In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the war with Iran, which the U.S. entered into on February 28. The attacks resulted in the assassination of Israel's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and several other officials. And in response, Iran has launched missiles at various targets in Israel and US military bases. Today's conversation hopefully sheds some light on the history of the tension in the Middle East, as well as whether war can ever be just.

At the top of the podcast, Dr. White suggested a helpful resource for understanding more of the world's political order. Written by Richard Haass, you can find The World: A Brief Introduction at The Grounds Bookstore HERE. He also mentioned a past podcast episode that we highly suggest you go back and listen to for more of an understanding of Israel and their engagement with both Palestine and Iran: CCP80: On the War in Israel. This episode will help you understand why Jerusalem is such a flashpoint. There is another past episode that we'd recommend for understanding the differences between Christianity and Islam: CCP86: On Islam.

Alexis mentioned the article written by Russell Moore in Christianity Today titled “What the Iran War Could Do to Your Soul,” which you can find HERE. It really challenges people to think about the why behind their support or opposition to the war. And when it comes to whether the church should engage this current conflict, it would be helpful to go back to our recent episode: CCP185: On Bad Bunny, Monks and Immigration.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a topic that is drifting away from its biblical moorings and increasingly misunderstood in culture: exorcism. Even individuals who would not consider themselves Christians are familiar with the Lord's Prayer, which includes the line, “deliver us from evil.” But what does that mean, and why the sudden cultural interest in exorcism?

Dr. White mentioned a book that he wrote called The Prayer God Longs For. It walks through the Lord's Prayer, including a chapter that focuses on the deliverance from evil or the "evil one" (Satan). You can find it as an ebook on Church & Culture HERE. He also mentioned the work of C.S. Lewis called The Screwtape Letters - a fascinating book about the nature of temptation and demonic work in our lives. You can find that book at The Grounds Bookstore and Café HERE. Another resource that Dr. White mentioned, which you can also find in The Grounds, is Lee Strobel's Seeing the Supernatural. You can find that book HERE.

The discussion continued with a look at who Satan is, and an overview of the world of the occult. There are so many ways that the occult invades culture today, and most people are not even aware of it. There was a series that Dr. White delivered at Mecklenburg Community Church a number of years ago on the subject called “Paranormal.” The installments of this series include the map of the spiritual world, the marks of the occult, and the armor of God. There are also some past podcast episodes that you may want to go back and listen to related to today's conversation including: CCP151: On Spirits and Ghosts, CCP77: On Angels, CCP66: On Satanism, and CCP58: On Your Horoscope and Starbucks.

Finally, there are two articles that were mentioned in today's episode that you may be interested in reading. The first is written by Kaya Burgess in The Telegraph titled “Demand for exorcisms rises as faithful want ‘deliverance from evil.'” The second article was just released this week in the London Times, written by Tom Kington, and titled “Devil worshippers are using AI, exorcists are warned” discussing fears that pedophiles are using AI to create images of children participating in satanic rites.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a topic that was prompted by a recent blog from Dr. White titled, “From Bad Bunny to Buddhist Monks: Navigating the News Cycle.” Church leaders are often expected to speak to what's happening with the current news cycle. While many attenders realize it's unrealistic for their church to speak to every issue, everyone at some point is drawn to a particular news story they feel demands a response, statement or a stand from their church. So how do pastors and church leaders contend with all of this?

At the top of the episode, Alexis mentioned how the Church & Culture Podcast topics are inspired by everything from what's trending in culture, to the latest news stories, to other “hot” podcasts, as well as listener-submitted questions. (By the way, if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the C&C Podcast you can submit your questions HERE.)

Dr. White mentioned some earlier episodes on the podcast that were drawn from cultural trends including: CCP163: On "KPop Demon Hunters, CCP44: On Artificial Intelligence, and CCP182: On Telepathy. These topics were chosen because many Christians wrestle with how to think Christianly about them and discern whether the Bible has anything to say about them. Then there are episodes about topics over which Christians are divided. These would include past episodes such as: CCP21: On Gender, CCP151: On Spirits and Ghosts, and CCP132: On Near-Death Experiences.

