Best Aaron Randall Podcasts (2025)

1
Heidegger Dreams and Chicken Interruptions: An Onto-Theological Throwdown 1:46:49

Play Pause

2h ago1:46:49

1:46:49

Bo and I dove deep into onto-theology after he texted me wanting to explore its “upside” – which led to a sprawling conversation about everything from James Dobson’s recent death and its impact on evangelical parenting, to Taylor Swift’s engagement, to my chickens interrupting the show. We unpacked how onto-theology (the problematic conflation of B…

1
Nichole Torbitzky: Student Beliefs & The Evolution of Faith on Campus 1:27:01

1d ago1:27:01

1:27:01

I got an email from a retired university chaplain who’d hit a wall – after decades of ministry, he felt so culturally alienated from undergrad students that he didn’t think he could do the job anymore. It made me think about my friend Nicole Torbitzky, who serves as both philosophy professor and university chaplain at Lindenwood University in Misso…

1
Nichole Torbitzky: Student Beliefs & The Evolution of Faith on Campus 1:28:53

1d ago1:28:53

1:28:53

I got an email from a retired university chaplain who'd hit a wall - after decades of ministry, he felt so culturally alienated from undergrad students that he didn't think he could do the job anymore. It made me think about my friend Nicole Torbitzky, who serves as both philosophy professor and university chaplain at Lindenwood University in Misso…

1
Aizaiah Yong – Sitting by the River with Jesus: Trauma, Mysticism, and Communal Healing 1:22:12

3d ago1:22:12

1:22:12

What if everything we think we know about trauma and healing is backwards? Today I’m talking with Aizaiah Young about his incredible new book “Trauma and Renewal” and honestly, this conversation blew me away. Isaiah survived a near-death motorcycle accident right after passing his PhD comprehensive exams (talk about terrible timing), and during a 1…

1
Sitting by the River with Jesus: Trauma, Mysticism, and Communal Healing with Aizaiah Yong 1:24:03

5d ago1:24:03

1:24:03

What if everything we think we know about trauma and healing is backwards? Today I'm talking with Aizaiah Young about his incredible new book "Trauma and Renewal" and honestly, this conversation blew me away. Isaiah survived a near-death motorcycle accident right after passing his PhD comprehensive exams (talk about terrible timing), and during a 1…

1
When the Church Forgets Christ with Tim Whitaker 1:40:45

6d ago1:40:45

1:40:45

In this episode, Tim Whitaker from the New Evangelical joined me for one of those sprawling conversations that somehow manages to connect Christian nationalism, the Democratic Party’s moral cowardice, process theology, and whether buying burritos on payment plans signals the end of civilization. We started with our upcoming “God of Justice” class a…

1
When the Church Forgets Christ with Tim Whitaker 1:44:17

6d ago1:44:17

1:44:17

In this episode, Tim Whitaker from the New Evangelical joined me for one of those sprawling conversations that somehow manages to connect Christian nationalism, the Democratic Party's moral cowardice, process theology, and whether buying burritos on payment plans signals the end of civilization. We started with our upcoming "God of Justice" class a…

1
Randall Balmer: Myth Busting Evangelical Activism & Its Origins 1:26:55

7d ago1:26:55

1:26:55

What if everything you thought you knew about why evangelical Christians became politically active was completely wrong? Today I sit down with one of America’s greatest historians of religion, Randall Balmer, to do some serious myth-busting. We dive deep into what Balmer calls “the abortion myth” – the widely believed but false story that evangelic…

1
Randall Balmer: Myth Busting Evangelical Activism & Its Origins 1:29:46

7d ago1:29:46

1:29:46

What if everything you thought you knew about why evangelical Christians became politically active was completely wrong? Today I sit down with one of America's greatest historians of religion, Randall Balmer, to do some serious myth-busting. We dive deep into what Balmer calls "the abortion myth" - the widely believed but false story that evangelic…

1
Guillermo Bervejillo: Kojin Karatani’s The Structure of World History 1:31:32

10d ago1:31:32

1:31:32

So I got pulled into this fascinating email exchange with Brian McLaren about Kojin Karatani’s The Structure of World History, and it turns out there’s this whole crew of organizers and academics who’ve been quietly working with these ideas to rethink everything from social movements to economic theory. My guest Guillermo Bervejillo—who went from b…

1
Guillermo Bervejillo: The Structure of World History 1:34:22

10d ago1:34:22

1:34:22

So I got pulled into this fascinating email exchange with Brian McLaren about Kojin Karatani's The Structure of World History, and it turns out there's this whole crew of organizers and academics who've been quietly working with these ideas to rethink everything from social movements to economic theory. My guest Guillermo Bervejillo—who went from b…

1
Love at the Center: Tom Oord’s Systematic Theology Project 2:16:31

13d ago2:16:31

2:16:31

What’s up, theology nerds! Today I got to sit down with my longtime friend Tom Oord, who’s in the middle of writing what might be the first ever systematic theology with “love” right there in the title. We dove deep into how systematic theology actually works – you know, the difference between someone like Wayne Grudem who treats the Bible like a c…

