Prodigal Pastor

About Prodigal Pastor

A podcast with Dr. Jonny Morrison exploring faith, theology, and life for prodigals everywhere.

Publisher

Jonny Morrison

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Nov 2025

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Understanding Atonement part 2: Recapitulation Theory

   In this episode of Prodigal Pastor, Jonny continues exploring the history and diversity of atonement theology with one of Christianity’s earliest theories: recapitulation. Drawing on the second-century theologian Irenaeus, he explores the idea that Jesus enters the human story, succeeds where humanity has failed, and opens a renewed story for us to participate in. Along the way, we’ll talk about Gnosticism, the importance of Jesus’ embodied life, why all theology is contextual, and what The Lord of the Rings can teach us about atonement. Most importantly, we’ll explore why recapitulation offers a vision of salvation that isn’t simply about what Jesus saves us from, but the kind of life Jesus invites us into. Read post here (https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/p/understanding-the-atonement-pt-2?r=298q4e&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true).

2. 

   24 Sept 2026

   The Art of Asking Better Questions with Dr. J.R. Briggs

   What if one of the most important practices of faith isn’t having the right answers, but learning to ask better questions? In this episode, Jonny talks with author and leadership coach J.R. Briggs about his book The Art of Asking Better Questions and why curiosity, humility, wisdom, and courage matter for our relationships, leadership, and spiritual lives. They explore the questions Jesus asked, the difference between efficiency and fruitfulness, how leaders build trust and bring hope, and why the questions we’re most tempted to avoid may be the ones we most need to ask. Along the way, they wrestle with what healthy ministry actually looks like, why good leadership sometimes feels inefficient, and a deceptively simple question: What would you do differently if you had just 10% more courage?

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   What Is Atonement?

   What do we actually mean when we talk about “atonement”? In this episode, Jonny explores what the cross accomplishes—and why Christians have never agreed on exactly how it works. From the biblical metaphors of ransom, reconciliation, victory, and sacrifice to the different theories Christians have developed throughout history, we’ll explore why atonement is bigger and more beautiful than any single explanation. And through it all, we’ll return to a simple center: the cross reveals the love of God and makes us at-one with God.

4. 

   6 Aug 2026

   A Conversation with Dr. David Fitch

   David Fitch has spent decades helping the church imagine a more faithful way of being in the world. In this conversation, we explore the journey that shaped his theology—from Wall Street to church planting, from academic writing to accessible books like Faithful Presence, The Church of Us vs. Them, and Reckoning with Power. Along the way, we talk about what it means to be a "neo-Anabaptist, Pentecostal, holiness theologian," why the church needs practices more than programs, and how followers of Jesus can navigate a post-Christendom, politically polarized culture without retreating into fear or grasping for power. This episode is both theological and deeply practical. Whether you're a pastor, church leader, or simply wondering what faithfulness looks like in our cultural moment, this conversation offers a compelling vision of a church centered on the presence of Christ rather than performance, politics, or personality. David's Substack: Fitch's Provocations (https://davidfitch.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips) David's Facebook community: Fitchest

5. 

   12 May 2026

   The Emergence of Sin with Dr. Matthew Croasmun

   In this episode of Prodigal Pastor, Jonny sits down with theologian, church planter, and Yale professor Matthew Croasmun for a wide-ranging conversation about Scripture, theology, sin, emergence theory, and what it means to live a life worth living. Together they explore how asking difficult questions about the Bible can actually deepen faith rather than destroy it, why Scripture is less like a rulebook and more like a place of encounter with the living God, and how charismatic spirituality shapes the way we read and discern Scripture in community. The conversation then turns toward Matt’s groundbreaking work in The Emergence of Sin, unpacking Paul’s language in Romans, the “body of sin,” and the idea that sin is not only individual but also systemic, social, and even cosmic. Along the way they discuss racism, addiction, responsibility, the church’s tendency to oversimplify complex realities, and why recovering a richer understanding of sin might also help us recover a bigger, more beautiful vision of the gospel itself. Matthew Croasmun's Website (https://www.matthewcroasmun.com) Yale Center for Faith and Culture (https://faith.yale.edu)

6. 

   23 Apr 2026

   Serving Up Scripture with Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw

   In this episode of Prodigal Pastor, Jonny sits down with New Testament scholar Jennifer Garcia Bashaw to explore how we read the Bible—and how it reads us. Drawing from her books Serving Up Scripture and Scapegoats, Jennifer shares her journey from growing up in a Southern Baptist context to pursuing biblical scholarship after confronting limiting interpretations of Scripture around women in ministry. Together, they unpack her powerful cooking metaphor for biblical interpretation—showing how reading Scripture is both an art and a process shaped by our stories, cultures, and assumptions—and discuss how Jesus’ life consistently centers those pushed to the margins. Along the way, they explore scapegoat theory, the role of overlooked voices in interpretation, and why returning to Jesus is essential for making sense of Scripture’s many perspectives.

