In this episode, I welcome Dr. Steven Tsoukalas to explore the often-overlooked but critically important topic of Great Gulfism—a pervasive but subtle heresy in modern Christianity that posits a vast, unbiblical separation between God and the material world. Drawing on the insights of theologian T. F. Torrance, Dr. Tsoukalas critiques the dualistic thinking inherited from Neoplatonism and Deism, which portrays God as a distant, spatially removed being. Instead, he contends for a thoroughly incarnational theology grounded in Nicene and Chalcedonian Christology: that the Triune God is not merely “up there,” but fully present with us in space and time through Jesus Christ.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Ayars and Dr. Tsoukalas wrestle with the tension between divine transcendence and immanence, the implications of the homoousios doctrine, and the need to nuance classical concepts like immutability and impassibility in light of the incarnation. The dialogue includes practical reflections on worship language, sacramental participation, and pastoral theology, culminating in a powerful affirmation of Christ as our great High Priest who mediates worship with us—not from afar. This episode is a compelling invitation to examine how our language, theology, and worship reflect—or distort—the truth of the Triune God revealed in Christ.
