In this impromptu bonus episode, Matt Tebbe convenes a panel of pastors to discuss the spiritual, emotional and social implications of a second Donald Trump presidency. They explore personal reflections on identity, the challenges of fostering unity in diverse communities, and the importance of recognizing and addressing systemic issues such as rac…

We talk with Pastor Timothy McCain about how to have healthy, honest conversations with those different from us. Timothy's new book is Honest Conversations: Talking to Understand; Not to Win, which explores how to have conversations across differences in culture, experience, and lifestyle. Whether you want to learn more about someone's culture as y…

The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church with Justin Schell Order you copy of this book here: https://www.crossway.org/books/the-mission-of-god-and-the-witness-of-the-chur-tpb/ “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). This declarative phrase introduces fundamental questions circling the minds of skeptics and bel…

In this conversation, Austin McCormick and Dewey Dovel interview James Renihan on the Psalms. They discuss why Christian ministers should preach this portion of God's Word Christologically, a method for doing so, and examples of this interpretive approach. For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.org…

We talk with Hebrew Bible scholar Jacob L. Wright about why no other ancient society produced anything like the Bible: a testimony of survival, but also an unparalleled achievement in human history. Wright's book Why the Bible Began: An Alternative History of Scripture and Its Origins was on The New Yorkers BEST OF 2023 list, as well as one of the …

Pastor and writer Joel A. Bowman, Sr. joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on thinking about and practicing politics through the lens of Christian faith. We touch on the upcoming presidential election, the history and theology of the Black church tradition, and the culture war. Rev. Joel A. Bowman, Sr. is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and has be…

In this episode, Austin McCormick interviews Mark Ward on Bible Translations. Mark Ward holds a Ph.D. in New Testament Interpretation from BJU Seminary. His dissertation was entitled, "Paul’s Positive Religious Affections." He currently works for Crossway Publishers on special projects. Before that, he was a writer and editor and presenter for Logo…

Spiritual director, podcast host, and author Emily P. Freeman joins us to talk about what to do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it's time to make a change, and how to know when the time is right. Emily's book How to Walk Into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away helps us begin to uncover the silent, nuance…

Gordon Taylor received his B.A. from Cedarville University in Speech and Pre-Seminary Bible in 1966. He received the M.Div. from Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary in 1969. He was the pastor of two different churches. He served at Calvary Baptist Church in Greene, Iowa from 1969 to 1975. He served at the Sycamore Baptist Church near East Mol…

We talked with Chuck DeGroat about how to heal from the hidden hurt of what's happened to us that we couldn't control. His new book Healing What’s Within: Coming Home to Yourself—and to God—When You're Wounded, Weary, and Wandering is available today. Chuck DeGroat is a professor of pastoral care and Christian spirituality at Western Theological Se…

Dr. Scott N. Callaham is Dean of the Institute of Public Theology. He is the lead editor of World Mission: Theology, Strategy, and Current Issues, as well as the author of Biblical Aramaic for Biblical Interpreters in both English and Chinese. He is the host of the Daily Dose of Aramaic podcast and a composer of Chinese worship music for congregati…

Professor Grace Ji-Sun Kim join us to talk about the historical origins and theological implications of how the olive-skinned Jesus "became white" and how the invisible, infinite God became a white male. In her book When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity, she outlines how the myth of the white male God has had a d…

Navigating Cultural Chaos with Children & Teens with Andrew Walker For more information, visit CBTSeminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

Author and mental health advocate Chris Morris has battled depression and suicidality his entire adult life: the grief of unrelenting illness, the shame of struggling, and the pain of poor guidance. In his book Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons about Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward, he shares how he has dealt with these challenges--and…

Professor David Gushee is back on the podcast to talk about how the moral teachings of Jesus can help those who feel the old version of their faith is no longer working to cultivate a more examined and robust faith. In Gushee's new book, The Moral Teachings of Jesus: Radical Instruction in the Will of God, he examines forty teachings of Jesus, draw…

We talked with podcaster, theology nerd, and former pastor Josh Patterson about leaving the pastorate, starting his (Re)thinking Faith podcast, working a "secular" job, and why he's looking forward to Theology Beer Camp (Oct 17-19 in Denver - join us and register using our code GRAVITYHOBBIT to get $50 off registration!). Joshua Patterson is the fo…

