Join us as Luke and Jae sit down with Savanna Moore, a “hylomorphic dualist” (a pretentious phrase that one can just drop into conversation) who is a senior Worship Leadership major at Anderson University to talk about heresy! Heresy, as defined in the episode, is a denial of one of the central tenants or doctrines of Christianity. This typically has to do with the doctrine of the Trinity, Virgin Birth, the Incarnation, etc.  In the first part of the episode, we talk about which heresies we think are the silliest and the most problematic. Savanna brings up the silliness of Gnosticism, the belief that, at the most basic level, only spiritual things are good, and the physical is wholly bad. This has been a consistent problem throughout church history even into today’s church (Uh oh). The Christian life is not only about getting to heaven when we die. It is about the bodily resurrection of the dead on the Last Day. Some honorable mentions: Nestorianism, Apollinarianism, and Modalism. Before moving on to more serious discussion, we begin to make a distinction between being ignorant of something and choosing heresy. The former isn’t something to be condemned for; the latter is. In the second part of the episode, Savanna makes it clear that Catholics are not heretics. Far from it. This comes from a gross misunderstanding of Catholicism. It is important to note the difference between Absolutes, Convictions, and Opinions. Absolutes are what separate heretics from orthodoxy Christianity; Convictions are what separate one denomination from another.  We then take a dive into why one should know about heresy, practically. For one, heresy is a part of church history and we should know what the church has experienced in the past. Second, these heresies didn’t come out of nowhere. Many of the people that first espoused these heresies were intelligent people that were misled by wrong interpretation of the Bible. We have a well of information from history that we can draw from to discern what is right and wrong belief. It is arrogant, if not dangerous, to not look at the 5,000 years of interpretation and thinking that is at our fingertips. In the third part of the episode, we talk about how seeking after knowledge breeds humility. If we gain pride as we gain knowledge, we are not searching with the correct heart. But this does not mean that we all have to learn in the same way. We all learn very differently, so some of us might learn better from a video than we learn from a 600-page book. We talk about how we have to grapple with difficult and challenging beliefs and not merely just allow these difficult topics to remain in our world without being wrestled with. Theology, good and deep theology, should have incredible impacts on every aspect of our lives. We then discuss how faith and reason should interact with one another. Reason is not faith but should instead serve our faith. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast

Audibility

Audibility 4.4: Heresy Distrack Vol. 1

Join us this week as Luke and Jae sit down with two of our favorite people and team-members here at The Audibility Podcast, Abby Sisco and Brianna Elwell! Abby and Brianna joined the team officially this past fall semester as our Social Media Director and our Design Director, respectively, and have done an incredible job to solidify who we are as a podcast on social media. Because of that, we wanted to sit down with them to talk about the advantages and the pitfalls of the digital world that has been created by social media.  We take the first bit of the episode to talk about how the ladies got involved with the podcast and what they do at Anderson University. Abby is freshman Communications major who took a gap with Southern Wesleyan University's OneLife program (which essentially means she is cooler than everyone else on the team) and got involved with the podcast last summer right before school started. Brianna is a sophomore Graphic Design major and has known Luke since sixth grade (it is undecided whether that is a good thing or not). She's helped on and off with the podcast since very early on as a kind of consultant but has started to help Abby make the podcast look awesome this past semester. For the rest of the episode we talk about our views of social and how that has morphed over time, particularly as we have utilized it for the podcast. The girls discuss how they have intentionally thought about how the operate on social media for the podcast account as well as their own personal account. Social media is not all bad, as some people will say, but it also can be bad. There is no one size fits all model for how an individual should operate on social media.  For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 4.3: A Social Media Team Meeting

