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This week on the podcast Ben talks with blogger, author, and psychologist Richard Beck. They discuss the Church of Christ, the nature of psychology and theology, the label "progressive" and the importance of human experience. They'll also discuss Beck's new book The Slavery of Death, Eastern Orthodox theology and the concept of kenosis. We hope you enjoy this interview and we'd to hear your thoughts and questions about the discussion today. You can find Richard's blog at experimentaltheology.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

In this week's episode Ben chats with Jonathan Merritt, author of the new book Jesus Is Better Than You Imagined. Their conversation will cover topics such as the effects of growing up as a preacher's kid, the nature of religious commentary, and the need for mysticism in the church. They'll also talk about the importance of honesty and vulnerability in writing as well as the time he took a ride on Mel Gibson's jet. You can find Jonathan's book on Amazon and in bookstores everywhere. You can follow him on Twitter @jonathanmerritt and find more of his writing at jonathanmerritt.religiousnews.com. Enjoy the show!

This week on the show Ben, Sebastian and Jesse tackle the topic of villains. What makes a villain? Why do we create villains? Do we need villains to be able to understand ourselves? They'll talk about the villainy of Fred Phelps, Stalin and Hitler, as well as whether Batman would be a villain if he existed in real life. Also, Ben and Sebastian will share about the Mark Driscoll sermon they watched and the whole crew will share historically mundane moments in villainy. Enjoy!

This week on the show, Sebastian continues his exploration of the Biblical texts with the book of Leviticus. His guest is the renowned Hebrew Bible scholar Baruch Levine. They'll discuss this oft-ignored book of the Bible, including the differences between Jewish and Christian approaches to Leviticus, the idea of communion in the sacrificial system, and a message of hope for the day when all the peoples of the earth come together before the God of Zion. We hope you enjoy the interview and you please rate and review us on iTunes. We are desperately starved for moral support.

This week Ben talks with Alan Noble, the managing editor of the website and online magazine Christ and Pop Culture. They'll talk about the origins and goals of CAPC, how to listen well and maintain good relationships with people even when you disagree, and whether it's better to be attacked for being too conservative or too liberal. They'll also discuss the morality and ethics of college sports and the relative redness of Danny Bonaduce's face. You can find Alan on Twitter @thealannoble and read Christ and Pop Culture at christandpopculture.com. Finally, please rate and review us, otherwise my mom will think I don't have any friends. Enjoy!

This week on the show Ben talks to Hannah Ettinger and Connor Park about the new magazine and online art gallery The Swan Children. The Swan Children was released last week and features the creative works of artists who grew up in the homeschool, Quiverfull, and conservative Christian communities. First, we talked to Hannah about the the idea behind the magazine and the projects genesis. We also discussed her hopes for The Swan Children and the ideas the magazine is trying to foster. Then we talked to Connor about his role as Editor-In-Chief and some background information on the homeschool movement. You can find The Swan Children online at swanchildrenmag.com and on Twitter @swanchildren. Enjoy!

This week on the show Sebastian continues our journey through the Bible with the book of Exodus. His guest is noted Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim. They'll discuss the larger themes of Exodus, including the concept of a God who suffers and God's participation in human life. Dr. Fretheim also invited any questions you might have after listening to the episode. If you have a question for Dr. Fretheim, please send it to us at onpoptheology@gmail.com and we'll pass it along to him. Finally, if you enjoy the episode, please rate and review the show on iTunes. I'm told it helps the show to grow. Enjoy!

Ben and Sebastian settle in for a discussion about the Winter Olympics in Sochi. They'll discuss some serious topics about whether the Olympics are a form of embodied theology, as well as the political and economic realities of hosting the Olympic Games and whether they're truly worth hosting. They'll also broach far less serious ideas such as what sports they'd like to see in the next Winter Olympics and why Sebastian thought Cool Runnings wasn't real. Also, look out for the introduction of Jeremy St. Madrigal, our resident prophet of the end times. Enjoy!

This week I sat down with Taylor Walling to talk about music, songwriting, and artistic inspiration. Taylor and his wife Courtney make up The Wallings Jr. who recently released their debut album Before the War. We'll explore their method of songwriting, what they hope to convey through their songs, and talk about the stories behind several of the songs on the album, which was loosely inspired by letters written by Civil War soldiers. You can find Before the War on iTunes or their website thewallingsjr.com. Enjoy!Note: Due to technical difficulties, the audio on my questions is a little distorted. Hopefully, we can have it fixed by next week.

This week Ben, Jesse and Sebastian talk about whether or not America is a Christian nation. We'll discuss the assumptions we grew up with, the conflation of American values with Christian values, and why believing America is a Christian nation makes the Revolutionary War ironic. There will also be references to The Giving Tree and Care Bears. Finally, you'll join us as we quiz Christian college students in a game called "Ben Franklin or The Bible". If you like the show, please review us on iTunes or share the show with your friends. Enjoy!

In Part 2 of our conversation, Dr. George Goldman and I talk about celebrity pastors, impression management, American Idol, the he went to a Jonas Brothers concert, One Direction, theologians and baseball, why soccer players and basketball players are crazy people, the violence in football and the time when Dr. Goldman's three year old son learned how to use Twitter. I hope you enjoy! (Remember to rate and review us!)

In Episode 1 of the On Pop Theology Podcast (Part 1 of a 2 parter), Ben, Sebastian and Leigh discuss Twilight, Bella, Team Mike Newton, stereotypical views of women, third way feminism, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, Rachel Held Evans, N.T. Wright and women bishops from their swanky digs on Music Row.