Theology - the Live Sessions (TLS)

Few subjects are as hotly contested today in Christian circles as that of homosexuality. In this final episode of the series, Paul sets out to see how the principles of hermeneutics that have been outlined and used throughout TLS could impact on our understanding of the Bible in the area of gay sex and marriage. Differences of opinion can and do exist, including within Paul's own home church. Acknowledging this, Paul expresses his personal view whilst remaining open to others and the possibility of God bringing more revelation to light in the future.

The subject of the "end-times", especially the events surrounding the return of Jesus, can be a thorny subject - much debated, disagreed over and misunderstood. But our understanding of it will colour our expectations, our level of optimism about the future and our confidence in what the church can become and achieve as a transforming force in the world. In this episode of TLS, Paul tackles many aspects of this huge subject, seeking to apply good principles of Bible interpretation, and asks the question - should we be worried about the future, or can we look forward to what is coming?

The subject of violence in the Bible and God's apparent complicity in it has troubled people for centuries. Did God command genocide and, if he did, what does that say about God? How do we reconcile the difficult passages with the image of a loving God revealed by Jesus whilst holding to the Bible as God's Word? In this episode, Paul addresses not only this question but along the way takes in the whole nature of the created universe, wrath, suffering, mercy, power and the cross, asking the question, how does God rule - through coercion or selfless love? (As with all of the TLS sessions, PDF notes are available at https://kingschurch.co.uk/tls/)

TLS gets restarted after the Summer break with a fascinating look at the creation of the world - a subject that often raises passions and can divide people sharply. Is there a way to cut through this? In this session, Paul takes a look at Genesis Chapter 1 through the eyes of its original readers. Why was it written and what did THEY think it meant? As with all good hermeneutics, only then can we understand how to read it today. When we do, we discover the richness and the beauty of God in his creative love and grace towards humanity!

How do we think about God's power and sovereignty in the light of the human ability to make free choices? Do we really have free will at all? The way we attempt to answer these questions is not just theoretical - it deeply affects our view of God and of ourselves, and makes a huge difference in both our approach to evangelism and the atmosphere in our church communities. In this session, Paul Callan introduces three ways people have used to explain how free will works and then asks, 'Is God about control, or love?'

Hell features heavily in much modern gospel preaching, but is completely missing from the preaching of early Christians in the book of Acts. Have we got the emphasis wrong? The traditional view of hell ("eternal conscious torment" as the destiny for a large majority of humankind) comes in for some critical analysis in this session of TLS. So, what does the Bible actually say about this important but often misrepresented subject? Don't forget - PDF session notes are available on the TLS page at www.kingschurch.co.uk 

The thought of "heaven" is a great source of comfort and hope for many Christians. But what, where and when actually is it? In this episode, Paul Callan attempts to untangle some of the confused thinking around this subject and, in the process, recover a solidly biblical hope for the future far better than a disembodied eternity in a place somewhere far away...  

In this episode, Paul Callan takes a look at what the terms "justification" and "righteousness" really mean in the Bible. We are encouraged to look at what Paul the apostle was really talking about, not just what the 16th century reformers thought he said. As a result, we have a much larger and more exciting vision of being "justified" - one that places us at the centre of a covenant people fulfilling God's plan for the world, not just as individuals with their sins cancelled - although that is also true! If you have wondered what the "New Perspective on Paul" is about, find out here! NB. Written notes for this and all other TLS episodes are available as PDF files at www.kingschurch.co.uk

In recent years, the subject of the atonement has sparked major debate. Some of the traditional ways of looking at the cross have come under scrutiny and attack, even from within the evangelical world.  How can we respond to this, taking seriously the latest thinking but without throwing away vital truths and undermining precious aspects of our (and other people's) faith? This episode of TLS takes a look at the various historical "theories" of the atonement and proposes a way forward based on sound biblical principles.

Is the gospel all about having our sins forgiven so that we can go to heaven when we die? Many of our gospel presentations are about little more than "sin management", as Dallas Willard said. In fact, the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus, Paul and the other New Testament apostles preached is about a whole lot more than that! In this 5th instalment of TLS, Paul Callan does his best to describe just how big the gospel really is...

In this podcast from "Theology - the Live Sessions", the monthly exploration in theology from King's Church Loughborough, Paul Callan opens up the subject of the Trinity. The nature of God as Trinity is often taken for granted but its far-reaching implications are rarely understood. Quite simply, a proper understanding of Trinity changes everything! It is a great mystery, but profoundly affects every area of life - if we let it. Radical Christianity starts with the very nature of God himself!

In the third episode in this accessible theology class from King's Church Loughborough, Paul Callan completes a trio of introductory sessions which provide tools to allow us to go deeper in our study of the Bible. With these under our belts, we will be able to move on in future sessions to specific subjects of theology and address them with confidence. Hermeneutics is the science of how we interpret the Bible for our own time and situation. How does each type of literature in the Bible function as God's word to us? How do we take differences in culture between ourselves and the Bible writers into account? How do we read the Bible well so that we properly understand its message? These questions and more are tackled right here...

In this second session, recorded on 15th October 2017, we look at the Bible and how it works. It is a God-given book but also a fully human one. How do we approach it correctly, does it have any errors in it, and how does the human side to the Bible interact with the divine? Paul Callan attempts to shed some light on these big and sometimes fiercely contested questions!

Welcome to the first edition of the TLS podcast! In this introductory session, we look at what theology is, and how to tackle it in a healthy and faith-building way. The talk was given by Paul Callan on Sunday 17th September 2017 at the Schofield Centre, Loughborough, UK. Theology - the Live Sessions is a series of interactive teaching sessions on theology, run by King's Church, Loughborough, for those who want to go deeper in understanding their faith.