Theology on Mission

Why does the Bible so often feel disconnected from real life—and what would it take to close that gap?David Fitch and Mike Moore sit down with Old Testament scholar Bo Lim to explore his book Contextual Theological Interpretation. Together, they tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing the church today: how to faithfully interpret Scripture across cultures, contexts, and competing theological frameworks.Lim argues that biblical interpretation cannot live in silos. Historical-critical study, theological tradition, and cultural context must be held together in a dynamic, ongoing dialogue. When any one of these dominates, the Bible either becomes irrelevant, weaponized, or detached from lived reality.Drawing from years of scholarship, teaching, and lived experience as a Korean American theologian, Lim offers a vision for reading Scripture that is both faithful to the text and responsive to the complexities of our world.🎙️ In This Episode:Why there is a growing “gap” between biblical studies and real-world ministryThe limits of historical-critical interpretation aloneHow theological interpretation reclaims Scripture for the life of the churchWhat contextual interpretation brings—and where it can go too farWhy all theology is already shaped by culture (even when we pretend it’s not)How to hold text, theology, and context together without collapsing into relativismWhy multicultural ministry demands a new way of reading Scripture📌 Key Moments:[00:04:00] The “gap” between Scripture and contemporary life[00:09:00] Historical criticism vs. theological interpretation[00:17:00] What contextual interpretation actually means[00:22:00] Why theological traditions are always culturally shaped[00:27:00] The hidden biases in biblical commentaries and scholarship[00:33:00] Liberation vs. post-colonial readings of Scripture[00:38:00] Why no single method is sufficient on its ownFaithful biblical interpretation is not about choosing between text, theology, or context. It's about learning to listen to all three in conversation. When we do, we begin to hear God’s voice not just in the past, but in the present realities of the communities we serve.

“In the beginning, God created…”What if the most urgent ethical task for Christians today is simply to remember that we are creatures?In this rich and deeply theological conversation, David Fitch and Mike Moore welcome Brian Brock to discuss his major work, Joining Creation's Praise. Together, they explore how confessing creatureliness reshapes Christian ethics from dominion and vocation to politics, sexuality, economics, and our relationship with the rest of creation.Brock argues that Scripture begins not with abstract doctrines but with a drama: God in conversation with creatures. Human beings are called not to dominate creation but to join its praise to embody Christ’s image as conduits of divine life. When we forget we are creatures, we distort power, knowledge, and even our understanding of what it means to be human.Following the early chapters of Genesis, Brock invites the church to rediscover an ancient wisdom that speaks with surprising clarity to modern ethical crises.🎙️ In This Episode:Why “creatureliness” is the foundation of Christian ethicsHow Genesis reframes dominion as participation, not controlThe difference between domination and receiving life from GodSabbath as resistance to modern productivity and masteryHow confessing we are creatures reshapes politics and economicsWhy human dignity is inseparable from our shared creaturely statusWhat it means to embody Christ’s image among other creatures📌 Key Moments:[00:06:00] Why ethics begins with creaturely confession[00:14:00] Dominion, vocation, and the distortion of power[00:21:00] Knowledge, wisdom, and the limits of human mastery[00:28:00] Sabbath and the reordering of desire[00:35:00] Politics and economics through a creaturely lens[00:42:00] How Christ restores humanity to its true vocationThe ethical life does not begin with moral technique but with worship. To confess that we are creatures is to relinquish control, receive life from God, and participate in a world already praising its Creator. In a culture obsessed with autonomy and power, rediscovering creatureliness may be the church’s most radical witness.

How should Christians respond when political conversations collapse into “what about…” arguments? And what does that habit reveal about power, antagonism, and our theology of government?In this wide-ranging and pastoral conversation, David Fitch is joined by Gino Curcuruto to explore how whataboutism functions in political discourse and how it quietly shapes church conflicts, leadership breakdowns, and our witness to the world.Drawing from Scripture, political theology, pastoral experience, and real-life ministry conflict, Fitch and Curcuruto unpack how antagonisms form, why confession disrupts them, and how the church can engage government without asking it to do what only God can do.🎙️ In This Episode:What whataboutism is and why it perpetuates antagonism rather than accountabilityHow Jesus refuses false binaries and antagonistic traps (John 8; Luke 4)Why confession, not retaliation, is the most powerful leadership postureThe difference between viewing government as a created good vs. a post-fall provisionHow churches unintentionally mirror political power strugglesWhy holding government accountable is different from trying to control itThe spiritual danger of expecting government to do the church’s work📌 Key Moments:[00:04:00] How “what about Biden?” or “what about Trump?” blocks moral clarity[00:10:30] Why refusing the antagonism opens space for Jesus to work[00:14:30] Confession as the doorway to reconciliation and renewal[00:21:00] When accusations are real—and when they’re projections[00:27:30] Jesus, antagonisms, and the woman caught in adultery[00:30:00] Pre-fall vs. post-fall views of government—and why it matters[00:36:00] Why the church must resist asking government to save the world💡 TakeawayWhataboutism doesn’t protect truth. It protects identity. When Christians refuse to unwind antagonisms, we lose our ability to bear faithful witness. But when leaders practice confession, patience, and discernment in community, space opens for the Spirit to heal what power struggles cannot.📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:David Fitch on Substack 👉 https://davidfitch.substack.com/Gino Curcuruto on Substack 👉 https://ginocurcuruto.substack.com/End of Evangelicalism by David FitchThe Church of Us vs. Them by David FitchChantel Mouffe’s work on political antagonism (referenced conceptually)Romans 13 (referenced for future discussion on church and state)John 8:1–11 – Jesus and the woman caught in adulteryLuke 4 – Jesus’ rejection of worldly powerWhere might whataboutism be shaping your leadership, relationships, or political engagement, and what would it look like to pause, listen, and confess instead?

