Church Potluck

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Church Potluck

Dale McConkey, Host

69 episodes

11 hours ago

Send us a text Can Christian faith and scholarly inquiry coexist—and even thrive—together? In this week’s Church Potluck, we have the honor to sit down with Berry College President Sandeep Mazumder. Dr. Mazumder (Economics) shares his faith journey from a Hindu upbringing in London to embracing Christian faith in graduate school, and reflects on how that experience shapes his vision for Berry College and academia more broadly. Dr. Kathryn Heidelberger (Religion and Philosophy) explores how w...

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Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

All content for Church Potluck is the property of Dale McConkey, Host and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text Can Christian faith and scholarly inquiry coexist—and even thrive—together? In this week’s Church Potluck, we have the honor to sit down with Berry College President Sandeep Mazumder. Dr. Mazumder (Economics) shares his faith journey from a Hindu upbringing in London to embracing Christian faith in graduate school, and reflects on how that experience shapes his vision for Berry College and academia more broadly. Dr. Kathryn Heidelberger (Religion and Philosophy) explores how w...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

Episodes (20/69)

Church Potluck

Christianity and College: A Conversation with President Sandeep Mazumder

Send us a text Can Christian faith and scholarly inquiry coexist—and even thrive—together? In this week’s Church Potluck, we have the honor to sit down with Berry College President Sandeep Mazumder. Dr. Mazumder (Economics) shares his faith journey from a Hindu upbringing in London to embracing Christian faith in graduate school, and reflects on how that experience shapes his vision for Berry College and academia more broadly. Dr. Kathryn Heidelberger (Religion and Philosophy) explores how w...

5 days ago

1 hour 7 minutes

Church Potluck

Horror, Halloween, and Holiness: Are Faith and Horror Compatible?

Send us a text Premiere horror and Halloween enthusiast (and fashion icon) Clint Peters joins the podcast to discuss how horror taps our primal selves. We dig into how films like The Babadook, Jaws, Nosferatu, and even Midnight Mass reveal what we value, how fear works, and why the genre often takes the supernatural—and the Church—more seriously than most “serious” films. Perennial guest and bud Michael Bailey argues Christianity is inherently spooky, pushes back on the “horror desensiti...

1 week ago

1 hour 6 minutes

Church Potluck

Rethinking Intimacy: Dating, Family, Friends, and Church

Send us a text Rev. Dr. Erin Moniz (Baylor chaplain and author of Knowing and Being Known) joins Church Potluck to rethink “intimacy” beyond sex and dating—into friendship, family systems, and a church that actually feels like family. Along with Dr. Margaret Ndwandwe (digital media specialist), Erin unpacks purity culture 2.0, attachment theory, boundaries vs. vulnerability, and why technology (yes, even AI chatbots) can’t replace embodied relationships. And Margaret shares stories from her p...

1 week ago

1 hour 3 minutes

Church Potluck

Mysteries of the Cosmos: Existence, Life, and Consciousness

Send us a text This episode features Dr. Todd Timberlake—our resident astrophysicist—at the center of the table. Todd walks us through three awe-inducing questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? What physics can say up to the Big Bang—and why “before” may be the wrong word. Fine-tuning, multiverse ideas, and what science can (and can’t) answer.How did life arise? From Miller–Urey to amino acids, to the leap toward self-replicating molecules, and the odds of life elsewhere. Todd ...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 15 minutes

Church Potluck

Faith & the Founders, Part 2: The Godless Constitution Thesis

Send us a text We’re back with another crossover of Church Potluck and American Angst—and it’s the middle slice of a three-part series. In Part 1, we explored evidence for a religious impulse at the founding of the United States. Today, we flip the coin and examine the “godless constitution” thesis: why the U.S. Constitution reads secular by design, how the framers imagined church–state separation, and what that meant in practice—from oath vs. affirmation options and chaplains, to presidentia...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 8 minutes

Church Potluck

Pope Leo's Message about the Marginalized

Send us a text In this week’s episode of Church Potluck, we sit down for a roundtable on Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), Pope Leo XIV’s very first apostolic exhortation, a pastoral message of encouragement. Leo takes this opportunity to call Christians to a deeper commitment to the poor, broadly defined as those who are economically disadvantaged, displaced, or marginalized. Together, we discuss how Leo grounds his message in both Scripture and church tradition, the continuity with Pope Franc...