In the intro of the episode (1:03-4:35), Lukas and Jae set up the episode and introduce today’s guest, Olivia Jones. She is a good friend of ours and a Christian Studies Major here at Anderson University, SC, looking to go into ministry. Olivia actually has her own podcast, the Liv Intentionally Podcast! She has people on to talk through their stories and to see how God has worked in and through them. You should definitely check it out, she’s super passionate about it and it’s really life-giving to hear people’s testimonies in a laid back and intentional setting. Lukas and Jae will actually be on an episode of Olivia’s podcast sometime soon, so keep on the lookout for that! This episode sort of got away from us in a very Good, very unexpected sort of way, and we touched on topics and stories that we weren’t planning on talking about. Let’s hop in! In the first part of the episode (8:54-19:08), we talk about how both Olivia and Jae grew up as pastor’s kids in ministry. We talk a bit about the importance of giving back to pastors and their families, not neglecting to love and serve them well as they love and serve us. Olivia shares her family’s story of moving from Manchester, England, to Dallas, Texas, when her dad felt the call to ministry. When he got his degree after a few years in Texas, they moved to Chicago to pastor a church for a few years. Olivia and her family now live in and minister to the city of Asheville, North Carolina! Olivia shares a little about her experiences in all of these different places and highlights the culture shock she’s felt. In the second part of the episode (19:29-32:50), Olivia tells us about her and her family’s passion for Asheville. If you’ve been to Asheville, you know that it’s a pretty wacky place, but wacky places need the Lord. She talks about some of the spiritual attacks her family has felt from the Enemy because of being so immersed in ministry, and she mentions how that suffering and behind-the-scenes look at the hard parts makes her want to dive back into it that much more. We talk about the oftentimes negative perceptions of being a pastor’s kid, but that people on the outside looking in very rarely consider the harder parts of being in ministry growing up as an eleven or twelve-years-old pastor’s kid. Olivia and Jae talk about the expectations and pressure, negative and positive, of being a pastor’s kid. We talk about the way that being a pastor’s kid has shaped their Faith throughout the years. Jae mentions that it’s been a sort of assurance and has helped him to grow into his calling as an ambassador for the Kingdom as a missionary, but more importantly as a tool for God’s use. Olivia mentions how it’s sometimes difficult to see the tougher ways that God works in the lives of people in ministry. Generally speaking, people may have very different reactions to being involved in specific ministries, sometimes having incorrect perceptions of their responsibilities as a servant. In the final part of the episode (33:10-44:45), we talk about conviction and calling and how the two oftentimes are extremely tied together. This Christian life is not an easy one, and we, as followers of Christ, need to count the cost of that life and of our calling to ministry. Out of a lack of firsthand experience, we make the obligatory reference to “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” in order to discuss the toll that ministry can have on an individual. Olivia shares how she got the idea for her podcast in the midst of immediate suffering and we talk about what it looks like to act on conviction, a responsibility that we all have. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 4.2: Calling & Conviction

Hey everyone! We're back! After a nice long break, the team decided that it was indeed the time. What time, you may ask? It is time for you to meet Malcolm! Join us this week as we talk about some of our favorite bits and memories along with Malcolm's origins with the podcast. Spoiler Alert: it's earlier than we originally thought. We discuss our excitement about being back and the crazy reality that we are almost two years into this podcast. This episode is pretty laid back so grab a cup of your favorite warm drink and get ready for Season 4 to begin. It's gonna be a great time. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 4.1 : We & Malcolm

Happy New Year everyone! Join us this week as we discuss the ups and downs of 2020 and look forward to 2021. Unless you were living under a rock this year, you know that this past year has been a bit crazy. A lot has happened; the coronavirus, the Black Lives Matter protests, the election, the fires, and other crazy things that made it feel like we experienced a decade’s worth of history in one year. But that certainly does not mean that this year was all for naught. Though this year has been very difficult, it has been a year of incredible growth and self-understanding. We start the episode off talking about our own triumphs and travails in 2020 and how we have grown, despite not knowing how we could grow any more than we already had. Then, to finish out the episode, we look ahead to 2021. We warn against putting our hope in a year, and talk about the danger of making the prospects of a better year our messiah. We discuss how we can’t look at 2020, or any year for that matter, and say that it was all good or all bad. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Reflecting on 2020 and a Benediction for the New Year

