An episode from the archives! Benjamin and Ryker talk about where to find God–not in the valleys or on the mountaintops–but in the flatlands of ordinary life.

Show Notes (The Theology of The Mundane) S3:E1

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-3:40) Update

(3:40-7:40) Introduction

(7:40-14:20) Where is God on Mondays?

(14:40-18:57) Diagnosis: We are Creatures of Habit

(18:57-22:24) Tension: Ordinary or Dull?

(22:24-29:32) The Mundane is the Seedbed for the Miraculous

(29:47-38:02) Jesus Christ: King of the Monumental and the Mundane

(38:17-47:04) Application

(47:15-51:35) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• The mundane has been a consistent theme woven throughout this podcast

• God is King of the ordinary as much as the extraordinary

• God’s goal isn’t to exterminate the mundane, but to fill it with significance

• Jesus didn’t float around the earth: He slept and ate and paid taxes just like we do

• We should look expectantly for what God will do, not only during a mission trip or the start of a new job, but in the everyday rhythms of life

Resources:

• Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren

https://www.amazon.com/Liturgy-Ordinary-Sacred-Practices-Everyday/dp/0830846239

• The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Conspiracy-Rediscovering-Hidden-Life/dp/0060693339

• “Meaning in the mundane” by Chase Kuhn

https://moore.edu.au/resources/meaning-in-the-mundane/

• The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Presence-God-Brother-Lawrence/dp/1614279683

Music

“Christmas” - Luke Hall

“Edge of Desire” - Luke Hall

“In The Air” - Luke Hall

“Final” - Luke Hall

Follow Luke on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=r-hScflEQS2Cg5vguVdLag

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https://soundcloud.com/c_luke_hall

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2024. All rights reserved.

Happy 1st birthday, The Theology Of...! Ryker and Benjamin take some time to talk about and pray for what's coming next for the podcast and ask that you join them in prayer for the coming season.

We are so unbelievably thankful for you, our listeners and supporters, and would love to hear from you! You can drop us a line on our social medias (Facebook & Instagram) or write us an email at thetheologyof@outlook.com.

That's all for now, but we hope to see you soon!

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Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

Wrapping up this season of the podcast, Benjamin and Ryker tackle five listener-suggested mini-topics and reflect on what God has done the past two seasons.

Show Notes (The Theology of Etc., Part 2) S2:E10

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-3:51) Introduction

(4:09-18:10) The Theology of Sleep

(18:33-25:07) The Theology of Colors

(25:22-33:13) The Theology of Love

(33:35-39:37) The Theology of Change/Transition

(40:00-46:40) The Theology of Monsters

(47:05-50:34) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• Sleep is a daily reminder that we are human, that God is God, and that we must rely on Him for true rest and rejuvenation
  
• Life is technicolor, not monochrome, and the very fact that color exists as a spectrum demonstrates the lavish creativity of God
  
• Love is much more than a word - and is manifested through the actions and existence of Jesus of Nazareth
  
• Times of transition are more than “in-between times” - they are especially strategic and noteworthy occasions where God chooses to make Himself known
  
• The Gospel is the greatest monster story ever told
  

Resources:

Sleep

• “The Theology of Sleep” by Fred Sanders
• Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
• “A Brief Theology of Sleep” by John Piper

Colors

• Color Symbolism in Christianity

Love

• “A Biblical Theology of Love” by Tony Reinke
• Mere Sexuality by Todd Wilson
• Love Does by Bob Goff
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan
• Loveology by John Mark Comer
• “Episode 275: Jonathan Pokluda + Outdated”

Change/Transition

• “A Theology of Transition by Rev. Cecil Van Niejenhuis
• Navigating through Life Transitions - The Theology of Work Project
• A Short Theology of Change by Dennis Rogers

Monsters

• The Theology of Monsters: Parts 1-7 by Richard Beck
• “Zombies, Postmodernism and Art” by Jonathan Pageau

Check out our stickers/magnets & get one for yourself!!

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Music

“Buzz Cut” - Luke Hall

“Epilogue” - Luke Hall

“Balloons” - Luke Hall

“Jazzy” - Luke Hall

“Through Everything” - Benjamin Corneliusen

“It Comes in Waves” - Luke Hall

Follow Luke on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=TO4CR2lyRbmE-wpdVatwUg

Follow Luke on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/c_luke_hall

Follow Benjamin on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/benjamincorneliusen

Check out Benjamin's website:

https://www.benjamincorneliusen.com

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

This week, Benjamin and Ryker sit down with Zach Kilimann to discuss his unique educational experience spanning from the living room to the soccer field. In doing so, they explore how God has wired our minds to learn and grow in our present, now and not yet reality. Huge shout out to Zach for joining us for this conversation, thanks for bringing your insight to this episode!

Show Notes (The Theology of Education) S2:E9

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-1:40) Introduction

(1:40-8:12) Getting to know Zach

(8:12-20:44) What is Education?

