Best AJ Swoboda Podcasts (2025)

1
Rebuilding Faith: Doubt, Scripture & "A Teachable Spirit" with AJ Swoboda | Ep 82 54:05

Play Pause

15d ago54:05

54:05

What comes after deconstruction? In this episode, we talk with AJ Swoboda—pastor, professor, and author of After Doubt and A Teachable Spirit—about why doubt has become so common, why it shouldn't be the end of the story, and how real spiritual formation takes shape in our lives. We explore: The limits of “just me and my Bible” Christianity A fresh…

1
AJ Swoboda - A Teachable Spirit 44:35

29d ago44:35

44:35

How do we really love God with our minds? For Christians the emphasis is often on loving the Lord with our heart, soul and strength, but when it comes to our minds, there can be some reticence. There can be a real pressure in the church to act as if we know it all, or a fear that theology and learning might lead us to not know what we believe. The …

1
Sarah Coppin - Teaching Theology in Prison 41:55

10h ago41:55

41:55

An exploration of WTC’s vision to deliver theological education to people in prisons At WTC, we’ve never held theology, the presence of the Spirit, and daily life, mission, and ministry as separate or in competition. Instead, we believe that good theology contributes to Spiritually-formed people who express the kingdom of God wherever they are. Tha…

1
The Untold Story of the Quran's Formation with Quran Scholar Andy Bannister | Ep 83 1:42:08

24h ago1:42:08

1:42:08

Is the Qur’an truly the perfectly preserved word of God—or is its history more complicated than many believe? In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray and Qur'an scholar Andy Bannister explore the turbulent early history of the Qur’an: from its oral roots to the compilation controversies that many Muslims have never been told about. Was there reall…

1
Lucy Peppiatt - Formed through Theology 52:47

14d ago52:47

52:47

What do theology and spiritual formation have to do with one another? Lucy Peppiatt has found many ways in which she has taught and encouraged the integration of study and deep spiritual formation at WTC. We are delighted to have her on this episode to share how theological study can be a foundation for wholeness, maturity, and formation into Chris…

1
Jesus in Islam: Prophet, Messiah … But Not God? | Ep 81 1:21:20

29d ago1:21:20

1:21:20

Muslims love Jesus—but do they know who He really is? In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray explores the Islamic view of Jesus, known to Muslims as "Isa." What does the Qur’an say about Him? Is He just a prophet, or something more? And how do Islamic beliefs about Jesus at the end of time—His return, His role in judgment—compare with what the Bi…

1
Amanda Bedzrah - Becoming Queen Bathsheba 50:20

1M ago50:20

50:20

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny and Amanda Bedzrah talk about Bathsheba - one of the most misunderstood figures in the Old Testament, often labelled as a seductress who, along with David, is complicit in an adultress affair. But a closer reading of the biblical text shows that she is a victim of an abuse of power. Amanda's latest book, Becoming …

1
Why Didn't the Virgin Birth Convince Jesus' OWN Family? | Ep 80 54:39

1M ago54:39

54:39

"If the virgin birth really happened, why did Jesus’ own family think He was out of His mind?" That’s the sharp question we received after releasing two episodes on the historical and theological credibility of the virgin birth. And honestly, it’s a great one. In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray and Derek Caldwell explore the surprising—and of…

1
ST75: Tongues—The Weirdest Gift of the Spirit? (Holy Spirit Series) 31:11

2M ago31:11

31:11

AJ and Nijay finally get to the Spirit's Gift of Tongues in their Holy Spirit series. This is one where there is a lot of theological discussion and sometimes heated debate. And a lot of confusion about what speaking in tongues is all about. Slow Theology offers an accessible discussion to an often perplexing issue and difficult conversation. Check…

1
ST74: A Teachable Spirit (Nijay Interviews AJ about his new book) 32:39

2M ago32:39

32:39

AJ and Nijay talk about AJ's brand new book: A TEACHABLE SPIRIT: The Virtue of Learning from Strangers, Enemies, and Absolutely Anyone (Zondervan Reflective, 2025). Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Beth Allison Barr - Becoming the Pastor's Wife 47:44

2M ago47:44

47:44

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Prof Beth Allison Barr, who talks about her new book, Becoming the Pastor's Wife, where she argues against a theology that says that leadership is not available to women. She discusses the role of women and their service in roles of leadership in the gospels and the early church, and how, in the histo…

1
Who is Allah? Understanding the Islamic View of God | Ep 79 47:10

2M ago47:10

47:10

What do Muslims believe about God? In this episode of All Rise, former Muslim and Christian apologist Abdu Murray takes a deep dive into Islamic theology to explore who Allah is—his attributes, character, actions in history, and relationship with humanity. But this isn’t a caricature. This is a steelman critique. With both respect and clarity, Abdu…

