Vegan Theology: For the Least of These
A show dedicated to exploring the gap in Christian theology around creation care and the responsibility of humans to faithfully steward all of G-d's creation, including animals.
Highlights From The Oxford Center For Animal Ethics Summer School 2026
In this episode we discuss our trip to the 11th Annual Oxford Center for Animal Ethics Summer School as well as some of the ways God is working in our lives.
Links we reference:
https://www.nestofkin.com/en/creativeconcepts
https://janeoharaprojects.org/store/p/beasts-of-burden
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11905922/?_ssoLoop=1
Ask The Animals: G-d vs. Monsters
We revisit the monsters in the book of Job: Leviathan and Behemoth. Author Robert Paul Seesengood helps us to understand the role and significance these monsters held to Job, and to the ancient near-eastern people in general.
Ask The Animals: Wild Christology
We begin this episode with a little conversation about the spiritual forces behind animal exploitation. Then we discuss the wonderful first chapter of Ask the Animals: Wild Christology: On Foxes, Birds, and the Son of Man, by William “Chip” Gruen.
Ask The Animals: Intro
Developing a biblical animal hermeneutic is our focus as we begin working through the book: Ask the Animals, ed by Arthur Walker-Jones and Suzanna Millar. We discuss passages from Job, from which the title of this book is taken. And we look at the language (pronouns) used for animals in our Bible translations. How we talk about animals matters. We’re excited to be enlightened in our animal hermeneutics by the eighteen contributors to this book!
Toward an Animal Hermeneutic
The lengths that theologians, philosophers, and scientists will go to deny animals moral consideration is astounding. The anthropocentric status quo so often holds more weight than faithful interpretation or intellectual honesty. We discuss a conversation with a theologian friend, as well as an article by Grace Clement, “Animals and Moral Agency: The Recent Debate and Its Implications.”
A Sermon on the Image of G-d
Here is the sermon Sarah recently gave to our local church congregation. While not explicitly vegan, hopefully it meets the congregation where they are and lays a biblical foundation for the vegan ethic. What are your thoughts? We also discuss the direction of our next several episodes which will focus on animal spirituality, and an animal-centric hermeneutic.
http://peaceofchrist.church/sermons
Interview with Dr. Marcello Newall
A delightful conversation with Dr. Marcello Newall - Vegan Theologian. Enjoy!
Resources:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3616-7702
Moltmann’s Eschatology: Messianic Millennialism
A breakdown of millennialism and how it affects how we treat the world. We discuss Moltmann’s unique eschatology which doesn’t fit neatly into a-, pre-, or post- millennial framework.
Moltmann and Liberation Theology
A lively discussion of Liberation Theology and Moltmann’s interaction with Liberation theologians. Liberation Theology’s main concern of how best to stand with the oppressed is every bit as relevant today.
What Made Moltmann's Theology of Hope Unique?
Metz, Schillebeeckx and Pannenberg were Moltmann's contemporaries who each developed their own theologies of hope. However, their magisterial Christianity hamstrung their theologies while Moltmann’s radical protestantism freed him to construct a more cohesive and transformational theology of hope.
Escaping the World: The Antithesis of Hope
A look at gnosticism and platonism and their influence on Christian theology.
Repairing The World: Moltmann's Rediscovery of Tikkun Olam
In this episode we continue discussing Marcello Newall’s dissertation: Repairing the World: tikkun olam and Jurgen Moltmann’s Theology of Hope focusing on Moltman’s rediscovery of tikkun olam.
Resources referenced in the making of this podcast:
20th-Century Theology: God and the World in a Transitional Age by Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/STx87_umQe2r1xq6byhbbA#/registration
Repairing The World: Historical Survey
We discuss the history of the concept of Tikkun Olam from biblical and rabbinical literature to the 21st century. And we continue to discuss how to keep hope alive.
Reference:
https://youtu.be/5EDKRGkgLsI?si=iJi5NG4vt7IP-gav
Repairing The World: Introduction to Tikkun Olam
In this episode we begin discussing the PhD thesis of Dr. Marcello Newell entitled ‘Repairing the World’: Tikkun Olam and Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Hope. You can request a copy here: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/35434/ On the Leeds university site you need to “request a copy” where it says “download” and the system should allow you access to it.
Highlights From Oxford Center for Animal Ethics - Summer School 2025
Highlights From Oxford Center for Animal Ethics - Summer School 2025: Ethics of Captivity
The Anarchist Anabaptist: Interview with Cody Cook
Let’s talk Anarchism and Anabaptism! We had the privilege of interviewing Cody Cook, author of The Anarchist Anabaptist: Essays on Radical Christianity and Freedom. It was a fun and enlightening conversation.
The B-I-B-L-E, Part 2
From the scribes of the first centuries, to the committees deciding what writings were included in the Bible, to the motivations behind the 1611 KJV, the 1909 Scofield Study Bible, the 1946 RSV, to the present moment, the people behind the Bible have been motivated by trends in culture, politics, and personal theologies. This has led to the marginalization, rather than the inclusion of many of G-d’s children. We are reminded that our faith should not be placed in a book. Our faith is in G-d.
Resources used in the making of this episode:
Misquoting Jesus: The St...