We continue our series with Jon DePue (co-author of Beyond Justification: Liberating Paul’s Gospel) about how to interpret specific scripture passages and theological ideas in the new "liberated" way he outlines in the book. Today we talk about "faith" - what does Paul actually mean when he talks about faith? What does it mean for us to have faith?…

Dewey Dovel interviews George McDearmon in this conversation on "Child Rearing to the Glory of God." For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

We talked with podcaster and theology nerd Tripp Fuller about the history, mistakes, and legacy of the emerging church movement of the early 2000s, the state of the church and theology right now, and why he's excited about Theology Beer Camp this fall (Oct 17-19 in Denver). Tripp Fuller likes the LA Lakers, beer camps, Illia Delio, the Church, phil…

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, Austin McCormick and Dewey Dovel interview Brian Borgman on his book "Don't Waste Your Breath: Ecclesiastes and the Joy of a Fleeting Life." Paul Washer said of this book, "I will never look at the book of Ecclesiastes the same way again." Here is a brief description of the book: "Your life is a mere breath.…

Khristi Lauren Adams's faith was first shaped by her experiences as a Black girl--learning about Scripture from her grandmother, Mama Hattie; "playing church" with her seven cousins over summer vacation; and grieving the murder of her sixteen-year-old friend when she was just fifteen. In Womanish Theology: Discovering God Through the Lens of Black …

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, Pastor Dewey Dovel interviews former NASA employee Jeff Williams. "Williams was selected for the NASA Astronaut Class of 1996. In addition to his space flights, he has performed various technical duties in both the space shuttle and International Space Station Programs. He has served in the Extravehicular Ac…

Registered psychologist and award-winning researcher Hillary McBride joins us to talk about all things embodied. In her latest book Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body, McBride offers an experiential guide--centered on prompts, activities, and opportunities for reflection--to support readers who want to practice embo…

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, Austin McCormick and Dewey Dovel interview Timothy Decker on Textual Criticism. They discuss the importance of textual criticism for pastors, different methodologies, and the necessity of this discipline. If you're interested in registering for or auditing the class referenced in this conversation, you can c…

We talk with writer and artist Jenai Auman about the experience of being left out or pushed out of the church, and how to find spiritual rest and belonging in a God who loves, restores, and blesses the outcast and the marginalized. In her book Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized, Jenai draws on her…

Richard B. Dewey, Jr., MD is a neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but more importantly, he is a believer in Jesus Christ, the eternally-existing Son of God who gave Himself a ransom for many. Dr. Dewey was saved as a young child being brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by faithful, b…

Today we start a new regular series on the podcast, based on our conversation a couple months ago with Jon DePue about Liberating the Gospel from Mere Justification. The paradigm shift in Beyond Justification: Liberating Paul’s Gospel (the book Jon co-authored with Douglas Campbell) is such a big one for most of us that we thought it'd be helpful t…

After twenty years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, a global pandemic, protests against racial violence, and frequent shootings, more Americans than ever are living with the effects of trauma. Our conversation with Army veteran and Episcopal priest David Peters helps us see the good news that Jesus was born and died in a traumatized world, and his s…

In this mini-episode of the Covenant Podcast, Austin McCormick asks Dr. Sam Waldron to provide some books that have been helpful to his 45-year ministry. Additionally, Austin asked Dr. Waldron about the usefulness of having "Dead Theological Mentors." For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.org…

Matt and Ben respond to a listener question about finding a place in the body of Christ after clergy sexual abuse. Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links …

In this conversation, Pastor Austin McCormick interviews Pastor Dewey Dovel to discuss "Five Distinguish Marks of a Reformed Baptist." Dewey explains that Reformed Baptists are Catholic, Calvinistic, Confessional, Covenantal, and Credo-Baptist. For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

In the face of the rising threat of Christian Nationalism to both church and democracy, Beau Underwood joins us to talk about how some of the hidden undercurrents are present not just among evangelical Christians, but in the mainline church, which is the theme of the book he co-wrote with Brian Kaylor, Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants He…

Gill Group #3 - The Cause of God and Truth, Pt.1 | Covenant Podcast In this conversation, Pastors Austin McCormick, Dewey Dovel, and Ken Glisch discuss various sections of Part 1 of John Gill's "The Cause of God and Truth." This work defends the doctrines of grace, i.e., Calvinism. For more information, visit: https://cbtseminary.org…

