We speak with theologian and philosopher Thomas Jay Oord about his church trial and his book Open and Relational Theology. Thomas, who was a minister for many years in the Church of the Nazarene, faced a trial for being inclusive on matters of LGBTQ+ and church participation and blessing. Thomas outlines a theological view that is about love more t…

We speak with friend of the show Ross Lockhart about his recent book (and PhD work) called West Coast Mission: The Changing Nature of Christianity in Vancouver. The book takes an in-depth look at 12 churches and two faith-based organizations in the Vancouver area. It takes up themes that are familiar to almost everyone who has been part of a church…

Mental health and matters of spiritual and mental wellness are often topics we address on Rector’s Cupboard and so we were very grateful to speak to Elise Girardin, Executive Director of The Woods Arts & Wellness, a North Vancouver based therapy practice addressing the well being of mind-body-spirit through engagement with nature and the arts. Elis…

Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016), and currently holds a position on the Board of the Damascus Road Foundation. We speak with Shaila about how and why Alpha work…

Dr. Aurelian Crăiuțu is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, and Adjunct Professor in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropic Studies at IUPUI, Indianapolis. He is also affiliated with the Russian and East European Institute, the Institute for West European Studies, and the Ostrom Workshop. Crăiuțu h…

As we close season 5 of Rector’s Cupboard and begin summer, Rector’s Cupboard hosts, Todd, Amanda, and Allison have gathered to talk about what is on our summer reading/watching/listening lists this year that we think you might find interesting. We hope that you are able to find time for beauty and rest and entertainment this summer and we will be …

Benjamin Perrin is a professor at the University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law and a senior fellow in criminal justice at the Macdonald Laurier Institute of Public Policy and the author of several books including Indictment: the Criminal Justice System on Trial and Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opioid Crisis. We spe…

We were pleased to speak again to Dr. Marty Folsom about his latest work, Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics For Everyone, Vol 2 – The Doctrine of God: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Pros. Marty Folsom has taken up an expansive work of outlining the main points and the structure of Karl Barth’s multi-volumed Church Dogmatics. Those two words, “c…

This week on Rector’s Cupboard, we gather the Cupboard hosts, Todd, Allison, and Amanda, as well as Cupboard Master, Ken, to discuss what we’re watching and reading right now, as well as few articles that speak about the apocalypse, hope, fear, and changing understandings of faith. Ken mixed us a delicious cocktail called a Bourbon Pecan Pie Cockta…

This week on Rector’s Cupboard we are pleased to offer a collaboration with our good friend, David Goa. David has been on the podcast a number of times through the years and in 2022 we partnered with David to record a series of conversations about the Church, the “ecclesia,” asking “who is she?” entitled The Church In-Between Times. David’s love fo…

We speak with United Church Minister Deb Walker about her attendance at the COP 28 Climate Conference in Dubai. 85,0000 people attended the event, which was held in a country often referred to as a Petrol State. Deb’s attendance was officially as a Faith Observer as a part of the Christian Climate Observers Program. Deb is informed on the issues ar…

Do you have a testimony? If you are familiar with the culture of evangelical church, you will know what is being asked. Maybe you heard someone give their testimony at church, or at camp. In this context, testimony meant a personal account of your life or background with an emphasis on your conversion to evangelical faith. It was communicated, larg…

Dr. J. Warren Smith is Professor of Historical Theology at Duke Divinity School. Professor Smith is a great guide in helping us to see hope for the future in listening to voices of hope from the past. We talk with him about how some sayings, perspectives, and experiences of those who lived many centuries ago can be resonant in the midst of the chal…

At least once a season, we speak with David Goa, a spiritual friend and mentor. David is a writer, professor, and theologian and has been a great help to us as we hope to articulate a hopeful vision of faith and theology. When we speak with David, we tend to ask about life and faith in relation to the current cultural and religious landscape. Given…

We are pleased to speak with J Alkana about his work in architecture and design. J thoughtfully asks questions of meaning, humanity and faith in relation to the work that he does. What is vocation? What gives your work meaning? Various understandings of work in relation to faith historically have often divided work into realms of the sacred and the…

The image of a new leaf implies new season, new hope. Elle Pyke, Director of Programs and Innovation at New Leaf Network, helps to navigate people and organizations through some of the significant changes in what it means to be a church with a particular Canadian focus. You may feel a sense of longing for a time of apparent certainty in what church…

There are some truly terrifying Christmas/winter characters out there. Many may have heard of Krampus, a German partner of St. Nick who punishes poorly behaved children, but what about Peruchty, a winter witch who likes to disembowel naughty children? Santa, also, may fall into these terrifying categories, although in less severe ways. Lumps of coa…

