Crucible of Thought

Today, a ton of people are talking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, even making a movie based on his life, but I had to wonder, what did he really think about nationalism and the Gospel, and more importantly to me, what would he think about what's happening in America today? Today I get to share with you a pretty wide-ranging interview with two Christian ministers, Ben Marsh and Bonhoeffer's Child of the "Sacred Shenanigans" podcast, discussing our theological backgrounds and political journeys, and spending some time reflecting on the limitations of modern Western evangelicalism. We talked a lot about our evolving views, particularly the tensions between conservative theology and progressive political sensibilities. We also talked about our concerns about the rise of Christian nationalism. Ben and Bon emphasized a return to the self-sacrificial, Christ-centered faith exemplified by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who spent the last few years of his life fighting against the Nazi regime, and calling the church to return to a holy and missional walk like Jesus preached, and to look after the marginalized. Obviously, Bonhoeffer is one of Bon's heroes, and we kept returning to Bonhoeffer's ideas as we talked. We also spent some time discussing our modern online engagement, the limitations of church structures, and our mutual hope for an authentic Christian witness in a fragmented society facing increasing challenges from all sides.#deconstructingchristianity #christiannationalism #bonhoeffer #dietrichbonhoeffer #churchreform #authenticfaith

This is a great conversation about the collective Christ, the Son of Man arising in the world, an appearing of the Body of Christ in a new way. For a couple thousand years the Church has been wrestling with division and strife, and although there's certainly no lack of that strife today, many people are increasingly aware of a new kind of oneness - as Jesus spoke about in John 17 - arising from the chaos. But it doesn't look like anything that has preceded it. This conversation touches on some of those ideas, considering Paule Patterson's book-in-progress "The Coming of the Son of Man and Mystical Awakening."This is my second recording with Paule, who goes by the online moniker of Drunk Pastor - a reference to his personal journey of recovery. This conversation covers Part Two of his book. Well, actually, I can't say it COVERS Part Two. Rather, it bounces off Part Two. Even after speaking for about an hour about this section, we barely touched the surface of a few of the concepts he's raising. I guess you'll have to wait for him to finish writing so you can read it too!You can find his website and blog at https://drunkpastor.com/You can also watch this in video form at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSgBie8Ok9w

This is a fun and wide-ranging conversation with Paule Patterson, and we talk about the intersection of philosophy and religion, and specifically the ideas about collective versus individual identity - what IS "The Church," this thing that Christianity has been discussing for two millennia? It's a topic he's been writing about in his book-in-process "The Coming of the Son of Man and Mystical Awakening." I think it's very important for Christianity, as we wrestle with division and sectarianism and so many people abandoning traditional institutional religion.This is my first recording with Paule, who goes by the online moniker of Drunk Pastor - a reference to his personal journey of recovery. He's a really neat guy and has done a ton of hard thinking about the nature of our faith and how it's expressed, and I knew I needed to talk to him. So we had a conversation a few days ago to just get acquainted, and I realized we could have some amazing conversations on camera about what we discussed. And it turns out he's been working on a book of sorts and he let me have an advance look at it, and so this first video covers Part One of his book.You can find his website at https://drunkpastor.com/The video version of this episode can be found at https://youtu.be/XqVUbMXQaaM

While I mourn many things that are being lost in the last few months here in America, one that grieves me the most has been the absolute shredding of many markers of equality in our culture. As I watch what is happening, it's now clear to me that this equality was a lot less solid than I had thought.You can watch this on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEOOzOFQYQQAlso available in written form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-shallow-veneer-of-equality/

If you're like me, you're feeling very unhappy and unsettled by what's happening in our country right now. The changes are overwhelming, the flood of negative news is unrelenting, and there's a sense of loss as I watch what's happening. In some real sense, it requires grieving, as I realize that things are changing rapidly and those changes might be permanent. So the real question in my mind is this: How do I respond? How can I process these changes, and will we ever get back to normal? I suggest that the five stages of grief offer a model for how to proceed.You can also watch this in video form at https://youtu.be/1OhmLioWr78

