Episode 517: Can the Global Church Save the American Church? with Matthew Soerens

A network of global Christian churches have decided to combat climate change by divesting from gas and oil companies. But why aren’t any Protestant American churches participating, and do climate activists care that efforts to replace fossil fuels disproportionately harm the poor? And a new article by Beth Allison Barr examines the difference between the political pro-life movement and the biblical pro-life ethic.

Then, Matthew Soerens is back to discuss the new book he’s co-authored with Eric Costanzo and Daniel Yang, “Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church.” As white evangelicals lose their grip on cultural and political power in the U.S., Soerens says they may discover how to follow Christ more faithfully from sisters and brothers in the global church who never had power to begin with. Plus, New Zealand taxes bovine burps.

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News Segment
0:00 - Intro and updates
5:04 - Bovine burps
10:39 - Churches combatting climate change
18:08 - Capitalism and poverty
32:03 - Women left behind by the pro-life movement

Sponsors
50:59 - Sponsor: One Collective
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52:55 - Sponsor: World Relief
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Interview with Matthew Soerens

"Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church" by Eric Costanzo, Daniel Yang, and Matthew Soerens - https://amzn.to/3PlS8pB

54:51 - Matthew Soerens interview intro
57:10 - Challenges in the evangelical American church
1:05:56 - Changing the boogeyman
1:11:38 - Looking to the global church
1:16:48 - U.S. immigration and refugee policies
1:22:04 - "What in the World?" Holy Post miniseries
1:24:54 - Credits

Articles referenced in news segment:
"New Zealand announces world-first plan to tax cow and sheep burps" (NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2022/06/09/1104014587/new-zealand-announces-world-first-plan-to-tax-cow-and-sheep-burps

"Global faith institutions announce divestment..." (Operation Noah) - https://operationnoah.org/featured/press-release-global-faith-institutions-announce-d[…]es-threaten-1-5c-climate-goal-with-reckless-expansion-plans/

"MIT Scientists Propose 'Space Bubbles' to Deflect Solar Radiation, Ease Climate Change" (Popular Mechanics) -
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a40486004/space-bubbles-climate-change/

"The Women Left Behind by the Pro-Life Movement" by Beth Allison Barr (Religion & Politics) - https://religionandpolitics.org/2022/07/11/the-women-left-behind-by-the-pro-life-movement/

Resources mentioned in interview:
"American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving" by Christian Smith - https://amzn.to/3P2zIKZ

Episode 1 of our "What in the World?" miniseries will be out Friday, 7/15 in the regular Holy Post podcast feed!

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