Are things getting better or worse?  What do the statistics say about crime and can we trust them.  Faithful Masks fellow Dr. Kristen Koenig helps answer these questions.

What to wear and the history of style just in time for back to school wardrobe upgrades.  Maybe deeper stuff too.

By letting three outside observers reflect on American culture, we reflect on the nature of the American spirit, our anxieties, and our hopes.  History, religion, and politics.  Join our expedition.

 

virtueinthewasteland.com

faithfulmasks.org

1517legacy.com

The history, famous personalities, and social importance of fundamentalism in America.

 

virtueinthewasteland.com

faithfulmasks.org

1517legacy.com

Is Harper Lee's novel worth reading?  Does it disappoint us about the complexity of racism in America?  Listen up and find out.

Reinke discusses the back story and aftermath of the circumstances surrounding the critically-acclaimed documentary, "The Overnighters" (2014), winner of several awards, including the Sundance special award for best documentary.  This is an amazing conversation, reflecting on the work of Reinke and his LCMS congregation to help displaced workers who came to North Dakota to benefit from the fracking boom.  Reinke is by no means a perfect guy, he never claims to be.  But he also has a way of inspiring folks to consider radical hospitality and grace--even to the unloveable. He is an underdog, and a champion of underdogs.  That isn't always a formula for earthly succes.  Perhaps the best quote from our guest (who had a good many): "Love is not an investment. Love is a gift."  

 

virtueinthewasteland.com

faithfulmasks.org

1517legacy.com

thejaggedword.com

What do you do when you hate what you do?  Before that, we discuss emails and feedback related to our previous show.  We share a bit about what's been going on this summer with our family vacations. We reveal a dream Jeff's dad had about the nature of this life's journey.  We read through and discuss a letter a young Hunter S. Thompson wrote to a friend.

 

virtueinthewasteland.com

faithfulmasks.org

1517legacy.com

Gay marriage, the constitution, ethics, Christianity, and America.

 

Will the 14th Amendment threaten the 1st Amendment?  Is there a difference between what is legal and what is moral?  Should conservative Christians be as upset as they are about the recent Supreme Court decision?   On this show, we risk upsetting everyone from right to left.  We challenge the conservative view that the sky is falling.  We challenge the view of those who want to use the state to further biblical positions.  We agree with some of the concerns of the consevative, dissenting justices on points of law, and yet suggest that the overall outcome is a reasonable one.

What is pietism, who were the Pietists, and why does this all matter for contemporary American culture?

 

We chat about Wesley, Zinzendorf, Spener, Arndt, Haugee etc.

Narnia, myth, mere Christianity, and how to be both faithful and willing to play nice with others.

Dr. Mueller is Dean of Christ College, Concordia University Irvine, where he is also a Prof. of Theology.  He is the author of several books, including Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess: An Introduction to Doctrinal Theology (Wipf & Stock, 2005), Not a Tame God (CPH, 2002), and The Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary (CPH, 2015).