During the first season of Verity podcast I shared podcast versions of each chapter in my book Stop Calling Me Beautiful: Finding Soul Deep Strength in a Skin Deep World. Two thirds of this book is “applied theology”: how the gospel directly impacts our struggles with sex, legalism, shame, and – in this episode particularly – anxiety.
There are few topics that divide Christians with such ferocity as baptism. This sacrament – necessary to the Christian faith – is modeled in Scripture by Jesus as well as His disciples in the early church. But when it comes to how we practice baptism, Christians are divided. Some churches practice infant baptism (paedobaptism) while others practice believer’s baptism (credo-baptism). Some believe you are saved through baptism, others believe it is a symbol of salvation, and others think it is somewhere between.
This episode is an overview of the nature of the Trinity and why God as triune is a fundamental Christian doctrine! We look at the fights within the early church to defend Christ’s deity (including Athanasius’Â On the Incarnation)Â and how these fights were finalized in the Apostles and Nicene creeds. We then look at teachings like modalism, oneness and eternal subordination of the Son.
![Should Christians Tithe? [Two Views]](https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/wp-content/uploads/visual-stories-micheile-ZVprbBmT8QA-unsplash-1080x675.jpg)
We pass the basket for “tithes and offerings” without blinking, but have you ever stopped to think about those words? Tithes and offerings. It’s an indication there is a difference between a tithe and simple giving! And there is. A “tithe” means a “tenth”, and it’s a principle we see in Scripture primarily in the Old Testament.
Have you ever fasted? Maybe you’ve thought about fasting but weren’t sure where or how to start. Maybe you thought only “hyper spiritual” people fasted. But in Scripture, we see tangible examples of people fasting in all stages of life! Even Jesus – who had all the strength He needed for every task – fasted as an example for His disciples, and His statements about fasting were “when” not “if”!
A few months ago a post circulated Instagram in which Jesus was described as a “victim” of the cross. The idea was that Jesus never intended to be a sacrifice – He was victimized by the violence of society and set an example of love through His death. What many people don’t know is that this Instagram post wasn’t a one-off postulation by an influencer. It’s actually an entire theory on the atonement!
It’s that time again you, guys. Time for another Ask Anything theology episode! I low-key love these episodes so much… because I love anything that’s rapid fire and I can get through a lot at once! Which is probably saying a little bit about my personality – I feel you get more bang for your buck because you’re getting multiple topics in short, little snippets each episode. You feel me?Â
In this long awaited episode – a transcription of my Discernment 101 classes – I break down some of the essential pieces for discerning through Christian content online, in books, and in conversations using Albert Mohler’s theological triage method and my own hacks for determining theological bias.
![Is Breastfeeding a Moral Issue? [The Women’s Issues Series]](https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/wp-content/uploads/kevin-liang-xBLv_ddXr8k-unsplash-1080x675.jpg)
In the third segment on women’s issues on Verity podcast, we are discussing the controversy around breastfeeding: Why is it that this has been raised to the level of a moral issue? What does Scripture say about it, and how has this played out in history?
Breastfeeding is just one example, though, of a greater issue: The guilt and shame of the mommy wars.
A few years ago I first saw an infographic running around Facebook about Easter and its “pagan origins”. I was intrigued by this accusation. I knew that it often came from Messianic and Hebraic Roots communities, but since I try to entertain other views, I did some serious digging.