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In this episode John and Gregg discuss some questions about versions of the Bible, the book of Job, and the upcoming discussion group / gathering that Gregg is facilitating.

In the book of Job, John notes that Job’s friends also take the perspective that Job has done something to cause God to act against Job.  Gregg responds that, as far as he is aware, that when something had “befallen” someone the Judeans expressed this as God having “caused” the event, and that doing so was a way of acknowledging God as the one who had created all things and set them into certain relationships with each other.

John next wonders about the discussion that Gregg will be facilitating at his church. Gregg responds that in the first meeting will focus on having the group discuss some of the preliminary needs, such as what is needed to create a safe and productive space for discussion, what their goals and expectations are, and what might constitute “success” for them.

Gregg also notes that he will be open about his desire to steer the group in two general directions.  The first is toward understanding how we assess a certain matter or topic.  The second is toward understanding what we do once we reach the end of our own ability to assess something.  In other words, how do we adjudicate expert opinions on a given matter?

Gregg also hopes to highlight the difference between understanding the Bible as offering propositional truth versus presenting a tensional view of reality and human existence, such that human beings need to balance a variety of tensions in order to live well.  For instance, Christians (and all humans) need both belief and skepticism, faith and suspicion.

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Today John and Gregg celebrate–and reflect on–100 episodes of the “Untangling Christianity podcast!”

John begins by mentions how he and Gregg have met their goal of publishing 100 episodes in (at least) 100 weeks, and by keying on a listener’s question, from Amy, about whether the podcasts have changed over time.  He notes that his perspective has changed gradually since the beginning of the podcast, but mostly in becoming more comfortable being “where he is at” and with the fact that John has a number of questions about Christianity, and being accepting of that fact.  John also explains his hope that, in future, the UC podcast will include “other contributors,” such as the recent interview with Dan Dailey.

Gregg, too, would like to “open up” the podcast.  Gregg envisages this as having opportunities for some of the things that he and John have been discussing to be applied / “lived out” in real life.  So he notes the discussion groups he will be facilitating over the summer and autumn, and wonders what possibilities there may be for those participating in the groups to share (their experiences in the groups, what they are thinking about relative to the topics, etc.).