Kainos Project

As the culture war is fought in the political arena, in the media, and online, any number of issues arise in the conversation that are important to devout Christians. From human sexuality to racial justice and other issues, Christians have something to say about how their personal convictions intersect with the public conversation. There are legitimate debates to be had and arguments to be made.

But then there's the silly stuff. Sometimes, what counts as a controversy is almost laughable. Some "controversies" use buzzwords that relate to issues that are important to us, but the actual debate is completely lacking in substance. It merely exist to drive clicks, views, and engagements—much of them fueled by blind outrage.

This week on the podcast, we discuss how to navigate this mess. Is it better to unplug and disengage completely? Or are there steps we can take to engage in a way that is not only healthier, but godlier?

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Over the past number of months, we have had the opportunity to be a part of something exciting and new. We are a part of team of people who are going to be planting a new church.

It's a big commitment, and it's not one that every person—or every Christian—understands. Why would anyone want to plant a church? Don't we already have enough churches?

In this episode, we share both our personal and theological reasons for moving our family to a different city to help plant a church.

We also offer our best arguments for why every Christian should be invested in church planting, whether you are joining a team yourself or supporting others who are.

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Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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From investigative podcasts to docu-series on major streaming platforms, you may have recently noticed a considerable uptick in Christian "Rise and Fall" content—programs that put a spotlight on the scandals and failures of evangelical leaders and institutions.

Many have lauded these series and the truth they expose. Others, however, have given them a derogatory moniker: failure porn.

Whether it is Mars Hill, Hillsong, Jerry Falwell Jr., or the Duggar family, these types of series give viewers and listeners real insights into the toxic cultures and institutions that have too long been feeding grounds for abuse.

At the same time, they are also meant to offer entertainment value. This tension has led many to feel squeamish about their recent rise in popularity.

Is that a fair, though? How cynical should we be here? Are these series a type of public accountability, failure porn, or a little of both? How should Christians interact with these types of content, if at all, in a way that is healthy, empathetic, and helpful?

In this episode, we discuss all these questions and more.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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Throughout the church's existence, there have been times when it was on the right side of history. Other times, it has been on the wrong side of history. And in other cases, it was on both sides, simultaneously. This was certainly the case in America when it came to the institution of chattel slavery.

Prior to and all throughout the American Civil War, devout Christians stood on either side of the abolition movement. They were all reading the same Bible, but somehow they were coming to drastically different conclusions when it came to the American system of slavery.

In this episode, we explore the history of the abolitionist movement through a theological lens. What biblical arguments were preachers and theologians making for (and against) abolition at the time? And why did it take America's bloodiest war to settle the question once and for all?

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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A couple of weeks ago, pastor, author, and apologist Timothy Keller passed away.

As one of the most influential Christian thinkers of his generation, Keller's works and writings will likely be read and discussed by evangelicals for years to come. In the weeks since his passing, the internet has been flooded with tributes to Keller, who was known for his winsome approach to cultural engagement and evangelism.

And, in somewhat poor form, social media has also been party to heated discussion about the legacy of his winsome way of life and ministry, with some arguing that Keller's approach was better fit for a cultural landscape that no longer exists.

In this episode, we remember Timothy Keller's contribution to the world of evangelicalism, as well as our own formation, and discuss the legacy of his approach. Is winsomeness still the way to engage culture, or is Keller's death somewhat symbolic of the end of an era?

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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In the wake of the pandemic, which has coincided with a real scare about critical race theory and critical gender theory, private Christian schools have seen their enrollment boom over the last few years.

Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or just a thing?

Certainly, schooling is an important issue for Christian parents to consider. It's also a focal point when it comes to any number of culture war issues, whether those are critical race theory or critical gender theory, book bannings, or public prayer.

In light of what appears to be chaos in any number of school districts around the nation, many Christian parents have decided that the public school system isn’t the place they want to send their children. So they have opted to either homeschool their children or send them to a private Christian school. Others have opted to keep their kids in public school, not only for pragmatic reasons, but as a matter of conviction.

In this episode, we explore the arguments for and against sending your children to private Christian schools and discuss how we can appreciate both their strengths and weaknesses in light of public school options.

More importantly, we wrestle with how to frame this conversation in a way that is charitable toward those who come to a different conclusion, even though we feel strongly about how we have arrived at our own.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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If you've ever been told that you have a Jezebel spirit, you probably immediately understood that it wasn't a compliment. You also probably aren't a man.

In evangelicalism, the term Jezebel spirit has often been used to describe women who are deemed to be immodest, power hungry, or both.

In this episode, we explore the origins of the phrase by taking a closer look at the story of Jezebel in the Old Testament. We also take a look at the one instance in which Jezebel is mentioned in the New Testament and unpack how to understand the meaning and significance of the passage.

While that passage never mentions a "Jezebel spirit" as such, it is nevertheless where the phrase comes from. However, the modern evangelical usage of the term seems vastly different that what was being described in the New Testament.

Further, we discuss the political dimension the phrase has taken on in more recent times, particularly with reference to Vice President Harris. Ultimately, we wrestle with whether using the phrase Jezebel spirit is more harmful than it is helpful.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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Recently, apologist Ken Ham has ramped up his public criticism of high profile Christians who disagree with him on the age of the earth, accusing them of being both “lukewarm” and “compromising.”

Young earth creationism has long been a central feature of Ham’s apologetic ministry, which is perhaps best known for its Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Ham also famously debated Bill Nye the Science Guy in 2014, which was a national news story.

In more recent times, Ham has been calling into question the ministries of men like Timothy Keller and Andy Stanley for their failure to preach young earth creationism and a literal reading of Genesis 1 that posits the earth is 6,000 years old.

But is this something that Christians should really be dividing over? How important is the age of the earth to the overall story of Scripture, the gospel, and our mission in the world?

On this episode, we discuss Ham’s criticism of old earth creationists, the differing views faithful Christians take when it comes to the age of the earth, and where we think this issue should fit in our overall list of theological priorities.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When it comes to addressing various social concerns that have theological implications, Christians are often quick to refer to certain causes as "gospel issues." But what does that actually mean? What is a gospel issue? The term isn't always very well defined. 

Most often, this phrase is used to indicate that if other Christians don't feel as strongly about a particular issue as the person using it, then they just don't get what Jesus came here to do. They don't get the gospel.

But much of the disagreement over what constitutes a gospel issue is actually owing to differing visions for what the gospel is and what it requires. In this episode, we explore those differing visions and how we should view our role in social issues as it relates to our identity in Jesus.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In today's culture, it is becoming increasingly common for people to introduce themselves alongside their preferred pronouns, as well as to specify those pronouns on their social media profiles, resumes, and other spaces, and to ask for the preferred pronouns of others.

How should Christians respond in the midst of this societal paradigm shift? Should we practice what has been referred to as pronoun hospitality, wherein we use the preferred pronouns of others regardless of what we believe about gender identity? Or do we refuse to do so out of our commitment to our convictions?

The answer isn't always that simple, and this question presents itself in myriad contexts that are all unique.

In this episode, we present Christian arguments for and against pronoun hospitality. We also explore different scenarios in which this question may arise and offer some thoughts on how to navigate them with grace and truth.

READ FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Visit kainosproject.com to find other resources to help you tackle ancient truths in everyday settings, and be sure to subscribe to our email list to get all of our fresh content delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.