Theology on Mission

Theology on Mission

For those longing to connect theology and mission, we are talking about God and everything else. Broadcasting from NORTHERN SEMINARY, in partnership with Missio Alliance, David Fitch and Mike Moore bring their experiences as pastors and professors to bear on issues of mission and church. Pull up a chair or take them and their guests with you around town.

  1. 2d ago

    S12: E2 The Future of Theological Education

    Theology on Mission co-hosts Dave Fitch and Mike Moore return to discuss Northern Seminary’s move to Oak Park and what it suggests about the future of theological education. They contrast the costly residential model and isolated correspondence-style learning with a community-based approach built around live online classes, in-person intensives, engaged faculty, and ministry in real contexts. Dave Fitch and Mike Moore compare the traditional residential seminary model, with its high costs and career assumptions, to today’s ministry realities. Moore argues that theological education is already happening in churches, podcasts, webinars, and certificate programs; the challenge is whether it is deep, faithful, and high-quality. Fitch critiques flat learning that transmits information without engaging theological history, differing traditions, or the implications of ideas. The hosts describe a theological cooperative model centered on a diverse student community, scholarly depth, and formation for leadership in complex contexts. Northern’s live, synchronous online classes use shared classroom interaction rather than asynchronous coursework or split in-person/online rooms. One-week intensives bring students and faculty together in Chicago to strengthen learning, relationships, and a lasting ministry network. They emphasize faculty who combine academic expertise with active church involvement and practical ministry experience. The Oak Park academic center is presented as a destination for intensives, close to transit, historic architecture, cultural sites, and ministry centers. The hosts discuss Northern’s commitments and context, including women leading alongside men, discipleship around sexuality, and engagement with marginalized c For seminary educators, evaluate how class modality and in-person gatherings support equitable participation and lasting peer relationships. Listeners are invited to leave a podcast review and visit Northern Seminary’s Oak Park academic center when in Chicago. Sound bites "You don't get to make it up." "Money follows mission." "God had his hand on this place." Chapters 00:00 The podcast returns and Northern Seminary moves to Oak Park 03:15 The old residential model’s cost and career assumptions 08:02 Theological education is everywhere, but is it good? 09:59 Why correspondence-style learning can stay flat 15:45 Learning through disagreement, history, and theological depth 20:02 The theological community model and epistemic humility 22:58 Live online classes designed for dialogue 28:30 Why one-week intensives build learning and relationships 31:50 Faculty expertise rooted in church and ministry 36:43 Northern’s theological commitments and student community 39:06 Why Oak Park makes a meaningful destination for study 43:26 A testimony to Northern’s future and the new podcast season

  2. Oct 28

    S12: E1 From Redistribution to Recognition: The Politics of Justice

    Theology on Mission: Show Notes Dave Fitch and Mike Moore explore Nancy Fraser’s distinction between redistribution and recognition, asking how churches can address racism and sexuality beyond identity debates. Drawing on Judith Butler, Malcolm Foley, and Jonathan Tran, they examine economic exploitation, material realities, and the church’s potential for transformation through Christ’s presence. Key takeaways Redistribution and recognition: Justice involves both material resources and how people are valued.Race: Recognition is a starting point; deeper change requires economic solidarity, nonviolence, and truth-telling.Sexuality: Dave argues that affirming/non-affirming debates can obscure material realities and limit openness to the Holy Spirit.The church: Christ’s presence calls communities beyond ideological divisions toward shared life and economic justice. Timestamps 2:25 — Introduction4:34 — Nancy Fraser and theories of justice7:33 — Neoliberalism explained10:39 — From redistribution to recognition18:24 — Sexuality and the Fraser–Butler debate25:35 — Malcolm Foley and Jonathan Tran29:25 — Implications for the church37:12 — Applying the discussion to sexuality42:16 — Comparing race and sexuality binaries45:12 — Redistribution, recognition, and presence47:23 — Season preview: Bonnie Christian on evangelical politics This episode gets heady! Sources cited during the podcast: Nancy Frazer’s Justice Interruptus Judith Bulter’s Merely Cultural

  3. Jul 22

    S11:E17 Why I’d Still Vote for James Talarico: Two Kinds of Christian Nationalism

