Wide Eyed Christianity
33 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 7 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsA weekly podcast from First Baptist Church in the heart of Newton Centre, MA. Senior Minister Sean Witty and Benjamin Chicka discuss weekly events in the life of the church as well as emerging promises and challenges facing Christianity and Christian spirituality today.
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Episodes
33 Slow Summer Sundays
July 23, 2017 15:55 - 30 minutes - 46.2 MBThere's a movement to slow down in the summer and we're jumping in. Sean and Ben discuss slowing down, getting quieter, and restoring, renewing, or even rebuilding our lives in a different kind of rhythm. Take a Sabbath day more seriously and slow down with us. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it by name in any podcast app. Android users can also subscribe on Google Play by clicking here. Apple users can also subscribe on iTunes by ...
32 Amanda Grant-Rose: Red Chair Conversation
June 16, 2017 14:34 - 28 minutes - 56.2 MBWe just had our Blue Ribbon Sunday, which featured the work of the Common Cathedral this year. They minister to people experiencing homelessness in Boston, and Sean spoke with their Executive Director, Amanda Grant-Rose. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it by name in any podcast app. Android users can also subscribe on Google Play by clicking here. Apple users can also subscribe on iTunes by clicking here. Thank you to Rob Mathes ...
31 Forgiveness
June 11, 2017 16:10 - 30 minutes - 45.3 MBCan we forgive ourselves, or must forgiveness be given by someone else? It turns out forgiveness is a complicated thing. Ben and John discuss it on this week's episode. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it by name in any podcast app. Android users can also subscribe on Google Play by clicking here. Apple users can also subscribe on iTunes by clicking here. Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off ...
30 Live, Move, Being
May 28, 2017 15:18 - 18 minutes - 30.9 MBDo you enjoy the podcast but wonder what it is like at First Baptist Church on Sundays? This episode comes from a recent sermon by Sean Witty, closing with the invitation to communion. If you are in the Newton area, come by some time and see for yourself Sundays at 10 AM. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it by name in any podcast app. Android users can also subscribe on Google Play by clicking here. Apple users can also subscribe on...
29 Poetry and Personhood
May 09, 2017 15:35 - 34 minutes - 51.4 MBWith the recent addition of John Boopalan, the staff at First Baptist Church in Newton has been growing. We have even been having full staff meetings lately, the latest of which Sean Witty began by handing out a line of poetry. It was from poet David Whyte, whose work on personhood Sean and Ben discuss this week. Learn more about David Whyte on his website davidwhyte.com If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it by name in any podcast app. ...
28 The Task of Theology Pt. 2
April 22, 2017 19:51 - 33 minutes - 49.3 MBSean Witty is on vacation, so Ben is joined once again by John Boopalan, our new Director of Community Life and Theologian in Residence. It should not be surprising that once the two theologians got in a room with mics turned on, they had a discussion about the task of theology. If you want to contact John about small groups, email him at [email protected] or meet him in person Sundays at 10:00 am here at 848 Beacon St. in Newton, MA. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive...
27 John Boopalan
April 08, 2017 15:54 - 38 minutes - 69.3 MBSean Witty and Benjamin Chicka are joined by John Boopalan, the new Director of Community Life and Theologian in Residence at First Baptist Church in Newton. Learn a little about his background, interests, and what he will be bringing to the church community. If you want to contact John, email him at [email protected] or meet him in person Sundays at 10:00 am here at 848 Beacon St. in Newton, MA. If you like the podcast, please subscribe to receive all new episodes by searching for it ...
26 GODISNOWHERE
April 02, 2017 19:19 - 20 minutes - 36.8 MBSean Witty discusses the infamous sign in a recent sermon. Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of his work and buy his music on his website.
25 Rob Mathes
March 26, 2017 16:33 - 1 hour - 140 MBYou may know Rob Mathes as the artist responsible for the intro and outro music you hear on the podcast each week. You may not know he hangs out with Sting more than his family, and has incisive commentary about Christianity. This special longer edition of the podcast features a conversation between Sean Witty and Rob Mathes. Learn more about Rob Mathes and find his work on his website robmathes.com Follow Rob on Twitter to stay informed about his new projects @robmathesmusic And, as a...