1
ST73: "Can You Lose the Holy Spirit?" (The Holy Spirit Series) 29:39

2M ago29:39

29:39

AJ and Nijay continue their Holy Spirit series with a frequently asked question from students and church folks: "Can you lose the Holy Spirit"? Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
John Walton - Questions of Origin 46:32

2M ago46:32

46:32

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny chats with Prof John Walton about the BIG questions: Who are we and where did we come from? What happened at the beginning? And what is Genesis actually trying to tell us? This discussion unpacks the human condition, 'cultural rivers', and original sin, to name but a few of the themes that emerge when one has a ch…

1
ST72: The Gifts the Spirit Gives—And What the Spirit Expects (The Holy Spirit Series) 32:03

3M ago32:03

32:03

AJ and Nijay continue their Holy Spirit series. In this ep. they discuss "Spiritual Gifts," what they are and what they are for. They emphasize that the gifts from the Spirit are not "no strings attached." They come with a calling to serve one another and build up the church. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
BONUS DEBATE: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead? Abdu Murray vs. John Loftus | Ep 78 2:04:19

3M ago2:04:19

2:04:19

Tis the season … to discuss the resurrection! In this special bonus episode of All Rise, we take you back to a compelling 2016 debate between two men who have each made dramatic journeys of faith and doubt. Christian apologist and former Muslim Abdu Murray goes head-to-head with atheist and former Christian John Loftus on the foundational question …

1
Former Muslim Responds: Why Ayaan Hirsi Ali Left New Atheism for Jesus | Ep 77 1:24:13

3M ago1:24:13

1:24:13

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famed Muslim-turned-atheist and critic of religion along with her New Atheist cohort, shocked the world when she came out as a Christian in 2023. The partial story of her conversion from the UnHerd article she penned received backlash from non-Christian and Christian commentators alike. Recently, she sat down with agnostic Alex…

1
Grace Hamman - Jesus through Medieval Eyes 36:52

3M ago36:52

36:52

Beholding Christ with Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Dr Grace Hamman, who is an expert in medieval studies and recently published her first book, Jesus through Medieval Eyes, a fascinating look at how Christians in the Middle Ages viewed and depicted Jesus through art and literat…

1
Are We Witnessing the Abolition of Humanity? With Stuart McAllister | Ep 76 1:05:13

3M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

The Christian world is finally awaking to the reality of the technological captivity of humanity. But one man who has been thinking about this from the beginning is Stuart McAllister. Gleaning wisdom from CS Lewis and many other authors, Stuart helps us navigate the technological world by first helping us understand the underlying problems and what…

1
ST71: On the Spirit and the Speedo Guy (OR: "Walking with the Spirit") (The Holy Spirit Series) 31:20

3M ago31:20

31:20

Nijay and AJ continue the Holy Spirit series, focusing on the question: What does it mean to walk with the Spirit? You'll have to listen in to answer the questions: (1) Who is the "Speedo Guy" and (2) What does he have to do with walking in the Spirit versus the flesh? Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Kate Coleman - Transform your Leadership 43:43

3M ago43:43

43:43

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Rev Dr Kate Coleman who, in her latest book, Metamorph, asks us to consider transformation at the heart of leadership as revealed in the Scriptures. What we mean by ‘results’ and ‘success’ can shift our priorities and result in leadership that can disconnect what we do from who we are. They had a conv…

1
ST70: Naming the Spirit: Introducing our "Holy Spirit Series" 32:00

3M ago32:00

32:00

AJ and Nijay kick off a series on the Holy Spirit. Do you find yourself confused by the second person of the Trinity? Can you pray to the Spirit? What do you call the Spirit? What exactly is the Spirit? In this first episode AJ and Nijay introduce the conversation and talk about how we talk about the Spirit, and why it matters. Subscribe to make su…

1
Chloe Cole on Gender Affirming Care, Faith, and Finding Hope | Ep 75 1:16:08

4M ago1:16:08

1:16:08

Chloe Cole has lived a full lifetime in her 20 years. She joins the podcast to discuss the tumultuous early years of her life and the cultural and political trends and pressures impacting developing young girls and boys today. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12 Twitter https://twitter.com/a…

1
Scot McKnight - Jesus and the Pharisees 46:34

4M ago46:34

46:34

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined again by Prof Scot McKnight who has written and taught extensively around the question: "What if we have got the Pharisees, and Jesus, wrong?" Scot argues that’s exactly what’s happened, and a more complete understanding of 1st Century Jewish tradition and culture contradicts much of what Christians have…