"Too big to fail." We've all heard that saying, and it usually refers to the idea that once an organization gets a certain size, and becomes important to culture or society, it's too big to be allowed to fail; the life of the organization must be preserved at all costs. But that doesn't account for the problem that sometimes, the harm that the organization is doing is so bad that perhaps it ought to fail, for the very good of society.I was thinking about that problem with large organizations, in light of a potentially abusive leadership situation that recently came to light. Because I think that in some cases, it's the very size of the organization that is what causes the problems.And I think that applies to churches just as much as secular organizations. And recently, a situation with a large religious organization got me thinking that, sometimes, organizations actually get too big to succeed.You can watch this video on YouTube:https://youtu.be/2yP_L8gJ_QIRick Pidcock's two articles:https://baptistnews.com/article/allegations-against-tim-whitaker-and-the-new-evangelicals-show-how-hierarchy-transfers-to-progressive-ministries/https://baptistnews.com/article/that-time-i-got-an-angry-call-from-the-subject-of-an-article-about-anger-and-abuse/GRACE report:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXa0sCk9lzmZ_xylztf8fQ995ebmoLFo/viewTNE response to the GRACE investigation:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHT4jgFvLIU/

Today I'm really pleased to bring you an discussion with Kevin Nye, the author of "Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness." He wrote the book a few years ago, and I read it about a year ago, and I've been increasingly interested in what can be done about the problem of homelessness. A lot of the things I grew up believing about homelessness have been proven false, and more importantly, a lot of the things I grew up believing about the PEOPLE experiencing homelessness were also proven false. So when I crossed paths with Kevin on social media, he seemed like a person that was really worth having a conversation with. I hope this is useful to you.You can find Kevin's book here:https://amzn.to/49zX6tIThis is Kevin's website:https://kevinmnye.com/And his Substack:https://kevinmnye.substack.com/You can watch this on YouTube too:https://youtu.be/VHeMMmYdCUc

For many years now, I have been saying that even the American democratic system will ultimately fail, that it will never become The Kingdom of God, that democracy itself must be shown to be inferior to whatever God's government ultimately will look like. Much to my dismay and discomfort, it's now happening, faster than I could have imagined. But what SHOULD the Kingdom look like? And in the meantime, what should my response be?You can also read this as a blog post at https://crucibleofthought.com/on-the-death-of-american-democracy/

Here's another great conversation with Billie Hoard about the book she and her brother Paul Hoard have just finished writing. The topic is extremely relevant to what's going on in America right now, and it's really worth understanding if you want to have a better sense of why things are the way they are. You can also watch this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3ulqi_4_V0

What's the best way to advance the Kingdom of God on earth? Perhaps you think it's by conquering our culture, by fighting against those trying to lead us away from God. Or maybe it's something different. Maybe if we inspect the Way of Jesus, we'll see something sharply different, something that requires us to sacrifice ourselves instead of conquering others.You can also read this as a blog post athttps://crucibleofthought.com/winning-by-losing/

Let's talk about reading. I've been deconstructing and rebuilding my faith for about four years now. For multiple reasons, I walked away from my former evangelical church in 2022 and have been steadily and diligently digging through all my various dogmas and doctrinal beliefs ever since. Similarly, I started rethinking my politics about the same time - triggered by the anti-racism uproar that exploded onto the American scene in 2020, and my sudden awareness of something I'd long assumed was no longer a real issue in America. And, wow, did my rethinking lead to some drastic changes in my life - but I'm intensely happy that it did, and I'd like to talk about it for a few minutes. You can also find this in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/reading-changed-me/

I clearly remember the George H.W. Bush phrase, "A Thousand Points of Light." President Bush's victory was the first presidential election in which I was old enough to vote, and his vision from his inaugural speech in 1989 was deeply inspirational to me. That phrase, today, has captured my thoughts again, but perhaps in an unexpected way. And it shows how far we've fallen from those days that I remember. How can we be a point of light today? You can also read this episode in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-thousand-points-of-light/

