The Ask a Theologian Podcast

Dave Olson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semimonthly

We are trying to make theology approachable for people who aren't theologians. Hoping to bridge the gap between theology and life.

  1. Faithful Stewardship: Exploring Creation Care in Theology with Dr. Jeffrey Lamp

    1d ago

    Faithful Stewardship: Exploring Creation Care in Theology with Dr. Jeffrey Lamp

    In this episode of Ask a Theologian, I talk with Dr. Jeffrey Lamp, senior professor of New Testament at Oral Roberts University, about eco-theology—what he prefers to call “creation care”—and why it belongs at the center of biblical theology. We walk through Genesis 1–2 to rethink “dominion” as serving and protecting creation, and we discuss how sin turns vocation into exploitation. Dr. Lamp also explains how Hebrews can be read for ecological implications through themes of creation, incarnation, Psalm 8, and the expansion of “land” into Christ’s inheritance of all things. We explore how Pentecostal eschatology has sometimes made creation care difficult, how renewed-creation thinking changes that, and why pastors may need new language in politicized contexts. We also touch on AI’s environmental costs and Dr. Lamp’s book, Geo-liturgy.

    39 min
  2. Navigating Forgiveness: A Dance of Justice and Mercy with Dr. Edwin Gungor

    Jun 15

    Navigating Forgiveness: A Dance of Justice and Mercy with Dr. Edwin Gungor

    In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ed Gungor about forgiveness and the real tension between justice and mercy. We explore how justice names the wrong and demands accountability, while mercy insists that people are more than their failures and holds out the hope of restoration. We discuss how the cross is the one place where, theologically, justice and mercy don’t compete but converge—mercy expressed through justice—and how this grounds Christian forgiveness. Dr. Gungor reflects on Corrie ten Boom’s prayer against bitterness, and we examine the idea that forgiveness can free the wounded without excusing harm. We clarify forgiveness as unilateral and reconciliation as conditional, requiring remorse, change, and rebuilding trust, including loving people who are unsafe from a distance. We end with forgiveness as a long, repeated practice of “sending away” pain to God.

    32 min
  3. The Eschatological Vision of Gender Roles with Dr. Joseph Dutko

    Jun 1

    The Eschatological Vision of Gender Roles with Dr. Joseph Dutko

    In this Ask a Theologian episode, I talk with Dr. Joseph Dutko about his book The Pentecostal Gender Paradox and define complementarianism (role limits for women, especially in church) versus egalitarianism (no gender-based limits on calling or leadership). We explore why Pentecostalism can be egalitarian “on paper” yet restrictive in practice, including how church language like “allow women to speak” signals power dynamics. We dig into Ephesians 5 and the theological issue that “submit” is tied to mutual submission in verse 21, with translation headings shaping interpretation; we note the NLT’s helpful framing. Dr. Dutko argues early Pentecostals justified women leaders through an eschatological, Scripture-based hermeneutic (Acts 2, Genesis 1–2, Galatians 3:28), then later shifted hermeneutically and limited women (e.g., AoG data: under 0.5% women-led churches). We close on the need for movements to develop theology that supports their egalitarian practice.

    40 min
  4. Surrender and Renewal: The Brain Science Behind Charismatic Prayer with Dr. Josh Brahinsky

    May 15

    Surrender and Renewal: The Brain Science Behind Charismatic Prayer with Dr. Josh Brahinsky

    In this episode of Ask a Theologian, I talk with Dr. Josh Brahinsky, an anthropologist, ethnographer, and neuroscientist from Stanford and McGill, about his new book, Tongues of Fire: How Charismatic Prayer Changes Evangelical Brains and Inspires Spirit-Filled Activism. He explains that his project doesn’t try to prove God or not-God, but examines embodied religious experience: how theology, practice, and neurobiology “loop” together. After years of interviews, he ran an NSF-funded MRI study comparing praise prayer to speaking in tongues to isolate surrender/letting go. He found decreased activity in a motor-planning region during tongues, consistent with reduced control, and links between surrender in prayer and increased divergent thinking (creativity), which helps explain reports of renewal, hearing God, and new ways of seeing the world.