David Fitch explores why he no longer identifies as Reformed, emphasizing the need to understand theology in its cultural context. He critiques how Reformed thought fit medieval Europe but struggles in modern North America. The discussion includes penal substitutionary atonement's medieval roots and the relevance of sovereignty and predestination today. Fitch advocates for neo-Anabaptist and Pentecostal approaches as alternatives, calling for communal interpretation to combat individualistic readings of Scripture.

Gino Kirkerudo, a pastor and leader at Northern Seminary, discusses pressing uncertainties shaping 2026. He explores the disruptive effects of AI on work and human formation. The conversation highlights the rise of political instability and the need for local engagement in faith communities. Education's decline and the importance of theological formation take center stage. They also propose creative housing solutions through community resources, urging a focus on local church identity over societal norms. The episode emphasizes the church as a beacon of hope amid uncertainty.

Can the Bible still guide faithful political engagement—or has it been too abused to help? In this timely conversation, Dave Fitch and Mike Moore welcome theologian, author, and Holy Post co-host Kaitlyn Schiess to discuss her book The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here.Together, they explore how American Christians have wielded (and often weaponized) the Bible in public life. From Romans 13 and the Revolutionary War to slavery, civil rights, and the rise of Christian nationalism. Kaitlyn offers both a critique of misuse and a hopeful invitation: to reclaim Scripture as a source of wisdom, hospitality, and faithful witness in the public square.🎙️ In This Episode:Why the Bible still matters for politics (even after all the misuse)How Romans 13 has been used to justify everything from rebellion to tyrannyThe disturbing history of biblical defenses of slavery and what we can learn from Black interpretersHow the civil rights movement modeled faithful, embodied, Scripture-shaped resistanceWhy pastors and leaders must form people for faithfulness, not just political alignment📌 Highlights:[00:06:00] How Scripture became “weaponized” in the American Revolution[00:13:00] Romans 13 and the danger of using the Bible to win political arguments[00:19:00] How enslaved believers read the Bible differently and more faithfully than their oppressors[00:27:00] MLK and the Black Church as a model for Scripture-shaped activism[00:33:00] Why true political discipleship starts in the church, not the stateThe problem isn’t that the Bible speaks to politics; it’s that we’ve forgotten how to let it form us before we use it. The call today is not to abandon Scripture in public life but to recover its use as an act of love, truth, and hospitality.📚 Resources Mentioned:The Ballot and the Bible by Kaitlyn SchiessThe Liturgy of Politics by Kaitlyn SchiessThe Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearReckoning with Power by David FitchThe Christian Imagination by Willie James JenningsThe Fire in My Bones by Albert RaboteauResident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas & William WillimonWhen Scripture is used to defend power instead of form faith, everyone loses. What would it look like to read the Bible not to win debates, but to become the kind of people who can love, listen, and lead in public as followers of Jesus?