24 Frank Schaeffer: Red Chair Conversation
March 15, 2017 17:46 - 42 minutes - 80.5 MBFrank Schaeffer joined us during worship on March 5 for some honest conversation. He is the author of Why I am an Atheist Who Believes in God and the subject of the movie let me be FRANK. Buy his book on Amazon by clicking here Watch the trailer to the movie by clicking here Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of his work and buy his music on his website.
23 Dick Simon kNOw THEM
March 08, 2017 19:39 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MBDick Simon is founder of the kNOw Them Initiative and joined us on episode 11 of the podcast. In February he joined us on a Sunday for one of our Red Chair Conversations. Just two red chairs, honest conversation with Sean Witty, and questions from the congregation. Dick Simon also gave a TEDx Talk called "The most dangerous Four-letter word" Learn more about Dick, his bike ride across the country, and see his photography on his website Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his son...
22 The Task of Theology
February 25, 2017 20:29 - 38 minutes - 58.5 MB"The task of theology is to save the planet." This is what theologian John Cobb said at the New Frontiers in Theology conference recently held in Claremont, CA, where Ben's school is located. Ben elaborates on what Cobb has in mind with this statement, then he and Sean go back and forth on the new and changing role of theology in 2017. It is an exciting time to think deeply about religion! Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for...
21 Stress Practices
February 17, 2017 15:48 - 35 minutes - 52.1 MBBetween school and work, dealing with winter weather, and a myriad of other challenges and responsibilities thrown at us every day, there is plenty to be stressed about. On this week's episode Sean and Ben talk about some of their practices for relieving stress. C. S. Lewis fans must check it out. Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of his work and buy his music on his website.
20 What Are We Doing?
January 26, 2017 21:01 - 29 minutes - 43.5 MBThis week's podcast topic is, well, the podcast. Sean and Ben discuss what makes them want to venture beyond their traditional pastoral and academic roles to do things like record this podcast and speak at conventions. Spoiler alert: It's all about you! Sean Witty can be found on twitter @seanwitty Ben Chicka can be found on twitter @benchicka First Baptist Church in Newton can be found on twitter @FBCnewton Follow them. Send them topics for the podcast. Send them questions to discus...
19 Purpose, Conventions, and You
January 23, 2017 01:14 - 35 minutes - 55.1 MBSean and Ben spent the weekend mere feet away from each other and never knew it. Get to know the two a little better as they talk about what they do for fun, and how that relates to purpose in life. Sean was at the New England Auto Show Ben was at Arisia: New England's Largest, Most Diverse Sci-Fi & Fantasy Convention The panels Ben recorded at Arisia can be found on his other podcast project, TheoNerd There was talk of The Purpose Drive Life by Rick Warren. For a theologically sound...
18 Shared Stories With Dick Ransom
January 16, 2017 14:57 - 32 minutes - 63.3 MBSean and Ben are joined by a wonderful member of the First Baptist Church in Newton community, Dick Ransom. Dick discusses the class he is leading Sunday mornings on Jewish, Christian, and Muslim versions of shared Biblical stories, some recent travels abroad, and a little Duke basketball. Shared Stories, Rival Tellings by Robert C. Gregg For a preview of Dick's class, here is a PDF used in a sermon he delivered a few months ago You can attend Dick's class Sundays at 9 AM, downstairs i...
17 Lynn Bailey Witty - A Christmas Gift
December 27, 2016 15:46 - 35 minutes - 66.6 MBMerry Christmas! As the 12 days of Christmas continue, we want to give you a little Christmas gift. Lynn Bailey Witty joins Sean and Ben to talk about the creative process and record a couple songs live. Vesele Božić - Hristos se rodi! You can find Lynn's music on her website The historic location Lynn spoke about recording at is Carriage House Studios Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of...