Happy Thanksgiving! (and Happy Winter Break college students!) Yikes, 2020 has been a crazy year; Fall semester was a crazy semester. We're all grateful here at The Audibility Podcast for Rest and Fellowship with friends and family this holiday season.  Join us this week as we sit down and have a chat with another old friend and familiar face...or well, a familiar voice: Ian Morel. We have a heart to heart with Ian about what it means to be Thankful for things through tough times like these, no matter your circumstances.  In the first part of the episode (4:10-8:40), we talk with Ian about who he is and we recap some of the craziness of this year. In the second part of the episode (9:05-24:05), we talk through the story of King David lamenting and mourning for his dying son in 2 Samuel 12, and we look at how he reacts to that hard situation as an example for how we should react to hardships in our life. We discuss Job and talk about how our present-mindedness sometimes gets in the way of us seeing past the hurt of our circumstances to a better future, one that we may not even be able to understand in the moment. In the third and final part of this episode (24:28-44:25), we look at the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes as a model for enjoying the Good things God has given us, despite being in the midst of all the nasty smoke of life. Jae compares us to rhino's: we're so short-sighted that when we get startled, we run through life and can't find our way through our situations so we often end up doing more harm than good. We look at a quote by C.S. Lewis from his book, The Great Divorce, describing the beauty of hindsight on our lives and on difficult times of suffering. He likens it to being able to see that a barren and harsh desert, once we've left it, was really a lush rainforest teeming with life abundant. It serves as a testament to many hard things being truly Good; to God working all things out for the Good of His Kingdom.  We talk a little about—you guessed it—Rest. We discuss how it is important to remember to take time to Rest and be Mindful even in times of trouble; that it often helps take away some of the weight of a hard situation. We close out by talking about caterpillars and precious metals. As cliche as it is, a caterpillar undergoes a truly spooky process to become a butterfly (one that is no doubt very unpleasant for the caterpillar). Peter writes in 1 Peter that our suffering here on Earth is like a precious metal being burned up and refined in a furnace so that the impurities can rise to the top and the Good stuff sinks to the bottom. That pure gold can now be processed and made into something beautiful. We go into that cocoon, or through that furnace, and by the Grace and Power of God we come out better than when we went in. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Hang in there. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 3.10: Thankfulness in Suffering

Join us this week as we sit down with two guests, Anna Whitaker and Meredith Byrd, to talk about spiritual disciplines. Anna is a new friend of ours and a senior Christian Studies major here at AU, and if her last name sounds familiar it's because we had her husband on just a few episodes ago! Mere is an old friend of ours and she's a junior HDFS major at AU; if her name sounds familiar it's because this is her fourth time on the podcast!  In the first part of the episode (3:40-7:40), we have the usual friendly banter, hear a little bit about our guests, and introduce today's conversation!  In the second part of the episode (8:05-33:06), we hear a little bit about the history of Christian monasticism and this idea of the "rule of life" from Anna, and look at a book about liturgies in everyday life, "The Liturgy of the Ordinary," with Meredith. We ask some questions about spiritual disciplines, like what even are they? We focus in on spiritual disciplines as sustaining us through the mundane, strengthening our Faith when we need it most. We talk about the de-spiritualization of Christianity and how the superficiality of some churches causes people to forget about the spiritual disciplines and the lose the wonder of Christianity. We talk about how if living in the spirit was easy, every one would do it; the spiritual disciplines are called disciplines for a reason. We discuss emotions and personal experience and discerning between when it's the Spirit and when it's emotion, moving into the next part of our discussion. In the last part of the episode (33:36-1:00:36), we look at the misconceptions around being receptive to your emotions within the Church and Christianity, and juxtapose that against the example Christ set for us in His time on Earth. We take a look at the Catholic and Anglican Churches and discuss how they engage all of the senses using the spiritual disciplines. We talk about how we are spiritual creatures not trapped in physical bodies, but instead gifted them by God; able to use them to grow our spiritual selves. We need to exercise both the Spirit and the Body with spiritual disciplines. We close out by discussing the personal nuance of the spiritual disciplines. Your walk with God is just that—yours. We share our own experiences with the spiritual disciplines and discuss how what works for one person may not work for another. Lastly, we encourage our listeners to lean into the ways they connect with God and implement disciplines and liturgies into their own lives to exercise their whole self and grow in their spiritual walks. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast. Resources: "The Liturgy of the Ordinary" by Tish Harrison Warren "You Are What You Love" by James K. A. Smith "The Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster "Sacred Pathways" by Gary Thomas "God in My Everything" by Ken Shigematsu 

