In this episode of Ask a Theologian, I talk with Dr. John Anthony Dunn, associate professor at Bethany Seminary, about his new book, "Let the Mountains Drip Sweet Wine: A Biblical Theology of Alcohol." John explains he’s been working on it since signing the contract in 2013, aiming for a comprehensive biblical theology rather than a proof-text battle over whether Christians should drink. We discuss how Scripture presents alcohol as both blessing and danger, including Noah’s intoxication and wider biblical warnings about vulnerability, exploitation, and judgment. John also challenges the claim that biblical “wine” was unfermented grape juice, noting that fermentation happens quickly without refrigeration and that Passover timing implies the cup would have been wine. We briefly digress into modern winemaking, including Minnesota-grown varietals. More in part two.

I talk with Dr. Joseph Lear about Christian ethics—what’s right and wrong, a shared vision of the good, and how to live in a world that isn’t as it should be. We discuss sexuality as an everyday ethical issue, the importance of virtue and habits, and how spiritual disciplines can exist without real moral formation. We also explore ethical behaviour online, emphasizing generosity and knowing when to disengage. Dr. Lear connects ethics to eschatology in Luke-Acts: “the last days” prompts “what shall we do?” leading to sharing and justice, and he argues that losing kingdom-focused eschatological imagination fuels partisan visions like Christian nationalisms. He recommends resources and previews his forthcoming book on Pentecostal preaching.

Today we are introducing a new subseries, Ask a Theologian Junior Edition, and talk with Quinn Swoboda, a children’s pastor and theology student, about why parents feel afraid to discuss theology with kids—often from fear of being wrong and from church cultures where questions aren’t welcomed. We explore how kids read our body language and may stop asking if we react with anxiety, so I should affirm their curiosity, admit when I don’t know, and say we’ll figure it out together. We discuss why kids need theology because they’ll seek answers somewhere, and we talk about suffering, church hurt, and big questions like why good things happen to bad people. Quinn shares “Godly Play,” a narrative, wonder-question approach that helps kids engage Scripture without needing perfect propositional answers, and we end by encouraging parents to treat kids as fellow disciples who can even teach us.