All Things New

How should we understand the Christian's relationship to culture?

Two answers to that question - those given by H. Richard Niebuhr (1951) and James Davison Hunter (2010) - have been widely regarded as the most compelling. However, in a recent article, Professor Brad East offers a gentle critique of Niebuhr and Hunter and puts forward a proposal of his own. East suggests four modes of engagement with culture: resistance, repentance, reception, and reform. These modes, says East, are typically all at work simultaneously, and they apply in every possible historical and political context. In this episode, we discuss East's essay, evaluating the limitations of faithful presence and identifying those moments when the church’s witness needs to be marked by holiness and difference.

Brad East’s article: https://mereorthodoxy.com/once-more-church-and-culture/

Back in 2017, we spent an episode discussing an arcane academic concept known as intersectionality. Back then, few people had heard of it. But listening now, you’re likely to recognize the massive influence of this idea in media, the arts, politics, and the academy. In this episode, we discuss Andrew Sullivan's article explaining and critiquing the progressive “doctrine" of intersectionality.

Andrew Sullivan's article: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/is-intersectionality-a-religion.html

In her new book, Feminism Against Progress, Mary Harrington writes about some trends in second-wave feminism that need to be contested, and argues that this modern “feminism isn’t evidence of moral progress in some absolute sense, rather it comprises the aggregate response to ways that women’s lives were transformed by the industrial revolution and, crucially, by the departure of work from the home.” She deems her arguments “reactionary feminism.”In this episode, we talk about historical feminism, this more modern feminism of freedom (liberation from all constraints), and what the gospel has to do with it.

Third Wednesday Theology is back! We're reading Herman Bavinck's book The Christian Family, which is a biblical theology of the family. In this episode, we discuss the first two chapters: The Origin of the Family (creation) and The Disruption of the Family (fall).

What do dogs and cultural apologetics have in common? Absolutely nothing, except for this podcast episode. Bob recently spent some time in New York City with the Keller Center; he explains the work of cultural apologetics and talks about some of the projects the Fellows are working on. Also, Chris tells us how he got another dog.

In this episode, we discuss an article that critiques some of the trauma language we're increasingly using in the church. Without minimizing the reality of trauma, we do need to assess whether we’ve allowed these categories to influence the way we approach sin and repentance.

One of the most common aspects of human life is “agency” or making choices. You choose where you live and work, what you eat, and how you act. But the way people make decisions is greatly influenced by their family structures, past relationships, and more. In this episode, we explore some practical ways to spot imbalances in your decision-making and regain a healthy, God-given sense of agency.

Billy Graham. The Jesus Movement. Megachurches. Instagram Influencers. What do they all have in common? In this episode, we discuss an article by Dr. Kirsten Sanders where she traces three phases of evangelicalism in America.

Article: The Evangelical Question in the History of American Religion

Family physician and psychologist Dr. Leonard Sax has seen a dramatic increase in what he calls "permissive parenting" among the families who frequent his practice. He poses the question: is politics affecting our parenting? In this episode, we discuss the basic expectations that Christian parents should have, and how authoritative (loving-yet-strict) parenting positively influences a child’s behavior and future.

Article: https://ifstudies.org/blog/do-your-political-beliefs-affect-your-parenting-

Social psychologist Dr. Jon Haidt stated conclusively at the end of February that “social media is a major cause of the mental illness epidemic in teen girls.” He asserts that the social science data now shows causation, not mere correlation -- and he posted a public Google doc to prove it. In this episode, we discuss how this research should inform Christian parenting, and how it should shape the church's engagement with teenagers.

https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic