The Best Christian Theology Podcasts in 2023
Truth For Your Eardrums
One of my favourite times in seminary was engaging in hallway conversations with trusted experts. With podcasts, we have conversational theology on demand.
As I’ve previously written, a good Christian podcast is clarifying, compelling, Christian, and cautiously current. All of the podcasts below do this well — itching curiosity and inspiring Christ-likeness with gospel truth.
This is my top ten list as a Christian living in Canada, with the aim of selecting the ones I believe will help you love Jesus more.
Group A (1-4)
Accessible for all people, regardless of religious affiliation.
1. The Confronting Christianity Podcast
Summary: exploring hard faith questions with guests.
Updated: weekly, with breaks between seasons.
Why I like it: Rebecca McLaughlin responded to 12 hard questions for the world’s largest religion in her award-winning book, and she continues to dig into research, bible study, and stories that propel the Christian faith forward. McLaughlin has an eye for skeptical questions. Her contagious curiosity brings listeners through various topics, including bible history, sexuality, genocide texts, AI, Gospel reliability, science, modernity, and more.
Best episode of 2023: What in the World is the Trinity? with Christy Thornton
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Subscribe via Training the Church
2. Reconstructing Faith
Summary: well-edited digital journeys through the perils and promises of faith.
Updated: weekly, with breaks between seasons.
Why I like it: When someone tells me, “I’m not a podcast person,” I recommend Reconstructing Faith because it’s not a normal podcast. Episodes have a visceral intensity and inculcate a Christ-centered hope. By weaving music, narrative, church history, and interviews together, Trevin Wax offers a masterclass in cultural engagement that is careful yet conviction-filled.
Best episode of 2023: Boys to Men, For Mission
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Subscribe via NAMB’s website
3. Gospelbound
Summary: interviews with Christian authors of new books, mostly.
Updated: 2-3 times per month.
Why I like it: Some books have so much filler they waste your time. When done well, podcasts centered around book author interviews, like this one, bring out the best of a book so that you either a) benefit without having to read the book or b) realize its benefits so much that you buy the book. Collin Hansen is the editor-in-chief at The Gospel Coalition; his experience there carries over into asking good questions here.
Best episode of 2023: What Happened to Historian Molly Worthen?
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Subscribe via TGC’s website
4. The White Horse Inn
Summary: conversations on reformed theology, culture, and apologetics, with occasional guest interviews.
Updated: weekly.
Why I like it: This was the first podcast I ever subscribed to. It grounded me in the gospel when I needed it most. I still need it, and so I still listen. Hosted by Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, and Walter Strickland, White Horse Inn is deep without being imposing; accessible enough for the curious high schooler while scholarly enough for an MDiv grad to take notes.
Best episode of 2023: Sharing Hope Through Hardship with Guest Joni Eareckson Tada
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Subscribe via whatever
Group B (5-10)
Less accessible than the ones above. But don’t worry, you’ll still benefit.
5. The RTS Washington Faculty Podcast
Summary: bible studies and conversations between theologians.
Updated: weekly.
Why I like it: This takes me back to my seminary days when students would raise difficult questions and ask for advice. And just like my profs did at Heritage Theological Seminary in Cambridge, these Reformed Theological Seminary professors work through difficult texts with grace and provide wisdom in response. Their series on the fruit of the Spirit opened my mind and helped me better live like Christ.
Best episode of 2023: Self Control (Fruit of the Spirit Part 8)
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Subscribe via their website
6. Rebuilders - Red Church
Summary: unpacking the complex global issues of our day.
Updated: 2-3 times per month.
Why I like it: Rebuilders isn’t theology proper, but it will help you keep a pulse on global trends in their historical and sociological contexts. The goal is not mere analysis; Mark Sayers repeatedly casts a vision for rebuilding institutions with pillars, starting with prayer. While I normally skip the first 3 minutes of banter, I respect Sayers for bringing a human element to cultural analysis.
Best episode of 2023: The rise of a new individualism
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Subscribe via their website
6. Life and Books and Everything
Summary: pastoral ministry, theology, and cultural commentary between friends and authors.
Updated: 2-3 times per month.
Why I like it: No longer under the banner of The Gospel Coalition, Kevin DeYoung has sprouted a new ministry: Clearly Reformed. Some content of this ministry articulates tenants of the reformed tradition (e.g. this video on Divine Simplicity). Others, like this podcast, seem to follow DeYoung’s curiosity and the topics he wants to add clarity to. Kevin DeYoung is a smart guy. I appreciate learning from him.
Best episode of 2023: Technology Is Neither Good, nor Bad, nor Neutral.
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Subscribe via Spotify
Subscribe via Clearly Reformed
7. Mere Fidelity
Summary: an intellectual community discussing the Bible and culture.
Why I like it: While I endorsed this podcast in my top ten last year, this year is a little awkward as I now work for them as their very part-time Social Media Manager. The strength of this podcast is its willingness to disagree and, relatedly, the eclectic friendship between the hosts: a biblical theologian (Alastair Roberts), a campus ministry and Ph.D. candidate (Derek Rishmawy), an ethics professor (Matthew Lee Anderson), and a pastor-theologian (Andrew Wilson).
Best episode of 2023: Tim Keller’s Legacy
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9. Grace in Common
Summary: neo-Calvinist perspectives on theology and culture.
Updated: weekly, with breaks between seasons.
Why I like it: By unpacking how theologians navigated the changes in modernity just on the early edge of the 20th century, this podcast has unpacked some foundational principles for navigating culture today. For example, the concept of Sphere Sovereignty can help us consider the place of religious freedom in a secular and pluralist democracy. But that’s just one example. If you listen, you’ll see there’s much more to neo-Calvinism than politics.
Best episode of 2023: Reflecting on Keller’s Center Church (live in NYC)
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10. Into Theology
Summary: two scholars unpack old, great theology books and make dad jokes along the way.
Updated: weekly (unless they’re on a break).
Why I like it: We shouldn’t think there was a gap in theological precision between Paul and the Reformation. There were plenty of great thinkers writing and preaching during that time. Ian Clary and Wyatt Graham are currently unpacking Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas (~1270). You can benefit from the podcast even if you haven’t read the book/chapter they’re discussing since they do lots of quote-reading, etc. It’s a good pod. Just a warning: most episodes contain dad jokes and giggling.
Best episode of 2023: Proverbs 1-9 — Introduction
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Ineligible but Otherwise Good Podcasts
Gavin Ortlund produces fantastic videos on his YouTube channel, Truth Unites. You can listen to them on Spotify and Apple. It would have been in my top ten, but I consider it primarily YouTube content rather than a podcast. Sorry.
Two new podcasts are also very good and yet, because they are so new, I did not consider them eligible for this “best of 2023” list. But if you like any of the podcasts above, you should check out the following:
Post-Christianity? with Glen Scrivener and Andrew Wilson. Spotify. Apple.
The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God with Justin Brierley. Spotify. Apple.