The Holy Post

In a recent editorial, Kevin DeYoung took aim at Christian commentators, including David French, for criticizing the social and political hypocrisies within white evangelicalism. DeYoung says these necessary corrections are better left to pastors rather than “professional writers, academics, and full-time commentators.” David and Skye respond to DeYoung’s editorial by explaining the good, and bad, reasons so few pastors are speaking prophetically in America today. Then, they turn their attention to the remarkable NY Times report about the U.S. military underreporting civilian casualties from drone attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. French explains why legally the terrorists, not the U.S. military, carry responsibility for these deaths, which leads to a wider discussion about the ethics of war in general, the way drones may change Americans’ view of war in the future, and whether the invasion of Iraq was justifiable to begin with.

0:00 - Intro

2:40 - Kevin DeYoung editorial on Christian commentators https://wng.org/opinions/deyoung-on-white-evangelicalism-1639659990

29:54 - Drone attacks, civilian casualties, and ethics of war https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/18/us/airstrikes-pentagon-records-civilian-deaths.html

Direct download: FF4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

After the mess that was 2020, we had such high hopes for 2021. Were our expectations met? Phil and Skye look back on the year when the evangelical empire dug in its heels. Those opposed to #MeToo and Black Lives Matter responded by labeling empathy a sin. Voices advocating for women and people of color within the SBC left the denomination. The Salvation Army reversed course on racial sensitivity, and female scholars faced a backlash for exposing Christian nationalism and patriarchy. Will 2022 be any different, or will the sorting of the entire culture into Red and Blue tribes continue? And how wide will the rift between classical and cultural evangelicals get?

Then, the president of Barna Group, David Kinnaman, joins Skye to launch a new reoccurring segment—Barna Briefs. Kinnaman reveals brand new data about the state of the church and how the pandemic has revealed wide discontent among churchgoers with their congregations. He also says popular church structures are clearly insufficient for forming mature disciples and new church models are desperately needed. Kinnaman also reveals an alarming number of pastors are ready to leave ministry. Is there a silver lining to all of the troubling data?

News Segment:

0:00 - Intro

4:34 - Looking back and looking ahead
https://www.holypost.com/post/438-the-year-that-unveiled-evangelicalism-with-john-fea

9:10 - Stories from 2021: The “sin of empathy” conversation
Holy Post episode 472 - https://youtu.be/D_NHhmdss5w?t=2000

12:28 - Was 2021 “The Empire Strikes Back”?

15:47 - Russell Moore and the ERLC
Painting Phil references - https://www.metrotimes.com/the-scene/archives/2021/12/12/detroit-artist-jonathan-harris-strikes-a-nerve-around-the-world-with-critical-race-theory-painting26:02 - Salvation Army and “wokeness”

32:18 - Books from this year
“Jesus and John Wayne” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez - https://amzn.to/3mHdVMx
“The Making of Biblical Womanhood” by Beth Allison Barr - https://amzn.to/3ECopmL

42:01 - The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/
“Church Refugees” by Josh Packard - https://amzn.to/3pzky5m
“A Church Called Tov ” by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer - https://amzn.to/3z4DJr7

53:06 - Looking toward 2022

Movie Phil references - “Don’t Look Up” (2021)

Barna Brief with David Kinnaman:

Free download for Holy Post listeners: https://www.barna.com/holypost/

1:02:37 - Interview Start
1:04:12 - Project intro: State of the Church
https://www.barna.com/stateofthechurch/

1:05:31 - Digital church and effects of the pandemic
1:17:06 - Growing crisis among pastors
1:22:53 - Mental and emotional impact of pandemic

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.

Direct download: HP489_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Last Sunday, the former president attended an advent service at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Some have called what unfolded an example of evangelicalism’s syncretism with conservative politics. Why aren’t more people bothered by it? Then, Don Jr. said if Christians want to take back America they need to ignore Jesus’ commands like “Turn the other cheek.” Kaitlyn says he’s right. Skye responds to listener feedback to his interview about Gen Z, and Phil reads listener comments about abortion.
Then, Kaitlyn speaks with New Testament professor Dr. Cynthia Long Westfall about Paul and gender. Dr. Westfall says we need to apply the same interpretive framework to what the Bible says about men as we do for women. Based on the weight of biblical evidence, she argues that the burden of proof isn’t on those who say women should lead and teach, but on those who say they shouldn’t. Plus, why are do so many Christmas cards this year fear assault weapons? One historian says you can blame the YMCA.

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/60193055(This bonus segment is available to the public - no Patreon membership required. Click through to listen or watch!)
News Segment
0:00 - Intro
2:43 - Mailbag: Gen Z
14:18 - Mailbag: Abortion
23:55 “How Trump Stole Christmas”
https://time.com/6130228/donald-trump-christmas-evangelicals/33:29 - Donald Trump Jr. on turning the other cheek
https://www.rawstory.com/turning-point-usa-and-donald-trump-jr/41:27 - Guns on Christmas cards
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/14/guns-christmas-thomas-massie-lauren-boebert/53:18 -Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by FaithfulCounseling: faithfulcounseling.com/holypost

Interview with Cynthia Long Westfall
“Discovering Biblical Equality: Biblical, Theological, Cultural, and Practical Perspectives” - https://amzn.to/3egJok0
54:41 - Interview Start
56:46 - About the book - purpose and new edition
56:07 - Cynthia Long Westfall background
1:07:05 - Galatians 3:28 and differences between genders
1:19:53 - Advice for women in ministry
Other resources mentioned:
“Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ” - https://amzn.to/3phN7nN

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.

Direct download: HP488_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Everyone seems to be talking about “deconstructing” faith, but researcher Josh Packard says it’s better to describe young people as “unbundling” faith. He joins Skye for a conversation about Springtide Research Institute’s new report on the State of Religion and Young People, and why Gen Z has such a negative perception of the church and such an inflated view of themselves. Also this week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade. With some pro-life activists ecstatic, and pro-choice activists apoplectic, the Holy Post crew discusses what a post-Roe country could look like, how the pro-life movement could evolve, and what lessons we can learn from the era of Prohibition. Plus, the word “sorcery” was the fastest-growing search term on Bible Gateway in 2021. Should it have been “asininity”?

News Segment


0:00 - Intro


3:26 - Fastest-growing search term on Bible Gateway
https://religionnews.com/2021/12/02/why-sorcery-was-the-fastest-growing-search-term-on-bible-gateway-in-2021/


14:23 - Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade
https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/how-southern-baptists-became-pro-life/


48:31 - Sponsors


This episode is sponsored by Abide: http://abide.co/holypost

Interview with Josh Packard
Springtide Research Institute report: https://www.springtideresearch.org/research/the-state-of-religion-2021


49:36 - Intro
51:12 - Major findings from report
55:06 - Implications of unbundling
1:05:55 - Values gap
1:18:41 - Impact of religious communities on flourishing
Other resources:
www.wsj.com/articles/young-people-say-disconnect-keeps-them-from-church-11635163200

Direct download: HP487_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

A recent survey found that 49 percent of pastors reported conspiracy theories were spreading within their congregations. This is especially prevalent within evangelical communities. Although evangelicals are supposed to be known as people of the “good news”—which is what the word “evangelical” literally means—in many places they’ve become the largest consumers and spreaders of “fake news.” In this special episode co-produced with the Love Thy Neighborhood podcast, Skye Jethani and Jesse Eubanks take a closer look at the origins and impact of fake news. How we should define what’s “fake”, why it’s become such a problem, and what can Christians do about it.

Love Thy Neighborhood podcast: https://lovethyneighborhood.org/ltnpodcast/
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com
0:00 - Intro
2:04 - War of the Worlds
7:40 - What is fake news?
https://www.newsguardtech.com/special-reports/special-report-2020-engagement-analysis/
https://lifewayresearch.com/2021/01/26/half-of-u-s-protestant-pastors-hear-conspiracy-theories-in-their-churches/
https://guides.lib.umich.edu/fakenews
10:25 - Fake news in the church
https://www.businessinsider.com/pastors-quit-after-qanon-radicalize-congregation-2021-3
12:01 - Follow the money
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/partisan-polarization-is-the-primary-psychological-motivation-behind-political-fake-news-sharing-on-twitter/3F7D2098CD87AE5501F7AD4A7FA83602
23:17 - Episode sponsors
With God Daily: http://withgoddaily.com
The Movie Proposal: https://www.themovieproposal.com
25:35 - Technology
Jason Thacker: https://jasonthacker.com
https://news.mit.edu/2018/study-twitter-false-news-travels-faster-true-stories-0308
31:03 - Reclaiming truth
https://www.allsides.com
https://www.businessinsider.com/christians-are-often-victims-of-conspiracy-theories-health-falsehoods-2021-4

Direct download: HP486_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Today, privilege has become a dirty word that is automatically associated with sinfulness, but Dominique Gilliard, author of “Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege,” says it doesn’t have to be. He explores the many biblical characters who used their privilege redemptively rather than selfishly, and challenges us to rethink our assumptions about who is really privileged in our society. 

Also this week, a new study reveals how our preferred news source shapes our political and cultural beliefs—especially for those on the more conservative end of the spectrum. As the Supreme Court hears arguments about Mississippi’s new abortion law, Tish Harrison Warren says we need to rethink our definition of feminism to include women who are pro-life. Plus, Phil goes to an indoor waterpark, and the Japanese have an innovative new energy source.