Alexis also posed the question about determining which news-cycle issues to address as a pastor to the church. Dr. White referenced two series in particular that he delivered at Mecklenburg Community Church. The first was “Is it okay for a Christian to…” and covered the following topics: watching Game of Thrones, smoking marijuana and drinking wine, gambling, doing yoga, voting for ________, getting a tattoo, having cosmetic surgery or being cremated, participating in a gay wedding, and not going to church. The second was titled, “What the Bible Really Says About…” and covered these popular issues: A.I., politics, immigration, IVF and abortion, and angels.

Dr. White also addressed the need to speak to major events when they happen, particularly when there is a need to restore dignity and remind people that we are called to love one another. He noted two events in particular - the murder of George Floyd and the murder of Charlie Kirk. At the time of Floyd's death, Dr. White had a panel discussion at the church, which became our weekend service. You can find “Going Forward: Next Steps” HERE. And then the Sunday after Charlie Kirk was killed, he took time before the series message to offer condolences and a prayer. The transcript from that message was turned into a blog, which you can find HERE.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. Thanks for listening!

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a difficult subject that has so many nuances - suicide. And they prayed that they'd handle today's conversation delicately. The previous podcast episode - CCP183: On Counseling and Therapy - provided a segue to this subject since, along with the rise in those seeking counseling, there has also been a nationwide rise in the number of deaths caused by suicide. And the big question most often asked by those within the Christian faith is: Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

Dr. White shared some data from the CDC which found that from 2002 to 2022, the rates of suicide increased by 30%, and that in the year 2023, suicide became the 11th leading cause of death. As Dr. White noted, suicide is considered a form of murder - it is the killing of yourself - and violates one of the Ten Commandments. Dr. White gave a series at Mecklenburg Community Church called “Ten,” which looks at what the Bible says specifically about each of these commands from God. You can find that series on Church & Culture HERE.

The conversation also explained the idea of apostasy - the act of abandoning one's faith. If you missed it, we'd encourage you to go back and listen to CCP131: On Losing Your Salvation. Another past podcast episode that is relevant for today's conversation is CCP48: On Medically Assisted Suicide.

Finally, Alexis mentioned a book written by David Biebel and Suzanne Foster called Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love: Help and Hope for an Unexpected Journey that many of our listeners may find helpful if they've lost someone to suicide.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss recent findings from the CDC National Health Interview Survey which showed that approximately 14% (or 1 in 7) of adults in the U.S. received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional as of 2024. This is a significant increase from 2019 data, and behind the rise are mainly young adults, those between 18 and 34 years old. So what's behind this growing rise in counseling, and are all types of counseling created equal?

A general knowledge of the world of mental health has increased in recent years, and the stigma behind seeking treatment for mental health issues has decreased. Anxiety has been one of the greatest mental health issues of our day. Dr. White recently gave a message at Mecklenburg Community Church called “The Anxious Generation” that you can find HERE.

They also discussed how Christian beliefs may play a role in discouraging therapy. For example, some Christians might question whether therapy replaces God or minimizes the healing that God is able to provide. The truth is that even some of the leaders within the Christian faith have struggled with depression and other mental health issues. Dr. White wrote a blog to help dispel this stigma called “Suicide and the Church” that we'd suggest you to take a moment to read. There is also a past podcast episode we'd encourage you to go back and listen to called CCP36: On Mental Health that addresses this subject as well.