    37 min
  5. Ancient Practices for Modern Faith: A Discussion with Dr. Zachary Guiliano

    May 1

    Ancient Practices for Modern Faith: A Discussion with Dr. Zachary Guiliano

    I chat with Dr. Zachary Juliano, rector of Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church and author of the book, The Homiliary of Paul the Deacon, about what early church practice (especially the second to fifth centuries) can teach contemporary Christians seeking to anchor themselves in historic theology. We explore how ancient Christians shaped daily and weekly spiritual rhythms around light, seasons, and the “gift of time,” including the imagery of Lent and Easter in patristic preaching. We focus on fasting as an assumed, communal discipline tied to days like Friday and seasons like Lent, and we discuss practical patristic advice and Basil of Caesarea’s list of fasting’s benefits. We also cover acts of mercy as a distinctive Christian witness, public theology as Christianity moved into public life, and how scripture was encountered communally through reading, sermons, and embodied worship. We end with recommended books by Frances Young and Kate Cooper and patristic commentaries on the Lord’s Prayer.

    37 min
  6. Theology on Tap: Exploring Alcohol in Biblical Tradition with Dr. John Dunne (part two)

    Apr 15

    Theology on Tap: Exploring Alcohol in Biblical Tradition with Dr. John Dunne (part two)

    I rejoin my conversation with Dr. John Anthony Dunn about his book, A Biblical Theology of Alcohol, and we look beyond wine to possible biblical references to beer. He argues the Hebrew term “shakar” likely refers to a grain-based drink (not distilled “strong drink”), drawing on evidence from Numbers 6, ancient Near Eastern terms, the Mishnah, and even a possible brewing allusion in Ecclesiastes about casting bread on water, plus archaeological evidence like drinking straw tips. We discuss how grapes, vinegar, and beverages in flux could still intoxicate, and why drunkenness is often about cultural drinking habits rather than alcohol percentage. Theologically and pastorally, we emphasize that alcohol isn’t for everyone, abstinence can be wise (especially with addiction or recovery), and churches may choose voluntary restrictions without forcing shaky biblical arguments.

    27 min
  7. Theology on Tap: Exploring Alcohol in Biblical Tradition with Dr. John Dunne (part one)

    Apr 1

    Theology on Tap: Exploring Alcohol in Biblical Tradition with Dr. John Dunne (part one)

    In this episode of Ask a Theologian, I talk with Dr. John Anthony Dunn, associate professor at Bethany Seminary, about his new book, "Let the Mountains Drip Sweet Wine: A Biblical Theology of Alcohol." John explains he’s been working on it since signing the contract in 2013, aiming for a comprehensive biblical theology rather than a proof-text battle over whether Christians should drink. We discuss how Scripture presents alcohol as both blessing and danger, including Noah’s intoxication and wider biblical warnings about vulnerability, exploitation, and judgment. John also challenges the claim that biblical “wine” was unfermented grape juice, noting that fermentation happens quickly without refrigeration and that Passover timing implies the cup would have been wine. We briefly digress into modern winemaking, including Minnesota-grown varietals. More in part two.

    26 min
  8. The Ethical Vision of the Good in Christianity: with Dr. Joseph Lear

    Mar 15

    The Ethical Vision of the Good in Christianity: with Dr. Joseph Lear

    I talk with Dr. Joseph Lear about Christian ethics—what’s right and wrong, a shared vision of the good, and how to live in a world that isn’t as it should be. We discuss sexuality as an everyday ethical issue, the importance of virtue and habits, and how spiritual disciplines can exist without real moral formation. We also explore ethical behaviour online, emphasizing generosity and knowing when to disengage. Dr. Lear connects ethics to eschatology in Luke-Acts: “the last days” prompts “what shall we do?” leading to sharing and justice, and he argues that losing kingdom-focused eschatological imagination fuels partisan visions like Christian nationalisms. He recommends resources and previews his forthcoming book on Pentecostal preaching.

    33 min
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We are trying to make theology approachable for people who aren't theologians. Hoping to bridge the gap between theology and life.

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