News Segment:

0:00 - Intro/Thanksgiving highlights
12:41 - News of the Butt
20:50 - PRRI media study
https://www.prri.org/spotlight/why-we-divide-republicans-by-media-trust-the-oan-newsmax-effect/
36:29 - Feminism and pro-life
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/opinion/feminism-abortion-pro-life.html
50:11 - MyPillow ads
52:17 - Holy Post merch
https://www.holypost.com/shop

Interview with Dominique DuBois Gilliard:

“Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege” - https://amzn.to/3Dm9igF

53:32 - Introduction
57:31 - Defining privilege
1:04:45 - How stories in Scripture help us
1:08:20 - Accountability in leveraging privilege
1:21:08 - Interpreting the rich young ruler
1:26:49 - Fruit in ongoing repentance

Other resources mentioned:
“Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores” - https://amzn.to/3E9n8nK

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.

Direct download: HP485_F2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

French Friday leaves the world of politics and theology behind to join David French and fellow nerd Skye Jethani for a journey through the pop-culture countryside of geekdom in a special episode. They begin with a breakdown of Dune, the film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel. Was it too faithful to the book? The dorky duo then debate why the Disney-era Star Wars sequel trilogy was a failure, but The Mandalorian series works brilliantly. They discuss the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and whether the future of the MCU is doomed. Then things heat up when French and Jethani cross streams as French argues that DC’s recent movies—including Justice League—are masterpieces, and Jethani disagrees. Which nerd will triumph? Listen to find out.

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58871092
0:00 Intro
1:21 Dune
12:54 Star Wars
28:32 Marvel
43:17 DC

Direct download: FF3_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

In case you haven’t noticed, the evangelical movement in America is a mess. Some say we should let it all burn down. Others fiercely defend the historic and theological richness of the tradition. Dan Stringer says there’s a third option that is honest about evangelicalism’s failures, while also valuing its strengths. Kaitlyn interviews Stringer about his new book “Struggling with Evangelicalism: Why I Want to Leave and What It Takes to Stay.”

 Also this week, former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn says the U.S. should only allow one religion. Skye explains why the Pilgrims did not come to America for religious freedom, and Christian explores healthy and toxic patriotism. Then, what should we conclude from the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict? Plus, orcas are attacking yachts and Phil celebrates World Toilet Day.

Thanks to the Grow Center for sponsoring this episode. More information about The Ray Bakke Certificate of Biblical and Entrepreneurial Thinking is available here: https://www.thegrowcenter.com

News Segment

0:00 - Intro
04:07 - World Toilet Day12:28 Animal News: Orcas attacking yachts
https://www.yachtingworld.com/cruising/orca-attacks-rudder-losses-and-damage-as-incidents-escalate-133968

18:43 - Michael Flynn says U.S. should mandate one religion
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnists/2021/11/20/michael-flynn-john-hagee-ed-stetzer-one-religion/8649034002/?gnt-cfr=1

42:45 - Kyle Rittenhouse verdict
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/kyle-rittenhouse-right-self-defense-role-model/620715/https://robertpjones.substack.com/p/free-as-f-kyle-rittenhouse-whiteness

Interview w/ Dan Stringer “Struggling with Evangelicalism: Why I Want to Leave and What It Takes to Stay” - https://amzn.to/3FIPkyc

54:43 - Interview Start & Guest Background
59:55 - Shifting perspective on evangelicalism
01:04:13 - Importance of remembering our history/tradition
01:12:46 - Communal repentance
https://urbana.org/message/litany

01:16:46 - Learning from each other
01:22:37 - Is this the moment for renewal?
01:27:06 - What next? Responding after pain

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.

Direct download: HP484_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Are faith and science irreconcilable belief systems? Not according to Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institutes of Health and founder of BioLogos. He talks with Phil about his journey from atheism to faith, his role in overseeing the country’s response to Covid-19, and why America’s culture war is literally killing people. Collins also explains why the Covid vaccines are safe and should be embraced by Christians as an answer to prayer.

Then, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s attack on a small Texas church backfires, leading to a conversation about God and gendered language. The editor of World Magazine leaves in protest as yet another evangelical institution takes a sharp turn to the right. Are we witnessing the final fury of a dying religious right? Plus, Phil was unknowingly on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And, a meaningless archeological discovery in Michigan.

News Segment:


November livestream details [3:41]
http://patreon.com/holypost

Archaeological discovery in Michigan [5:21]
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/32486160/the-remarkable-story-man-found-162-bowling-balls-house

Phil on the Late Show [12:24]


Beth Allison Barr and our language for God [14:04]


“The Making of Biblical Womanhood” - https://amzn.to/3oSOVm3
https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-457-paul-power-patriarchy-with-beth-allison-barr

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/how-gods-pronouns-and-the-cbmw-might-save-beth-allison-barrs-church/2021/11/11/07320aae-4337-11ec-9404-50a28a88b9cd_story.html


Marvin Olasky and the struggle between evangelicals and fundamentalists [28:52] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/14/business/world-magazine-marvin-olasky-trump.html

https://twitter.com/drantbradley/status/1460273263590916099


Interview with Francis Collins:


Interview Start [49:28]
“Language of God” book [52:20]
https://amzn.to/3qGHG2P

Response to objections after NIH nomination [55:19]


Science and faith conflicts [57:20]


COVID-19 responses and vaccines [1:00:05]


Legacy as a visible scientist of faith [1:07:23]


Culture wars and the pandemic [1:15:21]


Other resources mentioned:


Biologos: https://biologos.org

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.

Direct download: HP483.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Why do we expect the Christian life to be easy when the Bible clearly says it will be a struggle? Starting with the wrong expectation, says John Mark Comer, makes us spiritually neurotic and causes more suffering than necessary. He talks with Skye about his new book, “Live No Lies,” why spiritual warfare isn’t what you’ve been taught, why information alone doesn’t change us, and what it means to really be people committed to the truth.

Also this week, artificial intelligence is now offering very questionable ethical advice. Phil wonders what it means for self-driving cars. Two seminaries are suing the government over the Covid vaccine mandate, but is it really a question of religious liberty? New data says white evangelicals are those most likely to use violence to defend America, and those most likely to reject America’s founding ideal of pluralism. Does anyone else see a contradiction? Plus, skull-crushing wombat bums.

News Segment:

Deadly wombat butts [5:14]
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/nov/04/wombats-deadly-bums-how-they-use-their-skull-crushing-rumps-to-fight-play-and-flirt

Ethical AI trained on Reddit [13:57]
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dg8m/ethical-ai-trained-on-reddit-posts-said-genocide-is-okay-if-it-makes-people-happy

“Drive Recklessly” short film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S75Rfva9O8

Two evangelical seminaries sue to block vaccine mandates [27:32]


https://religionnews.com/2021/11/05/two-prominent-evangelical-seminaries-sue-to-block-vaccine-mandates-southern-baptist-seminary-asbury/

Study: Most white evangelicals don’t want to live in a religiously diverse country [38:06]https://religionnews.com/2021/11/01/study-most-white-evangelicals-dont-want-to-live-in-a-religiously-diverse-country/

Holy Post Updates [48:40]

Interview with John Mark Comer:“Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace”- https://amzn.to/3oh724y

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58518164/

Interview Start [51:05]


Spiritual warfare and the spirituality of struggle [53:14]


Truth and lies; desert fathers and mothers [1:00:09]


Information alone vs. embodied spiritual formation [1:05:41]


Mental maps and spiritual imagination [1:13:36]


Conservative and progressive fundamentalism [1:24:14]

Other books mentioned:

“Water from a Deep Well” by Gerald L. Sittser - https://amzn.to/3kpBMPJ
“The Road Less Traveled” by M. Scott Peck - https://amzn.to/3D5t4h4
“Where the Light Fell” by Philip Yancey - https://amzn.to/3mZAzjS

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.

Direct download: HP482.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

What is Christianity’s contribution to history and has it been positive or negative? John Dickson says Christians should obey Jesus’ command to remove the plank from our own eye and admit the many ugly truths about church history. Only then will we be able to see clearly the parts of church history that conform to the way of Jesus. Skye talks to Dickson about his new book, “Bullies & Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History.”

Also this week, a conspiracy filled speech by the actor who played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” has gone viral. Why are evangelicals more susceptible than others to such nonsense? And was Bonhoeffer right that stupidity is more dangerous than malice? Plus, why does the Bible forbid witchcraft? (Hint: it has nothing to do with patriarchy.) And, PETA is trying to change our language to protect the feelings of cows and chickens

News Segment:

Celebrating Halloween? [3:32]

PETA urges MLB to change ‘bullpen’ term [8:10

]https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/peta-urges-mlb-change-bullpen-term-over-insensitivity-cows

‘Jewitches’ embracing both Judaism and witchcraft [12:20]
https://religionnews.com/2021/10/25/how-some-jewitches-are-embracing-both-judaism-and-witchcraft/

Jim Caviezel quoting Bravehart at a QAnon conference [19:25]

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/jim-caviezel-quoting-braveheart-at-a-qanon-conference-is-a-metaphor-for-american-christianity-if-there-ever-was-one-1/

https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/16/1035851/facebook-troll-farms-report-us-2020-election/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8616320-stupidity-is-a-more-dangerous-enemy-of-the-good-than

https://sproutsschools.com/bonhoeffers-theory-of-stupidity/

Interview with John Dickson:

Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History - https://amzn.to/2ZLgOE4

Centre for Public Christianity - https://www.publicchristianity.org

Interview Start [48:06]

Why church history? [49:31]

Tribalism and the plank in our own eye [53:05]

How do we explain Christians doing terrible things throughout history? [58:27]

How to talk with people about church history [1:13:00]

Is Christianity really still needed? [1:18:36]

https://undeceptions.com/podcast/christian-revolution/

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.