Audibility 3.9: Liturgy, Emotions, and Spiritual Disciplines

Join us this week as we sit down with our dear friend, Jacob Currin, to talk about Rest and subsequently, Peace. Jacob is a sophomore Human Development and Family Studies major at Anderson University, SC, and he loves reading, writing in his favorite coffee shops, and intentional conversation. We talk about what Biblical Rest is, what Biblical Peace is, how the two are found, and how they're related.  In the first part of the episode (3:51-15:30), we talk a little about the culture we live in and how society views and often suppresses Rest. We discuss  seeing the illusion of "being not as busy" as Rest and talk about some times we haven't had Rest. We each share some tangible ways we find Rest throughout our days and weeks and what that produces in our Lives.  In the second part of the episode (16:02-32:07), we focus on Biblical Rest—Shabbat. We talk about what Rest actually is and how we can live in it. In the Bible, Shabbat (or Sabbath) is a whole day in which you Rest and live in the promises of God. We take a look at Isaiah 58 and discuss the idea of Resting by doing the things we enjoy for the glory of God. Every day is a Sabbath within the New Covenant, so we need to Rest in Christ every day and we look at how we can do that in our lives actively. We talk about how Rest as a spiritual discipline has been distorted by American thought, and even the American Church, to almost be a bad thing. We look at the biblical chiasm and centrality of Rest in the Genesis account of Creation. In the third part of the episode (32:37-38:05), we take a closer look at the concept of Biblical Peace—Shalom. Biblical Peace, or Shalom, is not a lack of conflict, but rather a fullness of heart and spirit in God. It is a sense of completeness or wholeness. When we have Peace, we are whole in the presence of God and our own works and accomplishments pale in comparison to our satisfaction in Him. Instead of worrying about our circumstances or problems, we are focused on God because we are in intimate Fellowship with Him. Peace flows from God's presence. Colossians 3 says, "set your mind on things that are above, and the God of Peace will give you Peace." The way that we set our eyes on things that are above and focus on our Fellowship with God is through Rest. Jacob brings Romans 5 into the discussion and talks about his experience with the first few verses of that chapter. In the fourth and final part of the episode (38:35-1:07:19) Jacob shares his testimony. He shares his struggle with Depression, Anxiety, finding and defining his Self-Worth, and eventually finding Peace through Rest.  As you go about your week, remember this: We can't get Rest and Peace outside of God. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast. Resources:  Fight Hustle, End Hurry Podcast: https://fighthustleendhurry.libsyn.com (also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts) "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer: https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry  Bible Project Sabbath Video: https://bibleproject.com/explore/what-is-the-sabbath/ Bible Project Shalom Video: https://bibleproject.com/videos/shalom-peace/

Audibility 3.8: Finding Peace Through Rest

It's election season! Join us this week as Lukas and Jae sit down to have a conversation about a topic that is often tricky for Christians to navigate, politics.  In the first part of the episode (4:03-30:06), we discuss on the "religionization" of politics in America, unfortunately even within most Christian circles. We talk about the polarizing nature of bipartisanship and the "silliness" of being hyper-political in either direction. We discuss where our identity truly lies and how the election results will not change a single thing for Christians, but regardless of that reality, we still put so much stock into the policies and candidates of the Republican and Democrat parties when they cannot and will not save us. Each party appeals to Christianity in part, but they always fall short of the mark.  Christians should feel homeless politically; we shouldn't feel like we can identify with either party. This Earth isn't our Home and if we aren't feeling that politically or socially, maybe we need to reasses the way we approach our Faith. We talk about Truth, Un-Truth, and Lies, and the new Law that we create and bind ourselves to with strict political idealogies. We talk about God's rule versus Man's rule, and who really holds the ultimate Power and Authority. Love and Justice and Mercy come from God only and the two major political parties of today attempt to corrupt those attributes and twist them to their agendas. We warn against serving the Kingdoms of Man instead of serving the Kingdom of God, and encourage our community to live in the reality of their Kingdom citizenship. We talk about what it means to be "in the World and not of the World" politically. We look at Daniel as an example of how to serve your country with the Kingdom of God still in the front of our mind. As Christians, our cause is not the agenda or policies or campaigns of the Republican Party or the Democrat Party, our cause is the Gospel.  We take a look at our civic rights as Americans and our civic rights as Citizens of Heaven and discuss which to choose when they conflict with each other (the choice should be an obvious one). We talk about the reality of potentially needing to abandon our duties as Americans when it calls for us to "choose between the lesser of two evils." Choosing the lesser evil is still consciously choosing evil. If your convictions are pushing or pulling you to not vote, that is okay, and if they're using you to vote in a particular way, then that's okay too! Luke brings up a curious point about the futility of voting for leaders in light of the Bible telling us about God appointing all power. We need to always consider that the Kingdom of God is forever. In the latter half of the episode (30:34-47:33), we discuss allegiance. We compare at competing allegiances (God and nationalism) and look at a chapter of a book by James K. A. Smith, "Desiring the Kingdom..." Through this lens we touch on intertwined topics such as nationalism, patriotism, competing allegiances, the strange and undermining Lie of patriotic sacrifice as "the ultimate sacrifice," and a very interesting idea around trading religious liturgies for cultural ones. We talk about the unity of the Church and how that gets overlooked so often in American Christianity. We implore listeners to evaluate where their allegiance truly lies and to remember the Nation that truly holds it. We want this episode to be a catalyst for constructive conversation, and ask our listeners to reach out! For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 3.7: Christians as Politically Homeless

