PODCAST · religion
Mere Fidelity
by Mere Fidelity
From the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network: The Podcast reflecting on God's Word and our world. Thoughtful weekly conversations about theology, the culture, and the church, hosted by Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts. Featuring Andrew Wilson, Brad East, James Wood, and Joseph Minich.
Episodes
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Virtues For Living Well with Dr. Alan Noble
What does it mean to live well in morally incoherent times? Alan Noble joins the show to discuss his new book To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times, which uses the four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues as a framework for navigating choice paralysis, the...
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On Paul and The Law
Was the Apostle Paul Torah-observant — not just before the Damascus road, but throughout his apostleship to the nations? Brad East stakes out a thesis drawn from Messianic Judaism and the Paul Within Judaism school: that Acts 21 should be read straight, that James is telling the truth about Paul,...
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How To Approach God
How do we hold together confidence before God and a proper sense of his holiness? Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Joe Minich take up a pastoral question at the heart of Christian worship and prayer. Working from the Lord's Prayer, the Psalms, Job, and John 8, they discuss the dangers of…
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Replay: Protestants & History with Paul Gutacker
On this episode of Mere Fidelity, historian of history Paul Gutacker joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to talk about the changing and sometimes fraught relationship that Protestants have had with the notions of "history" and "tradition." Paul's book, The Old Faith in a New Nation, particularly...
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Between Nature and Grace
Derek Rishmawy, James Wood, and Joseph Minich trace the nature-grace debate from de Lubac's challenge to neoscholastic "pure nature" through Blondel, Bavinck, and Betz's Christ the Logos of Creation — asking what's actually at stake: the gratuity of grace, the coherence of theological…
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Replay: The Age of AI with Jason Thacker
When students started turning in papers written by artificial intelligence, educators were caught flat-footed. We knew that machines would replace many human tasks, but we thought the humanities were immune to that. Have our writing standards fallen so low that we can no longer write better than...
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The Fall Before The Fall with Philip G. Porter
What if death's presence in the cosmos is not native to creation but a wound running all the way down to its foundations, inflicted before Adam ever reached for the fruit? Philip Porter joins Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East to discuss his new book, which retrieves Augustine,...
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What 'Headship' Really Means with Dr. Lyndon Jost
Derek Rishmawy, James Wood, and Alastair Roberts welcome Dr. Lyndon Jost, author of Transfiguring Headship: A Figural Theology of Gender. Jost argues that headship is rooted in Old Testament figural theology rather than Greco-Roman culture, that it fundamentally means representation rather than...
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Delighting In The Ten Commandments
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The Spirituality of Aliens
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East consider what Christian theology actually has to say about aliens — from the populated Christian cosmos to the angelic fall, demonic deception, and the Christological anthropocentrism that runs through Lewis, Edwards, and Aquinas. Are UFO encounters...
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Resisting Doomerism and Cultivating Hope
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Replay: Put Social Media In Its Place with Andy Crouch
In this Replay episode, Matthew Lee Anderson, Derek Rishmawy, and Alistair Roberts are joined by Andy Crouch — Partner for Theology and Culture at Praxis — to examine what the data on social media and video games reveals about the diverging formation of young men and women. The conversation turns...
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The Great Evangelical Hand-Off (That Never Happened) with Jake Meador
Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts host Jake Meador for a wide-ranging conversation on why evangelical institutions struggle with leadership transitions and long-term succession. They explore how evangelicalism's emphasis on discontinuity, charismatic personality-driven leadership, and...
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Spiritual Formation: A Close Examination
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, Brad East, and James Wood trace the evangelical spiritual formation movement from Richard Foster through Dallas Willard to John Mark Comer. They explore why disciplines resonate today amid technological distraction and desire for embodied faith, while navigating...
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A Generous Ecclesiology with Myles Werntz
Hosts Derek Rishmawy and Brad East are joined by Myles Werntz to discuss his Christianity Today Award of Merit-winning book, Contesting the Body of Christ: Ecclesiology's Revolutionary Century. Rather than systematic argument, Werntz uses narrative case studies examining how diverse Christian...
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Paul and the Resurrection of Israel with Dr. Jason Staples
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts and Brad East talk with Dr. Jason Staples about his book 'Paul and the Resurrection of Israel.' The discussion explores the themes of restoration eschatology, the role of Gentiles in Paul's theology, and the nature of Israel's restoration. Staples argues that…
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The World Is The Wrong Shape For Women with Leah Sargeant
Derek, Brad, and Alastair talk with Leah Sargeant about her book The Dignity of Dependence. They discuss why the world is built for male bodies, how pregnancy exposes universal human dependence, whether artificial wombs would help anyone, what's wrong with workplace dynamics, and why autonomy is…
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Post-Liberalism: RETVRN, Retrieval, or Revolution?