Direct download: HP481_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Recent polling has found that a majority of Trump voters (52%) and a significant number of Biden voters (41%) support breaking up the country. Has our animosity and disgust for each other made reconciliation impossible? Are we heading toward a national divorce? Skye Jethani and David French discuss his recent articles about the rise of malice in our political divisions and within the church. Why have so many evangelicals embraced anger as a virtue, and how has our pragmatic theology contributed to the problem? Then, they debate the role of social media in the breakdown of national unity and the recent leak of the “Facebook Papers.” French is reluctant to blame social media companies for what is ultimately a problem with human hearts, while Skye says the tech giants must take more responsibility for the damage their platforms are inflicting.

Malice and anger in political division [00:28]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/personal-harassment-is-spiraling

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/jd-vance-and-the-great-challenge

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10050039/More-HALF-Trump-voters-want-red-states-secede-union.html

Malice and anger in the church [20:34

]Social media and the “Facebook Papers” [38:11]
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/facebook-papers-democracy-election-zuckerberg/620478/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-algorithm-change-zuckerberg-11631654215

Direct download: FF2_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Conservative evangelicals organized into a political movement in the 1970s in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion. Or did they? Historian Randall Balmer argues this origin story for the Religious Right is a myth. He talks to Skye about the real origins of the movement and how it explains the current state of white evangelicalism.

Also this week, we unpack Peter Wehner’s article in The Atlantic about the breaking apart of evangelicalism. Is the church a victim of media manipulation, or is evangelicalism reaping its own rotten fruit? Plus, lawsuits between believers, training Christians for hand-to-hand combat in vehicles, and Phil’s massive magical mushroom.

News Segment:

Phil’s mushroom [2:47]

Christians training in hand-to-hand combat [8:39]
https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article255162407.html

Mike Stone suing Russell Moore [13:14]
https://religionnews.com/2021/10/20/mike-stone-files-lawsuit-sbc-rival-russell-moore-defamation-erlc-trump-abuse/
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/church-state-and-the-future-of-evangelicalism/

“The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart” [28:01]
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/evangelical-trump-christians-politics/620469/


https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-441-biden-s-inauguration-the-future-of-the-republican-party-with-peter-wehner

Interview with Randall Balmer:

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57900540

“Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right” - https://amzn.to/3btjt7D

Interview Start [52:40]

Context for approaching this study [54:23]


What is the myth? [59:59]


Effects of dispensational premillennialism on social engagement [1:11:37]


Emergence of Religious Right in the North/Midwest [1:19:35]


Why do these origins matter? [1:25:22]

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.

Direct download: HP480_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

The prosperity gospel isn’t just about health and wealth. Historian Kate Bowler says pragmatic values, simple solutions, and the endless quest for self-improvement, have infected most of the church in subtle ways. Kaitlyn Schiess talks to Dr. Bowler about her own battle with cancer, and how it’s helped her move beyond cliches like “Everything happens for a reason,” to embrace the larger mystery of faith.

Also this week, have elite evangelicals sold out to the mainstream media, or have populist evangelicals sold out to Trump voters? Everyone seems to be talking about the divide within evangelicalism, but is it really something new? The Holy Post crew looks at the arguments and how we could be seeing the latest version of a very old divide. Plus, Phil is fascinated by left-handed ghost squirrels.

News Segment:

Traveling with moss [1:38]

Animal Facts [5:34]

The divide within evangelicalism [14:40]

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/church-state-and-the-future-of-evangelicalism/

https://markgalli.substack.com/p/the-galli-report-100821

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/evangelical-elites-fighting-each

https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/11/the-failure-of-evangelical-elites

Interview with Kate Bowler:

Interview Start [52:19]
“Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved” - https://amzn.to/3FYKLRj


“No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)” - https://amzn.to/3C1jyuS

Kate’s Story [55:57]

“Blessed - A History of the American Prosperity Gospel” - https://amzn.to/2Z1aBD2

No Cure for Being Human” Title [1:00:14]


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/opinion/sunday/death-the-prosperity-gospel-and-me.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Certainty vs. faith[1:05:31]

American pragmatism and “useful pain” [1:07:32]

Understanding fear and living after crisis [1:11:24]

Response and engagement with these books [1:18:57]
https://katebowler.com/podcasts/

The miracle of moments [1:23:35]

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.

Direct download: HP479.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

This week is a special a double feature! First, Phil talks to Esau McCaulley about his recent NY Times editorial about President Biden’s vengeance against terrorists in Afghanistan. McCaulley asks why so few Christian politicians seem to have Christian instincts, and what role should forgiveness have in American foreign policy. Then, Skye interviews author and podcaster Jamie Ivey about her experience as a white mom raising black kids, how it’s changed her understanding of race, and why she no longer believes love can solve every problem. Also this week—new polling indicates a frightening number of people on both the right and left want to disunite the country. Are we on a path toward civil war, and is social media to blame? News Segment Trump voters are worried about anti-white discrimination and think

Christianity is under attack [4:00]

https://news.yahoo.com/84-trump-voters-worry-discrimination-143538052.html

https://twitter.com/robertpjones/status/1447601670595223557

People on the right and left wanting to disunite the country [15:10] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10050039/More-HALF-Trump-voters-want-red-states-secede-union.html

Interview w/ Esau McCaulley Interview Start: [25:41]

“The Dangerous Politics of ‘We Will Not Forgive’” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/19/opinion/revenge-forgiveness-terrorism-biden.html

“Reading While Black” https://amzn.to/3lxPtx5

Interview with Jamie Ivey: The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey: https://www.jamieivey.com/podcast-2/

“God Made You to Be You” https://amzn.to/3BEHmnX

Ivey Family Interview with Emmanuel Acho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONTXrsvenUY

Interview Start: [54:14]

The decision to adopt [58:48]

Jamie’s background [1:00:54]

Parenting differently and the church’s response [1:08:54]

Connecting kids with black heritage [1:19:50]

Frustration and hope with the church [1:28:12]

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.

Direct download: HP478.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Friend of the show Derwin Gray has a new book! When did he have time to write it? We don’t know! But he also found time to sit down with Skye and talk about it. Derwin says the Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a prayer, but an entire catechism of faith, a lesson in communing with God, and a call for the people of God to engage in issues of justice. He unpacks it all with Skye.

And did scientists find the biblical city of Sodom? Have psychologists found the number one predictor of atheism? And a new study finds that young Brits are twice as likely to pray regularly than their elders! What’s up with that?? Mike Erre joins Kaitlyn and Phil to parse the news of the day on this week’s Holy Post!

Did scientists find the biblical city of Sodom? [6:47]
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/september/sodom-meteor-biblical-archaeology-tall-el-hammam-airburst.html

Predicting atheism in adulthood [20:50]
https://www.psypost.org/2021/10/new-psychology-research-identifies-a-robust-predictor-of-atheism-in-adulthood-61921

Young people in the UK are twice as likely as older people to pray regularly [35:27]
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58681075

Other links:
Mike Erre’s podcast - https://voxologypodcast.com

Interview with Derwin Gray

“God, Do You Hear Me?”
Lifeway: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/god-do-you-hear-me-P005822396

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3my2Ooy

Interview Start [50:12]
Pastoral vision for prayer [54:54]
The Lord’s Prayer as a mini catechism [1:00:28]
The kingdom & loving our neighbor [1:09:21]
Christ as the treasure [1:16:42]

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.

Direct download: HP477_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:35pm CDT

Philip Yancey is one of the best-selling contemporary Christian authors, and his books helped millions find a more authentic faith long before “deconstruction” was a hashtag. His new memoir, “Where the Light Fell,” tells how he escaped the racist, fundamentalist Christianity of his youth, and his lifelong quest to find God’s grace in a world of suffering. Yancey also sympathizes with the ex-vangelical movement, and shares his concerns for the direction of the faith in America. Also this week, reactions to Josh McDowell’s decision to step back from ministry for a season of listening. Could llama spit end the pandemic? Everyone is spinning the new Pew research about evangelicals to fit their own agenda. Phil doubles down in his footwear battle with the Dutch. And, your butt is a snowflake.

News Segment:
Where in the world is Christian? [3:06]
News of the Butt [9:03]
https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-toilet-identifies-butthole
Llama antibodies treat hamsters’ COVID-19 [14:21]
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/llama-antibodies-treat-hamsters-covid-19-could-lead-to-nasal-spray/
Josh McDowell update [20:47]
Pew research: “Evangelical” label [30:19]
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/15/more-white-americans-adopted-than-she[…]al-label-during-trump-presidency-especially-his-supporters/
https://www.holypost.com/post/french-friday-buckets-of-evangelicals
https://www.christianpost.com/news/whites-identifying-as-evangelical-grew-during-trump-administration-pew.html
https://religiondispatches.org/pew-finds-trump-era-increase-in-the-evangelical-label-and-yes-theyre-real-evangelicals/
https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-475-mammoths-mcdowell-making-sense-of-white-supremacy-with-robert-p-jones
Interview with Philip Yancey:
Pre-order “Where the Light Fell” (releasing 10/5/21) - https://amzn.to/39Ia7nz
“Soul Survivor” - https://amzn.to/39LdolZ
Interview start [49:25]
A memoir 40 years in the making [51:18]
Impact of family and church on faith formation [55:36]
The gift of pain [1:13:16]
https://amzn.to/3zQpdBK
The state of the American church [1:17:08]
Encouragement for ex-vangelicals [1:23:05]

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.

Direct download: HP476_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Senior editor of The Dispatch and constitutional attorney, David French, and Holy Post co-host, Skye Jethani, discuss why the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention should waive their attorney-client privilege in the ongoing abuse investigation. Then, French explains why the increase in self-identified evangelicals between 2016 and 2020 isn’t good news, and why he now puts “evangelicals” in three different buckets. Finally, they examine claims from some neo-fundamentalists that empathy is a sin. French says the problem in America isn’t too much empathy, but selective empathy.

