Shows / Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and Culture
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and Culture
Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction. Thinking Christian is a podcast about the Bible, theology, and culture for Christians who sense that something in today's church isn't working and want to understand why.
Reading the Bible as the final authority for life and faith means questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision of reality than God's word offers. Each conversation goes past the headlines to the ideas and…
Episodes
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBeyond the Screen: Why Your Physical Presence is the Secret to Mental Health
In an era of digital convenience and "on-demand" spirituality, have we lost something vital by staying home? Join Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ben Mathew as they…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureSuffering for Christ's Sake
Hundreds of churches once bombed and burned to the ground are not only standing again but thriving in Sudan and South Sudan. Hear stories of pastors who…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBeyond the Quick Fix: Sadness as a Rational Response to a Broken World
In a culture obsessed with "happiness hacks" and immediate emotional relief, what if our sadness isn't a glitch, but a proper response to reality? In this…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureNavigating Existential Dread and Finding Meaning Together (Benjamin Matthew)
Have you ever been in the middle of a busy, successful season only to be hit by a sudden, creeping feeling that none of it matters? You aren’t alone. In…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Digital Paradox: Why More Connection Is Making Us More Alone (Benjamin Matthew)
Are we living in a "Truman Show" world? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Benjamin Matthew (Professor of Counselor Education)…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureWhy Your Mental Health Is an Embodied Experience (Benjamin Matthew)
Is mental health just "all in your head," or is there something deeper happening within our physical design? In the premiere of this series, Dr. James Spencer…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureFaith or Therapy? Navigating the Mental Health Crisis in the Church
Are we living in a "paid friend" culture? 🛋️ As mental health awareness skyrockets, the Church is at a crossroads. We’re seeing more counseling centers…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureA King Like the Nations: The Easter Luncheon and the Theology Behind the Prayers
When faith leaders gathered at the White House for an Easter luncheon, the prayers offered weren't just politically awkward — they were theologically…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureRethinking Authority: From Control to Community (Christa L. McKirland)
Is the way we view church leadership actually doing more harm than good? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Christa L…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBelonging vs. Leading: Navigating LGBTQ+ Conversations in the Local Church
How can local churches maintain a historic Christian sexual ethic while still being a place where anyone can belong, ask tough questions, and encounter Jesus?…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureIs Your Safety an Idol? Risk, Technology, and the Gospel
“Have a safe summer!” “Travel safe!” “Stay safe!” In today’s world, safety isn’t just a wish—it’s a…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureFrom Prison to Purpose: Restoring Hope for Incarcerated Youth in Central America
What happens when a life shaped by violence, poverty, and abandonment meets consistent love, purpose, and the message of the Gospel? In this powerful episode…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureImmoral Torah? Why Removing Hard Biblical Laws Does More Harm Than Good
What should Christians do with the hardest laws in the Bible—texts about slavery, sexual violence, capital punishment, and social inequality? Should they…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureLaw, Mercy, and Violence in Judges (Jillian Ross)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Jillian Ross, professor of biblical studies at Liberty University, to discuss her…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureMending the Fracturing Church: Discipleship, Trauma, and Trust (Andrew Hale)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Rev. Dr. Andrew Hale, pastor, author, and host of CBF Conversations and Clergy…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureTruth Rising: Hope, Identity, and Calling for Christians Today (John Stonestreet)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center, to discuss the Truth Rising…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureOrdinary Time: Spiritual Growth in the Everyday Rhythms of Life (Amy Peeler)
What if the most spiritually formative season of the Christian year isn’t Advent or Lent—but the long stretch of ordinary time in between? In this…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBecoming Pro-Grace: A Christian Response to Abortion (Angela Weszely)
The abortion conversation in the church is often framed as a political battle—pro-life versus pro-choice, red versus blue. But what if that framing…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureJoshua, America, and the Myth of Innocence: Undoing Manifest Destiny (Daniel Hawk)
