Afleveringen

  • Do you have a testimony?If you are familiar with the culture of evangelical church, you will know what is being asked. Maybe you heard someone give their testimony at church, or at camp.

    In this context, testimony meant a personal account of your life or background with an emphasis on your conversion to evangelical faith. It was communicated, largely, with the intent and hope that those listening, who had not experienced such a conversion, may, themselves, make a declaration of faith.

    Spiritual memoir is different than testimony.

    Richard Lischer’s book, Our Hearts are Restless, introduces us to the spiritual memoir of some interesting people. In describing spiritual memoir, Lischer says, “some lives are construed as if lived in the presence of God.”

    We found the book wonderful and thoughtful. Lischer skillfully and compassionately (for subject and reader) opens the accounts of the people to whom he introduces us in a way that helps to ask meaningful questions about life and faith.

    Enjoy the episode and if you are so inclined, read the book – it really is good.

  • Dr. J. Warren Smith is Professor of Historical Theology at Duke Divinity School. Professor Smith is a great guide in helping us to see hope for the future in listening to voices of hope from the past.

    We talk with him about how some sayings, perspectives, and experiences of those who lived many centuries ago can be resonant in the midst of the challenges of our time.

    Besides being compelling and interesting, and at times upsetting, encountering theology in history can be a lot of fun.

    Enjoy.

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  • At least once a season, we speak with David Goa, a spiritual friend and mentor.David is a writer, professor, and theologian and has been a great help to us as we hope to articulate a hopeful vision of faith and theology.

    When we speak with David, we tend to ask about life and faith in relation to the current cultural and religious landscape.Given what is happening in the world right now, in this episode David talks about the ongoing crisis in Israel/Gaza and about the nature of righteousness, rightness, and evil.

    David’s words to us are insightful, considerate of the challenges of our time, and even consoling.

    Blessings as you listen.

  • We are pleased to speak with J Alkana about his work in architecture and design. J thoughtfully asks questions of meaning, humanity and faith in relation to the work that he does.

    What is vocation? What gives your work meaning?

    Various understandings of work in relation to faith historically have often divided work into realms of the sacred and the secular. J speaks with us about inspiration and spiritual hope around his work and offers insight into what can compel and positively motivate us to make a difference in the world.

    Our hope for this episode is that you will feel inspired in whatever you do for work and vocation.Perhaps you are drawn by questions of how your faith animates your work. For some, work and faith come together in even more direct ways. Wherever you are at, we hope that you feel inspired by hearing J.

    References in this episode:

    The Many Lives of Martha Stewart – CNN, 2024

    Don’t Feel Bad About Your Laundry Chair – The Washington Post, January 29, 2024

    Growing Up Evangelical: Moms and Daughters – Rector’s Cupboard Season 1, April 25, 2020

  • The image of a new leaf implies new season, new hope. Elle Pyke, Director of Programs and Innovation at New Leaf Network, helps to navigate people and organizations through some of the significant changes in what it means to be a church with a particular Canadian focus.

    You may feel a sense of longing for a time of apparent certainty in what church looked like. Conversely, you may be glad that things as they were have come apart.

    Rector’s Cupboard host, Allison Williams and guest Elle Pyke speak about reasons for hope in a time of change.

    For more information about New Leaf, the work they do and upcoming events, check out their website.

    Books referenced:

    The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker

    Leaving Christianity: Changing Allegiances in Canada by Brian Clarke and Stuart Macdonald

  • There are some truly terrifying Christmas/winter characters out there. Many may have heard of Krampus, a German partner of St. Nick who punishes poorly behaved children, but what about Peruchty, a winter witch who likes to disembowel naughty children?

    Santa, also, may fall into these terrifying categories, although in less severe ways. Lumps of coal in stocking, running naughty and nice list, even Jolly St. Nick has taken on the role of scaring children into behaving well with threats.

    This year, we gathered to talk about some of these characters and the way in which they have been shaped by and, in turn shape, imaginations in Christian understanding.

    It’s not all scary, though, we also talk about a Christmas tradition from Catalonia where a log poops out Christmas treats, so there’s something for everyone!

    We had a special guest for this recording, Amanda’s puppy, Luna, who greatly enjoyed chewing on our chairs throughout the episode, providing much joy and additional noise while we chatted.

    We hope you enjoy this conversation and that you have a blessed Christmastime.

