Postmodern Realities Podcast

What Cops Can Teach Christians about the Critical Use of Language

Why should Christians avoid Christian jargon when witnessing to non Christians? J. Warner Wallace talks about his evangelistic tips on witnessing to nonbelievers without using Christianese. He answers questions like Why is it important to avoid specifically Christian language when talking with non Christians? What was difficult for you when you were a non Christian talking to Christians? What are some of the benefits of trying to avoid Christianese? Why do you think Christianese is particularly irritating to non Christians? Shouldnt we try to maintain the Christian language and biblical terms that God has given us? What are some good tips for Christians to think about when trying to avoid Christian jargon?This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author J. Warner Wallace about his evangelism article What Cops Can Teach Christians about the Critical Use of Language.

Why should Christians avoid Christian jargon when witnessing to non Christians? J. Warner Wallace talks about his evangelistic tips on witnessing to nonbelievers without using Christianese. He answers questions like Why is it important to avoid specifically Christian language when talking with non Christians? What was difficult for you when you were a non Christian talking to Christians? What are some of the benefits of trying to avoid Christianese? Why do you think Christianese is particularly irritating to non Christians? Shouldnt we try to maintain the Christian language and biblical terms that God has given us? What are some good tips for Christians to think about when trying to avoid Christian jargon?This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author J. Warner Wallace about his evangelism article What Cops Can Teach Christians about the Critical Use of Language.

Historically, people within the church who experienced homosexual feelings went unaddressed, creating a void. They recognized both the Biblical and cultural prohibitions against yielding to their temptations, but also realized the temptations remained. Afraid to confess and deal with them, many fell into secret homosexual sin, while others eventually came out as openly gay. Still others remained faithful, yet felt isolated and alienated from fellow Christians. Ministry to same-sex attracted people became publicly available when Exodus International was formed in 1976, along with other lesser known networks. For over three decades, the organization heavily influenced the Christian populations view of ministry to homosexuals, but was also beset from the beginning with detractors, critics, and internal struggles. Those struggles escalated between 2005-2013, culminating in Exodus decision to close its doors in 2013. Conflicts within the organization, leading to its closure, had to do with the approach its leadership was taking on issues of grace, sin, proper ministry approaches to homosexuality, and a growing emphasis on harmony with the gay community at the expense of clarity regarding sexuality and scripture. With its Executive Director claiming most homosexuals couldnt change, and that gay Christians were in fellowship with God along with other believers, a split within the organization became inevitable. When Exodus closed, new ministries sprang up in the aftermath, and most of the ministries associated with it continue to thrive. The ensuing controversies, though, confused many people who wandered what the options were for people wanting to repent of homosexuality. That confusion, in turn, has opened the door to a new approach to ministry to samesex attracted people which is causing considerable controversy and calls for Biblical examination, and examination which will be made in the second part of this series. This Postmodern Realities episode this the first part of a two part series which is a conversation with JOURNAL author Joe Dallas about his online exclusive articles. This episode covers part one called Homosexuality and Modern Ministry Examining Old Approaches and Assessing New Ones, Part I A History of Missions and Missteps.

