Thinking Out Loud

Yes, it’s a provocative title and question, but evangelicals in particular have a tendency to view fictional truth with suspicion. No doubt, this stems in part from a Puritan heritage that rejected fiction as a lie. In this episode, we press into this strange heritage and consider how stories can tell the truth in vital ways.

According to the Surgeon General, loneliness is officially at epidemic levels. But why do we continue to treat an inherently spiritual condition as nothing more than a physical problem? And how are loneliness and a deeper sense of purpose connected? Join us as we explore these questions.  

American Christians, we’re not in Kansas anymore. The mood has shifted decisively and Christianity is now widely recognized by our most influential cultural voices as harmful for the individual and society. The list of accusations is as long as it is inaccurate: racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, misogynist, fascist, among others. How do we engage a cultural context this hostile? Join us as we dive in on this vexed topic.

One of the fundamental questions facing our world is whether Islam will see reform. There is a key distinction to be made between Islam as a theocratic vision and the many muslims who have peacefully integrated into Western nations. However, it would be naive to overlook the fact that the political aspirations of Islam have made strategic inroads into the West and that this process has been going on for a long time. The ongoing immigration crisis plays a huge role in this challenge. Join us as we consider a Christian response to this challenge.

The term “Christian Nationalism” has been steadily gaining traction as an epithet. On the one hand, critics are concerned about what they believe to be theocratic aspirations in certain fringe groups and movements. On the other hand, a growing number of intellectuals, many of them not Christian, are arguing that Christianity is the wellspring of western civilization as we know it. In this two-part series, we delve into the meaning of the term and its positive and negative outworkings. This episode considers the abuses of Christian Nationalism.

The term “Christian Nationalism” has been steadily gaining traction as an epithet. On the one hand, critics are concerned about what they believe to be theocratic aspirations in certain fringe groups and movements. On the other hand, a growing number of intellectuals, many of them not Christian, are arguing that Christianity is the wellspring of Western Civilization as we know it. In this two-part series, we delve into the meaning of the term and its positive and negative outworkings. This episode considers the positive influence of Christianity on nations.

Many Christian parents have serious reservations about the fantasy genre, the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings notwithstanding. What are we to make of worlds filled with dark magic and evil sorcerers? In this episode, we delve into these questions and consider a Christian response to the fantasy genre. 

A recent piece in American Reformer makes the case for a “tragic view” of history, one that necessitates a figure like Donald Trump to counteract the civilizational threats that confront us from time to time. But do Christians really have a tragic view of history? Cameron doesn’t think so and Nathan decided to ask him about it. Join us as we push back against our nation’s mounting political despair.

We’ve just launched a free series taught by Stuart McAllister that consists of 7 videos titled, Inconvenient Truths. In this episode, Stuart joins us to discuss the series and offer some insights on how best to use it. There’s only one Al Gore reference.

The word “woke” is in wide circulation these days and has mutated into exclusively negative connotations. Why? And just what is so harmful about woke ideology in the first place? In the first part of this series, we trace the intellectual roots of this mindset and consider what a Christian response looks like. For those who want a concise exploration of wokeism, we recommend this article by Bishop Robert Barron. In this episode, we explore the weaponization of grievances and how it’s used as a rhetorical strategy to silence serious debate.