1
ST69: The School of the Prophets: What Do We Do With Prophecy Today? 32:12

4M ago32:12

32:12

Does God speak to us through prophets and prophecy today? Or is that a thing of the past? And how can you discern false prophecy from true prophecy? AJ and Nijay have an important conversation. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Roger Mitchell - Politics of Love 36:37

4M ago36:37

36:37

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by political theologian, Dr Roger Haydon Mitchell, whose starting point when reading the gospels, or indeed the whole Bible, is in a joining together of politics and love. This episode highlights a number of current issues facing the church today, from talking politics at the dinner table to living our l…

1
Live Q&A from MIT: Transgender Inclusion, Denominations, Judaism, and More! | Ep 74 41:08

4M ago41:08

41:08

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pepper Abdu with questions about transgenderism, denominations, selective acceptance of miracles, and if people are only Christian because they were born in Christian countries. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12 Twitter https://tw…

1
ST68: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology 28:07

4M ago28:07

28:07

AJ and Nijay talk about Nijay's brand new book: THE AFFECTIONS OF CHRIST JESUS: LOVE AT THE HEART OF PAUL'S THEOLOGY (Eerdmans): released Feb 20, 2025. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Kyle Strobel - Rule of Life 39:07

5M ago39:07

39:07

Have we made spritual disciplines a lifehack? On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny's guest Kyle Strobel, invites us to consider that importing ancient practices of "spiritual formation" or "spritual disciplines" into our current cultural moment isn’t straightforward, and we need to be wary of the propensity in our time to market or refashion our spir…

1
Live at MIT: Is Christian Exclusivity a Loving Truth or Hateful Intolerance? | Ep 73 41:17

5M ago41:17

41:17

"All roads lead to God." "Live your truth." "Do what makes you happy." These truisms of the modern world lend themselves to the idea that the traditional Christian idea which states Jesus is "the only way" is intolerant and unloving. Abdu Murray discusses this major issue live at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Keep in touch with Abdu an…

1
Desire and the Christian Life--A Theological Approach: "The Gift of Thorns" with Dr. A.J. Swoboda 51:18

5M ago51:18

51:18

Dr. Swoboda looks at desire from a theological perspective. Our discussion covers God's desire, human desire, Satan's desire, fleshly desire, undesired desire, ordering desire, duty and desire, and best practices as they relate to desire. I, Dennis, would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or send me an email at [email protected] …

1
The Question of Divine Omnipotence: Dr. Katherine Sonderegger’s Systematic Theology 1:17:56

5M ago1:17:56

1:17:56

Dr. Sonderegger discusses divine omnipotence in light of Scripture, Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Barth, and process theologians. We look at omnipotence as it relates to God’s benevolence, theodicy, meticulous providence, sovereignty, God’s attributes, holiness, humility, weakness, the cross, the supernatural, “acts of God”, subjectivity and objectiv…

1
Christian Personalist Ethics: More Than Things with Dr. Paul Louis Metzger 1:22:05

5M ago1:22:05

1:22:05

Dr. Metzger explains the nature and place of personalist ethics from a Christian perspective. We discuss his understanding of a person, his categories of faith and entangled ethics, hope and eschatological ethics, and love and embodied ethics as well as his metaphysical and methodological frameworks. Metzger continues with various contemporary ethi…

1
ST67: The Quartet of the Vulnerable (Orphans, Widows, Foreigners, the Poor) 32:49

5M ago32:49

32:49

Nijay and AJ reflect on Scripture's emphasis on attending to the quartet of the vulnerable (orphans, widows, foreigners, the poor; see Zech 7:9-10). Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Kyle Hughes - How the Spirit became God 38:23

5M ago38:23

38:23

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny is joined by Kyle Hughes, who has detailed a journey of discovery in his book, ‘How the Spirit Became God’, and we’ll be talking not just about the development of a doctrine, but about how our understanding of the Spirit affects our practice and our experience of being drawn into the very life of God. Our belief i…

1
Ex-Muslim Christian Answers Questions about Islam, Salvation, and the Quran vs the Bible | Ep 72 52:30

5M ago52:30

52:30

Former Muslim turned Christian Abdu Murray takes tough questions from young adults at Community Christian Church in Sterling Heights, MI. He touches on Islam, who salvation is for, the reliability of the Christian scriptures, Christians in politics, and more! Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurra…

