Rooted in tradition and creating new things
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I BELIEVE

Here are the podcasts for the course THEO 101-102 at George Fox University. The host website here is the website of one of the professors for the course. (This course used to be called “I Believe,” which is why it is labeled that way in the URL!)

I NEED TO KNOW MORE: REVOLUTION

What happens when you change the way you think about the scriptures? Dr. Doak and Dr. Payne talk about a revolution in theology and biblical studies known as higher criticism.

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: PIETY

How can Christians remain faithful to God in the industrial era? What does it mean to be truly holy like God is holy? Dr. Payne and Dr. Doak talk about how John and Charles Wesley and the Methodists answered those questions and more!

Leah Payne
THEO POP-CULTURE SMACKDOWN: TIKTOK EVANGELISM?

Should TikTok evangelists be a thing? Do media innovators trivialize the gospel? Or, are they moving the church into the 21st century? Dr. Doak and Dr. Payne debate whether or not TikTok preaching helps or hurts the Christian movement.

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE RENEWAL

How did Roman Catholics respond to the modern world? Dr. Doak and Dr. Payne talk about Catholic renewal in the modern age and read a timeless poem & prayer from St. Teresa of Avila!

Leah Payne
THEO POP-CULTURE SMACKDOWN: MAGISTERIAL OR RADICAL?

How should a believer relate to the wider world? Should they follow the example of the magisterial traditions or the radicals? Dr. Payne and Dr. Doak debate it here and then we want to hear from you in the discussion. Would you be a radical or magisterial?

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: REFORM

What happens when reform spreads? How do you know when you’ve reformed enough? This week, Dr. Payne and Dr. Doak tackle some of the critical questions facing early modern Christians & the founding of the Church of England.

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: MODERNITY

Welcome to the modern world! Dr. Doak and Dr. Payne talk about how the world was changing in the early modern era, the cantankerous and unforgettable Martin Luther, and they even trade a few classic Lutheran insults!

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: SCHISM

What caused the Great Schism of 1054? Was it one big thing or a thousand small issues that finally made Christians break communion with one another? And what sorts of theology was being created in the Middle Ages? These questions and more on this week’s NEED TO KNOW MORE!

Leah Payne
THEO POP-CULTURE SMACKDOWN: RELICS?

Do physical objects have spiritual power? Dr. Doak and Dr. Payne debate whether or not things like relics have power from God. Listen in and share your thoughts in this week’s discussion!

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: SACRAMENT

This week we are learning about how Christians worshipped in the Middle Ages, and the important role that the church played in the daily lives regular people. Drs. Doak and Payne talk about their favorite sacraments, how Christians read the Bible in the Middle Ages, and the writings, art, and theological visions of Hildegard von Bingen!

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: RULE

Is there a rule that orders your life? What is it like to embrace monastic life? What did monasteries and convents preserve over time? These questions and more guide the Need to Know More podcast this week!

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: COUNCIL

This week, Drs. Payne & Doak talk about the development of Christian creeds, councils, and how Christians decide what they are and what they are not. Then, we read the sermon of a famous ancient preacher with a reputation for solid-gold preaching!

Leah Payne
THEO POP-CULTURE SMACKDOWN: CREEDS???

This week, Dr. Doak & Dr. Payne tackle the question: do Christians need creeds, those handy distillations of Christian teaching and theology? Do they help Christians or are they out of date? Listen in and make your case on Flipgrid!

Leah Payne
I NEED TO KNOW MORE: EMPIRE

It was one thing to be faithful under persecution - what happens when Christians gain legal rights, social power, and wealth? Dr. Doak & Dr. Payne explore the challenges facing Christians when their religion becomes the religion of empire in the 4th century.

Leah Payne