Everything Just Changed

Today we’re talking with Dr. Russell Moore about power in the Christian church, and about the way the church wields power at a time when it seems to be loosing cultural influence. 

Russell Moore, is Public Theologian at Christianity Today and Director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project. 

The Wall Street Journal has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top fifty influence-makers in Washington, and has been profiled by such publications as the Washington Post and the New Yorker.

Russell was President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that role, Moore served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics. 

Dr. Moore is the author of several books, including The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul, Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel and The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home. A native Mississippian, he and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons.

We want to share with you an advent song that’s related to the themes we’ve discussed today, you can find that by heading over to our new Facebook group or by searching for Everything Just Changed on Facebook

Have you witnessed abuse of power in the church? Maybe you haven’t witnessed abuse of power, but you’ve seen everyone talking about it online recently and you’re wondering why it’s getting so much attention. Maybe you’re a pastor and you’re working hard to love and lead your church but you’re wondering if the outrage machine will turn its sights on you next. Today on Everything Just Changed, Bryce talks with professor and author Kyle Strobel about this use and abuse of power, and what it might look like to recover a Christian understanding of power in our time.

Kyle Strobel teaches spiritual theology for Talbot’s Institute for Spiritual Formation at Biola University. He’s the author of The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb. Kyle mentioned the best place to get a copy is at wayofthedragonbook.com.

We'd love to know what changed for you after listening to this episode, let us know on Facebook!

This week Bryce and Brad continue their series on power. What is power and why has it become some a contentious topic? How did we go so long ignoring the questions that power raises? In this episode we're asking the questions that power raises for us, questions that we'll explore in the rest of this series as we talk with authors and experts. We'd love to hear your questions around the topic of power as well, we've created a new Facebook group to connect with other listeners, join us!

Maybe you’ve listened to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast and at every turn, power seems to be abused in service to celebrity. Maybe you’ve even seen this dynamic up close. With leaders both in the church and outside it misusing power for improper ends, what are we to do as the church in the West?

Today we’re starting a new series on power because we believe that power by itself isn’t evil. Rather, the question for us is how to use power well, in life-giving and gospel-centered ways. In this series Bryce and Brad Edwards will be your guides, talking with authors and experts about power and what the heck is going on in the world. Today we're kicking off this series asking what we might be missing that is making it so hard to talk about power.

On our last episode, Bryce and Brad talked about The Six Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism, an article by Michael Graham and Skyler Flowers, and posited that sociology, not theology, is driving the current tumult in the church. Many of you reached out to let us know you appreciated the episode (thanks!), one of whom was author Michael Graham himself. So as we launch a new series of episode of Everything Just Changed, Brad and Bryce talked with Michael about what lead him to write his article, and what unique challenges and opportunities face Christians who seek to be faithful to Scripture while navigating our chaotic culture with nuance.

If you haven't listened to our previous episode Theology or Sociology: What's Driving Divisions Within Christianity?, you'll want to listen to that first.

This week Bryce and Brad wrap up season 3 of the podcast, talking about the fracturing of evangelicalism, whether this fracturing is being driven by theological or sociological concerns, and Michael Graham's excellent article on the subject. We also also reflect on a year and a half of recording the podcast and some changes as we move forward. We'd love to hear from you, please leave us a comment at kingandkingdom.community.

If you feel like you are politically homeless in this time of polarization, and you’re hopeful that faith in Jesus might be a stabilizing force in a tumultuous cultural moment, our interview today is gonna be a breath of fresh air. Brad and I are talking with Michael Wear about politics and faith, and how Michael remains hopeful when politics has taken on the weight of identity for so many Christians.

We’d love to know what changed for you after listening to this conversation? Let us know at kingandkingdom.community.

If you’re interested in connecting with Micheal, you can find him on Substack and Twitter.

Dr. Jackson Wu is the theologian in residence at Mission One in Phoenix, AZ. His 15 years spent as a missionary and training church planters in East Asia gives him a unique perspective on Western Christianity, and especially - you guessed it - Individualism. We cover a LOT of ground, including: the “decolonizing”  language that’s part of our Deconstruction “moment,” the inherent tension between “belonging” and our Individuality, and how American Evangelicalism’s hyper-focus on Individualism precludes the Gospel’s resolution of unaddressed shame. 

Referenced Articles & Resources:

“Forsaking Identity is the Logical Consequence of Individualism” by Jackson Wu

“Where does the South End and Christianity Begin?” By David French

Follow Dr. Jackson Wu on Twitter

As we continue to explore issues related to identity formation in the modern world, today we're moving beyond simply diagnosing the problem. We're talking with Kyle Strobel, professor of systematic theology at Talbot School of Theology, and the author of many books, including most recently When Prayer Becomes Real. We talk with Kyle about what spiritual formation is, and the way the Spirit works through his church to give and shape the identities of Christians.

Our search for a solution to the problem of radical individualism has brought us to a surprising place: the need for healthy institutions. Today we're talking with Dr. Barry Corey, President of Biola University, about the role institutions of Christian higher education play in identity formation, and the way their work has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.