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

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.

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.

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

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

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.