Beer Christianity Jonty Langley

The sad news of the passing of Professor Jürgen Moltmann prompted us to revisit the richness of his thought and the gracious wisdom of his style with this interview from 2013. 
 
 
From concerns that are very much of the time (the New Atheism and its influence) to issues that are more relevant now than then (the need for Christians to be involved in politics to combat far-right extremism), this wide-ranging interview covers politics, economics, art, environment and what it's like to be one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century.
Join Laura, Malky and Jonty as they discuss Prof Moltmann's answers, muse of Christian Rap and examine why Malky still has a certain picture on his wall.
Prof Jürgen Moltmann has been described as perhaps the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th Century. Best known for his 1972 work The Crucified God, and for 1964's Theology of Hope, Moltmann had a huge influence on western theology, but was not without detractors. In this quote from Donald McLeod in Themeleos, one can sense the author's frustration perhaps as much as one can feel oneself warming to Moltmann based on the critique: 
"How does Moltmann satisfy himself that something is true? More important, how does he convince the reader that something is true? The two means of verification normally open to Christians are Scripture and tradition. Neither of these seems particularly important to Moltmann. He has a decidedly smorgasbord approach to the canon; and his respect for fathers and reformers is scant, to say the least. His real criteria lie elsewhere. In order to be true, a doctrine must offer a viable theodicy (it must shed light on Auschwitz); it must advance Jewish-Christian dialogue, bearing in mind that Jews were ‘sufferers’ and Christians ‘perpetrators’: it must meet the ecological concerns of humankind; it must give a platform for Christian political activism; and it must both illuminate and be illuminated by the preoccupations of feminism. Above all, theological statements must be validated by experience. Even what looks like his fundamental theological principle, crux probat omnia (‘the cross is the test of everything’) is itself accepted only because it conforms to these criteria."
What's not to love? 
Moltmann's writing style is complex, dense and almost poetic rather than analytic, which itself has drawn criticism. But in this interview with a young and not terribly smart pseudojournalist, the good Professor is clear, concise and frankly quotable. Listen out for his response to the apocalyptic view that Christians need not care about Creation!
We are sure we have not done his thought and legacy justice, but we are pleased to potentially introduce some folks to Prof Moltmann's legacy. 
Thanks to Mark at BMSWM for the permission, years ago, to use this material, long before we ever envisioned a podcast like this. And thanks to all the friends of the podcast who shared (or almost shared) their insights about the great man. 
Please remember Prof Moltmann's family and friends in your prayers.
 
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 to 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

Christian deconstruction: depending on your theology, it's either a dangerous movement of postmodernism in the Church, seducing young people away from orthodoxy, or a new Reformation of Christistianity, replacing certainty, dogma and control with honesty, love and a messy approach to faith.
In this episode (Part I of II), the gang talk deconstruction, what it means to us, what we've gained and what we feel we might have lost because of that journey. We also feature the stories and reflections of special guests (one more special and less guesty than the others) who discuss whether they feel they have deconstructed and why.
Listen for some laughs, some thoughts about what deconstruction offers and means, and also for Jonty's niche conspiracy theory about Trent Reznor #reversesatanicpanic.
Please share this with your deconstructing friends (and friends who fear the deconstruction movement), and message us with your thoughts on and experiences with deconstructing. 
Part II is coming soon!

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 to 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. 