Historically, people within the church who experienced homosexual feelings went unaddressed, creating a void. They recognized both the Biblical and cultural prohibitions against yielding to their temptations, but also realized the temptations remained. Afraid to confess and deal with them, many fell into secret homosexual sin, while others eventually came out as openly gay. Still others remained faithful, yet felt isolated and alienated from fellow Christians. Ministry to same-sex attracted people became publicly available when Exodus International was formed in 1976, along with other lesser known networks. For over three decades, the organization heavily influenced the Christian populations view of ministry to homosexuals, but was also beset from the beginning with detractors, critics, and internal struggles. Those struggles escalated between 2005-2013, culminating in Exodus decision to close its doors in 2013. Conflicts within the organization, leading to its closure, had to do with the approach its leadership was taking on issues of grace, sin, proper ministry approaches to homosexuality, and a growing emphasis on harmony with the gay community at the expense of clarity regarding sexuality and scripture. With its Executive Director claiming most homosexuals couldnt change, and that gay Christians were in fellowship with God along with other believers, a split within the organization became inevitable. When Exodus closed, new ministries sprang up in the aftermath, and most of the ministries associated with it continue to thrive. The ensuing controversies, though, confused many people who wandered what the options were for people wanting to repent of homosexuality. That confusion, in turn, has opened the door to a new approach to ministry to samesex attracted people which is causing considerable controversy and calls for Biblical examination, and examination which will be made in the second part of this series. This Postmodern Realities episode this the first part of a two part series which is a conversation with JOURNAL author Joe Dallas about his online exclusive articles. This episode covers part one called Homosexuality and Modern Ministry Examining Old Approaches and Assessing New Ones, Part I A History of Missions and Missteps.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most forward thinking filmmakers of the 20th century, advancing the art form and anticipating the taste of audiences. Through his most famous films Psycho, Rear Window, and Vertigo we find a common theme anonymous watching. This theme is exponentially more relevant today than in Hitchcocks own time, living as we do with the power to present our stories and peer into the lives of others. Though Hitchcocks cinema is often morally askew, gleefully implicating the viewer as just another peeping tom, his work offers a powerful lesson. Art offers us the chance to see ourselves through the screen. It draws us in through the chance to watch unseen, but then reveals to us our own motives. One of the most famous features of Hitchcocks movies his cameo shows us that the director is as aware of the audience as we are of the actors. Though we may think that we are bystanders in media, Hitchcock suggests, we are really participants. Like Norman in Psycho, we think we are anonymous watchers, but Hitchcocks cinema shows that there is no such thing. Someone is always watching us, if only the creator of the works we consume. Like Jeff in Rear Window, our idle past time of peeping grows to an obsession that will be found out, but it can offer moments of genuine insight. Like Scottie in Vertigo, however, if we unthinkingly accept the vistas we are offered, vision can easily degrade into delusion. Hitchcock, more than any other modern filmmaker, understood this and helps us to see it as well. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Philip Tallon about his upcoming 2019 feature article called Caught Looking: Hitchcocks Films in the Age of Instagram

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most forward thinking filmmakers of the 20th century, advancing the art form and anticipating the taste of audiences. Through his most famous films Psycho, Rear Window, and Vertigo we find a common theme anonymous watching. This theme is exponentially more relevant today than in Hitchcocks own time, living as we do with the power to present our stories and peer into the lives of others. Though Hitchcocks cinema is often morally askew, gleefully implicating the viewer as just another peeping tom, his work offers a powerful lesson. Art offers us the chance to see ourselves through the screen. It draws us in through the chance to watch unseen, but then reveals to us our own motives. One of the most famous features of Hitchcocks movies his cameo shows us that the director is as aware of the audience as we are of the actors. Though we may think that we are bystanders in media, Hitchcock suggests, we are really participants. Like Norman in Psycho, we think we are anonymous watchers, but Hitchcocks cinema shows that there is no such thing. Someone is always watching us, if only the creator of the works we consume. Like Jeff in Rear Window, our idle past time of peeping grows to an obsession that will be found out, but it can offer moments of genuine insight. Like Scottie in Vertigo, however, if we unthinkingly accept the vistas we are offered, vision can easily degrade into delusion. Hitchcock, more than any other modern filmmaker, understood this and helps us to see it as well. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Philip Tallon about his upcoming 2019 feature article called Caught Looking: Hitchcocks Films in the Age of Instagram.

