Ezra Institute Podcast for Cultural Reformation

What is the purpose of higher education? Is university simply a pathway to a career, or should it be something far greater?

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Joe Boot are joined by Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College and Ezra Institute Fellow for Higher Education, to examine the crisis facing modern universities and the urgent need to recover a distinctly Christian vision for higher education.

From the Christian origins of the medieval university to the rise of government-funded, career-focused education, the conversation explores how higher education has drifted from its original purpose of forming thoughtful, virtuous leaders equipped to shape culture.

The discussion also examines the moral and spiritual consequences of secular education, the growing resurgence of classical Christian schools, and why rebuilding Christian institutions of higher learning is essential for the future of Western civilization.

Drawing on his experience at New Saint Andrews College, Dr. Merkle offers a compelling vision for education rooted in Scripture, the liberal arts, and the formation of Christian cultural leaders.

Is the modern university beyond saving, or could the recovery of classical Christian education help shape a new generation of leaders for Christ and His kingdom?

As tensions with Iran escalate and antisemitism spreads across the political spectrum, how should Christians respond?

On this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Joe Boot and Daniel Ogden, Fellow for International Law and International Relations, to discuss the conflict with Iran, the growing alliance between Islamist and Marxist movements, and the rise of antisemitism among elements of the political right.

Together, they examine the ideological forces shaping these developments and why Christians must reject identity politics, scapegoating, and revolutionary thinking in favour of biblical reformation, faithful political engagement, and the proclamation of Christ's lordship over every sphere of life.

On this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Joseph Boot are joined by Tim Dieppe, Ezra Institute Fellow for Public Policy and Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, to discuss the growing influence of Islam in the West and how Christians should respond.

They examine the historical relationship between Islam and Christianity, the political ambitions of Islamic theology, the rise of Sharia law in Britain, and the recent riots and unrest across Europe. The conversation also explores the consequences of multiculturalism, the growing political influence of Islam, and its surprising alliances with progressive movements.

Finally, they discuss what Christians should think and do in response, from engaging in public policy and defending their nations' Christian heritage to evangelizing their Muslim neighbours and boldly proclaiming Christ's lordship over all of life.

On this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright speaks with Dr. Ted Fenske, retired cardiologist and Ezra Institute fellow, about a Christian approach to the making and taking of life. They discuss declining fertility, the ethical concerns surrounding IVF and embryo selection, Canada’s growing use of medical assistance in dying, and the church’s role in caring for people who are suffering and vulnerable. Dr. Fenske also reflects on medicine as a calling to serve and comfort, the importance of family and patient advocacy, and how Christians should think about public justice.

On this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot is joined by Dr. Jeff Ventrella, Ezra Institute Fellow for Jurisprudence, to examine the ideas shaping the new right. They explore how legitimate concerns about cultural decline can give way to racial identity politics, tribalism, historical revisionism, and an increasing reliance on state power—often borrowing the methods of the very leftist movements they oppose.

Moving beyond political reaction, Joe and Jeff make the case for a response rooted in Scripture, the lordship of Christ, and the kingdom of God. Join us as they consider why lasting cultural renewal requires more than seizing power, and why Christian unity must rest in Christ rather than ethnicity or political allegiance.

We're continuing our series of interviews with the Fellows of the Ezra Institute. This week we're going back to a conversation Dr. Joe Boot recorded with Ezra Fellow Jeff Durbin at Apologia Studios in Phoenix.

They ask whether Christianity and the West are doomed. Joe argues that the West's moral collapse isn't a warning of God's judgment but the judgment itself, and that it's also an hour of opportunity for the faithful. They cover the political implications of Christ's kingship, God's covenant dealings with nations, the Marxist attack on the family, and the West's "culture of death." Joe also explains why a faithful remnant can still plow in hope.

Politics seems to reach into every part of life, even as trust in government continues to erode. How should Christians respond without retreating from public life or expecting politics to solve everything?

On this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright speaks with Ezra fellow Professor Zane Richer about the crisis in modern political thought. They examine the false choices Christians are often asked to make, the proper role of government, and why Scripture must shape the questions we ask as well as the answers we give.

Their conversation offers a call to patient, faithful work: raising families, strengthening churches, developing Christian political thought, and building institutions that can serve future generations.

The Puritans are often caricatured as grim, joyless and disconnected from modern life. In reality, they offered a rich and deeply practical vision of the Christian faith—one that applied the lordship of Christ to the heart, the home, the church, our work and the wider culture.

Nate Wright is joined by Ezra Institute Fellow Jacob Tanner to explore what Christians today can learn from figures such as John Owen, John Bunyan, William Perkins, Richard Sibbes, Jeremiah Burroughs and Samuel Rutherford. They discuss the mortification of sin, joyful contentment, faithful pastoral ministry, resistance to tyranny, the Christian’s vocation and the Puritan hope for the transformation of society through the gospel.

What does it mean to think Christianly about economics? Dr. Joe Boot is joined by Ezra Institute Fellow David Bahnsen to explore how Scripture shapes our understanding of work, wealth, capital, markets, debt, and human flourishing.

Beginning with the creation mandate, they discuss work as an essential part of humanity’s God-given calling—not a necessary evil—and explain how capital and labour can work together to cultivate creation and serve others. They also examine the dangers of socialism, state intervention, consumer debt, class resentment, and the growing hostility toward productive enterprise.

Finally, David offers practical principles for building wealth faithfully: rejecting covetousness, embracing productive work, living within our means, creating more than we consume, and seeking not merely to survive, but to thrive for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot is joined by Dr. Stephen Lloyd and Paul Garner of Biblical Creation Trust to discuss the importance of biblical creation for understanding the Christian faith and the gospel. They explore the relationship between creation and redemption, the historical Adam, the origin and meaning of death, and the challenges posed by theistic evolution. They also consider how abandoning a biblical doctrine of creation can affect the church’s understanding of Scripture and the coherence of the biblical story.

The conversation then turns to the wider implications of creation for Christian engagement with contemporary culture, including questions of human identity, gender, sexuality, artificial intelligence, and the nature of scientific knowledge. Joe, Stephen, and Paul discuss the need for Christians to recover a confident and intellectually rigorous engagement with science, developing positive models of creation that take both biblical revelation and the evidence of the natural world seriously. At the heart of the discussion is the conviction that creation is not merely the backdrop to redemption, but a foundational part of the Christian worldview and the gospel itself.