Theology on Mission

Theology on Mission
  • 4.7 (125)
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Updated Monthly

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. 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.

    48 min

  2. 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.

    44 min

  3. 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.

    1h 4m

  4. 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.

    48 min

  5. Mar 2

    S11:E11 Joining Creation's Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness with Dr. Brian Brock

    “In the beginning, God created…” What if the most urgent ethical task for Christians today is simply to remember that we are creatures? In this rich and deeply theological conversation, David Fitch and Mike Moore welcome Brian Brock to discuss his major work, Joining Creation's Praise. Together, they explore how confessing creatureliness reshapes Christian ethics from dominion and vocation to politics, sexuality, economics, and our relationship with the rest of creation. Brock argues that Scripture begins not with abstract doctrines but with a drama: God in conversation with creatures. Human beings are called not to dominate creation but to join its praise to embody Christ’s image as conduits of divine life. When we forget we are creatures, we distort power, knowledge, and even our understanding of what it means to be human. Following the early chapters of Genesis, Brock invites the church to rediscover an ancient wisdom that speaks with surprising clarity to modern ethical crises. 🎙️ In This Episode:Why “creatureliness” is the foundation of Christian ethicsHow Genesis reframes dominion as participation, not controlThe difference between domination and receiving life from GodSabbath as resistance to modern productivity and masteryHow confessing we are creatures reshapes politics and economicsWhy human dignity is inseparable from our shared creaturely statusWhat it means to embody Christ’s image among other creatures 📌 Key Moments:[00:06:00] Why ethics begins with creaturely confession[00:14:00] Dominion, vocation, and the distortion of power[00:21:00] Knowledge, wisdom, and the limits of human mastery[00:28:00] Sabbath and the reordering of desire[00:35:00] Politics and economics through a creaturely lens[00:42:00] How Christ restores humanity to its true vocation The ethical life does not begin with moral technique but with worship. To confess that we are creatures is to relinquish control, receive life from God, and participate in a world already praising its Creator. In a culture obsessed with autonomy and power, rediscovering creatureliness may be the church’s most radical witness.

    54 min

  6. Feb 2

    S11:E10 Whataboutism, Power, and the Church’s Witness in Politics

    How should Christians respond when political conversations collapse into “what about…” arguments? And what does that habit reveal about power, antagonism, and our theology of government? In this wide-ranging and pastoral conversation, David Fitch is joined by Gino Curcuruto to explore how whataboutism functions in political discourse and how it quietly shapes church conflicts, leadership breakdowns, and our witness to the world. Drawing from Scripture, political theology, pastoral experience, and real-life ministry conflict, Fitch and Curcuruto unpack how antagonisms form, why confession disrupts them, and how the church can engage government without asking it to do what only God can do. 🎙️ In This Episode: What whataboutism is and why it perpetuates antagonism rather than accountabilityHow Jesus refuses false binaries and antagonistic traps (John 8; Luke 4)Why confession, not retaliation, is the most powerful leadership postureThe difference between viewing government as a created good vs. a post-fall provisionHow churches unintentionally mirror political power strugglesWhy holding government accountable is different from trying to control itThe spiritual danger of expecting government to do the church’s work 📌 Key Moments: [00:04:00] How “what about Biden?” or “what about Trump?” blocks moral clarity[00:10:30] Why refusing the antagonism opens space for Jesus to work[00:14:30] Confession as the doorway to reconciliation and renewal[00:21:00] When accusations are real—and when they’re projections[00:27:30] Jesus, antagonisms, and the woman caught in adultery[00:30:00] Pre-fall vs. post-fall views of government—and why it matters[00:36:00] Why the church must resist asking government to save the world 💡 Takeaway Whataboutism doesn’t protect truth. It protects identity. When Christians refuse to unwind antagonisms, we lose our ability to bear faithful witness. But when leaders practice confession, patience, and discernment in community, space opens for the Spirit to heal what power struggles cannot. 📚 Resources & Links Mentioned: David Fitch on Substack 👉 https://davidfitch.substack.com/Gino Curcuruto on Substack 👉 https://ginocurcuruto.substack.com/End of Evangelicalism by David FitchThe Church of Us vs. Them by David FitchChantel Mouffe’s work on political antagonism (referenced conceptually)Romans 13 (referenced for future discussion on church and state)John 8:1–11 – Jesus and the woman caught in adulteryLuke 4 – Jesus’ rejection of worldly power Where might whataboutism be shaping your leadership, relationships, or political engagement, and what would it look like to pause, listen, and confess instead?