    Can Christian nationalism appear on both the political right and the political left? In the Season 11 finale, Dave Fitch and Mike Moore examine the public Christianity of James Talarico and ask what his political vision reveals about the relationship between the church, the state, and the Kingdom of God. Fitch argues that Christian nationalism is not limited to conservative evangelicals attempting to impose traditional morality through government. It can also emerge within Protestant liberalism whenever politicians identify their preferred policies with the teachings of Jesus and use the power of the state to implement them. The two approaches begin with very different assumptions. Evangelical fundamentalist nationalism tends to view the world pessimistically and grants government broad coercive power to restrain evil. Protestant liberal nationalism is more optimistic about society and emphasizes democracy, human dignity, justice, and restraint. Fitch rejects both attempts to merge Christianity with the nation-state, but argues that, when forced to choose, he would prefer the Protestant liberal version because it is generally less coercive and more attentive to the dignity of persons. Using Talarico as a case study, Fitch and Moore explore voting as an act of prudence rather than theological endorsement. Christians should not expect government to accomplish the redemptive work of the church. Instead, they can seek the most just and responsible government available while protecting space for disagreement, local discernment, and faithful Christian witness. 🎙️ In This Episode:Why Christian nationalism is not confined to conservative politicsThe difference between evangelical fundamentalist and Protestant liberal nationalismMartin Luther’s distinction between the coercive power of the state and the redemptive work of GodHow pessimistic and optimistic views of culture shape political engagementWalter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, and competing visions of democracyWhy voting for someone is not the same as endorsing their theologyHow Christians can pursue responsible government without asking the state to do the church’s workWhy democracy must preserve room for disagreement on sexuality, gender, abortion, race, and other contested moral questions 📌 Key Moments:[00:04:00] Why James Talarico raises new questions about Christian nationalism[00:09:00] Why Fitch rejects the union of God’s purposes with the nation-state[00:11:00] The coercive power of government versus the redemptive power of the Spirit[00:13:00] Christian nationalism on the political right and left[00:17:00] How evangelical fundamentalism’s view of the world can justify authoritarian power[00:22:00] Protestant liberalism, democracy, and respect for human dignity[00:28:00] Can liberal policies also become coercive or violent?[00:33:00] Why Fitch would still vote for Talarico[00:35:00] The need for democratic space to disagree over disputed moral questions Christians should neither withdraw from government nor confuse it with the Kingdom of God. Voting is often an exercise in prudence, restraint, and reducing harm, not finding a candidate who perfectly represents Jesus. A faithful political witness seeks good government while refusing to place divine authority behind one party’s disputed moral agenda. The church must remain free to discern, disagree, and embody the way of Jesus without asking the state to enforce it.

  4. Jul 13

    S11: E16 Two Kinds of Orthodoxy

    What if the church has confused orthodoxy with discipleship? In this thought-provoking conversation, David Fitch and Mike Moore wrestle with a question facing churches across denominations: When should an issue become a test of orthodoxy, and when should it remain a matter of faithful discipleship? Prompted by an essay from James K. A. Smith, Fitch argues that the church often elevates disputed ethical questions into matters of orthodoxy, shutting down the very conversations necessary for faithful mission. Rather than abandoning orthodoxy, he proposes recovering a richer understanding of faithfulness, one that takes the historic creeds seriously while extending the gospel into new cultural realities through patient discernment, community, and discipleship. Using contemporary debates around sexuality as a case study, Fitch and Moore explore why theological convictions and pastoral formation must never be separated, and why the church's witness depends on learning to discern together rather than simply declaring winners and losers. 🎙️ In This Episode:The difference between orthodoxy and discipleshipWhy some issues belong in the realm of faithful discernment rather than confessional boundariesHow the historic creeds continue to guide the church without ending every conversationWhy contextual theology is about extending, not changing, the gospelWhat the Apostle Paul teaches us about applying the gospel in new cultural settingsHow churches can cultivate discipleship instead of merely enforcing positionsWhy "faithfulness" may be a more helpful posture than simply asking who is "orthodox" 📌 Key Moments:[00:04:00] Jamie K. A. Smith's challenge to the modern use of "orthodoxy"[00:10:00] Distinguishing orthodoxy from discipleship[00:17:00] Why Paul models contextual theology instead of rigid application[00:22:00] Faithfulness as extending the gospel into new situations[00:26:00] Why heterosexual discipleship must be part of the conversation too[00:29:00] Two ways of understanding orthodoxy: control or discernment[00:34:00] Why the church needs a discipleship process—not just doctrinal statements Orthodoxy and discipleship are deeply connected, but they are not the same thing. Historic Christian convictions provide the church's foundation, while faithful discipleship asks how those convictions are embodied, discerned, and lived in ever-changing cultural contexts. The church's calling is not simply to preserve truth, but to faithfully extend the story of Jesus into every generation.

