The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

Dr. Nancy Pearcey is the author of many books — including one of Matt's favourites — Total Truth. He gets her on the line to talk about her latest book, Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality. She is the definition of a deep thinker who is full of deep thoughts. This is going to be great.

Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.

*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.

ABOUT:

DR. NANCY PEARCEY

She is the author of many books, including The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and two ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winners: How Now Shall We Live (coauthored with Chuck Colson) and Total Truth.

She is a professor and scholar in residence at Houston Baptist University. A former agnostic, Pearcey has spoken at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, USC, and Dartmouth — she’s even been to Abbotsford! She was highlighted as one of the 5 top women apologists by Christianity Today and was hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” (I wasn’t even nominated in the pre-eminent evangelical Protestant male intellectual category)

and her latest book is the subject of our conversation today, Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality.

Anxiety and depression are more common than ever. It’s more than likely that you or someone you love experiences depression. And yet, the church hasn’t always done a good job of supporting those with depression. In fact, sometimes the church has contributed to the pain, either by ill-timed advice or just plain bad theology. Matt’s guest opens up about his depression and clears up a number of these harmful missteps.

Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.

*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast. In fact, some may have found it therapeutic.

ABOUT:

JEFF BUCKNAM

Jeff Bucknam is the Lead Pastor of Northview Community Church, arriving in Abbotsford via New Zealand and born and raised in the great state of Washington. We all think he should have written some books by now but still hold out hope that it’s only a matter of time. (Just watch, he’ll start releasing a book or two a year once he’s in his fifties à la Timothy Keller)

You ever see a self-professing Christian angrily criticize someone on social media who holds a different view? It has become commonplace and it’s just not helpful. How do we get back to our roots? How do we live as a compelling Christian witness with faith so irresistible that the world can’t resist? Matt gets Scott Sauls on the line to talk about this very thing. He’s the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville and the author of several books, including his latest, Irresistible Faith.

Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.

*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…although Scott Sauls might say otherwise.

ABOUT:

SCOTT SAULS

Scott is pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN and is the author of several books including Jesus Outside the Lines, Befriend, and his most recent, Irresistible Faith.

We are one generation removed from the days of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who helped terminally ill patients end their lives through physician-assisted suicide. Today, euthanasia or ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ (MAiD) is legal in a handful of western countries, Canada being one of them. So Matt sat down for a conversation with his mom, a long-time palliative care nurse and coordinator, to talk about MAiD — specifically, 4 Issues for Christians to consider when thinking about MAiD. Yes, the dinner conversations at the Shantz household are unique.

Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.

*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.

ABOUT:

HEATHER SHANTZ

Heather Shantz lives in Calgary, Alberta, is involved in her local church and has enjoyed giving back to the community through participating in programs like ESL and grief support. This time a year ago, she was informed that the breast cancer she had five years prior had metastasized to her lungs, lymph nodes, and bones — which makes this conversation personal and not merely intellectual or theoretical.

There isn’t much that concerns people about the Christian faith as much as hell, judgment, and holy war. So Matt gets Josh Ryan Butler on the line to talk about those very things. He’s the author of The Skeletons in God’s Closet: The Mercy of Hell, the Surprise of Judgement, the Hope of Holy War and pastors at Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona.

Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.

*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.

ABOUT:

Joshua Ryan Butler

Joshua Ryan Butler has written two books, The Pursuing God (2016) and The Skeletons in God’s Closet (2014) and is Co-Lead Pastor at Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona.

Emily takes over as host and they discuss the season that was and the season that’s coming in the new year. Thanks for listening!

*Disclaimer: No deep thoughts included in this episode.

We wrap up Season 1 with an episode about church, acknowledging two things at once: It can be difficult and it is important.

Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.

*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.