    Materials referenced:

    Church Fights: King vs. Liquorish, Season 3"Shock of the Old" - The Guardian, December 5, 2023Tio de Nadal article Raising Children UnFundamentalistTis the Grinch Holiday Talk Show

    Tasting Notes:

    On this episode, we enjoyed blueberry tea, a lovely warm cocktail, prepared by Cupboard Master, Ken Bell. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to mix one for yourself. We used some local spirits in our version with Amaretto from Sons of Vancouver Distillery and Triple Sec from Copperpenny Distilling Co.

    You can find pictures of the Bible inscription, fill-in afterlife destination card, and the scary Santa from Allison’s house on our website.

  • In recent years, there has been a growing number of people who have moved from one Christian faith tradition to another. Some of the lines within Christian expression have been fairly rigid. This rigidity has even led, in some instances, to the assumption that “those other churches” are not even Christian.

    One of the main lines of distinction has been between mainline churches and evangelical churches and now, more than in years past, people have begun moving across this line in one direction or the other. Perhaps you grew up in the Christian Missionary Alliance Church and now attend a United Church. Or maybe you were Presbyterian for most of your life and now you are part of a Baptist congregation.

    We speak with Rev. Dr. Ross Lockhart, Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall in Vancouver, about the history of how some of these divisions came to be and how they exist today. We aim towards a more accepting and grateful view of the other (whatever “the other” means in your background) as enlivening and helpful to Christian faith in general.

    Terminology:

    Ecumenical – Representing a number of different churches and denominationsMissiology – The theological study of the mission of the church, particularly the character and purpose of missionary workEcclesiology – The study of the church

    Books Referenced:

    Ross’s Books:Christianity: An Asian Religion in Vancouver (2023)Christian Witness in Cascadian Soil: Coworkers with God in the Land of Hiking, Hipsters, and Hand-Crafted LattesBetter Than Brunch: Missional Churches in Cascadia (2020)Beyond Snakes and Shamrocks: St. Patrick’s Mission Leadership Lessons for Today (2018)Lessons from Laodicea: Missional Leadership in a Culture of Affluence (2016)

    Phyllis Airhart – A Church with the Soul of a Nation

  • Have you been feeling like things are a little precarious at the moment? If so, you are certainly not alone. For our first Host Only episode of season five, we gather to discuss some of the precarious nature of our current days.

    The conversation is not entirely serious, the facial expressions of cats and destructive nature of a local bear come up as well.

    Whatever you’re feeling at this point, we hope this conversation provides some levity and encouragement as we all walk through some rather precarious times. Blessings from all of us at Rector’s Cupboard.

    Articles referenced in today’s episode:

    “The End of Retirement” by Cathrin Bradbury, from the December 2023 edition of The Walrus

    “Think cats are aloof? They make nearly 300 facial expressions, study says” by Kevin Melnick, The Washington Post, November 7, 2023

  • John Lennox is a mathematician and bioethicist at Oxford University, where he is a Professor of Mathematics. He has spoken internationally and written many books on the intersection of science and philosophy and religion. His latest book, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, came out in 2020.

    While most of us here at Rector’s Cupboard have had fraught relationship with what has been called “apologetics,” we are pleased to welcome Professor Lennox as a guest.

    The discussion took place on a visit to Oxford. We speak about artificial intelligence, about John Lennox’s public engagement (discussions, debates) with various neo-atheists, including Richard Dawkins, and we address the larger question of the role of apologetics in faith and belief.

    You can find more information about John Lennox’s publications, debates, and other resources he has made on his website.

    Books referenced in this episode:

    Bittersweet - Susan Cain

  • Around this time last year, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking to musician, author, theologian, and all around wonderful person, Julian Davis Reid. Next week, October 13 and 14 in Vancouver, BC, we are having an in-person conference around the theme of vocation and rest and Julian is our keynote speaker. In honour of that we thought we’d replay this episode from last season. If you’re in the Vancouver area and would like to attend, there is still time to register. You can check out the Rector’s Cupboard social pages or click here.

    Original episode notes:

    In so many ways, we often feel ground down, in the words of this episode’s guest, “disintegrated.” Julian Davis Reid speaks to us about rest. This is more and better than simply disengagement or a break from the grind; rest is an essential part of what it means to be human, in the image of God.

    Julian starts from a recognition of the profound restlessness that marks much of our lives and moves us towards the promise of the final and complete resting in God. Along the way, we talk about what theology and aesthetics, music and culture have to do with rest. We hold on to the promise that we might know rest, rest for our soul.

    Julian’s website has links to all his music, both his solo work and work with the JuJu Exchange, his retreat work, as well as his newsletter where you can get more of his thoughts on rest.

