New Testament scholar and Holy Post pundit Amy Peeler joins Kaitlyn to talk about Mary the mother of Jesus, the nature of the Trinity, and fairytales in the Bible! Dr. Peeler answers “If Jesus’ dad is the king, is his mother the queen?” with both a yes and a no! Plus: Kaitlyn and Dr. Peeler talk about how Protestants should honor and value Mary.   - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   - Sponsor - Learn from some of the world’s most brilliant minds with this 10-day event at Calvin! Go to https://www.calvin.edu/JANUARY

Pastor and author Mike Erre joins Kaitlyn this week to answer “How do we know when God is talking to us?” Mike reminds us how amazing it is that God talks to us at all, and gives biblical guidance on discerning when God is speaking. Kaitlyn and Mike share how they have heard God in their lives, and why they believe God still speaks to his people today. - Sponsor - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!

In a special bonus episode, Kaitlyn teaches the story of Jonah to two Sunday School students. It's full of rabbit trails, random questions, and surprisingly profound insights that can only be found in a Sunday School classroom. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have Kaitlyn as your Sunday School teacher, here's your chance to find out! Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/curiously to download the app today! Sponsor - Dwell's daily devotional guides you through scripture every morning. Head over to https://www.dwellbible.com/ck to claim a 25% discount today!

This week we answer the question on every little kid's mind tonight: Is Santa real? Scholar and author Grace Hamman answers this question, with a twist. She tells us the story of the real St. Nicholas - the shoes, the miracles, the theological bickering! - and explains what Christians today can learn from the faithful of the past. Sponsor - Get a 2 month free trial of the Logos Bible Study app when you go to https://www.logos.com/CURIOUS

Justin Brierley joins Kaitlyn to answer one of the most important questions we’ve heard: How do we know God is real? Justin explains some compelling reasons to believe in God, describes the difference between knowing and proving that God is real, and helps parents and Sunday school teachers talk to kids (and grown ups!) about believing in God in our pluralistic and skeptical age. - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month - Sponsor - HELLO NED - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off.

New Testament scholar Dr. Jonathan Pennington joins Kaitlyn to talk about two big ideas: the kingdom of God and eternal life. Are these two things different? Can we have eternal life without the kingdom, or the kingdom without eternal life? Dr. Pennington helps us see how the life and teaching of Jesus point to the good news of God's just and loving reign over all things.   - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month

Our very own New Testament scholar Dr. Esau McCaulley joins Kaitlyn to talk about fear: who feared Jesus, who felt safe with Jesus, and how scary the resurrection might actually be. Dr. McCaulley shows us how Jesus' disciples responded to him in different stories in the gospels, eventually pointing us towards the (somewhat terrifying!) hope that Jesus' resurrection gives us.   - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/curiously to download the app today!    - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Biblical scholar and president of the National Association of Evangelicals Walter Kim joins Kaitlyn to talk about the Tower of Babel! Dr. Kim explains how the Bible is historically reliable - but also why that question is less important than what the story in Genesis 11 teaches us about humanity and God. He even draws on ancient inscriptions to explain this strange story -  in a way that actually makes sense!   - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   - Sponsor - The Leader’s Way Podcast - Want to enrich your ministry to bring hope to the world? Listen to Christian thinkers and leaders at https://berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/about-transforming-leaders/the-leaders-way-podcast   - Sponsor - BioLogos - Go to https://biologos.org/podcast/language-of-god/ and check out the Language of God podcast!

For this week's Curiously, Kaitlyn, we're releasing a Holy Post Plus Exclusive episode of Getting Schooled by Kaitlyn Schiess. Revelation is perhaps the most mysterious book in the Bible. Many take it as a map of the future—but maybe it's more about theology and faithfulness than we realize! Kaitlyn breaks down how this book which often scares us is actually a strong message of hope. - Sponsor - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off.  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order Recommended Resources Reading Revelation Responsibility: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb of Creation: https://a.co/d/3AV5sWx The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology): https://a.co/d/5MWOtzi Comfort and Protest: The Apocalypse from South African Perspective: https://a.co/d/c4TCydL

Author and astrophysicist Deborah Haarsma joins us to tackle a tough theological and scientific question - why did God make the other planets? Dr. Haarsma shows us how Scripture describes God's cosmic creation, tells us how her scientific training helps her experience God in a different way, and gives us some guidelines for thinking about faith and science. - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/curiously to download the app today!

