Faith & Clarity - Biblical Perspectives and Biblical Wisdom on News & Cultural Issues

Among the many surprising incidents surrounding the war in Israel, the size and vitriol of many American college students decrying Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza is among the most surprising. What’s spurring their protests? And how can parents and families discuss the war in Israel with their college students with truth and in love so that serious discussions can happen without fracturing relationships? 

(00:34): The latest news from Israel and the ground offensive in Gaza

(05:29): Iran’s role in the Israel war

(07:26): How Israel and Hamas are responding to global pressure

(11:06): Why Israel’s government has Arab representation

(18:00): Why Critical Theory calls Israel an “oppressor”

(21:59): Has Critical Theory replaced “majority rule with minority rights”?

(24:49): Why are many college students protesting the Israel war?

(26:59): Blending anti-Zionism with antisemitism

(29:34): Why does Palestine keep rejecting a two-state solution?

(34:15): Why do so many believe Israel is an “occupying colonizer”?

(40:12): How to navigate conversations about the war in Israel with family and friends

Transcript (PDF)

Is Israel committing genocide?

Hamas and Radical Islam: What Christians need to know

Antisemitism on American college campuses

Podcast: How to talk to your kids about the Israel crisis

When Critical Theory collides with conflict in the Middle East

Why do so many people hate the Jews?

Book: Respectfully, I Disagree

Further Denison Ministry resources on the war in Israel

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. He speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Janet Denison is the author of numerous Advent devtionals, including this year’s most recent release, The Gift of Immanuel. As a long-time Bible study teacher, Janet offers accessible insight into God’s word at Foundations with Janet.

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, she discusses her newest Advent devotional, how to ensure Christmas remains a holy celebration and not just a holiday season, why Jesus had so many names, and why Isaiah predicted that the savior would be called Immanuel but Joseph named him Jesus.

(02:58): The Janet Denison story (briefly)

(05:35): Settling in to a new place

(06:48): How Janet Denison became a Bible study teacher

(11:43): What’s your favorite part of the Bible?

(12:50): What is Advent?

(14:47): Why is this year’s Advent devotional called The Gift of Immanuel?

(19:59): Why are Christmas devotionals popular?

(24:20): On writing this year’s Advent devotional

(28:36): How to have a quiet time

(34:57): What is Wisdom Matters?

Transcript (PDF)

The Gift of Immanuel

Wisdom Matters

Foundations with Janet

Janet Denison has been writing and teaching Bible study for almost forty years and speaks with a voice that has experienced the truth of God’s word. She often says the reason she gets out of bed each day is to help others understand and apply the truth of God’s word to their daily lives. Teaching the Bible is her great privilege, and her goal is to help people live a life that God is able to bless. She is the primary author of the Bible studies at Foundations with Janet.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Kaitlyn Schiess is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here. She joined The Denison Forum Podcast to discuss her latest book, which Publisher’s Weekly called “​​a nuanced look at America's legacy of scriptural language.”

Schiess talks about how we can read, interpret, and apply Scripture with integrity to the working of our democracy. She also speaks to how we can rightly bridge these worlds and discover what God is saying to us through his word, the Holy Spirit, and our communities of faith. In an intriguing phrase, she calls America “a Bible-haunted nation,” and she speaks to why she labeled our country that way.

Ultimately, you’ll be led to ask: “How should I see myself, my opportunities, my problems, and my politics through the lens of Scripture and God's eternal and good purposes?”

(02:20): “I think the rest of my life is studying this stuff.”

(06:16): How Schiess became involved with the Holy Post Podcast

(08:49): Why Schiess wrote The Ballot and the Bible

(13:37): The benefits of political fatigue

(18:28): “We are a Bible-haunted nation.”

(22:55): An overview of the history in The Ballot and the Bible

(27:54): Why should Christians “understand the times” and the Bible?

(33:50): Who should read The Ballot and the Bible?

(38:04): How we misapply “Render unto Caesar” today

(43:08): How Jeremiah 29 profoundly affects our political outlook today

(49:40): Culture warriors vs. cultural missionaries

(52:00) Schiess’s hope for The Ballot and the Bible

• Transcript (PDF) 
• The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here, Kaitlyn Schiess
• The Bible and the Civil Rights Movement: An excerpt from The Ballot and the Bible
• The Holy Post Podcast
• The Holy Post Podcast on The Ballot and the Bible

Kaitlyn Schiess (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a writer, speaker, and theologian. She is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor and is a regular cohost on the Holy Post podcast with Skye Jethani and Phil Vischer. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, Christ and Pop Culture, Relevant, and Sojourners. Schiess is currently a doctoral student in political theology at Duke Divinity School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

So when terrorists strike, missiles are fired, and ground wars begin in the Middle East, it’s easy to question whether the end times are coming.

