Episode 414: Religious Power vs. Religious Liberty with David French
Release Date: 07/22/2020
The Holy Post
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade almost two years ago, the debate about abortion has taken on new dimensions. Factions within the pro-life camp are now battling each other. Could they break apart the Religious Right? Then, Kaitlyn interviews professor of Law and Religion, John Inazu, about his new book, “Learning to Disagree.” He says our differences don’t have to become divisions, which is a timely message in an election year. Plus, is Indonesia hiding a secret island of Hobbits? And a new documentary asks if Jesus was a vegetarian? Holy Post Plus Getting Schooled -...
info_outline 609: Rebounding Pastors, Shifting Evangelicals, & Rethinking Christian Media with Jon HoughtonThe Holy Post
After a number of difficult years and dismal statistics, a new report from Barna says pastors are on the mend. Another book about “ex-vangelicals” has been released. Does it have anything new to add to the conversation? And a record number of Latinos in the U.S. are leaving Catholicism to become Pentecostal evangelicals. What does it mean for the future of the church? Then, Holy Post Media’s CEO, Jon Houghton, joins Skye to discuss how he’s leading the organization, why Christian media needs to change, and the new projects launching this year. Plus, Wrinkle the duck, Albert the...
info_outline 608: Defining the Gospel & Who’s a “Real” Christian with Matthew BatesThe Holy Post
Earlier this year, John MacArthur said that Martin Luther King Jr. was “a nonbeliever who misrepresented everything about Christ and the gospel.” Last week, Justin Giboney responded with an article in CT explaining why MacArthur was wrong about MLK. This leads Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye to ask when is it appropriate to define who is, and who is not, a true Christian, and what criteria should we use? Theologian Matthew Bates is back to discuss his new book, “Why the Gospel?” He defines six popular “malformed” gospels, and why bypassing the importance of Jesus’ kingship is dangerous...
info_outline 607: The Gift of Disillusionment with Mike CosperThe Holy Post
CORRECTION - The initial audio file uploaded this morning was missing the last 10 minutes. If your phone automatically downloads the episode, remove the download and then redownload it, and that should take care of the issue. Sorry for the inconvenience! 607: Are you feeling disillusioned about your faith? About your church? You’re definitely not alone. Creator of “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast, Mike Cosper, is back to talk about his new book, “Land of My Sojourn,” and how he came to embrace disillusionment as a gift. Also this week, Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to...
info_outline 606: Alabama Embryos & Catechizing Kids with Todd Hains & Natasha KennedyThe Holy Post
Last week the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created for in-vitro fertilization have the legal status of children, essentially ending all IVF treatments in the state. Some are applauding the ruling as both a morally and theologically consistent affirmation of human life. But others, including some Christians, are saying the pro-life movement is taking things too far. Then, how do we teach kids the core doctrines of the Christian faith when most adults in our churches don’t know them either? Kaitlyn interviews the creators of a new series of children’s books designed to...
info_outline French Friday: Biden's Age & MAGA's ViolenceThe Holy Post
David and Skye discuss the upcoming primary election—if most people agree that Biden is too old to hold office, why hasn’t he stepped down? Would a different vice president give voters more confidence? Pastors, doctors, and politicians are routinely threatened with physical violence by MAGA—is this our fault for not standing up publicly against this behavior? 0:00 - Theme Song 0:18 - Episode Starts 0:40 - Biden’s Age 11:14 - Ezra Klein Suggests Democrats Leave Biden 21:33 - Is It Too Risky to Drop Biden? 30:21 - Sponsor - AG1 - Get your FREE 1...
info_outline 605: Market-Driven Christianity & Abortion Beyond Politics with Angela WeszelyThe Holy Post
A new book argues that the rise and decline of the Contemporary Christian Music industry helps explain the political idolatry of many Christians, and Karen Swallow Prior says the biblical manhood industry is a scam. These stories lead Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn to discuss whether American evangelicalism is defined more by consumer markets than by theology. Angie Weszely, the CEO of ProGrace, is back to talk about how the church can actually create a culture of life after the overturning of Roe. She says we need to stop seeing abortion as primarily a political and legal issue, and instead...
info_outline 604: Faulty Foot Washing & Pagan Christianity with Nijay GuptaThe Holy Post
The “He Gets Us” campaign ran a Super Bowl ad showing culture war combatants washing each other’s feet. It has conservative Christians upset and non-Christians confused. Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye react to the ad and unpack the many ways we misunderstand the meaning of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Then, New Testament professor Nijay Gupta is back to discuss his new book “Strange Religion” about what made early Christianity so weird and compelling. He explains what Roman religion looked like before Christianity, and how those pagan values and practices are returning. Plus,...
info_outline 603: The Politics of Fear & Rethinking the Cross with Brian ZahndThe Holy Post
Well, here we are again. The very same arguments that were rolled out by MAGA Christian leaders to justify supporting Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 are back again in 2024. A new article in the Christian Post says America’s survival depends on Christians voting for Trump. Why do these fear tactics still work? Then, it’s true that all politicians lie, but PolitiFacts says Trump is a league of his own. And scientists explain why negative polarization in our politics may have evolutionary origins. Then Skye interviews pastor and author, Brian Zahnd, about his new book, “The Wood...
info_outline 602: When Vischer Met ReinerThe Holy Post
A new documentary hits theaters on February 16 about Christian Nationalism called God and Country. It features Phil and Skye, and many other Holy Post contributors. The executive producer of the movie is legendary actor, producer, and director, Rob Reiner, who’s created classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men. Reiner is a well-known supporter of progressive political and cultural causes and he’s not a Christian, which has triggered an avalanche of criticism from conservatives against those featured in the film. In this episode, Phil talks to Rob Reiner...
info_outlineThere are few public thinkers the Holy Post cites more often than David French, and he’s finally here in person! (Well, in person via Zoom.) French is the Senior Editor of The Dispatch, a columnist for Time, and a pro-life conservative attorney. Although many Christians are worried about the erosion of religious liberty, French says, “We have never enjoyed more religious liberty than we do right now.” The problem is that Christians are losing cultural power, and our attempts to retain it are often doing more harm than good. He helps us understand recent Supreme Court rulings about religious liberty and LGBT rights, why conservatives who are against face masks aren’t really pro-life, and how both the Left and Right get racism wrong. French explains why he will not vote for Trump, and why evangelicals have gone from holding their noses to enthusiastic support of a president who lacks both character and competency. Plus, what is “David Frenchism” and should we be worried about it?