16 Tom Oord: God's Uncontrolling Love
December 21, 2016 16:35 - 33 minutes - 47.6 MBTheologian and philosopher Thomas Jay Oord joins Sean and Ben during this final week of Advent to talk about God's uncontrolling love. God is not limited by external factors or by choice. It is God's essential nature as loving to not control us or the world. Thomas Jay Oord is a professor of theology and philosophy at Northwest Nazarene University His latest book is The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence. You can find a free version of it as an audio...
15 Happy Happy Joy Joy?
December 14, 2016 22:24 - 31 minutes - 47.2 MBLast Sunday was the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and the related theme was joy. Sean and Ben talk about joy, and contrast it with the mere presence of happiness. As Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) said, "In the understanding of the Church, sorrow is not replaced by joy; it is transformed into joy." In the great Ren & Stimpy musical catalog, "Happy Happy Joy Joy" is nowhere near as good a song as "It's Log" Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eye...
14 Hope for the Hopeless
December 10, 2016 22:03 - 33 minutes - 49.5 MBAs Advent continues Sean and Ben talk about holding on to hope when things seem hopeless, and the work involved in realizing our ideals. Also, the Dewey Decimal System is named after Melvil Dewey, not John Dewey. Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of his work and buy his music on his website.
13 Peace Through Plowshares
December 03, 2016 18:41 - 34 minutes - 50.6 MBThere is no guest this week as Sean and Ben are back for a regular episode in which they discuss the difficult, confusing, and often messy work of bringing peace through turning swords into plowshares. Isaiah 2:1-5 Ben mentioned some conversations from the TheoNerd Podcast. Jeremy Begbie speaks about theology through the arts. Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Wheelbarrow for our intro and outro. Find more of his work and buy his mu...
12 Rami Ismail & Muslim Representation
November 25, 2016 19:07 - 51 minutes - 76.9 MBWith Thanksgiving holiday schedules taking people away from the office, this week’s episode is a special feature from Ben's personal project, the TheoNerd Podcast. It is a conversation with independent video game developer Rami Ismail, who is also a Muslim and speaks very intelligently about representations of Muslims in video games and our culture at large. It is a great and timely companion piece to last week’s conversation with Dick Simon about knowing others who are treated as “them.” ...
11 Dick Simon Says kNOw THEM
November 17, 2016 18:15 - 33 minutes - 48.8 MBSean Witty and Ben Chicka speak with Dick Simon about tearing down walls that separate. We should say no to treating entire groups of people as "them" and actually get to know them. Dick Simon is the founder of the kNOw Them Initiative He also gave a TEDx Talk on "The most dangerous Four-letter word" Learn more about Dick, his bike ride across the country, and see his photography on his website Thank you to Rob Mathes for letting us use his song "Wake up Wide-Eyed" off the album Whee...
10 Mako Fujimura
November 11, 2016 16:30 - 47 minutes - 70.2 MBMakoto Fujimura, Director of Fuller's Brehm Center, is an artist, writer, and speaker who is recognized worldwide as a cultural shaper. He was a Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003-2009. In 2014, the American Academy of Religion named him as its ’2014 Religion and the Arts’ award recipient. Fuller Theological Seminary's Brehm Center Mako's website Mako's book Culture Care The Dillon Gallery The International Arts Movement Than...
9 Growth Through Adversity
November 03, 2016 21:22 - 35 minutes - 53.8 MBThis week Sean and Ben discuss how times of stress, anxiety, and fear are actually the times we grow as people. In fact, they may be the best, if not only, times true growth is possible. No topic seems more appropriate on the eve of a presidential election in the midst of a tumultuous 2016. Saturday Night Live's "Black Jeopardy!" sketch offer some of the best analysis of US politics seen in 2016. A Is for Abductive can be bought on Amazon. Rob Reiner was on the Nerdist podcast. Thank...