To add to our anxiety, the words surrounding how Christians discuss the end times are daunting: Eschatology. Premillennialism. Postmillennialism. Dispensationalism. Replacement theology. What do they mean? Do they all have the same importance? Should we care about them today?

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Dr. Jim Denison and his son Dr. Ryan Denison join Dr. Mark Turman for an insightful discussion on end-times thinking as it relates to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

In the end—whenever the end truly may come—let’s remember how Jesus completed his statement on the rumors of wars: “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place” (Matthew 24:6).

• (01:24): One month into the war, what’s going on in Israel?
• (06:24): What is eschatology? And why does it matter in the Middle East right now?
• (09:10): Why do many American Christians hold to a dispensational view of the end times?
• (16:07): Is having a right eschatology a primary doctrine of Christianity?
• (22:55): Is Israel our key indictor of the end times coming?
• (26:24): Are Israelites still God’s people?
• (31:03): Are Christians too focused on predicting the end times?
• (34:53): Why the end times matter for you right now
• (40:40): Closing prayer

• Transcript (PDF)
• Is the conflict in Israel a sign of the end times?
• Are we living in the end times?
• More on the war in Israel by Denison Ministries
• The Gift of Immanuel: A 25-Day Advent Devotional

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. He speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.

Ryan Denison, PhD, is the Senior Editor for Theology at Denison Forum. Ryan writes The Daily Article every Friday and contributes writing and research to many of the ministry’s productions. He holds a PhD in church history from BH Carroll Theological Institute after having earned his MDiv at Truett Seminary. He’s authored The Path to Purpose, What Are My Spiritual Gifts?, How to Bless God by Blessing Others, 7 Deadly Sins, and has contributed writing or research to every Denison Forum book.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America.

What is Christian nationalism? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”?

Many Christians have influence, power, and opportunity, but many of us also need to learn more holy ways to utilize power. We need to be wise and wary of the devil's call to fear and the culture's call to violence. God's call is for us to steward our salt and light well personally and in community so that all, and not just some, can flourish.

• How to be faithfully American in modern America (01:59)
• What is Christian nationalism? (06:52)
• How does Christian nationalism differ from patriotism? (09:46)
• What does a US flag in a sanctuary represent? (12:54)
• The three idols of Christian nationalism: power, fear, and violence (19:03)
• The pervasive nature of nationalism (28:22)
• Defining white Christian nationalism (32:08)
• It’s not about rewriting history but expanding it (38:17)
• How does fear work against us in standing up to nationalism? (44:15)
• A clearer understanding of religious liberty (47:57)
• Concerning racism and immigration (52:57)
• Who were you writing for? (56:37)

• Transcript (PDF)
• American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, Andrew L. Whitehead
• Andrew L. Whitehead’s extended bio

Andrew L. Whitehead (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives in the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church and the coauthor of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Whitehead has written for the Washington Post, NBC News, Time, and Religion News Service and speaks frequently about Christian nationalism.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Denison Forum seeks to help people think biblically and act redemptively as culture-changing Christians. In the midst of the war in Israel, we seek to inform believers with resources on how to think biblically about this current crisis. We are also calling on Christians to act redemptively by praying fervently, giving sacrificially, and going eagerly as the Holy Spirit directs. Texas Baptist Men is one of the most effective ministries through which believers can be that redemptive servant in this crisis.

• Defining the BGCT, Texas Baptists, and Texas Baptist Men
• How is Texas Baptist Men involved in disaster relief?
• TBM’s worldwide disaster relief
• How is TBM assisting in Israel?
• Are TBM chaplains involved in Israel?
• How are both Israelis and Palestinians being cared for?
• What is it like in Israel and Gaza right now?
• How can we pray for the work of Texas Baptist Men?
• How can people partner with Texas Baptist Men?
• A prayer for the work of TBM and peace around the world

• Transcript (PDF)
• Texas Baptist Men
• Donate to Texas Baptist Men for disaster relief
• More Denison Ministries resources on the war in Israel

John-Travis Smith is the Associate Executive Director/CFO for Texas Baptist Men (TBM).

He grew up in Royal Ambassadors, where he earned the Legion of Honor Award and has served Texas Baptist Men in a variety of capacities, including as vice president for finance and a member of the TBM Forever Foundation board.

He also was pastor to young adults at First Baptist Church in Bryan since June 2013. Previously, he served 11 years at First Baptist Church in Hempstead, first as youth minister, later as associate pastor and eventually as interim pastor.

Smith manages overall financial operations for TBM, oversees the office staff and updates policies and procedures in areas ranging from accounting to human resources.

