Guns and God
Conversations about places where faith and politics overlap, with particular interest in extremism and violence. Run by the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence www.csbvbristol.org.uk. Meet our hosting team. Helen Paynter is a Baptist minister and biblical specialist, and director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. Matthew Feldman is an expert on the radical right and director of the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right, although he speaks here in a private capacity. Maria Power is a Catholic social historian and an expert on peace-making initiatives in Northern Ireland. She is director of the Human Dignity Project at the Las Casas Institute, Oxford and research associate at the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. Michael Spalione is a political theologian and research associate at the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. We usually have an invited guest. Conversations focus on a diverse range of topics, such as antisemitism, the myth of redemptive violence, BLM, Islamism, and MAGA. Music at the beginning and end of each episode was from "Pride Cometh", used by kind permission of FALL Hardcore.
Episodes
24 episodes
The book of Revelation and violence ancient and modern - with guest Simon Woodman
In this episode, Helen speaks with Revd Dr Simon Woodman. Simon is minister at Bloomsbury Baptist Church London, and formerly New Testament lecturer at Cardiff University. He is the author of a number of books and articles including two which a...
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50:29
Modern appropriation of the book of Joshua - with guest Rachel Havrelock
In this episode, Helen speaks with Dr Rachel Havrelock about her new book The Joshua Generation: Israeli Occupation and the Bible. Rachel is
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1:00:57
Baptists Across Europe - challenges and priorities. With guest Tony Peck
In this episode Helen talks with Revd Anthony Peck, General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation. In the light of current challenges such as migration, the Crimean conflict, and the rise of far ri...
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38:37
Catholic Social Theology in Northern Ireland - with new co-presenter Maria Power
In this episode Michael and Helen interview Dr Maria Power. Maria is a Catholic social historian, and Senior Research Fellow in Human Dignity at the Las Casas Institute for Socia...
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48:51
The kingship of God and the Hebrew Bible - with guest Sam Brody
In this episode Michael and Helen talk with Dr Samuel Brody about Martin Buber's theology of the kingship of God, and how this might influence modern politics. Sam is...
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51:32
Being evangelical and non-violent, with guest Ron Sider
In this episode, Michael Spalione and Helen Paynter talk with Dr Ron Sider about non-violence, with particular reference to his recent bo...
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51:00
Human rights and dealing with difference - with guest David Montgomery
Helen and Matthew talk with Dr David Montgomery, Associate Research Professor at the Centre for International Development at the University of Maryland, and Director of CEDAR. Among other work...
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44:16
Prosperity gospel or good news to the poor? - with guest Danielle Mayfield
In this episode, Michael Spalione and Helen Paynter speak with Danielle (D.L.) Mayfield, author of The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and ...
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48:41
Evangelical Christianity and liberal politics in the USA - with new co-presenter Michael Spalione
In this episode we introduce Dr Michael Spalione, who will be co-hosting some future episodes. Michael has recently gained his PhD in political theology from Durham University (UK), although h...
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36:20
The myth of Islamisation in Central Asia - with guest John Heathershaw
In this episode, Helen and Matthew speak with Dr John Heathershaw, professor in the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at Exeter University. Is Central Asia really a crucible for Islamic terrorism? And how are such myths instr...
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53:58
The image of God and human violence - with guest Richard Middleton
In this episode, Helen and Matthew speak with Dr Richard Middleton, Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary, Rochester. Our conversation centres on ...
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44:31
The German Church and the Confessing Church in the lead-up to World War II - with guest Frank McDonough
In this episode, Helen and Matthew speak with historian Frank McDonough, about the crackd...
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41:29
Religion and Colonialism in Ireland and Rhodesia with guest Donal Lowry
In this episode Helen and Matthew speak with historian Dr Donal Lowry, senior member of Regents Park College, Oxford. Donal is an expert on the British Empire, particularly Rhodesia a...
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46:38
Religious language in the 'secular' mainstream - with guest Valerie Hobbs
In this episode, Helen and Matthew talk with Dr. Valerie Hobbs, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Sheffield. We talk about the way that religious language pervades and influences mainstream political discourse. Valerie...
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54:13
Political Islam and interfaith conversations - with guest Hifsa Haroon Iqbal
Matthew and Helen talk with Muslim community leader Hifsa Haroon Iqbal, MBE, about political elements of Islam, violence within the Q'ran and the Bible, dialogue between Jewish and Muslim women, and Christmas. Hifsa is trustee of the Islamic-Je...
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40:52
The myth of redemptive violence and gun culture - with guest Steve Harmon
Can we defeat the dragon without becoming the dragon? In this episode, Helen and Matthew talk with Revd Dr Steve Harmon, Professor of Historical Theology at Gardner-Webb University, North Carolina. Steve is the author of a number of books, most...
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50:33
Should Christians have a privileged voice in society? - with guest Paul Lusk
In this episode Helen and Matthew talk with Paul Lusk about the role that the church should occupy within the public square. Paul is the author of The J...
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57:37
Islamist extremism and the mainstream - with guest David Toube
Helen and Matthew talk with David Toube, director of policy at Quilliam, the counter-extremism organisation. Based on
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47:42
The Manosphere and the Radical Right - with guest Julia DeCook
Helen and Matthew talk with Dr Julia DeCook, assistant professor at the School of Communication, Loyola University, and Research Associate of the Centre for the Analys...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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50:12
The Moot: seeking a way out of fascism - with guest Jonas Kurlberg
In this episode, Helen and Matthew talk with Dr Jonas Kurlberg, about his book
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45:44
The American Right, the Left, and how history is remembered - with guest Matthew Rowley
In this episode Helen and Matthew talk with Matthew Rowley about his new book Trump and the Protestant Reaction to Make America Great Again. We discus...
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48:32
Antisemitism, tolerance and the limits of diversity - with guest Keith Kahn-Harris
In this episode, Helen and Matthew talk with Dr Keith Kahn-Harris, sociologist and author of Strange Hate...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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45:20
Black Lives, History and the Power of Symbol - with guest Liam Liburd
In this episode, Helen Paynter and Matthew Feldman talk with Dr Liam Liburd, historian at the University of Sheffield, whose special interest is decolonisation. We talk about the toppling of the Colston Statue, the Black Lives Matter prot...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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33:50