Was America founded as a “new Israel”? And if so, what happens when biblical conquest narratives are used to justify colonization, displacement…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureChristian Business Without Compartmentalization (Andrea Anderson)
Can Christians pursue success in business without sidelining their faith—or turning God into just another “box” in life? In this episode of…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureAcedia and Faith That Lasts: God in the Desert (Noelle Forlini-Burt)
What do you do when faith feels dry, confusing, or emotionally barren—when God seems absent, or even uncomfortably near? In this episode of the Thinking…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Listening Church: Loneliness and Mental Health (Jackie E. Perry)
What if a major driver of today’s mental health crisis isn’t simply “more disorders,” but more people who feel unseen, unheard, and…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Legacy of the Reformation: Freedom, Fragmentation, and Accountability
In this final episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle step back from the 16th century to ask a pressing modern…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureProtestantism Isn't Individualism: The Solas and Authority (Gregg Quiggle)
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Gregg Quiggle pivot to one of the defining features of Protestant tradition: the…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureProtestantism Under Luther: Authority, Chaos, and the Cost of "Bible Alone" (Gregg Quiggle)
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Gregg Quiggle begin exploring what happens after the attempt to reform the Catholic…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureLuther's 95 Theses: What He Meant to Do—and What Actually Happened
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle linger in Wittenbergbefore the Diet of Worms and Wartburg Castle to…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureLuther Goes to Rome: Corruption, Crisis, and the Breakthrough in Romans
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle pick up the story after Luther’s intensifying crisis of conscience. If the…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBefore Wittenberg: Luther's Erfurt Years and the Weight of Judgment
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle to continue the German Reformation series—this time focusing on…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureWhy the Reformation Happened: Germany Before Luther (Gregg Quiggle)
In this first episode of a new Thinking Christian series on the German Reformation, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle—a historian, former…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureUnity Without Uniformity: Multiculturalism in the Church (Benjamin Matthew)
What does it look like for Christians to pursue multicultural unity without flattening real differences—or turning ethnicity into an ultimate identity?…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureCounseling and the Church: How Pastors and Congregations Work Together (Steve Stuhlreyer)
Pastors are carrying more emotional and spiritual weight than most congregations realize—and many churches still treat counseling and discipleship as if…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureRediscover Prayer: From Performance to Presence (Addison Bevere)
Why do so many Christians feel like they’re “bad at prayer”? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast, Dr. James Spencer sits down…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Holy Spirit and Discipleship: Growth Isn't Just Human Effort (Roger Ross)
Is discipleship mainly about trying harder—or is it something God does in us? In this short, focused segment on the Thinking Christian Podcast, Roger…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureUnmuted: From Silence to Testimony (Nick Sash)
What happens when God confronts the “two lives” we’re living—and calls us out of the background and into honest testimony? In this…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureRaising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World (Laurie Krieg)
How do Christian parents raise kids with wisdom in a culture shaped by pornography, confusion about gender, and broken ideas about relationships—without…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureSongs Before the Manger: Mary, Zechariah, and the Deep Theology of Christmas
Before angels sing over Bethlehem in Luke 2, two other voices break into song—Mary and Zechariah. In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureLearning to Hope Differently: Racial Justice for the Long Haul (Christine Jeske)
What kind of hope can actually sustain racial justice work over decades—not just months? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureIncarnation in a Disincarnate Age: Jesus, The Matrix, and Our Technological Self
As technology offers us endless ways to be “present” without actually being there, what does it mean for Christians to imitate the incarnation of…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureDo Evangelicals Still Believe Evangelical Things? The 2025 State of Theology
Every two years, Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research release The State of Theology—a massive survey that reveals what Americans (including…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureKickflips & the Great Commission: Varsity Skateboarding and Skate Church KC
