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.
39. Remembering Clayton Christensen
38. Connection Through Prayer - Thomas McConkie
37. Stories and Sin - Adam Miller
36. Women in the Church - Valerie Hudson
35. The Priesthood Power of Women - Barbara Morgan Gardner
34. A Faith Journey - Tim and Aubrey Chaves
33. (More) Gems of the Restoration - Patrick Mason
32. Gems of the Restoration - Fiona Givens
31. Life on the Road to Emmaus - Terryl Givens with Rosalynde Welch
30. Can our faith embrace evolution? Terryl Givens with Dr. Heath Ogden | Part 2
29. Can our faith embrace evolution? Terryl Givens with Dr. Heath Ogden | Part 1
28. Confessions of an "Odd Intellectual" - Terryl Givens with Samuel Brown
27. Is patriarchy a problem for the modern church? Rosalynde Welch with Linda and Richard Eyre
26. Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause - Terryl Givens with Neylan McBaine
25. Why do people leave the Church? Jana Riess with Melissa Inouye
24. What role do members have to play when loved ones leave? David Ostler with Melissa Inouye
23. Tom Christofferson and Patrick Mason on the reversal of the Church's policy on gay families
22. The Spiritual Journey - Terryl Givens with Thomas McConkie
21. Waking Up, Growing Up: A Conversation with Thomas McConkie Part 7
20. Waking Up, Growing Up: A Conversation with Thomas McConkie Part 6
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)