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Send us a Question! Pastors say wild things.  Some ignorant.  Some harmful.  Some just terrible theology... and harmful.  We hear 1 story that impacted slim early on and chew on how pastors speak with a borrowed authority that is easily corrupted when it stops pointing to Jesus. We respond to a question from our listener mailbag about the constant flood of degrading content, distributism in contrast to socialism, and why the church needs more imagination than our usual binary choices. Then things get really crazy as we ask: WHAT'S WORSE?  1) an AI pastor(s) (as seen here) ... AND 1 local waco pastor's new AI app: Ask Lyte ....  2) OR ugly mysoginsitic / or downright abusive pastors? Obviously we condemn both, but we also want to name the theology that undergirds this thinking.  Everything drives toward our anchor point in the Nicene Creed: "And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages."  If Jesus is Lord, your pastor is not, your nation is not, the algorithm is not, and neither is an app pretending to pray for you. Hope you enjoy and are challenged by this episode.  Write us and tell us what you agree with or disagree with!  Or write in and answer: "Worst thing you've ever heard a pastor say from a pulpit? Or what is the most bizarre church advice you've encountered?"   By y'all! NY TIMES article on AI PASTOR If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! What do Dave Ramsey, College Football, Charles Darwin, and the Nicene Creed have in common? Apparently, they’re all part of one podcast episode. In this episode of Theology in Pieces, Slim and Malcolm continue their journey through the Nicene Creed with the words: “Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” But first, we have some nonsense to deal with. We talk about Dave Ramsey’s viral advice to a mother wondering whether she should disinherit her children for becoming socialists—and then turn our attention to the ugly rhetoric surrounding the racial makeup of the University of Texas student section. Yes, somehow college football helped Slim overcome his hatred of Texas. Then we get to the real question: What does it mean to confess that God is the Maker of everything? Does Christianity require us to believe the earth is only a few thousand years old? Can Christians affirm evolution? Is Genesis trying to give us a scientific account of creation, or something more profound? And what does it mean to say that creation exists by choice, not by chance? We talk about why the Christian faith insists that the material world is good, why our bodies and the physical world matter, how the ancient church understood “visible and invisible” things, and why modern Christians go to 2 extremes by over-spiritualizing creation or flat out ignoring the spiritual world altogether. Most importantly, we ask what this confession means on a Monday morning. If God really is the Maker of heaven and earth, then creation should produce wonder, humility, responsibility, hope, and a bigger imagination. We are creatures, not the center of the universe. The world belongs to God, not us. And the brokenness we see around us is not the original design...or the final word. So yes, we talk about creation. We talk about science. We talk about evolution. We talk about angels and demons. We talk about terrible tweets. But underneath all of it is a simple confession: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Robots Olympics.  New Way to Stop Smoking. And ICE #'s are UP!  Cruelty is the point.    Chaos abounds.  But that's why today's discussion matters.  There is not one God for Americans and another God for immigrants.   Today, we open the Nicene Creed again and slow down on a dense, beautiful line: “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty.”  Why Just 1 God?  Can we call God: Mother?   We'll unpack all this and more.  Take a listen!   Talarico: Christians, Muslims, and Jews all worship the same God.  Also Talarico: "Nonbinary / can't use human categories to define God" Not the Worst of the Worst (Liam Tadeo - 5 yr old Boy Deported)  80% no criminal conviction. If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! “Why should we believe anything you say?”  Today, we explore the limits and necessity of truth and the helpful boundaries it gives.   To begin though, we use three very different stories to surface that tension, from a high-fashion brand whose name translates to “Fecal Matter,” to a massive meetup of people named Ryan, to a heartbreaking report of a Venezuelan family detained in Texas at a modern day Internment Camp in Texas.  That sharp turn is intentional. When the world feels like it’s dissolving into opinions, chaos, and outrage, we need a compass.  