Freestyle Theology
The Christian Faith is more mysterious and, quite frankly, weirder than we think. But the way we talk about it is often insipid and inaccessible, using tired words and ideas from the 16th century that nobody uses anymore.
Freestyle Theology is a space for us to wonder freely out loud, to take our faith seriously in *this* time and place, and to wander down all sorts of fascinating rabbit holes. Get ready for another out of the box conversation about Christianity with Brad Melle and friends! Freestyle Theology is sponsored by Daily Breadth, the Christian meditation app that works. Learn more at dailybreadth.app or try it for free by downloading it in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
Episodes
34 episodes
Let's Talk About: The Medieval Body
Playwright, journalist, and podcaster Ngofeen Mputubwele is writing a play about a deceptively simple question: when did white people stop dancing? What began as a conversation about medieval bodies quickly became something much large: a histor...
Let's Talk About: Other Religions
Dr. Bradley Melle sits down again with Fr. Joash Thomas - priest, author of The Justice of Jesus, and descendant of the ancient St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, India - for a conversation that reframes everything We...
Let's Talk About: Threat & Theology
Brad is back down the rabbit hole, and this time, Augustine is the way in.Why Augustine of Hippo is arguably the real founder of Western Christianity, and what that means for everything you think you know about Paul, original sin, a...
Let's Talk About: Where Am I?
Brad is back, and this episode is an honest account of where he's been.After months of silence, Brad returns to the mic to share what's kept him away: the death of his mother in late October, a brutal flare of his ulcerative colitis...
Let's Talk About: Power
Jesus gave away power. What does that actually mean...?What does it really mean to have power—and what happens when we hoard it? In this thought-provoking conversation, historian and theologian Dr. Bradley Melle (Freestyle Theology) sit...
Let's Talk About: Meditation
Can meditation heal spiritual wounds? In this episode of Freestyle Theology, Brad and Brielle unpack their journeys with depression, anxiety, meditation, and spiritual growth. They explore how mindfulness, breathwork, and even sung Scripture ca...
Let's Talk About: Today's Evangelical Tantrum
In this raw and wide-ranging episode, Brad is joined again by Rev. Joash Thomas to explore the emotional and spiritual roots of what Brad calls the “evangelical tantrum”—the reactive, fear-fueled backlash of white conservative Christianity in t...
Let's Talk About: The New American Theocracy
What if the rise of Christian nationalism in the U.S. isn’t just political—but the fruit of a long, coordinated theological strategy?In this episode of Freestyle Theology, Dr. Bradley Melle sits down with Margaret Bronson...
Let's Talk About: Christianity & Colonialism
What If Colonialism Lives On—in Our Bodies, Beliefs, and Churches?In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Bradley Melle is joined once again by Rev. Joash Thomas for an in-person deep dive into Christianity, colonialism, and in...
Let's Talk About: Modern Fragmentation
Why does everything feel so fractured—and has it always been this way?In this solo episode, Dr. Bradley Melle dives deep into the 500-year story of fragmentation in the Western world, from the shattering of medieval consensus in t...
Let's Talk About: Christian Supremacy
Church historian Bradley Melle chats with Rev. Joash Thomas about Christian supremacy, colonialism, and trauma in the church. Brad and Joash dive into how Christianity's history—from Constantine to today's Christian nationalism—has often priori...
Let's Talk About: Love & Safety
In this episode of Freestyle Theology, Dr. Bradley Melle and Brielle Goheen dive into the complexities of love and its manifestation within church communities. They explore the idea of love as a multifaceted and often misunderstood concept in r...
Let's Talk About: Residential Schools as Church History
In this enlightening episode of "Freestyle Theology," Dr. Bradley Melle, a historian of Global Christianity, dives deep into the history of colonialism, Indigenous Christianity, and the impact of residential schools. Joining forces with John Si...
Let's Talk About: Church Unity
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Freestyle Theology! I'm Dr. Bradley Melle, a religious historian, and in this episode, I'm joined by Dave Witt, the network developer of True City Hamilton. We dive deep into the multifaceted topi...
Let's Talk About: Personal Development
Today, Dr. Bradley Melle and Brielle Goheen discuss the self-help industry, personal development, and the body's systems of survival, all with attention to a practical spirituality. Don't miss it!
Let's Talk About: Mary, the Prophet
We've gotten Mary wrong. Dr. Bradley Melle and Danielle Steenwyk-Rowaan grapple together about Mary, the Magnificat, submission, the toppling of the rich, and the exaltation of the poor.
Let's Talk About: Antioch
One of my favourite topics coming at you this week! Let's talk about unity, conformity, and the bold, cross-cultural risks taken in the 1st century at Antioch.
Let's Talk About: Pilgrimage
15 years after successfully completing the Camino de Santiago together, Dr. Bradley Melle and Mike Doyle are in the studio this week to discuss pilgrimage. Tune in for some fascinating takes on relics, crusades, folk Catholicism, sacred space, ...
Let's Talk About: Individuality
Dr. Bradley Melle and Brielle Goheen discuss individuality, myths about individualism, the frustrations of Jesus, and the characteristics of real, complicated, healthy communities. Follow
Let's Talk About: Celtic Christianity (Part Two)
Brad, John, and Tom are back at it for Part Two of our conversation on Celtic Christianity. Today we dig further down into the Celtic Christ, the challenge of syncretism, the wild wandering of the Celtic monks, the strange wisdom of Simon the S...
Let's Talk About: Celtic Christianity (Part One)
This week, join Brad for a special two-part episode on Celtic Christianity! Coming at you this time around from Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Bradley Melle talks with Thomas Duell and John Simon about all things Celtic and Christian. As a...
Let's Talk About: Metaphor
The doctors are in, again! Brad and Erin are back at it, this week talking about metaphor, the movement of peoples, images for God, and the rational Christianity of the Enlightenment.
Let's Talk About: Words
Join Brad and Dr. Erin Goheen Glanville in a wild and winding discussion about words, listening, anger, and the Logos!