1
Why Your Politics Need a Better Cosmology (Whether You Know It or Not) w/ Matt Segall & Aaron Simmons 1:58:28

13d ago1:58:28

1:58:28

Y’all, this was our third live stream for the Democracy in Tension Summit, and boy did we get nerdy! I got Aaron Simmons (the Kierkegaard guru and summit co-pilot) and Matt Segall (our process philosophy friend fresh back from Europe) together to wrestle with Carl Schmitt, Christian nationalism, cosmology, and why the heck a new vision of reality m…

1
Why Your Politics Need a Better Cosmology (Whether You Know It or Not) w/ Matthew Segall & Aaron Simmons 2:00:04

16d ago2:00:04

2:00:04

You can join the Democracy in Tension online summit and get access to all the lectures today.⁠ You can WATCH this conversation on YouTube Dr. Matthew Segall is a transdisciplinary researcher and teacher who applies process philosophy to various natural and social sciences, including consciousness. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy…

1
Ryan Burge: Gen Z Revival?: The Next Chapter in American Religious Life 1:16:34

17d ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Well, Ryan Burge is back with a bunch of graphs about the possible Gez Z revival. We ended up spending two and a half hours doing what we do best – meandering through vacation stories about all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, reports on Tripp’s sneaky chickens, and somehow ending up talking about Prince documentaries and Epstein files. We covered the …

1
Ryan Burge: Gen Z Revival?: The Next Chapter in American Religious Life 1:18:10

19d ago1:18:10

1:18:10

Well, Ryan Burge is back with a bunch of graphs about religion. We covered the supposed "Gen Z revival" (spoiler alert: Ryan's data says it's not happening), dove deep into some philosophical sociology about why people are leaving religion, and I went on my usual tangents about Charles Taylor and Hartmut Rosa, while Ryan kept bringing us back to ea…

1
The Sacred, The Political, and Why We’re All Vulnerable with Aaron Staufer & Aaron Simmons 1:35:10

23d ago1:35:10

1:35:10

Another epic live stream from our ?Democracy in Tension summit?! Aaron Simmons and I dive deep with theologian and community organizer Aaron Staufer about how sacred values and vulnerability shape our political life together. We wrestle with the big questions y’all have been sending in – can mainline churches recover a compelling sense of the sacre…

1
The Sacred, The Political, and Why We're All Vulnerable with Aaron Staufer & Aaron Simmons 1:35:09

21d ago1:35:09

1:35:09

Another epic live stream from our Democracy in Tension summit! Aaron Simmons and I dive deep with theologian and community organizer Aaron Staufer about how sacred values and vulnerability shape our political life together. We wrestle with the big questions y'all have been sending in - can mainline churches recover a compelling sense of the sacred …

1
Brian McLaren & Jacob Erickson: Ecological Crises & Lament 1:15:49

24d ago1:15:49

1:15:49

What’s up Theology Nerds! We’re diving deep into one of the most powerful sessions from last year’s ?Theology Beer Camp? in Denver – a conversation that honestly left me speechless. Brian McLaren kicks us off with a gut-punch keynote on ecological crisis and the power of lament that’ll challenge everything you think you know about faith in our curr…

1
Brian McLaren & Jacob Erickson: Ecological Crises & Lament 1:15:25

26d ago1:15:25

1:15:25

What's up Theology Nerds! We're diving deep into one of the most powerful sessions from last year's Theology Beer Camp in Denver - a conversation that honestly left me speechless. Brian McLaren kicks us off with a gut-punch keynote on ecological crisis and the power of lament that'll challenge everything you think you know about faith in our curren…

1
From Epstein to Palestine: The Common Thread of Basic Decency 1:59:58

27d ago1:59:58

1:59:58

Wow, what a wild ride this turned out to be! Bo and I got into the religious landscape after I shared this crazy sticky note revelation I had at the cigar lounge – connecting Jeffrey Epstein conspiracies and Palestine through the lens of basic human decency and institutional trust. We ended up unpacking everything from why young people are abandoni…

1
Transcendence, Immanence, and Why Charlie Kirk is Bad at Theology with Kevin Carnahan & Aaron Simmons 1:24:38

29d ago1:24:38

1:24:38

Hey y’all, so this was our first live stream kicking off this online democracy summit we’re doing – basically a bunch of us nerds getting together to wrestle with why everything seems to be falling apart politically and what the hell we’re supposed to do about it. Kevin Carnahan and Aaron Simmons joined me to dig into Kevin’s lecture about Christia…

1
Transcendence, Immanence, and Why Charlie Kirk is Bad at Theology with Kevin Carnahan & Aaron Simmons 1:25:35

1M ago1:25:35

1:25:35

Hey y'all, so this was our first live stream kicking off this online democracy summit we're doing - basically a bunch of us nerds getting together to wrestle with why everything seems to be falling apart politically and what the hell we're supposed to do about it. Kevin Carnahan and Aaron Simmons joined me to dig into Kevin's lecture about Christia…