Pastor and theologian Corey Widmer is back, this time to talk about how to read the Bible well, how to understand violence in the Bible, and how to think about the Trinity. This week, an older kid asks "Does the God of the Old Testament and Jesus have different moralities?" Dr. Widmer teaches us how understanding who God is can help us better understand confusing or even horrifying stories in Scripture. - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out!  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order Book Resources: The God I Don't Understand by Chris Wright Old Testament Ethics for the People of God by Chris Wright Getting Involved With God: Rediscovering the Old Testament by Ellen Davis The Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter

Music director and producer Dr. Wen Reagen joins us to talk about angels, ghosts, and demons, oh my! Dr. Reagan explains the different kinds of angels, how depictions of angels have changed throughout church history, and what he thinks about Halloween.    - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order   - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out!

New Testament scholar Nijay Gupta joins Kaitlyn to answer another baptism question: why do we have to go underwater?! Dr. Gupta explains the significance of water in the ancient world and in the Bible, and shows us how something scary can also be beautiful. - Sponsor - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off. - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out!

Pastor and theologian Sharon Hodde Miller joins Kaitlyn to answer a deeply personal and theological question: how do we know what God wants us to do? Dr. Miller explains three different levels of this question, and offers practical advice for people seeking God’s will for their life.  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out!

Dr. Keith Johnson joins Kaitlyn to answer the question: Why are we in the world if we are just tiny specks to God? Dr. Johnson teaches us about creation, why God does anything, and if we actually are just “tiny specks” to God. Plus, he answers an even thornier question: Why did God make us in the first place, especially if he knew we would sin? - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out!

This week, instead of kid questions, we're talking about YOUR questions! Kaitlyn is joined by Producer Mike to answer questions about the Trinity, teaching kids in church, and complementarianism. Plus: Kaitlyn gets some pop quiz kid questions! - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/introduction-difficult-conversations-podcast-series/ to check it out! - Sponsor - The Leader’s Way Podcast - Want to enrich your ministry to bring hope to the world? Listen to Christian thinkers and leaders at https://berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/about-transforming-leaders/the-leaders-way-podcast

Pastor and theologian Steve Bezner joins Kaitlyn to answer a series of important questions: Why do we have to get baptized? Does it have to be in front of other people? Do I have to say all the words? Dr. Bezner helps us understand what baptism means, why we do it, and why those other people being there is important.  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order - Sponsor - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!

Theologian Gayle Doornbos joins Kaitlyn to tackle a tricky question with big implications: Does God control us, or do our brains do that? Dr. Doornbos helps us understand how God’s sovereignty and our agency can possibly make sense together. Then she answers another tricky kid question: If God is in control, does that mean he makes us do “the bad stuff”? - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY - Sponsor - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off.

Pastor and theologian Corey Widmer joins Kaitlyn to talk about two things that have confused and divided Christians for centuries: baptism and communion. Dr. Widmer helps us understand what these sacraments are, how they’re related to each other, and why some traditions “fence the table.” Plus: he and Kaitlyn agree that sometimes you need to dance to communion. - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Pastor and theologian Mika Edmondson joins Kaitlyn to talk about Satan, the problem of evil, and redemptive suffering. Dr. Edmondson tackles two tough kid questions about Satan: Why doesn't God take away Satan's power? Why does God sometimes let Satan do whatever he wants? He and Kaitlyn also discuss how the Black church has endured suffering, and what we can learn from their witness in American history today. - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code CURIOUSLY to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware! - Sponsor - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!

