https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-bu3hy-1b74c83
In John 14, Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus gives him a pained look and answers, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” If we want to know who God is, we look to Jesus, and when we do, we find a vulnerable God.
Pastor and theologian Kenneth Tanner joins Dennis to talk about his new book, Vulnerable God: How Jesus Upends Our Assumptions About God and Shows Us How to Be Human. Tanner argues that Jesus doesn’t blend our ideas of God with our ideas of humanity. Instead, Jesus interrogates both. In his words, “Jesus is the one who shows us what power even is.” That means power looks like silence in the womb, helplessness in a manger, and surrender on a cross, not coercion or force.
In this episode:
- Tanner’s journey from a Pentecostal upbringing in Orlando through the charismatic movement to a liturgical church, the Book of Common Prayer, and weekly Eucharist
- Why the Word who spoke the cosmos into being accepts silence in the womb
- A fresh look at the three temptations in the wilderness as a test about power
- What the Black church’s witness teaches about a God who is with us in suffering
- Resisting cynicism and false stories about God and ourselves, especially on social media
Resources:
Substack – https://kennethtanner.substack.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kenntanner/
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