1
Josh Scott: Parables - Putting Jesus's Stories in Their Place 55:54

1M ago55:54

55:54

In this episode, I am joined by Josh Scott, a minister at GracePointe Church in Nashville and author of the new book Parables: Putting Jesus Stories in Their Place. We discuss the book's exploration of Jesus' parables, focusing on their historical context and contemporary relevance. Josh shares insights into how these parables challenge both ancien…

1
Josh Scott: Parables – Putting Jesus’s Stories in Their Place 56:55

1M ago56:55

56:55

In this episode, I am joined by Josh Scott, a minister at ?GracePointe Church ?in Nashville and author of the new book ?Parables: Putting Jesus Stories in Their Place?. We discuss the book’s exploration of Jesus’ parables, focusing on their historical context and contemporary relevance. Josh shares insights into how these parables challenge both an…

1
Aaron Stauffer: The Future of Faith & Justice 1:52:27

1M ago1:52:27

1:52:27

Ethicist and organizer Dr. Aaron Staufer returns to the podcast to tackle one of the most pressing questions facing progressive Christianity today: how do we move from feeling overwhelmed and powerless to actually building meaningful change in our communities? Aaron brings his experience as both a theologian and organizer to help us understand why …

1
Sitting on Dietrich’s Bed: A Theological Debrief from Berlin 1:13:34

1M ago1:13:34

1:13:34

So Andy and I just got back from this wild? week in Berlin where we taught 25 folks about Bonhoeffer right there in his actual house? – like, we’re sitting in his bedroom, walking the same streets, the whole deal. And wow, this trip was different from the others because everyone kept asking the question that used to make me roll my eyes: “Is this o…

1
Sitting on Dietrich's Bed: A Theological Debrief from Berlin 1:14:04

1M ago1:14:04

1:14:04

So Andy and I just got back from this wild week in Berlin where we taught 25 folks about Bonhoeffer right there in his actual house - like, we're sitting in his bedroom, walking the same streets, the whole deal. And wow, this trip was different from the others because everyone kept asking the question that used to make me roll my eyes: "Is this our…

1
Jacob Erickson: Emerging Trends in Theology & Ethics 1:22:21

1M ago1:22:21

1:22:21

In this conversation, I got to catch up with my friend Jacob Erickson, who’s doing some inspiring work at Trinity College Dublin, where they’ve just launched a new Master’s in Theology and Social Justice. What struck me most was how Jake and his colleagues are embodying this broader transformation happening in theological education – moving beyond …

1
Jacob Erickson: Emerging Trends in Theology & Ethics 1:21:42

1M ago1:21:42

1:21:42

In this conversation, I got to catch up with my friend Jacob Erickson, who's doing some inspiring work at Trinity College Dublin, where they've just launched a new Master's in Theology and Social Justice. What struck me most was how Jake and his colleagues are embodying this broader transformation happening in theological education - moving beyond …

1
Bible Bonanza: What Verses Should Actually Be Read in Schools 1:25:21

1M ago1:25:21

1:25:21

What’s up Theology Nerds! We’re back from vacation and home renovations with a special Bible bonanza episode that’s equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking. Bo and I are tackling the issue of mandatory Bible reading in schools by collecting suggestions from listeners about which verses should be read if we’re going down this road. We got calls …

1
Matthew Novenson: Emerging Trends in New Testament Studies 1:14:49

1M ago1:14:49

1:14:49

What’s up, Theology Nerds! So I had my buddy Matt Novenson from Princeton Seminary on to talk about what’s actually happening on the cutting edge of New Testament research these days, and let me tell you, it’s way broader than you might think. We covered five major areas where scholars are doing really fascinating work: first, bringing Jewish studi…

1
Matt Novenson: Emerging Trends in New Testament Studies 1:16:41

1M ago1:16:41

1:16:41

What's up, Theology Nerds! So I had my buddy Matt Novenson on to talk about what's happening on the cutting edge of New Testament research these days, and let me tell you, it's way broader than you might think. We covered five major areas where scholars are doing really fascinating work: first, bringing Jewish studies into conversation with the New…

1
From Pit Elders to Political Theology: Making Sense of Democratic Breakdown with Aaron Simmons 1:33:58

2M ago1:33:58

1:33:58

Just got back from three and a half weeks in Europe (still not sure what time zone I’m in), and Aaron Simmons and I dove straight into the deep end of why democracy feels like it’s falling apart. We’re wrestling with this massive question: what do you do when reason-giving just seems to fail completely – when people either dismiss everyone who disa…

1
From Pit Elders to Political Theology: Making Sense of Democratic Breakdown 1:36:14

2M ago1:36:14

1:36:14

Just got back from three and a half weeks in Europe (still not sure what time zone I'm in), and Aaron Simmons and I dove straight into the deep end of why democracy feels like it's falling apart. We're wrestling with this massive question: what do you do when reason-giving just seems to fail completely - when people either dismiss everyone who disa…