We're starting a Book Club, and you're invited! We talk about why we wanted to do this, how you can be involved, and the first book we'll discuss: The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by journalist Tim Alberta. The Book Club will be a weekly discussion on Fridays at 12pm ET starting August 2, 2024 (re…

Though evangelicals emphasize fidelity to the gospel above all else, many have fallen in step with "a different gospel" of Christian nationalism. Analyzing Scripture, church history, and current events in the United States and Russia, Joel Looper offers evangelicals a theological rationale for resisting Christian nationalism. Joel Looper teaches at…

In this conversation, Austin McCormick and Dewey Dovel speak with Jim Savastio about the Virtual Public Square. More specifically, we talk about how Reformed Baptists can use the mediums in our day to produce edifying content. For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

There is no such thing as substitutionary death sacrifice in the Torah, which changes everything we thought we knew about Jesus's death. The consistent message throughout the entire NT is not that Jesus died instead of us, rather, Jesus dies ahead of us so that we can unite with him and be conformed the image of his death. It's not about substituti…

What if obedience is not the goal of Christian parenting? What if it's our job as parents to instead help our kids get to know God and discover that God can be trusted? In her book Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From, pastor and parent Meredith Miller helps families nurture the kind of faith that can flex and grow, be broken…

In this episode, Dewey Dovel and Austin McCormick speak with Dr. Justin Miller, Pastor of FBC Puxico (MO), about the Expositor's Institute For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

Men today are starved for sexual formation. They've been failed by parents, churches, and culture alike, leading to widespread shame, confusion, and brokenness in the area of sexuality. We talked with therapist Sam Jolman about helping men reconnect their God-given sexuality with innocence, awe, and joy, and shows readers how to celebrate--instead …

Lee C. Camp joins us (again!) for a wide-ranging conversation about human flourishing, habits, ethics, politics, philosophy, and faith. This is Lee's second time on the podcast - we talked with him in 2020 about his book Scandalous Witness: A Little Political Manifesto for Christians. Lee C. Camp is an award-winning teacher and Professor of Theolog…

In a world experiencing turbulent change, we need people who are resilient, kind, open, generous, and brave. How do we become those kinds of people? In Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, popular podcaster Elizabeth Oldfield uses the seven deadly sins as a framework to explore this question. Elizabeth Oldfield hosts The Sacred, a p…

In this episode of the Covenant Podcast, we play a Sunday School lecture that Dewey Dovel presented to his congregation, Emmanuel Reformed Baptist Church in SeaTac (WA). For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.orgAv Man of God by CBTSeminary

We talk with spiritual director Terra McDaniel about how to rediscover the lost practice of lament, so we can heal and hope again. Most people don't know how to process personal or communal mourning and instead struggle to honor our tears, vulnerability, and the full weight of these disillusioning times. But tending our grief is exactly what we nee…

Matt posted something on Facebook recently about people who attempt to "police" those going through deconstruction, who seem to: equate deconstruction with de-conversion, say people deconstruct so they can sin, say people deconstruct to 'be cool or hip or trendy or for street cred', criticize 'giving up' on the local church, and blame deconstructio…

In this conversation, we discuss a Christian Apologetic against Mormonism with Bradley Campbell. Bradley is a part of the God Loves Mormons team, and leads both the Youth and Young Adult groups at The Mission Church. The GLM YouTube Channel is designed to provide helpful and thought-provoking content for Mormons who are trying to better understand …

In their new book Beyond Justification: Liberating Paul’s Gospel, Douglas Campbell and Jon Depue address a growing frustration among many Christians of how to understand what seems to be contradictory messages from Paul about the Gospel. On one hand, Paul usually talks about a participatory, transformational good news full of freedom, resurrection,…

The fact that "good evangelical Christians are Republican" seems obvious means the propaganda is working. Professor and author Scott Coley helps us understand how evangelicalism became fused with right-wing politics and now presses evangelical theology into the service of authoritarian politics, which he outlines in his new book Ministers of Propag…

"It is always gratifying to see increased exegetical clarity with regard to an important passage of Scripture. It is especially gratifying when that clarity provides timely, practical guidance to the believer. Such clarity and practicality are the blessed results of Tim Decker's study on Romans 13. I have been convinced for many years of his exeget…

A dramatic misinterpretation of the Jewish tradition has shaped the history of the West: Christianity is the religion of love, and Judaism the religion of law. In the face of centuries of this widespread misrepresentation, Rabbi Shai Held, in his book Judaism Is about Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life, recovers the heart of the Jewish tradi…