What if racism isn’t primarily about ignorance or hate, but about greed? In this episode, Dave Fitch and guest co-host Gino Curcuruto sit down with Dr. Malcolm Foley, pastor, scholar, and author of The Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward.Dr. Foley unpacks how economic exploitation lies at the heart of racial injustice—and why Jesus’ warning that “you cannot serve both God and mammon” is as urgent today as ever. Together they explore the demonic cycle of self-interest that perpetuates racism through exploitation, violence, and lies, and they offer a vision for Christian communities shaped by deep economic solidarity, creative nonviolence, and prophetic truth-telling.🎙️ In This Episode:Why greed—not hate—is the true root of racismHow capitalism and racial hierarchy became intertwinedThe role of mammon as a spiritual power deforming the churchWhy anti-racism and reparations often miss the deeper structural sinHow the church can become a visible alternative to exploitation and fear📌 Highlights:[00:09:00] Race as a “demonic cycle” of exploitation, violence, and lies[00:13:00] How greed drives racialized slavery, lynching, and modern inequities[00:18:00] Why the church must flee mammon, not just manage it[00:24:00] The Sermon on the Mount as a blueprint for kingdom economics[00:35:00] How local churches can witness through economic solidarity and love of enemiesWe can’t end racism without confronting greed. The good news: the church already holds the resources to resist mammon and embody a new economy of grace.📚 Resources Mentioned:The Anti-Greed Gospel by Malcolm Foley (Brazos Press)Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism by Jonathan TranGod’s Reign and the End of Empires by Antonio GonzálezReckoning with Power by David FitchMosaic Church WacoMalcolm Foley at Baylor UniversityWhat if a true test of discipleship isn’t how we treat differences but how we handle money? How could your church become a community of economic solidarity, creative peace, and prophetic truth in the face of mammon’s pull?

What happens when church leadership shifts from pulpits to platforms? In this episode, Dave Fitch and guest co-host Gino Curcuruto unpack Carl Trueman’s article, “Goodbye Big Eva, Hello Gig Eva,” exploring how evangelical culture has moved from the conference stage to the influencer feed, and what that means for the church.Together, they trace the shift from “Big Eva” (celebrity pastors and large conferences) to “Gig Eva” (independent online influencers shaping faith outside accountability or community). The conversation wrestles with how this new ecosystem forms pastors, congregations, and the public imagination of what “church” even is and calls for a recovery of embodied, local, presence-based ministry.🎙️ In This Episode:The difference between Big Eva and Gig Eva—and why both shape the church’s imaginationHow digital influence redefines leadership, authority, and credibilityThe danger of disembodied discipleship and social media “theology”Why pastors must resist measuring faithfulness by metrics or clicksHow to reclaim embodied church in an age of platform-driven ministry📌 Highlights:[00:07:00] “Big Eva” as the era of celebrity pastors and conference platforms[00:10:00] “Gig Eva” as the rise of influencers without local accountability[00:17:00] How online perception replaces real discipleship[00:24:00] The lure of success, self-promotion, and burnout in ministry[00:33:00] Embodied church as the faithful alternative to the gig economyThe future of the church isn’t in virality, it’s in presence. Faithful ministry grows from local soil, not from algorithms. The way forward is slow, small, and deeply relational.📖 Resources Mentioned:“Goodbye Big Eva, Hello Gig Eva” by Carl Trueman (First Things)The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl R. TruemanReckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power by David FitchThe Strategically Small Church by Brandon O’BrienThe Glass Church and The Church Must Grow or Perish by Gerardo Marti & Mark MulderTable Philly ChurchFitch’s Provocations (Substack)What does it mean to lead faithfully when “success” is measured by followers, not fruit? How can your church move from digital performance to embodied presence?

What’s really driving America’s political chaos, and what does it mean for the church? In this episode, Dave Fitch and Mike Moore dig beneath partisan headlines to uncover the deeper philosophical divide shaping our cultural and theological conflicts. Fitch traces the roots of our polarization to two competing political visions: liberal democracy (centered on individual freedom) and national conservatism (centered on shared cultural values).From there, they explore how both sides fall short and why neither has room for the church. The conversation turns toward what it means for Christians to embody a third way: a politic of the kingdom rooted in community, discipleship, and the lordship of Christ.🎙️ In This Episode:The deep ideological divide behind America’s political warsLiberal democracy vs. national conservatism—what each gets right (and wrong)How both sides sideline the churchWhy coercion and individualism can never produce kingdom lifeWhat pastors can do to lead faithfully in a polarized world📌 Highlights:[00:05:00] The individual vs. the collective—two visions of society[00:10:00] Why Christian nationalism fails in a multicultural world[00:15:00] Hauerwas, Rawls, and the politics of virtue[00:21:00] The church as an alternative politic[00:24:00] “Start with five people”: how pastors can build kingdom communities amid chaosBoth liberal democracy and national conservatism promise freedom, but only the church can form people to live free in Christ. When Christians embody the politics of Jesus together, they become the living alternative our polarized world desperately needs.

The hosts process the grief and cultural implications of Charlie Kirk's assassination. They dissect Kirk's role as a cultural symbol and the failures of the modern church in discipleship. A critical discussion emerges on how antagonism disrupts genuine dialogue in faith and politics. They highlight the church's inability to engage young people and create safe spaces for tough conversations. The conversation delves into the rise of influencers in lieu of church guidance and critiques individualistic faith leading to political idolatry.