Peaceable And Kind

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Welcome to "Peaceable and Kind," the podcast where we explore the transformative power of living out Jesus' call to peace and kindness in our everyday lives. Each week your host, Derek Vreeland, will delve into the stories, Scriptures, and practical steps that help us embody these essential Christian virtues. Join us as we talk with inspiring guests, reflect on Scripture, and discover ways to bring peace and kindness into our homes, communities, and the world. Whether you're seeking encouragement, guidance, or a deeper understanding of your faith, "Peaceable and Kind" is here to support and uplift you on your spiritual journey. Let's embark together on this path of grace, compassion, and love, living out the true essence of our faith. Thank you for tuning in, and may the peace of God be with you always.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Christus Victor, Hell, and Evil

    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the Lenten journey through Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion, focusing on two powerful chapters: the Christus Victor image of the cross and Jesus’ descent into hell.  Christus Victor is the great battle metaphor of the atonement. At the cross, Jesus defeats the enslaving powers of Sin, Death, and the devil. These are not abstract ideas, but active forces holding humanity in bondage. Drawing from Colossians 2:15 and Romans 5-6, Rutledge frames the cross as apocalyptic, that is an an unveiling or revelation. The crucifixion reveals that Jesus is Lord. Authority has shifted. Sin and Death no longer reign. The Lamb who was slain now reigns at the center of the throne.  Derek clarifies key biblical language surrounding. Gehenna as a metaphor for final judgment, Hades (and Hebrew Sheol) as the realm of the dead. Jesus did not descend into Gehenna to be punished; his suffering was finished at the cross. Rather, the descent proclaims victory. Death is personified as a prison master, and Jesus is the liberator. Rutledge pushes us to take judgment seriously without exaggeration or sentimentality. Hell is best understood not as literal fire but as a domain where evil reigns, a tragic reality of separation from the life of God.  Finally, the discussion moves to the nature of evil. Following Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, Rutledge affirms that evil is not a created substance but a privation of the good (privatio boni). Evil is real and destructive, but it lacks actual substance. Evil is like a hole in the ground. It does not have substance but it can trip us up. It cannot be explained away, only denounced and resisted. The Triune God comes in Christ to overthrow the unholy trinity of Sin, Death, and the devil. The gospel is deliverance from the grip of evil and victory belongs to Jesus.  Books Mentioned  • The Crucifixion — Fleming Rutledge • Christus Victor — Gustaf Aulén • The Great Divorce — C. S. Lewis • Exclusion and Embrace — Miroslav Volf    Scriptures Mentioned  • Colossians 2:15 • Romans 5:21 • Romans 6:9, 14, 23 • 1 Peter 3   Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    39 min

  2. 5 MAR

    Rejecting Propitiation and Reclaiming Redemption

    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the Lenten journey through Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion, exploring four major biblical images for understanding the death of Jesus: Passover and Exodus, blood sacrifice, ransom and redemption, and final judgment. Derek insists that we do not begin with atonement theories or later theological debates. Rather we begin with the Old Testament. The cross only makes sense within the story of Israel, especially the Exodus, where salvation is framed not as abstract forgiveness but as liberation from slavery and deliverance from death.  This episode also tackles the controversial question of propitiation. Rutledge argues that the Greek word hilasterion in Romans 3:25 should not be translated as “propitiation” (appeasing an angry God), but as expiation, that is the removal of sin. The barrier between God and humanity is not God’s anger but our sin. Redemption, then, is the Triune God’s loving work of buying back humanity from the enslaving powers of Sin, Death, and the Devil. Judgment, or what Rutledge calls “The Great Assize,” is not contrary to love but an expression of it. God’s righteous commitment to set the world right.  Books Mentioned  • The Crucifixion — Fleming Rutledge • The Day the Revolution Began by N. T. Wright • Centering Jesus by Derek Vreeland •On the Incarnation by Athanasius  Scriptures Mentioned  • Exodus 12–15 • Leviticus 16 • Isaiah 53:7 • Romans 3:25 • Romans 8:3 • Hebrews 9:26 • Mark 10:45 • 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 • Matthew 25 • John 8  Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    45 min