We need to know which way is up. Today, we begin a new series on the Nicene Creed, the historic Christian creed that the global church has shared for centuries. We talk about why creeds matter, how they draw needed boundaries, and how it formed in response to Arianism and the question of whether Jesus is truly God or merely a created being. The stakes are not academic: what you believe about Christ shapes what you believe salvation even is. Then we slow the pace way down to just the first two words: “We believe.” We wrestle with doubt, the idolatry of certainty, and why faith is more than intellectual agreement. Belief looks like trust you can put your weight on, the kind that reshapes a life, not just a worldview. If you’ve ever said, “I believe, help my unbelief,” you’re not alone. Subscribe for the full Nicene Creed series, share this with a friend who’s deconstructing or rebuilding, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. And if you’ve got questions, email us at [email protected]. Nicene Creed :  We believe in one God,       the Father almighty,       maker of heaven and earth,       of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;       of the same essence as the Father.       Through him all things were made.       For us and for our salvation            he came down from heaven;            he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,            and was made human.            He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;            he suffered and was buried.            The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.            He ascended to heaven            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.            He will come again with glory            to judge the living and the dead.            His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit,       the Lord, the giver of life.       He proceeds from the Father and the Son,       and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.       He spoke through the prophets.       We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.       We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.       We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,       and to life in the world to come. Amen. If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Immigration talk can make Christians defensive fast, but we wanted to slow down long enough to ask a better question: what if “migration” is not a fringe issue, but a core Christian theme woven through Scripture and human life? We’re joined by Alexis Busetti, host of That Makes Total Sense and a PhD student in intercultural studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, to help us rebuild a theology that’s been fractured by fear, outrage, and talking points. Alexis co-wrote Migration, a six-week interactive Bible study published by IVP, and we dig into why this resource works so well for churches. We walk through the study’s guiding framework manifesto, myth, material, and emotion, and talk honestly about how myths around immigrants get formed and reinforced in our political echo chambers. Along the way we name the forces shaping the church right now: Christian nationalism, individualism, and the ways power and self-interest can hide behind “just follow the law.” Then we go theological in the best way. What does it mean to say Jesus is a migrant, and why does it matter that the Incarnation itself is God choosing to move toward us? We also get practical and local: when immigration enforcement makes people afraid to attend church, the clean separation between “government policy” and “church compassion” falls apart. We share what our congregation is trying next, including dinners with churches who disagree, a border learning experience, language partnerships, and transportation support as trust-building immigrant ministry. As always we explore the absurd stories of today like SpaceEX hitting the moon with a rocket, Christian Nationalist pastor Jack Hibbs connecting Mamdani with Stalin ,  creepy Centaur Robots, and Mike Johnson's Prayer that God answered regarding the Big Beautiful Bill.  SPOILER ALERT!!!  - Malcolm and Slim go into detail with their response to the New Spiderman movie.  So if you haven't seen it yet, skip from 12:48-22:10.   If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! The Lord's Supper.  What it is.  & Who it's for.   On today's podcast, we catch up on Malcolm’s sabbatical highlighted by his time at monastery, chanting psalms, and rereading big chunks of the New Testament), then we pivot to some annoying Low T shenanigans, The Odyssey, and finally we wrestle with: The Holy Table/ Communion/ Eucharist / Lord's Supper.   We walk straight through 1 Corinthians 11, be accused of cannibalism, discuss what's really happening in this passage, what "an unworthy manner,” & “discern the body,” means. Hint: IT'S NOT A SNACK!! From there we zoom out to John 6 and the long Christian debate about real presence: Roman Catholic transubstantiation, memorial-only approaches, and the Reformed conviction that Christ is truly present by the Spirit and truly nourishes his people. Finally, we tackle the pastoral edge: open vs closed communion, baptism as the marker of the new covenant community, and why questions about children and special needs believers expose what we really think communion is. Terrible Tweets: The High T Dept. of War Jesse Waters Horrific "women better be careful" Dumb has a B! The Odyssey has gone Woke - Matt Walsh Subscribe, share this with a friend who has opinions about communion, and leave a review telling us where your tradition lands and why. If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Calling