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A Rabbi and a Reverend walk into a podcast... and talk REAL about religion. We are Rabbi Eric Linder and Reverend Joel Tolbert. We became colleagues and friends in 2012 when we both found ourselves serving congregations near Athens, GA. We were founding members of an area Interfaith group that grew from seven to over sixty clergy. Today, we live in different states but come together here to discuss faith, God, religion, entertainment, and tech. We’ll dive into the social, cultural, political, and topical too. We have quick minds, sharp tongues, and good hearts, and we hope you enjoy being a part of these conversations!
Episodes
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Season 3, Episode 11 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Joel's issue - In 2022, Christian Holy Week, Jewish Passover, and Muslim Ramadan fall beside one another on the same week. In Jerusalem, a divided multi-faith city, government forces interfered in religious worship services, and worshippers acted violently at their presence or in response. What can faith leaders do to move our people and leaders toward coexistence without violence?
More than 150 Injured in Violence at Jerusalem Holy Site
Eric's issue - A group of Christian broke into Jesus songs to a captive audience on a plane. Ilhan Omar wondered what would happen if Muslims did the same, then Vernon Jones attacked her. Why do Christian Americans get special privilege in public spaces, and cry foul when other religions expect equal treatment?
Christians singing on a plane, Ilhan Omar, Vernon Jones
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How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
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How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
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Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Season 3, Episode 10 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - At the Oscars, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. How do we process violence? Is there any justification for the verbal violence and physical violence? What is the religious responsibility to turn the other cheek and accept violence, while never doing violence upon one another?
Joel's issue - In an interview for a possible new Director of Music, Joel shares how a 20 year college student rejected the position because of the theology and practices of the church, things like ordaining women, interpreting scripture, standing for justice. How can faithful religious people avoid the stereotype of our fellow believers who are either too zealous and judgmental, or too timid and uncommitted? Is Scripture the core of our disagreements?
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
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Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Mar 20, 2022
Sunday Mar 20, 2022
Season 3, Episode 9 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Joel's issue - Is the task of clergy, religion, theology to make the universal specific, or to stretch the specific toward the universal? If religion stays close to the context of the people, it will be comfortable but not point to a universal God. If religion doesn't fully enter the specific context of people, they will never sense the relevance that can invite them toward the universal. Is the point of religious community to "bind" us together, or to "bridge" us toward the wider mysteries of God and God's creation?
Chapter 9: “Confessing Jesus Christ in Context” « Project Augustine
Richard Rohr: The Cosmic Christ - Bing video
Eric's issue - How can someone do religion well? Is the role of clergy or congregation to help people do religion well? What does participation or membership in a religious community require of us, and what does it give back to us, or to the world through us? What's the connection between the practices of our religion and our religious identity? Is there a way to measure a person's religious conviction?
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
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How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Season 3, Episode 8 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - Are we clear that our time is limited? When we consider our own finitude, does that depress us, or motivate us? How we spend time clearly communicates our religious values. Our choice of time management and use defines who we are more than many of our beliefs or opinions. So, can we (do we) spend our time in ways that matter?
Obsidian, your second brain
Amazon.com: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals: 9780374159122: Burkeman, Oliver: Books
Task Management Software Built For Pros - OmniFocus - The Omni Group
Todoist: The to do list to organize work & life
Joel's issue - Where is the line between freedom TO speak and freedom FROM someone else's speech? Where is the line between freedom to personally exercise our religion, and impose our religion on others? One upcoming Supreme Court case lifts us the line between personal freedom and communal accountability.
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Season 3, Episode 7 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - What does forgiveness look like? When a leader makes a mistake, how are we supposed to hold them accountable, and yet give them grace/room to fail under the unique pressures of their leadership position?
Joel's issue - How do we square the ethical use of our monies? Every gallon of gas we buy is subsidizing the Russian war against Ukraine. Can any one person really make a difference?
