In this episode, Carmen Joy Imes returns to talk about Fierce and Faithful: 25 Women of the Bible Who Dared to Trust God, the children’s book she co-wrote with Nijay Gupta. The book tells the stories of biblical women honestly and gives kids a big enough imagination for how God invites all of us into his work. We talk about holy disobedience, what Eve was called to do in the garden, Hagar naming the God who sees, the prophet Huldah, and how to tell hard stories to children with care. These are stories worth putting in the hands of the girls and boys in your life.

Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is associate professor of Old Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in Southern California. She is the author of Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters. Her primary areas of expertise are Exodus and the Psalms. Carmen releases weekly videos on her YouTube channel and you can find her writing on various websites, including Christianity Today and Substack. Carmen has appeared on over 200 podcasts and radio outlets. She enjoys traveling to speak at churches, schools, conferences, and retreats. Carmen is passionate about equipping the church to engage the Old Testament well and to see its relevance for the Christian life. She is a fellow of Every Voice.

Carmen and Nijay's Book:

Fierce and Faithful

Carmen's Recommendations:

The Gospel and My Black Skin

Dementia

Connect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.com

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In this episode, Michael Gorman and I talk about his new book, Life Transfigured, and why Paul still matters for a church that wants to look like Christ. Michael makes the case that Paul was a practitioner, not an armchair theologian, and that being “in Christ” means being drawn into Christ’s own story of self-giving love. We talk about the cross as the shape of our salvation, power in an age of Christian nationalism, the church as an alternative culture, and what the letter to Philemon still asks of us. It’s a conversation about a change so total that Paul could only call it new creation.

Michael J. Gorman holds the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, where he has taught since 1991. A specialist in the writings of Paul and of John, he is the author or editor of more than 20 books.

Michael's Book:

Life Transfigured

Connect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.com

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In this episode, Jonathan Tremaine Thomas returns to talk about Make Straight the Path and what it means to stand in the gap when everyone around you is choosing a side. JT argues that justice without righteousness turns false, and righteousness without justice never becomes the kingdom Jesus preached. We talk about the difference between a contract and a covenant, how anger became something we reward, why the church needs room to lament instead of rushing past grief, and what Rwanda might teach us about reconciliation. This conversation doesn’t let any side off the hook.

Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is the founder and president of Civil Righteousness, a nonprofit movement committed to reconciliation and restorative justice through spiritual formation and grassroots engagement. His work has reached over 400 cities globally and has been featured on major media outlets, including Christianity Today. Based in Ferguson, Missouri, Jonathan is a trusted voice in the Church and a sought-after speaker at conferences, universities, and churches nationwide.

Jonathan's Book:

Make Straight the Path

Connect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.com

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