  3. 24 FEB

    Anselm and the Power of Sin

    In this deeply theological episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the Lenten journey through Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion by working through two chapters that bring Rutledge’s long introduction to a close. These chapters cover her reconsideration of Anselm and satisfaction theory and her exploration of the gravity of Sin. They both lay crucial groundwork for everything that follows in the book. Derek engages Rutledge appreciatively but critically, clarifying where he agrees, where he wrestles, and where he remains unconvinced. Theology at its best does not simply settle questions but deepens them in faithful and prayerful ways. This episode explores Anselm’s satisfaction theory, how it differs from penal substitution, and why Rutledge’s retrieval, guided in part by Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart, deserves careful attention. Derek also raises important questions about obedience, the life of Jesus, and whether “satisfaction” is best understood as a life faithfully lived rather than a transactional mechanism centered on death alone. The episode concludes with Rutledge’s sobering chapter on the gravity of Sin, where sin is not treated as a collection of bad choices but as a dark, enslaving power paired with Death itself. Only when we take sin seriously, Rutledge insists, can we begin to understand why the cross had to be as ugly and costly as it was. Key Takeaways • Anselm’s satisfaction theory is distinct from penal substitution • Satisfaction focuses on restoring God’s honor; penal substitution focuses on punishment. • Rutledge does not defend a transactional or appeasement-based view of atonement. • Jesus’ obedient and faithful life raises important questions about what truly satisfies God. • Sin is not merely individual wrongdoing but a power that enslaves and destroys. • In Scripture, Sin and Death function as ruling forces over humanity. • The ugliness of the cross corresponds to the gravity and power of sin. • The cross makes no sense unless we take sin far more seriously than modern culture does. Books Mentioned • The Crucifixion — Fleming Rutledge • On the Incarnation — Athanasius Scriptures Mentioned • Romans 5:19 • 1 Corinthians 15:3 • Romans 6:12 • Romans 6:17 • Romans 7:11 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    37 min

  4. 19 FEB

    The Ugliness of the Cross and the Wrath of God

    Lent is underway, and in this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek continues the Lenten journey through Fleming Rutledge’s monumental book, The Crucifixion. This episode takes a deep dive into chapters 2 and 3, confronting the ugliness of the cross and rethinking the meaning of the wrath of God. Before the cross became a polished religious symbol, it was an instrument of terror, shame, and public humiliation. Rutledge insists that if we want to understand what the death of Jesus means, we must first face what it was: irreligious, degrading, and horrifying. Only by grounding the crucifixion in its historical reality can we begin to grasp how God’s justice and mercy meet at the cross. This episode also explores Rutledge’s reframing of divine justice—not as punishment for punishment’s sake, but as God’s work of rectifying what is broken. God’s wrath, she argues, is not an emotional outburst, but God’s active opposition to sin and evil for the sake of setting the world right. Key Takeaways • The cross was not a religious symbol but an instrument of public shame and terror. • The manner of Jesus’ death matters as much as the fact of his death. • Roman crucifixion was designed to humiliate, dehumanize, and warn entire populations. • God’s justice in Scripture is about rectification, not mere punishment. • Forgiveness restores relationships; justice seeks to make things right. • The wrath of God is not emotional rage but God’s active opposition to evil. • God’s justice is restorative, aimed at healing what sin has corrupted. Books Mentioned • The Crucifixion — Fleming Rutledge • The Day the Revolution Began — N. T. Wright • The Cross and the Lynching Tree — James Cone Scriptures Mentioned • John 1:29 • Isaiah 1:16–17 • Matthew 12:18 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    37 min

