Ten Minute Theology - Joel Wentz

Jonah is one of the greatest little stories in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and it’s also one of the most-popularly-misunderstood stories. So, how exactly is the common interpretation of Jonah so off-base? What is a better, more faithful way to read this wild little book? And what in the world could a story of a man getting swallowed by a fish have to say to us in our cultural moment today? Listen to find out.

I’m taking a slightly different approach in today’s episode, in engaging with a prominent current event. A group of pastors, some of whom are quite well-known, led by John MacArthur, recently released a “statement on social justice” that is making quite a stir in Evangelical-Christian circles. I take this slightly-longer-than-normal episode to engage with it. Spoiler alert: I think it’s a disaster.

In the previous episode, I spent time explaining some of my background and putting forward a helpful definition of the term 'evangelical.' In this episode, I do a deep-dive into my personal wrestling match. It's an honest discussion, in an attempt to highlight a few compelling arguments on both sides of the debate. I do land somewhere, though! Hopefully this is enlightening, and ultimately helpful to those of you with similar experiences.

In this first of a 2-part discussion, I wrestle openly and honestly with the term 'Evangelical.' Since the 2016 election, the discussion around the relevance of the term 'evangelical' has been raging in Christian circles, and it has provoked deep soul-searching for me. In this episode, I briefly explain some of my personal background, my own discovery of the term, and lay some groundwork for a definition of it that I've found helpful.

Part two of a complicated discussion about whether the Bible is inherently trustworthy in our modern age. I hit on topics as deep and diverse as history, science, and faith (which is probably why this episode is longer than normal...)

A seemingly simple question actually contains a myriad of complicated assumptions, questions and tensions. Join me for a 2-part discussion of how to respond.

The final discussion of Genesis 4 and Cain & Abel.

The epicenter of the Cain and Abel story.

A discussion of the themes of the 'Cain and Abel' narrative. Part 1 of 3

10 minutes on the 'reality' of God. It's not as simple as you might think...

And here it is, everyone's favorite Bible passage, the part that you couldn't wait to analyze: THE CURSE. We finally get a glimpse of the outcome of the human's disobedience. And today, this passage is relentlessly pointed at by atheists/skeptics as evidence that we need to ditch the Bible (it's so savage and primitive!) and by fundamentalist Christians as evidence that God approves of things like patriarchy. But might there be something deeper going on?? Spoiler alert: there is! Join for a brief exploration of what the writer of Genesis is REALLY trying to capture in this famous passage. You just might find yourself respecting it.....

In part 3 of this exploration of the Genesis 3 story, I examine God's response to the transgression of the humans. If you are even passingly familiar with this story (or the Old Testament in general) you probably imagine God as a Zeus-like, bearded sky-man, ready to smite at a moment's notice. And what better smiting opportunity than immediately after the first humans disobey the one and only command they were given?? But what we see instead is quite surprising, especially given the ancient context within which this story was written. So join me for a brief exploration of God's surprising character, even in this old, old story.

Continuing our exploration (and untangling) of Genesis 3, we turn to one of the central symbols of the whole story: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Have you ever stopped and wondering why God made this one of the trees in the garden? And why was it the only one they couldn't eat from? And what exactly made them break that rule? And why was it such a big deal in the first place? And why......? OK, so there are a ton of questions you could ask about this.... Listen for a brief exploration of what Genesis is claiming about humans, God, the world, and evil as symbolized in this tree.

In this next episode, I finally dive into one of the most widely-known (and probably widely-misunderstood, honestly) scripture passages of all time: the fall of Adam and Eve!! **cue dramatic music** This chapter is so dense, so insightful, and yet so radically misunderstood, that it's going to take 4 whole episodes to even begin to untangle it. And first, we need to ask, "What in the world is up with that talking snake??"

There's so much in the chapter - we are introduced to the two famous trees, the rivers, the naming of the animals and, at last, the creation of "woman." But why exactly was "woman" (she isn't yet named 'Eve') created? Are there common misunderstandings about this today? What does it mean for discussions around "gender" today, if anything? And what does all this mean for a robust vision of humanity, work, and gender partnership in the world? Join me for an exploration of all these questions, in only 10 minutes.

Genesis 2 launches the famous (or maybe infamous?) story of Adam and Eve. But, like most things, what seems "simple" on the surface quickly turns out to be complex, nuanced, and extremely insightful. But how exactly does Genesis 2 connect with Genesis 1? What is the driving point of this story? How can modern people take it seriously? Tune in for a two-part exploration of this powerful story of human origins.

There's much to respect, even as modern readers, in this poem. Join me for a brief exploration of themes like chaos, human dignity, and the vision of a peaceful existence.

This series will be a deep dive into ancient text, but always seeking to answer the question: Can we respect the Bible today? Is that even possible??

Have you ever stopped to think about how your conception of God is shaped by historical theologies? Most people, including Christians, haven't. In reality, our understanding of the divine being has been influenced by millenia of thought, and not all of it is biblical.

Does the notion of the Trinity give you a headache? Does the idea of a 3-in-1 divine being make your brain spin? If so, you just might be a normal person. Join me for part 2 of our discussion on "God." In this episode, I briefly survey the roots of the idea of Trinity, and more importantly, I discuss why it matters. Does this have any impact on our faith today? What about my daily life? Well, sit back and enjoy my thoughts about this...