Do you have people in your life that you can share your darker struggles with, and confess your sins to? AJ and Nijay talk about being very selective and careful about finding your "confessors" and confidants; people that are not only safe, but also wise and care about your faith and relationship with Jesus. Support the Show.…

**Possible Trigger Warning** AJ and Nijay discuss the limitations of "righteous suffering" today. Jesus took abuse and harm upon himself from others for the salvation of the world. Is Jesus a model for abuse victims today? Are there areas of life where WWJD doesn't apply—where we shouldn't or can't imitate Jesus? Support the Show.…

In Philippians 2:12, Paul writes, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling..." This verse has perplexed many readers, because on the surface it appears that Paul is talking about earning salvation, so what happened to justification by grace?? AJ and Nijay love talking about reading the Bible well in context, check it out. UPDATE: Nijay ment…

Jesus is remembered as a great teacher, but he also had many conversations with people he met and he asked a lot of questions (well over 100 questions from the lips of Jesus in the Gospels). What can we learn about Jesus from his questions? What can we learn about the Gospel? What can we learn about our faith? AJ and Nijay reflect on these question…

AJ and Nijay talk about a common question they get in the church and classroom: What's the best Bible translation? If you're curious, listen in on their conversation. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves" (Rom 15:1) Knowledge is good - the more you know the further you'll go (as they say). But it can also lead to pride, arrogance, and judgmentalism. AJ and Nijay chat about the dangers of spiritual pride and how to build up the other and not puff up oneself (1…

What happens when your theological heroes change their mind, let you down, or leave the faith? It can be uncomfortable, sometimes devastating. In keeping with the theme of "slow theology," AJ and Nijay address this struggle and encourage a non-reactive theology. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

In the previous episode, Nijay interviewed AJ about his latest book, The Gift of Thorns (ST44). This time around, AJ and Nijay chat about Nijay's latest, Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling (Brazos Press, 2024). Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ has written an important new book called THE GIFT OF THORNS. Nijay and AJ discuss why AJ wrote this, a bit of his own story, and how unfulfilled wants can lead us into deeper spiritual life with Christ. This is a raw and vulnerable conversation. (WARNING: adult content is briefly discussed) Support the Show.…

AJ and Nijay finish out their series on the Lord's Prayer and how to process the prayer Jesus taught us and learn how to pray slowly and authentically before God. Can we (smarty-pants moderns) really believe in evil? Should we fear evil? What does deliverance/rescue look like? Listen in—and please give Slow Theology and rating on your preferred lis…

AJ and Nijay continue their series on prayer. They get into theological questions like "what is temptation?" and "Does God influence temptation, if so why?" But they also talk about how this prayer shapes our Christian lives. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue to journey slowly through the Lord's Prayer. They reckon with the challenge of forgiving one another, and how important this is as a spiritual practice and an act of trust in God. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue with their Slow Prayer series focusing on the Lord's Prayer. How does it shape our prayer life to pray "Give us this day our daily bread"? Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue the "Slow Prayer" series, journeying through the Lord's Prayer line by line. In this ep. they discuss the "cry for the kingdom" (as theologian Stanley Grenz puts it). Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Why does it matter how we address God? Why "Our Father"? What does it mean that He lives "in Heaven?" And what does it mean to "hallow" God's Name? AJ and Nijay discuss the beginning of the prayer Jesus gave us. (Remember, you don't pray alone, you pray with Jesus) Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Nijay and AJ are kicking off a multi-episode series about prayer, with a focus on the Lord's Prayer. Join them for this introductory episode where they chat about why this short prayer from Jesus has been so important in the history of the Church—and how it can shape our spiritual lives today. Support the Show.…

What happens when your spouse (or close relative/friend) is going through deconstruction and you aren't? It can be a jarring and disheartening experience, and it comes with lots of possible and normal emotions like anger, fear, sadness, compassion, or uncertainty. AJ and Nijay process this together based on insights from Scripture and personal expe…

AJ and Nijay dialogue about an important question: How would our faith be transformed if we learned with and from children? Too often children are hidden in the church, treated as distractions or underformed community members. But maybe we adults have something to learn FROM children. Listen in to this important conversation. Support the Show.…

AJ and Nijay wish everyone a happy new year! This Podcast Short is a brief chat about their favorite reads of the year, but also that it is okay not to read everything and sometimes its the best thing to kick back and listen to podcasts! AJ, Nijay, and Nick (our amazing audio editor!) are so thankful for our regular listeners and new listeners as w…

Christmas can be the best of times, but it can also be lonely, stressful, and exhausting. Nijay and AJ have some fun in this episode, but also talk about some of the hard stuff about the holidays too. Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas! Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

In 2023, there have been a number of heartbreaking stories involving spiritual abuse in Christian environments, and too many lives have been harmfully affected by these men in power. AJ and Nijay broach this heavy subject thinking about the victims of spiritual abuse who want to go back to church or a Christian community, but are (rightfully) afrai…

AJ and Nijay noticed a lot of former evangelicals becoming Catholic. BTW: AJ and Nijay admire and respect Catholics, but they discuss this phenomenon. What's going on? What's driving this trend? What is the hunger or felt need? Another way to put it: what can evangelicals learn from Catholics and other high church/liturgical traditions? Support the…