    Articles referenced in this episode:

    Do You Really Want a New Kitchen Counter - The Atlantic, November 18, 2022

    A Parent’s Typical Day, As Envisioned By My Child’s Preschool - McSweeney’s, November 10, 2022

  • In the United States and elsewhere, including Canada, large numbers of people are leaving church. A recent book, The Great Dechurching, points out that the movement is the largest religious cultural shift in American history. Many writers, professors, and observers have often used the word “decline” to talk about such a phenomenon. The truth is more nuanced. The church is not in decline in much of the world and where it is declining in numbers, North America, etc. there is perhaps much more to the story.

    What if the decline of the church is a good thing for faith and the church?

    We talk to Dr. Andrew Root about his recent book, Churches and the Crisis of Decline, and how recent and ongoing decline in church attendance might point to something positive. As Root says, the church is more properly the narrator not the star. He argues for a better view of faith in which faith is lived in the world, rather than in opposition to the world. Root mentions that, so often, God is caged into religion and that the changes in the church, that so many see as threatening, are an opportunity to embrace a healthier view of faith.

    We found, in reading Andrew’s books and in speaking with him, an enlivening way of seeing and living faith that many people who have pushed away from church will likely experience as hopeful and engaging.

    One term to mention; a good portion of Andrew Root’s writing touches on the work of Charles Taylor and his book, A Secular Age. That book asks one question, Why was it virtually impossible to not believe in God 500 years ago and yet in contemporary western culture it has turned the other way around, to where it is much more difficult for people to believe in God? One of the central terms in Taylor’s book is “The Immanent Frame.” The idea here is that the frame of a person’s worldview, the way they saw the world and their place in it, used to be defined by a sense of the transcendent, by a belief in God. Now, even for most people who count themselves as religious, the frame has become immanent, that is, bounded mostly by the scientifically observable and material.

    For more of Andrew Root’s work you can check out his website and his work with Homebrewed Christianity.

    Books and Articles Referenced:

    The Weariness of the Self - Alain Ehrenberg

    Bittersweet - Susan Cain

    “The Largest and Fastest Religious Shift in America Is Well Underway” - New York Times, June 21, 2023

  • Rector’s Cupboard is pleased to welcome Brian Zahnd. Brian is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

    Brian has been somewhat of a trailblazer in contemporary expressions of hopeful theology. His books, including Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God and Beauty Will Save the World, outline a thoughtful, positive, and beautiful understanding of Christian faith and belief. Brian’s work has informed the work of Rector’s Cupboard and Reflector Project. As our reach has grown, we have consistently encountered people who have been helped by Brian’s writing.

    We were pleased, in this episode, to include a couple of friends we’ve met through our work who have also followed Brian’s work. Neil and Peter start the conversation with Brian by opening up some of their key questions.

    Brian is one of those writers and speakers that people who hold rigid and fearful understandings of faith sometimes warn you about. One of the problems for such accusations is that Brian knows his stuff. He opens a consideration of the history of Christian faith and theology and of Biblical interpretation in a way that shows us how, often, the fearful or divisive ways we have understood theology and the Bible are the distortions, not the life-giving truth.

    Brian does this in a way that is direct, but not accusatory, thoughtful, but understandable and relatable.

    Enjoy the episode.

    Tasting Notes:

    Our tasting for this episode comes all the way from Lviv, Ukraine. Piana Vyshnia, or Drunk Cherry in English, is a not too sweet cherry liqueur that we would highly recommend, if you can find it.

  • In some religious circles, dialogue or collaboration with people of other faiths is seen as dangerous. In some evangelical contexts, such interfaith consideration may even have been labelled as faithless.

    Hopeful Christian theology sees interfaith dialogue as faithful, not faithless. True interfaith dialogue is neither dangerous nor insipid. Rather, in building connections with people of other faiths we can grow in our own faith and have positive impact in the world.

    In this episode, we speak with a Minister, an Imam and a Rabbi. Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, and Imam Jamal Rahman are called The Interfaith Amigos and their work has been featured in Ted Talks and presentations around the world.

    We had the joy of speaking with Rabbi Laura previously in March of 2021. You can find that conversation here.

    For more information on The Interfaith Amigos, check out Imam Jamal’s website.

    Books and Resources references in this episode:

    Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice by The Interfaith Amigos, 2016

    Charter for Compassion

  • Ram Dass once famously said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” We came across this quote when David Hayward, known as NakedPastor, quoted it after seeing his own family.

