Jason Myers – Paul, Politics, and Pragmatism
In this episode of TheoDisc, Kenny talks with Dr Jason Myers about how Paul’s attempts to help the church navigate life under the Imperial rule of Rome can inform our own approach as kingdom witnesses in our context. Enjoy.
Jason Myers teaches New Testament at WTC, where he also supervises BA and MA dissertations. He is Associate Professor of Religion at Greensboro College, North Carolina. He received his Ph.D. from Asbury Theological Seminary, his MDiv from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Michigan, and his BA from Cedarville University, Ohio. He is the author of ‘Paul: The Apostle of Obedience and co-author of “Voices and Views on Paul” with Ben Witherington III among other titles. Jason is active in both the academy and the church and has preached and taught at several churches in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Episode 16 Outline:
- Start-01:31 – Introduction.
- 01:31-06:01 – Welcome to Jason and 3 questions.
- 06:09-16:28 – Paul was operating in the context of the Roman Empire, and we sometimes miss the nuances of what his political views were like. Could we sketch out a rough picture of what this empire was like and how Paul operated in this context? Paul seems to communicate to the church that they are an alternative society… that they are citizens of another kingdom. What kind of tension would this introduce?
- 16:37-26:21 – The language of Paul’s letters is so familiar to many of us that it’s difficult to see that many of the things Paul wrote had the potential to be politically inflammatory. Could we talk about some of those terms that have lost their edge with familiarity? What do you think of the pastoral language Paul uses with the church in the midst of empire?
- 26:29-34:52 – In our context today, what does Paul have to say to us as a church about how we need to think about the political cultures around us and how we express the kingdom of God in that and navigate it in a faithful way?
- 34:52-End – Close and further information.
NEXT EPISODE – Matthew Bates on his new book entitled ‘Why the Gospel?’
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TheoDisc is a podcast by WTC faculty and friends where we present theological ideas in an accessible way that will hopefully stimulate you to pursue your own theological learning and ultimately to deepen your faith. It is a place of discussion and debate, and a place to hear a variety of voices. We do hope you enjoy listening!
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