7. 

   9 Apr 2026

   Sabbath Waters: Fly Fishing, Friendship, and Spiritual Formation

   After a full stretch of conversations on atonement, this week’s episode of Prodigal Pastor takes a different turn—into rest. In the week following Easter, we practice Sabbath as a community at Missio Dei, making space to breathe, reflect, and “rest into resurrection.” This episode is an extension of that rhythm. Jonny sits down with his friend and fellow pastor Scott for a wide-ranging, unhurried conversation about fly fishing, spirituality, discipleship, and the kinds of practices that form us over time. What begins as a conversation about being on the water becomes something deeper—a reflection on presence, patience, and the quiet ways God meets us in the ordinary. This isn’t a typical episode—and it’s not meant to be. It’s slower. More spacious. Whether you fish or not, this conversation is an invitation: to step away, to pay attention, and to receive rest in whatever wilderness space you can find. We’ll be back soon with more episodes in our atonement series. For now—take a breath, and enjoy the conversation.

8. 

   25 Mar 2026

   Cruciform Atonement with Dr. Greg Boyd

   In this episode, Jonny sits down with theologian and pastor Greg Boyd to explore one of the most transformative ideas in contemporary theology: what if God truly looks like Jesus—crucified? Together, they trace Greg’s journey from academic theology into pastoral ministry, and into a lifetime of wrestling with Scripture, violence, and the character of God. The conversation centers on what Greg calls a “cruciform hermeneutic”—reading the entire Bible through the lens of the cross—and how that reshapes everything from troubling Old Testament passages to the nature of the kingdom of God. They also dive into: Why the cross is the “center of the center” of Christian faith How to read difficult or violent biblical texts without dismissing Scripture What a cross-shaped (cruciform) kingdom actually looks like in everyday life Rethinking atonement beyond punishment toward restoration and healing How the church can embody a nonviolent, self-giving love in a fractured world

9. 

   12 Mar 2026

   A (not so) new model of atonement with Dr. Michael Gorman

   In this episode, Jonny sits down with New Testament scholar Michael Gorman for a rich conversation about atonement, the cross, and the new covenant. Together they explore what atonement means, what many popular models miss, and how the death of Jesus is not only the source of salvation but also its shape. Along the way, they talk about participation, transformation, reconciliation, and why the cross matters not just for individuals, but for communities and the whole life of faith.

10. 

    26 Feb 2026

    Understanding the Atonement with Dr. Mark Baker

    In this episode, Jonny sits down with theologian and seminary professor Dr. Mark Baker to talk about the cross, the atonement, and why the way we tell that story matters—pastorally, biblically, and ethically. Mark shares the story of becoming a scholar shaped by mission work in Honduras, where poverty, violence, and “toxic theology” forced deeper questions: Who is the God we believe in? What kind of God does our atonement story portray? From there, we explore what atonement means (“the saving significance of the cross and resurrection”), why Christians often collapse a wide biblical vision into a narrow framework, and how the New Testament offers a multiplicity of images—liberation, shame and welcome, redemption, union with Christ, and Christus Victor triumph over powers. This is a conversation about more Jesus and more cross—not less. Atonement isn’t a single metaphor. It’s the heart of the gospel told in many faithful languages, for many kinds of human need. For more, check out Mark's website (https://www.profmarkbaker.com).

11. 

    29 Jan 2026

    Reading Apocalypse Upside Down with Jeremy Duncan

    Jonny talks with Jeremy Duncan about reading Revelation well—through Jesus, not fear. Together they unpack rapture culture, empire, and apocalyptic despair, and explore why Revelation is less about predicting the future and more about forming a hopeful, nonviolent people in the present.

12. 

    15 Jan 2026

    Reading the Bible in Community with Dr. Dennis Edwards

    Jonny sits down with Dr. R. Dennis Edwards—New Testament scholar, longtime pastor, and Jonny’s former professor—to talk about how leaders and everyday Christians can read Scripture with more depth and humility. Dr. Edwards shares his journey from a storefront church where questions were discouraged to a life of ministry, church planting, and teaching, then explores what’s changed today: growing skepticism toward “experts,” thinning Bible literacy, and the way modern content habits shape faith. Together they unpack what it means to read the Bible in community—with the historic tradition, with present-day voices across cultures and social locations, and with special attention to the margins—so we don’t settle for “whatever it means to you,” but learn to read faithfully with wise guides and a wider church.