SBC Executive Committee review [1:17]
https://religionnews.com/2021/09/21/sbc-executive-committee-agrees-to-pay-for-abuse-review-stalls-on-waiving-privilege/

Defining “evangelical” [15:28]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/did-donald-trump-make-the-church

“The American Crisis of Selective Empathy” [33:26]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-american-crisis-of-selective

Direct download: FF_EP1_F3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:09pm CDT

Data from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has found that white Christians—including mainline Protestants, Catholics, and evangelicals—are the most racist religious group in America, Robert P. Jones, the CEO of PRRI, says this isn’t a bug within white American Christianity, but a feature. He discusses his new book “White Too Long” about the lingering legacy of white supremacy in the church. Also this week, apologist Josh McDowell joins those saying CRT is the greatest threat facing the church, but does his argument contradict itself? Why is belief in miracles going up if overall belief in religion is going down? Phil says we shouldn’t worry about scientists trying to resurrect woolly mammoths. Christian explains why she’s in the Netherlands. And police in the UK issue a warning about kids buying beans.

News Segment

Where in the world is Christian? [00:47]

Christian’s research and wooden shoes [4:51]Police issue warning over children ‘buying large quantities of cans of beans’ [9:31]
https://www.unilad.co.uk/viral/police-issue-warning-over-children-buying-large-quantities-of-cans-of-beans/

Firm raises $15m to bring back woolly mammoth from extinction [16:44]
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/sep/13/firm-bring-back-woolly-mammoth-from-extinction

Josh McDowell’s speech and apology [22:45]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/christian-author-josh-mcdowell-apologizes-for-comments-about-black-minority-families/2021/09/20/1ad27238-1a3d-11ec-bea8-308ea134594f_story.html

New stat: Do you believe in religious miracles? [35:41]
https://twitter.com/ryanburge/status/1439949279192301573

Interview with Robert P. Jones

PRRI - https://www.prri.org“The End of White Christian America” - https://amzn.to/3Eu1OK2“White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in America Christianity” - https://amzn.to/3ArH57r

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56402290/Interview Start [44:18]

The white Christian shuffle [48:26]Al Mohler and the SBC’s racist history [51:35]https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-racial-superiority-confronting-the-truth/

Theology of white Christianity [55:31]

Data from “Deep Roots: How Slavery Still Shapes Southern Politics” [1:07:59]
https://amzn.to/3u0lIHQ

More data: Thermometer vs. race index [1:11:10]

United Daughters of the Confederacy - catechisms [1:15:24]

Does church attendance affect racist attitudes? [1:20:22]

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.

Direct download: 475_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Why are people inside the church often no healthier or happier than those outside? Author Alan Noble says we are suffering from a kind of mass psychosis and going to church won’t solve it. His new book, “You Are Not Your Own” challenges our understanding of identity and purpose, and calls us to a less modern, more Christian, vision of life. Also this week, progressive philosopher and political activist, Cornel West, says liberals need Jesus. What can we learn from him about critiquing our own tribe rather than judging others’. Plus, are white evangelicals keeping the guitar industry alive? And Phil brings us a new batch of animal news. Has the shark messiah been born in Italy?

News Segment:

Australian ducks learn how to swear [2:47]
https://www.cnet.com/news/aussie-ducks-learn-to-swear-can-say-you-bloody-fool-like-a-human/

Rare shark “virgin birth” [5:20]
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-baby-shark-has-just-been-born-but-the-mother-lived-in-an-all-female-tank

Fender: 1 in 3 guitars are bought by people who play in worship bands [8:52]
https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/music/fender-one-in-three-guitars-were-bought-by-people-who-play-in-praise-and-worship-bands/

“Cornel West on Why the Left Needs Jesus” and critiquing our own tribe [10:58]
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/08/cornel-west-jesus-progressives/619741/

“The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast [22:25]
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/

PATREON BONUS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56161614

Interview with Alan Noble:

“You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World” - https://amzn.to/3ntxAAV

Interview Start [31:35]
A metaphor for modern Western society [33:49]
Church is not the solution [39:37]
Pre-modernity is not the solution [42:33]
Paradox of identity in modern society [48:08]
Christian understanding of identity [54:24]
Deconstruction and identity [1:04:54]
A vision for Christian community [1:08:53]

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

Direct download: HP474_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Last week, Texas passed a law effectively banning abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, and the Supreme Court did not immediately strike it down. Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates have erupted in response. But what does the law really mean? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn get into the weeds and explain why the Texas law isn’t the victory many assume. Then, Christina Dent shares about her unexpected journey from a conservative, Southern, Bible school graduate, to drug legalization advocate. She tells Skye about the unexpected casualties caused by America’s war on drugs, and what a more Christian response to the crisis could look like. Plus, China bans kids from playing video games. Is it a smart policy we should copy, or proof that communism is evil?

News Segment:
News of the Butt - Doctors find ladybug living inside man’s colon [4:05]
https://www.odditycentral.com/news/doctors-find-ladybug-living-inside-mans-colon.html

China bans kids from playing video games during the week [9:51]
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/31/tech/china-ban-video-games-minor-intl-hnk/index.html

Recent abortion law in Texas - overview & discussion [19:52]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/texas-abortion-case-scotus

https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-abortion-law-blunder-supreme-court-samuel-alito-john-roberts-whole-womans-health-11630619631

https://religionnews.com/2021/06/30/common-ground-on-abortion-is-staring-us-right-in-the-face/

Interview with Christina Dent:

End It For Good: https://www.enditforgood.com

Christina Dent's TEDx talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/christina_dent_end_the_war_on_drugs_for_good

Holy Post Episode 433 with Bonnie Kristian: https://www.holypost.com/post/episode-433-ending-the-war-on-drugs-with-bonnie-kristian

Interview Start [52:52]
Christina’s story [53:43]
It’s not about the drugs [57:40]
Childhood risk factors for drug use [1:00:52]
Would legalizing drugs solve any problems? [1:03:41]
The question of demand [1:09:48]
Why legalize all substances? [1:21:10]
Common objections to policy changes [1:27:11]

Direct download: HP473_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Former megachurch pastor, evangelical wunderkind, and author of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” Josh Harris, has since left his wife and renounced his faith. He’s now pitching himself as an expert guide for other ex-vangelicals. What does his story tell us about the evangelical subculture? Then, strange things are happening at John Piper’s church in Minneapolis where leaders are clashing over issues of race and abuse. And some pastors are resigning after being accused of “the sin of empathy.” Then, Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel return to discuss revisions to their 2017 book “The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb.” They stopped selling the book and revised it because one of the Christian leaders they celebrated as a “lamb” turned out to be a “dragon.” They’re now asking, why do we so often fail to spot toxic church leaders? Plus, scientists are making mini-brains from stem cells. But to their surprise, the brains have grown eyes. Leading Phil to ask, What could possibly go wrong?

News Segment

Updates from the crew (Jason’s cinnamon rolls and Christian’s film) [1:49]

Stem cell mini-brains with eyes [7:45]

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-used-stem-cells-to-make-mini-brains-they-grew-rudimentary-eyes

Josh Harris [16:21]
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/joshua-harris-mars-hill-podcast-kissed-christianity-goodbye.html

“Bethlehem Baptist Leaders clash over ‘coddling’ and ‘cancel culture’” [33:20]
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/august-web-only/bethlehem-bcs-minneapolis-resign-meyer-empathy-rigney.html

Interview with Jamin Goggin & Kyle Strobel
The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb (Revised and updated edition): https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/way-of-the-dragon/

Episode 238 (Prior conversation with Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel):
https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/1eea0773/episode-238-power-and-the-church-withjamin-goggin-and-kyle-strobel

BONUS Patreon question: What do we do with the content and impact from toxic leaders?
https://www.patreon.com/posts/55594990

Interview Start [1:00:39]

Why is there a new edition? [1:02:37]

Original story and role of book [1:06:35]

How they processed the news of Jean Vanier’s abusive behavior [1:10:43]

Discerning wolves from lambs - is there hope for progress? [1:16:17]

Ministering to people who have been deceived and hurt [1:24:04]

Direct download: HP472_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Is the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan the right policy? And will abandoning the country ultimately cost more American lives than staying? And who’s really to blame for the mess that’s unfolding? Skye talks with David French about these issues and more in this special bonus interview. French is the senior editor of The Dispatch, an attorney, the author of numerous books, and an Iraq War veteran. This bonus episode features the first half of Skye’s hour long conversation with David French. The full 60 minute interview is available exclusively for Holy Post patreon supporters.

Full Interview with David French: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55322869

The Dispatch: https://thedispatch.com

Three stages of recent events in Afghanistan [2:26]
Moral obligation to Afghans left behind [3:42]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/when-never-again-becomes-again-and

Response to refugee resettlement objections [8:53]
Afghan armies and US military support [16:26]
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/when-the-strongest-tribe-leaves
https://www.amazon.com/Strongest-Tribe-Politics-Endgame-Iraq/dp/0812978668

Effect of US withdrawal on future US military credibility [21:12]
Who’s really to blame? [26:21]

Direct download: HP471_BonusFirstHalf.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50am CDT

With religious believers among the most likely to downplay the seriousness of both the pandemic and climate change, a recent article claims secular people and atheists are now more empathic and moral than conservative Christians. But is the problem really that evangelicals are less moral, or that they’re more easily deceived? Then, Matthew Soerens from World Relief talks about the unfolding tragedy in Afghanistan. What dangers do the thousands of Afghans who helped the American military face as the Taliban takes back the country, and what obligation does the U.S. have to help them? While evangelicals remain widely opposed to welcoming refugees, will they make an exception for those who risked their lives to help American troops? Plus, a strike at Nabisco threatens the country’s Oreo supply, launching Phil into a rant about cookie varieties and late stage capitalism.

