634: The Happiness Paradox & Lessons from Life’s Last Room with Amy Low
Release Date: 09/11/2024
724: The Problem with Pagan Masculinity with Zach Wagner
The Holy Post
While secular journalists, scholars, and even the Pope are wrestling with big questions about Artificial Intelligence, the war in the Middle East, and what it means to be truly human, the Southern Baptists have decided the most urgent problem in 2026 is banning women from preaching. Phil asks why evangelicals are still fixated on issues from 50 years ago, while other Christian traditions are leading the culture in tackling modern questions. Zachary Wagner, author of “Men of Virtue,” joins Skye and Kaitlyn for a roundup of masculine news. Wagner says the excesses of some expressions of...
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723: Pope Leo, A.I., & the Intimacy Economy plus a Guided Tour of HP+
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The Pope’s first encyclical about the importance of human dignity and the threat posed by A.I. is causing a stir. Some secular journalists are celebrating Leo’s moral clarity, while Trump administration officials are saying the Pope should stay in his lane. Historian Yuval Noah Harari has his own warning about A.I. and explains how we are moving from an “attention economy” into an “intimacy economy.” With the launch of Holy Post Media on Substack, Kaitlyn and Skye take you behind the paywall to sample everything offered by Holy Post Plus, including a daily devotional for people who...
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722: Colbert & the Problem of Public Faith plus Karen Swallow Prior
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Last week, Stephen Colbert ended his tenure as the host of The Late Show on CBS. Along with witty political commentary and comedy, Colbert was also open about his Catholicism at a time when many were growing skeptical of faith. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss Colbert, the criticism public Christians receive, and how to discern which examples of public faith to emulate. It’s graduation season, and Karen Swallow Prior is back to discuss her new book, “You Have a Calling.” She says our culture has narrowed our understanding of calling to paid work, but finding our calling is not a matter of...
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721: Easy Optimism vs Durable Hope with Sharon McMahon
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MAGA politicians, pastors, and influencers gathered on the National Mall this weekend to rededicate America to God. Unlike biblical ceremonies of rededication, however, this one included no repentance or lament. Elon Musk is upset that a black woman was cast as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film “The Odyssey.” Sharon McMahon is back to explain how political backlash and violent threats canceled her commencement speech at Utah Valley University, and why the message she planned to deliver is more relevant than ever. Also this week—religious skeptics used to ask, “Why do...
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720: The Casino-fication of the Church and Mark DeYmaz
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Online gambling is changing the way we watch sports. Rather than cheering for a team together, more people now focus on their individual prop bets. Russell Moore says the same thing is happening in the church as individual interests and personal goals are overshadowing our collective calling as Christ’s people. Mark DeYmaz talks with Skye about how the prayer of St. Francis has helped his church navigate racial, economic, and political divisions. Christian colleges say a provision in the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill is an “existential threat to the future of religious higher education...
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719: King Charles’ Christian Message plus Alan Noble
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King Charles III addressed Congress last week, citing his Christian faith as a foundation for pluralism and peace. President Trump, in contrast, gave a speech welcoming the King that referenced Christianity as a cultural identity requiring exclusion and protection. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack the two very different visions of faith. Alan Noble is back to discuss his new book, “To Live Well,” and why young people are looking for virtues that are grounded in something more than online influencer advice. Also this week: Was the shooter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner a devout...
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718: HOLY POST LIVE from Atlanta with Lecrae
The Holy Post
Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn hosted a live podcast recording in Atlanta on April 22. They were joined by Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae to discuss his journey through doubt and deconstruction toward a renewed faith in Christ. He shared what helped him through the dark season, and why he felt the need to abandon the “fraud” but not the “faith.” They also discussed the tenets of Just War Theory, innovative Chinese cars, and they responded to audience questions you won’t want to miss. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: 0:00 - Show Starts 1:09 - Theme Song...
