Truce

Modern Christians believe that Jesus is God, eternal. But some people in the early church didn't think so. So early leaders decided to call the Council of Nicaea. Today people like Dan Brown (the DaVinci Code) might see this as when Constantine decided to make Jesus divine. Is that true? Our guests are Professor Gerald Bray and Professor David Potter. This is the second of four episodes on the legacy of the Roman emperor Constantine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who was the first political leader to use Christianity to his benefit? We see it all the time today, but when did it begin? This is the first part in a series looking at the impact of the Roman Emperor Constantine on history. We're still dealing with this guy 1700 years later. He was a warrior, a murderer, and a pagan priest. He also may have saved Christianity. Our guests are Professor Gerald Bray and Professor David Potter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part one we examined the history and economics of this maligned art form. Now let's understand the heart behind Christian filmmaking. If we're going to share the hope we have in Christ, then we need tools like this. We're joined by filmmakers Rich Christiano (Time Changer, Unidentified, Play the Flute) and Wes and Amanda Llewellyn (The Moment After I & II). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christians have many tools at their disposal -- Bible studies, tracts, sermons. But the punching bag of ministry tools has got to be the humble Christian film. We think of this as an upstart medium, but it's not. It's as old as filmmaking itself. In this two-part series, we examine the economics, the history, and the heart behind this much-maligned art form. We're joined by filmmakers Rich Christiano (Time Changer, Unidentified, Play the Flute) and Wes and Amanda Llewellyn (The Moment After I & II). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Southern Baptist Convention meets again next week. So, as a follow up to our curse of Ham story, we talked to Pastor Dwight McKissic Jr (@pastordmack) about his efforts to address racial issues within the SBC. A new resolution is on the table that would officially apologize for misusing the Bible to justify slavery and oppression. That resolution specifically calls out the so-called "curse of Ham". Genesis 9 tells the story of Noah and his sons after the ark. At first glance, it seems as though this is just a weird story. But it has dramatic ramifications for world history. You see, Noah places a curse on one of his descendants. His kids will be the servants of all the others. I.e. slaves. For years, organizations like the SBC taught that the curse was on Ham, whose offspring became the African people. The text tells a different story. It clearly states that Canaan, Noah's grandson, is cursed. The Canaanites settled in what would become Israel and were given the boot in the book of Joshua. But this lie ha

In April of 2018 @NPREmbedded produced a podcast episode about Scott Pruitt, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Trump Administration. It covered, among other things, his record on the environment, and... his Christian faith. In this, the first episode of season 2, we take a look at Genesis 1 and ask what it can (and can't) tell us about our role in the environment.Special thanks to @NPREmbedded for their help. You can find our guests at @joewertz and @TomDreisbach. Our logo is by Andy Huff. This program is listener supported. If you'd like to donate, visit us at www.trucepodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Girolamo Savonarola was an inspiration to Martin Luther and an early martyr for the Protestant Reformation. He's also a controversial figure – more Old Testament prophet than humble friar. Our guest Samantha Morris (https://theborgiabull.com) discusses her book Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher and the history of the “mad preacher of Florence”. Think you could end a movement? Destroy some of the best art ever made? Nearly topple the Italian Renaissance? Of course not, but that's what one man tried to do at the end of the 1400's. He was a righteous man who fought against the evil of Pope Alexander the VI. But he we went too far—trying to make the world behave in a godly fashion instead of changing the hearts of Florence. In a time before the Bible was readily available in people's own languages, Girolamo Savonarola was put to death by the very superstition he tried to defeat. Truce is a listener-supported podcast. Leave us a comment on iTunes and be sure to visit us at www.trucepodcast.com. You c