Theology is good, Nijay and AJ are both academics and affirm that their engagement with theological and biblical scholarship overall has strengthened and stretched their faith in healthy ways. But can critical theological study actually be a detriment to faith? What exactly is the problem? Nijay and AJ have a special conversation about what goes wr…

How do you know if a teaching you hear is heresy, or just a matter open to interpretation? And if you encounter heresy, should you do something about it? What? AJ and Nijay discuss. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

**special episode** This is the first guest we have ever had on Slow Theology, the one and only Prof. N.T. Wright, arguably the most influential biblical scholar in the last fifty years. He has a new book coming out (Into the Heart of Romans), and AJ and Nijay had the privilege of chatting with Wright about Romans, faith and doubt, and reading the …

What do we do with violence in the Bible? Especially when it is commanded by God? Isn't the Bible about love and peace? AJ and Nijay reflect on one of the most pressing ethical questions related to the Bible. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Adult singles have sadly become a marginalized group in the American church, especially when marriage is viewed as the absolute ideal for all believers. AJ and Nijay process what Scripture really says about marriage and singleness and process a healthy spirituality of singleness. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay discuss the common question from students and church folks: Can you lose your salvation? Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

In this short episode, AJ and Nijay discuss how to make sure you are reading and engaging with different kinds of material, and to what degree you let that material influence and affect you. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue their conversations about formative traditions of the church: baptism (ST21), communion (ST22), and anointing of the sick. The biblical tradition puts weight not only on the healing power of God, but also the caregiving ministry of the church. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Protestants emphasize two sacraments—baptism (see ST21) and the Lord's Supper. Why is it important for Christians to gather together and share this special moment of food and drink? AJ and Nijay ruminate on this crucial practice. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay talk about baptism in this episode - what it is, why it matters, and why we should take it seriously as a step of faith and commitment to God and God's family. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay note how the Bible is actually a short book, especially the New Testament part. Is that all God wants to say to the world? Listen in as they talk about the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture. There might actually be a good reason why less is more! Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay chat about evangelism - we all loathe Bible tract pitches and canned gospel messages. Is there a way for evangelism to be more natural and less icky and intimidating? Join Slow Theology for an honest and optimistic conversation about sharing the good news today. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

On Friday, May 19, 2023, esteemed Christian pastor, thinker, and writer Timothy J. Keller passed away. Nijay and AJ had already planned to talk about the importance of heaven in the Bible and Christian theology—this news about Keller offered an opportunity to remember and honor Keller as he went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen in on their …

What can we learn from Paul's prison letters about knowing God and growing as a person in those dark moments and seasons? Nijay and AJ look for wisdom from the apostle in chains, St. Paul, as well as other heroes who put pen to paper behind bars. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Christians can be mean, they can say hurtful things; they can cast aspersions from afar on social media and act like they are "fighting the good fight." For some of us, it's exhausting to look around and see Christians constantly at war with one another. AJ and Nijay are back again to process: what do we do with mean Christians? Support the Show.…

AJ and Nijay talk through a great question from a perceptive listener - why would a loving God even create a place of eternal suffering like Hell? Slow Theology takes this opportunity to talk about how to process hard doctrines. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Let's say you decide to do something and you face pushback or opposition. How do you know it is a sign of God's will to stop (that you are wrong)? AJ and Nijay chat about suffering, persecution, hard consequences, and how to discern God's will. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay engage with a listener question: how do you identify and support a church that is genuine, character-focused, and humble in leadership and witness; and not something that is just flashy. Good question worth pondering, Slow Theology is the perfect place to process this. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Nijay and AJ go back to basics - what is the goal of the Christian life? Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay talk about the importance of listening to, reading, and even valuing our theological enemies. We will never agree on everything, there may be times and reasons to be strongly critical and pushback, but a healthy posture in general is "intellectual hospitality." It's not easy, but—"This is the way." Support the Show.…

In this final episode in the series on the Apostles' Creed, AJ and Nijay chat about the final lines of the confession: "I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen." Why were these concepts so important to the early church? How do they form us and give us hope and direction today? Support the S…

Perhaps the most challenging part of the Creed today is the confession: "I believe in the Church." AJ and Nijay talk about the difficulties of "confessing" the Church, but also the hope that God has invested in this flawed, but holy institution. Can the Church become the beautiful community that it was always meant to be? Support the Show.…

Continuing the Slow Creed series, AJ and Nijay talk about the Holy Spirit. Why affirm belief in the Spirit? Why is this central to Christian faith, formation, and life? Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

In this ep. Nijay and AJ continue in their conversations about the Apostles' Creed. Having already discussed the incarnation in the last ep, they address the death of Christ and how Christians have thought about "atonement" and salvation throughout the years. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue to process the Apostles' Creed slowly; this time they talk about what it means to believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue their series on "Slow Creed," in this episode talking about "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth." Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

Nijay and AJ kick off a new series called SLOW CREED, looking at how to build a healthy relationship with Jesus based on the ancient Christian creeds that invited conviction, consensus, and community. In this first episode they ask, Why does it matter that "I believe..." Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta

AJ and Nijay continue to process "slow theology" by considering how rejection helps us learn and grow. Support the Show.By A.J. Swoboda & Nijay K.Gupta