Shows / Cocktail Theology
Cocktail Theology
Life and God from a very broadly Christian perspective, with no filter, over cocktails. Progressive, Biblically grounded, LGBTQ-affirming, candid discussions about faith, life, politics, roller coasters, sex, and anything else that matters. ABOUT THE HOSTS Benton Stokes is a songwriter, a recording artist, an author, a worship leader, a podcaster, a collector of comic books, a lover of roller coasters, a dad, a friend, and (with ministry partner Elane O'Rourke) half of School For Seekers…
Episodes
Cocktail TheologyChristmas Songs We Love (And Love To Hate)
In this last episode of the season, Elane and Benton share the Christmas songs they find most moving, most cringy, and most special. All while enjoying French…
Cocktail TheologySurviving And Thriving During The Holidays
NEW EPISODE! The holidays present challenges for most of us. Family tensions. Grief. Issues around eating, drinking, and gifts. Benton and Elane have a…
Cocktail TheologyIs It Spiritual?
What makes something spiritual? Is it the intent or spirituality of its creator? Is it how the thing is received? And what does it mean for something to…
Cocktail TheologySo Are You Tolerant, Accepting, Or An Ally?
Elane and Benton have an in-depth conversation about what it means for Christians to be tolerant, accepting, or allies toward those who are different from us…
Cocktail TheologyMythology/Theology
Elane and Benton respond to a listener's question about the difference between mythology and theology. Cocktail: The Vancouver Theme song: "Moving On (Feels…
Cocktail TheologyHere Come The Holidays
Benton and Elane have a lighthearted chat about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and what happens between—while enjoying an apple brandy cocktail. Cocktail: Without…
Cocktail TheologyElitism, Compassion & Trump
Many Jesus-followers on the left (and some on the right) are understandably stunned, angry, and afraid at the election of Donald Trump. Could a rejection of…
Cocktail TheologyOur Sacred Calling
NEW EPISODE! Recorded right before Election Day, Elane and Benton chat about Jesus' commandment to love—no matter who, no matter what. Cocktail: Apple Press…
Cocktail TheologyMessianic Jews
Benton and Elane discuss Messianic Jews—that is, Jews who believe Jesus was/is the Messiah and behave kinda like evangelical Christians do. Does this seem…
Cocktail TheologyToxic Positivity
Life presents us all with realities that merit reactions like anger, fear, grief, and sadness. Toxically positive Christians deny the existence of such…
Cocktail TheologyChristians & Climate Change
There are Christians who have some interesting views on why they shouldn't have to care for the planet. Elane and Benton have a conversation about some of…
Cocktail TheologyBaptism
What is baptism? Is it vital to a Christian's faith or salvation? Is it sacramental? Is it transformational? What did/does Jesus's baptism mean? All these…
Cocktail TheologyAre Christian Scientists Christians?
Another in their series on what people who profess to be Christians believe, Elane and Benton explore what it means to be a practitioner of Christian Science…
Cocktail TheologyPersonhood & Reproductive Rights
Elane and Benton discuss the idea of personhood—when does a person become a person?—and the often controversial subject of reproductive rights. What does the…
Cocktail TheologyK-LOVE And The Banalization Of Christian Music
Benton wrote Christian pop songs professionally in the 90s. In this episode, he and Elane chat about the current state of Christian pop, its odd relationship…
Cocktail TheologyHow Important Is Church In The Life Of A Christian?
Fewer Americans are attending worship services at a local church than ever before. Many professing Christians seem to have no affiliation—or interest in…
Cocktail Theology6 Ways Churches Are Talking About Anxiety & Depression
Many Christians struggle with mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression. Elane and Benton discuss six kinds of conversations that are happening…
Cocktail TheologyAre Mormons & Seventh-Day Adventists Christians?
Elane and Benton discuss some of the distinctives of Mormons and Seventh-Day Adventists while they pose the question, what are the key things that define a…
Cocktail TheologyYeah, We're Queer...So What?
Reconciling faith and sexuality is a tough road for many queer people of faith, especially for those in churches that are unaccepting of LGBTQ+ people. Benton…
Cocktail TheologyJesus vs. Paul
There are some significant differences between the teachings of Jesus and those of the Apostle Paul. Jesus spoke in parables, teaching individuals and small…
Cocktail TheologyYou Might Be An Evangelical If...(Part 3): Reclaiming "Evangelical"
In the third part of their series, "You Might Be An Evangelical If…," Benton and Elane talk about how important it is not to throw the baby out with the…
Cocktail TheologyAre Catholics Christians?
Elane and Benton pose the question, "Are Catholics Christians?" Might sound like an absurd question, but it is one that persists in some protestant and…
Cocktail TheologyChristians & Mental Health
When was the last time you heard mental health addressed from the pulpit in your church? Most pastors don't encourage their followers to pay attention to their…
Cocktail TheologyAngels & Demons
What are angels? What are demons? Are there harps, wings, pitchforks, and pointy tails involved? Do they intervene in human affairs or keep a safe distance?…
Cocktail TheologyYou Might Be An Evangelical If (Part 2): Evangelicalism As A Political Movement
Benton and Elane continue their conversation about evangelicalism by delving into how it became a political movement (which Benton calls "antichrist") instead…
Cocktail TheologyWhy Voting Is So [Bleeping] Important!