3 weeks ago

54 minutes

Church Potluck

Faith & the Founders, Part 1: The Christian Commonwealth Thesis

Send us a text It’s a crossover feast: American Angst meets Church Potluck for a lively, thoughtful dive into religion, politics, and the Founders—setting the table for an upcoming conversation on Christian nationalism. This one leans a bit more American Angst in tone, with Michael Bailey taking the lead while Dale McConkey jumps in with sociological insight and good-humored pushback. In this episode, the focus is squarely on the Christian Commonwealth perspective—the idea that America’s root...

1 month ago

1 hour 4 minutes

Church Potluck

Orthodoxy, Mystery, and Mary: A Conversation with Michael Papazian

Send us a text This episode explores the Orthodox Christian tradition—and specifically Mary’s place within it—through a warm, curious conversation with philosopher and Orthodox theologian Dr. Michael Papazian. Together we look at how Orthodoxy understands salvation, worship, and church authority, then dive into what that means for honoring Mary. What makes Orthodoxy distinct? (spoiler alert: theosis, richly sensory worship, and a decentralized view of church leadership)How does Arme...

1 month ago

1 hour 13 minutes

Church Potluck

Awe and Wonder: Where Science and Faith Converge

Send us a text What happens when an astronomer, a political philosopher, and a retired pastor sit down at the potluck table? In this episode, Dr. Todd Timberlake, Reid Professor of Physics & Astronomy, joins host Dale McConkey and regular guest Dr. Michael Bailey for a lively conversation about awe and wonder. Is science a cold explanation that drains the magic from the world—or can it actually deepen our sense of mystery? From the vastness of galaxies to the beauty of a sunrise, from Whi...

1 month ago

1 hour 31 minutes

Church Potluck

Love Your Enemies, Protect Your Neighbors: The Ethics of Acrimony

Send us a text What happens when Christians disagree so deeply that dialogue itself feels dangerous? Can churches balance the call to love enemies with the responsibility to protect neighbors? And how do we speak the truth in love without sliding into silence—or into shouting? In this episode, newbie Dr. Kathryn Heidelberger (comparative Christian–Islamic ethics) and relative newbie Dr. David Barr (Christian ethics) join oldie Michael Bailey and host Dale McConkey for a searching conversation...

1 month ago

1 hour 16 minutes

Church Potluck

Potluck Potpourri! Charlie Kirk polarization, Millennial Sainthood, Digital Chaplains, and Faith by State

Send us a text The Core Four are back! Host Dale McConkey is joined by Christy Snider, Michael Papazian, and Michael Bailey for a wide-ranging conversation on faith and culture. We start with reactions to the Charlie Kirk assassination, unpacking how instantly polarizing it was, how social media amplified extreme voices, and how it revealed the deep fusion of religion and politics in American life. The group compares this moment with other flashpoints—from 9/11 to George Floyd—asking why some...

1 month ago

1 hour 9 minutes

Church Potluck

Bound Together: Partnering in Missions and in Marriage

Send us a text Season 4 of Church Potluck kicks off with a joyful, thoughtful dive into Christian missions as Dale welcomes media pro and new colleague Margaret Ndwandwe and her newlywed husband Xolani from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). They share their long-distance love story born on the mission field and introduce the Bound Together Eswatini Partnership, a long-standing coalition focused on evangelism, discipleship, meeting human need, and church planting—including sustained food relief d...

1 month ago

43 minutes

Church Potluck

Patriarchy in the Pulpit and the Pentagon: Pete Hegseth and Doug Wilson

Send us a text CROSSOVER EPISODE! In this first-ever crossover episode between Church Potluck and American Angst 101, host Dale McConkey, political scientist Michael Bailey, and historian Christy Snider dive into a hot-button political and theological controversy surrounding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recent social media post endorsing ideas from pastor Doug Wilson, a leader in the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. The trio unpack the historical and ideological roots of...

