The feud between Florida’s governor and Disney is getting hotter with new leaked footage of a Disney executive speaking about the company’s goals for LGBTQ representation. What are both the Right and Left getting wrong in the debate, and why should we see sexual orientation and gender identity as different from race? Also, new studies show an alarming rise in mental health disorders among teens, but there’s some good news for those involved in religious communities. Plus, Derwin Gray is back to talk about his new book, “How to Heal our Racial Divide.” He shares how his church is taking the call for racial reconciliation “from the seats to the streets,” and why so many church leaders remain afraid to talk about race.

News Segment

0:00 - Intro and updates

3:30 - Disney controversy update

26:43 - Teen mental health https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/31/student-mental-health-decline-cdc/

31:34 - Religion, college, and mental health https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/opinion/religion-school-success.html

https://neurosciencenews.com/religious-accountability-wellbeing-20126/

Interview with Derwin Gray “How to Heal Our Racial Divide” - https://amzn.to/3JaWnkn

Derwin Gray - derwinlgray.com

45:44 - Intro

47:18 - Book overview

49:01 - Multiethnic churches and resistance from leaders

1:01:13 - Christian responsibility in fixing unjust systems

1:09:09 - Police

1:17:11 - Importance of mourning

1:26:24 - Credits

Other resources mentioned: Holy Post episode 458: “The Gospel Demands Multiethnic Churches” - https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-458-the-gospel-demands-multiethnic-churches

Derwin Gray’s IG live with former CMPD Chief, Kerr Putney: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAxrK4hJzLj/

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases

The conservative (and maybe Christian?) satire site Babylon Bee has had their Twitter account suspended for giving a trans woman their “Man of the Year” award. Babylon Bee says they’re being punished for speaking the truth, but are they just being mean? And an essay in the Washington Post by Christine Emba says our sexual ethic of consent alone isn’t working. Has she uncovered evidence that our secular culture is more receptive to Christian sexual ethics than we thought? Then Kaitlyn Schiess talks with author, poet, and English profess Daniel Bowman Jr. about his book, “On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, & the Gifts of Neurodiversity.” Bowman, who is on the spectrum himself, dispels myths about autism and offers helpful ideas about how we can love those in our families and communities who are neurodiverse. Plus, an update from the Animal News desk.

Holy Post Patreon (now with book club!) - https://www.patreon.com/holypost

News Segment

0:00 - Intro
2:54 - Animal News
https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/no-more-monkey-business-publix-will-stop-selling-coconut-milk-collected-from-enslaved-monkeys/

10:41 - Babylon Bee
19:39 - Sexual ethics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/17/sex-ethics-rethinking-consent-culture/

Sponsor
49:24 - Faithful Counseling
faithfulcounseling.com/holypost

Interview with Daniel Bowman Jr.

https://www.danielbowmanjr.com

“On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, & the Gifts of Neurodiversity” - https://amzn.to/3qJnpZC

50:33 - Interview intro and book overview
54:38 - Loving neighbor
58:32 - Neurodiversity and Own Voices
1:02:56 - Culture making
“Culture Making” by Andy Crouch - https://amzn.to/3JXvQII

1:07:33 - Autism and the church
1:14:55 - Bad Christian stories
1:19:10 - Loving people across space
1:22:29 - End

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Before recently winning the NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle swimming championship, Lia Thomas competed in the sport as a man. Should that matter? David French talks with Skye Jethani about the complexities of transgender rights, and why we need a more nuanced understanding of what “equal protection” means in the law. Then, French says the real divisions in our culture and politics aren’t primarily between Republicans and Democrats, or between conservatives and progressives, but between a traditional understanding of liberalism and the dangers of illiberalism.

0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Trans athletes
“What Do We Do When People Are Equal, But Not Alike?” (David French article) - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/what-do-we-do-when-people-are-equal?s=r

34:28 - Liberalism and illiberalism
1:02:45 - EndHoly Post Patreon (now with book club!) - patreon.com/holypost

Florida is the latest front in the culture war with a controversial bill to prevent teachers from speaking to children about the existence of same-sex couples or transgender people. But is the bill so vague that it could also prevent schools from acknowledging opposite-sex married couples too? The crew breaks down the intent, and the possible side effects, of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. And, what does Disney’s response to the controversy tell us about where the wider culture is heading?

Then, pastor and president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC), Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, joins Skye for a conversation about the growing influence of Latinos within evangelicalism. He says the diverse perspectives of Latino Christians offers the white church a “view from below,” and promises to bring renewal to the American church, but we shouldn’t romanticize the movement either. Plus, an example of Christian Nationalism in the wild, and goats go to church.

