Podcast · Devotional & Spiritual

Theology in the Raw

by Theology in the Raw · English · Devotional & Spiritual

Helping believers think Christianly about theological and cultural issues by engaging in curious conversations with a diverse range of thoughtful people.

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 1 minNew

What Are Christians Getting Wrong About Islam? Dr. Daniel Bannoura

Are Christians being fair in how we understand Islam? Palestinian Christian scholar Dr. Daniel Bannoura joins Preston Sprinkle to explore Islam and Christianity, religious violence, what the Quran says about Jesus, and the treatment of women.In the fourth and final episode of our Understanding Islam series, Daniel helps me process my conversations with Javad Hashmi, Gabriel Said Reynolds, and Fariza Gulomikova, including some of the pushback the series received.Daniel grew up in the West Bank and earned his PhD in Islamic Studies at Notre Dame, focusing on the biblical subtext of the Qur’an.…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E1437 · 8 Oct 2026 · 49 min
John Mark Comer: What Constant Noise Is Doing to Your Soul
Watch our Extra Innings conversation on Patreon, where John Mark Comer shares his evolving views on women in church leadership and the questions he’s still wrestling with: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintherawWhat is constant noise doing to our souls? And why can being alone with God feel so uncomfortable?John Mark Comer joins Preston to discuss his latest book, Into the Quiet: Following Jesus in a World of Noise. We explore how noise affects our capacity to love God and others, what surfaced during John Mark’s 21-day solitude retreat, and why silence often brings us face-to-face with the…
E1436 · 5 Oct 2026 · 57 min
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: Peter Beinart
Watch our Extra Innings conversation by joining the Theology in the Raw Patreon community: https://patreon.com/theologyintherawWhat happens when the story you grew up believing meets the people whose voices were missing from it?Peter Beinart joins Preston to discuss how spending time with Palestinians challenged his understanding of Israel, Jewish identity, and the relationship between safety and freedom. They explore his experience of October 7, the history of Palestinian displacement, his comparison with apartheid South Africa, and why he believes the conflict is bigger than Hamas. Peter…
E1435 · 1 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Immigration, Crime, and Deportation: What Should Christians Believe?
What happens when immigrants who came to the U.S. legally lose their status and face deportation? And what happens to their American-born children when the country their parents could be sent to is considered too dangerous to visit?Matthew Soerens joins Preston to unpack some of the biggest questions and misconceptions surrounding immigration. Why don’t immigrants just come legally? Do undocumented immigrants take American jobs? What does the evidence say about immigration and violent crime? And how should Christians weigh respect for the law alongside the biblical commands to love our…
E1434 · 28 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 19 min
The Book of Revelation: A Deep Dive with Dr. David deSilva
Join the Theology in the Raw Patreon Community to Watch our Extra Innings! https://www.patreon.com/theologyintherawIs the Book of Revelation a roadmap to the future, or was it meant to help Christians see their own world more clearly?New Testament scholar David deSilva joins Preston to walk through Revelation from the seven churches to the New Jerusalem. They discuss why John wrote to real communities living under the Roman Empire, what the throne room reveals about Jesus’ authority, and how the seals, trumpets, and bowls speak to suffering, judgment, and faithful witness.They also explore…
E1433 · 24 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
She Left Islam for Jesus: Fariza Gulomikova
Join the Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintherawFariza Gulomikova grew up in a Shia Ismaili family in Tajikistan. As a child, she saw how much a person could lose by leaving Islam. Then her cousin became a Christian, and the kindness she encountered at his church challenged everything she thought she knew about Christians.In part three of our Understanding Islam series, Fariza tells Preston about her childhood, her encounter with Jesus at age 11, her family’s response to her conversion, and the challenges of starting over in the United States. She also shares what she…
E1432 · 21 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Comparing the Quran to the Bible: Dr. Gabriel Said Reynolds
Join the Theology in the Raw community to hear Preston’s Extra Innings response to this conversation.How does the Qur’an compare to the Bible? Do Muslims read it the way evangelical Christians read the Bible? And if the Qur’an is Islam’s sacred text, why are the Hadith so important for understanding what Muslims believe and how they live?In part two of our series on Islam, Preston sits down with Dr. Gabriel Said Reynolds, a Catholic Qur’an scholar and the Crowley Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale University and is the…
E1431 · 17 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 34 min
The Quran, Sharia, Violence, and Women. Understanding Islam, Part 1