13. 

    2 Jan 2026

    Rereading Women in Scripture with Dr. Ingrid Faro

    In this episode, Jonny sits down with Old Testament scholar Dr. Ingrid Faro (Northern Seminary) to talk about her book Redeeming Eden, where she with deep but accessible scholarship helps us reread the story of women throughout the Old Testament. Dr. Faro shows us what we get wrong, especially concerning how women in the Bible have been vilified, sexualized, marginalized, or misread through cultural lenses that aren’t actually the Bible’s and how their stories are actually essential to redemptive history. Resources Mentioned Redeeming Eden (Ingrid Faro) Tell Her Story (Nijay Gupta) Paul and Gender (Cynthia Westfall) Nobody’s Mother (Sandra Glahn) Ingrid Faro’s website (https://www.ingridfaro.com)

14. 

    18 Dec 2025

    Reading the Bible as a unified Story with Dr. Tim Geddert

    In this conversation, Dr. Tim Geddert (biblical scholar and longtime professor) shares why reading the Bible as a storychanges everything—from how we handle ethics, history, and “hard texts,” to how we understand discipleship and the role of the Old Testament. We talk about why people today are often persuaded by experiencing Scripture rather than “solving” objections, why “story” doesn’t mean “fiction,” how Jesus both affirms and re-reads the Old Testament, and why the church should never draw a straight line from Israel’s national wars to modern nationalism. Along the way, we explore Scripture as a drama we’re invited to participate in—improvising faithfully as we follow Jesus in the middle of God’s big plot: creation, Jesus, new creation. Key themes Why biblical engagement shifted from apologetics to lived, communal plausibility What it means to say “the Bible tells a story” (without flattening genres) The dangers of “spiritual nuggets” and reading characters as moral heroes Creation → Jesus → New Creation as the non-negotiable story spine Story vs. drama: we’re in the last act, and our choices matter Why the Old Testament is our story (and how Jesus reads it) Violence texts, judgment, and the honest tension of a Jesus-shaped God-image Covenant people vs. nation-state: a direct challenge to Christian nationalism Images of God (portrait gallery) vs. abstract doctrines (Plato problem) Walter Brueggemann, Texts Under Negotiation Gospel references: Matthew 5; Mark 2; Acts 15 Themes referenced: “creation / new creation”; “God’s will on earth as in heaven”; Christian nationalism critiques About the guest Dr. Tim Geddert is a biblical scholar (known especially for work on Mark and reading the Old Testament as story) and a longtime teacher of pastors and church leaders.

15. 

    4 Dec 2025

    Reading the Bible with Jesus at the Center (with Meghan Good)

    What if the Bible is less “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” and more a rescue story that finds its hinge in Jesus? In this conversation, Jonny sits down with pastor, theologian, and author Meghan Larissa Good to talk about how a Jesus-centered lens changes the way we read Scripture, wrestle with difficult texts, and practice discernment in real time as church leaders. They explore how genre, narrative arc, and the crucified Christ reframe everything from Noah’s ark and Judges to Revelation and Paul’s household codes. Meghan offers a grounded, accessible way to hold a high view of Scripture and acknowledge complexity. 📬 Subscribe to the newsletter on Substack: 👉 https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips (https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips) 📣 Connect with Jonny: Website: https://jonnyis.com/ (https://jonnyis.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonny.is (https://www.instagram.com/jonny.is) Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonnyMorrisonis (https://www.youtube.com/@JonnyMorrisonis) Connect with Meghan: Website: meghanlarissagood.com (https://meghanlarissagood.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Divine Gravity: Sparking a Movement to Recover a Better Christian Story (https://heraldpress.com/9781513813127/divine-gravity/) The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today (https://heraldpress.com/9781513802343/the-bible-unwrapped/)

16. 

    20 Nov 2025

    Prodigal Pastor Trailer

    In this short trailer episode, Jonny Morrison introduces Prodigal Pastor, a podcast for leaders, seekers, and anyone trying to live in the tension of real life. You’ll hear about the heart behind the show and the kinds of conversations and reflections to expect. 📬 Subscribe to the newsletter on Substack: 👉 https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips (https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips) 📣 Connect with Jonny: Website: https://jonnyis.com/ (https://jonnyis.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonny.is (https://www.instagram.com/jonny.is) Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonnyMorrisonis (https://www.youtube.com/@JonnyMorrisonis)

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact Prodigal Pastor

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.