Finally, Dr. White mentioned the writings of Dr. Larry Crabb, author of Inside Out and Connecting, who wrote how treating mental health issues only as psychological disorders may cheapen the mysterious battle raging deep within the soul. In other words, therapy is not the answer for everything. Faith and prayer do still come into play. This is why it's so important to seek out Christian counselors who've been specifically trained to provide both clinical counseling and spiritual guidance.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a topic that's gained traction in today's culture thanks, in large part, to the series Stranger Things. Telepathy is the alleged direct communication of thoughts, feelings and ideas between minds without using speech, without using writing, and without using any other normal physical signals. It's often considered a form of ESP or extrasensory perception. But is it real? Can people really communicate mind to mind?

The idea of telepathy falls into the category of the supernatural - the disclosure of information that was unknown or unavailable to humans through normal means. And it's an area where Christians need to tread lightly. This has been the topic of past podcast episodes we'd suggest you revisit, including CCP3: On Hypnosis and Meditation and CCP58: On Your Horoscope and Starbucks.

Dr. White also explained that telepathy is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, however Scripture does note how Jesus was able to know the thoughts of the Scribes in Matthew 9. Meaning that God - and God alone - is capable of doing something like this. For more on telepathy and the Bible, we'd suggest you check out an article titled “What does the Bible say about telepathy or psycho-kinesis?,” which you can find HERE.

The “Telepathy Tapes” podcast series attempted to make a case for evidence of telepathic abilities among non-speaking individuals with autism. The podcast received strong criticism from many in the scientific community citing cases where they misrepresented data and information. Dr. White encouraged Christians to steer clear of the content in the podcasts.

Finally, the conversation then turned from telepathy to telekinesis or psychokinesis - the ability to manipulate objects with your mind without physical contact. It was noted how the church of Scientology believes and affirms this ability. Scientology was the topic of a past Church & Culture Podcast. We'd encourage you to go back and listen to CCP35: On Scientology.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a recent viral parody from comedian Druski taking a jab at prosperity gospel preachers and megachurch culture. While some took offense to the skit, others viewed it as a good wake-up call for pastors like the people parodied in the video. It begs the question, are all megachurches mishandling money?

There was a good article on this topic from Religion News Service titled “Druski's viral parody of flashy preachers renews debate over wealth in the pulpit.” We'd encourage you to take a few minutes to read that article HERE. Druski is not the first to notice preachers who like to draw attention to their ostentatious wealth. As Dr. White mentioned, the Instagram account @preachersnsneakers (which has more than 325K followers) is devoted to pointing out ways that some pastors choose to flaunt their wealth from the pulpit.

This is not the first time that megachurches have been a topic on the Church & Culture Podcast. We'd encourage you to go back and listen to CCP31: On Celebrity Pastors, CCP40: On Criticism of Megachurches, and CCP51: On Prosperity Preaching.

Dr. White had commentary to offer on those who would condemn the megachurch model, as though all churches were meant to be small. He wrote about this in a blog titled “Should Churches Meet in Houses?” which you can find HERE. He also spoke of the importance of clear teaching about giving, and how the Church is called to use those gifts. If you would like to see some of his past teachings at Mecklenburg Community Church on this topic, you can find those gathered HERE.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the findings of a recent study from Baylor University reflecting an increased interest in magical thinking - acceptance of the world of the supernatural - even among people who do not hold to traditional religious beliefs. This was actually something that Dr. White forecasted in his book Meet Generation Z, noting the impacts on Gen Z being raised by parents who were increasingly spiritual (interested in things related to the spiritual realm), but not religious.

At the beginning of the discussion, Dr. White made reference to the writings of Pitirim A. Sorokin, and particularly his lengthy four-volume work Social and Cultural Dynamics. As mentioned above, we live in a world where people are more likely to consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. Dr. White delivered a message series at Mecklenburg Community Church to help people have a better understanding of our world and the spiritual realm. You can find the installments of the series “Paranormal” HERE.

