Ep 18: The Wesleyan Means of Grace, Transformation, & Christian Perfecti...

Andrew Thompson: Wesley’s Means of Grace, Transformation, and Christian Perfection

Listen in this week as Brian interviews noted Wesley scholar and pastor Dr. Andrew Thompson. Dr. Thompson takes us deep into a Wesleyan understanding and practice of the means of grace. Brian and Andrew end the episode with a powerful conversation about entire sanctification. Andrew offers a compelling modern testimony of what true holiness looks like today.

Books by Andrew Thompson

The Means of Grace: Traditioned Practice in Today’s World (Seedbed, 2015): https://amzn.to/3gzTBHF

Watching from the Walls: Waiting for Jesus with Hope and Expectation (Advent Study) https://amzn.to/2COW7vq 

Sign up for Newsletter from Matthew Johnson on Entire Sancitification:

 http://www.scripturalholiness.com/the-guide-to-holiness/

Books recommended by Andrew Thompson

Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker, The Band Meeting: Rediscovering Relational Discipleship in Transformational Community (Seedbed)  https://amzn.to/2Wd4aZW 

Richard Foster Celebration of Discipline https://amzn.to/33kkY5d

John Wesley. The Sermons of John Wesley: A Collection for the Christian Journey (eds. Collins and Vickers)  https://amzn.to/2L6u4b5  

Thomas a Kempis Imitation of Christ https://amzn.to/30WZo3G 

Jeremy Taylor Rule and Exercises of Holy Living and Dying https://amzn.to/3f8gwbX

www.seedbed.com 

Bio: 

Dr. Andrew C. Thompson is a pastor, teacher, and scholar in the United Methodist Church. He is an award-winning author and frequent speaker, focusing on the thought of John Wesley, the history of Methodism, and contemporary Wesleyan theology. Andrew is an ordained minister and has served pastoral appointments in Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. He currently serves as the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Springdale, Arkansas. Previously he taught for four years on the faculty of Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee.

Twitter @TheRealAndrew

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Episode 17 How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls...

In this week’s episode Dr. Evan Howard shares his deep knowledge and wisdom regarding the process of how God shapes our souls.
Evan B. Howard, Ph.D. is the founder and director of Spirituality Shoppe, a Center for the Study of Christian Spirituality. He is also an affiliate faculty with Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality, A Guide to Christian Spiritual Formation: How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls and other books and articles. He leads workshops and seminars on Christian Spirituality and enjoys living a simple life with family and animals in rural Colorado.
websites and social media
website - spiritualityshoppe.org;
Youtube channel - www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBNf5GVUgUuqEwslXvOfQ
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/evan.b.howard

Books by Dr. Evan Howard:

Praying the Scriptures: A Field Guide for Your Spiritual Journey (IVP, 1999) https://amzn.to/32GDYdH 

The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality (Brazos 2008): https://amzn.to/2CCrj0I

Discovering Lectio Divina: Bringing Scripture into Ordinary Life (IVP, 2012) https://amzn.to/30C9SFp

Guide to Christian Spiritual Formation: How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls (Baker 2018) https://amzn.to/2OMwu0r 

Book Mentioned and Recommended by Dr. Howard

Toyohiko Kagawa: An Apostle of Love and Social Justice https://amzn.to/31ZGdsi 

The links to Amazon are affiliate links. Amazon pays a small royalty to Brian Russell for any materials purchased through these links (your purchase price is not affected). Thank you for supporting the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast!

Episode 16: Reading Scripture as Wesleyan Christians with Dr David Watson

In Episode 16, Dr. David Watson (Dean and Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary) talks about what it means to read Scripture as Wesleyan Christians. He talks about the critical need to read Scripture theologically for the Church. We do a deep dive on the inspiration and illumination of the Scripture by the Holy Spirit, “filters” for reading the Bible, the role of historical creeds, prayer, and holiness.

Books by Dr. Watson:

Scripture and the Life of God (Seedbed 2017) https://amzn.to/2WpXNSG 

Key United Methodist Beliefs (with William Abraham; Abingdon 2013) https://amzn.to/3h10P7B 

Wesley, Wesleyans, and Reading Bible as Scripture (Co-editor with Joel B. Green) https://amzn.to/3fCM4I4 

Honor Among Christians: The Cultural Key to the Messianic Secret, Fortress, 2010. https://amzn.to/2Ok34qb 

Books Mentioned or Recommended by Dr. Watson

Castelo/Wall Marks of Scripture: Rethinking the Nature of the Bible (2019): https://amzn.to/2CC75Uq