    Arthur Boers, our guest on this episode of Rector’s Cupboard, delves deeper into the truth of family of origin than even a week together can afford. Boers’ faith matters a great deal to him. In fact, it has come to define much of his career as he has been a pastor, a professor, and a writer.In Shattered: A Son Picks up the Pieces of His Father’s Rage, Boers tells his story of growing up in the Christian Reformed Church in Ontario, Canada. He speaks of the violence present in the culture at the time, even within families like his own. He speaks of what it can look like to grow in faith, in an awareness of the transcendent and of the grace of God, even as the places where he first encountered such faith can also convey fear and violence. We are pleased to speak with Arthur because his book is really good. More than that, we are pleased to speak with Arthur because his story can help us in consideration of our stories. You have likely struggled with some painful things from your own family of origin. We hope that, though some parts may be difficult to hear, Arthur’s story may be part of you growing in strength and hope.

    Arthur will be in the Vancouver area July 13 and 14 to speak about his book and memoir writing. Click here for details on these and other events of his across Canada.

  • The second part of our interview with Julia and Jeremiah, sex therapists and hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals. If you haven’t listened to part one, we encourage you to go back and listen to that before this episode.

    In this episode, we spoke with Julia and Jeremiah about how we got to the place where conversations around sexuality are framed around morality and behaviours and some ways of dealing with the grief of what has been lost or damaged. We also got a list of resources for those wanting to learn more or look into counselling.

    We are grateful to Ken Best, our occasional co-host, who joined us for this interview.

    It was an enjoyable, honest and open conversation. Given that the topic is sex you will likely hear things that upset or offend you, no matter where you are on the spectrum of religious/non-religious. After all, sex therapy is unafraid to delve into some topics and questions that are often left unaddressed.

    Resources

    Books

    Peggy Kleinplatz – Magnificent Sex

    Doug Brown Harvey – Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior

    Beverley Dale - Advancing Sexual Health for the Christian Client

    Nadia Bolz-Weber – Shameless

    Linda Kay Klein – Pure

    Dr. Wednesday Martin

    Therapy Resources

    The Incarnation Institute for Sex and Faith - Online Resources

    AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) - An online database for finding certified therapists in your area, both in the United States and Canada

  • In a previous episode of Rector’s Cupboard we were pleased to interview Linda Kay Klein, author of the book Pure on purity culture within the evangelical church. Through Linda, our guests for this episode found Rector’s Cupboard and connected with us. Julia and Jeremiah are sex therapists who work often with people who were raised in high control religious environments. They are also the hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals. We are grateful to welcome occasional co-host Ken Best for this episode and the next as the conversation went so well that we split it into two episodes. We talk about common assumptions around sexuality in church culture. We consider what the term “value-based” means. We unpack some of the potential damage from various fundamentalist (both religious and otherwise) frameworks of sexual health. It was an enjoyable, honest and open conversation. Given that the topic is sex you will likely hear things that upset or offend you, no matter where you are on the spectrum of religious/non-religious. After all, sex therapy is unafraid to delve into some topics and questions that are often left unaddressed.

    The article discussed in the banter on today's episode is "The Hounding of Kate Forbes Shows Godless Squad Have Won," February 23, 2023

  • Rector’s Cupboard is part of a larger non-profit that exists to articulate Hopeful Theology. A theologian whose work informs our perspective is Karl Barth.

    This episode delves into the theology of Barth by way of the work of Dr. Marty Folsom. Barth’s writing is extensive, with his major work, “Church Dogmatics” consisting of over 9,000 pages over multiple volumes.

    Many Christians have pushed away from rigid and divisive understandings of faith. Some of those who have “deconstructed” their faith hang onto a desire for a meaningful more hopeful Christian faith. Barth’s theology, while outlined decades ago, provides such a frame. Barth was known as “the cheerful theologian” and his theology gives what we think is a much healthier view of the Bible, salvation, belief and non-belief than we have often encountered in evangelicalism.

    As Barth’s writing is extensive, it helps to have informed guides. Marty Folsom fits the bill. We talk about his book, “Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics for Everyone: volume 1”. Dr. Folsom does not imply any advanced knowledge of Barth and guides us through even the basic structure of the dogmatics and some of the most important terms.

    Everyone has a theology, a way of understanding the bigger things of life and the world. Barth offers a hopeful Christian theology that can contribute much to the necessary theological renewal of the church.

    The episode opens with Rector’s Cupboard hosts speaking about why Barth’s theology might matter today.