Patreon Bonus with David French: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55322869

News Segment:

Nabisco strike and Phil’s rant about cookie varieties [4:22] https://www.today.com/food/workers-us-nabisco-bakeries-are-strike-t228753

Afghanistan, Haiti, wildfires, floods, heatwaves and droughts [19:12]

Christian’s history with Afghanistan

[20:40] Current situation in Afghanistan [24:40]

Are Christians less empathic and moral, or simply more easily deceived? (Discussion of article below) [32:50] https://www.salon.com/2021/08/21/staunch-atheists-show-higher-morals-than-the-proudly-pious-from-the-pandemic-to-climate-change/

Interview with Matthew Soerens: “Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate” - https://www.amazon.com/Welcoming-Stranger-Justice-Compassion-Immigration/dp/0830833595

Interview Start [56:00]

Talking with church leaders about Afghanistan crisis [58:00]

Overview of current situation and America’s history/promises in Afghanistan [59:24]

Responding to the rhetoric that opposes welcoming refugees [1:08:20] https://twitter.com/cortessteve/status/1427839604376444929?

lang=en Evangelical Immigration Table - Statement to President Biden [1:12:34]

https://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/evangelical-leaders-insist-the-biden-administration-stand-with-afghan-allies/

Practical ways to support [1:14:22]

https://worldrelief.org/

Ongoing crisis - DREAMers and DACA program [1:17:01] https://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/advocacy/

Direct download: HP471.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

The United Nations World Happiness Report is out, and it says the United States is still behind the world’s happiest countries. Can we learn anything from them, or does America’s diversity mean perpetual conflict? Then, pastor and author Mandy Smith says Western culture has warped our understanding of what it means to be a Christian by focusing too much on knowledge and power. The antidote? Embracing Jesus’ call to childlike faith. Also this week—covid skeptics have some explaining to do because last year life expectancy in the US dropped the most since WWII—and it wasn’t because of murder hornets. Plus, a woman sues McDonald’s for tempting her to break her Lenten fast.
 
News Segment:
 
Woman sues McDonald’s after burger ad compelled her to break Lent fast [2:55]
https://nypost.com/2021/08/06/woman-sues-mcdonalds-after-burger-ad-made-her-break-her-lent-fast/
 
COVID-19 caused U.S. life expectancy to drop 1.5 years [09:38]
https://time.com/6082192/covid-19-us-life-expectancy-drop/
 
 
 
Interview with Mandy Smith:

Unfettered: Imagining a Childlike Faith beyond the Baggage of Western Culture - https://amzn.to/3nhS6o7 

 
Interview Start [48:06]
How is Western civilization in a tailspin? [49:56]
An antidote for two false ways of engaging faith [52:35]
Qualities of a childlike faith [56:01]
Wholistic faith and childlikeness [57:29]
Humility & honesty within disorder [01:00:37]
Error in overreacting to rationality of Western culture [01:05:21]
Story about dancing, healing, and releasing control [01:10:31]
Reconciling the call to maturity with a childlike faith [01:19:59]
 
Other resources mentioned:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hiPIEqDMq2yobve2PyTH7?si=4ab2ce3ebf7d4bbb

(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.)

Direct download: HP470_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:10am CDT

Phil’s Facebook page erupted after the recent episode about reparations—leading the Holy Post gang to ask about the limits of evangelical theology, and how American individualism has shaped our understanding of liberty, economics, and even theology. Then, a prayer service in Portland became a brawl between Proud Boys and Antifa involving paintball guns. Is it a harbinger of more conflicts to come? And a new survey finds Americans are far more confident than Brits they could triumph in a fight against a lion, a chimpanzee, and even an elephant. Then, Skye talks to Kara Powell, the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, about her latest book, “3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager.” Based on extensive research, Powell explains the unique challenges young people face today, and how parents and churches can engage them with empathy while creating the right conditions for them to grow in faith.

 
News Segment:
 
Animal News: What animals could you beat in a fight? [3:16]
Proud Boys and Antifa clash at Portland prayer service [13:25]
Reparations, institutional responsibility, and responses on Phil’s Facebook page [19:10]

Anthony Bradley - Twitter thread on collective sin [20:49]
Individualism and collectivism [27:55]
Interview with Kara Powell:
 
3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager (special link for Holy Post listeners) https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/3-big-questions/holypostInterview Start [50:28]
Recap of research leading to latest book [51:41]
Qualities of an empathetic church [53:54]
Three big questions (Identity, Belonging, Purpose) [59:41]
Question 1: Identity [1:02:53]
Role of technology [1:07:27]
Question 2: Belonging [1:12:06]
Mistakes for churches to avoid [1:16:16]
Questions to spark more questions [1:22:06]
Essential qualities for churches to shepherd young people [1:24:28]Other resources mentioned:
Direct download: HP469.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:50am CDT

It seems like everyone is talking about the new podcast from Christianity Today, “The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill” about the famed Seattle megachurch and its controversial pastor, Mark Driscoll. The creator of the podcast, Mike Cosper, talks to Skye about the complicated reality of Mars Hill, and what the rest of the evangelical church can learn from its story. Also this week, scientists discover a parasite that could make you live for 200 years, keep you perpetually young, and make you popular. But there’s a catch. A woman lets God take the wheel, literally. The Creation Museum in Kentucky thinks rebuilding the Tower of Babel in the key to racial harmony. And Phil’s confused about an Olympic team’s decision to wear shorts rather than the mandated bikini bottoms. Is it a victory for conservative or progressive values?

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/05/ant-tapeworm/618919/

https://jalopnik.com/woman-crashes-into-multiple-cars-and-a-house-at-120-mph-1847319454

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-extract-15000-year-old-viruses-tibetan-glacier-180978287/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/july/tower-of-babel-ark-encounter-ky-ken-ham-answers-genesis.html

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/sports/norways-handball-team-has-been-fined-because-they-didnt-want-to-play-in-bikinis/

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/

Patreon Bonus Segment: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-interview-54513169

Direct download: HP468_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:58am CDT

Earlier this year, Gregory Thompson and Duke Kwon released their book “Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair,” in which they make a biblical argument for the American church’s responsibility to repay the debts inflicted upon black communities by systemic racism and white supremacy. In this moment of political division and evangelical panic over Critical Race Theory, it’s not surprising that responses to the book have been polarized. One of the most negative and widely read reviews came from theologian Kevin DeYoung who said “Reparations” is “clearly not shaped by the gospel.” Thompson and Kwon then wrote a lengthy and detailed response to DeYoung’s review. (Links to both are posted below.) In this episode, Thompson talks to Skye about the debate, criticism of his book, and what the white evangelical response to racism reveals about its theology, mission, and blind spots. Phil and Christian then join Skye to discuss Thompson’s interview, and Christian shares a personal story to remind us all that change is possible.

“Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair” - https://amzn.to/3jUMMov 

Kevin DeYoung Review - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/reparations-a-critical-theological-review/

Review Response 1 - https://thefrontporch.org/2021/07/sanctifying-the-status-quo-a-response-to-reverend-kevin-deyoung/

Review Response 2 - https://thefrontporch.org/2021/07/distinctively-christian-an-additional-response-to-reverend-kevin-deyoung/

Other resources referenced:

"The Sum of Us" - https://amzn.to/3tqEY0V 

https://religionnews.com/2021/07/12/dont-believe-in-systemic-racism-lets-talk-about-the-sexual-revolution-charlottesville-robert-e-lee/

(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.)

Direct download: HP467_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:46am CDT

When news broke that the new president of the SBC lifted portions of his message from the previous SBC president’s sermon without attribution, #Sermongate erupted. The Holy Post crew unpacks the controversy, why so many pastors either outsource their sermon prep or plagiarize, and why the pressure to preach may be harming the church. Then, in a dramatic reversal, new data from Pew says mainline churches are growing while evangelical churches are shrinking. Have evangelicals been burned by their own critique that mainline churches don’t take the Bible seriously? Then, author and advocate Mary DeMuth explains the history of sexual abuse in the church, why cover ups are now so common, how we can respond more redemptively, and the best ways to prevent abuse in the first place. Plus—good news! Scientists say we have a back-up breathing option if our lungs fail.

https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-say-mammals-can-breathe-through-their-butts-in-emergencies/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/us/sermongate-plagiarism-litton-greear.html

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/

https://religionnews.com/2021/07/08/survey-white-mainline-protestants-outnumber-white-evangelicals/

https://www.prri.org/research/2020-census-of-american-religion/

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/30/behind-bidens-2020-victory/

https://twitter.com/SkyeJethani/status/1410335364116627465

Resources from Mary DeMuth:

"We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis": https://amzn.to/3tugZOv  

https://www.wetoo.org/resources/

https://www.wetoo.org/survivors/21days/

https://www.netgrace.org/

A Church Called Tov: https://amzn.to/38Q55F4


(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.)

Direct download: HP466.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30am CDT

Calvin University history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins Skye Jethani to discuss her bestselling book, "Jesus & John Wayne." In this episode, they look at the rise of Donald Trump among white evangelicals and how their response to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol mirrors reactions to scandals involving celebrity church leaders. Du Mez also responds to criticism of her book, and where we might find hope for the future of American evangelicalism.

Part 1 - Authoritarian Pastors and the Authoritarian President
Part 2 - Insurrection and Sex Scandals (17:22)
Part 3 - Christian Media and the Marketplace (27:42)
Part 4 - Responses and Criticism (40:32)
Part 5 - Done and Undone (52:59)

Jesus & John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation: https://amzn.to/3l6mkH

 

(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.)

