Mia Hughes, a journalist for the think tank Environmental Progress, discusses the controversy surrounding pediatric medical transition and the collision of trans rights with the rights of women and the LGB community. She authored the recently released WPATH files, which expose the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) as an activist group with questionable medical practices. The conversation delves into the history of WPATH, its influence on healthcare for trans-identified people, and the lack of evidence supporting its treatment protocols.

Mia highlights the ethical dilemmas and potential harm caused by the medicalization of gender identity and the irreversible interventions performed on minors. The conversation delves into the harmful effects of gender-affirming medical treatments, particularly on adolescents. Mia discusses the leaked internal discussions from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and highlights the lack of scientific evidence and the political activism within the organization. They emphasize the importance of informed consent and the need to protect vulnerable individuals, especially minors, from irreversible medical interventions. The conversation also touches on the potential for future lawsuits and the contrasting approaches to gender-affirming care in North America and Europe.

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Elizabeth Woodson, a Bible teacher and theologian, discusses her passion for Bible study, discipleship, and theological education in the local church. She shares her personal journey of searching for the relevance of the gospel in her own life and how it led her to pursue theological education. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of creating pathways for discipleship and theological education within the church, so that believers can understand and apply the truths of Scripture in their everyday lives.

She also discusses the challenges of busyness and the need for churches to provide meaningful and accessible opportunities for learning and growth. In a post-COVID world, churches have had to explore new opportunities for theological education and discipleship. People are hungry for connection, support, and answers to their questions. There is an opportunity to disciple adults in the basics of the faith and help them grow deeper in their faith. The early church valued theological education and had a rigorous catechism process for new converts. The church today can learn from the past and prioritize discipleship.

Singleness in the church is often misunderstood and undervalued. The church needs to have a deeper theology of singleness and provide community and support for single individuals. The church should prioritize friendships and create a culture where singleness is seen as a beautiful season. The church needs to navigate the volatile political climate with grace, honoring people and holding true to the teachings of Jesus.

Elizabeth Woodson is a Bible teacher, theologian, author, and the Founder of The Woodson Institute, an organization that equips believers to understand and grow in their Christian faith. With over a decade of experience in church ministry, Elizabeth is passionate about creating pathways for discipleship and theological education in the local church. Elizabeth is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Christian Education. She is also the author of Embrace Your Life: How To Find Joy When The Life You Have Is Not The Life You Hoped For and From Beginning To Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of Scripture.

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Dr. Michael F. Bird is a biblical scholar and theologian who serves as the Deputy Principle and Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College (Melbourne, Aus), and is the author of over a dozen books, including his recently released Jesus and the Powers, which he co-authored with N.T. Wright. 

In this podcast conversation, we talk all about politics and the gospel, agreeing on so many things and disagreeing about a few other things.

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Ed Uszynski sits down with Preston in his basement the day after the "Exiles in Babylon" conference to debrief. This is a raw and authentic convo where we discuss and react to various sessions and speakers. We talk about the GenZ evening, the Israel-Palestine conversation, Deconstruction and Reconstruction, Women, Power & Abuse in the church, and many other topics and speakers at the conference.

Donate today to join OneHope and local church leaders in our mission to bring God Word’s to 25,000 children who have never known a hope that surpasses all understanding.

onehope.net/TITR

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Welcome to a sneak peek of the Bonus Q&A episode, part of the Theology in the Raw premium subscription.

In the full episode, we discuss:

0:00 Introduction

0:38 Thoughts on Christians and masturbation--is it always sinful or is there room for conversation?

5:35 What do you when the the God in the Bible isn't acting the way Jesus would?

12:15. What are your top 5 all-time books, any subject?

19:35 Best pastoral advice for same-sex married couple that recently accepted Jesus?

28:35 Is praying before a meal just tradition or is there warrant for this?

32:10 Jesus' teaching about love is often conditional, but God's love is unconditional. Can you explain this?

35:34 How do you handle sporting events where members of the military are honored? Stand and clap? Don't stand?

37:48 Is post mortem salvation or Christian universalism orthodox doctrines?

41:37 How can we pray for your ministry?

43:54 Are the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, prodigal son about newly saved believers, believers who have wandered away, or both?