I'm really pleased to bring you another interview. My guest today is Mae Forest Barnes, someone I've gotten to know remotely via social media for the last year or so. But as I watched her comment and interact, one thing really stuck out: she made various comments about queer theology. That was an area I knew nothing about, but had a growing sense that I needed to understand. I grew up with the understanding that any kind of what I call "adjective theology" was very bad: feminist, Black, Hispanic, Catholic... there was only one real theology and of course all the others were wrong. And of course as an evangelical, anything related gay or lesbian or transgender was definitely evil in my view. So "queer theology" was doubly bad. But now that I'm affirming, since 2022, and having increasingly encountered discussions of those other theologies - like the book I just finished reading about Black theology - I realized that there might actually be something of real value in queer theology, if I could get around my old evangelical ideas about it. So when I saw what Mae was talking about, I realized that I would love to ask her about these ideas, and see what she had to say. I recognize, of course, that there are many people with many different views about theology of any kind, and I'm just asking one person here, but I still figured I'd learn a lot, and I certainly did in this conversation. Enjoy!

I'm very pleased to bring you another interview with my good friend Bethany Alvey, who is a spiritual director. I spent the last year or so going through a program with her as she was developing her spiritual direction practice. I found it very helpful and also very informative. Until that process, I knew very little about spiritual direction, but it's something I hear about quite a bit now, especially as I spend most of my time outside evangelical and institutional church circles. So I thought that it maybe it would be useful to you, if you aren't already familiar with it, to understand what it's all about and what you might expect if you had a spiritual director. This is her website: https://www.caraidanam.com/ Also, if you're interested in learning more about the Enneagram system, Bethany provided this information: Intro to Using the Enneagram as a Tool for Personal Growth Join Bethany in February 2025 and explore the Enneagram tool and how to apply it for personal growth. This 4-session introductory course will give you a basic understanding of what the Enneagram is and how it's designed to work, as well as an intro to each of the nine main Types. When: Wednesday February 5, 12, 19, & 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST Where: Register free here and receive the zoom link to our sessions - Intro to Using the Enneagram https://forms.gle/RzVaSpmdHjpVn3Mz8

Have you noticed the growing pressure for sameness in our civic and religious cultures lately, the idea that uniformity, or perhaps conformity, is necessary for a holy and Godly nation? I have, and I'm very concerned, because I think it's dangerously false. Not only is it not biblical, it also makes us weaker. I'm going to explore this topic for a few minutes, from both religious and political perspectives. You can also read this in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/uniformity-is-not-unity/

Everything is a battle lately, both politics and religion, and this keeps us focused on everyone else being our enemy, not our neighbor or fellow believer. I'm choosing to lay down my arms, and stop this cycle of violence which prevents us from moving forward together. You can also read this in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/laying-down-my-arms/

As a former evangelical, I experienced a number of occasions where we chased after some manifestation we thought was of God, but probably was not. It's too easy to get busy worshiping this kind of experience, instead of worshiping God. You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz0ZKEQ1cpk A compilation of video clips about Silvania Machado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPxZsvtC6tE Silvania Machado speaking at a church (starts when the "gold" manifests): https://youtu.be/9SbFUP4SEx8?t=807 Some stories about the "gold dust" being proven untrue: http://web.archive.org/web/20040204233930/http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/miraclegold.htm https://banner.org.uk/tb/golddust.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20111212202542/http://riverforum.blogspot.com:80/2008/11/sylvania-machado-gold-dust-exposed-as.html A testimony from a true believer in the glory dust: https://www.maxgreinerart.com/glory_dust.htm

I'm pleased to bring you a conversation with another author who wrote a book that I really found helpful in understanding aspects of American religious culture - and in this case, not just Christian, but also other faiths. Dr. Taylor wrote "The Violent Take It by Force", just released this fall, and we talk about interfaith issues as well as the dangers and challenges of Christian Nationalism. The Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies: https://ICJS.org "The Violent Take It by Force" https://amzn.to/4iCFi5Z "Scripture People" https://amzn.to/4gdEra5