    45 min

  7. Jan 19

    S11:E9 Why I’m Not Reformed: The Contextual Nature of All Theologies

    What happens when a theological tradition outlives the cultural moment that gave it meaning? David Fitch lays out why he no longer identifies as Reformed, not as an attack, but as a contextual theological critique. Joined by Mike Moore, Fitch reflects on how Reformed theology emerged faithfully in medieval Europe, why it made sense there, and why its dominant expressions no longer fit the cultural realities of North America today. This episode is not a takedown of Luther or Calvin. Instead, it is an invitation to take context seriously: how theology travels, how power works, how Scripture is interpreted, and how unintended consequences shape the church long after doctrines are formed. Along the way, Fitch argues for a constructive alternative rooted in neo-Anabaptist, holiness, and Pentecostal streams traditions shaped for life beyond Christendom. 🎙️ In This Episode: Why all theology is contextual without being relativisticHow Reformed theology functioned within medieval ChristendomPenal substitutionary atonement: where it made sense—and where it doesn’tHow views of sovereignty, hierarchy, and predestination mirror cultural assumptionsWhy sola scriptura has produced interpretive chaos in modern evangelicalismThe case for neo-Anabaptist, holiness, and Pentecostal theology today 📌 Highlights: [00:08:00] Why Protestantism “had nothing to protest” in North America[00:13:00] How Reformed theology was later used to interiorize salvation[00:20:00] Power, sovereignty, and concessions to Christendom[00:26:00] The dangers of unmoored sola scriptura[00:30:00] Why holiness, Pentecostal, and Anabaptist traditions fit our moment 📚 Resources Mentioned: “Protestantism Without Reformation” (1939) by Dietrich Bonhoeffer — found in No Rusty Swords, this essay critiques American Protestantism for losing its reforming edge, a theme echoed throughout this episode.Scott Jones (New Persuasive Words) — “Reforming the Reformers? Dave Fitch, Neo-Baptists, and a Misread Reformation” — Scott and Bill respond directly to Fitch’s post and critique his reading of the Reformers. (Episode 390: https://npw.fireside.fm/390) Gustaf Aulén, Christus Victor — a classic retrieval of Christus Victor atonement theology (named as a corrective to what gets lost when PSA becomes the dominant frame).Anselm of Canterbury, Cur Deus Homo — referenced as part of the medieval background for juridical/forensic atonement frameworks (“it doesn’t mean it wasn’t resident in Ansel”). Robert Schreiter — “all theology is local” referenced as a framing line for the episode’s central claim about contextual theology and continuity without relativism. The question isn’t whether Reformed theology was ever faithful. It’s whether its dominant assumptions about power, authority, Scripture, and salvation still serve the church’s mission today. Theology must remain faithful to Scripture and attentive to context if it is to form communities that live under the reign of Jesus rather than the logic of empire.

    47 min

  8. 12/24/2025

    S11:E8 Will 2026 Be Defined by Uncertainty?

    Rather than a “best of” recap, this year-end episode names the deep uncertainties shaping 2026 and asks how followers of Jesus might live faithfully in the midst of them. From artificial intelligence and political instability to education, housing, and the erosion of trust in institutions, the hosts reflect on the pressures facing Gen Z, pastors, and local churches alike. The conversation circles back again and again to one central question: Where should we center our lives when everything else feels unstable? 🎙️ In This Episode: Why AI may be more disruptive to human formation than the internetThe growing normalization of political violence and public mistrustThe collapse and reimagining of higher education and theological formationWhy homeownership feels impossible and how churches might respond creativelyWhat it means to center life in the local church amid cultural fragmentation 📌 Highlights: [00:08:00] AI, creativity, and resisting a culture of convenience[00:17:00] Political unrest and the call to local faithfulness[00:26:00] Education’s crisis—and why formation still matters[00:31:00] Housing, community, and economic imagination[00:39:00] Centering life in the church rather than institutions or identity markers When institutions falter, and the future feels unclear, the church is called to become a visible alternative—not a retreat from the world, but a grounded community of discernment, presence, and hope. The work ahead is not to predict the future, but to faithfully inhabit it together. If 2026 truly is a year of uncertainty, what would it look like to locate your identity not in success, security, or certainty but in a shared life centered on Jesus, practiced in real neighborhoods, with real people?

    49 min
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4.7
out of 5
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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
    221
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Theology on Mission

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