The following episode was recorded on May 13, 2022.
“Having grown up just down the road, the son of the senior pastor at another church in town, I’ve spent my life watching evangelicalism morph from a spiritual disposition into a political identity,” Tim Alberta recently wrote at The Atlantic. “It’s heartbreaking.”
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Alberta and Moore discuss the shift in evangelical life that has taken place over the past several years. They share honest, insightful stories about the grief of unwillingly losing relationships over political differences—stories that many listeners may find familiar.
They talk about changes in politics, namely the culture of high-energy political passion we see today, and what it looks like for Christians to live as people of truth in a chaotic age.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Chief Creative Officer: Erik Petrik
Executive Producer and Host: Russell Moore
Director of Podcasts: Mike Cosper
Production Assistance: CoreMedia
Coordinator: Beth Grabenkort
Producer and Audio Mixing: Kevin Duthu
Associate Producer: Abby Perry
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Tim Alberta Worries Politics Is Poisoning the Church

Listen in as Russell Moore, director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project and Editor-in-Chief, talks about the latest books, cultural conversations and pressing ethical questions that point us toward the kingdom of Christ.

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

What will the next several decades of American Christianity look like? Are the factors that led to the decline of mainline church attendance the same as those leading to decreased interest in evangelical congregations? Why are Gen Z women leaving religion at higher rates than their male counterparts? 
These are the questions that Russell Moore and Ryan Burge—author, professor, and writer of Graphs about Religion Substack—address in this episode. They consider shifts in the Southern Baptist Convention, the relationship of politics to religious participation, and whether or not churches are expected to close by the thousands in the years to come. And they remind listeners of what it looks like not only to speak the gospel but to live it as members of a community that welcomes others, volunteers in meaningful ways, and embodies the beauty of what the church can be.
Resources mentioned in this episode include: 


The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going by Ryan Burge

Graphs about Religion

Billy Graham 

Dobbs v. Jackson

Obergefell

“Young Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers”

“Religion Has Become a Luxury Good”


Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Asbury University


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today 
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper 
Host: Russell Moore 
Producer: Ashley Hales 
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps 
Video producer: Abby Egan 
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Predictions about the Future of the Christian Church

“You have a bunch of callings, and they’re just natural, ordinary things that God uses to accomplish spiritual and natural things. Have fun. Flourish in those. And do good in the world.”
So says Grammy-nominated and Dove-winning hip-hop artist Flame on this episode of The Russell Moore Show, which features a conversation about music, theology, and journeying with Jesus. Moore explains that while this isn’t a “tell me where I’m wrong” episode, he hopes it will provide a helpful angle to the “deconstruction” discussion—one that considers whether changing our minds about theological beliefs can be an act of faithfulness.
They consider spirituality and stability, connection and community, and tendencies among theological tribes. Flame explains what happens when we reduce Christianity to a “moral improvement program,” highlights the power of forgiveness, and considers the role of confession and absolution in the life of the believer.
From thoughts on baptism and Communion to rap albums and biographies, this episode has something for all who want to understand who they are in Christ and what it looks like to worship him.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Flame / Extra Nos Academy

Freedom Lessons

Forward 

Our World Redeemed


Extra Nos: Discovering Grace Outside Myself by Flame

“Scattered Tulips”


Commentary on Romans (Luther Classic Commentaries) by Martin Luther

Concordia Seminary


Song lyrics used with permission of the artist.
Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Hip-Hop Artist Flame on Theological Shifts

What does it mean that all life matters to God?
That’s the question that Russell Moore and his guests—musician and producer Charlie Peacock and writer Andi Ashworth—consider on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. The couple cofounded Art House America together and approach the conversation as artists and makers, exploring what it looks like to lead with empathy and love of neighbor. They talk about what it looks like to create as though the world is watching, how to model the character of Jesus, and the difference between being a jerk and being bold.
Their conversation covers Peacock and Ashworth’s new book, Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much, and why hospitality is essential to Christian life. They talk about art, music, and how Jesus draws us to himself.
Tune in for an episode that testifies to God’s faithfulness to weave our stories into the greatest story of all.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:


Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt by Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth

Francis and Edith Schaeffer

John Coltrane

Flannery O’Connor

Douglas McKelvey

Calvin University

Steve Taylor

Covenant Seminary

L’Abri


Do you have a question for Russell Moore?
Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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All Life Is Hospitality with Charlie Peacock + Andi Ashworth

Novelist and short story writer Flannery O’Connor once said her life was too boring for a biographer—all she did was write and feed chickens. And yet, nearly 100 years after she was born, O’Connor’s life and faith are explored in Wildcat, a new film from actor, writer, and director Ethan Hawke of Training Day, First Reformed, and Dead Poets Society fame.
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Hawke and Moore discuss what compelled Hawke to cowrite Wildcat with Shelby Gaines. They talk about how O’Connor’s work connected Hawke to his mother and, later, to his daughter Maya, who plays O’Connor in the film.
Moore and Hawke explore O’Connor’s forcefulness and faith. They discuss the joys and challenges of working with family, how audiences are engaging with the religious elements in Wildcat, and Hawke's attraction to exploring issues of faith in art. And they talk about the meaning of creative work, institutions, and relationships in a fraught era.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Wildcat

Ethan Hawke

Maya Hawke

Shelby Gaines

"‘Wildcat’ Is as Unsettling as Flannery O’Connor Would Have Wanted"


The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O’Connor


A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

First Reformed

The Good Lord Bird


Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress by Jessica Hooten Wilson

“A South Without Myths” by Alice Walker

“Why did Flannery O’Connor detest ‘Gone with the Wind’?


”Richard RohrWatership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapted and illustrated by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
﻿Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
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Ethan Hawke on Flannery O'Connor's Christian Imagination

What does it mean to be a “practicing Christian”? That’s the question that Russell Moore and his guest, author John Mark Comer, consider on this episode of The Russell Moore Show.
The two discuss Comer’s new book, Practicing the Way, which welcomes people into spiritual formation through ancient practices. They talk about discerning God’s will for our lives, how Comer decided to step away from his role as lead pastor of a church he planted, and what it looks like to invite people into discipleship. Comer shares how he met Jesus, what it’s like to talk about God on the West Coast, and why so many people no longer resonate with American church services. They explore how churches can cultivate richer discipleship, the power of deep friendships, and the practice of contemplative prayer.
Tune in for an episode that is replenishing, full of guidance, and sheds light on why being an apprentice to Jesus is less like learning chemistry and more like learning jujitsu.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:

John Mark Comer


Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer


The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer

Billy Graham Crusades

Martin Luther

John Calvin


Where Heaven and Earth Meet: A Jesus-Centered Spirituality for Today by N. T. Wright


The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich


Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Revised and Updated) by Robert D. Putnam


Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships by Robin Dunbar


When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision for Authentic Christian Community by Joseph H. Hellerman


Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Marjorie Thompson

Mark Scandrette

Eugene Peterson


Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Alberta Worries Politics Is Poisoning the Church

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