Beth Felker Jones Spirit of God: Christian Renewal in the Community of Faith (2015): https://amzn.to/2Cz12jF 

C.S Lewis Anthology https://amzn.to/3h5aj1U 

Wesley’s Sermons:  https://amzn.to/2L6u4b5  

Augustine. Confessions https://amzn.to/2ZtaON9 

Bio:

Dr. Watson teaches New Testament, Greek, courses in church renewal and courses in Bible and disability. His interests include theological (and especially Wesleyan) readings of Scripture and the Bible and disabilities. He participates both in the Society of Biblical Literature and the Wesleyan Theological Society. As Academic Dean, Dr. Watson oversees the academic program of the school and is a member of United’s Executive Staff.

Find Dr. Watson on the Web

Website: www.davidfwatson.com

Twitter: @utsdoc

Plain Truth: A Holy Spirited Podcast plaintruth.libsyn.com

Firebrand: firebrandmag.com 

Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.

Episode #15: The Psalms, Honesty, and Spiritual Formation with Dr. W. David O. Taylor

In this week’s episode, W. David O. Taylor explores the profound depths of the Book of Psalms with us in a rich discussion of his new book Open and Unafraid. We talk about how the prayers of the Psalter invite us to a deep honesty with God, with others, and with ourselves. As we open ourselves to the richness of the text, the text through the power of the Spirit shapes us.

W. David O. Taylor is Associate Professor of Theology & Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of several books, includingOpen and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life (Thomas Nelson, 2020), Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the Arts  (Eerdmans, 2019), The Theater of God’s Glory: Calvin, Creation, and the Liturgical Arts (Eerdmans, 2017), as well as editor ofFor the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts(Baker Books, 2010) and co-editor of Contemporary Art and the Church: A Conversation between Two Worlds (IVP Academic, 2017). He has written for The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Image Journal, Calvin Theological Journal, Christian Scholars Review, Theology Today, Books & Culture, The Gospel Coalition, and Christianity Today, among others. An Anglican priest, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He serves on the advisory board for Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts as well as IVP Academic’s series, “Studies in Theology and the Arts,” and he is a core participation in the four-year project “Theology, Modernity, and the Visual Arts,” hosted by King’s College, London, which involves annual conversations between scholars and artists in London, Chicago, Berlin, and Venice. He lives in Austin with his wife Phaedra, a visual artist and gardener, and his daughter Blythe and son Sebastian.

Social Media:

Twitter: @wdavidotaylor

IG: @davidtaylor_theologian

Facebook author page: @wdavidotaylor2020


Books:
Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life (2020): https://amzn.to/2YUcxea

Prayer Cards for Open and Unafraid:  https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/open-and-unafraid-prayer-cards?variant=31489346764887

Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the Arts (2019 w/Jeremy Begbie): https://amzn.to/3iuo63u

The Theater of God’s Glory: Calvin, Creation, and the Liturgical Arts (2017): https://amzn.to/2Zz2Kcy

co-editor of Contemporary Art and the Church: A Conversation between Two Worlds (IVP Academic, 2017) https://amzn.to/3e4Uoi9

For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts (2010): https://amzn.to/31UbooX

David’s Recommended Books for Spiritual Growth and Transformation:

Henri Nouwen The Wounded Healer https://amzn.to/301ocY3

James B. Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace https://amzn.to/3fbOddl

Karl Barth Church Dogmatics https://amzn.to/3iIkLh4


Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.

Episode 14 The Courage to Read: Scripture, Astonishment, and Transformation

In this week’s episode Dr Brian Russell talks about the profound role that Scripture has played in his life. He reflects on the shift from thinking of Scripture as something I should read to becoming something that I must read. He offers suggestions to capturing a renewed vision of the power of Scripture for a deep dive spirituality. Will you embrace the courage to read?

Bio: Brian Russell (Ph.D.) is a Professor of Biblical Studies and founder of Deep Dive Spirituality. Deep Dive Spirituality serves pastors and spiritual leaders through Dr. Russell’s ministries of preaching, teaching, and coaching. 

Books by Dr. Russell

(Re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade Books) https://amzn.to/30tP4S9 

Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/onebook-invitation-by-brian-russell/

Centering Prayer and the Journey to Love (forthcoming in 2021 from Paraclete Press)

Recommendations from Today’s Podcast:

Thomas Merton, Opening the Bible https://amzn.to/2BZXZRf 

M. Robert Mulholland, Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation https://amzn.to/3dVbhvA

Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading https://amzn.to/3dVbhvA

Social Media:

Twitter: @briandrussell

Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife

Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group? Email: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com

Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.