1
ST66: Beyond the Red Letters of Scripture 32:21

5M ago32:21

32:21

Are some parts of the Bible inherently more important than others? AJ and Nijay reflect on this important question. Listen in. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Peter Hartwig - Knowing and Identity 49:54

6M ago49:54

49:54

A look at Kant, knowing God, and finding our identity The question ‘who are you?’ has a whole set of assumptions behind it, and if we see identity as a key issue for our time now, then Immanuel Kant’s influence provides some explanation for how we have gotten here. Our guide through this philosophical and theological journey is Peter Hartwig, our g…

1
ST65: The Prophetic Boundaries of Jesus 31:49

6M ago31:49

31:49

What can the earthly life of Jesus teach us about healthy relationships? Nijay and AJ explore this important question thinking about Jesus as a prophet sent from God the Father with an urgent mission. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Is There Any Hope for American Politics? With Michael Wear | Ep 71 46:56

6M ago46:56

46:56

Is there something inherently "sick" about our politics that has infected the Christian life and witness? If so, what is the problem and what can we do about it? In this pre-Inauguration Day episode, Michael Wear talks about where we go from here. Check out Michael Wear's The Center for Christianity and Public Life at https://www.ccpubliclife.org/.…

1
ST64: Do Not Covet (Ten Commandments Series) 31:28

6M ago31:28

31:28

Nijay and AJ cap off their series on the Ten Commandments with "Do Not Covet." Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
ST63: Do Not Bear False Witness (Ten Commandments Series) 27:07

7M ago27:07

27:07

AJ and Nijay continue their Ten Commandments series: Do Not Bear False Witness/Do Not Lie. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Questioning Christmas: Did Matthew Mangle the Virgin Birth? Responding to Bart Ehrman | Ep 70 1:08:33

7M ago1:08:33

1:08:33

Dr. Bart Ehrman claims that Matthew made a translation error and misunderstood the original context of Isaiah 7:14. If Matthew had known Hebrew and understood the context, he would have known that Isaiah was not prophesying a "virgin birth." If Dr. Ehrman is true, that means the Gospel story of Jesus is built on a lie. What is the truth? Find out i…

1
ST62: Do Not Steal (Ten Commandments Series) 29:18

7M ago29:18

29:18

AJ and Nijay continue their Ten Commandments series with "Do Not Steal." Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Jennifer Powell-McNutt - The Mary We Forgot 42:42

7M ago42:42

42:42

In this episode of TheoDisc, Jennifer Powell-McNutt unpacks Mary Magdalene’s story and the way it has been told incorrectly, and helps us to see the powerful witness that she is to the resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene is one of the most prominent figures in the gospel narratives, but is also one of the most misunderstood. Our perception of Mar…

1
Questioning Christmas: Where is the Prophecy About the "Nazarene"? Responding to Bart Ehrman | Ep 69 49:35

7M ago49:35

49:35

Dr. Bart Ehrman claims that Matthew got the "Nazarene" prophecy about Jesus incorrect because there is no such prophecy found in all of the Old Testament. Abdu's socials: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12 Twitter https://twitter.com/abdumurray TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@abdumurray Keep…

1
Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng - The Deliverer has Come! 41:14

7M ago41:14

41:14

On this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny talks with Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng about their new children’s book, ‘The Deliverer Has Come’ an advent story that takes the fulfilment of Israel’s story in Jesus’ birth seriously while communicating effectively to children. We’ll also touch on some of the wider issues of communicating biblical truth to children.…

1
ST61: Do Not Commit Adultery (Ten Commandments Series) 29:52

8M ago29:52

29:52

*Explicit Conversation Warning* AJ and Nijay continue their conversation about the Ten Commandments and practicing Slow Theology. They use the language of sex and lust frequently in this episode, so be mindful of who is listening. Support the showBy A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

1
Is Hope Hardwired? And Other Things We Wonder About with Andy Bannister | Ep 68 48:58

8M ago48:58

48:58

Dr Andy Bannister joins us to discuss several of the questions that everyone wonders about but are often left unanswered. We talk about good vs evil, altruism vs selfishness, and the theory of evolution as a potential answer to these great wonders. Dr. Andy Bannister holds a PhD in Islamic Studies and he regularly speaks and teaches on Islam, philo…

1
Danielle Strickland - Need to Know 40:36

8M ago40:36

40:36

Welcome to TheoDisc episode 46, where Kenny is joined by Danielle Strickland! She is the founder of Boundless Enterprise which has launched multiple creative exploits. She hosts 'The Right Side Up' Podcast, and is the author of multiple books including 'The Liberating Truth' and 'The Other Side of Hope'. You can find out more about Danielle at her …