45:38 Update on Alisa Childers and her discussions with Rosaria Butterfield and Christopher Yuan?

49:23 Do you see a difference between academic complementarianism and how it's lived out in a lot of churches?

52:21 What's the best steel man arguments for tithing being applicable today?

55:07 RAPID FIRE

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Dr. David Fitch (Ph.D Northwestern University) is the Betty R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary and has pastored for 30 years, and has been involved in 8 church plants over the course of his ministry. He is married to Rae Ann and they have one son named Max. He is an ordained pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

He’s coached hockey for the YMCA USA Hockey program for seven years. David teaches, speaks, and writes within the fields of Neo-Anabaptist theology, missiology, culture studies, political theory, and ethics. He writes from time to time on his own page at Missio Alliance, on his own substack, for Christianity Today, Outreach Magazine, ChurchLeaders.com, EthicsDaily, and multiple other sites, magazines and journals.

He leads discussion on his facebook page (fitchest) and on twitter at @fitchest. He is co-host of the Theology of Mission podcast.

His most recent book is Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power, which forms the backdrop for our conversion.

Donate today to join OneHope and local church leaders in our mission to bring God Word’s to 25,000 children who have never known a hope that surpasses all understanding.

onehope.net/TITR

Support Theology in the Raw through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

Angela McArdle currently serves as Chair of the national Libertarian Party, serves as Co-Organizer for the Rage Against The War Machine, and is a two time candidate for California’s 34th Congressional District. Angela was a key organizer for the Los Angeles 2021 initiative to overturn the Los Angeles vaccine mandate. Angela believes strongly in the sanctity of personal choice and allowing people to govern their own lives. Angela’s professional background includes 14 years of litigation practice as a paralegal, and organizational leadership in nonprofit organizations. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Biola University and her paralegal certificate from UCLA. In this podcast conversation, we talk about Rage Against the War Machine, Libertarian politics, U.S. foreign affair policies, the deep state, the war in Gaza, and the Russian war on Ukraine.

Donate today to join OneHope and local church leaders in our mission to bring God Word’s to 25,000 children who have never known a hope that surpasses all understanding.

onehope.net/TITR

Support Theology in the Raw through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

Dr. Nijay Gupta (DPhil, University of Durham) is a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and has written several academic books including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He has co-edited The State of New Testament Studies, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed.), and The State of Pauline Studies. He's also the author of the recent book Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling, which forms the basis for our conversation.

Exiles In Babylon Conference: https://theologyintheraw.com/exiles24/

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As the author of Not Forsaken: A Story of Life After Abuse and the recently released Defiant Joy: Find the Hope to Light Your Way, Even in Darkness, Jennifer Michelle Greenberg has risen to become one of the foremost voices against child abuse in the church. She writes for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. In this conversation, Jennifer tells her raw story of experiencing ongoing physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from her father and how she took steps toward healing. We also talk about how churches can do a better job at preventing abuse and addressing it when it happens.

Get your copy of Jennifer's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Joy-Find-Light-Darkness/dp/0593445422

Get your copy of Exiles today!

https://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Church-Shadow-Empire/dp/0830785787/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=5GIFQGLGIL72&keywords=exiles+preston+sprinkle&qid=1705940897&sprefix=exiles%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1

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Brent leads Cherish Uganda with his wife Leah. Cherish was formally an orphanage and now functions as a spiritual formation community center using medical, education and family strengthening to reach the community we serve. In this conversation, Brent tells the story of how Cherish changed from being an orphanage to a holistic education and care center, where HIV kids and their families were being reached with the gospel. We talk about the problems of white westerners ministering in Africa, pros and cons of short term mission trips, and why family based orphan care is much better than orphanages.

Follow Cherish Uganda on Instagram @cherishuganda

Consider supporting this valuable ministry at https://www.cherishuganda.org

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Dr. Caryn Reeder (Ph.D. Cambridge) is professor of New Testament at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California. Her research focuses on questions of gender, the household, women's lives, slavery, and violence in the biblical worlds. In this podcast, we discuss her book The Samaritan Woman's Story: Reconsidering John 4 After #ChurchToo. Caryn offers a fresh and more historically accurate interpretation of John 4 and then we discuss the problem of abuse in the church.

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