As Holy Week and Easter Sunday approach, we thought it would be helpful to visit with someone who could help us reflect on these sacred events in a new way. Our guest today, Dr. Kerry Muhlestein, recently wrote The Easter Connection, which dives into the biblical account of Holy Week and illuminates the theme of eternal unification. In this short book—you could read it in just one sitting—Kerry explores the various ways Jesus’s final week teaches us about disconnection, and the idea that through the atonement of Jesus Christwe can overcome the separation that seems to be at the heart of our suffering.
One of the things we appreciated about our conversation with Kerry is that, while his new analysis offers a fresh understanding of the atonement, he also leaves space for the mystery of the atonement, and the ways it surpasses our understanding. Holy Week is a time for contemplation, of sitting with the story of Jesus’ atonement and death on the cross and letting it transform us. While we always hope for new insights that increase our understanding, the magnitude of what we can’t comprehend about the story is part of what keeps us coming back to the story again and again. We appreciate Kerry drawing us to the beauty of mystery in the atonement.
We also appreciated the practical takeaways from Kerry’s book; when we see human suffering and sin as a product of separation and disconnection, it is easier to be merciful with people’s flaws and mistakes, not to mention our own. Kerry helps us see how love and unity are always what we are seeking, deep down.
Kerry’s book, The Easter Connection, is at Seagull, Deseret Book, and Amazon.
161. 15 Years to Redemption — A Conversation with Dave Durocher
160. Reckoning with Marriage — A Conversation with Rachel Rueckert
159. How to Celebrate Holy Week — A Conversation with Eric Huntsman
158. The Other Side Academy: "Zion with F-Bombs" — Joseph Grenny at Restore
157. Using Your Gifts for Good — A Conversation with Liz Shropshire
156. Friendship in Faith — A Conversation with Andrew Teal
155. A Year of War and Miracles — Svitlana Miller and Nancy Cadjan
154. Every Needful Thing — Melissa Inouye and Kate Holbrook
153. Developing Sexual Wholeness — Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
152. The Richard Bushman Interview
151. When Faith is Hard — A Conversation with Terryl Givens
150. How Are We Like the Ancient Christians? — A Conversation with Kristian Heal
149. Don't Let a Good Faith Crisis Go to Waste — Jared Halverson
148. Equal Partnership in Marriage — McArthur Krishna and Bethany Brady Spalding
147. Bittersweet - A Conversation with Susan Cain
146. Savior of the World - A Conversation with Esther Candari
145. Envisioning the Restoration's 3rd Century — Patrick Mason
144. The Art of Transformation — A Conversation with Makoto Fujimura
143. The Sin of Certainty — A Conversation with Peter Enns
142. The Truth Will Set You Free — A Conversation with Jason Portnoy
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Life After Ministry
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)