  5. 12 FEB

    An Introduction to Fleming Rutledge's The Crucifixion

    With Ash Wednesday approaching, Derek begins a special seven-week journey focused on the cross by introducing what he considers the most important contemporary book written on the death of Jesus: The Crucifixion by Fleming Rutledge.  In a religious culture often drawn toward inspiration, self-help, or relevance at all costs, Rutledge refuses to soften the offense of the gospel. She insists that Christianity does not begin with moral improvement or spiritual techniques, but with an event no one would have invented—the public execution of the Son of God.  In this episode, Derek explores why Rutledge’s work matters so deeply, how her life as a parish priest shaped her theology, and why the cross remains the central, unsettling, and hope-filled truth of the Christian faith. This episode sets the stage for a slow, careful walk through a book that refuses easy answers and instead invites us to live within the tensions of judgment and mercy, suffering and hope, cross and resurrection.   Key Takeaways  • The Crucifixion is the fruit of over twenty years of pastoral preaching and theological reflection. • Christianity begins with an event that looks like failure: the execution of a crucified man. • Rutledge writes as a preacher and pastor, not as a detached academic or system-builder. • The cross is not a metaphor or symbol, but God’s decisive confrontation with sin, death, and evil. • The gospel resists being reduced to self-help, moral uplift, or religious technique. • Christian faith is learned by living within tension, not resolving it prematurely. • The crucifixion reveals who God truly is—and redefines how God rules and reigns.   Books Mentioned Violence, Hospitality, and the Cross by Hans Boersma The Day the Revolution Began by N. T. Wright N.T. Wright and the Revolutionary Cross by Derek Vreeland The Crucifixion by Fleming Rutledge   Scriptures Mentioned John 1:29 John 18:33–37 1 Corinthians 2:2   Resource Mentioned Russell Moore interview with Fleming Rutledge (2023): https://www.russellmoore.com/2023/03/29/fleming-rutledge-on-the-cross/  Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    35 min

  6. 5 FEB

    Aristotle to the Rescue

    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the ongoing conversation about hypocrisy by turning toward a path of recovery. Rather than offering quick fixes or moralistic pressure, Derek invites listeners into a deeper vision of formation, one that reaches back into the ancient world for wisdom that still speaks today.  Drawing on Aristotle’s vision of ethics and virtue, and later Christian thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, this episode reframes ethics not as rule-keeping or performance, but as becoming the kind of people God intends us to be. Hypocrisy thrives on the disconnection between being and doing; virtue restores harmony through practiced faithfulness.  Aristotle isn’t our savior; Jesus is! But his wisdom can help Christians recover integrity, wholeness, and a life well lived.    Key Takeaways  Hypocrisy is not healed by effort alone, but by formation.  Salvation is a gift of grace, but grace is given for a way of life shaped by good works.  Aristotle’s ethics focus on becoming good, not merely doing right.  Virtue is a habit formed over time that aligns our inner life with our outward actions.  Practices shape character; character shapes desire.  Wholeness emerges when being and doing are brought back into harmony.  Books mentioned in this episode:  Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle  From Aristotle to Christ by Louis Markos  Scriptures mentioned in this episode:  Ephesians 2:8–10  Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood:  Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs  Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk  Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0    Did you find this episode helpful on your spiritual journey? Consider helping us out!  Leave a review  Share it with your friends  Give us a 5-Star rating on your podcast app of choice  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    39 min