Elane and Benton have a conversation (over cocktails, of course) about voting—why it's so important and why, as progressive Christians, it couldn't be more…
Cocktail TheologyYou Might Be An Evangelical If... (Part One)
Elane and Benton have the first of a few conversations about what makes an evangelical an evangelical. Here they chat about the basics—how and when…
Cocktail TheologyOur Stories Matter
Here in the age of social media influencers and reality tv, you can find lots of carefully curated stories. It's easy to paint a picture of yourself and your…
Cocktail TheologyChrist-Light
Suppose that following Jesus isn't about proving yourself, or making sure that other people know that you're right with God, or winning the prize that gets you…
Cocktail TheologyWhy The Hebrew Scriptures Matter
The Old Testament, as we Christians refer to it, is more than just the Creation story, the Ten Commandments, and a bunch of prophets with funny names. Elane…
Cocktail TheologyDoubt
The opposite of faith isn't doubt—it's certainty. Whenever anyone is sure they have the right answers, they'll be threatened by those who think maybe they…
Cocktail TheologyCan I Be Smart And Be A Christian?
Christians are often portrayed as dumb as they hold onto ideas that are out of step with culture, science, and sometimes even common sense. But are Christians…
Cocktail TheologyRichard Hays And The Big About-Face
For decades, Richard Hays has been the leading New Testament scholar among conservatives. His case against LGBTQ+ people continues to justify queer exclusion…
Cocktail TheologyHow Should Christians Respond To the War In Israel?
American Christians are deeply divided on what our response should be to the Israel-Hamas War. The religious and political right support Israel no matter what…
Cocktail TheologyWhat Makes A Progressive Christian Progressive?
Progressives of any kind are generally thought of as forward-thinking non-traditionalists who dare to question conventionality and work at cultivating and…
Cocktail TheologyThe Incarnation
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Jesus and Hercules? Well, we can think of a few. Elane and Benton close out Season 4 with a conversation…
Cocktail TheologyMoral Authority
What is moral authority and where does it come from? Do we as a society care about moral authority? And where should Christians look for moral authority…
Cocktail TheologyChristians In Congress
Should Christians vote for Christians to represent them in government? If the answer is "yes," then the next question is "why?" Elane and Benton discuss, among…
Cocktail TheologyPower
Power—and the desire each of us has for it—is the concern God confronted when They handed Moses the Ten Commandments. Bottom line: Power is at the root of sin…
Cocktail TheologyRecognizing God's Voice
God moves--and speaks--in mysterious ways. Benton and Elane chat about the ways they have (and haven't) heard God speak, and pose the question: "How do you…
Cocktail TheologyGodliness
Elane and Benton discuss the meaning and misunderstandings around the word 'godliness' as it appears in the Bible and in fundamentalist ideology—while drinking…
Cocktail TheologyIn _____ We Trust
Who do you trust? What does "trust" even mean? Benton and Elane delve into trust while sipping a cilantro-laced cocktail. Cocktail: Cilantro Fields Forever…
Cocktail TheologyHumor In The Bible
Elane and Benton point out some of the really funny things in the Bible in response to a listener's question, while sipping another delicious fall cocktail.
Cocktail TheologyHolidays & Holy Days
What makes a day "holy?" Within our many faith traditions, we may mark some days as holy, but what about as a culture, a society? Elane and Benton chat about…
Cocktail TheologyAn Exploration Of Denominations
Why are there so many denominations? If we all worship the same God, why can't we all do it together? Should we all be working together to find common ground…
Cocktail TheologyContentment Isn't Happiness
Contentment, at least the kind the Apostle Paul wrote about, is more than just happiness. More than the absence of pain or disappointment. More than the glow…
Cocktail TheologyA Conversation About Cremation
We know what happens to our bodies when they die, but what about our souls? And what bearing—if any—does what we do with a body after its death have on its…
Cocktail TheologyMoral Compass
Have we lost our moral compass—assuming we ever had one? Elane and Benton discuss where our morals come from as a society, what counts as "truth," and our one…
Cocktail TheologyWorship
NEW EPISODE! When we sing our worship songs, gather in worship services, enter into worship, what does all that mean to God? And what does that mean for us?…
Cocktail TheologyFaith
NEW EPISODE! Where do our ideas about faith come from? Is there such a thing as "biblical" faith? Is faith something you earn, keep, lose? (And what was George…
Cocktail TheologyHello, I'm A Christian
If I tell you that I'm a Christian, what does that say to you? Does it make you want to ask questions? Run for the nearest exit? Punch me in the face? The term…
Cocktail TheologyPoor, Unfortunate Souls: The Doctrine Of Depravity
If we each have a soul, where do souls come from and where do they go when our bodies die? Are souls bad by nature or created good? How does God feel about our…
Cocktail TheologySatan
Who is Satan and where did he come from? Are Satan worshippers the threat some Christians believe them to be? Benton and Elane have a chat about the Ringmaster…
Cocktail TheologyPro-Life
Elane and Benton discuss what the term "pro-life" means these days—politically, philosophically, and spiritually. WARNING: Some of the content in this episode…
Cocktail TheologyQAnon, Christendom, And What To Do About Aunt Bea
What do you do when Aunt Bea wants to talk about the QAnon theories she believes at Thanksgiving dinner…again?? How does a Jesus-follower respond to Christian…
- Cocktail Theology
Are Vices Sins?
Is smoking a sin? What about drinking or gambling? Just because an activity or behavior might be deemed unhealthy, is it also necessarily considered sinful?…