The Holy Post

As Christianity declines in cultural influence what is taking its place? A recent article in The Atlantic written by Rabbi David Wolpe argues that paganism is on the rise, but it takes different forms on the cultural left and right. Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to discuss the trend and why it may actually be good news for the church. Then, professor Scot McKnight returns to talk about his new translations of the New Testament called "The Second Testament." He explains why his version uses odd language like "the Heavens' Empire" instead of "the Kingdom of Heaven," and why our familiarity with the Bible causes us to misread it. Also this week, scientists retract a claim about avocados, and Phil has a public service announcement about navel stones.

Holy Post Plus Scot Mcknight Bonus interview

https://www.patreon.com/posts/96187905

0:00 - Intro

1:29 - Show Starts

4:51 - Theme Song

5:06 - Sponsor - AG1 - Get your FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase, go to www.athleticgreens.com/HOLYPOST

6:31 - News of the Butt Retraction

12:44 - Belly Button Public Service Announcement

16:16 - The Return of the Pagans

56:10 - Sponsor - Songfinch - Go to www.songfinch.com/HOLYPOST and start your song – after you purchase, you'll be prompted to add Spotify Streaming for your original song for FREE! That's a $50 value!

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59:05 - Interview Intro

1:03:58 - The differences in McKnight's translation

1:15:05 - Why make the translation harder to read

1:3:28 - End Credits

Links Mentioned in the News Segment:

The Return of the Pagans

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/paganism-right-and-left/676945/

Other resources:

The Second Testament https://amzn.to/47vD1Tp

​​Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture

https://amzn.to/47yfW2a

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

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The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn begin the new year by answering listener questions. They address how to make important decisions from picking a church to picking a candidate. If you disagree with a worship song in a church gathering should you still sing it? They share some of their favorite movies with redemptive themes, what alternative careers they've considered, and how they maintain relationships with people they disagree with. Plus, Skye shares why he thinks sermon-centric Sundays are a problem and what the alternatives are. Kaitlyn offers advice to theology students and explains the difference between biblical studies and theology. And Phil really likes menopause metaphors.

Holy Post Plus Extended Mailbag

0:00 - Intro

1:15 - Show Starts

3:00 - Theme Song

3:20 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Go to www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.

4:30 - Sponsor - Get 10% off your first month at www.FaithfulCounseling.com/HOLYPOST

5:33 - Show Resumes

9:00 - What career would the team change to?

14:54 - Which candidate to vote for if you don't like either?

21:55 - Advice for those pursuing biblical scholarship

30:15 - Criteria for picking a church

46:15 - What would replace the sermon in a church service?

1:03:43 - What non christian movie should every Christian watch?

1:10:15 - How do we maintain relationships with people we disagree with?

1:16:44 - End Credits

Other resources:

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

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The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

We often associate fundamentalism with strict religious beliefs and practices. But David French says fundamentalism isn't really about what someone believes, but how they believe it. He talks to Skye Jethani about the three traits that mark every form of fundamentalism—including the non-religious variety: certainty, ferocity, and solidarity. They unpack the legitimate desires that draw people into fundamentalism, and what's happening in American culture that may be driving more people to embrace the extremes of fundamentalism on both the right and left. Plus, they share the antidotes that can protect us from this trend.

0:00 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to download your family refugee guide and learn more about the Path Community

1:17 - Theme Song

1:34 - Characteristics of Fundamentalism

34:34 - Why Fundamentalism is Growing

48:34 - Free Speech and College Campuses

1:08:38- End Credits

Other resources:

David French: https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench

Why Fundamentalists Love Trump

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/opinion/donald-trump-fundamentalists-evangelical.html

https://www.holypost.com/

Support us and find premium content by going to

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The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

New Testament professor, award-winning author, and New York Times columnist Esau McCaulley joins Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn for a special year-end episode with a live studio audience. They review what happened in 2023 and offer their picks for the most important news stories of the year. Topics range from Tim Keller's passing, the navel-gazing of American evangelicalism, and the comfort of Cracker Barrel biscuits. They offer predictions for 2024. Esau joins the audience to play three hilarious rounds of "Bluff the Listener." And, a 57-year-old woman experiences an "adverse event" in an MRI machine.

Holy Post Plus Hear the full version of "The Rise and Fall of Plinky Pete"

https://www.patreon.com/posts/95343878

0:00 - Sponsor - Calvin University

Register for the January Series at Calvin University today at www.calvin.edu/january-series

1:06 - Intro

2:02 - Theme Song

2:24 - Show Starts

3:30 - News of the Butt

8:40 - Welcome Esau!