Join us this week as we sit down to have a conversation about Storytelling with our new friend, Bates Whitaker. Bates is a senior at Anderson University, and has been married to his wife, Anna, for about a year and a half now. In short, he writes stories. In a little less short, he just finished writing a new book! We chat with him about the book itself, his writing process, and why he writes. We also discuss our favorite stories along with why we think stories are so important to us both as individuals and as an entire culture. If you would like to see more of Bates's content, here's his blog, where you can read some of the creative non-fiction he was talking a bit about, as well as some opinion pieces, stories on friends, and tips and tricks for writing: whitsendweb.wordpress.com. To keep up with Bates, check out his Instagram (@bateswhitaker), Twitter (@bateswhitaker), and YouTube (Bates Whitaker). For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Audibility 3.6: The Importance of Storytelling

Join us this week as we close out this series on The Image of God with Trevor Cox, the Spiritual Formation Content Director at Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. In the intro of the episode (1:02-4:23) Lukas and Jae talk about each episode of the series a little bit before moving into this final conversation. This conclusion is a culmination of our series, but ultimately, we’re talking about the culmination of Humanity: The Restoration of all things through Christ. In Part 1, Dr. Crisler mentioned the view of the conversation in a Philosophical sense versus the Christological sense. Today, we bring that idea back around and talk about this in a Practical sense instead of in a Theoretical sense. We take a look at this Upside-Down Kingdom we, as Christians, are all a part of and we discuss how someday we will return to the Garden. In the first part of the episode (4:40-9:54), Trevor tells us about what he does at Newspring and Lukas and Jae mention how, just as Parts 2 & 3 were nice pairings, Parts 1 & 4 work well in conjunction. In the next part of the episode (10:17-33:57), we ask the question: “How is Christ the perfect Image of God?” Trevor brings up the Sovereignty and Authority delegated from God to us through His Image. We look at some of Christ’s teachings and notice how, in our World, they seem completely backwards. We are living in an Upside-Down Kingdom where the Kings and Queens are those who are Weak, Weary, and Oppressed. Christ relieves that suffering and through His Upside-Down Coronation—the Crucifixion and Resurrection—we are coronated through Him and made citizens and rulers in His Upside-Down Kingdom. He has Restored us, and God's Image is completed through Him. We ask what true servanthood looks like, and we talk about what it means to be truly conformed to Christ’s Image and bought into our role in His Kingdom. We talk about how, for the Church, Christ is our Common Unity and in Him we have Perfect Community—or at least we should. We take a look at Paul’s words in Colossians 3:12-15 and consider them as an guide to the Upside-Down Life.  In the final part of the episode (34:17-45:06), we ask the question: “How do we walk in the Restoration of the Image?” Trevor reminds us that “it’s not about trying harder; it’s about surrendering more.” Christ is Risen and we see at the end of Revelation that through Him the World will be made new. Eventually, we will be returned to the Garden and have Perfect Fellowship with God. For now, though, in the in between, we have a job to do. Through Christ in us, it is our responsibility to bring the Upside-Down Kingdom to Earth by living in ways that seem Upside-Down in our World—ways like Colossians 3 outlines. Thank you for listening and learning with us, and thank you to Dr. Crisler, Dr. Wyma, Dr. Renburg, and Trevor for coming on to share your knowledge and wisdom with us and our audience. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