Jesus very clearly said His Kingdom was not of this world. We need to stop trying to change His mind about that. You can also read this episode in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/fits-and-starts/

Too often, Romans 13:1-2 is used as a bludgeon to coerce people into meekly giving in to the current political regime and gaslighting their appropriate Spirit-led responses to the politics du jour. I've grown up enough to recognize it as outright spiritual abuse. And I've never heard it preached anytime other than during trying political seasons. That needs to stop. The blog post text version of this video: https://crucibleofthought.com/stop-using-romans-13-as-a-bludgeon/ A couple good additional links: https://knowingscripture.com/articles/romans-13-civil-disobedience-to-unconstitutional-unjust-laws https://bible.org/article/paul-and-civil-obedience-romans-131-7

For the first time in my life, after almost 40 years voting 100% Republican, I voted as a Christian for a Democrat this year. Is that even possible? After four intensive years of rethinking my doctrines and politics, I have concluded that my former right-wing positions on abortion, LGBTQ, racism, 2A, welfare, climate, immigration, and Christian Nationalism were WRONG. I take some time to explain exactly why I reached these conclusions. Read it here: https://crucibleofthought.com/a-christian-voting-democrat/ Watch it here: https://youtu.be/pqEa7rY9qAI

We're all being played by The Algorithm, every day, in almost every place we get our news. Here are some tips to take back some control.

Are we humans about to be bailed out of this mess of a world, or is our responsibility to fix it? I used to think we'd be raptured and Jesus would fix it instantly. But lately, I've concluded God gave us the authority and the power to redeem the earth ourselves, and we're in it for the long haul. https://crucibleofthought.com/saying-goodbye-to-a-thanos-theology/ https://youtu.be/wTH68RF-1po

It's a common trope that conservatives lack empathy. Lately they've claimed it's even sinful. But I've found that the truth is more complex. We all have empathy; what matters is how it's applied, and to whom. You can read this post in blog form (including all the links to data shared here) at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-new-look-at-empathy/ You can watch this in video form at https://youtu.be/rbQ4wgTkrqY

Here's a conversation with my friend Diego Mera. We talk a bit about our relationship and how we became friends, but one the reason I thought this would be an interesting conversation is that I consider myself a follower of Jesus and therefore a Christian, while Diego considers himself an atheist. And despite that significant difference, we've found a great value in our mutual relationship. I'd never actually spent much time talking with Deigo about his religious history, and this seemed like a perfect topic. By the time we're done, I think you'll see that we agree on a lot more than we disagree on, and even our points of disagreement are not points of dispute, but instead points of mutual growth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLCaFiPi2nQ

"Thou Shalt Not Listen to Taylor Swift" isn't going to produce the results that some parents think it will. Relationship is greater than rules. You can also read this post in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/broken-records-broken-relationships/

I enjoyed a chat with Pastor Trey about his new book, "Theologizin' Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly", and his new online ministry "The Intention Church." Video of this episode is also available on our YouTube channel. You can buy his book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4d5Gb2I Learn more about The Intention Church at https://theintentionchurch.com/

Like it or not, America is pluralistic. What will it take to get along with people who are very much unlike us, while staying true to our sense of righteousness and holiness? I suggest that the answer is remembering that Jesus' Kingdom is not of this world - or of our nation. You can also watch this in video form at https://youtu.be/xQtS-wAkftI

The recent flood of the denial of reality - and in many cases outright lies - by both former president Donald Trump and many of his followers deeply concerns me for the future of both my nation and its church. You can also watch this in video form on the Crucible of Thought YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ceV5QRb-fvU

Today I had a chance to interview Rick Pidcock, who I've followed for some time on various social media platforms, and in particular his writing with Baptist News Global was what caught my attention. He's a very diverse thinker, covering a lot of different topics that are directly relevant to the church today, and I really wanted to get to know him a little bit, find out what makes him tick, and how his outlook has been formed. We cover a lot of different topics in this discussion, including his music under the Provoke Wonder name, a book he's writing on the topic of warfare and worship in the evangelical church, his writing for social media and for Baptist News Global, and a few rabbit trails into theology and politics. I really enjoyed our conversation, and I think you will too. You can watch this as a video podcast at https://youtu.be/K8AnuMDDZdo

