Questions From The Pew - WOS

On this final episode of season three, we’re doing something a little different. We’re releasing an episode from The Mestizo Podcast, a podcast in the same ministry network we’re a part of, World Outspoken. It’s moderated by Emanuel “Ricky” Padilla, the president of the organization and a guest we’ve had on our podcast before. We’re releasing this episode on our platform because we feel it touches on a topic that fits in with the kinds of conversations we have here. You’ll hear from individuals who are from “mixed” heritage. Their mestizaje, or mixedness, is not coming from the historical mix but a more recent inter-mixed family. The panel of modern mestizos speak about how they navigate this for themselves and what it is that they find along their journey as they live with people who may not understand their mixedness.

What are the unique experiences of being from a mixed background? How can a person think theologically about mixedness? What does it mean to be a part of the mixed people that is the universal Church? All that and more on this special edition of Questions From The Pew.

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With a tent as large as Evangelical Christianity, it is no surprise that Christians have found themselves on opposite, even opposing, sides. With the help of those who claim the identity of “Evangelical” or those who are associated with the movement, Evangelical Christianity garnered a particular reputation during the previous presidency, exposing or causing rifts in many pockets of movement. Public theologian Dr. Russell Moore joins us on this episode to help us think through Evangelicalism in this era.

What is the state of Evangelicalism and Evangelical witness in the United States? How fractured is American Evangelical Christianity along socio-political lines? On political and cultural issues, are Evangelical Christians dying on the wrong hills? Can we recover the kind of witness early evangelicals like William Wilberforce had in our own socio-political climate? How can Evangelical Christians, whichever side of the aisle they are on, move forward? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

RESOURCES:

Dr. Russell Moore’s Website

The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul

Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel

The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home

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The temperature in the United States is high. People are angry. They aren’t particularly angry with someone they know personally, but rather there is growing frustration with the way the country is being run. It seems like every day a news story breaks that sparks outrage from one group and a heated defense from another. Phrases like Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, anti-vax, mask-mandate, Critical Race Theory, and Make America Great Again immediately elevate the emotional level of any conversation. Much of this has to do with our domestic politics, but the range of topics that Americans are angry about run the gamut from public health to foreign policy to education. 

It’s time that we take a step back to reflect and decompress. What is happening in our nation? Why are Americans so hot? What factors have contributed to this atmosphere of anger that simmers beneath the surface of every public discourse? What does the Bible say about anger? Is it ever justified or is there a more appropriate response? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.

RESOURCES:

Americans turn pessimistic amid concerns over economy and coronavirus, CNN

The Real Roots of American Rage, The Atlantic

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What does a holistic Christian education look like in the 21st century? What is the difference between indoctrination and education? Given our pluralistic cultural context, how should a Christian education interact with the surrounding culture? Is the formal aspect of education the most important in shaping the minds of students? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.  

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In early August, Netflix released Pray Away, a documentary that focuses on the ex-gay movement, the harm caused by conversion or reparative therapy, and the journeys of both survivors and leaders of the movement. We were approached with the chance to interview the film’s director, Kristine Stolakis. We were able to talk to her about her experience of filming the documentary and what she hopes the film will add to an ongoing conversation. While her responses to our questions do not necessarily reflect the views of Questions From The Pew or the World Outspoken network, we felt it was important to hear from the director herself as we discuss this heavy topic. After the interview, we, along with Ruth Nathaniel, discussed our own thoughts about the documentary and the subject it tackles. All that and more on this bonus episode of Questions From The Pew.

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With such wide ranging perceptions of the apostle Paul present in our modern context, how should the Christian, one who wants to be faithful to the biblical text but also relevant for his own time, engage with the Pauline letters of the New Testament? Should the writings of Paul be the center of how we understand the Christian faith? Are the epistles supposed to be viewed as theological textbooks or something else entirely? Who decides which sections of Paul’s letters apply to our lives today and which don’t? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew!

RESOURCES:

Paul: A Biography, by N.T. Wright

Paul Behaving Badly: Was the Apostle a Racist, Chauvinist Jerk?, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien

NT Wright Explains Why the Apostle Paul Is So Misunderstood, Yet So Extraordinary (Interview), The Christian Post

“Everything you know about the Gospel of Paul is likely wrong,” David Bentley Hart

“A Redemptive-Movement Hermeneutic: Encouraging Dialogue Among Four Evangelical Views,” article by William J. Webb in JETS

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The Old Testament is a hurdle for many modern readers of the Bible, not least of all Christians. Violent accounts are woven through the Hebrew Scriptures and seem to upset the image of Judaism and Christianity as religions of peace and the image of God as a loving deity. This has led some to conclude that the God of the Old Testament is different from the one found in the New Testament. Others have doubled down on the greater importance of the New Testament, furthering the divide between the two parts of Christian Scripture. While many people’s objections come from a place of antagonism toward the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity, many others raise objections and concerns that are fair and reasonable. The Bible does not avoid such seeming contradictions. Rather, it seems to welcome the discussion. 

Why do these biblical accounts so disturb our modern sensibilities? What do these texts say about our faith? More importantly, what do they say about our God? Should these texts be sugar coated, nuanced, or avoided altogether? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

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What should we think about the assertion that Christians are facing persecution in America? Is the American Church making claims of persecution that are unfounded or is this something we should truly be worried about? Is the Christian church in America under religious persecution or is it in need of a reality check? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

RESOURCES:

Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States, David T. Smith

“Christians faced widespread harassment in 2015, but mostly in Christian-majority countries,” Pew Research Center

“Americans and ‘Cancel Culture’: Where Some See Calls for Accountability, Others See Censorship, Punishment,” Pew Research Center

World Watch List, Open Doors USA

“The Evangelical Persecution Complex,” The Atlantic

“Why Do White Christians in America Think They Are Persecuted?” The Canopy Forum

“Is There Really Anti-Christian Discrimination in America?” The Gospel Coalition

“May a religious institution give preference to hiring adherents of the same religion? What is a ‘ministerial exception’ under Title VII?” SHRM

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What relationship should Christians have with mental health counseling?  Are there any aspects of Christianity that would push us towards embracing mental health practice or are the two diametrically opposed? How does spiritual formation interact with mental health? Do these ideas represent two approaches to the same goal or do they serve separate purposes? Is the Bible the only thing necessary for personal growth in Christians or should we embrace modern, scientifically-based methods? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.

RESOURCES:

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays

The Choice: Embrace the Possible

Man’s Search for Meaning

Making Toast

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Conspiracy theories, for the most part, have resided on the fringes of society. But in the past two years they have migrated front and center, making headlines and, for some, raising grave concerns. Alarmingly, Christians are caught up in all of this, many times not knowing exactly what to believe as truth. Christians have always understood that there is a reality beyond the present physical one we inhabit on a daily basis, but what happens when this kind of thinking is taken to places it was never meant to go? In an age when virtually limitless information is available at one’s fingertips, is the truth being overwhelmed by competing voices? What exactly is a conspiracy theory? Should conspiracy theories be discounted wholesale, or should they be considered plausible at some level? Are Christians particularly susceptible to conspiracy theories? If so, why? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

RESOURCES:

Half of U.S. Protestant Pastors Hear Conspiracy Theories in Their Churches - Lifeway Research

“Conspiracy Theories and the Paranoid Style(s) of Mass Opinion” - J. Eric Oliver and Thomas J. Wood

What do we know about conspiracy theories? - American Psychological Association

Christians, Conspiracy Theories, and Credibility: Why Our Words Today Matter for Eternity - Lifeway Research

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