Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, James Wood, and Joe Minich explore whether modernity deserves our praise or criticism. They examine the goods and challenges of the modern world, from medical advances to technological disruption, asking how Christians should thoughtfully engage rather than simply retreat or embrace uncritically. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setup 02:10 Defining Modernity - What Are We Talking About? 07:54 The Goods of Modernity - Why People Embraced Change 17:13 The Revolutionary Character of Modern Life 25:33 Freedom From vs. Freedom For 30:44 The Problem of Collective Agency 39:05 Rising Risks and Diminished Control 46:00 The Church as Ark - Finding a Third Way 55:33 Critical Engagement vs. Simple Acceptance
--------
59:52
--------
59:52
Are We Disenchanted? Should We Be Enchanted?
Alastair, Joseph, Brad, and Derek explore the themes of enchantment and disenchantment in theology and culture. They reflect on Charles Taylor’s analysis of the “disenchanted” modern age, the loss of a sacramental imagination, and the ways Christians might recover a sense of wonder, mystery, and divine presence in creation. The conversation considers both dangers—superstition, romantic nostalgia—and opportunities for faithful re-enchantment through Scripture, liturgy, and daily discipleship. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction: What is enchantment? 04:15 – Charles Taylor and the “disenchanted age” 09:02 – Medieval vs. modern imagination 14:27 – Superstition, magic, and the dangers of false enchantment 19:40 – Re-enchantment and the Christian imagination 26:03 – Sacramentality, symbolism, and divine presence 32:55 – The role of worship in shaping perception 38:21 – Wonder, mystery, and recovering joy in creation 44:10 – Disenchantment as protection against idolatry 49:35 – Faithful ways of living with re-enchanted vision 55:28 – Closing reflections and further resources
--------
1:07:22
--------
1:07:22
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (From My Denomination)?
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, Brad East, and James Wood engage in a deep conversation about the complexities of inhabiting and leaving religious traditions. They explore the implications of a recent theological shift by Matthew Barrett from Baptist to Anglican, discussing the personal and theological dimensions of such transitions. The conversation delves into the nature of tradition, the challenges of maintaining ecclesial identity, and the virtues of leaving a tradition with grace and gratitude. The hosts emphasize the importance of honoring those who have shaped their faith journeys while navigating the intricacies of theological retrieval and the fragility of denominational identities in contemporary Christianity. Chapters 00:00 Ecclesial Location 03:09 The Dynamics of Leaving a Tradition 05:31 Retrieval 10:18 Conscious & Unconscious Choice 17:32 The Nature of Tradition and Confessions 22:03 Engaging Outside One's Tradition 24:13 Different Levels of Accountability 27:07 The Fragilization of Denominational Identities 32:30 Tradition or "Vibes"? 35:00 Stronger Ecumenism 42:49 You Keep Using That Word... 49:35 Leaving a Tradition Gracefully
--------
1:05:00
--------
1:05:00
Can You Really Read The Bible Like That?!
This episode of Mere Fidelity is about the boundaries and controls on theological and typological biblical interpretation - essentially asking "what are the brakes on theological exegesis?" — This month: The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory by Robert Smith - a weighty volume addressing crucial contemporary issues with biblical faithfulness. Get 40% off at lexhampress.com/merefidelity — Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East explore the tension between: The Promise: Rediscovering richer, deeper ways of reading Scripture that go beyond simple historical-grammatical methods - finding typological patterns, narrative connections, and symbolic meanings that link Old and New Testament figures and events (like seeing Jesus as the new David, or Joseph as a type of Christ). The Problem: The legitimate concern that once you start reading Scripture typologically or allegorically, where do you stop? What prevents interpretation from becoming purely subjective, limited only by the interpreter's imagination? Key Discussion Points: Steelmanning the critics - Derek asks Alastair to acknowledge valid concerns about "wax nose" interpretations that can be twisted to support any position Historical precedent - How the apostles themselves read the Old Testament in ways that seem to go beyond original authorial intent Different paradigms for meaning - Brad argues for multiple faithful readings within proper bounds, using his "infinite sets" mathematical analogy, while Derek pushes back with concerns about authorial intention Practical controls they suggest: Alastair emphasizes grounding readings in the text's own literary patterns and connections Reading within the "rule of faith" (basic Christian orthodoxy) Alastair's "tree" metaphor - distinguishing between core interpretations (strong branches) and speculative ones (thin branches you don't put weight on) Reading in community rather than in isolation Alastair's key point - Understanding meaning as something that unfolds through time, not just locked in original context Brad advocates for reading Scripture with multiple paradigms (not just Paul's argumentative style, but also narrative like Song of Songs) The conversation shows Derek wrestling with concerns about going beyond authorial intention, while Brad takes a more "maximalist" approach and Alastair provides detailed textual grounding for typological readings. They ultimately argue that while there are real dangers in uncontrolled typological reading, the solution isn't to abandon these deeper interpretive methods but to practice them more carefully and responsibly. — Chapters 01:21 Grammatical Historical vs. Typological Exegesis 03:40 Steel Man Strikes Again 06:07 If This Were Wrong, How Would We Know? 09:05 Wax Nose 11:07 Gifted Interpreters and Accessibility 13:01 The Gigi Rule 16:48 Infinite Ways to Get It Right 19:08 Stories and Arguments 22:05 It's Alive! 26:19 Choose Your Own Adventure 29:14 More Anachronism Please 30:23 Anachronism and Authorial Intention 34:39 How Meaning Works 40:10 Asking the Text a Question 43:02 Practice Safe Reading 51:32 Resources
--------
52:59
--------
52:59
AI, The Infinite Work Day, And The Finite Pastor
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, the hosts engage in a deep discussion about the implications of artificial intelligence on society, the church, and human relationships. They explore the theological and ethical dimensions of AI, emphasizing the importance of human agency and the role of the Word in shaping our understanding of technology. The conversation also addresses the dangers of AI in ministry, the potential for dehumanization, and the need for a critical approach to technology in light of the Christian faith. Chapters 00:00 Now You're Cooking with AI 02:24 Starting Points & Inevitabilities 05:06 The Real Vehicle of the Word 10:09 AI as an Extension of Human Capacity 14:23 The Dehumanizing Nature of AI 17:14 The Demonic Nature of Technology 24:05 Double Non-Neutrality 26:27 The Point Is the Struggle 33:03 How Reading Works 38:05 Glorified Google Searches and Machine Collaboration 44:35 A Solution to a Problem that Shouldn't Exist 46:52 We Are Living in the Darkest Timeline 50:23 Pornographic Logic 55:36 Relieving the Human Condition 01:02:17 The Illusion of Efficiency
From the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network: The Podcast reflecting on God's Word and our world. Thoughtful weekly conversations about theology, the culture, and the church, hosted by Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts. Featuring Andrew Wilson, Brad East, James Wood, and Joseph Minich.
Netherlands