  7. 29 JAN

    Philip Yancy and the Problem of Hypocrisy

    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek reflects on the devastating news surrounding Philip Yancey and what it reveals about the persistent problem of hypocrisy within the Christian life. Yancey’s writing shaped the faith of generations, helping many of us trust that grace is greater than sin. When news broke of his long-hidden moral failure, the response was not anger or judgment, but grief, lament, and a sober awareness of our shared human weakness.  Rather than throwing stones, this episode turns inward. Hypocrisy is not simply something “out there” among fallen leaders. It is a temptation that lives close to home. Following Jesus requires honest lament over our brokenness and a renewed pursuit of integrity rooted in virtue and the Spirit’s transforming work. The disconnect between our interior life and our public life, between being and doing, lies at the heart of the problem.  Sin is more than bad behavior; it is missing the mark and undermining who we were created to be as image-bearers of God. Hypocrisy emerges when we seek the rewards of discipleship without embracing the slow, humbling work of transformation. Jesus had little patience for religious performance, confronting outward righteousness that concealed inward decay.  The episode concludes with hope. If you recognize yourself in this struggle, you are not alone. You are not beyond repair. You may simply be a recovering hypocrite—and recovery is possible.  Key Insights  Hypocrisy is not struggling and failing; it is pretending without pursuing transformation.  Sin fractures the harmony between being and doing, making hypocrisy inevitable.  The root of hypocrisy is not merely theological but ontological, that is, a problem of being.  Christian formation requires virtue, humility, and dependence on the Spirit.  Recovery from hypocrisy begins with honest self-examination, repentance, and grace.  Books mentioned on this episode:  From Aristotle to Christ — Louis Markos  What’s So Amazing About Grace? — Philip Yancey  Scriptures mentioned on this episode  Mark 7:6–7  Matthew 23:27–28  Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood:  Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs  Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk  Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0    Did you find this episode helpful on your spiritual journey? Consider helping us out!  Leave a review  Share it with your friends  Give us a 5-Star rating on your podcast app of choice  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    36 min

  8. 22 JAN

    From Aristotle to Christ: A Conversation with Louis Markos

    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland invites listeners on a journey from ancient Athens to Jerusalem, exploring how Greek philosophy, especially Aristotle, has helped clarify Christian faith without ever replacing divine revelation. While reason must always remain subordinate to revelation, the wisdom of Athens can still serve the truth revealed in Christ.  Derek is joined by Louis Markos, Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Christian University and holder of the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. A prolific author, speaker, and public intellectual, Markos has written over thirty books on topics ranging from classical literature and philosophy to C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Christian apologetics. His latest book, From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith, is the third volume in a trilogy exploring how pagan philosophy prepared the way for Christian theology.  Their conversation focuses especially on Aristotle’s ethics, the nature of virtue, the role of habit in moral formation, and how Christians can affirm virtue without falling into works-righteousness. Together, Derek and Lou explore how Aristotle can help believers think clearly about goodness, character, and holiness in a morally confused age while keeping Jesus firmly at the center.  Key Highlights  Lou Markos’s journey into faith, philosophy, and literature  Aristotle’s understanding of virtue, goodness, and habit  The role of habit in forming character  The “self-reinforcing cycle” of virtue and habit  How Aristotle helps believers conform their souls to the image of Christ  Book mentioned in this episode: From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics by Louis Markos From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith by Louis Markos From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith by Louis Markos Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis  Louis Markos’ Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JSBEBG?ingress=0&visitId=c43cc519-1ee8-4d84-b220-be3385b263bf&ref_=ap_rdr  Louis Markos’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1mcYKcQaJDA_a7sFVsHSgg    Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by:  Leaving a review  Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app  Sharing this episode with a friend  Order Derek's new book, Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us, here: https://amzn.to/42jSZAs  Did you find this episode helpful on your spiritual journey? Consider helping us out!  Leave a review  Share it with your friends  Give us a 5-Star rating on your podcast app of choice  Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com  Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook

    33 min
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Welcome to "Peaceable and Kind," the podcast where we explore the transformative power of living out Jesus' call to peace and kindness in our everyday lives. Each week your host, Derek Vreeland, will delve into the stories, Scriptures, and practical steps that help us embody these essential Christian virtues. Join us as we talk with inspiring guests, reflect on Scripture, and discover ways to bring peace and kindness into our homes, communities, and the world. Whether you're seeking encouragement, guidance, or a deeper understanding of your faith, "Peaceable and Kind" is here to support and uplift you on your spiritual journey. Let's embark together on this path of grace, compassion, and love, living out the true essence of our faith. Thank you for tuning in, and may the peace of God be with you always.

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