  5. May 26

    S11:E15 Kingdom Apprenticeship: Dallas Willard's Formational Theology and Missional Vision with Keas Keasler

    What if spiritual formation was never meant to be private self-improvement, but training for life in the Kingdom of God? David Fitch and Mike Moore welcome Keas Keasler to discuss his new book, Kingdom Apprenticeship, an exploration of Dallas Willard’s theology of spiritual formation and its implications for mission, discipleship, and the church. Together, they revisit Willard’s enduring influence on evangelical spirituality while wrestling honestly with some of the tensions surrounding the modern spiritual formation movement. Is Willard too individualistic? Does spiritual formation risk becoming a luxury for affluent Christians detached from the local church? Or does Willard actually offer a deeper ecclesiology and missional vision than many critics assume? The conversation ranges from Bonhoeffer and Hauerwas to megachurches, silence and solitude, ecclesiology, virtue, and the dangers of “churchmanship.” Along the way, Fitch shares deeply personal stories about Dallas Willard’s influence on his life and ministry, including a moving final message delivered from Willard’s last ambulance ride to the hospital. 🎙️ In This Episode:Why Dallas Willard should be understood as a theologian of the Christian lifeThe relationship between spiritual formation and missional theologyWhether Willard’s theology is too individualistic or surprisingly ecclesialBonhoeffer’s influence on Willard’s understanding of the churchWhy spiritual practices can become detached from community and missionThe meaning of “training for reigning” in Kingdom discipleshipHow character formation relates to power, vocation, and participation in God’s Kingdom 📌 Key Moments:[00:09:00] Common misconceptions about Dallas Willard’s theology[00:13:00] Willard’s journey from pastor to philosopher and spiritual writer[00:17:00] Spiritual formation and mission: bridging two worlds[00:21:00] Fitch challenges Willard’s ecclesiology—and Kees pushes back[00:27:00] Bonhoeffer, Hauerwas, and the church as a “divine sociality”[00:36:00] The dangers of affluent, individualized spirituality[00:43:00] “Training for reigning”: Willard’s vision of Kingdom apprenticeship Spiritual formation is not self-help for religious people. It is training for participation in the reign of God. The goal is not escape from the world, but transformation into people capable of wielding power, vocation, and influence in the way of Jesus.

  6. May 12

    S11:E14 Beyond “Affirming” and “Non-Affirming”: Sexuality, Formation, and the Church

    What if the church’s debates over sexuality are asking the wrong questions? In this candid, unscripted, and at times deeply personal conversation, David Fitch and Mike Moore wrestle with one of the most difficult and divisive issues facing the church today: sexuality, LGBTQ inclusion, and the limits of both “affirming” and “non-affirming” frameworks. Rather than beginning with policy statements or ideological labels, Fitch argues that the deeper issue is the culture of sexuality itself. What he calls the “heterosexual matrix” that shapes both the church and the broader culture. Together, Fitch and Moore explore why churches often lack meaningful pathways for discipleship around sexuality, why policy statements rarely form people, and how the church might recover a more faithful posture rooted in presence, discernment, and the work of the Holy Spirit. The result is less a debate and more an honest theological conversation about formation, culture, power, welcome, and what it means to pastor faithfully in a deeply polarized moment. 🎙️ In This Episode:Why both “affirming” and “non-affirming” frameworks can become ideologicalThe “heterosexual matrix” and how culture shapes sexuality in the churchWhy policy statements rarely produce discipleship or formationThe tension between pastoral care and theological convictionHow churches fail to disciple people in all forms of sexualityThe difference between coercion and Spirit-led formationWhy the church needs a new imagination for sexuality and community 📌 Key Moments:[00:03:00] Fitch introduces his critique of LGBTQ policy statements[00:06:30] Three ways to engage culture: individualism, authoritarianism, and the church as reconciled community[00:12:00] Why focusing only on individuals bypasses the deeper cultural problem[00:15:00] How policy statements preserve ideology rather than form discipleship[00:20:00] The church’s lack of imagination for embodied sexual formation[00:27:00] Rainbow flags, ideology, and the limits of labeling churches[00:37:00] Re-reading Genesis, patriarchy, and discerning sexuality locally and pastorally The church cannot disciple people using the categories and assumptions of a polarized culture. Faithful formation requires more than policy statements; it requires communities shaped by presence, welcome, discernment, confession, and the ongoing work of Jesus Christ in the midst of human brokenness.

