The latest “He gets us” ad that aired during the Super Bowl has something to offend everyone. Conservatives saw it as a capitulation to the fashionable issues of our day. Progressives saw it as a kind of Trojan Horse to smuggle in repressive values that we ought to discard. Join us as we dive into the conversation.  

A Gen Z influencer has a theory about why people his age look older than their millennial peers. It has to do with cosmetic procedures taking place at a much younger age. The issue certainly isn’t generational, though. These days, most of us are beckoned in a narcissistic direction. In this episode, we chat about the self-obsession that’s driving us all crazy.

The popular conservative pastor, Alistair Begg, recently found himself at the center of controversy when he assured a grandmother that it was okay for her to attend her grandchild’s marriage to a transgender person, provided she was clear on her opposition to the matter. Begg promptly found himself disinvited from a number of conferences. Most seriously, Truth for Life—the program based on his sermons—was dropped by American Family Radio. Given that we just discussed the cancellation of Calvin Robinson from the Mere Anglicanism conference, we thought we’d turn our attention to this latest controversy.    

The question, What does it mean to be human? is at the center of our fiercest cultural battles. Within our Christian subcultures, it also underwrites seminars on topics like “Biblical Manhood” and “Biblical Womanhood.” In this episode, we press into the countercultural security represented by the men and women who find their identity in Christ, rather than in themselves.

Apologetics has been unfashionable among many believing intellectuals for a while. In the shadow of this disapproval, apologetics has also emerged as a full-fledged academic field and as a result, a new generation of apologists are bringing a higher level of rigor and sophistication to the enterprise. But this is often a mixed blessing, leading many to believe that apologetics is only for professionals. In this episode, we push back on this assumption and try to offer a holistic assessment of apologetics.

Fr. Calvin Robinson recently gave a talk on Critical Theory at the Mere Anglicanism conference in Charleston, South Carolina. When his talk caused offense, he found himself swiftly disinvited from any further engagement at the conference, including participating on a panel discussion. This decision has met with a good deal of backlash, with many arguing that a conference such as this one would have been an ideal venue in which to pursue serious disagreement in a spirit of mutual respect and civility. For reference, Fr. Robinson has addressed the controversy on his Substack and has also included a transcript of his talk. We encourage you to read both. In this episode, we talk about the need for Christians to learn how to disagree with one another before they can reach across cultural dividing lines. 

In a helpful piece for Front Porch Republic, Doug Stowe makes the case that teaching young kids to work with their hands can help them to discern between fact and fiction in an age of increasing misinformation. The painstaking process of working within the boundaries of the material world makes us less gullible when it comes to deception and far-fetched claims because we’ve made tangible contact with reality. One of us is an example of hands and head knowledge and one of us is more of a symptom of our time. We leave it to you to figure out which is which.

Sociologists are quick to point out that our culture is awash in pagan spiritual practices. Does this fervent seeking point to a genuine spiritual hunger? Or are we simply incorporating pagan elements into our consumer habits? Join us as we dive into this topic.

It’s no secret that loneliness is a growing problem in our world, but why is this the case? On the face of it, we seem to be more connected than ever. The problem isn’t limited to relational breakdown, either. Even in the midst of relationships, countless people still feel desperately lonely. In this episode, we delve into this sobering topic and consider how the church might begin to address the problem.

Rebecca Baumgartner recently drew attention to the habit of many authors of popular nonfiction to write for an “audience of imagined idiots.” The folk wisdom these days is that regular folks just don’t like to think and that the only way to get them to do serious intellectual work is to lure them with charming anecdotes and digestible little nuggets. Think TED talks. Is this true? We’re not convinced. Tune in as we talk about the distinction between simplicity and oversimplification.