Anabaptist Theological Perspectives

Augustine, Manicheans, and the Hidden Roots of TULIP

Host Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) quotes scholar Ken Wilson, PhD, on his research of Augustine and the origins of Augustinian Calvinism. The episode summarizes Wilson’s abbreviated booklet based on his PhD thesis, explaining his methodology and main claims.
Topics covered include a chronological reading of Augustine’s works, comparisons with Stoicism, Neoplatonism, Gnosticism and Manichaeism, the early church fathers (patristics), and Augustine’s responses to Pelagianism. Wilson argues Augustine’s later deterministic theology—adopted by Luther and Calvin and crystallized in TULIP—was shaped by pre-Christian Manichean and Gnostic influences rather than the first three centuries of the church.
Key points: Augustine’s suspension from an early rule barring former Manicheans from office, brought about a decisive shift to non-free will around 412 CE, the reintroduction of “damnable guilt” and radical grace, and the claim that many scriptural interpretations used by Reformed theologians trace back to pagan determinist sources. Listeners should expect a concise, scholarly overview of Wilson’s argument and its implications for how we read Augustine and the foundations of Calvinism.

The Christian Origins of Christmas

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives explores the historical origins of Christmas, drawing on John Berger’s article "The Roundabout Way: Early Christians Determine the Date of Christmas" and the scholarship Berger cites, including a professor of history referenced in the piece.The episode walks through early Christian attempts to calculate the date of Christ’s birth and death: how Latin Christians settled on March 25 for Christ’s death/conception by applying the Jewish notion of "integral age" and connections to Passover/14 Nisan, which then produced December 25 (and January 6/7 in the East) as the Nativity. It also explains how Emperor Aurelian’s 274 A.D. Sol Invictus festival likely responded to—rather than originated—the Christian date, and traces how the feast spread (Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem) and how some traditions (e.g., Armenian) keep January 6.Key takeaways: December 25 is best understood as a Western Christian development based on theological and calendrical reasoning, not a straightforward borrowing from pagan sun-worship, and this research helps clarify modern debates about the holiday’s origins.

Don’t Dump Two Thousand Years: Integrating Jewish and Christian Atonement

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the doctrine of the atonement, engaging with ideas from a forthcoming book by Eitan Bar and reflecting on centuries of Christian theology.
Topics include penal substitution, the Jewish view of sacrifice as presence rather than punishment, the Christus Victor (victor) motif, the role of Satan in the passion narrative, debates over hell and universalism, and the danger of discarding two millennia of church reflection. Eicher argues for holding multiple atonement themes together—acknowledging penal language’s place while emphasizing cleansing, restoration, and the life-in-the-blood imagery.
Expect a thoughtful critique of both Reformation courtroom metaphors and modern reconstructions, historical references to temple and Torah practice, and pastoral concerns about how theological shifts affect Christian belief and practice.

Open Hands’ A Mission Model for Local, Lasting Change

In this episode Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) reflects on mission models past and present and features a recent presentation from the Anabaptist nonprofit OpenHands.org at Oak Hill Mennonite Church. The conversation examines how traditional material-driven missions have often failed to produce lasting spiritual change and contrasts that with Jesus’ model of meeting material needs while prioritizing spiritual transformation.Guest speakers from Open Hands explain their practical approach: savings-and-credit groups with local facilitators that center worship, teaching, mutual aid and economic cooperation. The episode includes concrete stories — a funeral collection that tested group ownership and a founding member attending anonymously — showing how local responsibility, not outside handouts, fosters cohesive, growing churches. Jerry also critiques colonial-era and modern material aid strategies and warns against the temptation to substitute Western wealth for spiritual formation.Key takeaways: sustainable mission requires local ownership, spiritual teaching woven into community practices, and outside funds used to train facilitators rather than replace local agency. For more, watch the Open Hands presentation on Oak Hill Mennonite Church’s YouTube and visit OpenHands.org; the organization currently has a matching fundraiser to support facilitator training.

