Theology in the Raw

Max Lucado is a pastor with decades of ministry experience and one of the most bestselling Christian authors of all time, who’s written more than 40 books that have sold around 150 million copies and have been translated in 56 languages. His latest book is Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion.

Chapters
00:07:42 Revisiting 2020: Covid and BLM
00:13:30 The Backlash to Max “Going Woke”
00:16:41 Responding to Generational Pain with Compassion
00:20:55 Tips for Good Writing
00:25:56 The Impact of AI on Writing
00:27:58 AI, Plagiarism and Christian Integrity
00:35:21 Is the World Really Getting Worse?
00:40:11 Over Exposure to Negative Information in the World
00:43:54 What Elijah Can Teach us about navigating the chaos of our world
00:49:01 How God Can Meet us in Our Isolation
00:51:19 Battling with Sinful Thoughts
00:54:09 Was Ahab Elijah’s Enemy?
00:55:07 Elijah Was Human: Hope for Ordinary Christians
00:56:54 Does Prayer Accomplish Anything?
01:00:31 Does Prayer Really Change Anything?
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Max Lucado is a pastor with decades of ministry experience and one of the most bestselling Christian authors of all time, who’s written more than 40 books that have sold around 150 million copies and have been translated in 56 languages. His latest book is Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion.

Chapters
00:07:42 Revisiting 2020: Covid and BLM
00:13:30 The Backlash to Max “Going Woke”
00:16:41 Responding to Generational Pain with Compassion
00:20:55 Tips for Good Writing
00:25:56 The Impact of AI on Writing
00:27:58 AI, Plagiarism and Christian Integrity
00:35:21 Is the World Really Getting Worse?
00:40:11 Over Exposure to Negative Information in the World
00:43:54 What Elijah Can Teach us about navigating the chaos of our world
00:49:01 How God Can Meet us in Our Isolation
00:51:19 Battling with Sinful Thoughts
00:54:09 Was Ahab Elijah’s Enemy?
00:55:07 Elijah Was Human: Hope for Ordinary Christians
00:56:54 Does Prayer Accomplish Anything?
01:00:31 Does Prayer Really Change Anything?
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be sure to check out our “Extra Innings” conversation where we discuss what the Old Testament actually says about sex outside of marriage. Surprisingly, there’s no explicit verse in the OT that forbids it. To listen to the full conversation, become a member of the TITR community at https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw
Dr. Dru Johnson (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is Templeton Senior Research Fellow and director of the Abrahamic Theistic Origins Project at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford. He is also a visiting professor of religion at Hope College, director of the Center for Hebraic Thought, editor of the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism series, host of The Biblical Mind podcast, and cohost of the OnScript podcast. And, he’s written a bunch of awesome books including his recent book Understanding Biblical Law: Skills for Thinking With and Through Torah, which forms the basis of our fascinating conversation.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:36 What Is the Old Testament Law?
00:04:00 Does "the Law" Mean the Ten Commandments or the Entire Old Testament?
00:06:24 The Law Is More Than Rules: Understanding Biblical Law
00:08:52 Does "Eye for an Eye" Mean Literal Retribution?
00:14:28 Reading Old Testament Laws as Principles, Not Just Rules
00:18:07 "You Shall Not Murder" vs. "You Shall Not Kill"
00:22:49 How to Learn Ethics from Bible Stories
00:24:53 Does the Bible Endorse Polygamy?
00:25:58 Why the Laws of Moses Are Different from Other Ancient Laws
00:28:11 Moses, David, and Other Morally Complex Bible Stories
00:33:44 Are Women Portrayed Better Than Men in the Bible?
00:38:13 How to Apply Biblical Narratives Today
00:41:25 Biblical Discernment vs. Looking for Easy Answers
00:45:21 How Should Christians Read Difficult Old Testament Laws?
00:51:13 Why Were Old Testament Punishments So Severe?
00:57:17 Restorative Justice in Ancient Israel: Why Were There No Prisons?
01:00:31 The Sons of Korah and Other Difficult Old Testament Judgments

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To listen to our extra innings conversation, head over to patreon.com/theologyintheraw and become a member of the TITR community and get access to all of my extra innings conversations and a bunch bonus content

Dr. Alison Cook is a therapist, psychologist of religion, bestselling author, and host of the top-ranked The Best of You podcast. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College (BA), Denver Seminary (MA), and the University of Denver (PhD). Alison has spent over two decades helping people move from feeling disconnected to feeling secure, grounded, and loved. She’s the author of four books including her most recent book: The Secure Soul: Finding Inner Strength and Connection When Trust Doesn’t Come Easy, which forms the foundation of our conversation. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400352606?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction
02:06 Splitting time between Wyoming and Boston
07:35 Attachment Theory Explained
10:35 How Childhood Trauma Shapes Adult Relationships
18:01 What About People That Didn’t Experience Trauma?
22:47 Does everyone have some kind of attachment issue?
23:59 Why the Church Often Misunderstands Self-Care
24:37 The Problem with Secular Self-Care Culture
25:22 Avoidant Attachment: First Steps
30:09 Preston Gets Live Therapy
34:00 Thinkers vs. Feelers
39:04 Core Memories and Emotional Healing
46:43 Getting to Know our own Souls
48:06 Can Christians Trust Psychology?
50:29 How Your Parents Shape Your View of God
53:41 Common Unaddressed Issues: Shame or Blame
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Daniel Bannoura (Ph.D. Notre Dame University) is a Palestinian theologian and Director of Public Engagement at the Bethlehem Institute for Peace & Justice. Daniel received his PhD degree in Qur'anic Studies from the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on the history and redaction of the Qur'an, Christian-Muslim relations, and Palestinian theology. Daniel also host of “Across the Divide”, a podcast that provides a space for thoughtful conversations about Palestine-Israel through the lens of faith and peace-making. Check out the Church at the Crossroads conference in Atlanta, Nov 5-7, 2026 and the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference in Bethlehem, Dec 27th-31st, 2026.

Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:29 Why a Palestinian Christian Researches the Qur’an
00:05:04 Did Muhommed Actually Exist?
00:11:43 Christian assumptions about Muslims in Gaza
00:16:00 Double Standards for Gazan Christian Deaths
00:16:48 Why are People Still Dying during the Ceasefire?
00:18:53 The Debate Around Using the Term “Genocide”
00:23:49 The Shrinking Borders Around Gaza
00:25:24 UN Report on Children being Targeted in Gaza
00:27:36 Life Expectancy, Malnutrition, and the Hidden Death Toll
00:29:16 Why the World Knows but Hasn’t Stopped it
00:45:54 The Shifting Political Landscape
00:51:08 Upcoming Conferences in Bethlehem and Atlanta
00:56:34 What can the Church do?
01:04:38 An Appeal to Christian Leaders
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.