News Segment

0:00 - Intro
5:21 - Animal News
https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/baaaaaaad-goats-break-into-alabama-church-shatter-glass-door.html

7:52 - An example of Christian nationalism
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/is-this-our-last-chance.html

19:49 - Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill
30:13 - Disney’s response

Sponsor
41:03 - Abide
abide.co/holypost

Interview with Gabriel Salguero

National Latino Evangelical Coalition: https://nalec.org
Gabriel Salguero: https://twitter.com/PastorsSalguero

42:14 - Interview start
45:36 - Latino evangelical experience in America
50:32 - Shared challenges
53:47 - Future of the church and evangelicalism
1:03:51 - Navigating recent tumultuous times
1:17:27 - Hope for the future

Other resources mentioned:
“The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself” (David Brooks article) - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/opinion/evangelicalism-division-renewal.html

The gang’s all here! Phil, Skye, Christian, & Kaitlyn are all in the studio for the first time ever to record this very special episode of the Holy Post. They retell the show’s origin story dating all the way to Phil’s talkshow dreams in the 1980s, how that accidentally gave rise to VeggieTales, why Skye got roped into the scheme, how Christian went from TV producer to podcast co-host, and how Kaitlyn is leveraging her new Holy Post notoriety. The crew then countdown the Top 10 stories of the last 10 years, and speculate about what the future holds for faith in America. Featuring original songs by Phil, voice messages from the audience, and a mythological Inuit knife, this is an episode for the ages!

Holy Post Quiz Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgIOoK0BpkY

Holy Post Patreon (now with book club!): patreon.com/holypost

Episode 500 merch: holypost.com/shop

Special thanks to: Waylon Klix, creator of brick characters included on episode 500 art card and in the video; Ellie Kleinsasser, creator of episode 500 merch design; and all our Patreon supporters who submitted voice messages! (For time’s sake, we couldn’t include all the voice messages we received, but we loved listening to every one that came in.)

0:00 - Intro song
00:42 - Voice messages: Shelby, Jared, Edgar
02:31 - Holy Post origin story
23:33 - News of the Butt
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X19305371

28:26 - Voice messages: JT, Jere
29:50 - Sponsor - Abide
http://abide.co/holypost
31:01 - Announcements
32:47 - Voice messages: Quinn, David
34:23 - 10 stories from 10 years, part 1
“Facts Are Our Friends: Why Sharing Fake News Makes Us Look Stupid and Harms Our Witness” (Ed Stetzer) - https://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/299041-facts-friends-sharing-fake-news-makes-us-look-stupid-harms-witness.html

52:20 - Voice messages: Michael, Catherine, Sarah, Ethan
55:21 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling
faithfulcounseling.com/holypost
56:31 - 10 stories from 10 years, part 2
“Justice” video (Bible Project) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A14THPoc4-

“Struggling with Evangelicalism” book (Dan Stringer) - https://amzn.to/3MTixL5

1:15:20 - “Crazy” song
1:17:20 - Looking ahead
1:27:59 - Voice messages: Raphael, Rick, Laura, Denise
1:31:01 - End

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Some Southern Baptists say if Voddie Baucham becomes the next president of the SBC it will be a step toward racial reconciliation. When Phil disagreed in a tweet last weekend, it triggered a social media tsunami. He responds to the controversy. Then, the Holy Post crew discusses Jemar Tisby’s recent article about how the murder of Trayvon Martin ten years ago ended white evangelicalism’s efforts at racial reconciliation. But was the movement flawed from its beginning in the 1990s? Then, Skye has a wide-ranging conversation with author and conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks. They cover recent efforts to rescue evangelicalism from politics, the loss of optimism in the 21st century, our naïveté about democracy, how the world is reacting to the war in Ukraine, and why the church needs to make spiritual formation more challenging not less.

 

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the heroic resistance the Russian troops have encountered raises new questions about patriotism. When is love for our country godly, and when does it unknowingly lead to evil? Plus, a new study tries to define Christian nationalism, explain why Black and White Christian nationalists are so different, and advise how to prevent the heresy from spreading in churches. Then, David Kinnaman, President of the Barna Group, is back for another “Barna Brief.” His latest research finds over 70 percent of pastors are very concerned about the spread of Christian nationalism, but most aren’t sure what to do about it. And - why measuring church attendance says almost nothing about a church’s spiritual health or effectiveness at making disciples.

News Segment:

0:00 - Intro
4:20 - Ukraine and patriotism
February French Friday episode - https://www.holypost.com/post/french-friday-putin-pentecostals-christian-nationalism

Interview with Robert Tracy McKenzie- https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-495-the-false-gospel-of-democracy-with-robert-tracy-mckenzie

23:50 - Christian nationalism and race
“Christian Nationalism and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection” report - https://bjconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Christian_Nationalism_and_the_Jan6_Insurrection-2-9-22.pdf

“Theology Cannot Save Us” article - https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/february-web-only/christian-theology-evangelicalism-cannot-save-us.html

“Trayvon Martin’s Murder and the Death of the Evangelical Racial Reconciliation Movement” article - https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/trayvon-martins-murder-and-the-death?utm_source=url&s=r

Sponsor
47:51 - Faithful Counseling
faithfulcounseling.com/holypost

Barna Brief with David Kinnaman:
49:44 - Interview start
51:40 - Reception to data on pastors
53:59 - Measuring effectiveness of discipleship
1:14:03 - Pastors’ concerns about Christian nationalism
1:23:40 - End

To learn more about Barna’s initiatives for supporting pastors, go to Barna.com/ResilientPastor

During the Cold War, conservatives prided themselves for their opposition to the Soviet Union and totalitarianism and blasted those who wavered as “un-American.” In the current crisis in Ukraine, however, we have seen some conservatives defending Putin and Russia. What happened? David French tries to explain why some Republicans and evangelicals foolishly see Putin as a hero and defender of Christendom. Then he discusses his recent article about the rise of Christian Nationalism. Why is it so appealing among independent, Pentecostal churches, how is it spreading beyond those circles, and why are educated, elite Christian leaders reluctant to speak up about it?

