Episode 533: Why Do We Struggle with the Sabbath? with Ruth Haley Barton
Release Date: 11/02/2022
746: Did Christianity Win the Midterms & Praying Through Political Division with Sarah Sanderson
The Holy Post
Democrats swept the midterms, and some Christians are calling it a victory for the gospel. But does rejecting MAGA mean Americans are embracing a kinder, more compassionate Christianity? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn examine what really drove voters to reject Republicans and whether the rise of the religious left risks repeating the same mistakes as the religious right. Then, Kaitlyn talks with author Sarah Sanderson about her new book, Without Ceasing, and what a year of praying about politics taught her about loving enemies, listening to others, and finding God’s will in a divided country. Plus,...
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745: The Rise & Decline of “Christianity Today”
The Holy Post
The flagship magazine of evangelicalism has hit rough waters, but does the decline of “Christianity Today” mean something more? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the magazine's history at a live recording in Naperville, Illinois, and why the kind of evangelicalism CT represents is losing ground in America. They also discuss a new book arguing that Democrats and secular Americans need to recapture the moral language and categories of good and evil, but some are worried that it may be a slippery slope back toward embracing religion. Plus, a news quiz that nobody wins, and Phil's ukulele is...
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744: Pagan Nationalism & Asking Better Questions with Kaitlyn Schiess
The Holy Post
Two events have gotten Phil’s attention. First, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a speech in Athens, Greece, about the greatness of Western civilization. Rubio celebrated pagan virtues of ancient Greece and Rome like power, competition, and ambition, but ignored Christian virtues like compassion, equality, and human dignity. Second, the National Conservative Conference featured numerous speakers extolling the godliness of nationalism and why the mistreatment of minorities may be justified. Taken together, is pagan nationalism the future of the conservative movement? Then Kaitlyn and Skye...
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743: Why Americans Stopped Having Friends with Rich Villodas
The Holy Post
Americans are spending more time alone, inviting fewer people into their homes, and struggling to build meaningful friendships. What's behind the decline of hospitality, and what can the church do about it? Live from New York City, Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn are joined by pastor Rich Villodas to discuss the loneliness epidemic, our growing preference for digital entertainment, and why real community requires more than just joining a small group. They also explore the difference between feeling fear and being controlled by it, and why following Jesus means risking vulnerability and even getting...
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742: The Problem with Public Executions & Why We Fear Silence with John Mark Comer
The Holy Post
Following last week’s episode about the death penalty and a Southern Baptist leader calling for public executions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution by firing squad of the man who killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009 would be livestreamed. Skye is back with his take on what the Bible says about the death penalty, and why the brutality of public execution would make America more like ISIS than Jesus. Televangelist Jim Bakker died this week. Phil tells Bakker’s messy story, how he exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit within evangelicalism, and even sings a song...
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741: Celebrity Pope, Christian Bloodlust & Is Israel Losing America with Todd Deatherage
The Holy Post
Why is Pope Leo drawing massive crowds in one of the most secular countries in Europe? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre talk about the Pope’s surprising celebrity in France and whether people are becoming more open to Christianity when they see it lived with sincerity and conviction. Then, after a botched execution in Tennessee, some Christian leaders are calling for a return to public hangings and firing squads. Is the death penalty really demanded by Christian theology, or does the gospel call Christians toward a different vision of justice and mercy? Finally, Skye talks with Todd Deatherage...
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740: Is Empathy Killing the West & What Makes a Soul Secure with Alison Cook
The Holy Post
Is empathy becoming a liability in American Christianity? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre discuss the growing backlash against empathy and why some conservatives argue that too much compassion can lead to bad politics, bad theology, and even the decline of Western civilization. They also look at Russell Moore’s warning about the “fear-driven church” and how anxiety about God, outsiders, and our own communities can shape the way Christians think and behave. Then, Kaitlyn talks with psychologist Alison Cook about attachment theory, the limits of human relationships, and why no other person...
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739: Debriefing the Debate over Evangelicalism
The Holy Post
Podcast hosts, ASSEMBLE! Phil, Skye, Kaitlyn, and Esau come together to debrief the new books by Kristen Kobes Du Mez, Bonnie Kristian, and Charlie Dates, as well as their recent interviews on The Holy Post. They each critique or defend evangelicalism, but who's right? Is evangelicalism worth fixing? Does the current debate unknowingly center only white experiences of evangelicalism? And is evangelicalism even a thing, or just a category pollsters made up? Plus, the team wrestles with their own responsibility and calling in the Christian media marketplace. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free...
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738: Are Evangelicalism’s Failures Bugs or a Feature? with Bonnie Kristian
The Holy Post
Following the 9/11 terrorist attack 25 years ago, Americans began using more “good versus evil” rhetoric, but have we taken it too far? Many of the tech bros developing AI were fans of sci-fi novels and movies in middle school, but completely missed the point of those stories. We may all pay the price. Bonnie Kristian, the deputy editor at Christianity Today, returns to discuss her new book “In Defense of Evangelicalism.” While she agrees with many of the recent criticisms of the movement, she says the problems within evangelicalism are bugs rather than features and believes its...
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737: The Surprising Origin of Evangelical Femininity with Kristin Kobes Du Mez
The Holy Post
Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of the best-selling “Jesus and John Wayne,” is back with another look at the forces that shaped modern American evangelicalism. This time she explores the backstory of evangelical femininity in her new book, “Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made.” Also this week: Phil wants to know what links three recent celebrity deaths—Dolly Parton, Gloria Steinem, and Wendell Berry. To the surprise of many, The Christian Post has published an anti-Christian nationalist article. Is it a sign that the evangelical...
info_outlineElon Musk announced his takeover of Twitter by carrying a porcelain sink into the headquarters. Will his plan to loosen restrictions on social media help or hurt the country? Archeologist have discovered a new way to verify events in the Old Testament, but Phil wonders if anyone really cares. And is it ever loving for Christians to mock their opponents? The gang examines six rules for Christian mockery from the 17th century and why they may not apply today. Then, spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton explains how she came to see sabbath as a gift rather than an obligation. Her new book, “Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest,” looks at why we struggle to practice sabbath rest, the challenge of technology, and how to make sabbath a lifestyle and not just a weekly discipline. Plus, the saving power of worm spit.
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News Segment
0:00 - Intro
5:08 - Worm spit
9:12 - Elon Musk and Twitter
18:57 - Geomagnetic fields and Biblical narratives
29:46 - Rules for Christian mockery
45:21 - Sponsor: Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology
Visit www.biola.edu/talbot for more information and to apply today.
Interview with Ruth Haley Barton
“Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again” - https://amzn.to/3FSkMgP
Ruth Haley Barton - https://www.ruthhaleybarton.com
46:33 - Interview intro
49:09 - Spiritual formation
52:59 - Value of sabbath
56:34 - Guilt around sabbath
1:00:47 - More than a day of rest
1:04:46 - Sabbath as delight
1:07:00 - Challenges of technology
1:17:55 - A communal practice
1:24:24 - Credits
Links from news segment:
“Worm spit could be a secret cure to the world’s plastic problem” (Inverse) - https://www.inverse.com/innovation/worm-saliva-plastic-pollution
“TAU, HU Scientific Breakthrough: Geomagnetic Fields Reveal Truth of Biblical Narratives” (Jewish Press) - https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/tau-hu-scientific-breakthrough-geomagnetic-fields-reveal-truth-of-biblical-narratives/2022/10/25/
“Can you laugh at your enemies and love them? Rules for Christian mockery” (The Christian Post) - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/can-you-laugh-at-your-enemies-and-love-them.html
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