Theology in the Raw

I stumbled upon Preston Sprinkle a few years ago when I purchased his book, Living in a Gray World: A Christian Teen’s Guide to Understanding Homosexuality (click here for my review). I found his perspective, approach and outpouring of grace towards the LBGTQ+ community to be very refreshing. I desired to know more about Preston Sprinkle and after a quick Google search I stumbled upon a much-needed, highly respected organization that he is a part of called, The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender, as well as his podcast, Theology in the Raw. 

Sprinkle is a professor, speaker, and NY Times bestselling author who is passionate about Jesus and discussing the challenging, uncomfortable, and often closeted topics that the Church tends to be quiet about. As a former journalist who also enjoys venturing into the uncharted waters of controversial, hot-button issues, Sprinkle’s work had me hook, line and sinker. 

Theology in the Raw is not afraid to “go there.” This podcast encourages raw, real, and honest conversation that boast of humility, vulnerability, and exposing everything out in the open. There are hundreds of episodes that discuss a broad range of topics such as sexuality, violence, addiction, racial tensions, American culture and more. Each episode tackles a particular cultural theme and challenges it from a biblical perspective of what the Bible says and what it actually means [to apply it]. 

Sprinkle’s guests vary in profession, background and experience and are as diverse as each subject that is addressed. It took me a few episodes to appreciate Sprinkle’s interview style because Theology in the Raw is unlike any other structured or news-driven podcast. The flow of the show is unique because of the effortless, uninhibited, and endearing interaction between the show’s host and its guest.

Sprinkle is an attentive listener who asks engaging questions and regularly follows up or asks the guest to expand on what they had just said. Even though he appears prepared to host each episode, it seems Sprinkle would rather push a specific agenda aside and instead allow for natural conversation with his guest to steer the direction of the show. This makes the show listen more like genuine dialogue amongst two people instead of a formal, Q&A interview. Sprinkle has a genius ability to discern between keeping the conversation on topic and providing the guest breathing room to vent, explain, instruct or simply, tell their story. 

I have personally listened to multiple Theology in the Raw episodes on government policy, gender identity, sexuality, and race. While I value all of his guests and the individual discussions Sprinkle conducts, I feel his best episodes are those that pertain specifically to sexuality and gender identity. My feedback is Sprinkle is more of a “master” on particular subject matters rather than a “jack of all trades.” Because of this, Theology in the Raw is one of my “source” podcasts for all things pertaining exclusively to sexuality and gender identity. 

Theology in the Raw rips the band-aid off the surface of shallow theology and exposes the gritty, raw reality of what it means to live a counter-cultural life for Christ. It is sincere in its approach to tackle the awkward and uncomfortable topics and doesn’t shy away from righting wrongs and disclosing individual offenses.

You can find Theology in the Raw on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Tune In. 

To learn more about Preston Sprinkle and his involvement with the Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender, check out prestonsprinkle.com and centerforfaith.com.  

The Short List

Audience: Anyone interested in the biblical perspective on all things deemed “off-limits” or controversial by mainstream Christianity, specifically issues related to sex & gender 

What to Expect: Raw reality [about culture and current events] discussed through a biblical perspective

Episode Run Time: 50-60 minutes (average)

Episode Release: Twice weekly 

*Prior to reviewing any podcast, I commit to listening to a minimum of 3 full episodes.

**The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.