Smith earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from Texas A&M University and his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Kayla, have four children.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Evangelical altar calls are urgent invitations to respond to the Holy Spirit and the truth of God with humility, repentance, trust, and renewed obedience. Why do American evangelical Christians need to hear and answer such a call?

Have some evangelicals turned things like influence, authority, credibility, and stability into idols? How can Christians become better missionaries to our current culture rather than cultural warriors?

Our guest Dr. Russell Moore deals with these and other questions in his newest book, Losing our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Dr. Moore also briefly discusses events happening in Israel.

• (02:08) Defining evangelical and “altar call”
• (07:18) How do altar calls frame your book?
• (12:47) “What is not repaired is repeated”
• (18:36) When good becomes a god
• (24:11) Why we shouldn’t be culture warriors
• (32:10) On disagreement and dehumanizing
• (37:29) Are Christians moving away from seeking political power?
• (46:08) Moving past romanticized nostalgia
• (48:39) On the war in Israel

• Transcript (PDF)
• Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, Russell Moore
• The best and worst of evangelical Christianity in America: An excerpt from Losing Our Religion by Russell Moore
• American Christians Should Stand with Israel under Attack, Russell Moore
• ‘Bothsidesism’ About Hamas Is a Moral Failure, Russell Moore

Russell Moore is Editor in Chief of Christianity Today and is the author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America and many other books.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Parents and grandparents may feel overwhelmed and underprepared when it comes to talking about the ongoing crisis in Israel, but children are still affected by what they see and hear—and they often see and hear much more than we think, especially in our media-saturated culture. So how much should you share? How can you educate yourself on the conflict to speak confidently about it? To speak biblically about it? And how can we encourage our children to make a difference where they live even when war seems so far away?

Steph Thurling, Executive Director of Christian Parenting, talks with Denison Ministries CEO Dr. Jim Denison. Together, they offer keen biblical insight and practical ways to talk about this crisis with your children and grandchildren.

(01:48) A very short history of Israel and Palestine| 

(04:21) Who’s occupying whom?

(08:30) The difference between Palestine and Hamas

(12:38) Why is Israel so important to so many?

(14:43) What does the Bible say about the current crisis in Israel?

(17:20) How can we talk with our kids about the Israel crisis?

(24:10) How can families show support for Israel?

(27:25) More resources on the crisis in Israel

(29:54) A prayer for the Middle East

• Transcript (PDF)
• Talking with your kids about the war in Israel, Steph Thurling
• The Christian Parenting Podcast Network
• The latest Denison Forum content on the Israel crisis
• Radical Islam: What You Need to Know, Jim Denison
• Texas Baptist Men
• Red Cross
• State Department Travel Advisories: Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
• Council on Foreign Relations
• A Middle East Wake-Up Call, (paywall) Walter Russell Mead

Steph Thurling is executive director of Christian Parenting, host of The Christian Parenting Podcast, and a mom of three amazing kids!

Steph has her master’s in youth, family, and culture from Fuller Theological Seminary and has a background in youth and children’s ministry. She is co-author of Raising Prayerful Kids, a book that shares easy, life-giving, and fun ways to teach kids to pray. She loves helping families grow closer to each other and to God through meaningful experiences and conversations. Steph is a frequent speaker at churches and mom groups and is known for her relatable stories, practical ideas, and gentle encouragement.

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. He speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

Dr. Jim Denison shares biblical insight and expert knowledge on the many questions swirling around the ongoing war in Israel:

• What is a kibbutz, and why was one so brutally attacked by Hamas?
• Is Hamas really a terror organization, or are they an oppressed group fighting for legitimate survival?
• Does Hamas truly and rightfully represent the Palestinian people, or are they self-appointed power mongers who refuse free elections and retain power by intimidation?
• If a group is oppressed or attacked, are all means of retaliation legitimate?
• Is all of history the story of one person oppressing another or one group or nation oppressing another?
• Does God love Palestinians and Israelites?

●      Unedited transcript (PDF)

●      How can we pray for Israel? Foundations with Janet

●      Talking with your kids about the war in Israel, Christian Parenting

●      Current DF resources on the war in Israel

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. He speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

The crisis between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas based in the southern region of Israel called Gaza is now in its fifth day. News media includes startling reports of horrific atrocities by Hamas. The Israeli government and military are mobilizing for a strong and significant response. Innocent people and children on all sides are caught in the middle. Countries around the world are on heightened alert as more violence is feared. Blame is being randomly assigned.

How should Christians understand this conflict from a biblical perspective?

How can people be so cruel and brutal to each other?

Where can we find hope as we watch and pray and seek to help?

Additional resources:

• Unedited transcript (PDF)
• Current DF resources on the war in Israel