Join the Theology in the Raw community to listen to my "Extra Innings" response to my conversation with Javad.What do Christians misunderstand about Islam? Is it inherently violent? Was it spread by the sword? What do Muslims believe about Christians, Sharia, women, the Quran, and the Hadith?In the first episode of our three-part series on Islam, Preston sits down with Dr. Javad Hashmi, a Muslim scholar and PhD candidate in Islamic Studies at Harvard University. The conversation explores the origins of Islam, what historians can know about Muhammad, the development of the Quran and Hadith,…
E1430 · 14 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Venus, Purity Culture, and the Ideal Christian Woman | Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt
Who decided what a “good woman” should look like?Long before social media, paintings, sculptures, religious images, and other forms of visual culture were shaping our expectations of women. Those images did not merely reflect society. They helped define beauty, sexuality, motherhood, virtue, and even what Christians imagined a godly woman should be.Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt is an art historian (Ph.D. from Washington University) and is a professor of art and art history at Covenant College. She’s also the author of two books: the award-winning Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking…
E1429 · 10 Sep 2026 · 57 min
Are We Making Our Kids More Anxious? Dr. Chinwé Williams
Are parents accidentally making their kids more anxious by protecting them from discomfort?Dr. Chinwé Williams joins Preston to explain why anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social avoidance have risen among young people. They discuss the role of smartphones and social media, the disappearance of real-world community, constant exposure to frightening news, trauma, pornography, and the pressure many kids feel to avoid failure.Dr. Chinwé Williams is a Licensed and Board-Certified therapist with expertise spanning a variety of domains, including youth and family mental health, parenting &…
E1428 · 9 Sep 2026 · 16 min
Bonus Preview: Patreon Q & A
Hey friends, Check out the top voted questions from my September Q & A! For the full episode, join the Theology in the Raw Patreon Community at https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw Here's the full list of Questions: 00:59 Isn’t it unfair to consider gay-affirming Christians “outside the fold” when pro-war Christians have an equally unbiblical view, but are not treated as such?09:15 Prophecy of male birth aside, could Jesus have been female and still died for the sins of the world?13:21 Assuming a view of Jesus with literal brothers, sons of Mary, why do you think Jesus at the cross…
E1427 · 7 Sep 2026 · 47 min
When Christian Unity Becomes Forced Agreement, with Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez
What if Christian unity doesn’t mean agreeing about everything?Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez joins Preston to discuss the difference between genuine Christian unity and the false peace created by forced agreement. Drawing from her new book, False Peace, Pricelis explains why sameness can silence people, erase meaningful differences, and prevent churches from addressing conflict honestly.They discuss political and theological disagreement within the church, pastoring a diverse congregation in the Bronx, creating a church culture that welcomes criticism, and deciding which doctrines Christians…
E1426 · 3 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 18 min
Does the Church Get Modesty Wrong? Dr. Sandra Richter & Noël Tsoukalas
What does the Bible really mean by modesty, and why have Christian conversations about clothing so often produced shame, especially for women and teenage girls?Dr. Sandra Richter is a renown biblical scholar, author, and professor of Old Testament at Westmont College. The 2nd edition of her killer book, The Epic of Eden, releases in November 2026. Sandy is also a faithful mom, and one of her daughters, Noël Tsoukalas, joins us in this conversation about modesty. Noël is a Pop singer-songwriter and worship leader. She made a name for herself on Season 21 of American Idol, where she received a…
E1425 · 31 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
When Church Hurts: Spiritual Trauma and Rebuilding Your Faith: Colleen Ramser
Colleen Ramser is an EMDR-certified licensed professional counselor (LPC) who specializes in trauma, particularly the effects of spiritual abuse, domestic abuse, and complex trauma. She’s a survivor of spiritual trauma, which she talks about in the show, and she’s the author of the book The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding Your Faith After Spiritual Trauma, which addresses a lot of the things we discuss in this fasciainating conversation.00:00 Why Spiritual Trauma Can Make Faith Feel Impossible00:30 Introduction02:52 What Qualifies as Trauma?05:49 Trauma vs. PTSD07:46…
E1424 · 27 Aug 2026 · 55 min
Faithful and Courageous Women in the Bible: Dr. Sandra Glahn
To listen to or watch our extra innings conversation, become a member of the Theology in the Raw community at https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw.Dr Sandra Glahn has spend more than a quarter of a century working as a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. She's the cofounder of the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity and the author of more than 25 books--her latest being A Woman's Place Is in the Story. In this episode, we discuss several women in the Old Testament and how the biblical narrator frames their stories. In our "extra innings" conversation, we discuss the question:…
E1423 · 24 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Engaging the Race Conversation and Lessons from Elijah for our Chaotic World: Max Lucado