(21:00-39:20) Biblical Survey

(39:40-45:17) Outside the Classroom Walls

(45:17-47:17) Learning the Hard Lessons

(47:17-48:49) Learning in Community

(48:49-50:46) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• Education exists in way more places than within the four walls of the classroom
  
• Failure and tradition are some of the best, most unexpected teachers we could ask for
  
• Education is a central pillar of the Christian faith, as demonstrated through the prominence of wisdom literature
  
• Jesus is the Ultimate Teacher, whom we are meant to point towards rather than compete with
  

Resources:

• Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics by Mark R. and Luke Glanville

https://www.amazon.com/Refuge-Reimagined-Biblical-Kinship-Politics/dp/0830853812

• World Relief

https://worldrelief.org/refugees-immigrants-and-displaced-people/

• “Towards a theology of education” by Huw Humphreys

https://huwhumphreys.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/towards-a-theology-of-education/

• “The Bible and Education: Ways of Construing the Relationship” by David Smith

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/the-bible-and-education-ways-of-construing-the-relationship/

• “Towards a theology of education” by I. T. Ramsey

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00239707608556914?journalCode=cbre19

• “The Spirit-Led Coach: an Alternative Approach to Athletic Coaching” by Sean Silverii

https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1274&context=dmin

Music

“Ambient Project” - Tyler Hall

“Begin Again” - Luke Hall

Follow Luke on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=TO4CR2lyRbmE-wpdVatwUg

Follow Luke on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/c_luke_hall

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

This week, Benjamin and Ryker chart out the theology of exploration, discovering how the unknown frontier can be holy ground.

Show Notes (The Theology of Exploration) S2:E8

Help us find topics for our Season 2 Finale!!

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Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-2:02) Introduction

(2:02-8:57) What is Exploration?

(9:27-28:30) “Exploring” the Bible

(28:52-31:55) God’s Playground

(31:55-34:50) The Open Book of Nature

(34:50-38:14) The Journey of the Christian Faith

(38:35-40:29) Adventuring in the Wrong Places

(40:29-45:25) A Whole New World...

(45:25-49:01) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• Exploration is an open-ended journey into the unknown
  
• The mundane parts of our lives are charged with with untapped exploratory potential
  
• Exploration is a key theme in the Bible, either as a good, Edenic adventure or a bad, Exilic wandering
  
• Knowing God is like exploring uncharted territory on a map
  
• The New Heavens and New Earth will be an entirely new world for us to explore
  
• Outward exploration leads to inward exploration; foreign exploration leads to domestic exploration
  

Resources:

• “Revisiting the Theology of Exploration in Times of Disorder” by Stephen D. Perry

https://providencemag.com/2020/09/revisiting-theology-space-exploration-times-disorder/

• “Christians Ought to Be the World’s Greatest Explorers” by Justin Buzzard

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-ought-to-be-the-worlds-greatest-explorers/

• “A Biblical Theology of the Wilderness” by Nicholas T. Batzig

https://feedingonchrist.org/biblical-theology-wilderness/

• “On Chasing One’s Hat” GK Chesterton

http://essays.quotidiana.org/chesterton/running_after_ones_hat/

• The Faith of Leap: Embracing A Theology of Risk, Adventure & Courage by Michael Hirsch

https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Leap-Embracing-Adventure-Shapevine/dp/0801014158

• Fine Lines Documentary

https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Lines-Conrad-Anker/dp/B081ZXN8RV

Music

“Buzz Cut” - Luke Hall

“Begin Again” - Luke Hall

“Flute and Piano” - Luke Hall

Follow Luke on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=TO4CR2lyRbmE-wpdVatwUg

Follow Luke on SoundCloud:

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Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

In this second half of our conversation with Isaac and Lincoln from The Arcadian Wild, we infuse the biblical theology of creativity with practical insights into the creative process. A huge thanks to Isaac and Lincoln for such a wonderful conversation and joining us for these last two episodes!! We truly appreciate them and everything they’re doing.

Show Notes (The Theology of Creating, Part 2) S2:E7

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-1:56) Introduction

(1:56-9:08) The Imago Dei as Creators

(9:08-13:45) Co-Creating with God

(13:45-22:14) God: Creation and Incarnation

(22:14-27:58) “Toddlers in a Cathedral”

(28:15-42:29) Marred Creation

(42:51-51:31) Redeemed Creation

(52:05-58:42) Creating in Community

(58:42-1:01:29) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• To use “I’m only human” as an excuse is a horrible inversion of the way things are supposed to be
  
• Eden was never meant to be the end, but the beginning
  
• We are like toddlers slobbering over blocks in the light of a stained glass window, rearranging the beauty of God’s original creation
  
• Writer’s block is not a state that comes in ebbs and flows, but is our default state that stems from the hardening of the ground in Genesis 3; nevertheless, through silence and solitude, we can still make beautiful things out of the tough dirt
  
• Every small act of creation is a means of participating in the redemption of the world and waging war against darkness
  
• We all have the opportunity to be signposts for others on the highway to redemption
  

Resources:

• “A Theology of Making” by Makoto Fujimura

https://www.christianunion.org/the-magazine/2235-a-theology-of-making

• Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey

https://www.everymomentholy.com/

• Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

https://www.amazon.com/Ordering-Private-World-Gordon-MacDonald/dp/0785288643

• Images and Idols: Creativity for the Christian Life by Thomas J Terry and J Ryan Lister

https://www.amazon.com/Images-Idols-Creativity-Christian-Reclaiming/dp/0802418481

Music

All of the interlude music this week was provided to us courtesy of The Arcadian Wild - be sure to follow them on your favorite streaming service and check them out below!