a political opponent “demonic” feels bold until you realize what it does to your soul. In this episode, we begin with a provocative question that's been circulating in some corners of Texas politics and Christian social media: "Is James Talarico the Antichrist?" From there, we zoom out to wrestle with a much bigger issue: how Christians talk about other Christians when theology, politics, and culture wars collide. We explore the contrast between two prominent figures in Texas politics: Ken Paxton, whose career has been marked by numerous public controversies and allegations, and James Talarico, whose appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience reignited debates about progressive Christianity. Along the way, we examine why so many online conversations leap from disagreement to accusations of being "demonic" or part of the "synagogue of Satan," instead of offering thoughtful theological critique. Then we slow down and ask what Scripture actually says. What does “antichrist” mean in 1 John? Is it just shorthand for “someone I strongly disagree with,” or is it tied to denying Jesus and the incarnation? We also wrestle with the “God is nonbinary” controversy, the Bible’s gendered language for God, and why our current moment turns nuance into outrage. And we keep coming back to the same test Jesus gives us: fruit. Character. Trustworthiness. Repentance. If you’re tired of jersey politics and spiritual name-calling, this one is for you.  Resources listed: Joe Rogan interview with James Talarico James Talarico is More Demonic than You Think - with Allie Beth Stuckey Lt. Gov Dan Patrick saying JT will "go to hell"  Josh Howerton (Mega Church Pastor calling him a Synogogue of Satan)  The Hypocrisy of Republicans trying to Shame James Talarico for his Faith 'Fake Christian' or Faithful?  GOP Ads Against Paxton Joel Berry's Tweet Jason Howerton Tweet If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! What the World Cup, the Knicks, Politics, and Chris Farley Have in Common... After talking about the dangers of patriotism in our last episode, Slim confesses the conflicting feelings found in the joy he found in a world cup victory. That emotional swing matters, because it helps us name the real issue. The problem is not affection but... elevation.  An idol is when a good thing becomes an ultimate thing.... and when national pride starts acting like nation worship. From there, we move into the messier world of politics, social media, and war. I read a couple of “terrible tweets” that are funny for all the wrong reasons, then sit with the uncomfortable question: do I actually want peace, or do I just want my opponents to lose? If you’re a Christian who cares about life and justice, you cannot cheer de-escalation only when it benefits your team. We talk about praying for leaders, praying against violent ambitions, and why saving lives has to outrank scoring points. Then we widen the lens to sports, comedy, and the human heart. The Knicks’ improbable run becomes a parable of hope, and Chris Farley’s story becomes a warning about the limits of applause. We end with a better kind of laughter, the kind Scripture ties to redemption and surprise, when God does what felt impossible. Hope this epsiode can bring you some of that good laughter.  Terrible Tweets: $120 GAS TANK Greenland is now asking Trump to Invade... Resources mentioned: Slim's Prayer against Trump's ambitions back in April  All The Human Heart Wants is It's Chance - Paul Putz What Laughter Reveals - Genesis 18&21 Sermon Matt Foley (Chris Farley) - SNL I AM CHRIS FARLEY - Amazon Prime If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! With America heading into a 250th anniversary, we sit with an uncomfortable question Christians tend to dodge until it’s unavoidable: is patriotism a sin? With Malcolm on sabbatical, Slim goes solo and names why this topic feels so spiritually charged right now. We start with the emotional pull of national pride, the summer nostalgia, the stories we tell ourselves about home and belonging. Then we turn and face the hard collisions: what do we do with a country we love when its history and violence? From there, we unpack why patriotism is uniquely tempting for Christians, because it borrows the language of religion: sacred symbols, rituals, songs, and pledges that can quietly train our hearts toward ultimate loyalty. Next, we dig into a biblical view of patriotism and nationalism through the New Testament lens: citizenship in heaven, life as exiles, Jesus’ refusal to advance his kingdom through coercion, and the enemy love ethic of the Sermon on the Mount. We also take Romans 13 seriously, offering a more nuanced reading alongside insights from John Howard Yoder and themes echoed in Greg Boyd’s The Myth of a Christian Nation. Finally, we trace the historic shift after Constantine and ask the question that won’t go away: did the church convert the empire, or did the empire convert the church? Before all that we look at 2 different denominational conversations happening right now.  1 in the SBC banning women Pastors and 1 in the PCUSA and Polyamory or Monogamy in the clergy.  The Artificial Line and a point where we agree with Trump.  