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717: The Parenting Prosperity Gospel with Kelsey Kramer McGinnis
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Anthropic has sought the help of Christian theologians to make Claude, their A.I. model, more ethical, but they are also meeting with representatives from other religious and philosophical traditions. Should this make us more optimistic about tech companies controlling the future? The Atlantic has a story about the popularity of John Mark Comer even among non-religious young adults. Is his advocacy of contemplative Christian practices the answer to digital secularism our culture has been searching for? Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, co-author of “The Myth of Good Christian Parenting,” talks with...
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716: The President vs. The Pope and Bri Stensrud
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It’s been another week of deranged comments and posts from the President. This time he has targeted Pope Leo by accusing him of being weak on crime and catering to the radical left. Mr. Trump followed up by posting an A.I. image of himself as Jesus. The outrage was swift, including from his own MAGA supporters, but are they actually to blame for his messianic self-image? On Palm Sunday, the Pope said Jesus does not hear the prayers of those who wage war. Most assume he was referring to the Secretary of Defense’s wrathful prayer for U.S. troops in Iran. Defenders of Pete Hegseth’s prayer...
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715: How MAGA Rewired Evangelical Morality with Peter Wehner
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We have a roundup of extravagant Easter celebrations, including helicopter egg drops, holy week drone shows, and skydiving bunnies. But what do these spectacles really achieve, and what do they communicate about the way of Jesus? Bible sales are breaking records. Is Donald Trump the reason? Conservative writer Peter Wehner, who worked for three Republican administrations, is back to explain how MAGA has rewired evangelical morality and what pastors should do about it. Also this week, the contrasting Easter messages of the Pope and the President. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this...
info_outlineToday’s show is all about perspective. First, Phil offers his perspective on the news stories fans send him on social media about Icelandic cucumbers and water buffalos, and how they compare to articles he actually likes about robotic mushrooms and avoiding gluteal amnesia. Then, a recent article explores our culture’s focus on products, practices, and apps designed to increase our happiness, and why focusing on happiness is a sure way to miss it. And Christine Emba’s latest article in The Atlantic looks at why government support and financial incentives have failed to reverse declining birthrates in many countries. She argues the decision to have children isn’t about money but meaning. Then Amy Low shares about her memoir “The Brave In-Between” and the perspective she’s gained by living with a terminal cancer diagnosis for five years. Plus, Skye and Mike Erre have different perspectives about holiday decorations.
Holy Post Plus:
Bonus Interview with Amy Low: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111819242/
0:00 - Intro
1:52 - Show Starts
2:52 - Theme Song
3:14 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order
4:19 - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code HOLYPOST to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware!
5:28 - Holiday Decor Disagreements
11:56 - Wounded Water Buffalo
15:11 - Tiktok Blamed for Cucumber Shortage
18:22 - Mushrooms Piloting Robot Hands
22:25 - Dead Butt Syndrome
28:09 - Does Tracking Happiness Make Us Miserable?
41:07 - Is the Decline of Birth Rates Really Economic?
58:45 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off
59:52 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to find out how to get two FREE e-learning courses and celebrate World Refugee Day with World Relief!
1:01:06 - Interview
1:06:01 - Why Did Amy Low Write The Brave In-Between?
1:10:10 - What Are the “Rooms” We Go Through in Life?
1:17:00 - The Honesty That Comes Out Near Death
1:23:10 - Where is the Meaning in Pain?
1:31:10 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Water Buffalo That Was on the Loose in Iowa Captured:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/water-buffalo-on-loose-injured-aggressive-iowa/
Viral TikTok Video Creates Cucumber Shortage in Iceland:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2024/09/06/viral-tiktok-video-creates-cucumber-shortage-in-iceland/
Robot controlled by a king oyster mushroom blends living organisms and machines:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/science/fungus-robot-mushroom-biohybrid/index.html
Sitting All Day Can Cause Dead Butt Syndrome:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/well/move/dead-butt-syndrome-gluteal-amnesia.html
Are We Happy Yet?:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/opinion/happiness-tracking-america.html
The Real Reason People Aren’t Having Kids:
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/08/fertility-crisis/679319/
Other resources:
The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room by Amy Low: https://a.co/d/5Hm69Ic
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus
Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop
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