In recent years, there has been a growing number of people who have moved from one Christian faith tradition to another. Some of the lines within Christian expression have been fairly rigid. This rigidity has even led, in some instances, to the assumption that “those other churches” are not even Christian. One of the main lines of distinction has b…

Have you been feeling like things are a little precarious at the moment? If so, you are certainly not alone. For our first Host Only episode of season five, we gather to discuss some of the precarious nature of our current days. The conversation is not entirely serious, the facial expressions of cats and destructive nature of a local bear come up a…

John Lennox is a mathematician and bioethicist at Oxford University, where he is a Professor of Mathematics. He has spoken internationally and written many books on the intersection of science and philosophy and religion. His latest book, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, came out in 2020. While most of us here at Rector’s C…

Around this time last year, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking to musician, author, theologian, and all around wonderful person, Julian Davis Reid. Next week, October 13 and 14 in Vancouver, BC, we are having an in-person conference around the theme of vocation and rest and Julian is our keynote speaker. In honour of that we thought we’d repl…

In the United States and elsewhere, including Canada, large numbers of people are leaving church. A recent book, The Great Dechurching, points out that the movement is the largest religious cultural shift in American history. Many writers, professors, and observers have often used the word “decline” to talk about such a phenomenon. The truth is mor…

Rector’s Cupboard is pleased to welcome Brian Zahnd. Brian is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian has been somewhat of a trailblazer in contemporary expressions of hopeful theology. His books, including Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God and Beauty Will Save the World, outline a thoughtful, positive…

In some religious circles, dialogue or collaboration with people of other faiths is seen as dangerous. In some evangelical contexts, such interfaith consideration may even have been labelled as faithless. Hopeful Christian theology sees interfaith dialogue as faithful, not faithless. True interfaith dialogue is neither dangerous nor insipid. Rather…

Ram Dass once famously said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” We came across this quote when David Hayward, known as NakedPastor, quoted it after seeing his own family. Arthur Boers, our guest on this episode of Rector’s Cupboard, delves deeper into the truth of family of origin than even a week together can aff…

The second part of our interview with Julia and Jeremiah, sex therapists and hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals. If you haven’t listened to part one, we encourage you to go back and listen to that before this episode. In this episode, we spoke with Julia and Jeremiah about how we got to the place where conversations around sexuality are framed aro…

In a previous episode of Rector’s Cupboard we were pleased to interview Linda Kay Klein, author of the book Pure on purity culture within the evangelical church. Through Linda, our guests for this episode found Rector’s Cupboard and connected with us. Julia and Jeremiah are sex therapists who work often with people who were raised in high control r…

Rector’s Cupboard is part of a larger non-profit that exists to articulate Hopeful Theology. A theologian whose work informs our perspective is Karl Barth. This episode delves into the theology of Barth by way of the work of Dr. Marty Folsom. Barth’s writing is extensive, with his major work, “Church Dogmatics” consisting of over 9,000 pages over m…

If you have been raised in a religious context, you may assume that the way your church, your denomination, conceived of faith was and is the very definition of faith. Obviously, there is a lot that impacts what we believe and how we practice and express that belief. Dr. Mathew Guest helpfully describes how a particular way of seeing the world (neo…

Rich or poor or somewhere in-between, our sense of security and identity can often have to do with money. Who we are, how we relate to others, and how we feel about our well-being is impacted, for good or ill, by whether we feel we have enough money. Mark Petersen has lived much of his life in the world of money and philanthropy. He has also taken …

We are pleased to be joined by Tim Dickau of CityGate and The Centre for Missional Leadership. He is also the author of Forming Christian Community in a Secular Age. Tim speaks with us about his vision for how faith and church should be blessing in the world. Tim was pastor of Grandview Calvary in Vancouver for many years and has helped facilitate …

How do you remember Christmas? What traditions are essential to make it really feel like Christmas? So much of how we experience Christmas is based in nostalgia, an understanding and, often, idealization of the past. The Cupboard hosts gathered to enjoy a Christmas tasting (recipe below), share memories, and discuss the of role nostalgia at Christm…

Story is the universal human language. We learn who we are and how to make sense of the world through story. It can also be a means through which we can engage with and encounter others. Story can communicate truth in a way that other forms of communication cannot. In this episode, we spoke with fellow podcaster, Jonathan Wright, from the podcast H…

In so many ways, we often feel ground down, in the words of this episode’s guest, “disintegrated.” Julian Davis Reid speaks to us about rest. This is more and better than simply disengagement or a break from the grind; rest is an essential part of what it means to be human, in the image of God. Julian starts from a recognition of the profound restl…

