This week we are joined by Matthew Martens, a defense lawyer and author of "Reforming Criminal Justice." We discuss the role of the justice system in society, how we ended up with the system we have in the US now, and what is wrong with it. Matthew explains his passion for accurate representation, the importance of jury duty, and how Christians should approach the justice system. We wrap up with some practical and tangible ways to help usher in change.
Resources Mentioned
Mathew Martens' Book: Reforming Criminal Justice
Mathew Martens' Website
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Reforming Criminal Justice with Mathew Martens

Matters of culture should matter to us—because they matter to God. Hosted by Elizabeth Woodson, Adam Hawkins and Tymarcus Ragland—the Culture Matters podcast explores the intersection of faith and culture. Looking at everything from politics, art and entertainment to issues such as racial reconciliation and the sanctity of human life, we discuss what it looks like to live faithfully on mission—in the world but not of the world.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

In this final episode of the season, Tymarcus sits down with Joey Honesko to talk about how poetry can help us better understand the beauty and complexity of the scriptures.

Poetry & the Practices of Holy Week

What does it mean to be citizens of heaven? And how does that affect our earthly citizenship? In this episode we look at the relational language the bible uses frequently — brothers and sisters, citizens of heaven, royal priesthood, and others.
 
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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

Allegiances and Citizenship

Liz is back and the studio has never felt more alive! She joins us to pick apart this year's Oscars. This episode isn't just about the glitz of the gala; it's our reflections on the highlights, the lowlights, the war and peace narratives threading through recent cinema, the cultural disconnect that often plagues the Oscars and why we (mostly Adam) think film is still so important for art and creativity. We wrap up with our personal top picks from 2023.
 Join us for a celebration of storytelling, a critical look at cultural engagement, and loads of hot sports — ahem, film — opinions!
 
Here's a list of the films, short films, and documentaries,  mentioned in this episode:
Films
Barbie
Oppenheimer
The Boy and the Heron
Poor Things
Perfect Days
Killers of the Flower Moon
Short Films:
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Wes Anderson 
Documentaries:
The Barber of Little Rock
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
Mentioned Resources On Film Reviews:
IMDB.com
commonsensemedia.org
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One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving us a rating and review on Apple or Spotify. Your support helps us continue producing this show.
Follow us on social:
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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

2024 Oscar Recap

This week Tymarcus talks to Pastor Charles Wilson from The Hill Church in Roanoke, VA about how Christians can think about effecting change in their communities through their churches. Pastor Charles helps us think about how as Christians we should move towards the problems and be a part of helping our neighborhoods flourish.
 
Guest Resources
https://www.thehillchurch.com/
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One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving us a rating and review on Apple or Spotify. Your support helps us continue producing this show.
Follow us on social:
Instagram
 
Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

Church Planting & Community Flourishing

On this episode we talk about the good, the bad and the ugly...of institutions. Are there any redeeming qualities to institutions anymore? We start with a working definition of institutions and then dive into some of the most problematic elements of today's institutions. We specifically explore the value of religious institutions and where we have hope for them.
 
Guest Resources
Follow Kyle Worley
Instagram | X
Mosaic Church
Knowing Faith Podcast
Training the Church
Follow Adam Griffin
Instagram
Eastside Community Church
Family Discipleship Podcast
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One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving us a rating and review on Apple or Spotify. Your support helps us continue producing this show.
Follow us on social:
Instagram
 
Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

Reforming Criminal Justice with Mathew Martens

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