French Friday: Update from Ukraine & The Future Of Affirmative Action
The Holy Post
David French has just returned from Ukraine where he saw the devastating impact of the Russian invasion. He talks to Skye about the resilience of the Ukrainian people, the need for more American support, and how a Trump victory in 2024 is part of Putin’s war plan. Then, the Supreme Court appears likely to rule against colleges and universities that consider race in the admission process. What are the arguments for and against Affirmative Action, and how will the court’s decision reverberate beyond higher education? 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Why there is not more U.S. support of...
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566: Tim Keller, American Poverty, & the Legacy of Rich Mullins with James Bryan Smith
The Holy Post
Influential pastor, author, and apologist, Tim Keller, passed away last week. We reflect on Keller’s ministry and wonder who is filling the shoes of the Christian giants we’ve lost. A new book about poverty says that the U.S. spends more on welfare than any other country except France, but the majority goes to help the wealthy and middle-class rather than the poor. Why aren’t we doing more to end poverty, and is our view of the Bible to blame? Then, it’s been 25 years since Rich Mullins died. Skye talks to Mullins’ friend James Bryan Smith about the songwriter’s inspiring...
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565: The Vegan Bible, Loveless Christianity, & Spiritual Narcissism with Rainn Wilson
The Holy Post
Ethicist, David Gushee, says we are seeing the emergence of a new kind of loveless Christianity. But those who practice it say their anger, culture warring, and pursuit of power are actually how they’re loving their neighbors. Then, Skye talks to actor Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute from “The Office,” about religious pluralism, spiritual narcissism, why Hollywood misrepresents Christians, and how he became a follower of the Baha’i faith. Wilson’s new book is “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.” Also this week—A.I. has rewritten Genesis to be...
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564: How Rapture Theology Shaped America (Part 2)
The Holy Post
How did a theological system that rejected Christian participation in politics eventually give birth to the Religious Right? Phil talks to historian Daniel Hummel about the spread of rapture theology in the 20th century, why it spawned so many conspiracies, the legacy of the Left Behind books, and why rapture theology remains so popular despite being rejected by nearly every evangelical seminary. Also this week, why did controversial author, Joshua Butler, resign from his church? The embrace of Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump by the Religious Right is proof that the movement is now entirely...
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563: How Rapture Theology Shaped America (Part 1)
The Holy Post
Many Christians in America simply assume that Jesus could return at any moment, that believers will be raptured in the twinkling of an eye, that the state of Israel has a special role in the End Times, and that the church should just save souls and stay out of politics. In Part 1 of an interview about this new book, historian Daniel G. Hummel explains to Phil how this rapture theology isn’t rooted in church history, but was invented by a British layman less than 200 years ago. And why it was embraced by American pastors during the Civil War who wanted to avoid talking about slavery, race,...
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French Friday: How to Thrive in a Post-Christian Culture
The Holy Post
From Harvard Law School to The New York Times, David French has repeatedly found himself in communities where secular progressivism is the majority view, and where his Christian beliefs face suspicion, ridicule, or even hostility. Skye Jethani asks French how he's learned to not just survive in these post-Christian enclaves, but actually thrive. What mistakes did he make? How did he successfully build relationships across political and philosophical barriers? And how did closer connections with those he disagreed with strengthen his faith? French also explains why Christians who sow fear and...
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562: Fox Fires Tucker, Toxic Gun Culture, & Rethinking Revivals with Derwin Gray
The Holy Post
After admitting it broadcast election lies and conspiracies, and paying $787 million in damages, Fox News has fired its most popular host. Does this signal a change at the cable news network? An online chatbot says Christianity gives it hope. Are we witnessing the first A.I. convert? Then, more innocent people are being shot by fearful gun owners who “feel threatened.” Is this the inevitable outcome of America’s addiction to fear and idolatry of guns? And Derwin Gray is back to ask a question he’s been sitting on for 20 years—why isn’t the Civil Rights Movement considered a...
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561: How the Evangelical Movement Failed a Generation with Jon Ward
The Holy Post
From the Jesus Movement in the 1970s, through the Religious Right in the 1980s, the rise of New Calvinism in the 1990s, and the MAGA movement today, as a Christian kid in the suburbs and then a political journalist in Washington, Jon Ward has had a front seat to the most significant characters and events in American evangelicalism. He talks with Skye about his new autobiography, “Testimony,” and why he is still committed to Christian faith despite the failure of the movement that raised him. Also this week, early data shows a reduction in the number of abortions since the Supreme Court...
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560: The Rise of Retaliation Politics & How to Suffer Well with Alan Noble
The Holy Post
Protests have continued after last month’s school shooting in Nashville, including in the Tennessee state legislature where the majority Republicans expelled two Democrats after their protests broke the rules of decorum. What was really accomplished by this extreme response, and what’s really behind the rise of retaliation politics? Then, Skye talks to Alan Noble about his new book, “On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living.” Noble says we’ve believed the lies that life is supposed to be pleasurable, that suffering is abnormal, and that our feelings are a reflection of...
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559: The Nashville Shooting & Preaching to a Divided Nation with Matthew Kim & Paul Hoffman
The Holy Post
Description: Immediately after last week’s school shooting in Nashville, opportunists used it to advance their favorite culture war narratives. Why does this happen after every tragedy, and why are we more likely to empathize with victims we identify closely with? Then, what impact will Donald Trump’s indictment have on the 2024 presidential race? Are his evangelical supporters finally ready to move on? And, can preaching really undo the damage and division caused by cable news and social media? Kaitlyn Schiess interviews the authors of “Preaching to a Divided Nation: A Seven-Step Model...
info_outlineListeners chime in about the Boy Scouts leading to a deeper conversation about homosexuality and the church, Jennifer Lopez's new TV show, plus five supposedly "compelling" reasons marriage wasn't supposed to monogamous. (And we finally find out what became of Skye's runaway car!)