Beer Christianity

Jonty Langley
  • 4.2 (13)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Beer Christianity

Faith, hops and love. Beer Christianity is a progressive Christian podcast that blends faith, politics and culture with pub chat. Interviews with thinkers, artists and theologians. Honest, authentic discussions of theology and society. Almost no real understanding of beer. Expect all this and a bunch of laughs as we try to deconstruct, reconstruct and unf*ck our Christianity with fear, trembling and a couple of drinks. Pour a pint, put your feet up and listen your way into a different kind of Christian podcast. A fresh alternative to conservative Christian podcasts that fail to question anything and deconstructing podcasts that see nothing in evangelicalism worth saving. Expect strong political views, open religious dialogue and the occasional shambles in the ‘studio’.

  1. Episode 108 - Tony Campolo: remembering the man with archive interview

    4 HR AGO

    Episode 108 - Tony Campolo: remembering the man with archive interview

    Tony Campolo, the Baptist preacher, sociologist, Red Letter Christian and ceaseless campaigner for a Christian vision of social justice, has died. In this episode, we pay tribute to Tony in the best way we know how: by letting him speak for himself. Eventually. First, we talk about our own memories of him, and his influence on our theology. But once we've done making it about us, we share an interview with Tony from the vaults. In 2012, Tony Campolo was concerned about many of the things that are now even more pressing and horrifying. The interview feels prophetic in multiple understandings of the word, and Campolo is solid on everything from American militarism and imperialism to the incompatibility of Christian spirituality with right-wing ideological selfishness. His identification of the central problem with evangelical engagement with culture -- the idea that everything gets better if people become Christians -- is expressed particularly poignantly, considering where we are with the Church in the West. We hope you enjoy hearing from Tony again, and that you remember his family and friends at this time. Full disclosure: we also talk a lot about why we're excited about our new magazine, S(h)ibboleth. We hope it doesn't come across as a sales pitch and more as the genuine excitement we're feeling about connecting more Christians with similar beliefs and making the world better as a result. Naive? Maybe. Worth a shot? Sure. Fun? Hell yeah. Find out deets at shibbolethmag.com and beerchristianity.co.uk

    1h 6m
  2. Episode 107 - Religion and the Right: Helen Paynter on the Bible and fighting fascism

    2 DAYS AGO

    Episode 107 - Religion and the Right: Helen Paynter on the Bible and fighting fascism

    The Far Right is on the rise. And, increasingly, fascists and proto-fascists are using Christian language and imagery to justify their position.  What should a Christian response be? Can we really say that our faith is being 'hijacked' by racists and bigots, or is there deeper acknowledgement and repentance to be done in the service of justice? And if fascists are the enemy, what do wee do with the command to love them? The brilliant Revd Dr Helen Paynter, theologian, Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, and Beer Christianity's most regular guest, talks to Jonty and Laura about all this and more.  It's a good one! Helpful links from the episode Visit the page for The Church and the far-right claim to Christianity page for a list of events coming up. Specific events on the horizon (at time of publishing) include an event in Birmingham on Englishness and race, a London event on youth radicalisation and a YouTube-based event on the subject with the good people at Modern Church. You can and should get hold of Helen's books we mentioned (edited and written) at these links:  The Church, the Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity Blessed are the Peacemakers: A biblical theology of human violence And you can also check out a discussion of the dissenting traditions here.   ALSO. We are launching a magazine. You're going to love it. It's called S(h)ibboleth, and you can read all about the new left-leaning Christian magazine here.  Find out more about Beer Christianity at beerchristianity.co.uk

    59 min
  3. Episode 106: Brian McLaren - hope in uncertain futures - plus S(h)ibboleth announcement

    7 NOV

    Episode 106: Brian McLaren - hope in uncertain futures - plus S(h)ibboleth announcement

    Brian McLaren is one of the most important and influential voices in the Christian deconstruction movement. He's also one hell of a nice guy. Brian's influence on the post-evangelical Church is hard to overstate, and yet he remains humble and approachable as ever. We caught up with him at Greenbelt festival in August 2024 and talked to him about deconstruction, US election harm reduction and that appalling Musk-Trump interview. We also asked him about hope and the future. It's a great chat. Brian McLaren's latest book, Life After Doom, is available to buy right now.  S(h)pecial announcement: S(h)ibboleth magazine launch We also take the opportunity in this episode to tell you about the launch of S(h)ibboleth - our new magazine for left-leaning inclusive Christians (or the post-post-post evangelical and Christian-adjacent). Find out more at shibbolethmag.com Find out more about Beer Christianity at beerchristianity.co.uk

    53 min
  4. Episode 105 - SHORT - October 8th and everything after - with Christians for Palestine

    8 OCT

    Episode 105 - SHORT - October 8th and everything after - with Christians for Palestine

    One year on from the attacks of October 7th 2023, and from the disproportionate Israeli campaign of violence that followed, it is more important than ever for Christians and all people who care about human rights and political justice to stand up and speak out against genocide, occupation and collective punishment. That's why people like Christians for Palestine are such an essential witness. We caught up with them on the most recent march in solidarity with Palestine.   Follow Christians for Palestine UK on Instagram now.

