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...

TMT is back, with a new mini-series! Strap on your thinking cap and dive into the paradox of full humanity and full divinity in the person of Jesus, and find out why it even matters....

After a nearly-summer-long hiatus, Ten Minute Theology is back! Join me for an all-too-brief overview of two major theological options regarding God's relationship to the future: Process Theology and Open Theism. What is it that these views believe about God? Are they based in Scripture at all? What has all the controversy been about? Take a listen, and possibly get (some) questions answered!

Join me for a brief discussion surrounding a heated controversy - is the Bible "inerrant?" Or, put more simply, "can the Bible be trusted?" What do we modern people do when we encounter seeming contradictions or scientific errors in the Biblical text? Is this cause to abandon faith altogether? How can Christians navigate this important discussion?

The "wrath of God" is a frequently-used phrase, especially in Evangelical popular theology. But what is God's wrath, exactly? What is it directed towards? How does it affect what you believe about God?

Join me for a discussion of the overlooked "iconoclast controversy" in the 8th century of the church. An unassuming monk, writing from a humble monastery, had a profound impact on this debate, which still affects our worship practices today.

Easter is the most important event in the Christian calendar, but what are the unique nuances of the Easter stories as told in the original gospel documents? What can we learn from them? Join me for a brief reflection on how Mark, Matthew, Luke and John write about the resurrection of christ.

This "crash course" is a special episode of "Ten Minute Theology." The audio is taken from a lecture I gave at a young adult gathering last week in Portland, Maine, in response to many questions about how to read and understand the Old Testament documents. It's a **bit** longer than 10 minutes, but if you are at all interested in the theology of the Old Testament, I think you will find it quite interesting. Throughout the talk, I refer to a worksheet that you can download at: www.joelwentz.com/writing

What do Nic Cage, some Puritan preachers, and the book of Revelation all have in common? Aside from a lot of confusion, they all are connected by a field of theology called "Eschatology," or the "study of the end." Join me for a discussion of various ways to interpret the end of the age. What are the important biblical verses? How have they been understood throughout history, what are we to make of them, and most importantly, why does it matter? Click here to view in iTunes. Subscribe to receive new episodes automatically.

What's the deal with the massive debate around creation and the age of the earth? Does the Bible say anything about evolution? What's the best way to read Genesis? Check out this episode for a brief introduction to this important conversation.

Atonement is a much-debated theological concept today, with much of the evangelical world holding to one specific understanding. Join me in unpacking the history of this concept and discussing it's importance, all in ten minutes.