2 months ago

56 minutes

Church Potluck

Pets in Heaven, Methodists on Trial, and Feds Sharing Faith: A True Church Potluck

Send us a text In this delightfully sprawling new episode of Church Potluck, the "Core Four" reunite for a free-flowing conversation filled with laughter, deep reflection, and summer updates. Host Dale McConkey kicks things off by officially announcing his retirement as a United Methodist pastor, sharing heartwarming stories from his farewell sermon and his new children's book, The Little Church That Could. Joined by Michael Bailey, Christy Snider, and Michael Papazian, the group celebrates e...

3 months ago

1 hour 9 minutes

Church Potluck

What's Christianity Really All About?

Send us a text In this episode of Church Potluck, host Dale McConkey welcomes Rev. Dr. Jonathan Huggins for a hearty and humorous conversation about his new book, What’s Christianity Really All About? A Guide to Essential Beliefs. Huggins, Berry College chaplain and theology professor, takes listeners on a whirlwind tour of the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith—offering a clear, accessible, and surprisingly compact summary of what all Christians can affirm. With each chapter of the ...

4 months ago

52 minutes

Church Potluck

Intimacy in the Age of Isolation

Send us a text How do we form meaningful relationships in an age of ghosting, digital overload, and chronic loneliness? In this episode, we explore the themes of Knowing and Being Known: Hope for All Our Intimate Relationships, the new book by chaplain and author Erin Moniz. Joined by Gabrielle Roes, ministry director at Berry College and counselor, and host Dale McConkey, a sociologist and pastor, the conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities of forming meaningful human conne...

4 months ago

1 hour 7 minutes

Church Potluck

Happy 1700th Birthday, Nicene Creed! Part 2: The Meaning of the Creed

Send us a text We've covered the history and the politics of the Nicene Creed in the previous episode -- now let's explore it's meaning! This episode of Church Potluck dives deep into the text of the Nicene Creed on its 1700th birthday. Dale McConkey (sociologist and United Methodist pastor) hosts an engaging roundtable with Dr. Michael Papazian (Orthodox Christian and philosophy professor) and Dr. Jonathan Parker (Anglican priest and Bible scholar), exploring what the creed says, how it's us...

4 months ago

1 hour 23 minutes

Church Potluck

Happy 1700th Birthday, Nicene Creed! Part 1: History and Context

Send us a text The Nicene Creed may be 1700 years old, but its relevance has never fully faded. In this episode of Church Potluck, host Dale McConkey gathers with Dr. Michael Papazian (philosopher/theologian) and Dr. Larry Marvin (historian) to explore how a fourth-century council shaped Christian identity in ways that still echo today. From Trinitarian debates to modern misunderstandings, the conversation reveals why creeds continue to matter—especially in a world where faith, authority, and...

5 months ago

53 minutes

Church Potluck

Movie Review: "Sinners" and Other Horror Films with Christian Themes

Send us a text The Core Four return for a post-finals horror-themed episode of Church Potluck! After a movie night together, Dale and his guests (Christy, Mike, and Michael) discuss Sinners, a new horror film with bold religious and cultural themes. They unpack everything from the film’s unexpected twists and theological metaphors to its commentary on colonial Christianity, music as sacred memory, and the seduction of "polite evil." Then, the group shares their favorite horror movies with spi...

5 months ago

1 hour 6 minutes

Church Potluck

An American Pope: Early Reactions to Leo XIV

Send us a text In this special Church Potluck episode, host Dale McConkey welcomes a lively panel of guests—including longtime podcast contributor Dr. Michael Papazian, first-time guest and Catholic partisan Rita Lawler, and a bonus interview with Catholic theologian-in-training Brett Adams—to reflect on the historic election of the new pope: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost. The conversation covers a wide range of theological, cultural, and political implications of having the ...

6 months ago

56 minutes