8 Brian McLaren
October 27, 2016 00:20 - 49 minutes - 67.1 MBAuthor, pastor, and public theologian Brian McLaren joins Sean and Ben for a conversation about his latest book and upcoming visit to Boston. Brian will be at First Baptist Church in Newton at 7:30 PM on Friday November 4 for a public talk, question and answer session, and book signing. Learn more about Brian McLaren on his website and buy his latest book. Learn more about his visit to Boston and sign up to attend here. Richard Rohr PRRI - Exodus: Why Americans are Leaving Religion ...
7 Pearl of Great Price
October 12, 2016 22:03 - 39 minutes - 59.2 MBSean wishes Jacob a happy 18th birthday! Ben explains theologian Robert Neville's claim that all our lives are, metaphysically speaking, eternal. Then Sean and Ben demythologize the concept of the kingdom of God. It is not somewhere else, separated from our lives. It is here right now. And that should impact how we live. The Pearl of Great Price comes from the Gospel of Matthew Robert Neville argues that there is a metaphysical reason to believe life is eternal Parker Palmer St. Vlad...
6 Atonement?
October 07, 2016 17:27 - 30 minutes - 45.8 MBSean and Ben discuss the launch of the podcast and other shows they listen to before shaking up the theory of atonement. Have you ever thought it was unfair or wrong when you heard that Jesus died for your sins? You are not alone. Being unsure and questioning your beliefs may be at the heart of a healthy spiritual life. Ask questions you aren't supposed to ask. Serial Podcast This American Life The Tim Ferriss Show Here's The Thing With Alec Baldwin Luke Cage is the superhero we ne...
5 Intentional Gathering
September 28, 2016 19:16 - 32 minutes - 48.9 MBThis week Sean and Benjamin look back upon some recent gatherings at the church, including how simple gatherings - like one around a meal - can be the most powerful. They move on to discuss the importance of being intentional when gathering, creating groups with a purpose. They are places where we can be honest about weaknesses, and let that become our strength. Blessings in a Backpack Shauna Niequist Ben's experience at PAX East 2016, and interviews he recorded there John Caputo's T...
4 Remembering and Gathering
September 28, 2016 18:59 - 28 minutes - 42.7 MBIn this episode, recorded on September 12 2016, Sean and Benjamin reflect on devastating events that have been part of their lives, and reflect on how simple gatherings can be part of the healing process. Here's a clip from the 9/11 memorial concert at First Baptist Church. You can read about the One Fund Boston on WBUR. Here is an article Mark Heim wrote about René Girard and an alternative to substitutionary atonement. The church is currently discussing the "gather" portion of its ...
3 A Community of Stories
September 28, 2016 18:35 - 39 minutes - 58 MBIn the previous episode, Sean and Benjamin talked about what it means to be a community of interpretation. In this episode they talk about how that often means a community that shares stories. They also share some stories, from college football upsets to being swarmed by "gigantic" lizards. You can watch Texas Tech upset Texas here. If you look close you can see Ben rushing the field at the end. Sean's encounter with "Bearded Dragons" is worth a read. Marsh Chapel at Boston University ...
2 A Community of Interpretation
September 28, 2016 18:13 - 26 minutes - 38.6 MBIn this episode Sean and Benjamin talk about being a community of interpretation. That phrase has a very technical meaning for Ben, who is using it and the philosopher Charles Peirce in his doctoral dissertation. For Sean is means doing church differently, as a community exchanging ideas rather than him dominating the conversation as the minister. First Baptist Church in Newton put this idea in action through Soapbox Sermons. You can read the text of one here. Thank you to Rob Mathes fo...
1 Wide Eyed Christianity
September 28, 2016 18:01 - 32 minutes - 48.4 MBSean Witty, the Senior Minister of First Baptist Church in Newton, and Benjamin Chicka, the church's communications director, introduce themselves and this new podcast. Who are they, what are their interests in Christianity, and why is this a show you might find interesting? Listen and find out! First Baptist Church in Newton - http://www.fbcnewton.org/ Click here for brief bios on Sean and Ben The founder of American Pragmatism, Charles S. Peirce, was mentioned in this episode. Sean's...