Direct download: Jesus_and_John_Wayne_EP4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:13pm CDT

This 4th of July, Hobby Lobby took out a controversial full page newspaper ad featuring quotes, or mis-quotes, from America’s founders about being a Christian nation. An editorial from Robert P. Jones says July 4th is a time to decide what we believe more—the Declaration of Independence that says all people are created equal, or the European doctrine of discovery which enshrined white supremacy? And David French asks what it really means to be a patriot and love our country well as Christians.
Then, Karen Swallow Prior is back on the show to talk about a recent address she gave to the Evangelical Press Association about Christian publishing’s addiction to celebrity and lack of integrity. But who’s really to blame—Christian book publishers, or Christian book consumers? All of that, plus is Spiderman & the Pope the best MCU team up yet?

https://news.yahoo.com/pope-francis-meets-spider-man-130000577.html

https://www.hobbylobby.com/about-us/holiday-messages?modal=one+nation+under+god

https://www.scarymommy.com/stop-shopping-hobby-lobby-now/

https://religionnews.com/2021/07/02/lets-celebrate-this-fourth-of-july-without-the-myth-of-white-christian-innocence/

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/church/the-american-conservative-does-the-unthinkable-and-defends-the-unmarked-indigenous-graves-as-good-actually/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/how-do-christian-patriots-love-their

Patreon Bonus: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53681162

Direct download: HP465_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:34pm CDT

Calvin University history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins Skye Jethani to discuss her bestselling book, “Jesus & John Wayne.” In this episode, they examine why white evangelicalism left behind some of its militant rhetoric after the Cold War ended in the early 1990s to embrace a kinder, gentler approach epitomized by the Promise Keepers movement, and how an aggressive vision of Christian masculinity returned after September 11, 2001. Plus, why an emphasis on racial reconciliation ultimately doomed Promise Keepers, and how other ministries learned to avoid any talk about race or justice.

Part 1 - Promise Keepers and Therapeutic Christianity
Part 2 - Servant Leaders and Racial Reconciliation (15:36)
Part 3 - Purity Culture and Fragile Masculinity (32:47)
Part 4 - 9/11 and the Neo-Calvinists (48:38)


Jesus & John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
: https://amzn.to/3l6mkH

(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.)

Direct download: JJW_3_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Phil, Christian, and Skye do a deep dive into George Packer’s recent article in the Atlantic called “How America Fractured into 4 Parts.” Packer argues that Americans no longer agree on the country’s purpose, values, history, or meaning. Is he right? And how do Packer’s 4 Americas map onto the church? Then, Skye interviews Kyle Strobel about his new book “Where Prayer Becomes Real.” Obviously, the book is about prayer but it’s also about something even deeper and more foundational to our faith—honesty. It’s vital for our transformation but in short supply in many churches. Plus, scientists say the earth has a pulse. Did God design the earth to destroy life every 27.5 million years? That sets the Holy Post crew down a path into theology, the problem of evil, and why ferrets are bad pets.

Where Prayer Becomes Real: https://amzn.to/3njNRs2 

(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.)

 

Direct download: HP464.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Calvin University history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins Skye Jethani to continue discussing her bestselling book, "Jesus & John Wayne." In this episode, they discuss how evangelicalism fought to maintain traditional authority structures in the home and society, except when those authority structures didn't fit their own political interests which ultimately led to the rise of the Religious Right.   

Part 1 - Feminism and Family Values (2:18)
Part 2 - Reconstructionism and the Religious Right (29:13)

Jesus & John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation: https://amzn.to/3l6mkH

 

(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.)

 

Direct download: JJW_EP2_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:37pm CDT

Tyler Huckabee, senior editor for Relevant, joins the Holy Post crew to defend his recent article about VeggieTales. Did Phil’s mom trick him into creating vegetable characters who are beyond God’s salvation? Then, over 1,000 Cru staff members say the parachurch ministry’s focus on diversity and racism has resulted in mission drift. Are they right or is it another example of paranoia over CRT? Then, Christian college president D. Michael Lindsay shares about his new book “Hinge Moments: Making the Most of Life’s Transitions,” and the unexpected changes in his own life. Have we misunderstood what it means to follow God’s will, and what can we learn from the best leaders about how to change directions? All that, plus Skye’s cramped cross-country road trip.

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/never-forget-that-veggietales-werent-allowed-to-show-jesus-as-a-vegetable/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/june/cru-divided-over-emphasis-on-race.html

https://www.amazon.com/Hinge-Moments-Making-Lifes-Transitions/dp/0830841792

Direct download: HP463_F.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:32am CDT

Calvin University history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins Skye Jethani (co-host of The Holy Post) to discuss her bestselling book, “Jesus & John Wayne.” In this episode, they discuss how the Cold War shaped and defined American evangelicalism, how it differed from earlier 19th-century evangelicalism, and the lingering effects of the Cold War on the way many white evangelicals still think about culture, politics, and gender.

Part 1 - Revivalism and the Military (2:23)
Part 2 - Billy Graham and the Bomb (16:34)
Part 3 - Civil Rights and Vietnam (30:48)
Part 4 - From Cold War to Culture War (45:08)

Jesus & John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation: https://amzn.to/3l6mkH

 

(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.)

Direct download: JJW_EP1_F1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

With Skye out of town, Phil invites “hardest working man in evangelicalism” Ed Stetzer to sit in and discuss what went down in Nashville last week when 17,000 Southern Baptists all got in one room. What does it mean for Southern Baptists? What does it mean for evangelicalism? And does the mainstream media know the difference between the two?

There were also two very interesting court rulings that came down last week with implications for religious liberty in America. So conservative columnist and civil liberties attorney David French stops by to talk through free-speech cake baking and foster care, and to answer the question - what do we do when defending our own rights pits us against the neighbors we are called to love?

Plus... a farmer settles a property line dispute with a neighbor in a, shall we say, odorous way.

 

https://www.christianpost.com/news/judge-rules-against-christian-baker-in-transgender-cake-case.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/06/17/supreme-court-catholic-foster-care-agency-may-turn-away-gay-couples/4155263001/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/under-attack-from-fundamentalist

 

Direct download: HP462_3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:40pm CDT

Violent crime, including mass shootings, are way up. On average over 300 people are shot everyday in America. In 2013, one of them was Taylor Schumann. She talks with Kaitlyn Schiess about her new book, “When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough,” and the side of gun violence most of us forget—the survivors. Also this week, the Southern Baptists are meeting in Nashville where, according to the mainstream media, the entire fate of evangelicalism will be decided. Are they right? Plus, Relevant Magazine wonders if Phil’s mom gave him sound advice about VeggieTales, or was she playing 3-dimensional chess to mess with her son’s theology. And, why a lobster diver will be the illustration in every sermon this Sunday.

https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2021/06/11/humpback-whale-catches-michael-packard-lobster-driver-mouth-proviencetown-cape-cod/7653838002/ https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/never-forget-that-veggietales-werent-allowed-to-show-jesus-as-a-vegetable/ https://mobile.twitter.com/ryanburge/status/1403353463354974234 https://twitter.com/BethMooreLPM/status/1404426835199500296

https://www.amazon.com/When-Thoughts-Prayers-Arent-Enough/dp/0830831703

Direct download: HP461.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:45am CDT

We are bombarded by more news than ever before, and many of us can no longer differentiate what’s real from what’s fake, or what’s important from what’s trivial. Jeffrey Bilbro, author of “Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News,” offers wisdom about what it means to engage the media as a Christian, why the first step may be a deeper engagement with our local church, and the value of cultivating a “holy apathy” about current events.
 
Also this week, Phil, Skye, and Christian respond to listener emails. Did Skye contradict one of his own sermons on a recent podcast? And what happened to the pipeline that used to carry kids in the church from birth all the way through college? Phil says it has completely blown up, but is that good or bad? And what does it mean for Christian parents? Plus, Jason is addicted to cinnamon rolls, and the magical musical armor of fireflies.
 
 
 
Direct download: ep460_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:26am CDT

It’s been 100 years since the Tulsa Massacre—a dark moment in American history most Americans know nothing about. Which makes Phil, Skye, and Christian wonder, what else don’t we know? Wheaton College has removed the word “savages” from a plaque honoring martyred missionaries. Was the move a result of political correctness or just common decency? Then, Phil’s recent tweet about racism and anti-racism went viral, leading him to ask—when did evangelicals become more committed to preserving the world rather than changing it? Plus, the tables get turned when Skye gets interviewed by Kaitlyn about his newest book “What if Jesus was serious about prayer?” He explains why being a “radical” Christian isn’t what you think, and how prayer is way bigger than just talking to God. Plus, lonely Japanese eels are looking for attention on the internet.

https://www.businessinsider.com/video-call-eels-tokyo-aquarium-so-they-dont-forget-people-2020-5

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/when-our-forefathers-fail

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/march/wheaton-college-missionary-plaque-jim-elliot-waorani.html

https://twitter.com/philvischer/status/1398297373563133955

https://www.amazon.com/What-Jesus-Serious-About-Prayer/dp/0802424163

Direct download: HP459.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:20pm CDT

Our society is more diverse than ever before yet ninety percent of churches in the U.S. remain mono-cultural. Derwin Gray says this isn’t just a problem for the mission of the church, it’s also a betrayal of the gospel itself. He talks with Skye about why he planted a multiethnic church, why so many church leaders resist this calling, and how a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel is to blame. Also this week, the military has admitted that UFOs are real but doesn’t say if they’re extraterrestrial. If there are aliens, what are the implications for Christian theology? Plus, a new study finds that in countries where Christianity enjoys political power more people abandon the faith. So why do evangelicals want to take back Washington? And Phil wonders if psychedelic cicadas prove the existence of God.

