What Is A Sermon, Anyway?
Mere Fidelity
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 preachers face. The conversation emphasizes the collective nature of engaging with scripture and the significance of avoiding jargon to ensure accessibility for all listeners.
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How Do We Change Our Minds?
Mere Fidelity
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. The key insight: the best positions emerge when you're willing to incorporate real strengths from other viewpoints and make warranted concessions, which requires moving beyond polarized combat toward genuine good-faith dialogue.
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Jesus and The Law of Moses with Paul T. Sloan
Mere Fidelity
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 importance of understanding the law as a gift. They delve into the concept of nomism, the significance of Jesus' authority, and the implications of his death as a ransom for liberation. The discussion also touches on the role of faith, the misunderstandings of the Pharisees, and the enduring relevance of...
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Replay: Reading Advice
Mere Fidelity
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 summer reading on this episode.
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Welcome, Reality Respecters
Mere Fidelity
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 recognition of certain truths in a world increasingly alienated from reality. They discuss the cultural shift towards a more right-leaning openness to Christianity, the importance of understanding individual contexts in evangelism, and the need for a balanced approach that acknowledges both right and left...
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The Bible: A Technology
Mere Fidelity
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 and the importance of internalizing the word of God. The conversation also touches on eschatology and the balance between technology and tradition in the church's life. Chapters 00:00 Bible as Technology 04:25 From Performance to Page to Pixels 12:50 The Reformation 20:16 Eschatology 28:16 Steel...
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Do You Need Penal Substitution?
Mere Fidelity
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 in discussions about God's justice and mercy. Chapter 00:00 Pumped About Atonement 03:35 The Heat of Atonement Debates 10:49 Teaching Badly 17:32 Who's the Real Problem? 24:45 Experiential Perspectives on Atonement 32:28 History and Retrieval 44:53 New Language for Old Ideas 48:59 Calvinist Lightning...
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Replay: Thinking For Yourself
Mere Fidelity
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 this listener-submitted question.
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Reflecting on Charlie Kirk
Mere Fidelity
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 media in shaping narratives. They explore the need for a Christian response to violence, emphasizing the importance of prayer, community engagement, and the teachings of Augustine on justice and retaliation. The conversation highlights the fragility of societal discourse and the necessity of maintaining...
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The Tabernacle, The Temple, and the Church
Mere Fidelity
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. The conversation also looks into the destruction and rebuilding of the temple, the church as the new temple, and the counter-temple polemic in the New Testament, ultimately reflecting on how these themes shape our understanding of God's dwelling with humanity. Chapters 00:00 Theology from the Tabernacle...
info_outlineThis 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?"
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Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East explore the tension between:
The Promise: Rediscovering richer, deeper ways of reading Scripture that go beyond simple historical-grammatical methods - finding typological patterns, narrative connections, and symbolic meanings that link Old and New Testament figures and events (like seeing Jesus as the new David, or Joseph as a type of Christ).
The Problem: The legitimate concern that once you start reading Scripture typologically or allegorically, where do you stop? What prevents interpretation from becoming purely subjective, limited only by the interpreter's imagination?
Key Discussion Points:
- Steelmanning the critics - Derek asks Alastair to acknowledge valid concerns about "wax nose" interpretations that can be twisted to support any position
- Historical precedent - How the apostles themselves read the Old Testament in ways that seem to go beyond original authorial intent
- Different paradigms for meaning - Brad argues for multiple faithful readings within proper bounds, using his "infinite sets" mathematical analogy, while Derek pushes back with concerns about authorial intention
- Practical controls they suggest:
- Alastair emphasizes grounding readings in the text's own literary patterns and connections
- Reading within the "rule of faith" (basic Christian orthodoxy)
- Alastair's "tree" metaphor - distinguishing between core interpretations (strong branches) and speculative ones (thin branches you don't put weight on)
- Reading in community rather than in isolation
- Alastair's key point - Understanding meaning as something that unfolds through time, not just locked in original context
- Brad advocates for reading Scripture with multiple paradigms (not just Paul's argumentative style, but also narrative like Song of Songs)
The conversation shows Derek wrestling with concerns about going beyond authorial intention, while Brad takes a more "maximalist" approach and Alastair provides detailed textual grounding for typological readings. They ultimately argue that while there are real dangers in uncontrolled typological reading, the solution isn't to abandon these deeper interpretive methods but to practice them more carefully and responsibly.
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Chapters
01:21 Grammatical Historical vs. Typological Exegesis
03:40 Steel Man Strikes Again
06:07 If This Were Wrong, How Would We Know?
09:05 Wax Nose
11:07 Gifted Interpreters and Accessibility
13:01 The Gigi Rule
16:48 Infinite Ways to Get It Right
19:08 Stories and Arguments
22:05 It's Alive!
26:19 Choose Your Own Adventure
29:14 More Anachronism Please
30:23 Anachronism and Authorial Intention
34:39 How Meaning Works
40:10 Asking the Text a Question
43:02 Practice Safe Reading
51:32 Resources