If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Pastors w/ guns. Screens robbing our attention. Families losing income, homes, and loved ones through detention and deportation. If any of that makes your stomach drop, you’re not alone.  We need Sanctuary as christians!  We need Shalom.  We need Jesus.  Today we sit down with Dianne Garcia, a Mennonite pastor in San Antonio who founded Iglesia Cristiana Roca De Refugio. Diane also leads a nonprofit Nuevos Vecinos serving hundreds of immigrant families. She walks us through what “mass deportation” actually looks like: work authorization stripped, exploitation at work, higher filing fees, loss of benefits, and relentless financial stress, and most devastating... family separation, with parents detained, deported, and children left behind trying to survive a system designed to create suffering. Along the way, we wrestle with Christian nationalism, gun culture, just war theory, modern drone warfare, and explore one article's plea to reduce the screens in church. Dianne's 90 Day March Mejores Juntos If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Today, we continue: "Theologians in SUV's Coming Back from the Airport".  Listen in on an unfiltered conversation with Sho Baraka about creativity, Christian hip hop, and the hidden forces shaping the modern church. We start light and personal, talking Atlanta culture and the “many hats” Sho wears as a writer, cultural critic, speaker, and artist. From there, he walks us through his origin story: poetry, West Coast influences, freestyling, and the slow work of developing a voice that doesn’t sound like anyone else. Then we zoom out to the music industry and the attention economy. Sho challenges the pressure to overproduce and to live inside the algorithm, and he names why promotion can feel less like honest communication and more like manipulation. If you’ve ever wondered why so much music feels rushed or hollow, you’ll hear a clear diagnosis and a better vision for making art with patience, maturity, and depth. The conversation gets even sharper as we talk about the Western church, “relevance,” and the danger of being tethered to empire. Sho argues that what masquerades as church can become Christendom, Christianity shaped to please power. He also reflects on justice work, the temptation to let anger become condemnation, and the hard but hopeful path back through confession, repentance, and real community. If you care about faithfulness, public theology, racial solidarity, and the integrity of Christian witness, this one will stay with you.  Sho came to Waco on he and Malcolm's "Good Culture In An Empire" Tour.  If you missed it here, reach out and see if they're coming to your city.  They have dates in Denver and Atlanta already lined up.   Check all things Sho Baraka out at www.shobaraka.com/ His Book: He Saw That it Was Good Latest Album: Spotify: Midnight of a Good Culture / Apple: Midnight of a Good Culture The Bootmaker's Ballad (Music video)  If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! “Christ Is King” is everywhere right now and that’s exactly why we needed to slow down and ask what we’re actually confessing. We’re recording during Holy Week, and we feel the tension: the Resurrection is the center of Christian faith, but the name of Jesus keeps getting pulled into arguments about power, violence, and national identity. So we put the slogan on the table and ask whether it’s being used as comfort, as a threat, or as a shortcut to baptize the politics of empire.  We discuss imprecatory psalms, the difference between the oppressed crying out for justice and an empire asking God to bless its weapons.  Also, are there  prayers that God ignores?  Does God listen to the prayers of the wicked? The Pope recently warned that God doesn't listen to those who wage war.  We also take a look at our Mail Bag and there is one consistent theme.... $ Hope you enjoy!  Keep writing in!   Sho Baraka & Malcolm's Good Culture in an Empire Event - April 17th! Get your tix.  Resources discussed Power Over vs. Power Under in Two-Kingdoms by Greg Boyd The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church by Greg Boyd Pete Hegseth's Prayer Terrible tweets: "the worst of the worst" Robert Morris released If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! “Christian socialism” can sound like a contradiction if you’ve been taught that Christianity and capitalism belong together. We slow the whole thing down and ask a better question: what does the gospel actually announce, and what kind of economic life should that announcement produce? Along the way, we respond to a debate clip that tries to shrink the gospel into “Jesus’ finished work” while treating justice as merely an implication. We argue that the good news is bigger, more public, and more demanding than that, without turning works into a way to earn salvation. Then we get honest about how systems shape souls. Capitalism is not just private property and Starbucks choices. It’s a moral formation built around profit motive, endless growth, and “voluntary exchange” that often isn’t voluntary when it involves housing, healthcare, wages, and survival. We connect modern wealth to empire history, including the