When churches face evil or unrepentant behavior we have to make a tough call. What does church discipline look like? It turns out that it involves several steps from talking to the person one-on-one to expelling them from the congregation. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Jonathan Leeman from www.9marks.org joins us to talk about his book on church discipline. Our main text is from Matthew 18 where Jesus lays out a clear plan for disciplining a brother or sister in Christ. Though the process seems easy, it is not without disagreement. Some people argue that discipline is tied to church membership. If someone sins, take away their membership to the congregation. The only problem is that membership is not in the Bible. It is an invention of man. But so are many other cherished parts of the church-going experience: youth group, Sunday school, crosses as decoration, even holidays like Christmas and Easter are not specifically outlined in the Bible. Truce is a listener-supported podcast. Leave us a comm

In this podcast extra we're taking a look at how ethnicity sometimes trumps our commitment to God. How can we, as believers, move forward in a Church that seems divided by race and ethnicity? Skot Welch is is the founder of Global Bridgebuilders, an organization that works with companies and churches to encourage diversity. He and his friend Rick Wilson wrote the upcoming book Plantation Jesus: Race, Faith, and a New Way Forward. Truce is a listener-supported podcast. Leave us a comment on iTunes and be sure to visit us at www.trucepodcast.com. You can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/trucepodcast) and Twitter (@trucepodcast). Our host is Chris Staron, author of Cradle Robber and writer/ director of the films Bringing up Bobby and Between the Walls. Artwork by @andrewjohnhuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Curse of Ham. It sounds like something from Game of Thrones, but it is actually a mis-reading of an Old Testament scripture that has been used for hundreds of years to justify racism and slavery. This week we take a look inside the Southern Baptist Convention's controversial 2017 meeting and interview pastor Charles Hedman from Capitol Hills Baptist Church (http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org). The “curse” comes from Genesis 9. Noah (yes, the guy from the flood) is back on dry land. He gets drunk and his boys cover him up out of shame. Enraged by their behavior, Noah places a curse on one of his family members: his descendants will be in service to the others. Trouble is, despite the Bible saying that Canaan is cursed, many people pretend that Ham is in order to oppress his descendants: those of African descent. This obvious fallacy has been used for decades to justify terrible acts-- and all because we refuse to see what's so clearly there. Truce is a listener-supported podcast. Leave us a comment on iTu

We all know a little something about President Donald Trump, how he bankrolled his family fortune into celebrity. But what do we know about his religious history? Our guest for this episode is author, speaker, podcaster Stephen Mansfield. Stephen is the New York Times bestselling author of Choosing Donald Trump. The charismatic preacher and author of The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peele, preached before the Trump family when Donald was just a boy. Principles of that ministry can still be seen in the president today: thinking of oneself as blessed, denying negativity, seeing oneself as deserving of God's blessing. The president was also heavily influenced by Paula White, a pentecostal preacher and a member of his Faith Advisory Council. Though Donald Trump may offend many Christians, he lays claim to our faith. What do we do with that information? As a note, this episode was recorded before the passing of Billy Graham so there is one reference to him as if he is still alive. Truce is a list

When were Christians first tied to Donald Trump? It seems to have started when Dr. James Dobson of FamilyTalk said on tape that Donald Trump is a Christian. He is not the only person making that claim. Paula White, Michelle Bachmann, Kenneth Copeland, and many other sing the same song. But it doesn't look like we're buying their rhetoric. American Christians don't really believe that Trump is one of us. So what do Christian leaders stand to gain by pretending he is? They want to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits pastors and churches from making specific kinds of political speech. Americans love free speech... when it works to their advantage. The trouble is, Republican lawmakers want to repeal the amendment for more nefarious reasons. Truce is a listener-supported podcast. Leave us a comment on iTunes and be sure to visit us at www.trucepodcast.com. You can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/trucepodcast) and Twitter (@trucepodcast). Our host is Chris Staron, author of Cradle Robber and wri

Truce is a show about the Church. What makes evangelical Christians tick? How do we impact the culture, and how does the culture shape us? Using journalistic tools we will journey together into one of the most powerful forces in world history: the gospel. Truce is a new podcast from the creator of the film "Bringing up Bobby" and the novel "Cradle Robber". Visit www.trucepodcast.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices