Thinking Out Loud

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.

From the ravages taking place in once-great American cities like San Francisco to the farmers challenging the double standards being imposed on them by the European Union, we continue to suffer because of idealists whose policies have little bearing on reality. In this episode, we press into the key differences between destructive idealism and the necessity of having ideals.

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.  

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.