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What Is A Sermon, Anyway?
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East discuss the nature of preaching, exploring its purpose, context, and the role of the preacher. They discuss the importance of engaging the heart and conscience of the audience, the need for contextualization in sermons, and the common pitfalls that...
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How Do We Change Our Minds?
Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts discuss how minds actually change—through paradigm shifts, careful arguments, or accumulated experience. They explore why steel-manning opponents and engaging charitably with the strongest versions of opposing views is more persuasive than antagonistic debate....
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Jesus and The Law of Moses with Paul T. Sloan
Derek Rishmawy and Brad East engage with Paul T. Sloan, an expert in early Christianity, to discuss his book 'Jesus and the Law of Moses.' The conversation explores the relationship between Jesus, the law, and the restoration of Israel, challenging popular views on legalism and emphasizing the...
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Replay: Reading Advice
Most of what we talk about on Mere Fidelity presupposes a lot of reading. What is the real use of reading? Is what we read more important than how we read? Why do some people who read for years never develop the habits of reading well? Alastair, Matt, and Derek discuss these questions as well as...
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Welcome, Reality Respecters
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and James Wood engage in a deep conversation about the evolving landscape of evangelism and contextualization, particularly focusing on the concept of 'reality respecters'—individuals who are open to the gospel due to their...
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The Bible: A Technology
Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts explore the Bible as a technological medium, discussing its historical context, the impact of the Reformation on biblical engagement, and the shift from oral to written culture. They delve into the implications of modern technology on scripture interpretation…
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Do You Need Penal Substitution?
Derek Rishmawy and Brad East engage in a conversation about the complexities of atonement, particularly focusing on penal substitution. They explore the historical context, personal experiences, and theological implications surrounding the topic, emphasizing the need for clarity and understanding...
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Replay: Thinking For Yourself
When dealing with delicate, nuanced, disputed, or important issues, should Christians primarily rely on their own judgment or the authority of church leaders in their lives? Derek, Alastair, and Matt bring their own experience to bear, as well as a reliance on Scripture and authority, to answer...
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Reflecting on Charlie Kirk
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, James Wood, and Joseph Minich engage in a deep and sobering discussion about the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, reflecting on the implications of violence in society, the reactions to such events, and the role of social...
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The Tabernacle, The Temple, and the Church
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East explore the theological significance of the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament, discussing their roles as divine dwellings, their relationship to Israel's kingship, and their implications for understanding God's presence among His people.…
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Are You Scared Of Ambition?
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East engage in a discussion about the concept of 'holy ambition' within the context of ministry. They explore the balance between ambition and faithfulness, the impact of social media on pastoral ambitions, and the fears associated with ministry today,...
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Replay: What Difference Does A Doctrine of Creation Make?
This is a rerelease of a previous episode. In response to a listener question, Derek, Matt, and Alastair go deep on the doctrine of creation. They ask and answer questions about whether creation is real, what counts as worship, what makes a doctrine of creation thick or thin, and whether we need…
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Two Cheers For Modernity!
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, James Wood, and Joe Minich explore whether modernity deserves our praise or criticism. They examine the goods and challenges of the modern world, from medical advances to technological disruption, asking how Christians should thoughtfully engage rather than…
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Are We Disenchanted? Should We Be Enchanted?
Alastair, Joseph, Brad, and Derek explore the themes of enchantment and disenchantment in theology and culture. They reflect on Charles Taylor's analysis of the "disenchanted" modern age, the loss of a sacramental imagination, and the ways Christians might recover a sense of wonder, mystery, and...
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Should I Stay Or Should I Go (From My Denomination)?
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, Brad East, and James Wood engage in a deep conversation about the complexities of inhabiting and leaving religious traditions. They explore the implications of a recent theological shift by Matthew Barrett from Baptist to…
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Can You Really Read The Bible Like That?!
This episode of Mere Fidelity is about the boundaries and controls on theological and typological biblical interpretation - essentially asking "what are the brakes on theological exegesis?" — This month: The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory by Robert Smith - a weighty...
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AI, The Infinite Work Day, And The Finite Pastor
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, the hosts engage in a deep discussion about the implications of artificial intelligence on society, the church, and human relationships. They explore the theological and ethical dimensions of AI, emphasizing the importance of human agency and the role of the Word...
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Is "Covenant" Overused?
In this episode of Mere Fidelity, the hosts engage in a deep discussion about covenant theology, exploring its significance in scripture and its role in Reformed theology. They debate the load-bearing nature of covenant language, its historical context, and its relationship to other theological...