    12 min
  5. David Benjamin Blower - Art, anarchism and not deconstructing

    6 OCT

    David Benjamin Blower - Art, anarchism and not deconstructing

    David Benjamin Blower is a musician, poet, podcaster and theologian who you may have encountered on the Nomad podcast, his Messianic Folklore podcast or the Common Era podcast (described as 'conversations between a Catholic Priest and a post-evangelical poet'). With all that in mind, it was very kind of him to join us on Beer Christianity and we liked him very much. On this episode, David talks to us about art and being an artist, deconstruction and why he wouldn't describe his own journey using that term, as well as anarchism and a little theology. Jonty also gets to fangirl a little about a particular Benjamin Blower song and find out what kind of space David creates to write. Join us ofr a fascinating, thoughtful meander through the mind of an important figure in the post-evangelical scene. You can find more of David's work at davidbenjaminblower.com Listen to David Benjamin Blower's music here!    About Beer Christianity Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up for the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack.  Support Beer Christianity… Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer)  Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. Laura doesn’t want us to post her BookTok until she’s posted more videos. She may have prayed for the app to be banned just to avoid it. Beliefs… We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

    1h 2m
  6. Episode 103 - Steve Chalke: th eonly Oasis interview you need

    13 SEPT

    Episode 103 - Steve Chalke: th eonly Oasis interview you need

    Did we make a joke about the reunion tour? Definitely maybe. Steve Chalke is founder of Oasis, a hugely significant charity most famous for its youthwork initiatives and other social impact subbrands. He's also been a controversial figure in the UK Church, ever since, as a Baptist minister, he came out against Penal Substitution as an image of Christ's atonement, and came out in favour of equal marriage for gay couples. In this episode, Malky, Laura and Jonty chat to Steve about Paul and Jesus, the Church's hang-ups about sexuality, honest assessments of the professional youthwork experiment and how he guards against Beloved Founder Syndrome bleeding into problematic areas. We don't agree with Steve on everything, but we hope the tone is of critical friends offering helpful challenge, as we really enjoyed talking to Steve and we love his pastoral vision of an inclusive, loving Church.   About Beer Christianity Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up for the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack.  Support Beer Christianity… Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer)  Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. Laura doesn’t want us to post her BookTok until she’s posted more videos. She may have prayed for the app to be banned just to avoid it. Beliefs… We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

    1h 4m
  7. Episode 102: Flamy Grant - Drag, Christian music and authenticity

    5 SEPT

    Episode 102: Flamy Grant - Drag, Christian music and authenticity

    Flamy Grant is the first drag artist ever to top the iTunes Christian charts, with her soulful songs about growing up queer in the Bible Belt of the US and navigating faith, Scripture, gender and sexuality with honesty. [there would ordinarily be an image here but Libsyn is a bit ropey today] We caught up with Flamy at Greenbelt festival and talked about God, the Bible, personal authenticity and why she still makes Christian-friendly music. It's a lot of fun, you should listen. The episode was recorded out in the wild, so expect some background noise and for us to be quieter than Flamy, because THIS ISN'T ABOUT US, OKAY? If we're quiet it is because we are good allies choosing not to centre ourselves (and not because we were so concerned about making sure we got Flamy we kinda forgot about ourselves) (also not because Jonty can't find the backup recording where we might be louder) (why would you even think that? shut up). Flamy's latest single, If you ever leave, is out now. Find out more about her and what she's doing at flamygrant.com and check out Greenbelt's helpful payment plans for 2025's festival if you want a cool way to spread the cost.  About Beer Christianity Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up for the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack.  Support Beer Christianity… Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer) where you can make one-off donations or do the membership thing. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. Laura doesn’t want us to post her BookTok until she’s posted more videos. She may have prayed for the app to be banned just to avoid it. Beliefs… We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

    57 min
  8. Greenbelt festival 2024 review

    29 AUG

    Greenbelt festival 2024 review

    The greatest festival in the world did not disappoint in 2024. Greenbelt: Dream On was lovely, and we're here to tell you why. If you were not there (or if you've never been to Greenbelt) we're here to tell you why we loved it again this year. If you were there, let's compare notes! We loved:  Bob Vylan Dutty Moonshine Big Band Flamy Grant Brian McLaren DAM Richard Rohr Seeing our children Drinking enough cider to forget things Beer and Hymns Siskin Green Drinking enough cider to forget things Vibes Join us on this special episode for Greenbelt 101. Contains rollerblades. And crazy goat. Thanks again to the people who put this lovely festival together. And thanks to you for listening. You should book now for Greenbelt 2025, there are amazing monthly plans!   About Beer Christianity Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up for the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack.  Support Beer Christianity… Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer) where you can make one-off donations or do the membership thing. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. Laura doesn’t want us to post her BookTok until she’s posted more videos. She may have prayed for the app to be banned just to avoid it. Beliefs… We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

    39 min
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4.2
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Faith, hops and love. Beer Christianity is a progressive Christian podcast that blends faith, politics and culture with pub chat. Interviews with thinkers, artists and theologians. Honest, authentic discussions of theology and society. Almost no real understanding of beer. Expect all this and a bunch of laughs as we try to deconstruct, reconstruct and unf*ck our Christianity with fear, trembling and a couple of drinks. Pour a pint, put your feet up and listen your way into a different kind of Christian podcast. A fresh alternative to conservative Christian podcasts that fail to question anything and deconstructing podcasts that see nothing in evangelicalism worth saving. Expect strong political views, open religious dialogue and the occasional shambles in the ‘studio’.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonty Langley
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 Jonathan Langley
  • Show Website
    Beer Christianity

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