Ben and Andy talk about money and power in this episode. They touch on ideas like the Prosperity Gospel and climbing the professional ladder, but focus on the pervasive idea that God works on a barter system where one’s wealth, power, and prestige demonstrate someone’s faithfulness and goodness. They talk about the ways that Jesus (and most of the Hebrew prophets) flatly deny that concept of God and how hard it is to act out God’s divine equality in everyday life.   If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod

Andy and Ben discuss the apostle Paul on this episode. They use Paul and the ways that Christians tend to prefer Paul over Jesus to talk about uncertainty: both the ways we try to avoid it and its centrality to the ethic of Jesus.   If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

Ben and Andy close out their impromptu three-part series on Christians in the world (otherwise known as political theology).  They talk about the oft repeated phrase “in the world but not of the world” as a way to figure out how and why evangelicals have tended to treat politics and culture as threats yet vitally important. They close in a hopeful discussion about what it means to not be of the world yet to be sent into it. Rather than requiring concrete beliefs or stances, simply trying to help and bless others comes closer to the way of Jesus as they see it. If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

In what has become the second part of a three-part series, Andy and Ben talk about Christian nationalism, both its historical origins and the disturbing way it’s been expressed and enacted recently. They then discuss Jesus’ Kingdom of God and how it differs from the ways American Christians have often talked about the nation.   If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

In the wake of the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, Ben and Andy talk about violence and Christianity.  From troubling passages in the Bible to the violent actions of Christians throughout history, the guys discuss how they (perhaps badly) handle these issues and try to place them in some historical and theological context.  They end the conversation talking about ways they’ve tried to engage others and have conversations about violence, guns, and faith in ways that stay true to their own faith commitments.  If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

In this episode, Ben and Andy listen to an audio clip of Billy Graham talking to Richard Nixon in the Oval Office. Graham warns Nixon about the dangers of Jews in America. The guys use this disturbing clip to discuss a related series of equally disturbing issues, including antisemitism in the Church, the ways Christians’ views of the “End Times” can oppose the Gospel message, and the difficulty of maintaining relationships in and within the church when church leaders are abusive.  ---- The Tweet Referenced in this episode can be seen here.  You can also watch the transcript video on YouTube from its original source here. The link to the original conversation can be found here.  If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

In this episode, Andy and Ben discuss their definition of worship as well as some of the problems with the way we use our churches to be the focal point of worship.  Being the resident worship planner, Ben talks about motivations behind worship planning and helpful ways to avoid using music as a vehicle for an emotional experience but instead as a map to a more profound experience of worshiping God.    If you want. to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

This episode is about the Bible: what it is, how we “give authority to it” and what faith means in light of our many questions and uncertainties about scripture.  Ben shares some knowledge about ancient near eastern creation myths as a way tothink about the Bible in context – namely, the fact that it was written by people in their own place and time.  The conversation keeps coming back to Christians simply admitting the way(s) they understand and treat the Bible as opposed to the ways we constantly pretend that we do. If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

Ben and Andy talk about the Gospel, including how they’ve both grown up understanding this vital part of Christian faith and the issues they’ve encountered with such definitions.  Then, Andy proposes another definition of the Gospel that he thinks is more accurate both to what Jesus taught and how Christians really live.  Finally, they discuss the many challenges and freedoms of thinking about, and living out, this new definition of the Good News, particularly the idea of trying to be faithful rather than “effective” Christians. If you want to reach out to us, You can email us at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @babyjesuspod.

In this first episode of the Bathwater and the Baby Jesus (BBJ) Podcast, we share a little about ourselves and what we are trying to accomplish with this Podcast.  Have questions or feedback?  Let us know at babyjesuspodcast@gmail.com