“Silence, A Stranger” (instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

“Civil War” (instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

“A Benediction” (instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

Check out The Arcadian Wild:

http://www.thearcadianwild.com/

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

This week, Ryker and Benjamin welcome another dynamic duo onto the podcast: Lincoln and Isaac from the band The Arcadian Wild! Discussing Scripture and songwriting, the guys explore the Edenic origins of creating and what it means for us to be image-bearers of our Creator. A huge thanks to Lincoln and Isaac for joining us on this journey - be sure to tune in next week for Part Two of our conversation!

Show Notes (The Theology of Creating, Part 1) S2:E6

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-2:03) Introduction

(2:03-14:37) The Arcadian Wild Biography

(14:37-20:02) What is Creativity?

(20:02-36:04) Biblical Survey: Eden and the Fall

(36:04-47:02) Principium

(47:02-50:19) Biblical Survey: The Tabernacle and the Golden Calf

(50:19-1:01:41) Biblical Survey: The Son of a Carpenter

(1:01:41-1:08:36) Biblical Survey: Recreation

(1:08:36-1:10:48) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• Creativity is not limited to a group of artistic elites because creativity is a framework through which we view the mundane
  
• The Judeo-Christian creation narrative is vastly different from Ancient Near East equivalents, especially the emphasis of intentionality, order, and love
  
• At the Fall, human beings tried to become a receptacle of something we were never meant to contain
  
• The Greek concept of the muse points to the Holy Spirit as the ultimate muse
  
• Creativity was infused into Jesus’s earthly ministry, surfacing subtly in His behavior and interactions
  
• God is not making all new things; He is making all things new
  

Resources:

• “A Theology of Making” by Makoto Fujimura

https://www.christianunion.org/publications-media/christian-union-the-magazine/past-issues/winter-2019/2235-a-theology-of-making

• Theology of Making Class

https://www.windriderproductions.com/theology-of-making

• “A Theology of Making” by Geoff Gentry and Bryan Ye-Chung

https://www.alabasterco.com/blogs/articles/a-theology-of-making

• “Heaven & Earth” by BibleProject

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/heaven-and-earth/

Music

All of the interlude music this week was provided to us courtesy of The Arcadian Wild - be sure to follow them on your favorite streaming service and check them out below!

“Spring: Wake” (Instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

“Fall: War” (Instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

“Winter: Will” (Instrumental) - The Arcadian Wild

“Summer: Walk” (Instrumental) -The Arcadian Wild

Check out The Arcadian Wild:

http://www.thearcadianwild.com/

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.

This week, the guys have a talk about talking. The topics of this episode span from the parallelism of the Tower of Babel and Pentecost to the significance of biblical names and much much more. Unlike the mute idols, we can find joy in the fact that our God is a God who speaks.

Show Notes (The Theology of Language) S2:E5

Table of Contents & Timestamps:

(0:00-1:46) Introduction

(1:46-5:15) Talking about Talking

(5:40-17:00) Biblical Survey

(17:19-20:16) Why the word “Word”?

(20:17-26:05) The Significance of Names

(26:30-30:14) Fallen Language

(30:14-35:12) Redeemed Language

(35:13-39:00) Outro

Key Takeaways:

• Language is not invented, but rather is primal
  
• Language pervades every part of our life, more than we often think
  
• Our social interaction and our language are quite connected, drawing bridges across even the most diverse of backgrounds
  
• Just because we are affected by language barriers, doesn’t mean that God Himself is affected by them
  
• Names are some of the most rich hyperlinks in all of Scripture
  
• Our language can be very destructive - but can also build one another up
  
• Language can be redeemed in the simple statement of the way things are
  
• The ultimate reunification of language is a celebration of our individual cultures
  
• We mimic God’s words of creation in our own words
  

Resources:

• Bible Project Podcast, Ep. 186 - “Taking God’s Name in Vain?” featuring Dr. Carmen Imes

https://bibleproject.com/podcast/taking-gods-name-vain/

• “A Theology of Language: Dr. Vern Polythress Speaks” The Missions Podcast

https://www.abwe.org/blog/theology-language-dr-vern-poythress-speaks

Music

“Begin Again” - Luke Hall

“Jazzy” - Luke Hall

“Epilogue” - Luke Hall

Follow Luke on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nvVzvhz2ATr1TlLS3kEM0?si=TO4CR2lyRbmE-wpdVatwUg

Follow Luke on SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/c_luke_hall

Reach out to us with any suggestions, thoughts, or love!

thetheologyof@outlook.com

Copyright Benjamin Corneliusen & Ryker Lutjens 2021. All rights reserved.