0:00 - Intro 
3:01 - Crisis in Ukraine“Burning Straw Men by the Bushel”- https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/burning-straw-men-by-the-bushel?utm_source=url

Putin’s February 21 address - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828“

We’re All Ukrainians Now” - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/were-all-ukrainians-now?utm_source=url

31:13 - Rise of Christian nationalism“The Seeds of Political Violence Are Being Sown in Church” - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-seeds-of-political-violence-are?utm_source=url

Why do black seminarians graduate with a lot more student debt than whites, and what does it mean for churches? A recent Gospel Coalition article by Alisa Childers argues that the word “deconstruction” is universally bad and should not be redeemed. Is she right or is it another example of Christians overreacting to a complicated issue?

Then Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn take Childers’ online quiz to determine whether they are progressive Christians. Anglican priest and author Tish Harrison Warren talks to Skye about her controversial New York Times column saying it’s time to end online streaming worship services, and she argues that the pro-choice movement is hypocritical for not making the choice to keep a child easier. Plus, Phil shares his hard won wisdom about what not to post on Twitter.

News Segment

0:00 Intro
3:56 - Trucker protests in Canada
6:55 - COVID death rate graph
https://twitter.com/philvischer/status/1495044505363492866

14:42 - Black seminarians graduating with more debt
https://religionnews.com/2022/02/17/black-seminary-grads-with-debt-higher-than-others-cope-with-money-and-ministry/

Glenn Packiam interview: https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-496-the-embrace-of-tyrants-the-despair-of-pastors

26:43 - Deconstruction
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/redeem-reconstruction/

Interview with Tish Harrison Warren

“The Systemic Realities Created by Legal Abortion” article - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/22/opinion/roe-legal-abortion.html

“Why Churches Should Drop Their Online Services” article -
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/opinion/church-online-services-covid.html

49:41 - Guest intro
51:40 - Abortion and a broken system
55:50 - Feminism and abortion
1:00:23 - Online worship services
1:01:42 - Importance of embodied worship
1:06:04 - Technology in community
1:18:25 - Pushback from people unable to attend services
1:29:37 - End

Other Links/Resources:
https://tishharrisonwarren.com/
“Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life” book - https://amzn.to/3IbFy9l

Patreon Bonus Segments:
Full abortion conversation with Tish Harrison Warren - https://www.patreon.com/posts/62922779/
Bonus news story - https://www.patreon.com/posts/62922997/

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

A scary number of Americans now say violence may be necessary to fix the country. A new report looks at what combination of beliefs cause a person to endorse political violence, and why it’s more common on the right. Then, in response to last week’s interview, Phil unpacks how our modern belief in human goodness explains the rise in authoritarianism and populism. And, why are U.S. Christians supporting the “Freedom Convoy” in Canada? A recent study from Barna found more than one-third of pastors have seriously considered leaving ministry in the last year. What’s behind this crisis? Is the problem our culture, church members, how we’ve structured ministry, or is it pastors themselves? Skye talks to Glenn Packiam about his new book, “The Resilient Pastor,” and why it’s time to reexamine our assumptions about the church and its leadership. Plus, scientists create an artificial fish powered by love.

News Segment

0:00 - Intro/updates from the crew
4:44 - Valentine’s Day
6:39 - Animal News
https://newatlas.com/robotics/biohybrid-fish-human-heart-cells/

13:08 - Recap: Last week’s interview with Robert Tracy McKenzie
https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-495-the-false-gospel-of-democracy-with-robert-tracy-mckenzie

18:08 - Study: Moral divisions and authoritarian leaders
https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/study-provides-first-evidence-of-a-causal-link-between-perceived-moral-division-and-support-for-authoritarian-leaders-62479

36:36 - Beliefs leading to endorsement of political violence
https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/victimhood-racial-identity-and-conspiracism-interact-with-christian-nationalism-to-lead-to-support-for-violence-62589
David French piece: https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-seeds-of-political-violence-are

50:53 - News segment wrap-up

Sponsor
53:04 - Faithful Counseling
faithfulcounseling.com/holypost

Interview with Glenn Packiam“The Resilient Pastor” - https://amzn.to/34WGgbK
https://www.barna.com/resilient-pastor/

54:17 - Interview intro
56:19 - “Pastor” definition and recent Barna stats
1:00:07 - Glenn Packiam’s story/pilgrimage
1:04:02 - Tension in how pastors spend their time
1:13:44 - Authority
1:21:10 - Slowing down
1:28:10 - What’s next?

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.