In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's name from Facebook to Meta. It signaled his decision to go "all in" on virtual reality and everything it promised. (We talked about it in Episode 366: Meta Church.) But less than four years later, the meta-hype is collapsing, with every major VR company reporting losses and pulling back products. In this episode, we discuss what we can learn from the meteoric rise and decline of virtual reality... and how this tale can make us wiser in our approach to technology.

(0:00) Introductions and a Quick Trip into the Archives
(2:56) Virtual Reality Gets a Reality Check
(8:22) Humans Actually Like Embodied-ness
(17:28) Knowing How Technology Shapes Us

Article: https://wng.org/articles/a-dose-of-reality-1738632435

Modern people spend lots of time, energy, and money on their bodies - whether it be through diet and supplements or working out and exercise. Some become so focused on exercise and nutrition that they idolize their bodies while others are prone to neglect their physical bodies. In this episode, we respond to a listener-submitted question about the role of physical fitness in the life of the Christian. How does the fact that we're going to die (Psalm 90:10) inform a Christian approach to fitness? How can we avoid idolizing or neglecting our physical health? Listen in as we discuss the wisdom Scripture provides in this area.

(0:00) Introductions and Talking Physical Fitness
(5:50) Grounding the Conversation in Scripture
(9:23) What Role Does Physical Fitness Play in the Life of a Christian?
(19:08) How Do I Know I’m Glorifying God with My Body?
(27:06) Stewarding All of Our Resources Well

Much has been said and written about the decline of Christianity in America, including on this podcast. But is something changing? A new Pew Research Center study shows that the decline of Christianity has tapered off over the past few years. In this episode, we dig into the statistics and analyze the opportunities they present for Christians to be on mission.

(0:00) Introductions
(1:05) The Data Shows…De-Churching Is Leveling Off
(7:50) Some of Our Favorite Research Study Nuggets
(12:13) How to Make Sense of This as Church Leaders
(24:10) The ONE Thing We Want You to Take with You

Article: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/

On January 10th of this year, book lovers lined up to purchase the newest release in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros.  These books are part of a genre known as romantic fantasy, or "romantasy" - and its popularity is exploding. But how should Christian women relate to romantasy literature? Recently, a church member reached out to us with some unease about how nonchalantly her Christian friends were imbibing the explicit sexual imagery in these novels. So we invited her to come on the podcast and talk about it! In this episode, Adrienne joins us to discuss the rise of romantasy, the ways that it can steer us away from a godly view of sex and intimacy, and how Christians can better commend what is good, true and beautiful.

(0:00) Introductions: Guess Who’s Baaaaaack??
(2:15) The Rise of Romantasy and What Makes it Problematic
(11:27) Two Main Romantasy Markets
(15:50) Why Escapism is a Powerful Temptation
(19:29) What Does it Mean to Engage Culture?
(32:38) How to Commend Good Art

Article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-need-know-romantasy/

How can we make sense of right-leaning politics in the wake of the 2024 election? Is a second Trump presidency the result of populism? Nationalism? Techno-oligarchy? Something else? Recently, Jake Meador identified four distinct "tribes" on the political right that share some common aims but differ widely in their approaches. Whatever your personal politics, you're going to be living with these tribes for the next few years - so you might as well get to know them. In this episode, we interact with Meador's essay and explore its implications for Christian faithfulness.

(0:00) Introduction and Stories
(5:43) The Four Tribes on the Political Right, Explained
(24:31) How Christian Civic Republicanism Differs from Classical Liberalism
(27:02) The Importance of Freedom of Conscience
(30:40) A Case Study on Christian Nationalism
(35:50) Christianity and the Common Good

Article: https://mereorthodoxy.com/after-progressive-neo-liberalism

Over the past decade, leaving the church has been a trend - and the leavers have been mostly left-leaning. But Jake Meador identifies a more recent trend of "right-wing exvangelicals." Whereas the left-wing exvangelicals liked Jesus but weren't sure about the church, right-wing exvangelicals want to keep civic religion but aren't as interested in the way of Jesus. In this episode, we talk about these trends, how we're seeing them in our churches, and how the gospel speaks to them.

(0:00) Introductions & Snack Shout-outs
(2:49) What is an Ex-vangelical? Definition & History
(9:54) The Growing Trend of Right-Wing Exvangelicals
(13:00) Politics as a Replacement Religion
(18:07) Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
(30:34) C.S. Lewis: Beware of “Christianity And"

Article: https://mereorthodoxy.com/two-types-of-exvangelicals

Artificial Intelligence is generating a lot of interest these days. President Trump even issued an executive order to "sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance." So how should Christians think about AI? Can a machine even be "intelligent?" How does Christian theology help us go beyond the hype to engage the substance of the debate?  In this episode, we draw on the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas to discuss the nature the mind, the intelligence of angels and demons, and how the Christian tradition helps us evaluate and assess technological progress.

Article: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2025/01/96910/

In a recent article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson writes about the surge in Americans eating alone, shopping alone, and generally doing life alone. In this episode, we discuss his analysis of the problem, talk about the wisdom the church can offer, and explore how the Christian tradition promotes both community and solitude.

Article (requires subscription): https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/

There's a bit of a "vibe shift" underway in American culture, and Silicon Valley is one place where it's evident. Recently, a listener passed along an article about the renewed interest in Christianity among tech and venture-capital elites. In this episode, we explore how the spiritual hunger in Silicon Valley relates to a larger cultural trend, and the opportunities it provides for Christians to show the beauty and goodness of the Christian story.

Article (requires subscription): https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-antichrist-and-the-new-apostles

God reveals his grace to us through both law and gospel. In this episode from 2016, we talk about how the law and the gospel fit together.