Theologian Dr. Han-Luen Kantzer Komline joins Kaitlyn to answer a huge question: Where does evil come from? Dr. Kantzer Komline explains some wrong answers to the question, some biblical passages that can help answer it, and a better question we can ask instead. (And, surprise, there’s more Augustine!) - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month  - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Historian and pastor Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt joins Kaitlyn to help us understand how the Bible comes to us. Who passed it down to us? What languages has it been it? How can we trust that we’re hearing from God in the Bible? Dr. McNutt shows us how even the story of Bible translation and transmission is a testament to God’s grace and provision for us. - Sponsor - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off. - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/curiously

Pastor and theologian Alex Sosler joins Kaitlyn to talk about a question kids and grown-ups keep asking ourselves: how do we know when we have a strong relationship with God? Dr. Sosler reminds us that we are secure in our relationship with God, and that God has given us regular practices to receive grace from God. Plus: there’s even more Augustine! - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code CURIOUSLY to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware! - Sponsor - Better Help - Go to https://www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month

Who could possibly answer a fantastic and hilarious question like “Is Jesus big enough for everyone to take a bite of him?” Someone who knows her theology AND her bread, baker and writer Kendall Vanderslice. Kendall and Kaitlyn talk about communion/the Lord’s supper/the Eucharist: what it is, what it means, and why the bread should taste good. Sponsor - Purity Wood - Go to https://www.puritywoods.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Pastor and theologian Glenn Packiam answers “Why do they do songs in church? Some kids can’t really understand the songs!” He and Kaitlyn discuss why songs are part of Christian worship and why we do things in worship that we don’t always understand. Plus, they talk about Kaitlyn’s favorite topic: welcoming kids in church, noises and wiggles included. - Sponsor - Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off. - Sponsor - Dwell's daily devotional guides you through scripture every morning. Head over to https://www.dwellbible.com/ck to claim a 25% discount today!

Theologian Dr. Joseph Gordon joins Kaitlyn to tackle one of our most frequently asked questions: Do dogs go to heaven? Dr. Gordon answers the question, but also gives us a much bigger theology of creation, redemption, and creaturely life on earth. Plus, we also tackle even harder questions like: Do snakes go to heaven? What about mosquitos? - Sponsor - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/curiously - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code CURIOUSLY to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware!

Children’s ministry expert Dr. Scottie May joins Kaitlyn for an extra-special episode of Curiously, Kaitlyn! Instead of answering a kid question about God, Kaitlyn asks Dr. May all about how we talk to kids about God: How do we talk about hard things in the Bible with kids? How do we get kids to love learning about God, instead of memorizing facts about the Bible? What can we learn from kids about God? Plus: why Dr. May doesn’t like the term “Sunday school.” Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order Sponsor - www.betterhelp.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 10% off your first month

Dr. Carmen Imes joins Kaitlyn to answer the question “Why did God choose the Israelites as his special people out of everyone else, and bless them in a certain way he didn’t bless others?” Dr. Imes takes us back to the Bible, pointing us to the reason God gives for choosing Israel and blessing them: so that they can be a blessing to all of creation. Dr. Imes teaches us a fancy new Hebrew word, gives us lots of biblical examples of what it means to bless the nations, and even touches on one of Kaitlyn’s favorite phrases, “a city on a hill.” Sponsor - Purity Wood - Go to https://www.puritywoods.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order

Dr. Matthew Lynch joins Kaitlyn to answer two kid questions today: Why does God destroy stuff? and Why did God send the flood? We talk about the story of the great flood, why it happened, and God’s promise never to destroy the world with a flood again. Plus, Dr. Lynch describes a few different ways people think about violence in the Bible. Go to https://helloned.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout to get 15% off.

Dr. Barry Jones joins Kaitlyn to answer a question that we have probably all wondered at some point: Why do we fight God in our hearts? Dr. Jones gives us a theology of sin – where it started, how we encounter it, and what God has done to defeat it. Then he offers some practical help for addressing the sin we find in ourselves: practices of prayer and surrender that acknowledge our dependence upon God to save us from the power of sin. - Sponsor - Purity Wood - Go to https://www.puritywoods.com/CURIOUSLY or enter code CURIOUSLY at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order.