For a deeper dive into other topics related to the Christian faith and the world of the supernatural, we'd encourage you to check out these past podcast episodes as well. The links below will take you to the podcast episode on the Church & Culture website, but you can also find them by name on the C&C Podcast YouTube channel or on your favorite podcasting platform:

CCP171: On Halloween

CCP151: On Spirits and Ghosts

CCP107: On Hell

CCP58: On Your Horoscope and Starbucks

CCP11: On Wicca

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss what's left in the wake when a beloved leader - particularly one who works in the ministry of the Christian faith - falls. To be sure, there is heartbreak and disillusionment and confusion. And sadly, more and more frequently we're hearing about the moral failings of pastors or favorite authors - names like Bill Hybels, Ravi Zacharias and, most recently, Philip Yancey.

The recent news about Yancey was what prompted today's conversation. He's the author of such classics as What's So Amazing About Grace and The Jesus I Never Knew. His books have sold more than 20 million copies, and he is arguably the most beloved Christian author of our generation. This past week, he confessed to an eight-year extramarital affair. You can read more about that HERE.

The first question posed by Alexis was, “Why does this keep happening?” Dr. White once wrote a blog titled “Why Leaders Are Falling (and why ‘There but by the grace of God go I' is so inadequate).” If you're interested in reading that you can find it HERE. We'd also encourage you to check out an early episode of the Church & Culture Podcast that touched on this as well: CCP4: On Pastors and Moral Failings.

Dr. White also made note of the harm that can be done within Christian ministry through very broad, generalized NDAs that are used to cover up a multitude of sins. For more on this, we'd encourage you to go back and listen to CCP67: On the Secrets of Hillsong and the Duggars, and a blog titled “Should a Church Use NDAs?, which you can find HERE.

Dr. White brought up how much of the sin that seems to grip leaders - including Yancey and Hybels - is sexual in nature. Dr. White wrote about the importance of those in ministry guarding against this type of sin in his books What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary and A Traveler's Guide to the Kingdom.

Finally, Alexis asked how the body of work - whether sermons or books or Bible studies - related to these fallen leaders is to be handled. Dr. White wrote a helpful blog on this topic that he touched on in today's episode. We'd encourage you to read “Evaluating the Fruit Test” HERE.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the reasons that some people who are raised in the Christian faith choose to walk away from it, while others remain committed Christ followers. As you can imagine, the faith of the parents and how that's fleshed out in their lives is a huge factor.

At the top of the episode, Alexis noted that today's topic was prompted by Pew Research Center's “Religious Landscape Study” - a landmark study and truly the gold standard of its kind. Religion News Service picked up on part of the study in a recent article titled, “Why do some people stay in their faith and others leave? A Pew report offers clues.” You can read that article HERE.

Both Alexis and Dr. White mentioned that other findings from the “Religious Landscape Study” have been the topic of other podcast discussions and the Church & Culture blog. Here is where you can find those on the Church & Culture website:

CCP141: On the Largest, Most Recent Survey of American Religion

“The Stall of the Nones”

“Gen Z Church Attendance”

“A Revival... or a Moment?”

Dr. White noted that research from Dr. Christian Smith has been insightful in netting out the huge role that parents play in the faith of their children. You can explore his “National Study of Youth & Religion” HERE. As a father of four and grandfather of 16, Dr. White is passionate about the role of parents in the lives of their children. You can find sermon series that he's given at Mecklenburg Community Church on parenting HERE.

Dr. White referenced articles and interviews with Derek Thompson and Richard Dawkins regarding the idea that Christianity is not about a religion, but rather a relationship with Jesus. And that relational component is what's missing from some churches. Here are those stories for you:

Derek Thompson, “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust,” The Atlantic, read online.

LBC video post of Richard Dawkins on X, watch here.

Walter Sánchez Silva, “Famous Atheist Richard Dawkins Says He Considers Himself a ‘Cultural Christian,'” Catholic News Agency, read online.

Finally, Dr. White discussed the importance of apologetics when it comes to the Christian faith - knowing why you believe what you believe. He has given a number of series at Meck that are incredibly helpful in this arena. You can find them all gathered under the category of “Exploring Christianity” HERE.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.