Enjoy this interview with Paul and Billie Hoard, talking about disgust theology, contamination, and a fascinating idea that they call eucontamination - how the holy actually removes contamination instead of being contaminated by it. Paul's Substack: https://paulhoard.substack.com/ Paul's professional page: https://theseattleschool.edu/faculty-staff/directory/hoard-paul/ Billie's Substack: https://billieiswriting.substack.com/ Billie's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Billieiswriting Billie's Threads: https://www.threads.net/@billieiswriting

How on earth did I, a conservative evangelical straight man, ever become affirming? There were many reasons and steps in my journey and process; although it felt like an avalanche or landslide at times, it was worth it. So I wanted to share my story to give you hope that it's really okay to tell God that yes, you're willing to change and repent if God asks you to. You can also watch this at https://youtu.be/q94L8J1MAEI and read it at https://crucibleofthought.com/how-i-became-affirming/https://crucibleofthought.com/how-i-became-affirming/

Working out our faith shares some similarities with an esoteric and advanced form of calculus called "transforms." Sometimes to solve a problem, you have to do the hard work in a completely different reference frame, and then transform the result back into our day-to-day frame. You can also read this as a blog post at https://crucibleofthought.com/calculus-of-faith/

I recently realized that "born again" was the perfect description of my deconstruction and reconstruction. My faith doesn't look much like it used to; it's been such a dramatic change that it really feels like being reborn. But being born again is an ongoing process - "be being born again," continually. You can also read this post at https://crucibleofthought.com/be-being-born-again/

The idea of finding safety in the long history of doctrine from the time of the Gospels until today is a false hope. The history of Christianity is much more messy and shaped by secular forces than I would like. I have to be comfortable with what the Holy Spirit is doing in my own mind and heart, even if it requires me to step away from a place of perceived safety, and to set aside some doctrine that my tribe was taught was immutable and eternal. You can also read this as a blog post at https://crucibleofthought.com/safety-in-numbers/https://crucibleofthought.com/safety-in-numbers/ You can also watch this episode at https://youtu.be/hGWqa-yu5oI

There's a lot of really good fruit in the doctrine of universal reconciliation. I think it's worth carefully thinking through how our view of personal eschatology changes us and our witness to the world around us, and affects how we relate to one another as believers. You can also read this on the blog at https://crucibleofthought.com/the-good-fruit-of-universal-reconciliation/

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about a few topics, and I've suddenly begun to see that they're all interconnected. Specifically: the doctrine of hell (and heaven) fear as a foundational feature in certain doctrines how churches control people our modern (non-biblical) assumptions about church structure assessing doctrines based on their fruit In this episode, I consider how all these tie together, and how the evangelical doctrine of hell is truly laden with bad fruit.

"Miche like quiche," as she says. I'm very pleased to bring to you an interview with Dr. Miche van Essen, of Transmission Ministry. I learned about her through Zach Lambert, after my interview with him in a previous episode of this podcast, and after watching some of her content on Instagram and other social media, was very interested in speaking with her. She graciously agreed, and we had a wonderful conversation for about an hour. I could easily have continued on, as I had so many more questions than time would permit, and I hope you'll find this conversation just as stimulating as I found it to be. We covered a range of topics, from ethnic identity and assumptions, to queer theology and intersectional theology, and it was deeply enlightening. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gutJsL4uNA

I repent of hell. I'm sorry that I believed a lie about God and how God deals with humanity. I see how that was harmful to both me and to others, and I'll change and do better in the future. You can also read this in text form on the blog at https://crucibleofthought.com/repenting-from-hell Deep dive on Infernalism: https://crucibleofthought.com/a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology/ Book reviews related to salvation and the afterlife: https://crucibleofthought.com/book-reviews-salvation-and-end-times/ Cover art from YongL at https://www.deviantart.com/yongl/art/Hell-Or-Heaven-278094639 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives Works 3.0 License)