doctrine of discovery and the long chain of dispossession that set the table for today’s inequality. If the top owns staggering wealth while the poor are crushed, the question isn’t only “did you personally exploit?” but “what does it mean to retain excess while your neighbor suffers?” We also define socialism in plain language, talk about why so many “failed socialism” examples ignore U.S. intervention, and bring the conversation back to Scripture: Jubilee, debt forgiveness, gleaning, Acts 2, and Acts 4. Our bottom line is not blind faith in the state but a call for the church to offer a real economic witness in the shadow of empire, so there are no needy among us. Books, Articles, and Notes: John Perkins Stood Almost Alone - (Russell Moore) The civil rights leader treated love of God and love for others as inseparable. Tax the Rich: How Lies, Loopholes, and Lobbyists Make the Rich even Richer It's Basically Just Immoral to Be Rich Malcolm's Debate Thaddeus Williams RECAP of the debate. The Case for Christian Socialism Christianity and Capitalism are Incompatible Institute for Christian Socialism If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Is this it?  Are we now living in the endtimes?  Has America kicked off Armageddon?  Recently some commanders are framing this war as part of God’s endgame. We take a hard, careful look at how Armageddon is being invoked to bless violence and ask what Revelation 16 actually means. Drawing on Israel’s story at Megiddo in Judges 4–5, we show how John’s apocalyptic imagery points to God’s pattern of deliverance, not a geopolitical countdown. Along the way we confront the claim that any person is “anointed” to light the fuse of history, and we return to Jesus’ own warning: no one knows the day or hour.  From failed predictions and culture-war sermons to modern war rhetoric, we map the through-line: when power borrows God’s name, people get hurt.  We contrast the mountain of Armageddon with the hill of Calvary, where God’s power looks like self-giving love, not shock and awe. Then we pivot to practice—how communities can protect immigrants, rebuild trust, and recover moral credibility before chasing policy wins. The real battle is not a theatrical showdown in the Middle East; it’s the daily war within our hearts against pride, greed, anger, and fear. Come for the scripture, stay for the honesty. If you’re weary of end-times hype and hungry for a faith that resists empire and clings to Christ, this conversation is for you.  Terrible Tweets: Iran is God's plan to start Armageddon John Haggee's framing... Marco Rubio on Radical Clerics leading a nation... Paula White's Prophecy over Trump If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.

Send us a Question! Mortality on the forehead. Stories in the bones. That’s the current we ride as we swap ash-streaked reflections, step behind the scenes of a first Ash Wednesday service, and welcome Dr. Sorina Higgins—editor, teacher, and scholar of the Inklings—into a wide-open conversation about imagination, power, and the words we use on each other. We start with the tactile: making ashes from last year’s palms, the awkward tenderness of tracing a cross on a child, and the pastoral decision to preach less and shepherd more. From there, Sorins reframes C. S. Lewis’s “space trilogy” as the Ransom Cycle, where adventure asks real questions: What would an unfallen world look like? What’s the role of science and marriage in a dystopia? How do we name “the heavens” without reducing them to empty space? Along the way we meet Tolkien, Barfield, and Charles Williams, and we learn how their fellowship made room for difference while insisting on beauty, goodness, and truth. Imagination isn’t child's play; it’s a tool of resistance. Sorina maps the ancient debate over images in prayer, showing how sanctified imagination can serve truth. She also draws a bright line between symbolic “magic” in fantasy—think Aslan’s breath as a sign of the Spirit—and real occult practice. Then we turn to today’s landscape: the strange overlap between spirituality and politics, the speed at which online disagreement becomes dehumanization, and what her podcast, Words Do Things, has taught her about persuasion, pluralism, and patience. The hardest charge lands at the pulpit: Pastor's Are the Problem. We sketch another way—cross-shaped leadership that welcomes those we fear, forms people who can bear difference, and trusts beauty to do its quiet work. We close with a sonnet and an invitation to keep learning. If this conversation stirred you—if you want a church where ash, story, and courage belong together—follow, share, and leave a review. What story is shaping your faith right now? Links: ICE detention camp in Dilley, Texas Caduceus If this conversation helps you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people find thoughtful, grounded faith in a loud, fearful world. For more information, you can follow us at https://www.theologyinpieces.com/ Theology in Pieces on Instagram - @theologyinpieces Email us by emailing [email protected] Malcolm Foley - on twitter @MalcolmBFoley Slim Thompson on twitter @wacoslim For more information on the church, check us out at www.mosaicwaco.org or on instagram.