, innovation, and youth ministry. Shari Oosting sat down with Amanda to find out how practice and theology meet through cooking, doing homework, and hanging out with kids at the Brain Kitchen.
2019-08-1515 min
The DistilleryWelcome to Season 3We invite you back to The Distillery for Season 3, which launches July 19, 2019. Hear about confirmation, apocalyptic literature, and the life and legacy of the great American preacher, Gardner C. Taylor. Explore the complexities faced when making decisions about the end of life and when walking with someone struggling with addiction. We’ll address spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians 12 and the challenges of ministering to people who no longer need God. The Distillery is a podcast that explores the essential ingredients of book and research projects with experts in their field of study. Learn what motivates their work and why it...
2019-07-1502 min
The DistilleryShari Oosting | Looking AheadThanks for joining us for the pilot season of The Distillery! Season 2 premieres February 20, 2018. We hope you look forward to learning with us about angels, demons, Paul's cosmology, nativity scenes, worship, political discourse, economic systems, dementia, disability, gender, race, science, church history, and technology.The Distillery is a podcast that explores the essential ingredients of book and research projects with experts in their field of study. Learn what motivates their work and why it matters for Christian theology and ministry. Host: Shari OostingSubscribeApple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher
2018-01-2301 min