Best Sam Harrelson Podcasts (2024)

Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the term "partners" in its modern context and whether or not it is performative for certain couples. That leads to a discussion about the role of social media in our lives if we could, in fact, delete Facebook. Links: Discord - Free Voice and Text Chat for Gamers Urban Dictionary: partner F.B.(F…

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Episode 144: Should Your Church Delete Its Facebook Page? 50:18

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Samuel Harrelson discuss The Great Social Media Reckoning of 2018, broadcast media vs social media, why you need a website (and why your church needs a GOOD website), and the importance of bringing it all back home.

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Episode 143: Boys Keep Swinging 50:31

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss boys' weekends, gender assumptions, the Documentary Hypothesis, the historicity of the Gospels, and Justice850. Links: Ezer Uncaged Podcast by Ezer Uncaged on Apple Podcasts Documentary hypothesis - Wikipedia Justice850 | A faith-based group of individuals committed to advocating for justice in …

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Episode 142: "Too great of a religious hurry" 25:36

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the fierce urgency of now, and why the church should be the gadflies of tension in a time of transition. Links: Georgia Passes Bill That Stings Delta Over N.R.A. Position - The New York Times Kroger to Stop Selling Guns to Buyers Under 21 - WSJ Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.] — First, …

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Episode 141: Could Jesus Read and Write? 52:23

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss British trivia shows, the concept of literacy in the ancient world, what accent Jesus might have had, and whether we now have historical proof of the prophet Isaiah. Links: QI : Quite Interesting What language did Jesus speak? Was he illiterate? Isaiah’s Signature Uncovered in Jerusalem - Biblic…

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Episode 140: Hermeneutic of Violence 54:53

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Dr. Thomas Whitely and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss wearing Clerical Collars every day, our country's normalized hermeneutic of violence, and a new podcast. Links: Our Moloch | by Garry Wills | NYR Daily | The New York Review of Books Amazon.com: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Tee: Sports & Outdoors Geek Testament…

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Episode 139: Hiring Policy 57:54

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Dr. Thomas J. Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss beards, Life on Mars, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's hiring policy (and past, present, future). Links: Elon Musk shares the epic last photo of 'Starman' in the red Tesla he shot into space PERSONAS – Illumination Project CBF moderator says proposed LGBTQ hiring policy m…

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Episode 138: Toxic Jesusinity and The Church 58:19

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss toxic masculinity and compare Trump with Jesus, Apple's woes, and voice assistants.

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Episode 137: The Fertile Croissant 50:17

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Dr. Thomas J. Whitley and The Rev. Samuel B. Harrelson play HQ Trivia and go to The Good Place to discuss Squab Goals. “My name is Kierkegaard and my writing is impeccable. Check out my teleological suspension of the ethical.” Links: Megan Amram on Twitter: "here's an abridged version of the full list of food puns i turned in with my first draft of…

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Episode 136: A Million Little Candidates 41:01

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss quantum hacks, the evolution of reality TV and its impact on our Gen X lives, and why 2020 will be a different political landscape than 2016. Links: Thinking Religion is creating Podcasts | Patreon Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann Explaining Meltdown with parallel worlds, libraries, and a bank…

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Episode 135: A Republic, If You Can Keep It 1:02:13

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the Bomb Cyclone, The Myth of Progress, The Apotheosis of Captain Cook, Lectionaries and conflating Gospels, and the need for a new political dialogue in our country. Links: How "Natives" Think: About Captain Cook, For Example, Sahlins The Apotheosis of Captain Cook: European Mythmaking in the P…

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Episode 134: Advent in the Minor Key 59:49

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss nativity scenes, bad Christmas songs, Epiphany, the War on Christmas, and bad Apple (batteries). Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Links: John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - YouTube The Christmas Shoes - YouTube John Denver: Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas - YouTube Paul McCar…

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Episode 133: Our Holiday Extravaganza 1:11:05