11:40 - Phil's story of 2023

24:16 - Kaitlyn's story of 2023

37:20 - Skye's story of 2023

49:50 - Esau's story of 2023

1:02:36 - 2024 predictions

1:10:35 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order

1:11:43 - Sponsor - AG1 - Get your FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase, go to www.athleticgreens.com/HOLYPOST

1:13:16 - Bluff the Listener

1:33:12 - End Credits

Links mentioned in news segment:

Why a bucolic Tennessee suburb is a hotbed of 'Christian Nashville-ism'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/11/08/nashville-suburbs-christian-nationalism/

The Rev. Timothy Keller, Pioneering Manhattan Evangelist, Dies at 72

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/nyregion/the-rev-tim-keller-dead.html

What's lost when religion becomes a 'luxury good'

https://religionnews.com/2023/07/28/whats-lost-when-religion-becomes-a-luxury-good/

Other resources:

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

If Jesus is the reason for the season, why do most Christians celebrate Christmas at home with their families rather than at church? David Taylor, a professor of culture and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, joins Skye to discuss the origins of Christmas in America. He says Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, and Coca-Cola have done more to influence how we celebrate the birth of Jesus than gospel writers. And he explains why the Puritans who first settled in America believed Christmas was satanic. Speaking of Satan, we have an update on the Satanic Temple display in the Iowa State Capital. The Texas Supreme Court made a controversial, and confusing, ruling about abortion. And what happens when Americans say they're more religious but they are less likely to engage in religious practices like attending a church?

Holy Post Plus Getting Schooled - Saint Nicholas

https://www.patreon.com/posts/94956592

0:00 - Intro

1:29 - Show starts

3:57 - Theme Song

4:18 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to download your family refugee guide and learn more about the Path Community

5:37 - Live Show Recap

11:14 - Satanic Statue Decapitated

22:01 - Texas Abortion Case

44:09 - Republican and Democrat attitudes towards Religion

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57:44 - Sponsor - Magic Spoon - Go to www.magicspoon.com/HOLYPOST and use code HOLYPOST to get $5 off

59:23 - Interview Intro

1:05:28 - The Puritan's impact on Christmas

1:09:18 - Queen Victoria's impact on Christmas

1:17:23 - Charles Dickens impact on Christmas

1:26:44 - Christmas in America Today

1:35:36 - End Credits

Links mentioned in news segment:

Satanic Temple says part of display in Iowa Capitol 'destroyed beyond repair'

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/2023/12/14/satanic-temple-reports-vandalism-of-its-display-in-iowa-capitol/71925404007/

Religion as a Cultural and Political Identity

https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/religion-as-a-cultural-and-political

5 things to know about the latest abortion case in Texas

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/13/1218953788/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-kate-cox

Other resources:

https://www.wdavidotaylor.com/

THE LIGHT HAS COME: PRAYER CARDS FOR ADVENT, CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY

https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/the-light-has-come-prayer-cards-for-advent-christmas-and-epiphany?variant=39467432378455

Daily Advent Devotionals by David Taylor

https://www.wdavidotaylor.com/blog/daily-advent-devotionals

Why Putting Christ Back in Christmas Is Not Enough

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2018/december/putting-christ-back-in-christmas-not-enough-nativity-americ.html

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

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The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Satanic Temple has been allowed to erect a temporary display in the Iowa State Capitol, provoking some conservative evangelicals to double-down on their commitment to Christian Nationalism, and others to rethink the scope of religious liberty. Kaitlyn responds to an article accusing her, and other authors, of promoting a "loser mindset" among Christians. And are Phil and Skye conspiring with a God-hating Hollywood producer to destroy the church? Then, how do we deal with the unique pain caused by bad church experiences? Bishop Todd Hunter discusses his new book, "What Jesus Intended: Finding True Faith in the Rubble of Bad Religion."

Holy Post Plus Getting Schooled - Matchmaking 101

https://www.patreon.com/posts/94541030

0:00 - Intro

1:15 - Show starts

3:32 - Theme Song

3:54 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - Get 10% off your first month at www.FaithfulCounseling.com/HOLYPOST

5:03 - Rob Reiner Drama

23:56 - Satanic Display

39:43 - Does Kaitlyn have a loser mentality

52:13 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order

53:18 - Sponsor - AG1 - Get your FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase, go to www.athleticgreens.com/HOLYPOST

54:54 - Interview Intro

1:01:17 - Dealing with church hurt

1:11:03 - The Kingdom of God

1:23:12 - How to be a faithful participant in church

1:32:12 - End Credits

Links mentioned in news segment:

Rob Reiner will release a film about Christian nationalism. It includes A LOT of evangelical talking heads and "influencers"

https://currentpub.com/2023/12/08/rob-reiner-will-release-a-film-about-christian-nationalism-and-he-has-secured-a-lot-of-evangelical-talking-heads-and-influencers/

Satanic displays have no place in government buildings

https://wng.org/opinions/satanic-displays-have-no-place-in-government-buildings-1702297793

Against the Loser Mentality

https://americanreformer.org/2023/09/against-the-loser-mentality/

Other resources:

