Faith Still Seeking

Kelly Wilson, Christian writer & theology scholar
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Christian theology. Certainty not required. This is an earnest, sometimes raw, sometimes irreverent, always authentic podcast about Christian theology that seeks to discover what we can understand, acknowledge the mysteries that we cannot understand, and explore the things we understand differently. Kelly (he/him) is a lifelong student of theology with a background in Evangelical, Charismatic, and Progressive Christian traditions, and is still trying to put it all together, in hopes that others will know we are Christian by our love.

  1. The Good News in 4 Views: Behind the Scenes of the Gospels (S2 Ep2)

    APR 20

    The Good News in 4 Views: Behind the Scenes of the Gospels (S2 Ep2)

    The Who, Where, and When of the origins of the four Biblical Gospels. Continuing in the series getting to the heart of the "good news," Kelly examines the historical context, authorship, and transmission of these core texts about Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Topics include: Authorship of the GospelsHistorical context of the GospelsTransmission of oral traditionsDifferences and similarities among the GospelsAre there contradictions in the Gospels?Theological significance of the GospelsCan we trust the authority of the Gospels?

    56 min
  2. What is the Good News? Four different takes on the Gospel (S2 Ep1)

    MAR 27

    What is the Good News? Four different takes on the Gospel (S2 Ep1)

    We use the term “the Gospel” a lot in Christian circles, but how often do we think about what it really means? Yes, as we’ve all heard, it means “Good News,” but what is the CONTENT of that news?  Throughout Christian history, theologians and ministers have interpreted the Gospel to mean different things. Is it individual salvation for the sinner? Entire sanctification and holiness of the believer? Access to miracles through the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Liberation for the poor and oppressed? Join me as I survey the landscape of Gospel interpretations. [This is Part 1 of a series on The Gospel]

    1h 1m
  3. Wrapping my head around WRATH, or how a love-and-justice guy takes on an angry God (S1 Ep14)

    10/13/2025

    Wrapping my head around WRATH, or how a love-and-justice guy takes on an angry God (S1 Ep14)

    A peace, love, and justice-loving progressive takes on traditional doctrines about an angry god--and makes some surprising discoveries along the way. I would love to just ignore all the mentions of wrath, but it would be hard to do without cutting the Bible to pieces. In this episode, I talk about the arguments for and against thinking about God’s attitude toward us as “Wrath,” as well as the places where my thinking overlaps with those who see us as sinners in the hands of an angry God—even as I want to stand up and shout them down in the middle of the church service.

    39 min
  4. Is this the End of the World? (Or the Start of the Kingdom?) with guest author Keith Giles (S1 Ep13)

    07/14/2025

    Is this the End of the World? (Or the Start of the Kingdom?) with guest author Keith Giles (S1 Ep13)

    Wars, weather disasters, plagues, technological threats...some interpret these as signs of the approaching end, specifically the Rapture & a futurist unfolding of the book of Revelation. But do these “dispensationalist” readings of the Bible miss the mark? Author/speaker/teacher Keith Giles joins me to unpack the short history of dispensationalist thinking, the ways that theologians viewed Revelation prior to a few hundred years ago, & the potentially traumatic & harmful ways these relatively recent interpretations of ancient prophecy impact our modern society. Keith Giles is a writer, speaker, teacher, & co-lead at Quoir, a publisher of books that take on life’s most important subjects & home of the independent news journal The Quollective (TheQuollective.com). Keith's most recent book is a collection entitled “The Unchristian Truth about Christian Nationalism,” available at Amazon. Keith is also the best-selling author of the “Jesus Un” book series on Deconstruction of the Christian faith (including “Jesus Unexpected,” which we discuss in this episode), as well as numerous other books. He’s a regular contributor to John Fugelsang’s Sirius XM Radio show, “Tell Me Everything”, the “God Squad” podcast, “Heretic Happy Hour Podcast”, and his solo podcast, “Second Cup with Keith.”

    1h 5m
  5. Ep 12 Heroes, powers, and the name of Jesus: A meditation on superheroes and Christianity

    07/09/2025

    Ep 12 Heroes, powers, and the name of Jesus: A meditation on superheroes and Christianity