Max Lucado is a pastor with decades of ministry experience and one of the most bestselling Christian authors of all time, who’s written more than 40 books that have sold around 150 million copies and have been translated in 56 languages. His latest book is Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion.Chapters 00:07:42 Revisiting 2020: Covid and BLM00:13:30 The Backlash to Max “Going Woke” 00:16:41 Responding to Generational Pain with Compassion00:20:55 Tips for Good Writing 00:25:56 The Impact of AI on Writing 00:27:58 AI, Plagiarism and Christian…
E1422 · 24 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Engaging the Race Conversation and Lessons from Elijah for our Chaotic World: Max Lucado
Max Lucado is a pastor with decades of ministry experience and one of the most bestselling Christian authors of all time, who’s written more than 40 books that have sold around 150 million copies and have been translated in 56 languages. His latest book is Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion.Chapters 00:07:42 Revisiting 2020: Covid and BLM00:13:30 The Backlash to Max “Going Woke” 00:16:41 Responding to Generational Pain with Compassion00:20:55 Tips for Good Writing 00:25:56 The Impact of AI on Writing 00:27:58 AI, Plagiarism and Christian…
E1421 · 20 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Is the Old Testament Law Filled with Punishment, Legalism, and Arbitrary Rules? Dr. Dru Johnson
Be sure to check out our “Extra Innings” conversation where we discuss what the Old Testament actually says about sex outside of marriage. Surprisingly, there’s no explicit verse in the OT that forbids it. To listen to the full conversation, become a member of the TITR community at https://www.patreon.com/theologyintherawDr. Dru Johnson (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is Templeton Senior Research Fellow and director of the Abrahamic Theistic Origins Project at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford. He is also a visiting professor of religion at Hope College, director of the Center for Hebraic…
E1420 · 17 Aug 2026 · 59 min
How Attachment Theory Helps Us Understand Ourselves: Dr. Alison Cook
To listen to our extra innings conversation, head over to patreon.com/theologyintheraw and become a member of the TITR community and get access to all of my extra innings conversations and a bunch bonus contentDr. Alison Cook is a therapist, psychologist of religion, bestselling author, and host of the top-ranked The Best of You podcast. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College (BA), Denver Seminary (MA), and the University of Denver (PhD). Alison has spent over two decades helping people move from feeling disconnected to feeling secure, grounded, and loved. She’s the author of four books…
E1419 · 13 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Christian Zionism, Gaza, and the Cost of Silence: Dr. Daniel Bannoura
Dr. Daniel Bannoura (Ph.D. Notre Dame University) is a Palestinian theologian and Director of Public Engagement at the Bethlehem Institute for Peace & Justice. Daniel received his PhD degree in Qur'anic Studies from the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on the history and redaction of the Qur'an, Christian-Muslim relations, and Palestinian theology. Daniel also host of “Across the Divide”, a podcast that provides a space for thoughtful conversations about Palestine-Israel through the lens of faith and peace-making. Check out the Church at the Crossroads conference in Atlanta,…
E1418 · 10 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Dr. Zach Wagner: What Is Biblical Masculinity? Part 2
If you want to listen to our "Extra Innings" conversation about whether marriage is necessary for men to be truly masculine, head over to patreon.com/theologyintheraw and become a member of the Theology in the Raw community. Dr. Zachary Wagner (DPhil, Oxford) is an author, ordained minister, and New Testament scholar. He’s written two books that deal with masculinity, male sexuality, and virtue: Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality and his most recent Men of Virtue: How the Fruit of the Spirit Forms Male Character in the Modern World. He is currently pursuing publication…
E1417 · 6 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Seth Troutt: What Is Biblical Masculinity? Part 1
Join the Theology in the Raw Community on Patreon to listen to our Extra Innings Segment about whether or not you need to be married to truly be masculine. You’ll also get bonus episodes, Zoom meet ups, and more! What does it mean to be a man? It's a question that's generating plenty of heat online, but not much clarity. In this first episode of a two-part series on biblical masculinity, Preston sits down with Seth Troutt to separate what Scripture actually teaches from the messages coming from the online manosphere.Before we can have a meaningful conversation about masculinity and…
E1416 · 5 Aug 2026 · 19 min
Bonus Q & A Preview
Join the Theology in the Raw Patreon community to watch the full episode! For as little as $5 per month, you'll get these bonus Q&A's, as well as Extra Innings segments, Zoom conversations, and our brand new At Home with The Sprinkles videos. Here's the full list of Questions: 00:00 Intro00:36 How do you think purity culture has affected asexuality among Christians? Have you done any study of asexuality? And if not, would you consider it?04:33 Several young people in my life are doubting Jesus' divinity. What are some of the best thoughts you have on helping them see & understand Jesus'…
E1415 · 3 Aug 2026 · 1 hr
