I love the Lord and he loves me.
I will not forget, and neither will he.
That was the poem that a seven-year-old Christian Wiman handed his pastor—during the altar call, no less. The young Wiman didn’t wait for a response or say a word, he just ran back to his pew. Soon after, the pastor published Wiman’s poem in the Southern Baptist Convention’s newsletter.
“I gave him a poem,” Wiman says on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. “That was my gesture of salvation.”
In the decades since, Wiman has wrestled with his faith, suffered from cancer, and continued to find meaning in writing poetry. On this episode, he and Moore discuss the poetry in Scripture, how Jesus engaged with suffering, and how poetry can help pastors in their preaching. They talk about why poetry can be intimidating, entry points for engaging it, and how poetry can reveal the joy in our lives.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:


Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair by Christian Wiman


My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer by Christian Wiman


Joy: 100 Poems edited by Christian Wiman

The Tree of Life

Frederick Buechner

“The Figure a Poem Makes” by Robert Frost


Theology and Joy by Jürgen Moltmann

“How the Poet Christian Wiman Keeps His Faith” by Casey Cep for The New Yorker


W. A. Criswell

Abraham Joshua Heschel


The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

Sara Grant


The Sickness unto Death: A Christian Psychological Exposition of Edification & Awakening by Anti-Climacus by Søren Kierkegaard

Miroslav Volf

“The Ground of Being”

Basil Bunting

John Milton

William Shakespeare

William Wordsworth


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Christian Wiman's Work Against Despair

Listen in as Russell Moore, director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project and Editor-in-Chief, talks about the latest books, cultural conversations and pressing ethical questions that point us toward the kingdom of Christ.

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Novelist and short story writer Flannery O’Connor once said her life was too boring for a biographer—all she did was write and feed chickens. And yet, nearly 100 years after she was born, O’Connor’s life and faith are explored in Wildcat, a new film from actor, writer, and director Ethan Hawke of Training Day, First Reformed, and Dead Poets Society fame.
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Hawke and Moore discuss what compelled Hawke to cowrite Wildcat with Shelby Gaines. They talk about how O’Connor’s work connected Hawke to his mother and, later, to his daughter Maya, who plays O’Connor in the film.
Moore and Hawke explore O’Connor’s forcefulness and faith. They discuss the joys and challenges of working with family, how audiences are engaging with the religious elements in Wildcat, and Hawke's attraction to exploring issues of faith in art. And they talk about the meaning of creative work, institutions, and relationships in a fraught era.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Wildcat

Ethan Hawke

Maya Hawke

Shelby Gaines


The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O’Connor


A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

First Reformed

The Good Lord Bird


Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress by Jessica Hooten Wilson

“A South Without Myths” by Alice Walker

“Why did Flannery O’Connor detest ‘Gone with the Wind’?


”Richard RohrWatership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapted and illustrated by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
﻿Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Ethan Hawke on Flannery O'Connor's Christian Imagination

What does it mean to be a “practicing Christian”? That’s the question that Russell Moore and his guest, author John Mark Comer, consider on this episode of The Russell Moore Show.
The two discuss Comer’s new book, Practicing the Way, which welcomes people into spiritual formation through ancient practices. They talk about discerning God’s will for our lives, how Comer decided to step away from his role as lead pastor of a church he planted, and what it looks like to invite people into discipleship. Comer shares how he met Jesus, what it’s like to talk about God on the West Coast, and why so many people no longer resonate with American church services. They explore how churches can cultivate richer discipleship, the power of deep friendships, and the practice of contemplative prayer.
Tune in for an episode that is replenishing, full of guidance, and sheds light on why being an apprentice to Jesus is less like learning chemistry and more like learning jujitsu.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

John Mark Comer


Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer


The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer

Billy Graham Crusades

Martin Luther

John Calvin


Where Heaven and Earth Meet: A Jesus-Centered Spirituality for Today by N. T. Wright


The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich


Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Revised and Updated) by Robert D. Putnam


Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships by Robin Dunbar


When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community by Joseph H. Hellerman


Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Marjorie Thompson

Mark Scandrette

Eugene Peterson


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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John Mark Comer’s Call to Practice, Not Performance

Confusion and anxiety. Narcissistic tendencies. Spiritual abuses. As the host of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, CT’s director of media Mike Cosper explored how these themes can wreak havoc in a church. Now, he’s sharing his own experiences with harm and healing in church life through his latest book, Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found.
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Moore hosts Cosper for a discussion of hurt and hope. They talk about Cosper’s work in church ministry, in his book, and while hosting the podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Their conversation covers church polity, planting, and pastoring. Moore and Cosper talk about the importance of humility in an era of narcissistic spiritual leaders and discuss the importance of wisdom and suffering in tempering idealism.
Cosper and Moore talk about reconciling stories of hospitality and kindness about figures like Mark Driscoll with the damage and trauma they’ve inflicted on others. They respond to the critique that The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill has made pastoring more difficult and encourage listeners to consider the importance of telling the truth even—perhaps especially—when the truth is hard to accept.
Tune in for a discussion that is honest about the harm some churches have caused and hopeful about the church as a place of healing.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