Image of God, Part 4: The Restoration (Living in The Upside-Down Kingdom)

Join us this week as we start to wrap up our series on The Image of God with Dr. Lynneth Renburg, an Assistant Professor of History at Anderson University in South Carolina. In the intro of the episode (1:00-3:49) Lukas and Jae give an overview of some of the things we talk about in this conversation including the twisting of the Image of God for Power, anti-semitism, the Church’s treatment of slaves and women, and how we often abuse the Dominion that God has given us. In the first part of the episode (3:59-8:47), Dr. Renburg tells us a little bit about herself, her field of study and teaching, and what she did her dissertation on. In this next part of the episode (9:13-21:47) we talk about the ways that humanity has viewed the Image of God as a means to Oppression and Power throughout history. We walk through Genesis 4 and the story of Cain and Abel and further discuss the roles of Jealousy and Power in the Oppression of the Image of God. We talk about ways that we twist the Power the Image gives us which in turn leads to the devaluing of the Image in others. We discuss the Tower of Babel, the Slavery of the Israelites in Egypt, and we talk about how rulers of the ancient world often thought that they were gods, descendant from gods, or given Power directly from the gods. Dr. Renburg mentions that this means, even for us as modern Christians, we are faced with a choice—will we look at others as fellow Kings and Queens marked by a Divine Image or will we see them as resources to be taken advantage of? “Once we lose sight of the importance of the Image of God, it is easy to forget the reasons for living in a way that reflects the Image of God.” The Image is what gives us value, not our own talents or status. When it is your base, it puts everyone on an equal playing field and acts as a unifying force between everyone. Dr. Renburg brings up the Mayan creation narrative and how that further reinforces the longstanding view of humans as expendable resources. If we think of Christ as the perfect Image of God, part of being is setting aside Power and Privilege to care for and help the Oppressed. In the final part of the episode (22:07-51:03), Dr. Renburg talks about the ways that the early (and modern) Church has dealt with Oppression well and poorly. She talks about the early Church as being a “church of slaves and women” and using the Image of God to defend the Oppressed, give value to the marginalized, and give a voice to the silenced. Unfortunately, the Church has also done the opposite. When the Church becomes a public entity in the Holy Roman Empire we see secular and pagan philosophy unhealthily seeping into Church practice. Dr. Renburg talks about twisted views of the Image of God in women and Jews both in the Church and in the public eye. We talk about the dehumanization of others as justification for Oppression. We close out by talking about the misperception of the Dominion that God has given us over Earth and how it actually looks to do that well. Dr. Renburg urges us to consider what things are actually for the right reason and what just sounds like it. She pushes people to ask of anything: “Is this truly reflective of Christ in the means as well as in the ends, and if not, is this reflective of Christ at all?” We call ourselves and our audience to uphold the teachings of Christ, to stand up for the Oppressed, and to bring God’s Kingdom to Earth through our treatment of others and recognition of them as fellow Kings and Queens. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

The Image of God, Part 3: The Opression

Check in on your friends and make sure they're doing alright, it's a tough time to be a person. If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, know that you are not alone. Reach out to your loved ones and ask them to help you or to help you get help. If you are thinking of hurting yourself, reach out. To find out how you can get help for yourself or for those you love, go to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.  We are all very excited for you to join us this week as we continue our series on The Image of God with a previous guest of ours, Dr. Katherine Wyma, a Lecturer of English at Anderson University in South Carolina. In this episode, we do deal with heavy topics such as suicide, depression, and anxiety. If these are topics that you are sensitive to, please be aware of that.  In the intro of the episode (1:01-3:46) Lukas and Jae talk about their thoughts on recording this episode and give the arc and purpose for the next few episodes in the series. In the first part of the episode (3:57-8:42), we hear a little bit about Dr. Wyma, her education, her doctoral thesis, and what she does at AU.  As we move into the next part of the episode (8:56-19:44) and begin our discussion for this week, we talk about the reality of sometimes seeing our Image through "carnival mirrors." Often, we distort the Image of God in us based on lies told to us by the World or by the Enemy, just like Adam and Eve in Eden. We summarize Genesis 3 and talk about the Fall of Man and Dr. Wyma vividly pictures how absolutely horrifying it must have been for all the knowledge of Good and Evil to flood into Eve's mind and soul in one moment. We discuss the shame that Adam and Eve felt after they sinned as we begin to move into our discussion of how Christians today buy into a distorted version of our identity in Christ as Image Bearers.  In the main segment of the episode (20:03-43:00), we turn the conversation towards the primary outworking of the distortion of the Image: mental health issues. Dr. Wyma mentions the importance of realizing that words change and how we do need to be wary of our words in a conversation about mental health, or even in our every day lives. Depression and Anxiety are serious topics and we need to be careful not to be flippant in the ways we talk about these issues. We talk about what Depression and Anxiety actually are and how they relate to the broken Image of God. At one point, Dr. Wyma mentions that this Distortion ending in suicide would be the ultimate win for the Enemy. We talk about how the Church ignores discussions around mental health issues and sometimes goes as far as condemning Depression and Anxiety as sin. We discuss the importance of lending a listening ear and we encourage those having hard thoughts to reach out, turn towards friends and, if necessary, seek help in a more professional setting. Often Christians want to focus on one or the other, but there is a marriage between the spiritual (prayer and the Word) and the physical (medicine and counseling) when dealing with issues like this. We touch on how Jesus would react to the broken among us, and in turn, how we should react to the broken among us. In the conclusion of the episode (43:18-47:53) we talk about how this relates to physical suffering in preparation for our conversation next week. Dr. Wyma shares some of her story with us and leaves us all with some encouragement to walk away with in the midst of our suffering . For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

The Image of God, Part 2: The Distortion

We are all very excited for you to join us this week as we kick off our series on The Image of God with Dr. Channing Crisler, an Associate Professor of New Testament at Anderson University in South Carolina. In the intro of the episode (0:56-3:18) Lukas and Jae talk about their thoughts on recording this episode and give the arc and purpose for the next few episodes in the series.  At the start of the discussion (3:28-11:47) Dr. Crisler tells us a little bit about his doctoral thesis, an observation of Paul's use of Old Testament lament language in the letter to the Romans, as well as a little bit about himself. We break down Genesis 1-3 to talk about the Creation and Fall of Man in light of the Image of God, and think about the fact that even after humanity's big and continual mistake, we still bear the Image.  In the next part of the episode (12:14-30:13) Lukas and Jae pick Dr. Crisler's brain about what the Image of God actually is and our responsibilities within that. Is it the ability to Relate and Reason? Is it to hold Dominion over God's Creation and rule in His stead? We consider the Image in tandem with the Likeness of God and we discuss the communicable attributes of God, the attributes He shares with mankind—Love, Reason, and Dominion. We break down the ways that the New Testament reflects on the Image and the Likeness and if we let Paul guide us through the conversation (Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 15), this becomes less of a Philosophical conversation, and more of a Christological conversation. Even before the Fall, there is something there that bears the stamp of a crucified and risen Christ. To bear the Image is to reflect the suffering and glory of Jesus, and that looks like Faith and Love.  In the final part of the first episode of this new series (30:37-41:11), we take a look at the difference between being an Image Bearer and bearing the Image. After the Fall bearing the Image became a burden; we think about how humanity has become the perpetrators and the victims of this distortion. This is reflected not only in how we act with each other, but also in how we interact with God. In the conclusion, Dr. Crisler gives us all a call to action in light of the Image of God in every one of us. We need to act upon this Divine Mark in us in a Loving and Just way. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.

The Image of God, Part 1: The Creation

Hey! Welcome to Season 3 of The Audibility Podcast. A lot has changed this summer as we've taken some time to be intentional with this podcast and define what we're all about more concretely. Lukas and Jae sit down to talk about the idea of a "virtual third-space." With this new idea, we want to embody the environment of a coffee shop where passionate individuals can come together and engage in community, be united in listening, and have access to new ideas and differing world-views. We talk about the changes to the podcast, our new team, and what the rest of the season is going to look like. For more information, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast. 

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