Partnering with Indigenous Leaders in Global Missions: Janice Allen
Janice Rosser Allen is CEO and President of International Cooperating Ministries (ICM), the global ministry founded by her father, Dois Rosser, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. She has served on ICM’s Board of Directors since 1986 and has led the organization as CEO since 2008. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Duke University, Janice worked in clinical and academic oncology nursing before God called her into full-time ministry with ICM. Widowed at 51, she is an ordained elder, author of God in the Crossroads, and she’s passionate about empowering indigenous…
E1414 · 30 Jul 2026 · 59 min
Living Well in a Chaotic World: Dr. Alan Noble
Dr. O. Alan Noble is Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, a fellow at the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, and author of four books, including his most recent book: To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times. Check out the Christ at the Checkpoint conference at: www.christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.eduTime Stamps:00:00 Introduction 03:46 Advice for Aspiring Writers07:03 Moral Confusion and Living Well in Chaotic Times10:47 Can Going Offline Fix Modern Life?13:04 The Seven Classical Virtues Explained14:28 On Prudence and Difficulty Making Decisions22:49…
E1413 · 27 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Sharing Your Faith Without Being Weird: Lindsey Medenwaldt
Lindsey Medenwaldt is an assistant professor of business and economics at Northwestern College in Iowa. Lindsey has written two books: Bridge-Building Apologetics and her recent (co-authored with Dr. Douglas Groothuis) What If Jesus Is Right? will be released in August 2026. Lindsey engages extensively on the topics of apologetics and worldview as a writer, editor, teacher, and speaker. She has a Jurist Doctorate, a masters in public administration, and a masters in apologetics and ethics from Denver Seminary.Time Stamps:00:00 Introduction 01:42 How Lindsay Became an Apologist06:20 When you…
E1412 · 23 Jul 2026 · 50 min
What Is a "Theology of Place?" Dr. Ben Norquist and Dr. Brian Miller
Dr. Ben Norquist is a writer, scholar, and serves as the Director of Communications & Development for Bethlehem Institute for Peace & Justice, bringing Palestinian Christian teaching into conversations within the global church. Dr. Brian Miller is a professor of sociology at Wheaton College, and his research interests include the American suburbs (particularly their development, culture, depictions in media, and housing), cities, religion and place and how it relates to American evangelicalism and culture. Together, Ben and Brian wrote a recent book together called: Every Somewhere Sacred:…
E1411 · 20 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Reading the Gospels as Narratives and Depictions of Jesus in Film: Dr. Jeannine Brown
Dr. Jeannine Brown is The David Price Professor of Biblical and Theological Foundations at Bethel Seminary, where she has taught for 26 years. She focuses her research on the New Testament, hermeneutics, and integration. She’s written a bunch of books and commentaries, including Scripture as Communication, Becoming Whole and Holy, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (editor), commentaries on Matthew, Philippians, and 1 Peter (forthcoming), and a couple books most pertinent to our conversation: Gospels as Stories and The Greatest Story Ever Retold (with John Anthony Dunne). Jeannine is a…
E1410 · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Sexual Desire, Singleness and the Beauty of Christian Sexual Ethics: Andrew Bunt
If you want to access our extra innings conversation, become a member of the TITR community here Request a free copy of Heroic Faith here: Andrew Bunt is the Content Director at Living Out, a UK based ministry that equips the church in matters related to sexuality and gender from biblical perspective. (living out.org). Andrew is a pastor, speaker, and author who’s written several books including his latest book: Getting God’s Perspective: A Short Christian Introduction to Worldviews, Sexuality & Gender. In this conversation, we discuss questions about the Christian sexual ethic—is it…
E1409 · 13 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 25 min
Everything You Need to Know About the Book of Job: Dr. Ellie Paley
Request a free copy of When Faith is Forbidden here.Dr. Ellie Paley received her Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where she studied the book of Job, and she’s currently pursuing a post-doc at Bar-Illan University in Israel. Ellie literally memorized the entire book—in Hebrew…in 6 months! Job is her gig and she knows more about the book than anyone I know. In this episode, Ellie gives a master class on the book of Job, discussing its date, the setting, the meaning of “The Adversary” (hasatan, or Satan?), the purpose of the prologue (Job 1-2), the content of purpose of the dialogue cycle of…

About Theology in the Raw

Helping believers think Christianly about theological and cultural issues by engaging in curious conversations with a diverse range of thoughtful people.

Theology in the Raw is a English devotional & spiritual podcast from Theology in the Raw. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Theology in the Raw
Language: English
Category: Devotional & Spiritual
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
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Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1018952191

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