Russia Is A Major Supplier Of Oil To The U.S. (forbes.com
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Sunday Feb 27, 2022
Season 3, Episode 6 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - A Catholic priest is corrected and resigns for using "we baptize" instead of "I baptize" in the church liturgy. All those baptisms were considered null as well. What is the church saying or protecting by holding this line so vehemently?
Pastor Resigns After Incorrectly Performing Thousands of Baptisms - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Joel's issue - A Jewish couple was blocked for an adoption in Tennessee by a Christian adoption service for faith reasons. How can a Christian organization block anything Jewish when Jesus was/is a Jew?
Kentucky Clerk Defies Court on Marriage Licenses for Gay Couples - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Season 3, Episode 5 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - Can we love the art and reject the artist? When we need to hold an artist or leader accountable, do we cancel their art as well? If a sexual predator wrote songs for worship, can we continue to use those songs in worship? If we can't listen to Michael Jackson records, can we still read Moses or Paul?
Joel's issue - Homelessness. How should people of faith, any faith, respond to others around them who find themselves wandering without a home? In Joel's area, there are several agencies of faith or government attempting to respond to homelessness. What is the smart way to respond, and why is it so hard?
Chester Valley Ministers Association (CVMA) has a new initiative, the Good Neighbor House
Samaritan Group, Inc. | Kent County
Chestertown’s Homelessness Resource Day calls Attention to Urgent Need (chestertownspy.org)
Family Promise of Athens (familypromiseathens.org)
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Feb 06, 2022
Sunday Feb 06, 2022
Season 3, Episode 4 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - As religious people, what does safety mean under our theology? After the last hostage incident at a synagogue, how do we process our call to trust God and one another against our desire for safety and security? Can we truly love and serve the world and expect security for ourselves?
Joel's issue - What does faith look like in the face of science that isn't perfect? Science doesn't always have an "answer" but gives us back a range of likely or possible outcomes. How do we as people of science and faith engage both when we make personal or public decisions? Why do we treat science as "truth" when it's often wishy-washy, and faith as the mysterious wishy-washy space beyond science when it's often more "true" than science?
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Season 3, Episode 3 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - Administrators at a Georgia school censored a teacher's display of a child's artwork. Is a rainbow the same as a swastika? When a school policy in inclusion, how can the administrators practice censorship of inclusion? How much power should we give complainers in a community, as opposed to standing firm in the face of misguided complaints?
Administrators Accused of Removing LGBTQ Artwork at Athens School - Flagpole
Joel's issue - Our perception of risk from COVID is biased... not by science or faith... but by POLITICS! Why? Why can we not believe scientific truth, without distorting it through our political preference filters?
We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 1 - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Two Covid Americas - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sunday Jan 23, 2022
Sunday Jan 23, 2022
Season 3, Episode 2 - This season, Eric and Joel bring one (fairly) current topic each, and wonder together what our response to these issues might be from our perspectives of faith.
Eric's issue - After the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue, are we clearly supportive of one another across faiths? How (and when) do we say "we are with you" especially in a stressed, COVID, tragedy-riddled world?
Standoff at Texas synagogue ends with all hostages safe, suspect dead - ABC News
Joel's issue - Patriot Churches, how can any Christian put partisan political nationalistic priorities above God's love and hope for all people of every nation, and still call themselves a church of Jesus?
2022 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Observance - UPDATED - YouTube
__________
Send feedback, show ideas, comments, and suggestions to:
__________
How to follow Rabbi Eric
Twitter @geekyrabbi
Blog Geeky Rabbi | Theology, Technology and a bit of Music
Home - Congregation Children of Israel, Athens Georgia (ccisrael.org)
__________
How to follow Rev. Joel
Twitter @treblotj
Blog Cross Purposes | Blog of Rev. Joel Tolbert
__________
Music "Modulation in the Spirit" by Little Glass Men, Composer Ryan Claus (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)