Book launch: https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatifjesuswasseriousaboutprayerlaunch/

UFOs: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-military-intelligence-60-minutes-2021-05-16/

https://www.amazon.com/Liturgy-Politics-Spiritual-Formation-Neighbor/dp/0830848304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+liturgy+of+politics&qid=1622046538&sr=8-1

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cicadas-fall-prey-drug-producing-fungus-makes-their-butts-fall-180977776/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/may-web-only/christian-persecution-political-privilege-growth-decline.html?utm_medium=widgetsocia

lhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NCWHC1Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP7CFMIttGQ

 

Direct download: HP458.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:16pm CDT

Hold on to your bonnets, Holy Posters. Phil is joined by Kaitlyn Schiess and, while Skye’s away, guest host Mike Erre to talk about the scandals and misogyny plaguing evangelicalism. Phil wonders—are these bugs or features? And is it possible to love evangelicals but hate evangelicalism? Kaitlyn and Mike also explain what keeps them committed to Jesus and his church amid so much mess. Then, Skye talks to Baylor University history professor Beth Allison Barr about her new book, “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth.” Barr explains why Paul’s writings about women are widely misread, how women have led throughout church history, and how the Reformation created the domesticated vision of womanhood still idealized by the church today. All of that, plus science can’t explain a sea worm’s perplexing number of posteriors.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/marine-worm-sprouts-hundreds-butts-180977715/

https://twitter.com/albertmohler/status/1391499883153080324

https://twitter.com/ostrachan/status/1391831083826696193

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-the-evangelical-hate-the-evangelicalism/id1523542249?i=1000521265414

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Biblical-Womanhood-Subjugation-Became/dp/1587434709/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Beth+Allison+barr&qid=1621441692&sr=8-2

https://www.patreon.com/posts/51444763

Direct download: ep457.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

It’s increasingly difficult to have conversations with other Christians. Our families and congregations can’t seem to agree even about basic facts, let alone the news or how we ought to respond to what’s happening. So, we avoid talking about anything that might be controversial—which is pretty much everything today. What happened? How did we become so divided? The Holy Post crew talks about CT president Tim Dalrymple’s recent article, “The Splintering of the Evangelical Soul,” and what is necessary to heal our divisions. Then, Bob Roberts—the most interesting evangelical in the world—joins Skye for a conversation about why it’s critical to have deep relationships with people of other faiths. Roberts says it’s transformed his own understanding of Christianity, and isolating our kids from the world will only guarantee they join it. Also this week, Joshes battle for supremacy in Nebraska.

https://thegirlwhoworefreedom.com/festivals/

https://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-people-named-josh-met-005228139.html

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/april-web-only/splintering-of-evangelical-soul.html

Direct download: HP456.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:54pm CDT

Rene Padilla died last week at 88, and you’re probably thinking “Who’s Rene Padilla?” Phil, Skye, and Christian discuss the huge influence he had on the global church and its mission, and why so many American Christians still feel a divide between saving souls and reforming society. Then, Skye talks to Scot McKnight about his new book, “A Church Called Tov,” which he co-wrote with his daughter Laura Barringer in the aftermath of the Willow Creek controversy and Bill Hybles’ abuse. McKnight defines what makes a church culture toxic, and why so many pastors are on the narcissism disorder spectrum. It’s an eye-opening conversation. Also this week—a Kickstarter campaign for a new Christian dating service, a church in an unexpected location launches “Drag Queen Sunday,” and the terrifying story of a man, a portable toilet, and a tree.

https://thegirlwhoworefreedom.com/festivals/

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-gettysburg-69f03d57db0cb1e4b912b59ddce396dd

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech-gaming/dominion-dating-is-the-christian-dating-site-for-men-who-think-a-womans-place-is-at-home-1/

https://religionnews.com/2021/04/15/first-drag-queen-certified-as-a-candidate-for-united-methodist-ministry-speaking-in-a-new-way-to-new-people/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/april/rene-padilla-died-integral-mission-latin-american-theology.html

https://lausanne.org/content/covenant/lausanne-covenant

https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Mission-Modern-World-Classics/dp/0830834117

Direct download: HP455.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

In a recent editorial, David French asked whether the primary threat to the church comes from within or without? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the question and whether the church is primarily for or against the world. Plus, why are so many Christian ministries focused on protecting kids? Is it related to our fixation on the danger of hell? Then, Skye talks with A.J. Swoboda about his new book “After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing it.” He says a lot of people aren’t really deconstructing Christianity, but a false form of the faith that should be abandoned. And Swoboda explains the danger of a culture in which everything new is seen as superior. Also this week—the Colorado baker refuses to make a transgender cake, coyote pups, and screaming foxes.

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/23/colorado-baker-lawsuit-gender-transition-birthday-cake/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-question-that-dictates-how-christians

https://dandarling.substack.com/p/in-here-out-there-on-assessing-spiritual

https://www.amazon.com/People-Truth-Worshipping-Community-Modern/dp/1579105602

https://www.amazon.com/After-Doubt-Question-without-Losing/dp/1587434512

https://www.patreon.com/posts/50587974

Direct download: HP454.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:51am CDT

There’s a popular cliche among evangelicals—“The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.” But is it really that simple? Not according to New Testament scholar, Dr. Timothy Gombis. Because we’re not ancient Near Eastern people living in a desert, he says it’s not possible to literally apply the Bible. Instead, any faithful Christian needs to learn how to improvise. Dr. Gombis talks with Skye about faithful improvisation, what cross-shaped cultural engagement looks like, and how idolatry destroys bodies. Also this week, Phil’s tweet about angry Christians using “table-flipping Jesus” to justify their bad behavior causes an uproar. Does the story mean it’s sometimes ok to be nasty and insult our enemies? Plus, Pat Robertson is “woke” on police violence, and a French pastry in a tree terrorizes Poland.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56757956

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tv/famed-broken-clock-pat-robertson-says-police-need-to-open-their-eyes-to-the-reality-of-police-brutality/


https://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2021/04/bearing-witness-to-the-pain.html


https://twitter.com/philvischer/status/1381709523849773064


https://podcast.thedispatch.com/p/jesus-and-evangelical-politics/comments

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Story-God-Bible-Commentary/dp/0310327156

Direct download: HP453_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:48am CDT

Francis Chan says it’s time for Christians to take Jesus’ command about unity seriously. His new book, “Until Unity,” outlines the biblical call to be one, and why we struggle to achieve it. Skye talks with Chan about what Christian unity looks like practically, the role of racism in keeping us apart, how a focus on church growth distracted Chan from seeking unity, and how to know when disunity is the only option. Also this week, a new study finds less than 50% of Americans are now members of a church for the first time in a century. Should secularists be rejoicing? Not necessarily, as some experts fear religious zeal is now shifting into politics. Plus, smuggling baby tortoises, Phil’s worried about a 3,000-year-old knife-wielding spider god, and a fecal fight between Godzilla and King Kong.

 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/644356/godzilla-king-kong-whose-poops-would-be-bigger

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/30/world/galapagos-airport-tortoises-trnd/index.html

https://www.insider.com/japan-early-cherry-blossom-bloom-climate-change-2021-4

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mural-knife-wielding-spider-god-found-peru-180977360/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/03/29/church-membership-fallen-below-majority/

Direct download: HP452_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

Our favorite Old Testament scholar is back to talk about the Book of Daniel. Dr. John Walton says the apocalyptic passages of Daniel—which deeply influenced those End Times charts popular among evangelicals—aren’t really predictive of the future in the way we think. And the story of Daniel isn’t necessarily a manual for how Christians ought to live in a post-Christian society. Prepare to have your mind blown as you learn what apocalyptic visions in the Bible are really about. Also this week—how should Christians think about social welfare programs, slavery reparations, and guaranteed minimum income? Esau McCaulley brilliantly reframes the Easter story in light of the Black church’s experience. Plus, the excellence and etymology of Peeps.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/opinion/easter-celebration.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-aud-nw-jesuits-racial-reconciliation-20210316-elgsyj3mlbbbvgkaoedktzlavi-story.html

https://www.amazon.com/Sum-Us-Everyone-Prosper-Together/dp/0525509569

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/evanston-illinois-becomes-first-u-s-city-pay-reparations-blacks-n1261791

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/04/973653719/california-program-giving-500-no-strings-attached-stipends-pays-off-study-finds

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/01/983405521/new-guaranteed-income-for-families-with-children-is-stunning-poverty-expert-says

Direct download: HP451_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:36am CDT

Have you wondered why so many megachurch leaders have been embroiled in scandals, or why there are so many Christian celebrities today? It’s not accidental. It’s the predictable outcome of the systems behind much of popular consumer Christianity. In this special episode co-produced with the Love Thy Neighborhood podcast, Jesse Eubanks joins Skye to explore the way business interests and economics have replaced Christian values to drive many parts of American evangelicalism. Featuring multiple interviews, investigative reporting, and commentary, this episode will pull back the curtain on the evangelical industrial complex.