If the Great Commission tells us anything, it tells us that the mission to make disciples doesnt rely on ministry professionals. The very notion of a distinction between secular work and full time ministry would have been incoherent to the original apostles sent out ones, especially Paul, a tentmaker whose greatest recorded evangelistic success began in the Athenian agora, a sprawling marketplace for worldly goods, that he infiltrated with the power of Christian ideas. The truth is that if you call yourself a Christian, you are, by default, engaged in full time ministry, and one aspect of that identity entails a commitment to share the good news to incorporate the title of evangelist into our full time job descriptions no matter where we work. The message of the gospel is so comprehensive it can fight its way out of the arguments of an atheist and into the heart of someone who already claims to know it but has substituted his own pride and vanity for confidence in Christ. The gospel can challenge cultural assumptions, answer questions no other worldview can answer, and it reaches to the end of the Earth a place all of us should be able to see from our office window. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Bob Perry about his Christian Research Journal Effective Evangelism article Taking Jesus to Work

If the Great Commission tells us anything, it tells us that the mission to make disciples doesnt rely on ministry professionals. The very notion of a distinction between secular work and full time ministry would have been incoherent to the original apostles sent out ones, especially Paul, a tentmaker whose greatest recorded evangelistic success began in the Athenian agora, a sprawling marketplace for worldly goods, that he infiltrated with the power of Christian ideas. The truth is that if you call yourself a Christian, you are, by default, engaged in full time ministry, and one aspect of that identity entails a commitment to share the good news to incorporate the title of evangelist into our full time job descriptions no matter where we work. The message of the gospel is so comprehensive it can fight its way out of the arguments of an atheist and into the heart of someone who already claims to know it but has substituted his own pride and vanity for confidence in Christ. The gospel can challenge cultural assumptions, answer questions no other worldview can answer, and it reaches to the end of the Earth a place all of us should be able to see from our office window. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Bob Perry about his Christian Research Journal Effective Evangelism article Taking Jesus to Work.

Recently the World Health Organization added Gaming Disorder to the 11th International Classification of Diseases ICD-11 3 a tool for diagnosing diseases. Combine this with the many parents dismayed by their childrens obsession with the video game Fortnite, and it seems that the game industrys darkest demons are being exposed. More than two billion people play video games worldwide and in America there are 221 million Americans who play video games. This is where God calls believers to be salt and light. We cannot responsibly exercise this calling to reach all kinds of people including gamers with the truth of Christianity without honestly striving to understand gaming. As image bearers, what place do video games have in our lives? Hundreds of studies in recent years have attempted to ascertain a connection between aggression and violent video games. Despite all this effort, there is no real consensus among researchers on the impact of virtual violence on aggressive behavior. So should Christians play or allow their children to play violent video games? And if many video games, when played in moderation or played socially, can have a positive impact on our lives, how do Christians encourage responsible, age appropriate engagement so that we might capitalize on the best that games have to offer? This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Drew Dixon about his Postmodern Realities feature article in Volume 41 5 called Virtual Violence, Video Game Addiction, and the Kingdom of God.

Recently the World Health Organization added Gaming Disorder to the 11th International Classification of Diseases ICD-11 3 a tool for diagnosing diseases. Combine this with the many parents dismayed by their childrens obsession with the video game Fortnite, and it seems that the game industrys darkest demons are being exposed. More than two billion people play video games worldwide and in America there are 221 million Americans who play video games. This is where God calls believers to be salt and light. We cannot responsibly exercise this calling to reach all kinds of people including gamers with the truth of Christianity without honestly striving to understand gaming. As image bearers, what place do video games have in our lives? Hundreds of studies in recent years have attempted to ascertain a connection between aggression and violent video games. Despite all this effort, there is no real consensus among researchers on the impact of virtual violence on aggressive behavior. So should Christians play or allow their children to play violent video games? And if many video games, when played in moderation or played socially, can have a positive impact on our lives, how do Christians encourage responsible, age appropriate engagement so that we might capitalize on the best that games have to offer? This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Drew Dixon about his Postmodern Realities feature article in Volume 41 5 called Virtual Violence, Video Game Addiction, and the Kingdom of God