555: “The Article” & Biblical Critical Theory with Christopher Watkin
Release Date: 03/08/2023
The Holy Post
The White House is facing backlash for posting an AI image of Donald Trump as the Pope. Was it a careless joke or a calculated distraction? The most extensive study of its kind finds that the world’s largest Muslim country far outranks the United States in human flourishing, and also explains why secular elites are discovering a new respect for religion. But is there more than a practical purpose behind faith? Historian Beth Allison Barr is back to discuss her latest book, “Becoming the Pastor’s Wife.” She says expectations for ministry spouses aren’t rooted in Scripture but in a...
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A slate of new articles analyzes Pope Francis through America’s progressive-conservative polarization, but are they confusing political categories with theological ones? Surprising data show that Gen Z is returning to religion, and belief in an afterlife is on the rise, but what's the explanation? Are young people returning to the church to rebel against their secular parents? Former Ohio Governor John Kasich believes America is on the cusp of a spiritual revival, and his new book, “Heaven Help Us,” explores how religious institutions are leading the way. He talks to Skye about how God...
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Pope Francis died on Monday. Will the Catholic Church continue to move in the direction of inclusion and reform, or will it elect a more traditional leader in reaction to the last papacy? Mike Cosper is back to talk about his new podcast from Christianity Today about the Satanic Panic, “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” In the 1980s and 90s, the FBI investigated 11,000 reports of satanic ritual abuse, but did not uncover a single credible story. So, why were parents throughout the country worried that heavy metal music, board games, and the Smurfs would lead their kids into devil-worshipping...
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It’s Holy Week, and an article in the New York Times argues that Palm Sunday wasn’t a worship procession; it was a protest march. With that theme in mind, Christians held peaceful rallies over the weekend in Philadelphia and San Diego to protest inhumane immigration enforcement policies, including the order allowing government agents into churches during worship gatherings to arrest people. Skye talks to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) about how her faith informs her politics, what lessons the Democrats have learned from their losses in 2024, and why more religious Americans view her...
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Donald Trump launched a global trade war because he thinks America’s trade deficit makes us “losers,” but does he even understand what a trade deficit is? Phil introduces a new segment full of statistics that make Kaitlyn and Skye groan. And they discuss David Brooks’ new article in The Atlantic, which compares this moment in U.S. history to the era of Andrew Jackson, and offers hope for what may come after MAGA. Skye interviews Jonathan Rauch about his new book, “Cross Purposes.” Rauch, an atheist, says his antagonism toward Christianity changed when he came to see how vital it is...
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Disney’s new live-action remake of Snow White has been a disaster with people on all sides of the political divide and culture wars finding something to hate about the film, but could it also be full of important Christian theology? Phil and Skye are joined by Mike Erre to examine the biblical theme of abundance versus scarcity, how it applies to Christians, and why so many evangelicals have accepted a zero-sum vision that is contrary to the kingdom of God. Kaitlyn Schiess interviews Bri Stensrud, director of Women of Welcome, about her journey from being a pro-life advocate to also being...
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French Friday is now only available on The SkyePod! Follow The SkyePod now on your podcast streaming platform of choice for full episodes of French Friday every month:
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It’s become popular to compare our current political moment with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany in the 1930s, but what if the better comparison is Germany in the 1920s? A new article by Paul Miller argues that to avoid the rise of authoritarianism, Christian in the United States should do the hard work now of creating an alternative political narrative rather than the easy work of demonizing one side or the other as “Nazis.” Skye talks to Lee Camp, the creator and host of “No Small Endeavor,” about creating spaces for diverse people to have important conversations and why fear...
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A new slate of Christian movies and television shows is managing to draw both acclaim from critics and the attention of non-believers. Are the days of cringy Christian media finally behind us? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the impact of “The Chosen” and the new Amazon series, “House of David.” What do these shows get right that so many past faith-based projects got wrong? The Oscar-winning documentary, “No Other Land,” cannot find a distributor in the U.S. because critics say it’s antisemitic, but Phil managed to watch it anyway. He offers his take on the movie, why it’s...
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With declining church attendance and shifting values, there’s no denying that our culture’s posture toward Christianity has changed. Some say America is now “post-Christian,” but author Aaron Renn believes it is downright “anti-Christian.” In a recent NY Times profile, Renn explains why he thinks Christianity now occupies a “negative world,” and why the winsome approach of leaders like Tim Keller should be abandoned for more aggressive tactics. Then, Phil talks with legendary musician, songwriter, and producer Charlie Peacock about his new memoir, “Roots in Rhythm: A Life in...
info_outlineThe Gospel Coalition published an article last week that brought together every divergent faction of the church to say, “Ick!” While many are discussing the troubling content of the article on social media, the Holy Post crew examines what is says about the troubling state of evangelical publishing. Then, new data finds liberal teens are struggling with depression at higher rates on average than conservative teens. What’s the explanation? And Phil talks to professor Christopher Watkin about his book, “Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture.” Is critical theory really as evil as some culture warriors say it is? Watkin offers a more thoughtful and Christian perspective on how to critique society. Plus, Japan discovers 7,000 new islands.
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0:00 - Sponsor: World Relief
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0:44 - Intro
3:46 - Islands found
9:40 - The Article
29:23 - Teen mental health and politics
Sponsors
49:40 - Sponsor Hiya Health
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50:47 - Interview intro
Interview with Christopher Watkin
https://christopherwatkin.com/
https://twitter.com/DrChrisWatkin
53:13 - Social contract
56:20 - Christopher’s story
1:01:32 - Biblical Critical Theory
Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture - https://amzn.to/3YkH1kJ
1:04:28 - Defining critical theory
1:10:50 - Augustine
1:16:29 - Analyzing culture through the bible
1:21:50 - Eternal destiny and culture
1:24:28 - Diagonalizing
1:35:31 - End Credits
Links mentioned in news segment:
Japan just found 7,000 islands it didn’t know it had - https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/asia/japan-islands-double-report-intl-hnk/index.html
Please understand that I was the first one who was upset by the bad article - https://mpierce.substack.com/p/please-understand-that-i-was-the
Esau McCaulley tweet link - https://twitter.com/esaumccaulley/status/1631380537892806669
Why are young liberals so depressed? - https://www.slowboring.com/p/why-are-young-liberals-so-depressed?utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Other resources:
The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism by Carl Henry - https://amzn.to/3IRhhH8
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
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