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined by The Rev. Lauren E. Larkin, Prof. W. Travis McMaken ("McBacon"), and The Rev. Merianna Neely Harrelson in an extravaganza of epic proportions. They discuss Clash of the Titans, why you should write a book, gendered religious language, Ancient Aliens, Alex Jones, flogging, and hate watching …

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Episode 132: Is It Worth Selling Your Soul? 1:03:40

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the #metoo Revolution, amplifying voices, and whether anything is worth trading your integrity. Links: TIME Person of the Year 2017: The Silence Breakers | Time.com A pastor's #MeToo story | The Christian Century God’s Plan for Mike Pence - The Atlantic…

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Episode 131: Pushing Against the Public Transcript 59:03

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss Black Friday, gaming, moral questions, Evangelical strawmen, and complicity. Links: Why It’s Justified To Vote For A Morally Questionable Politician Southern Baptists have lost a million members in 10 years – Baptist News Global The End of the Social Era Ca…

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Episode 130: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! 47:41

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined by Prof. Chris Frilingos to discuss his book "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: Family Trouble in the Infancy Gospels" and why the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Proto-Gospel of James are so important for contemporary audiences. Special Guest: Christopher A. Frilingos. Links: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph | C…

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Episode 129: Writing Their Last Chapters 58:43

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson watch election returns together and discuss the impact of our choices and the role of our national patience.

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Episode 128: "I have no idea what you believe." 1:00:52

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Sam is joined by The Rev. Merianna Neely Harrelson to discuss beards, doubt, faith, securing your spot in The Good Place or The Bad Place, ethics and eschatology, rededicating your life, and salvation bracelets. Special Guest: Merianna Neely Harrelson. Links: Merianna Neely Harrelson - Pastor and publisher New Hope Christian Fellowship Academy of F…

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Episode 127: Under the Screen 53:52

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the iPhone X, Airpods and Mods, prepping for the coming apocalypses, Heaven's Gate, and the theologies of nativism. Links: MOD TABLET 4 – thisisground iPhone X preorders: the best way to buy Apple’s newest phone - The Verge Google responds to Pixel 2 XL screen burn-in and color concerns with upcomin…

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Episode 126: The Problems with The Dark Age 50:48

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss anniversaries and birthdays in the Facebook age, whether the Vikings referenced Allah in their gear, and why "The Dark Ages" is such a troublesome concept (and why we're currently in the midst of The Digital Dark Age). Links: Sam Harrelson on Instagram: “It's here (no, I'm not going to do a dorky un…

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Episode 125: Conceptions of Hell 54:52

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Love of books, Kindle vs hardbacks, home ownership, hell, sex, generational divides, and epistemology Links: Amazon.com: Jeffrey Burton Russell: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle George Michael - I Want Your Sex - YouTube

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Episode 124: Mark is the Best Book in the Bible 54:21

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson talk about phone problems and promises, growing up, and the finale of the First Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge Extravaganza. Podium Winners: Gold: Mark Silver: Matthew Bronze: 1 Samuel Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or s…

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Episode 123: Testing the Limits 1:13:04

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined again by David Ray Allen Jr. to cover the Final Four of the Bible Bracket Challenge. It gets bloody this week. Special Guest: David Ray Allen Jr.. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social media campaign from the experts …

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Episode 122: Last Night on Earth 1:37:29

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson compare their phones' home screens, discuss the relevance of Facebook to political campaigns, and continue the very contentious Bible Bracket Challenge Elite 8 Round to decide the Final Four. It's on. Links: Thinking Religion is creating Podcasts | Patreon Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge - Challon…

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Episode 121: That's What Mordecai Said 1:43:11

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss new iPhones, playing the expectations game, and how mobile devices have transformed learning and worshipping. Then, they launch into the "Sweet 16" of the Bible Brackets Challenge. Sorry, Esther. Links: Thinking Religion is creating Podcasts | Patreon Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge - Chal…