Jews, Gentiles, and God’s Plan

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives continues a series on God’s chosen people, examining how God worked through Israel and then opened the way for Gentiles. Drawing from Old and New Testament texts—Isaiah 53, the stories of Rahab and Ruth, and Matthew 15’s Canaanite woman—Eicher revisits three core questions: Were the Jews God’s chosen people? Why were they chosen? Are they still chosen? He argues that choice and faith (beginning with Abraham) are central, not mere physical lineage.The episode covers Paul’s redefinition of what makes someone a ‘Jew’ (faith, not heritage), biblical examples of Gentile inclusion, and the theological tension between divine plan and human free response. Practical themes include humility for those welcomed as Gentiles, the role of faith in salvation history, and how unexpected forms of faith—like Rahab’s and the Canaanite woman’s—reveal God’s purposes.This is a solo reflection by Jerry Eicher offering biblical exegesis and pastoral insight. Listeners can expect close readings of scripture, thoughtful theological questions (including about foreknowledge and genuine human response), and encouragement to value faith over privilege.

When ‘Chosen’ Meets Controversy: A Christian Look at the Anti‑Jewish Surge

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives tackles the recent rise of anti‑Jewish sentiment in Christian circles, disentangling religious theology from political noise. Guests and figures cited include Tucker Carlson, Kirk Cameron, Douglas Murray, and key Pauline theology.Topics covered: whether Jews are God’s chosen people, why God chose Abraham, Paul’s redefinition of “Jew” to include believing Gentiles, and how Jewish cultural structures have been divinely preserved. Key points: the chosen status is rooted in faith, God builds on prior revelation rather than discarding it, Gentiles enter the promise by being made “spiritual Jews,” and Christians should avoid judging Jews by exclusively Christian standards or sliding into anti‑Israel rhetoric.Practical takeaway: engage the topic theologically and humbly, resist politicizing religious truth, and be cautious about the “anti‑Israel rabbit hole” while recognizing the cultural importance of Jewish continuity in Western civilization.

Old Man vs New Man: Reclaiming the Anabaptist Gospel

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the theology behind how the gospel is presented, focusing especially on challenges faced by ex‑Amish listeners. He critiques a works‑based understanding (including a Luther-influenced view) that equates 'stopping the law' with dying to the old self, and explains why that framework ultimately exchanges one works gospel for another.Eicher lays out the Anabaptist emphasis on the distinction between the old man and the new man and presents three core points: Christ fully paid the debt of the old man; the old man has been crucified with Christ and should be regarded as dead by faith; and God births a new man in believers who is righteous by nature and enabled to live holy. He urges preachers to restore the fullness of the new‑creation gospel.

From Amish Fiction to Armageddon: A Prophetic Wake-Up Call

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspective reflects on his unexpected journey into prophecy, including a pre‑COVID novel (Chosen to Die/The Road to Armageddon) that later echoed real events and led to church disciplinary fallout and his resignation.He surveys end‑times themes: the role and preservation of the Jewish nation, Romans 11 and Zechariah 14, the nature of God’s ‘‘wooing’’ of Israel, the Great Tribulation, martyrdom, and why he rejects the modern rapture doctrine as a 19th‑century innovation.Listeners can expect personal testimony, biblical interpretation of prophecy, practical implications for believers during tribulation, and a call to see the broad scriptural arc connecting Old and New Testament promises about Israel and the church.

Church version - The Wooing of the Human Heart: God as Warrior-Lover

This sermon message, “The Wooing of the Human Heart,” unpacks how God pursues relationship with humanity—especially the nation of Israel—by insisting on truth rather than mere displays of power. The speaker traces the theme from Abraham through the Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah and into Romans 11, using vivid images like the warrior-lover, the vineyard parable, and the language of divorce and restoration.Key topics include election and foreknowledge, the preserved remnant, Israel’s fall and future restoration, the grafting of Gentiles into the olive tree, and the role of discipline and consequence in God’s wooing. The message emphasizes God’s determination to win a free-willed love and the church’s call to humility within God’s covenantal plan.No external guests are featured; the episode is a reflective sermon aimed at helping listeners understand biblical pictures of divine love, judgment, and ultimate reconciliation.

When Church Meets Politics: The Turning Point Problem

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptic Theological Perspectives examines the growing mixing of church and politics in light of recent events surrounding Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, and emerging voices like Candace Owens and Ali Beth Stuckey. Eicher warns about the historical dangers of church-state entanglement, traces contemporary problems—women speaking to men in political-tinged church spaces, OnlyFans controversies, and the rise of polarizing media figures—and urges a return to non-political, biblical church leadership.Topics covered include the leadership vacuum at Turning Point after Charlie Kirk, concerns over women-led political influence, biblical roles for men and women, Jordan Peterson’s cultural observations, the OnlyFans debate and its pastoral implications, and historical parallels to Constantine and the state church. Eicher calls for churches to draw back from political entanglement and reassert traditional church authority and teaching.