Direct download: HP450.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50am CDT

Is evangelical purity culture to blame for the murder of eight people at spas in Atlanta? Or is anti-Asian racism the cause? What about America’s gun culture or mental illness? Phil, Skye, and Christian discuss the many facets of the tragedy and get vulnerable about their own history with evangelicalism’s obsession with sex. Then, Skye talks with Richard Stearns, president emeritus of World Vision, about his new book on leadership. Stearns recalls his own battle with purity culture when he tried to convince evangelicals to fight the AIDS epidemic 20 years ago, and he discusses the lack of courageous leadership in many parts of the church today. Also this week—a News of the Butter update.

https://religionnews.com/2021/03/17/atlanta-massage-parlor-murder-suspect-big-into-religion/

https://religiondispatches.org/dont-discount-evangelicalism-as-a-factor-in-racist-murder-of-asian-spa-workers-in-georgia/

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/nation/wrestling-with-misogyny-racism-and-toxic-purity-culture-in-the-wake-of-the-atlanta-shootings/

Podcast Phil references:

https://bethebridge.com/episode-12-transition-in-proximity-to-whiteness-with-dante-stewart/

Direct download: HP449.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:16am CDT

Recently author/professor Karen Swallow Prior was asked what she considered the biggest problem facing the church today, and answered, "an impoverished imagination." So Phil sat down with Karen to talk through what she means by that, and her belief that a lack of imagination-forming reading results in, among other things, our propensity to believe conspiracy theories and our extreme discomfort with uncertainty. Karen also convinces Phil he really, really needs to read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. PLUS, Kaitlyn Schiess joins Skye and Phil to talk through Beth Moore's departure from the SBC, and whether the death of evangelist Luis Palau represents the end of the era of large-scale evangelism. Oh... and if you're using the story of Jesus flipping tables to justify bad behavior on social media, you're probably misusing that story. This week on the podcast!

https://religionnews.com/2021/03/09/bible-teacher-beth-moore-ends-partnership-with-lifeway-i-am-no-longer-a-southern-baptist/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/cruelty-is-apostasy

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/jesus-flipping-tables-isnt-excuse-your-online-rants/

Direct download: HP448.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:35pm CDT

What is the greatest threat facing Christianity in the U.S. today? Socialism? Cancel culture? Wokeness? Not according to Dr. Russell Moore. He says it’s “means-to-an-end-Christianity” which seeks to use Christ to achieve some other goal. This, he argues, is what’s fueling everything from Christian nationalism to the cover up of sexual abuse in churches and ministries. Don’t miss his wide-ranging conversation with Skye. Also this week, the podcast crew discusses the “Seven Mountain Mandate” behind so many of the cultural and political wars Christians are fighting today, and why it’s more about seizing power than serving Christ. How do we convince evangelicals to abandon conspiracy theories and get the Covid vaccine? Plus, Phil’s tired of hard butter.

Patreon Bonus: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48587588

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/24/971018428/baffled-canadians-spread-reports-of-hard-butter

https://www.kentuckytoday.com/stories/greear-decries-division-repudiates-pharisaical-spirit-in-sbc-ec-address,30736

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/02/24/evangelicals-covid-vaccine-russell-moore-walter-kim/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/how-a-rising-religious-movement-rationalizes

https://religionnews.com/2021/02/25/the-creeping-radicalization-of-white-evangelicals/

Direct download: HP447_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:57pm CDT

Filling his songs with faith and the theology of respected white leaders like John Piper and Tim Keller, Lecrae became a darling of white evangelicalism.  When he spoke out against racial injustice in 2017, all that began to change. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, record producer and Christian activist Lecrae sits down with Phil to talk about being called “too Black,” Fallkirk Center co-founder Charlie Kirk’s recent attempt to “cancel” him, and, in the midst of it all,  why he still has hope for the church.

Plus - was that really a golden statue at CPAC??  Seriously??

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-gold-statue-cpac_n_6038eac7c5b60f03d9b3dec5

Direct download: HP446.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:07pm CDT

How do you know if you’re a Christian nationalist? Kaitlyn Schiess is back with Phil and Skye to unpack Samuel Perry’s top 10 indicators of Christian nationalism and they add a few of their own. They also discuss why there’s so much overlap between Christian nationalism and Christian fundamentalism. Plus, Phil explains how the evolution of contemporary Christian music reveals what’s happened to the American church. Then, Skye talks with Preston Sprinkle about his new book “Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say.” They discuss what extremists on the Right and Left get wrong about the transgender conversation, and what a pastoral, not just a theological, response looks like. Also this week, a more accurate covid test is being used in China—but there’s a downside.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/anal-swab-china-coronavirus/2021/01/27/cc284f56-6054-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html

 

https://twitter.com/socofthesacred/status/1358834106356948996

Direct download: HP445.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:45am CDT

Here we go again. The evangelical world is shocked by another leadership scandal. This time it’s the report that famed apologist Ravi Zacharias sexually abused women for years before his death in 2020. Kaitlyn Schiess joins Phil and Skye to discuss the story, and why so many ministries fail to investigate their famous leaders or take abuse allegations seriously. Then, Skye talks with Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, about his decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention in December. Believing the SBC’s desire to overcome its racist past was genuine, Dates had to convince his historically black church to align with the SBC in the first place. He explains why he was wrong and what it means for the future of evangelicalism in America.

This week's Bonus segment: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47673135

Direct download: HP444.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:46am CDT

Before the 2020 election, many self-identified “prophets” within the charismatic movement decalred God had revealed to them that Donald Trump would win. Millions of followers believed them. How are they now reconciling their divine revelations with reality? The Holy Post crew looks at another failed prophecy in the 1840s that changed American Christianity. Also this week, Phil deputizes Mike Erre as his pastor to determine whether his sarcastic response to a Twitter critic violated Jesus’ command against judging others. And sociologist Joshua Packard talks with Skye about a comprehensive new study on the faith of Generation Z, and why few churches are prepared to engage them. Plus, forced monkey labor.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/26/business/target-drops-chaokoh-coconut-milk-trnd/index.html

https://thewayofimprovement.com/2021/01/15/charismatic-prophets-at-war/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/47376089

Direct download: HP443_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:59am CDT

Evangelicals used to believe the way to transform America was through revivalism. Increasingly, they now believe it’s through revolution. Why are so many buying into Christian nationalism? What is it? And what can we do about those caught in this heretical gospel of political domination? Phil, Skye, and Christian discuss the issue. Also this week, Dr. Derwin Gray—former NFL player and lead pastor of a multiethnic church in North Carolina—joins Skye to talk about his new book on the Beatitudes, “The Good Life,” and why Jesus was the happiest person ever. Gray also unpacks why so many pastors are afraid to talk about race and politics. Plus—nano chameleons and scientists teach vegetables to send emails.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/opinion/christian-nationalists-capitol-attack.html

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/discerning-the-difference-between

Direct download: HP442.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:23pm CDT

Was Donald Trump good or bad for the Republican Party? The GOP lost the presidency and the Senate, but in 2020 the party gain seats in the House and Trump also got more votes than any Republican candidate ever! Conservative columnist and veteran of three Republican administrations, Peter Wehner, joins Skye to talk about the future of the party after Trump, and why evangelicals are the group most easily seduced by political power. Also this week, Kaitlyn Schiess joins Phil and Skye to discuss Biden’s inauguration, and to answer listener questions like—Why do so many conservative Christians oppose environmentalism? Why is there a split between older and younger Christians regarding Christian nationalism? And, why do the same leaders who say “We should be courageous enough to die for our faith” exhibit so much fear over cultural and political change?

PATREON BONUS INTERVIEW

Kaitlyn’s Twitter Thread

Direct download: HP441_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:24pm CDT

Jemar Tisby (The Color of Compromise) rejoins Phil to discuss his new book, How to Fight Racism. Actual, real steps to be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Plus David French posits that the American church has been infected with something called “Southern shame culture,” which sends Phil on a journey into the “Lost Cause” narrative, confederate monuments, revisionist history and the overwhelming desire to “defend our tribe” and punch back at enemies, real and imagined. It’s a wild, historical journey from the Civil War to Franklin Graham! (And if you don’t like it, it’s David French’s fault.)

Bonus for Patreon Subscribers: Phil asks Jemar some tough questions: What’s his take on the CRT controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention? And what about abortion? Since white Christians are more likely to vote for pro-life candidates than Black Christians, does that mean Black Christians don’t care about abortion? It’s a fascinating conversation available to everyone who supports the podcast at any level!

 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/martin-luther-king-jr-racism-racial-justice-policy-change.html

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/where-does-the-south-end-and-christianity

Direct download: HP440_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:03pm CDT

Everyone is trying to make sense of the attack on the Capitol last week by a violent pro-Trump mob displaying Christian symbols—including us! Kaitlyn Schiess joins Phil, Skye, and Christian to talk through the madness. Skye explains why this attack is fundamentally different from political violence in America’s past. Phil worries about the loss of objective truth and why responses on Facebook are so much worse than Twitter. The discuss why so many Christians and Christian leaders still support Donald Trump, and the crew  unpacks articles from three evangelicals—Ed Stetzer, Michael Gerson, and David French—who say white evangelicalism must face a reckoning. But will it?

https://www.holypost.com/post/america-has-seen-political-violence-before-why-the-maga-attack-is-different-more-dangerous

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-evangelicals-were-complicit-in-the-desecration-of-our-democracy/2021/01/07/69a51402-5110-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/10/after-donald-trump-evangelical-christians-face-reckoning-column/6601393002/

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/only-the-church-can-truly-defeat

Direct download: HP439_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:35pm CDT

We’re starting the new year with a look back. John Fea, history professor from Messiah College, author of “Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump,” and the official historian of the Holy Post podcast, says 2020 was a year that “unveiled” the truth about American evangelicalism. He also explores how different court evangelicals have responded to Trump’s loss, and what may happen next. Fea also looks at Phil’s recent video about the history of evangelicalism, and how the Second Great Awakening shaped so much of what we’re seeing today. Also this week—Skye goes skiing and Phil replaces Plinky Pete.

Direct download: HP438_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:02am CDT

1