Ep113. a very Karl Barth episode, Christiane Tietz

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Ep113. a very Karl Barth episode, Christiane Tietz

I sat down with Christiane Tietz to discuss the challenges and rewards of writing a biography of Karl Barth, and what theology gains from biography. We discuss Barth's time as a pastor in Safenwil and his siding with factory workers in a local labour dispute, and I ask how this event influenced (or was shaped by) his understanding of the kingdom of God and whether she feels this commitment to the vision of heaven come to us as an impetus to support socialism lasts throughout Barth's life or was more of a youthful passion. We then discuss Barth's relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum, the tensions between Karl and Nelly, and the various pulls and pushes that led to all three under one roof. In particular I ask what responsibility did she feel in approaching this material. Finally, we talk about Barth's feelings toward the CD toward the end of his days, and, (perhaps relatedly) how he might have felt about the modest publishing industry the CD still sustains.

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Ep106. Religion and the History of the CIA, Michael Graziano

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Ep106. Religion and the History of the CIA, Michael Graziano

I sat down with Michael Graziano to talk about his book Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors which investigates the dangers and delusions that ensued from the religious world-views of the early moulders of the CIA. We discuss how the religious studies of the time (both in the academy and in popular culture) shaped the CIA's view of and approach to religion - particularly the developing World Religions Paradigm. Along the way we discuss American exceptionalism, shifting attitudes to Catholicism, and the strongly held belief within the CIA that a religious person would always, ultimately, side with the good ol' USofA.

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Ep90. Redfern: Aboriginal Activism in the 1970s, Johanna Perheentupa

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Ep90. Redfern: Aboriginal Activism in the 1970s, Johanna Perheentupa

I sat down with Johanna Perheentupa to discuss her new book on Aboriginal activism and the push for self-determination in Redfern in the 1970s. We discuss the conditions and social changes that made Redfern ripe for such radical change and the development of landmark organisations such as the Aboriginal Legal Service, the National Black Theatre, Aboriginal Medical Service, Murawina preschool, and the Aboriginal Housing Company. We discuss the relationship between these organisations and the well known demonstrations of the time (such as the Tent Embassy). We discuss the way the ALS emerged as a response to police violence, how the Black Theatre sought to shape a national Indigenous identity, and how the ALS and AHC engaged the fight for land rights in the city.

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Ep81. Dying to be Normal, Brett Krutzsch

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Ep81. Dying to be Normal, Brett Krutzsch

I sat down with Brett Krutzsch to talk about his book Dying to Be Normal: Gay Martyrs and the Transformation of American Sexual Politics. The book highlights how, through the process of commemoration, secular gay activists deployed Protestant Christian ideals to present gays as similar to upstanding heterosexuals and, therefore, as deserving of equal rights. Our conversation centres on the treatment of Harvey Milk, Matthew Shepard, and Tyler Clementi who, in the wake of their deaths, had aspects of their life, politics, and personality erased in order that they might make more appropriate martyrs in the eyes of white Protestant America. Through this we see the way Christian language of sacrifice and redemption, and the symbol of crucifixion still hold sway in American society and thus limit the ways (and the who) of seeking equality and dignity. As Krutzsch writes, "Ultimately, this is a story of exclusion, built on a politics of inclusion, shaped and foreclosed by a white Protestant vision of “normal” American citizens."

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Ep61. A Very Schleiermacher Episode, Ted Vial

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Ep61. A Very Schleiermacher Episode, Ted Vial

I sat down with Ted Vial to talk about Friedrich Schleiermacher’s political activity, intellectual proclivity, and preacher’s sensitivity. We discuss Schleiermacher’s distinction between religion and theology, why readers benefit by considering his work in other academic disciplines, and why it is helpful to be reminded that the only Christianity we have is the one we have. We end with a great discussion on Schleiermacher’s Christmas Eve: a dialogue and why it’s the perfect entry point to his theological corpus.

This episode is part one of our two-part series: Deus Ex Schleiermacher. Look out for part two with Shelli Poe next week.

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Ep55. Resacralizing the Other at the US-Mexico Border, Gregory Cuéllar

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Ep55. Resacralizing the Other at the US-Mexico Border, Gregory Cuéllar

I interviewed Gregory L. Cuéllar about his book Resacralizing the Other at the US-Mexico Border: A Borderland Hermeneutic (Routledge, 2020). We talk about the way the sacred is weaponsised by elite powers to shape social reality, the way it grants permanence to the negating of the inherent sacred worth of the black and brown bodies of those approaching or crossing the border, while sacralizing the Anglo-American project of colonisation, violence, and manifest destiny. We talk about how – counter intuitively – appealing to the sacredness of the other can provide a way toward a healing strategy, and how this book seeks to “attend in a healing way to the recurring, open wounds of postcoloniality at the US-Mexico border” – wounds that are, for the author, personal.

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Ep12. Theo-Politics for a Community that Moves Beyond Itself, John Flett

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Ep12. Theo-Politics for a Community that Moves Beyond Itself, John Flett

The problem with the mainline is we have an insular theology, but we do not follow an insular God...

This is the Saturday night session from our weekend Political Populism and a Theological Response. Here John Flett picks up the theological challenge of populism (explored in the first two sessions) and proposes an alternative focused on the political stance of a community which finds its identity as it moves beyond itself. Recorded Nov 4, at Epping Uniting Church. LISTEN IN iTUNES

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Ep10. Populism and a Theological Response, John G. Flett

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Ep10. Populism and a Theological Response, John G. Flett

In this interview (from January 2017) I talk with John Flett about theology and mission in the wake of Trump, populism in its current form, the way Christians just wanted to "win" and so refused to yield power, interdisciplinary approaches, mission studies, "racism and the evangelical vote", #WTFtheology (aka: John's proudest achievement), and how mission (a non-America-First understanding of mission) can help counter this growing nationalist, populist tide. - this was in the lead up to the first run of his course, Political Populism and a Theological Response, earlier this year at Pilgrim Theological College. LISTEN IN iTUNES

Now, on November 3-5 John Flett will be in Sydney leading a condensed version of this course. There are numerous ways to engage - attending the whole weekend, evening lectures, or the newly announced online access. MORE INFO AND PURCHASE TICKETS

"If you yourself are not ready to be converted, then you are not engaging in the discussion"
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