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The Deep Weird of the Book of Daniel
_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5"> Andrew Wilson and Alastair Roberts explore the Book of Daniel, moving from familiar stories to complex apocalyptic visions. They discuss interpretive keys including Babel connections, chiastic structure, and Christological fulfillment, helping you understand this unique...
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After 'After Virtue' with Jason Blakely
In this episode, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East are joined by political theorist Jason Blakely to explore the life, work, and legacy of Alasdair MacIntyre. Best known for After Virtue, MacIntyre diagnosed the deep moral confusion of modernity and called for a return to virtue,...
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This Is Bavinck's Moment with Dr. John Bolt
Mere Fidelity hosts Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and James Wood interview Professor John Bolt about completing Herman Bavinck's Reformed Ethics translation project. Discussion covers Bavinck's methodology combining creation order and union with Christ, his engagement with contemporary...
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The Counterculture That Became The Culture
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Joseph Minich explore the Jesus People movement of the 1970s—from hippie communes to Calvary Chapel—and its lasting impact on American evangelicalism. They discuss the tension between Spirit-led revival and institutional church structure, examining how...
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Your Vocation Isn't Radical Enough
Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East discuss why so many Christians today feel stuck, anxious, or overwhelmed by the idea of "calling." They examine how the biblical and Reformation doctrine of vocation has been reshaped by modern expectations of career, identity, and fulfillment—and…
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Hath Pope Leo XIV Jurisdiction Here?
Mere Fidelity is back! Welcome to Mere Fidelity 2.0: A Mere Orthodoxy Podcast. Hosts Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, Brad East, and James Wood dive into the major news of Pope Francis's passing and Cardinal Robert Prevost's election as Pope Leo XIV. As Protestant theologians, they grapple with...
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The One Thing Necessary
A lot can happen in ten years. A lot has happened in ten years. In this, Matt's final episode as a Mere Fi co-host, the guys reflect on the changes, crises, developments, growth, learning, cursings, and blessings that have occurred since the podcast started. Each of them offers their younger…
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Mere Christian Hermeneutics with Kevin Vanhoozer
Is it literally possible to read the Bible literally? Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer joins Derek, Alastair, and Matt as the penultimate guest of 2024 to talk about frames of reference, transfigural reading, how the New Testament uses the Old Testament, and how to create a culture of reading at your church....
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Widening Gap
When a prominent Biblical theologian changes his position on the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, it prompts numerous questions for Derek, Alastair, and Matt to tackle in this episode of Mere Fidelity. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: Against Worldview [0:00] A Change of Mind...
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Broken Bonds, with Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi, Mere Fi's snarkiest online critic has written a novel—a historical novel—about the heroes of the Reformation. Matt and Alastair bring her on the show to talk about it, what historical fiction can do that theology can't, what the central issue of the Reformation was, and what it's...
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The Last Roman Philosopher, with Dr. Tom Ward
On October 23rd, 524, Boethius, the last of the Classical philosophers and the first Medieval Man, was executed. Today, 1,500 years later, his work, especially The Consolation of Philosophy, continues to influence many, including major thinkers such as C.S. Lewis. Dr. Tom Ward returns to Mere...
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When Politics Becomes Heresy, with Dr. Tim Perry
Dr. Tim Perry returns to Mere Fidelity with a (as Matt calls it) "spicy" book about how ancient heresies have structured the political witness of modern evangelicalism. This is bad. Maybe even very bad. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: One Correction [0:00] Speaking of…
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Mortal Goods, with Dr. Ephraim Radner
Politics has inflated beyond the realm where it can order our finite, common, physical lives. What is the natural realm of politics? How is it delimited by human mortality? Theologian Dr. Ephraim Radner joins Matt and Alastair to discuss the theme of his fascinating new book, Mortal Goods:...
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Hot Takes Taken Cold
In a recent podcast appearance (not here, thank God), N.T. Wright made some, shall we say, controversial remarks that caused quite a stir in the Evangelical world in England and the UK. Seeing as his theological work is so good, Derek, Matt, and Alastair are taking this as a chance to explore how...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
From the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network: The Podcast reflecting on God's Word and our world. Thoughtful weekly conversations about theology, the culture, and the church, hosted by Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts. Featuring Andrew Wilson, Brad East, James Wood, and Joseph Minich.
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Mere Fidelity
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mere Fidelity have?
Mere Fidelity currently has 301 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mere Fidelity about?
From the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network: The Podcast reflecting on God's Word and our world. Thoughtful weekly conversations about theology, the culture, and the church, hosted by Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts. Featuring Andrew Wilson, Brad East, James Wood, and Joseph Minich.
How often does Mere Fidelity release new episodes?
Mere Fidelity publishes regularly with 301 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Mere Fidelity?
You can listen to Mere Fidelity on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mere Fidelity?
Mere Fidelity is created and hosted by Mere Fidelity.
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