Relevant Christianity doesn’t stay relevant for long.
In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions on the decline of the mainline church.

Lessons From Mainline Decline

Life and Books and Everything is a podcast hosted by Kevin DeYoung where discussions center on, well, life and books and everything. As a church pastor and theology professor, Kevin loves to talk about faith, theology, history, current events, and the occasional hot topic. The format for LBE includes interviews with leading authors and thinkers, recurring conversations with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen, and the occasional solo musing from Kevin. Listen in and we hope you will learn something, laugh a little, and get some good book recommendations along the way.

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Books

What are you doing with your life? Todd Rester is using a big chunk of his life to translate a seventeenth-century Dutch theologian's magnum opus (all 1.7 million words of it) from Latin into English. Join Kevin and Todd as they take a deep dive into the world of Latin translation, systematic theology, and church history. Who was Petrus Van Mastricht? What was his method? What did he teach? Why does he matter? Come swim in the cool, refreshing waters of Reformed scholastic theology and be encouraged to "live to God, through Christ."  Books & Everything: Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible: Theology Rooted in the Word of God Theoretical-Practical Theology

Petrus Van Mastricht's Theoretical-Practical Theology with Todd Rester

With everything the pastor must do—preach, pray, visit, raise money, organize meetings, write emails, study, write, marry, bury, and baptize—does he also need to be a leader? John Currie, in his new book The Pastor as Leader (Crossway), says yes. But don't fear, this is not about one more impossible task or another time burden for the pastor. Leadership is about living and preaching as a man of God for the people of God. In this practical episode Kevin talks with John Currie, professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, about what effective leadership in the church looks like (and doesn't look like). There is plenty of rich food for thought—both for the seasoned (and weary) pastor and for the young man just starting out in ministry.  Books & Everything: The Pastor as Leader: Principles and Practices for Connecting Preaching and Leadership The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation Don’t Waste Your Life

The Pastor as Leader with John Currie

For most of us, getting married and forging a strong family is the best way to build a prosperous, meaningful, and happy life. That's the message of Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization, the new book by University of Virginia professor Brad Wilcox. Listen in as Kevin and Brad talk explore why young people aren't prioritizing marriage, why elites don't preach what they practice when it comes to marriage, and why getting married is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for others.  Books & Everything: Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization ESV Bible App Light + Truth Podcast

Get Married with Brad Wilcox

Have you ever wondered if King Arthur was justified in cutting off all four limbs of Monty Python’s Black Knight when he refused the king passage? If so, then you’ll want to listen to this episode of LBE with Eric Patterson. Eric is an author, an important leader in Washington, D.C. and an expert in the theology and history of the Just War Tradition. What are the right reasons for going to war? How should a just war be fought? Was the American Revolution a just war (or even a revolution)? What about the firebombing of Dresden in World War II? Join Kevin and Eric and they try to apply the insights of the Just War Tradition to military conflicts past and present.   Chapters: 0:00 Introductions 7:45 A Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition 15:45 What Makes a War Just? 29:45 Sponsor Break | Crossway 30:28 “It’s Only a Flesh Wound.” 35:25 A Just American Revolution? 46:39 MLK’s Just Cause 51:15 Sponsor Break | Desiring God 52:00 Current Events  Books & Everything: Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition: Christian Foundations and Practices Just War and Christian Traditions Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulnes Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions

The Just War Tradition

With two smart British historians—one from Oxford (Andrew) and one from Aberystwyth (David)--and one curious American pastor (Kevin), you might say that this episode puts the "fun" back in fundamentalism. How did fundamentalism become a pejorative putdown? Are evangelicals and fundamentalists really all that different? What is a fundamentalist anyway? And, to paraphrase Harry Emerson Fosdick, did the fundamentalists win or lose the last century? Join in as Kevin interviews two evangelical scholars about their new edited volume, The Oxford Handbook of Christian Fundamentalism.  Chapters: 0:00 Introductions 6:45 Why So Little Written by Fundamentalists? 11:44 Defining Fundamentalism  25:20 Fundamentalism & Evangelicalism 36:40 Sponsor Break | Crossway & DesiringGod 38:11 The Scopes Trial & Billy Graham 48:02 Evangelicalism & Politics in America 1:05:25 Did the Fundamentalists Win? 1:08:26 Until Next Time  Books & Everything: Oxford Handbook of Christian Fundamentalism Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions Look at the Book

Lessons From Mainline Decline

Download our free app to listen on your phone