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Episode 120: Stink Bug Theology 1:12:11

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The Rev. Lauren Larkin joins Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson in a discussion of how hermeneutics and worldviews affect our theologies and what sort of spaces we try to build. Special Guest: Lauren R.E. Larkin. Links: lauren r.e. larkin (@laurenrelarkin) | Twitter Lust: Exposed, Forgiven and Embraced Between the World and Me: Ta-Nehisi…

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Episode 119: The Greek is Good 1:35:34

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined by David Ray Allen to discuss football schedules and the third round of the Bible Bracket Challenge to determine which book is the "best" book in the Bible and which book is the "Michigan" book in the Bible. Special Guest: David Ray Allen Jr.. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free es…

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Episode 118: Better Than Ezra 1:09:26

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the uncomfortableness of whataboutism and its interplay with American Christianity and continue the Bible Bracket Challenge semifinals. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social media campaign from the experts at Sam Harrels…

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Episode 117: Hey Jude 1:57:45

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the benefit of doubting Trump's America, Evangelicals carrying water for Trump, whether Joshua is a good book to include in the Bible, and why Jude deserves some reconsideration. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social med…

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Episode 116: No One WANTS to Vote Against Romans 48:29

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Gospel of Mary? Bel and the Dragon? The Apocryphon of John? Two Corinthians? Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined again by David Ray Allen to cover the second round of the Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge and give a great overview of biblical books you might not have read in a while. Special Guest: David Ray Allen Jr.. …

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Episode 115: Your Hair is Like a Flock of Goats 47:32

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the concept of hermeneutics and continue their ongoing quest to decide the best book in the Bible from the Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social media campaign from the expe…

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Episode 114: Sorry About Luke 1:08:03

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined again by David Ray Allen Jr. to cover the next round of the Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge... with a few surprises this week! Special Guest: David Ray Allen Jr.. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social me…

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Episode 113: Your Grandmother’s Favorite Book in the Bible 1:08:18

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined by David Allen Jr., a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina, to cover the first few matches of the Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge. David brings his own unique understanding of sports to help Thomas and Sam make the tough calls that must be made. Sponsored By: Sa…

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Episode 112: Bible Bracket Challenge Intro 58:11

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the upcoming Thinking Religion Bible Bracket Challenge (starts next week!), generational views on gay marriage, and whether the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. Sponsored By: Sam Harrelson Consulting: Get a free estimate for your church or nonprofit's website redesign or social m…

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Episode 111: Which Gospel is the Best Gospel? 55:05

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson break down the problem with Paul's authorship of Colossians and Ephesians, head shaving, Gospel forgery, Matthew and the Q Community, the Gospel of Thomas, and infancy gospels. Links: Bryson Smith on Twitter: "Could any of my fellow religion nerds take a stab at what the phrase "all things" in Colossians 1:…

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Episode 110: Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves 57:49

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss Wonder Woman's mythology, new Twitter, and whether you should "Friend" your Pastor on Facebook... or even pay them. Links: Wonder Woman (2017) - Rotten Tomatoes (SPOILERS) 15 Crazy Little Details In "Wonder Woman" You 100% Missed Ladies, I Know We're All Wonder Woman, But Don't Put Swords Down Your …

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Episode 109: Evangelicals and Covfefe Theology 56:10

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss Trump's faith statements and relationships with Evangelicals (and the how things change all of sudden). Links: God and the Don - CNN.com — "I did very, very well with evangelicals in the polls," Trump interjected in the middle of the conversation -- previously unreported comments that were described…

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Episode 108: Everyone's Just Winging It 49:19

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss that sickening feeling you get when you realize that adults are all just faking it. Links: Trump’s biggest conservative opponents all love the same theologian Google I/O 2017: what to expect from the big developer conference - The Verge Family Guy - Peter Griffin drinks from fire hose - YouTube…