James welcomes Dylan (founder of Varsity Skateboarding & leader of Skate Church KC) and co-host Nate to unpack how skateparks have become mission fields. They…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureRecovering Wonder: A Fresh Reading of the Christmas Story
In a season filled with noise, outrage, and “cancel culture,” is there still room for real joy? In this Christmas episode of Thinking Christian…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureWhy God Gave Ahaz a Baby, Not an Army: Isaiah 7:14 and the Virgin Birth
At Christmas, Christians often quote Isaiah 7:14—“the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son”—but few pause to ask what that…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureWhat Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God (Tanita Maddox)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Tanita Maddox—National Director of Generational Impact for Young Life and author of What Gen Z…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureReading the Bible on Turtle Island (Danny Zacharias and Christopher Hoklotubbe)
In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Daniel (Danny) Zacharias and Dr. Christopher Hoklotubbe, co-authors of…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureFinding Freedom from Porn: Addiction Recovery and Christian Identity (Sathiya Sam)
In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer welcomes back Sathiya Sam—CEO and founder of Deep Clean Coaching—to talk about…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Art of Asking Better Questions: Leadership and Discipleship (JR Briggs)
In this episode of the Thinking Christian podcast, Dr. James Spencer talks with J.R. Briggs—founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Art of…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureSingleness, Manhood, and Sexual Discipleship (Pieter Valk)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Pieter Valk—founder and director of Equip and a founding brother of an ecumenical monastery in…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureFrom Outreach to Exit: Walking with Survivors of Sexual Exploitation (Denise Lester)
James sits down with Denise Lester, founder of Rended Heart (Kansas City, MO), to explore what sexual exploitation looks like today—and how her ministry…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBuilding a Legacy Life: Faith, Family, and Purpose (Hobby Lobby's David Green and Bill High)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, James Spencer talks with David Green, CEO of Hobby Lobby, and Bill High, CEO of Legacy Stone, about their new book…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBecoming God's Family: The Importance of Community (Carmen Joy Imes)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer engages with Dr. Carmen Imes about her book 'Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters.'…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureWhy I'm Protestant: Scripture, Catholicity, and Reform (Beth Felker Jones)
Dr. James Spencer sits down with Beth Felker Jones (Professor of Theology, Northern Seminary) to talk about her new IVP book Why I Am Protestant. Beth lays out…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe Authority of the Septuagint: What the Apostles Quoted—and Why It Matters
Dr. James Spencer welcomes Gregory R. Lanier (RTS Orlando, NT) and William A. Ross (RTS Charlotte, OT), co-editors of The Authority of the Septuagint…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureThe English Reformation and C. S. Lewis (Gregg Quiggle and Jerry Root)
In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer engages with Dr. Greg Quiggle and Dr. Jerry Root to discuss an upcoming study tour focused on the…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureJunk to Jewels: Beauty from Ashes (Georgette Beck)
Dr. James Spencer welcomes Georgette Beck—author of Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness and Despair to Beauty and Delight and founder of the Bella…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureDebbie D'Souza | The Dragon’s Prophecy Film
James talks with Debbie D’Souza (co-writer/co-director) about the new film The Dragon’s Prophecy—why the project accelerated after Oct 7th…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureTrue Globalization: Reconciling Humanity in Christ (Peter Y. Hong)
Dr. James Spencer sits down with Dr. Peter Y. Hong—federal prison chaplain and author of The Reconciliation of Humanity in Christ—to explore how a…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureBeauty & Resistance: Practicing a Life That Forms You (Jonathan P. Walton)
Dr. James Spencer talks with Jonathan P. Walton—author of Beauty and Resistance and 12 Lies That Hold America Captive—about moving beyond…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureHow Leaders Lose Their Way—and Finish Well Instead (Peter Greer)
Dr. James Spencer talks with Peter Greer—CEO/President of HOPE International and author of How Leaders Lose Their Way (and How to Make Sure It…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureDid Jesus Really Say He Was God? (Mikel Del Rosario)
Dr. James Spencer welcomes Dr. Mikel Del Rosario—theology professor at Moody Bible Institute, host of The Apologetics Guy podcast, and author of Did…
Thinking Christian: Bible, Theology, and CultureYou Were Never Meant to Lead Alone: Discipleship-First Leadership (Eun K. Strawser)
Dr. James Spencer welcomes Eun Strawser—author of You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone and co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Ali o—to rethink church…