Church

Which Creed best sums up the Christian faith? Graham, Mike, and Jane discuss the Nicene Creed and other ecumenical and confessional creeds of the church. And in the second part of the GodPod they address the sensitive issue of death: what happens to someone who dies who has not been baptised, or who has committed suicide?

GodPod turns 50! The original team celebrate to the sound of popping champagne corks. (Well, sparkling wine, at least.) And while sipping on their bubbly, Graham, Mike and Jane discuss their vision for theology at the heart of the church, one of the core values of St Paul’s Theological Centre. Plus... is there any humour in the Bible? And is there anything that God cannot do?

How should the contemporary church engage with postmodernism? And what constitutes a successful church? Is there any encouragement for churches with small congregations and limited resources? Jane, Mike and Stephen discuss the church and mission, and also ask if there can ever be forgiveness without repentance.

Nicky Gumbel, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, joins Graham, Mike and Jane to discuss the use of the Bible in public preaching and in personal spirituality. How are our different personality types suited to various approaches to spirituality? How can church leaders use the Bible in preaching and pastoral ministry? And what is the place of interpretation in our approaches to the Bible? [Recorded 19 March 2009]

The resident theologians are joined by Luke Bretherton, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Politics, and Convenor of the Faith and Public Policy Forum at Kings College, London. Luke explores what contemporary urban spirituality might look like, and the team discuss the relationship between church and state in US politics, in the light of Barack Obama’s victory in the American presidential elections.

Stephen Backhouse joins the resident theologians to discuss patriotism and citizenship in the context of the Christian faith. Who exactly is our neighbour? Author of a report for the Christian think tank Theos entitled ‘Red, White, Blue… and Brown: Citizens, Patriots and the Prime Minister’, Stephen explores the insights of the Danish philosopher-theologian Søren Kierkegaard on the relationship between nationalism and the Christian faith.

Andrew Walker, Professor of Theology and Education at King’s College London, joins Graham, Mike, and Jane to discuss ecumenicism and the Holy Spirit. Taking us through the debates and councils of the early church, Andrew explains the background to the different understandings of the nature of the Holy Spirit between the eastern and western churches. He also adds a personal note, talking about his own journey of faith and his membership of the Orthodox Church.

Andy Emerton, Director of St Paul’s Theological Centre, joins the GodPod team for the first time. The team open the discussion this week with consideration of Christian ideas about souls and physicality, in contrast with Platonic and Gnostic thought. They continue with the issue of poverty and the church, and go on to look at differences in approaches to the Bible between the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants churches, particularly the canonicity of the Apocrypha.

Tim Hughes, worship leader at HTB and formerly of Soul Survivor, joins our resident theologians to discuss worship in the local church.

Does God get what he wants all the time? How do his will and our freedom fit into the course of history, and how does prayer affect situations? Graham, Mike and Jane also look at the authority of the church as an institution and the canonicity of scripture.