Theology in the Raw

Tony Scarcello, pastor of discipleship and author focused on ministry to LGBTQ people. He shares his journey from deconstruction back to orthodox faith. Conversations cover pastoral practices for hospitable non-affirming inclusion, sharing personal sexuality in ministry, mistakes with trans youth, counseling parents of LGBTQ kids, and calls for church repentance and depoliticized, relational care.

Tyler Staton, lead pastor of Bridgetown Church and writer of prayerful books like After Amen, blends pastoral leadership with poetic prayer. He discusses discovering poetry as prayer, leading a large church through succession, expanding elder roles, and living a word-and-spirit church life in Portland. Short, reflective conversations on ministry, creativity, and congregational care.

Josh White is a recording artist and lead pastor of Door of Hope, a thriving church community in the heart of Portland Oregon. Josh is an avid reader, as you’ll see, and is the author of the book Stumbling Toward Eternity: Losing & Finding Ourselves in the Cross of Jesus. This interview was recorded in person in Portland Oregon, so if you’re listening to this podcast, you might want to pop over to the YouTube version so he can see us hanging out in person. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nijay K. Gupta, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament and award-winning author, reflects on writing about women in leadership and the responsibilities that follow. He talks about handling criticism with humility. He previews Paul for the World, connecting Paul to work, mental health, arts, and practical ethics.

Kyla Gillespie, founder of Renewed & Transformed Ministries and author of TransFormed, shares a faith-centered memoir of transition, detransition, and spiritual healing. She talks about childhood trauma, the pull of gender transition, a turning point with church leaders, the call to detransition, ongoing dysphoria, and building a ministry that reaches others with compassion and truth.

Dr. J. P. Moreland, distinguished philosophy professor and author on consciousness and the soul. He contrasts evidential vs presuppositional approaches, traces his path from chemistry to apologetics, and defends historical reasoning for miracles and the resurrection. He argues for a personal cause of the universe, the reality of an immaterial soul, and shares candid thoughts on mental health and scholarship.

David Thomas, a children and family therapist focused on boys and resilience, and Sissy Goff, a therapist experienced with adolescent anxiety and suicidality, discuss rising youth mental health struggles. They explore social media harms, overprotective parenting, TikTok-driven diagnoses, tech rules like delayed phone use, and practical ways to build kids' capability and independence.

Nick Skytland, former NASA Chief Technologist now leading AI research at Gloo, speaks about shaping values-aligned AI. He frames AI as neutral but shaped by human hearts. They explore why AI feels different, basics of how it works, risks like moral outsourcing and misuse, personal uses in health and companionship, and what’s coming with agents and world models.

Remington Rathjen, a Christian who lives with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction, shares a raw personal testimony. He recounts lifelong identity struggle, painful church conflicts and spiritual abuse. He explains being ousted from leadership, confronting exclusionary policies, and how Jesus remained central amid trauma. He urges compassion and offers a message of belonging to queer listeners.

Dr. Joel Muddamalle, theologian and author focused on spiritual warfare and the unseen realm. He discusses divine councils, Psalm 82, and how certain heavenly beings steward nations. He connects Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Daniel to territorial spiritual conflict. He also examines the Nephilim, the origins of demonic activity, and why Christ’s victory matters in this cosmic struggle.