  7. Apr 6

    S11:E13 Faith Over Breakfast: Community, Calling, and Staying When It Gets Hard (Bonus Episode)

    From the rise (and fall) of the emerging church to the challenges of post-evangelical faith, from seminary formation to everyday discipleship, this episode captures what it sounds like when leaders wrestle honestly with where the church has been—and where it’s going. In this special crossover episode, David Fitch and Mike Moore join Andy Littleton and Eric Cepin from the Faith Over Breakfast podcast for a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation on ministry, theology, and life in the real world. Drawing from their shared (and sometimes diverging) experiences in the emerging church movement, the conversation explores why some communities deconstructed and disappeared—while others stayed rooted and endured. Along the way, they reflect on the role of deep community, the dangers of untethered deconstruction, and why faith must remain centered on Jesus, not just ideas or experiences. At the center of it all is a shared conviction: you don’t get to make the faith up as you go. You receive it, wrestle with it, and live it out in real communities with real people. Listen to more episodes of Faith Over Breakfast: https://pod.link/1242441594 🎙️ In This Episode:Reflections on the emerging church movement—and what led to its fragmentationWhy some leaders deconstructed out of faith while others stayed rootedThe role of deep, committed community in sustaining beliefThe tension between therapy, self-discovery, and Christ-centered discipleshipWhy theology must be lived, not just learned in classroomsWhat makes a church (or seminary) actually form people for real lifeWhy context shapes ministry—and why no model transfers cleanly 📌 Key Moments:[00:06:00] Eric’s story: planting in the emerging church and staying rooted [00:16:00] Community as the anchor through doubt and theological shifts [00:22:00] When therapy replaces discipleship—and how to bring Jesus back to the center [00:31:00] “You don’t get to make it up”: receiving the faith across generations [00:36:00] Every church is a seminary—whether it realizes it or not [00:43:00] Why ministry must be contextual, not formulaic [00:56:00] Culture, power, and understanding the moment for mission 💡 TakeawayFaith isn’t formed in isolation or ideology—it’s formed in community, through struggle, and in submission to Jesus. In a time when many are tempted to walk away or reinvent everything, this conversation reminds us: stay rooted, stay honest, and stay with the people God has given you.

  8. Mar 30

    S11:E12 Contextual Theological Interpretation: An Integrated Model for Reading the Bible with Dr. Bo H. Lim

    Why does the Bible so often feel disconnected from real life—and what would it take to close that gap? David Fitch and Mike Moore sit down with Old Testament scholar Bo Lim to explore his book Contextual Theological Interpretation. Together, they tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing the church today: how to faithfully interpret Scripture across cultures, contexts, and competing theological frameworks. Lim argues that biblical interpretation cannot live in silos. Historical-critical study, theological tradition, and cultural context must be held together in a dynamic, ongoing dialogue. When any one of these dominates, the Bible either becomes irrelevant, weaponized, or detached from lived reality. Drawing from years of scholarship, teaching, and lived experience as a Korean American theologian, Lim offers a vision for reading Scripture that is both faithful to the text and responsive to the complexities of our world. 🎙️ In This Episode:Why there is a growing “gap” between biblical studies and real-world ministryThe limits of historical-critical interpretation aloneHow theological interpretation reclaims Scripture for the life of the churchWhat contextual interpretation brings—and where it can go too farWhy all theology is already shaped by culture (even when we pretend it’s not)How to hold text, theology, and context together without collapsing into relativismWhy multicultural ministry demands a new way of reading Scripture 📌 Key Moments:[00:04:00] The “gap” between Scripture and contemporary life[00:09:00] Historical criticism vs. theological interpretation[00:17:00] What contextual interpretation actually means[00:22:00] Why theological traditions are always culturally shaped[00:27:00] The hidden biases in biblical commentaries and scholarship[00:33:00] Liberation vs. post-colonial readings of Scripture[00:38:00] Why no single method is sufficient on its own Faithful biblical interpretation is not about choosing between text, theology, or context. It's about learning to listen to all three in conversation. When we do, we begin to hear God’s voice not just in the past, but in the present realities of the communities we serve.

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About

For those longing to connect theology and mission, we are talking about God and everything else. Broadcasting from NORTHERN SEMINARY, in partnership with Missio Alliance, David Fitch and Mike Moore bring their experiences as pastors and professors to bear on issues of mission and church. Pull up a chair or take them and their guests with you around town.

Information

  • Creator
    Theology on Mission
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    225
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Theology on Mission

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