We conclude our 3 part Calgary road trip with a visit to Jerremie Clyde from Alberta Yak Co and Little Loaves Farm (check out their Instagram page for some amazing yak photos @littleloavesfarm). Did you know that yaks purr? Or that they can survive at -64 degrees Celsius (for any American listeners that’s -83 Fahrenheit)? We certainly didn’t before…

We continue our 3 part series of Rector’s Cupboard on the Road. In July several of us from Rector’s Cupboard headed to Alberta for a few days to speak with some farmers. On this episode we spoke with Rod Olson. Rod works with several local organizations. He is a certified nutrition farmer with the organization Leaf and Lyre, planting and overseeing…

Rector’s Cupboard, on the road! We travelled to Calgary this summer and met some amazing farmers. In this episode we talk to Marcus and Sarah Reidner from Happiness By the Acre, a regenerative farm in Didsbury, Alberta. Marcus and Sarah have cows, chicken, pigs, and ducks but they say what they really grow is grass, because that’s what the land wan…

Who are the people in your neighbourhood? For some this might be geographical, your literal neighbours, for others it might include the more expansive community in which you find care and support, or perhaps an online neighbourhood where you connect with others. As we begin season 4, we take some time to consider those in our neighbourhood. For Rec…

For the first episode of season 4, the Cupboard is pleased to welcome Nelson Boschman to speak with us about his book, The Growing Season, and to lead us in an informative wine tasting. A pastor, teacher, and musician, Nelson considers himself a wine enthusiast rather than an expert. He sees in the vineyard and wine-making the stuff of life and spi…

The Cupboard had intended to take a break over the summer to plan and prepare for season 4 in the fall, but some topics and stories are too timely to ignore. The recent decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade by the United States Supreme Court compelled us pause and discuss what it means to us. For this bonus summer episode, we’re pleased to welcome Rev.…

Two years ago Rector's Cupboard interviewed Katherine Stewart, an author and leading voice on the “Christian Nationalist” movement in the United States. At the time, we spoke about her book "The Power Worshippers". This week, Stewart had an article in the New York Times that discussed the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. This week we're re-releasing th…

Our final episode of season 3 of Rector’s Cupboard. We were honoured to speak with James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin University and editor-in-chief of Image Journal. The conversation is centred largely around a fantastic book that Jamie has written and that will be available in September. Jamie’s work demonstrates a hopeful view …

In 2021, a book by Canadian writer and broadcaster David Cayley was published. The book was a biography of Ivan Illich who, in the 1970’s, became quite well known for his criticism of the church, and for institutions of education and medicine. We find Ivan Illich compelling because he speaks about faith and society in ways that can shape and inform…

Have you heard a good sermon lately? 83% of people surveyed who attended a Christian church service said that the top reason for choosing and remaining in a church is the sermon. In this episode we talk with Rev. Dr. Will Willimon about sermons and listening to sermons. He is a pastor, bishop in the United Methodist Church and the author of, in his…

What sort of conversations should the church be having around mental health? What is it’s role in supporting those in congregations who are experiencing mental health challenges or know someone who is? Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, a Vancouver based organization is doing some amazing work in regard to conversations about mental health in the …

Our first ever Rector’s Cupboard Arts and Culture (and Entertainment) panel. Amanda, Allison and Todd speak about some television shows, books and movies that you may find interesting, engaging, thoughtful and offensive. In case you didn’t take notes during the episode here is a list of the shows, movies, and books we talked about. TV Shows: Righte…

The question “What is a woman?” has upset people on the left and on the right. We speak with our guest, Brenda-Lee Sasaki, about her writing on Christian faith and motherhood. How are expectations and gender roles perceived in evangelicalism? Our conversation with Brenda-Lee focuses largely on her recently published essay, “I Am More Than a Mother:…

Have we become disconnected from creation? What should our relationship and engagement with nature look like? This week, the Cupboard was honoured to speak with Lauren Aldred, a counsellor at the College of New Caledonia. Lauren teaches workshops on Land-Based Healing and Wellness and shared with us stories and reflections from these courses. Much …

Is God with us? If so, how? Is God omnipresent and all-powerful? If you have thought about faith at all, then you have considered the tension present in believing in an all-powerful God, present with you, and the difficult, sometimes terrible realities of life. Dr. Monica Coleman is a writer, theologian, and educator who outlines a particular way o…

As we move past the halfway point of the third season of Rector’s Cupboard, we take the opportunity to discuss the origins of the podcast. We go through the story of one particular church fight and what that long ago battle has to do with what Rector’s Cupboard is aiming to do. The church fight which we speak about is legendary. One small manifesta…