    A meditation on superheroes and theology. Using the unboxing of my Daredevil action figure as a launching point (which many would say is blasphemous on its own--it loses its value out of the box!), I reflect on the superheroes I've admired through my life and how their stories intertwine with my faith. I consider the noble sacrifice of Superman, the torn nature of the Hulk, the broken faith of Captain America, the inner struggle of Daredevil, some issues with Batman and Punisher, and the powers to which we have access through the name of my biggest hero (someone named…Yeshua.) Image Credits: Batman,Superman (comics,film): DC Comics/Warner BrothersCaptain America (comics,film): Marvel/DisneyDaredevil (comics): Marvel/DisneyDaredevil (TV series): Netflix Daredevil:Born Again (TV series): Marvel/DisneyDoctor Strange (film): Marvel/DisneyHulk (comics, films): Marvel/DisneyIncredible Hulk (TV series): UniversalPunisher (comics): Marvel/DisneySpiderman (comics): Marvel/DisneySpiderman (film): SonySuperman (film): Warner BrothersPrince of Egypt (film): DreamWorksSmallville (TV Series): Warner BrothersJesus Action Bible: David C CookJesus tempted by the Devil (stained glass): St Germain-l’Auxerrois church, Paris via CatholicAnswers (catholic.com)The Resurrection of Christ (painting): Maerten de Vos,National Gallery of Ireland via Wikimedia CommonsLast Temptation of Christ (film): Universal PicturesJesus sign/worship service (photo): Matt Botsford viaUnsplashKneeling worship (photo): David Nieto via UnsplashJesus cleansing the Temple (painting): Carl Bloch,Fredricksborg Castle, Denmark via Wikimedia CommonsPunisher Tshirt man (photo): The Dallas Morning NewsBlue skull flag (product image): Via PikPng.com (earliestuse I can find, c. 2020)Punisher skull collage (video still): “The Punisher Logo:Origins, Evolution, and Appropriations,” video by Uniform History via YouTubeJesus hero/hippie (AI-generated images): created by KellyWilson using Firefly Brightheaded Warrior/Frequenter of Churches (AI-generatedimage): created by Kelly Wilson using ChatGPT"Martial arts” Jesus (painting): Noli me tangere,by Hans Holbein the Younger (detail), Royal Collection of the United Kingdomvia Wikimedia CommonsMoses Red Sea: Creator unknown (it has broadinternet usage, but I haven’t been able to find the original—if you have anyinfo, please let me know)Times Square Takeover (gif): HillsongYeshua definition (illustration): Southern California Shabbat FellowshipI AM THE WAY sticker (photo): Jon Tyson via Unsplash

    1h 2m
  6. Ep 11: The Evolution of Hell, or How the shady grave became a burning blaze

    06/10/2025

    Ep 11: The Evolution of Hell, or How the shady grave became a burning blaze

    You know all about Hell. Fire. Torment. Gnashing teeth. All the images we inherited from Dante, Milton, and "Chick Tracts." But where did those images come from? The Hebrew Bible has Sheol and the Greeks had Hades, but when Jesus said "Gehenna," it was a fiery new thing. What did he mean? Was it real or metaphor? Did his listeners know what he was talking about? How did the idea of justice in the afterlife evolve between Genesis and Revelation? And when we are faced with multiple visions of the future by the same Bible, which one do we choose? In this episode, I start off with statements about Hell by notable progressive Christian thinkers--Zach Hunt, Roger Wolsey, Bart Ehrman, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Sharon L. Baker--and use those as the catalyst for an exploration of what Jesus did or did not say when he talked about Gehenna, what the Hebrew Bible said about the afterlife, and how the idea of divine retribution after death developed in the background between the Old and New Testaments. I’m also always grateful to Steev RX for his song “Purpose,” which is the theme for the show. Find his music on ⁠⁠SteevRX.com⁠⁠ and on streaming platforms everywhere.

    1h 31m
  7. Ep 10: Are we reading Romans wrong? Matthew Distefano & Keith Giles unlock the code to what Paul really says

    03/19/2025

    Ep 10: Are we reading Romans wrong? Matthew Distefano & Keith Giles unlock the code to what Paul really says

    Kelly is grateful to welcome Matthew Distefano and Keith Giles, co-authors of the newly released "Reading Romans Right" (Quoir publishing). For many Christians (and non-Christians as well), Paul's teachings in Romans and other New Testament letters have long been a source of tension. Yes, Paul introduces grace by faith, but at what cost? Paul has long been accused of misogyny, homophobia, fostering blind allegiance to the State, and a theology that says we are worthless and doomed. The authors explore the social, rhetorical, and literary context of Paul's writing to open up a new understanding of the apocalyptic--and possibly universal--salvation that he was trying to describe to the church in Rome. Distefano and Giles are co-publishers at Quoir publishing, an author-centered publisher that focuses on the biggest issues in the universe. They are also co-hosts of the popular Heretic Happy Hour podcast, and the principals of Quoir academy, which provides a range of education about mind, body, and spirit. Find out more about their work at https://quoir.com. Also, check out their phenomenal book "Reading Romans Right," exclusively available at Amazon. It's a must-have for any theological library: https://a.co/d/6OoZ69H

    1h 4m
  8. Ep 9: Religion Was Always Political, (or the What are Policies of the Kingdom?)

    02/03/2025

    Ep 9: Religion Was Always Political, (or the What are Policies of the Kingdom?)

    The KINGDOM is at HAND! It was so surprised to find out that's what the Gospels really said. After a lifetime of thinking of the Gospel as being focused on my sin and individual salvation, I finally read what Jesus said on the page and it was totally different than I thought. It was announcing the Kingdom of God, which is quickly approaching but also has already started, and establishes God’s rule over any king or leader of this world. In this episode, I use the recent sermon from Bishop Mariann Budde and her words to President Trump as a launching off point to talk about how yes, the Gospel is absolutely political, and yes, although it is an impractical way to run a country, Mercy is at the heart of what nations are supposed to do.

    46 min
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About

Christian theology. Certainty not required. This is an earnest, sometimes raw, sometimes irreverent, always authentic podcast about Christian theology that seeks to discover what we can understand, acknowledge the mysteries that we cannot understand, and explore the things we understand differently. Kelly (he/him) is a lifelong student of theology with a background in Evangelical, Charismatic, and Progressive Christian traditions, and is still trying to put it all together, in hopes that others will know we are Christian by our love.

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Wilson, Christian writer & theology scholar
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kelly Wilson, Christian writer & theology scholar
  • Show Website
    Faith Still Seeking