What Jesus Intended: Finding True Faith in the Rubble of Bad Religion by Todd Hunter

https://amzn.to/47Um7P7

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a teacher or a young person yourself, you've probably seen all of the headlines concerning Gen Z. Rates of depression and loneliness are surging, their relationship with technology is kind of troubling, and they are leaving the church in droves. We've talked about these trends a lot on the Holy Post, but we're not alone. Tenx10 is a new collaborative discipleship initiative whose mission is to make faith matter more for this younger generation. We've partnered with Tenx10 to create this series and to hear from experts in each episode about the challenges young people and those who care about them are facing. Kaitlyn sits down with Ray Chang to wrap up the series and talk about the work of Tenx10

0:00 - Theme Song

0:18 - Intro

1:05 - What is Tenx10

15:21 - Tenx10 Info - Go to tenx10.org for resources on how to help the younger generation care more about faith

16:37 - Relational Discipleship

28:56 - The future of the Church

44:04 - End Credits

Links and Resources

Tenx10 - https://www.tenx10.org/

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Conspiracy theories, political idolatry, church divisions, and pastoral burnout. How do we explain what's happened to the evangelical movement in America? Tim Alberta is a political journalist and staff writer for The Atlantic. His new book, "The Power, the Glory, and the Kingdom," looks at how evangelicalism lost its way. As an evangelical himself, Alberta says fear and greed created the conditions for extremism to take over the movement. Also this week, surprising data after the Dobbs decision shows birthrates are up in states that banned abortion, but overall abortion rates nationwide are also higher. And should we use ChatGPT to interpret the Bible? Kaitlyn's new article says probably not.

Holy Post Plus Extended Tim Alberta Interview

https://www.patreon.com/posts/94152371

0:00 - Intro

1:25 - Show starts

2:13 - Theme Song

2:35 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - Get 10% off your first month at www.FaithfulCounseling.com/HOLYPOST

3:45 - Are abortion rates increasing or decreasing

26:25 - Should AI interpret Scripture

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49:25 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get 30% off your first order by going to www.blueland.com/HOLYPOST

50:38 - Interview Intro

55:20 - What made evangelicals feel under siege

1:06:00 - Pervasive greed

1:13:00 - How Trumpism is impacting the local church

1:30:06 - End Credits

Links mentioned in news segment:

Our abortion video from 2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWD7ykNjCc

‎The Daily: Ending Roe Was Supposed to Reduce Abortions. It Didn't. on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000636899810

Why Do We Want AI to Interpret Scripture?

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/december/ai-artificial-intelligence-interpret-scripture-bible.html

‎

Other resources:

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta - https://amzn.to/418LPNb

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

A number of cases are being fought in the courts right now over whether Donald Trump violated the 14th amendment and if he should be allowed on the ballot in the 2024 election. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the history of the 14th amendment, break down the current cases against Trump, and talk about the likelihood of the Supreme Court hearing the case, and what decision they might make. Then, they talk about new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and his view on how the Bible informs his politics. Have Evangelical Republicans lost their way by focusing too much on what they think the Bible says about issues and policies, and not enough on what the Bible actually says about virtues?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:17 - History of the 14th amendment

14:00 - Current lawsuits against Trump

30:40 - Likelihood of the Supreme Court hearing the case

46:10 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order

47:20 - The Evangelical approach to politics

1:04:37- End Credits

Other resources:

David French: https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench

'MAGA Mike Johnson' and Our Broken Christian Politics

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/opinion/maga-mike-johnson-christianity.html

https://www.holypost.com/

Support us and find premium content by going to

https://www.patreon.com/holypost

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

With a spike in antisemitism around the world since the October 7th attack in Israel and the horrible scenes of Palestinian suffering in Gaza, Jews in the U.S. are wrestling with what it really means to be pro-Israel. Phil and Skye are joined by Holy Post pundit Mike Erre to discuss a thought-provoking sermon by American Rabbi Sharon Brous. She asks, is it possible to support one's own tribe without diminishing the human dignity of others? And how does this relate to Christian communities who feel "under siege" in America? Then, former State Department official, Todd Deatherage, shares about his 15-year effort to help Americans understand that the Israeli-Palestinian situation is not a zero-sum conflict. He says evangelicals need to stop viewing Israel as a "lucky rabbit's foot," and embrace a vision for biblical peacemaking in the region that is both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian.

Holy Post Plus Holy Post Office - When to take a Bible verse literally vs metaphorically https://www.patreon.com/posts/93694179/

0:00 - Intro

1:38 - Show starts

4:46 - Theme Song

5:02 - Sponsor - With God Daily

6:46 - Rise of anti-semitism

13:42 - Oppressors or Oppressees

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52:20 - Sponsor - AG1 - Get your FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase, go to athleticgreens.com/HOLYPOST

53:53 - Interview Intro

1:03:19 - American Evangelical's relationship with Israel

1:14:34 - Pro Israel and Pro-Palestine

1:35:19 - End Credits

Links mentioned in news segment:

‎The Ezra Klein Show: The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now on Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447?i=1000635157164

Bari Weiss' speech at The Federalist Society

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V-kyy2zoz4

Other resources:

The Telos Group - https://www.telosgroup.org/

Voxology podcast - https://voxologypodcast.com/

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.