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Episode 107: Words Are Hard 45:38

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Dr. Thomas Whitley and Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the death of the Old Testament and whether biblical literacy matters to contemporary Christians and cultures. Links: Rob Bell takes back the Bible | Religion News Service Huffduffer Brent Strawn – The Old Testament is Dying — OnScript — Overcast

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Episode 106: Are Kids Growing Up in a Post-Christian America? 47:44

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Thomas and Sam debate renewing Evernote Premium and discuss Donald Trump's Christianity, Evangelical logic, and whether Generation Z is growing up in a "Post-Christian" America. Links: David Lewis on Twitter: "@samharrelson What is Christian (or in sync with the teaching of Jesus) about @realDonaldTrump's lifestyle or policies?" Clinton: 'If the el…

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Episode 105: Consider The Dogs of the Valley 1:00:17

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Thomas and Sam discuss life changes, beard growth, corporate philosophy officers, existentialism 2.0, and whether the Canon should remain closed or be thrown open. Links: Cremo Beard & Scruff Softener, Astonishingly Superior 30 Second Beard Softener, 4 Ounce Bottle : Beauty Thinking.FM The Minister and The Mystic Episode 1: The Reveal Harrelson Age…

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Episode 104: Disrupting Jesus 1:00:16

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Thomas and Sam discuss generational gaps in worldviews and the God-shaped hole at the heart of current American culture. Links: What Would Jesus Disrupt? - Bloomberg OnFaith: Crossing The Faith Divide, With Technology, Explained Coming Out Christian in the Roman World: How the Followers of Jesus Made a Place in Caesar’s Empire: Douglas Ryan Boin: B…

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Episode 103: MAKE EASTER GREAT AGAIN 50:52

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Thomas and Sam discuss the importance of Easter and whether Pastors should be dressing up like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus or letting the Wise Men into the party before January 6. Links: The Lighthouse Mission News: astor Jim & Enrique dress up as Jesus & the Easter Bunny & teach the children that Easter has nothing to so with a bunny but EVERYTH…

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Episode 102: Let Me Move That Glass Over Here 57:04

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Thomas and Sam discuss the Billy Graham Rule, flipping coasters and dominance. Links: Where Did the “Billy Graham Rule” Come From? | TGC The religious reasons Mike Pence won’t eat alone with women don’t add up - The Washington Post Ali Segel on Twitter: "This

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Episode 101: The Sounds of Silence 57:16

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Thomas and Sam discuss the persistence of memories, Evernote, device agnosticism, web automation services and whether the Karl Barth Chatbot will take off in the near-future. Links: Simon & Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence (Audio) - YouTube — People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never …

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Episode 100: "The last thing I would consider myself is a theologian." 1:08:51

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Thomas and Sam celebrate 100 episodes and discuss Thomas' bent towards Process Theology. Show Notes: Knick Knack 2 | This Is Ground Bullet Journal Follow Up: Pacifism and Karl Barth | W. Travis McMaken Spiritual Abuse | Merianna Neely Harrelson Molly Worthen on Christianity in American History | Road to Now…

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Episode 99: It’s Hard to Put the Cat Back In the Bag 55:26

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Thomas and Sam discuss Just War Theory, Karl Barth and where we go from here. Show Notes: Jewish cemetery vandalized in New York, third case in two weeks | Reuters Hate Map | SPLC Four Mosques Have Burned in Seven Weeks – Leaving Many Muslims and Advocates Stunned | BuzzFeed Pence used personal email for state business – a…

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Episode 98: The Pull of Nostalgia 1:01:09

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Thomas and Sam discuss what makes things great. Again. Show Notes: The Religion of Donald Trump | Chicago Tribune Bill would make Bible state book in West Virginia | Herald-Dispatch Drop in teenage suicide attempts linked to legalization of same-sex marriage | Guardian

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Sam Harrelson Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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