Encountering G-d
What’s more important: Knowing about G-d, or knowing G-d? We discuss some of the many ways we can foster an intimate relationship with G-d, and a few practices that have been life changing for us. The marvelous and mysterious truth is that G-d will always meet us right where we are when we seek encounter with G-d.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Pablo d’Ors: Biography of Silence
Thomas Keating: Intimacy With God
The B-I-B-L-E, Part 1
What exactly is the Bible, really? Kevin and I discuss how our understanding of the Bible has changed throughout our lives, and how that has impacted our relationships with God.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Systematic Philosophical Theology, Volume 1: Prolegomena, On Scripture, On Faith by William Lane Craig
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart. D. Ehrman
The New Testament Canon: Its Making and Meaning by Harry Y. Gamble
Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism by Ejijah Hixson...
Going to Church While Vegan
The tension of living vegan in a non-vegan world can be most acute at church. Today we discuss ways to help ourselves navigate this phenomenon with as much grace as possible. And we talk through the most vegan sermon we’ve ever heard!
Interview with Carol J. Adams
The legendary Carol J. Adams shared an hour with us to talk about her life’s work within Christianity, feminism, veganism, and her activism for marginalized beings. We had a chance to discuss her Prayers For Animals; and The Sexual Politics of Meat, as well as a few other books she’s written.
Here are a few of the feminist theological works she recommended to us in this interview: In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, by Elisabeth Fiorenza; The books of Rosemary Radford Ruether, including Women Healing Earth: Third World Women on Ecol...
Interview with Dr. Lisa Kemmerer
We had the honor of interviewing Dr. Kemmerer! Author of Animals and World Religions, Dr. Lisa Kemmerer joins us to discuss her life and work as an activist for anymals. She shares how her amazing life experiences motivate her to give back, and to leave the world a better place than she found it.
Animals and World Religions: Conclusion and Appendix
Dr. Lisa Kemmerer masterfully draws her book to its conclusion: All the world’s major religions are radically anymal friendly! Then the appendix serves to dispel any myths that anymal-exploiting industries are in any way humane, or acceptable within compassionate religions.
Animals and Islam
Perhaps most surprising of all the chapters in this book, (to us), Islamic sacred texts are brimming with explicit, specific, beautiful admonitions about how to treat animals with kindness and compassion. Allahu akbar!
Animals and Christianity
Dr. Lisa Kemmerer lays out a strong Christian Vegan Theology in this chapter. If the Christian is bound to protect the abused, the poor, the powerless, than anymals must be the responsibility of Christians.
Animals and Judaism
Once we begin to clear out some culturally instilled blindness, we see that the Tanakh (OT) is overflowing with evidence of G-d’s love for anymals!
Animals and Chinese Traditions
What do the core beliefs and teachings of Confucianism and Daoism say about our treatment of animals? These Chinese religious traditions have surprisingly specific instructions for us.
Animals and Buddhism
We continue discussing Lisa Kemmerer's book Animals and World Religions focusing on Buddhism's take on anymals.
Animals and Hinduism
Hinduism’s ancient texts are unambiguously concerned about the interconnected relationship between all atman (souls), humans and anymals.
Animals and Indigenous Traditions
How did Indigenous Religious Traditions view other animals? What Dr. Lisa Kemmerer reveals in this chapter may surprise and inspire you, as it has us!
Animals and World Religions: An Introduction
We’re excited to be launching into our next focus, the theologies of other religions as they apply to non-human animals! We will be using Lisa Kemmerer’s book, Animals And World Religions. Here we discuss the foreword and the introduction to what is sure to be an enlightening book.
Inspiration From the Words of Akbar Ali
Akbar Ali is an activist whose words have brought us much inspiration. He speaks with an almost prophetic voice about a world free of injustice and exploitation, even within the current context of Palestinian annihilation. He explains how his practice of “Utopia Building” helps him to not lose heart as he continues to work for a better tomorrow. We hope Akbar’s words will inspire you as much as they have us!
Youtube to One Year In: Reflections and the Ongoing Resistance:
https://youtu.be/vbGQ8w14o2Y?si=qQZ_XN_E5YUDJDR
Discussion of Our Interview with Dr. Rillera
In this episode we discuss some of the points that came up during our interview with Dr. Andrew Rillera and provide some responses.
Interview with Dr. Andrew Rillera
In this episode we interview Dr. Andrew Rillera about his book: Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus's Death.
Dr. Rillera teaches Bible and Theology at The King's University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Participatory Atonement
The last two chapters of Rillera’s transformative book do not disappoint! We learn to reframe many NT texts that are not attaching sacrificial language to the death of Jesus at all. We see that Jesus shows us how to live a cross-shaped life; God is our rescuer, not our condemner; and God’s justice has nothing to do with punishment!
The Atoning LIFE of Jesus
The letters of 1 John and Hebrews give us a developed theology about the saving life of Jesus and how we should participate in his life and suffering.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’ Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
Lamb of the Free
In this episode we discuss Chapter 5 of Dr. Andrew Rillera's Lamb of the Free and mention how Good the Good News actually is. We continue to question the ancient narrative of animal sacrifice.
Resources used is the making of this podcast:
Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’s Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels' Portrayal of Ritual Impurity within First-Century Judaism by Matthew Thiessen
The Limitations of the Kipper System
In this episode we discuss the limitations of Israel's kipper (decontamination) system and explore a few interpretations of the prophetic critiques of animal sacrifice.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’ Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
Ritual Cosmology Within Israel's Sacrificial System
The ritual cosmology of Israel saw the world in terms of the Holy/Common and the Pure/Impure. This episode explores the various ways these categories were dealt with within the sacrificial system.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’ Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context: A Survey of Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts by John H. Walton
Old Testament Non-Atoning Sacrifices
What in the world are non-atoning sacrifices?! Andrew Rillera helps us understand what many of us have been getting wrong–not all sacrifices were about atonement. So what were they for? In this episode, we find out.
Resources used in the making of this podcast:
Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’ Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