The Bulletin


Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found by Mike Cosper

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

William Carey

“Jon Hamm on the Evolution of Don Draper on 'Mad Men’”

Acts 29

“Land of My Sojourn” by Rich Mullins


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Special offer for listeners: 
Russell Moore will join friends David French and Curtis Chang in Washington, DC, for The After Party LIVE! on April 19. As a faithful listener to the podcast, we’d love for you to join us and use this $20 off offer just for listeners! The After Party is a free six-part video curriculum designed for people and pastors alike, and offers “a better way” for Christians to engage in politics. Learn more and buy tickets here—we’ve saved a seat for you!
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Mike Cosper on Church Hurt and Church Hope

"God is never going to betray you—even if the church does.”
So says Nancy French, best-selling author and investigative journalist, on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. French, who is known for her groundbreaking reporting on abuse at one of America’s largest Christian camps, joins Moore to discuss her new memoir, Ghosted.
French talks about growing up in the Bible Belt, where she was sexually abused as a child by her Vacation Bible School teacher. She and Moore discuss the importance of righteous responses to people who have been harmed, the ways institutions too often cover up abuse, and how all of this shows up in partisan politics.
Their conversation highlights the power of love—specifically in the case of Nancy’s marriage to David French—in healing from trauma. Moore and French also talk about French’s experiences ghostwriting for high-profile families such as the Palins and the Romneys. They talk about shifts in political culture, the state of racism in America, and what it’s like to be part of a church family that is primarily made up of people outside of one’s ethnic culture. Their conversation also touches on adoption, online discourse, and the incredible work that God can do through personal relationships.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Nancy French

David French


Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French

Joan Didion


Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance

Flannery O’Connor

Frederick Buechner

“They Aren’t Who You Think They Are” by David French and Nancy French

“What it’s like to experience the 2016 election as both a conservative and a sex abuse survivor” by Nancy French

Curtis Chang

“The Four Horsemen: Contempt” (The Gottman Institute)

The After Party


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Special offer for listeners: 
Russell Moore will join friends David French and Curtis Chang in Washington, DC, for The After Party LIVE! on April 19. As a faithful listener to the podcast, we’d love for you to join us and use this $20 off offer just for listeners! The After Party is a free six-part video curriculum designed for people and pastors alike, and offers “a better way” for Christians to engage in politics. Learn more and buy tickets here—we’ve saved a seat for you!
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nancy French on Love, Trauma, and Partisan Politics

Ever since Jonathan Haidt joined us on The Russell Moore Show, listeners have been sending in questions for him. So, on this episode, Russell Moore welcomes Haidt back to the show for a discussion of his new book titled The Anxious Generation, the effects of the digital landscape, and the relationship between mental health and religion. 
Haidt describes how religious communities are taking the lead in providing some protection from mental health problems. He and Moore discuss the ways that modern life lends itself to overprotecting our children in the real world and under-protecting them online. They talk about what childhood is, how it’s been rewired, and the subsequent impact on young people. They consider the unique traits of Generation Z, the power of religious communities, and why people of faith are statistically happier. Moore and Haidt explore the common quest for meaning and purpose, how to shepherd children in a virtual world, and how to account for differences in boys and girls without resorting to misogyny. 
Their conversation also covers the damage of pornography, distractions in worship settings, and how to encourage friends and families to communally steward digital devices. 
Resources mentioned in this episode include:


The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt


The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt


The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

“Jonathan Haidt’s Way Forward for an Anxious Generation” 

Jean Twenge

Greg Lukianoff

Zach Rasuch’s Substack

Émile Durkheim

“Joe Rogan Experience #2121 – Jonathan Haidt”

“Table for Two” by Caedmon’s Call


Pascal's Pensées by Blaise Pascal


The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins


Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis 


The Digital Fast: 40 Days to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most by Darren Whitehead

Andrew Sullivan

Richard V. Reeves’ Substack


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Special offer for listeners: 
Russell Moore will join friends David French and Curtis Chang in Washington, DC for The After Party LIVE! on April 19. As a faithful listener to the podcast, we'd love for you to join us and use this $20 off offer just for listeners! The After Party is a free six-part video curriculum designed for people & pastors alike, and offers "a better way" for Christians to engage in politics. Learn more and buy tickets here — we've saved a seat for you!
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today 
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper 
Host: Russell Moore 
Producer: Ashley Hales 
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps 
Video producer: Abby Egan 
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christian Wiman's Work Against Despair

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