577: How Church Became Theater & the Evangelical Imagination with Karen Swallow Prior
Release Date: 08/09/2023
French Friday: The 14th Amendment & the Evangelical Approach to Politics
The Holy Post
A number of cases are being fought in the courts right now over whether Donald Trump violated the 14th amendment and if he should be allowed on the ballot in the 2024 election. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the history of the 14th amendment, break down the current cases against Trump, and talk about the likelihood of the Supreme Court hearing the case, and what decision they might make. Then, they talk about new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and his view on how the Bible informs his politics. Have Evangelical Republicans lost their way by focusing too much on what they think the...
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593: Pro-Israeli, Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Peace with Todd Deatherage
The Holy Post
With a spike in antisemitism around the world since the October 7th attack in Israel and the horrible scenes of Palestinian suffering in Gaza, Jews in the U.S. are wrestling with what it really means to be pro-Israel. Phil and Skye are joined by Holy Post pundit Mike Erre to discuss a thought-provoking sermon by American Rabbi Sharon Brous. She asks, is it possible to support one’s own tribe without diminishing the human dignity of others? And how does this relate to Christian communities who feel “under siege” in America? Then, former State Department official, Todd Deatherage, shares...
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Are the Kids Alright? EPISODE 5: How to Walk Alongside Gen Z with Tanita Maddox
The Holy Post
Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a teacher or a young person yourself, you've probably seen all of the headlines concerning Gen Z. Rates of depression and loneliness are surging, their relationship with technology is kind of troubling, and they are leaving the church in droves. We've talked about these trends a lot on the Holy Post, but we're not alone. Tenx10 is a new collaborative discipleship initiative whose mission is to make faith matter more for this younger generation. We've partnered with Tenx10 to create this series and to hear from experts in each episode about the...
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592: The Evangelical Bro Code & Debriefing America’s Border Crisis with Matthew Soerens and Carmen Imes
The Holy Post
Why do so many women find Christian organizations difficult places to work? Katelyn Beaty says the “bro code” within evangelicalism is to blame. She’s back to define the different parts of bro code and why it needs to change. Then, immigration is once again a hot political debate, and it ranked as the top issue for many white evangelicals in recent elections. Last month, a group of Holy Posters visited the Southern border to see what’s really happening, meet with church leaders on both sides, as well as border agents. Skye and Kaitlyn Schiess are joined by Old Testament scholar Carman...
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Are the Kids Alright? EPISODE 4: Why Gen Z is Leaving the Church with Ryan Burge
The Holy Post
Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a teacher or a young person yourself, you've probably seen all of the headlines concerning Gen Z. Rates of depression and loneliness are surging, their relationship with technology is kind of troubling, and they are leaving the church in droves. We've talked about these trends a lot on the Holy Post, but we're not alone. Tenx10 is a new collaborative discipleship initiative whose mission is to make faith matter more for this younger generation. We've partnered with Tenx10 to create this series and to hear from experts in each episode about the...
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591: The Social Gospel Strikes Back & Plodding Through Life with Drew Dyck
The Holy Post
Striking auto union workers are quoting the Bible, progressive politicians are citing Jesus, and religious language is returning to more liberal causes. While everyone is focused on the rise of Christian nationalism on the political right, have we been ignoring a resurgence of the social gospel on the political left? Then, Drew Dyck is back to discuss his new book, “Just Show Up.” He says the evangelical culture’s focus on changing the world for God warps our vision of a faithful life, and he argues there is deep significance in committing to simple, unspectacular callings. Plus,...
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Are the Kids Alright? EPISODE 3: How Technology is Forming Young People with Felicia Song
The Holy Post
Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a teacher or a young person yourself, you've probably seen all of the headlines concerning Gen Z. Rates of depression and loneliness are surging, their relationship with technology is kind of troubling, and they are leaving the church in droves. We've talked about these trends a lot on the Holy Post, but we're not alone. Tenx10 is a new collaborative discipleship initiative whose mission is to make faith matter more for this younger generation. We've partnered with Tenx10 to create this series and to hear from experts in each episode about the...
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590: Who’s the Most Pro-Life? & the Bible on Immigration with M. Daniel Carroll
The Holy Post
Democrats are pro-choice and Republicans are pro-life. Right? According to Ryan Burge it’s not that simple. He says a closer look at the data reveals more nuance to the issue, including a significant number of Black and Latino Democrats who are strongly pro-life, and pro-life Republicans who support traditionally progressive social policies. In a post-Roe America, the abortion issue is getting a lot more complicated. Then, Skye talks to Old Testament professor M. Daniel Carroll about a theology of immigration. He says that before Christians adopt a political policy about immigration they...
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Are the Kids Alright? EPISODE 2: Smartphones, Social Media, and Loneliness with Jean Twenge
The Holy Post
Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a teacher or a young person yourself, you've probably seen all of the headlines concerning Gen Z. Rates of depression and loneliness are surging, their relationship with technology is kind of troubling, and they are leaving the church in droves. We've talked about these trends a lot on the Holy Post, but we're not alone. Tenx10 is a new collaborative discipleship initiative whose mission is to make faith matter more for this younger generation. We've partnered with Tenx10 to create this series and to hear from experts in each episode about the...
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589: Guarding the Wall of Separation Between Church & State with Warren Throckmorton & Michael Coulter
The Holy Post
The Republicans in Congress have finally chosen a new Speaker of the House, and he’s a Bible-affirming, young Earth creationist, election denying, Southern Baptist. What does Mike Johnson’s rise say about the growing influence of Southern fundamentalism in politics? Then, Phil interviews Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter about their book, “Getting Jefferson Right,” and the attempts by Christian Nationalists to revise American history to remove the wall os separation between church and state. Also this week—the war between Israel and Hamas is getting worse and so is antisemitism...
info_outlineA new survey of worship leaders finds that four megachurches have cornered the worship music market. Should we care who is writing the songs we sing in church, and what gets lost when market forces influence local ministries? A sermon clip has gone viral showing a megachurch pastor scolding people who arrive late or leave early because they are treating the “church like it’s a religious show instead of a welcoming family.” But are people acting like church is a show because that’s the model church leaders have created? We explore the history of how churches came to copy theaters and its impact on the church’s mission and power. Then, Phil talks to Karen Swallow Prior about her new book, “The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis.” She explains how the current crisis in evangelicalism finds its roots in trying to preserve Victorian values rather than biblical ones. Also this week: a celebrity bear is above the law.
Patreon Bonus:
Holy Post Office - How do you justify the O.T God who commanded Israel to annihilate other nations, with the New Testament themes of loving our enemies?
https://youtu.be/IMEMzA8rJZQ
0:00 - Intro
1:49 - Show Starts
4:10 - Theme Song
4:27 - Sponsor - Hiya Health
5:36 - Animal News
14:05 - How we choose worship music in church
34:55 - JD Greear’s recent viral clip
56:03 - Sponsor - AG1
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57:32 - Sponsor - Blueland
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58:38 - Interview Intro
Karen Swallow Prior
1:03:36 - How Victorian literature influenced Evangelicalism
1:12:20 - Evangelicialism and Empire
1:24:43 - Broadening our imagination
1:36:43 - End Credits
Links mentioned in news segment:
Hank the Tank: Fugitive burglar bear captured in California
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66429736
Few worship leaders avoid Hillsong, Bethel songs — despite controversies and scandal
JD Greear’s sermon clip - https://twitter.com/laurchas22/status/1687426921586622464
Other resources:
The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis by Karen Swallow Prior
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
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