Mike Erre joins Kaitlyn to answer the question “Does God bring heaven to earth?” They talk about what “heaven” is, what it means for God to bring it to earth, and Mike predicts exactly when God will do it (not really). Plus, Mike explains why the Bible sometimes calls the world “good” and other times tells us to hate it. Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Theologian Matthew Emerson joins Kaitlyn to answer a surprisingly complicated question: Where did Jesus go when he died on the cross? Dr. Emerson gives us a simple answer that opens up lots of other questions: What is the “Paradise” Jesus talks about on the cross? What did Jesus do while he was there? Plus, Dr. Emerson helps us think about the theology all Christians share vs. the theological questions that can divide us. - Sponsor - Magic Spoon - Go to www.magicspoon.com/CURIOUS and use code CURIOUS to get $5 off The Last Judgement

One of the most common Sunday school questions is also a really contentious one! Theologian Fellipe Do Vale joins Kaitlyn to tackle the question: Is God a boy or a girl? Wrapped up in that one question are lots of other important questions: How is God like (and unlike) us? What does it mean to be a boy or a girl? Why is this such a contentious question? Dr. Do Vale helps us think through this question in a way that glorifies God, honors humans made in God’s image, and helps us keep asking more questions! Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

Theologian Fred Sanders joins Kaitlyn to answer a very important and very common question for Christians: what is going on with the Trinity? Dr. Sanders explains why the Trinity is so important for understanding the gospel, why analogies for the Trinity aren’t usually helpful, and how God can exist as three persons (and what “persons” means!).

Kaitlyn is joined by theologian Marc Cortez to answer the question: What will my grandma look like in heaven? Will she look like I remember her, or will she look younger? Kaitlyn and Dr. Cortez also discuss other questions about our life in eternity: How old will we be? Will we be the same gender? Will we recognize each other? Dr. Cortez also teaches us why these questions are surprisingly important for understanding humans, God, and God’s plan for creation.

Biblical scholar (and Holy Post pundit!) Dr. Amy Peeler joins Kaitlyn to tackle the question of a budding theologian: Why does Paul say that men are made in the image of God, and not women? (Does Paul say that?) Kaitlyn and Dr. Peeler cover this important question, as well as some others: Who is Paul and why do we care what he thinks? What does the Bible say about women? How should we handle places in Scripture that seem to contradict?

Theologian Brad East joins Kaitlyn to answer a really important question we have probably all asked: how do we know that the Bible is true? Dr. East also answers questions we might not think to ask but that are also really important: What is the Bible? How did we get it? How are we supposed to read it? We learn three analogies for understanding what the Bible is, some guidelines for how to read it well, and some encouragement to stay curious about passages that are confusing or challenging.

This week theologian Beth Felker Jones joins Kaitlyn to answer a question most of us have probably wondered about: Is God everywhere? And if God is everywhere, why can’t we see God? Dr. Jones explains how God is different from everything God made, how we really will see God “face to face” one day, and how we actually can see God now. Plus, our first “Greatest Moments in Sunday School History” segment!   Sponsor - Brazos Press, Christian books that further conversations and inspire wonder - Go to www.bakerbookhouse.com/theholypost to get 30% off your next Brazos book purchase!

Kaitlyn is joined by biblical scholar Dru Johnson this week to answer some very practical questions about Adam and Eve: were they created as babies or adults? How did they know about babies? How would Eve have even known she was pregnant? Along the way, we’ll discuss how to read confusing biblical texts, how to ask good questions of the Bible, and why Genesis is so concerned with procreation.

Kaitlyn is joined by theologian Christa McKirland to answer this week’s question, “Why do humans not have superpowers? I’d like to fly.” This might sound like a silly question, but it opens up a whole bunch of important theological ideas: why humans were made as dependent creatures, what the “image of God” really means, and what our resurrected bodies will be like. Plus, Christa argues that we actually do have superpowers! (What are they? You’ll have to listen to find out.)

Kaitlyn sits down with Dr. Daniel Hill to answer this week's question, "How come no one is perfect and how was Jesus perfect, even though humans are not supposed to be perfect?" It may seem obvious that of course humans aren't supposed to be perfect, but what are we missing when we define our humanity by our sinfulness? What if there is more to the story? What does it actually mean to be truly human?

Here is the trailer for Kaitlyn Schiess's new podcast, Curiously Kaitlyn! It'll make you laugh. It'll make you cry. It'll make you actually be able to understand profound theological truths like never before! Follow today so you don't miss out!