Faith Improvised

In this episode, I share some thoughts about politics and the election being today, November 3, 2026.

In this episode I talk about the beginning of Paul's exhortations beginning in Ephesians 4:1.

In this episode, I finish talking about the first half of Ephesians by discussing the prayer report and doxology in 3:14-21.

In this episode I talk about the Old Testament narratives that shaped how Paul speaks about his apostleship and incarceration in Ephesians 3.

In this episode, I talk about how Paul theologically configures his apostleship in terms of his cosmic privileges set alongside the realities of his incarceration.

In this episode, I continue to draw out the logic of Paul's digression in Ephesians 3:2-13.

In this episode, I answer some questions about the problematic language of "divine combat" when considered against the history of Christian triumphalism, and I begin talking about Paul's autobiographical section in Ephesians 3.

In this episode, I finish talking about the second cycle of divine combat Paul narrates in Ephesians 2:11-22.

In this episode, I talk about the second half of Ephesians 2 and the second cycle of conflict-victory Paul elaborates there.

In this episode, I talk about Eph 2:1-10, the first cycle of divine warfare Paul elaborates after writing about God's victory in Christ in 1:20-23.

In this episode I talk about a few books I've read recently, and I begin talking about how Paul unfolds God's triumphs in terms of divine combat in Ephesians 1-2.

In this episode, I share some thoughts, especially about the relationship of vocabulary and grammar, in thinking well about the gospel.

In this episode, I offer some further thoughts in assessing the notion of "toxic empathy," which I began talking about in the previous episode.

In this episode, I talk about reading Allie Beth Stuckey's Washington Post opinion piece about the novel, "Yesteryear," and about my reading of her book, "Toxic Empathy." I mention the May 7 episode of the Radio Atlantic podcast, "The Tragedy of the Tradwife."

In this episode I share some thoughts, especially about thinking critically about how we use certain words.

In this episode, I talk about the audiences of Ephesians and why it's important to keep them in mind while interpreting the letter.

In this episode I talk about what I've been up to over the last several months since I produced an episode, and I mention the following books: Scott Anderson, King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation Caro Claire Burke, Yesteryear: A Novel Laura Field, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right C. Thi Nguyen, The Score: How to Stop Playing Someone Else's Game Helen Lewis, The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea Kaveh Akbar, Martyr! A Novel Frederic Gros, A Philosophy of Walking Andrew McCarthy, Who Needs Friends? Mustafa Aksakal, The War That Made the Middle East Monica Datta, Nebraska: A Novel

In this episode I talk about William Galston's book, Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech , and Mark Edmundson's book, The Age of Guilt: The Super-Ego in the Online World , and share some other thoughts from the past few weeks.

In this episode, I continue talking about how Ephesians 1:19-23 functions in the argument of this letter.

In this episode I talk about how Eph 1:19-23 functions within his overall presentation in this letter.