Today, I had the real privilege of interviewing Zach Lambert, pastor of the Restore Austin church in Austin Texas. Zach showed up on my radar in early 2022 as I began to seriously study the issue of LGBTQ rights and whether it was possible to be a Christian and affirming at the same time. I saw Zach's powerful sermon on the topic, which I'll link in the show notes, and it really impressed me and motivated me to study the topic harder. I reached out to Zach and asked him if we could speak on Zoom, and much to my surprise he agreed. Pastors are typically pretty busy and he was generous with his time, and we had a great conversation that gave me a sense that the nudging of the Holy Spirit in my heart might really need close attention. After many months of study I eventually concluded in late 2022 that I needed to be explicit about being affirming myself, so on the National Coming Out Day in October 2022 I posted a lengthy paper detailing my process and reasoning and the results of my own study of the scriptures. Since then I've continued to study the topic, and I realize constantly that I just don't know as much as I need to if I'm going to be an effective ally and to share my own convictions in a useful fashion. So I reached out to Zach a second time, and once again he graciously gave me an hour of his time. This interview is the result. It challenged me but also gave me a sense that I'm moving in the right direction. This is Zach's sermon that I referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3d_mhbTwL4 Find us at https://crucibleofthought.com

What's the difference between a powerful testimony, and a sad story that we perceive as condemning the one who experienced it? Often, it's only our dogma. We listen and swing from "that's amazing" to "that's horrible" in moments, based on our preconceptions of how valid that story is. Maybe, though, we can learn quite a bit from people whose stories don't fit our existing framework of understanding. You can also read this at https://crucibleofthought.com/the-conditional-power-of-testimony/

P.T. Barnum is famously reputed to have said "there's a sucker born every minute." I'd add a modern corollary that says "there's a grifter born every minute to feed those suckers," especially in today's social media world. The recent bridge collapse in Baltimore brought plenty of Barnum's minions out of the woodwork. What can we learn from this? You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/barnum/ and watch it at https://youtu.be/ONVeSdXBs_Q

Americans seem to worship efficiency and scale - and American Christians seem to apply Henry Ford's innovations to building Christians, just like he built the Model T. But maybe that's not the best way to advance the Kingdom of God. This is episode #103 of the Crucible of Thought podcast. You can also read this in text form at https://crucibleofthought.com/henry-ford-christians/ and watch it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/zL0ZOvHRbwM

Is God's salvation truly limited to those with right beliefs? Or is Gal 2:20 better translated as living within the faithfulness of God's son? One puts the burden on us to believe correctly. The other rests in the completed work of Jesus. And that covers everyone, not just those who believe the right things. You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/yes-them-too/ Other related posts: https://crucibleofthought.com/for-two-billion-years/ https://crucibleofthought.com/every-created-thing/ https://crucibleofthought.com/new-series-a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology/

This is part four of a four-part series on the various Christian doctrines of the afterlife. I grew up in an evangelical church environment, and I don't think it's possible for any good evangelical to not know all about heaven versus hell, and streets of gold versus fire and brimstone, and to vigorously defend those concepts and then use them to convince people to repent and believe to avoid eternal punishment. But those views are not universal to Christianity, and I just began to realize this in the last couple years. So I'm making these videos to provide some awareness of the alternatives, and to discuss the doctrinal positions which I believe are probably more correct. The following link is referenced in this video. https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/the-severity-of-universal-salvation/ The text version of this video, with clickable links and all the Bible references in popup form is also available in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology-part-4-of-4/ You can also watch this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/3sNnUw7Y4eU

This is part three of a four-part series on the various Christian doctrines of the afterlife. I grew up in an evangelical church environment, and I don't think it's possible for any good evangelical to not know all about heaven versus hell, and streets of gold versus fire and brimstone, and to vigorously defend those concepts and then use them to convince people to repent and believe to avoid eternal punishment. But those views are not universal to Christianity, and I just began to realize this in the last couple years. So I'm making these videos to provide some awareness of the alternatives, and to discuss the doctrinal positions which I believe are probably more correct. The following link is referenced in this video. https://www.hopebeyondhell.net/articles/further-study/eternity/ The text version of this video, with clickable links and all the Bible references in popup form is also available in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology-part-3-of-4/ You can also watch this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/pmpdSkc6Bww

