In this bonus episode, we respond to a few questions submitted by listeners and make a few exciting announcements about how you can support our work. All that and more on this bonus episode of Questions From The Pew.

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The current state of the world has forced congregations across the nation to reconsider how they do church. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for a bigger conversation that has already been happening for quite some time. From the worship wars that dominated ecclesial conversations for a good decade to the more recent conversations about the validity of the seeker-sensitive model, conversations about what a church should look like have been a part of the history of the Church universal since its inception.

In this final episode we ask: How should we do church? Is there a right or wrong way to have services? Where do churches have the freedom to be diverse? Where should churches be unified? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

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As if justice and Christianity cannot coexist, the pursuit of a just society has led many to abandon their faith. What should we make of this? Dr. Michael O. Emerson joins us to talk about his recent article “Goodbye Christ. I’ve Got Justice Duty.” Together, we ask how does individualism affect how justice is understood within particular Christian communities? Has justice been politicized? What is American Christianity’s role within the current polarized political climate? How can the Church pursue justice while maintaining a faithful witness to the Kingdom of God? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

Resources:

“Goodbye Christ. I’ve Got Justice Duty” by Michael O. Emerson

Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson

Racial Justice and Unity Center

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Immigration. A constant aspect of human life since its inception. From the movement of ancient Near Eastern clans to what we might think of in the world of the modern nation-state, immigration has impacted countless lives throughout history for better and for worse. The Bible does not shy away from this reality and is rife with stories and examples of people groups migrating. Whether they’ve been forced to move or voluntarily decide to leave their home, immigrants are often met with a mixed reception upon their arrival in a new land.

How are Christians to respond to this age old phenomenon? Does the Bible provide any clear endorsements one way or the other? Or is the issue more complex than what American bipartisan politics would lead us to believe? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew!

Resources:

U.S. Immigration Trends - Migration Policy Institute (MPI)

Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts - Office of the Historian (The Historian of the U.S. Department of State)

U.S. Immigration Before 1965 - History.com

U.S. Immigration Timeline - History.com

As Chinese Exclusion Act Turns 135, Experts Point To Parallels Today - NPR

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The ethnic and cultural identity of America is changing. As the world continues to globalize year by year, the unwritten law of the land is trending away from traditional American assumptions. What responsibility, if any, do Christians have in welcoming diversity and championing inter-ethnic collaboration? Can members of majority and minority cultures engage one another’s differing values and experiences in a way that is mutually uplifting? How can churches and communities integrate ethnic groups together without abandoning their unique cultural distinctions? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.

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College: The gateway to the American dream. With a college education, socio-economic stability can be secured. But recent trends in higher education have caused many to rethink that common assumption. Prospective college students now wonder if college is really worth it. Christian colleges and universities are not immune to these changes either, and many have been forced to try and keep up with their secular counterparts. And Christians seeking a college education are asking the same question: Is it worth it?

In the milieu of options in the world of higher education, what makes Christian higher education stand out? What does it mean to get an education from a “Christian worldview”? Are there legitimate reasons to attend a private Christian institution over an oftentimes more affordable public option? Is it time to reconsider what a university does? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

Resources:

Is Christian College Debt Worth It?, National Association of Evangelicals

Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults, Lifeway

Five Myths About Young Adult Church Dropouts, Barna

College Enrollment Declines Again. It’s Down More Than Two Million Students In This Decade., Forbes

Desiring the Kingdom, by James K. A. Smith

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With the ever-broadening divide in the civic arena, disagreements have begun to arise about what it even means to be an American. Suddenly, the popular measure for a true American is whether or not they happen to agree with me. What does it look like to be a Patriotic Christian in our present political environment? Is patriotism the same thing as nationalistic zeal? Where does the church fit into this conversation? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.

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Resources:

“Nationalism: Definition, History, and Facts”, Encyclopædia Britannica

“The Definition of a Nationalist”, CNN

“Nationalism”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

“Patriotism”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible, edited by Michael J. Gorman

This special bonus episode is being released in light of Juneteenth, an important holiday on many levels and we hope that this conversation helps our listeners wrestle through this very important and timely question.

The perennial problem of race in America has once more crashed onto the national scene. As has so often been the case, people have divided into camps. Very little room, if any at all, has been made for middle ground. Allies for justice have risen from all corners of American life, but many have come under fire for merely putting on an act. And while these actions ought to be condemned, fear of being called a performative ally has paralyzed otherwise well meaning people from taking part in the collective cry for justice. In this bonus episode, we ask, “What does performative activism look like?” Does performative justice hurt corrective efforts? What motivations for pursuing justice are legitimate? Should allies for justice, specifically racial justice, be a monolith? All this and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

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Resources:

Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times, by Soong-Chan Rah

Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness, and Justice, by Brenda Salter McNeil

Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity, by David W. Swanson

Hello, faithful listener. We deliberated on whether to post this podcast today given the recent protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd. While we certainly do not want to detract from the much needed attention of the country on police brutality and racial inequality, we decided to continue with our normal posting schedule. While this podcast does not directly confront the issue at hand, we wanted to provide our listeners with content to engage with. Some of our previous episodes deal more directly with race in America. You may want to check out episode 2 of season 0, which is entitled Black Panther, Race in America and the Church. Also, you may find our conversation about the Juneteenth holiday in episode 2 of season 1 relevant for the present moment. We stand in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters and, as is consistent with the biblical voice, will always strive for the vindication of the oppressed. We appreciate you joining with us in that journey. Thanks for listening, And for now, let’s continue on with the conversation.

“Deconstruction” is the religious buzzword for our generation. Statistically, the church in America is on the decline. Scores of young people are abandoning their childhood faith and leaving their local congregations. Many view Christians as a part of the problem, rather than those leading the charge for justice and right-living in our society. Perhaps such a faith should be deconstructed, but is that where it ends? Is there a healthy way for Christians to deconstruct the faith system they’ve inherited while maintaining a commitment to its core? Can we reconstruct Christianity for our present moment while honoring the traditions of the past? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.

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Resources:

Six Reasons Young Christians Leave the Church

You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith, by David Kinnaman

Scripture as Communication: Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics, by Jeannine K. Brown

Societal and political events have caused both insiders and outsiders to ask “Is the Evangelical movement at an end?” Perhaps a better question to ask is, “Should the Evangelical movement come to an end?” What part of the Christian witness is strengthened by the title “Evangelical”? What is lost? Are we losing more than we gain by calling ourselves Evangelicals? Is it time to give up the title “Evangelical”? Or is it still worth the effort? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.

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Resources:

Evangelical Has Lost Its Meaning - The Atlantic

The Crisis of American Christianity, Viewed From Great Britain - The Atlantic

US Adults See Evangelicals Through a Political Lens - Barna

“Exvangelicals”: Why more religious people are rejecting the Evangelical label - The Guardian

Are Pastors Discarding the “Evangelical” Label? - Christianity Today

Molly Worthen: Three questions that open up evangelicalism

In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace - Pew Research Center

Religious Landscape Study: Evangelical Protestants - Pew Research Center

Reading the Bible with the Damned by Bob Ekblad

Still Evangelical?, edited by Mark Labberton