  • If you have been raised in a religious context, you may assume that the way your church, your denomination, conceived of faith was and is the very definition of faith. Obviously, there is a lot that impacts what we believe and how we practice and express that belief.

    Dr. Mathew Guest helpfully describes how a particular way of seeing the world (neo-liberalism that defines much of politics and economics in our world) has come to impact religion in general and Christian faith in the west in particular. As many people who grew up in the church look towards a more hopeful understanding of faith, the disentangling of worldview and religion can prove to be a key part of moving forward. Perhaps what you were told you had to believe to even be considered a Christian had more to do with power and culture than it had to do with faith.

    Our conversation with Dr. Guest focused on his book Neoliberal Religion: Faith and Power in the Twenty-First Century. You can also read his recent article “The New Spirit of Capitalism: How neoliberalism has changed the way we do religion,” published November 2022.

    This episode has a lot of terms, some coined by Dr. Guest, so we thought it would be helpful to add some definitions.

    Episode Terminology:

    Neoliberalism: Neo-Liberalism can be seen as a perspective on politics and economics that assumes some key things. Firstly, there is a heightened individualism, the sense that value and virtue are conceived as aligning with the individual and individual rights and identity. Secondly, there is marketization, the way of seeing that ascribes value to that which is successful or popular in the marketplace of ideas, views and goods. Finally, there is a commodification of society and life. People, agencies and ideas are seen to have value in how they can be evaluated as a commodity. Neo-Liberalism as a political concept has led to fulsome ideas of freedom, autonomy and identity. At its best, it can reveal coercion and groupthink. However, there are also neutral and negative ways in which neo-liberalism impacts everything from social life to work life to spirituality and religion.

    Marketization: The idea that religion functions best as a market. So, the religions or churches that attract the most people, are the best. Churches and religions come to be seen as competing for a market. (Mathew thinks it’s more complicated than that) Marketization also impacts notions of spiritual and moral success for groups and for individuals.

    Populism: This is a form of political identity that rests on an idea of “the people.” Populism eventually bypasses elections, and claims to voice what the real people want. Characterized by a kind of rhetoric, typically from one leader who claims a special connection to the people, even though they may be part of the elite. Populism often assumes there is a corrupt elite getting in the way of the people getting what they want. We can see how, in our current social and political culture, populism becomes aligned with and uses religion.

    Post-Truth Thinking: The idea that the powers that be are hiding things. You get conspiracy theories, the X Files, etc. It has escalated recently through the activities of public figures who have disregarded what may previously been thought to be unassailable traditions or truths. This can include the thought that key to Christian practice is a rejection of the world. In some expressions of church, there has been a very present critique of “the world” in saying that the world is not interested in truth. It is curious how this tendency has often existed alongside a willingness for fantastical belief or the propagation of conspiracy theories.

    Securitization: An assumption, at a policy level, that conceives of some religions as more suspicious than others. People and groups who can be characterized as “the other” are identified as forces from which we need security. This leads to a stigmatization of people who look different, or believe differently as dangerous. Thus, intense Christian faith, for example, can be seen as virtuous while intense Islamic faith is portrayed as threatening.

    Cosmeticization: The ways in which particular kinds of Christianity foreground the drive for polished perfectionism as a way of measuring success. Things viewed as successful in these religious circles resemble advertising or celebrities. The celebration of the cosmetic overcomes traditional depth or thought or interior life.

  • Rich or poor or somewhere in-between, our sense of security and identity can often have to do with money. Who we are, how we relate to others, and how we feel about our well-being is impacted, for good or ill, by whether we feel we have enough money.

    Mark Petersen has lived much of his life in the world of money and philanthropy. He has also taken up multiple spiritual pilgrimages as a way of asking the big questions of identity and meaning.

    We are pleased to speak with Mark about his experience with his family foundation, his journey on the Camino (you can find his blog about his Camino pilgrimages here) , and his thoughts about charity and fundraising.

    Mark has written a book relating the world of philanthropy to the journey on the trail. It is called Love Giving Well and it offers insight into what compels people to give and how decisions about giving are often made.

  • We are pleased to be joined by Tim Dickau of CityGate and The Centre for Missional Leadership. He is also the author of Forming Christian Community in a Secular Age.

    Tim speaks with us about his vision for how faith and church should be blessing in the world. Tim was pastor of Grandview Calvary in Vancouver for many years and has helped facilitate numerous community projects addressing needs around housing and other areas of need.

    Tim offers thoughtful considerations of hopeful ways forward for faith and church.