This is part two of a four-part series on the various Christian doctrines of the afterlife. I grew up in an evangelical church environment, and I don't think it's possible for any good evangelical to not know all about heaven versus hell, and streets of gold versus fire and brimstone, and to vigorously defend those concepts and then use them to convince people to repent and believe to avoid eternal punishment. But those views are not universal to Christianity, and I just began to realize this in the last couple years. So I'm making these videos to provide some awareness of the alternatives, and to discuss the doctrinal positions which I believe are probably more correct. The following link is referenced in this video. https://www.naccanada.org/IMIS_PROD/NAC/Believe/Service_for_the_Departed/Salvation_after_death.aspx The text version of this video, with clickable links and all the Bible references in popup form is also available in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology-part-2-of-4/ You can also watch this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/84HlLjeFKoM

This is Part One of a four-part series on the various Christian doctrines of the afterlife. I grew up in an evangelical church environment, and I don't think it's possible for any good evangelical to not know all about heaven versus hell, and streets of gold versus fire and brimstone, and to vigorously defend those concepts and then use them to convince people to repent and believe to avoid eternal punishment. But those views are not universal to Christianity, and I just began to realize this in the last couple years. So I'm making these videos to provide some awareness of the alternatives, and to discuss the doctrinal positions which I believe are probably more correct. The following links are referenced in this video. https://theologyintheraw.com/biblical-support-for-annihilation/ https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-does-bible-say-about-annihilationism/ https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/hell-as-endless-punishment/ https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2022/06/05/sometimes-eternity-aint-forever-aionios-and-the-universalist-hope-2/ https://tentmaker.org/FAQ/forever_eternity.html https://hebrewwordlessons.com/2019/10/27/sheol-the-grave-gehenna-hades-hell/ https://www.afterlife.co.nz/articles/history-of-hell/ https://exploringthefaith.com/2021/11/16/considering-the-theological-case-for-universal-salvation/ https://www.tentmaker.org/books/InFavorCh20.html The text version of this video, with clickable links and all the Bible references in popup form is available in blog form at https://crucibleofthought.com/a-discussion-of-individual-eschatology-part-1-of-4/ You can watch this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/WOKE70TxluM

Dogmatism is often used to build a tribe, and strengthen its borders, often by threatening shunning for those who so much as question the dogma. But doctrinal humility and cheerfully welcoming uncertainty will ultimately build the Kingdom in ways that dogmatism cannot. You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/dogmatism

Welcome to the second video podcast episode for Crucible of Thought. You can consider this a bit of an experiment; after about a hundred audio-only episodes, I've decided I'd really like to start interviewing people that have caught my attention and are saying things I'd like to understand further. So this is a sort of warm-up experiment using the technologies I'll need for future interviews. Bethany Alvey, from the Caraid Anam spiritual direction ministry, is a close friend, and we had a discussion about the stages of faith, and deconstructing our dualism and simplicity of faith. We talk here about our own experiences of rethinking and reconstructing our beliefs, and then Bethany shares about her ministry at caraidanam.com

This is the very first video podcast episode for Crucible of Thought. You can consider this a bit of an experiment; after about a hundred audio-only episodes, I've decided I'd really like to start interviewing people that have caught my attention and are saying things I'd like to understand further. So this is a sort of warm-up experiment using the technologies I'll need for future interviews. So as a sort of practice video podcast, a close friend and I had a discussion about tithing. We both attended the same church for quite a few years, and both stopped attending that same church about the same time, as we both went through a time of rethinking the fundamentals of our faith and doctrines. We talk here about our own experiences in our former evangelical church and its teachings and practices around tithing, and some ways that those were harmful despite claiming to be biblical. You can also find this video on the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiW1ANwwqQY