Jonty shares some thoughts on Palestine, US imperialism, the genocide in Gaza, whataboutism, why Palestine matters and why Christians should care.  No Laura, Malky or Drabs, just Jonts and a bottle of melktert liqueur. If that's what you're into. He's discussing things like: 
Why should we care about Palestine when so many other terrible things are happening in the world? Did Palestine exist? Doesn’t Israel have a right to defend itself? What about Hamas? Is Israel a vassal state of the USA or is it the other way around? What does resistance look like when you’re abused for decades, and what do we think Jesus wants to happen in Gaza right now?
Jonty is no expert, but he has been writing, speaking and demonstrating about Palestine for a long time, and he has the experience of living in an Apartheid state that called all resistance terrorism. Plus, he’s a middle aged white guy with a podcast, so he’s gonna share his thoughts. No shade if you decide not to listen. Episode 44 with Illan Pappe is a great alternative. 
If you already know all there is to know about Palestine and have heard all the arguments, or if you mainly listen to Beer Christianity for the bants or the guests, skip on past this one. 
To hear from people who truly know about the struggle, visit and donate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
You can listen to Episode 96 anywhere: at your parents’ house while having a glass of wine, at your VERY creaky desk drinking milktart flavoured booze, while making plans to attend a demonstration, and right here.
Also:
 
 
New to 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 to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 



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.
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.
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.
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. 

Welcome to the liberated zone, Oxford edition.
To mark Nakba Day 2024, Beer Christianity co-host Laura visits our local protest encampment to hear from the demonstrators at our local Gaza solidarity encampment.
If you have been reading about the student protest encampments at Columbia, UCLA and Berkley universities in the USA (or, better, been seeing videos shot by the people involved), you may have questions. The billionaire-owned media have been providing a narrative that, at best, seeks to ‘both-sides’ both the genocide in Gaza and the police-enabled violence at the protests and, at worst paints the protests as anti-Semitic.
Attempts by US officials to suggest the encampments are dangerous (‘evidence’: an Oxford reader about terrorism and how to stop it) and co-ordinated by sinister world powers (‘evidence’: lots of students buy the same cheap tent) would be entirely laughable if they weren’t a symptom of a political and media class in lock-step with colonialist militarism, happy to bless America’s steady slide into actual fascism.
So, instead of talking about the encampments and presuming their motivations, we thought we’d join the many voices of conscience speaking to the people involved. And because we’re Christians, aware of the terrible role Christian Zionism continues to play in the suffering of Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians) as well as Israelis of all religions, we spoke to some of the Christians at the Oxford Gaza solidarity encampment. (“We” here really means Laura, who conceived, recorded and produced this episode.) They told us why they are there, what they think about using privilege for good and how they view the risks, as well as what happens in these vilified encampments. WARNING: they do talk about bake sales. Scary stuff.
Follow Oxford Action for Palestine @oxact4pal on Insta here for more from the people standing up for justice.
 
 
New to 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 to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 



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.
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.
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.
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. 

Is evil structural, spiritual, or a bit of both?
Do acts of selfishness or sin have cascading effects that reverberate through history? Can we shine a light on contemporary Western politics by imagining how our politicians would react to a figure like Jesus and the movement he inspired?
All these questions and more (mostly about Israel and its war on the people of Palestine) are covered in this discussion between Jonty and Justin Butcher, Author and star of The Devil's Passion, which you can watch in London on Palm Sunday 2024.
The Devil's Passion is a one-man play that blends historical timeframes and spiritual metaphor to present Jesus as a threat not only to the earthly status quo but to the spiritual realms of darkness. Beer Christianity got to watch a performance recently and loved it. You should check it out too, if you're in Italy or London over the next few days, or get hold of the play's text here. 
Watch The Devil's Passion in London on Palm Sunday, 24 March 2024 . 
More info about Justin and the play. 
 
 
New to 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 to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 



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.
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.
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.
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. 

Do you feel like you belong at your church? Have you found your people? Do you feel at home?
 
In this episode we explore how much dogma, belief, diversity, relatability and stage of life determine whether we feel 'at home' in church. 
Along the way we ask what makes a really good home group (spoiler: it may be Jonty and Malky), we discuss  wehter the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints is right for people who dislike Joseph Smith, and Laura stages a coup d' podcast with the help of her fancy new mic. 
Identity, dogma, community and inclusion, all in this episode of Beer Christianity. 
 
New to Beer Christianity? Hallelujah. 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 to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. 
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.
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.