Are the Kids Alright? EPISODE 3: How Technology is Forming Young People with Felicia Song
Release Date: 11/10/2023
French Friday: What Happened to Checks & Balances?
The Holy Post
David French brings us his thoughts on why the GOP is no longer the party of the Constitution. Have political party allegiances broken the system? What Constitutional guard rails can operate when people are worried about falling out of the President’s favor? Then, he talks about Carl Schmitt, a German political thinker who may have the key to understanding the difference between the politics we’re used to—and the emerging politics of the New Right. David French’s article on Schmittian politics: 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Show Begins 2:11 - Tiktok—banned or...
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654: Inauguration Consternation & Respecting Refugees with Matthew Soerens
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The first week of the second Trump administration has seen refugees cut off and January 6th criminals cut loose. Franklin Graham declared in his inauguration prayer that God himself had chosen the President. The MAGA faithful applauded this mix of Christian faith and politics, but when Bishop Budde asked the President to “show mercy” to frightened people during her homily at the National Cathedral, she was accused of everything from political activism to witchcraft. Phil has a theory about what these two religious leaders at the inauguration reveal about the state of American Christianity....
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653: Character, Christian Colleges, & Why Trump Won with Robert P. Jones
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According to New York Times columnist, David Brooks, our society has given up on moral formation to focus instead on individual success and happiness. Can we recover a culture of shared virtue? Surprising new data shows that overall college enrollment is down, but Christian colleges and universities are growing. What’s the explanation? Then Robert P. Jones, from PRRI, is back to unpack the numbers from the presidential election. Why did more Latinos support Trump, and are Democrats learning the wrong lessons from their loss? Also this week—animals hold grudges. List of Ways to...
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652: Families Need Formation Not Formulas with Emily McGowin
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How can we help those impacted by the L.A. wildfires? Because of A.I., climate change, and falling fertility rates, Ezra Klein says we are living “in the age of monsters,” but is he really just upset about Trump? And how is technology fundamentally rewiring our brains to avoid social interaction, and what should we do about it? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye offer their suggestions. Then Kaitlyn talks with Wheaton College theology professor Emily McGowin about her new book, “Households of Faith,” and what it means to think of our families formationally rather than formulaically. Also this...
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651: The Jimmy Carter Cudgel & Preparing for Mass Deportations with Gabriel Salguero
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Former president and born again Christian, Jimmy Carter, died at the age of 100. As the media reflects on his legacy of public service and humanitarianism, some are contrasting Carter’s faith with that of conservative white evangelicals. Esau McCaulley says Carter is being used as a cudgel by progressives to shame their political opponents. Is he right? Skye and Phil unpack two explanations for the country’s rejection of President Carter for Ronald Reagan in 1980. Was Carter too liberal or too humble? Then, pastor and Holy Post Pundit, Gabriel Salguero, is back to talk about a second Trump...
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650: Mailbag: Past Regrets, Future Hopes, & Fitting Everyone in Heaven
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Happy new year! We’re starting 2025 by answering questions from the Holy Post audience. You’ve asked us about movies and shows we are looking forward to this year, and what regrets we have about things we’ve said in the past. Phil explains his fashion choices, Skye explains why he’s still a conservative, and Kaitlyn has an idea for replacing “News of the Butt.” Plus, will there be enough room for everyone in the new heavens and earth? 0:00 - Show Starts 2:57 - Theme Song 3:18 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket...
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French Friday: The End of #MeToo
The Holy Post
The MeToo movement was a huge cultural movement—but now, many major government leaders with sexual abuse scandals under their belt seem to go under the radar—how did we get to this point? And what about the aftermath of the ChurchToo movement? David and Skye discuss this, as well as a case in the Supreme Court about Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical intervention for kids. 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Show Begins 7:19 - MeToo as a Christian Ethic 12:34 - False Safety in Christian Subculture 22:48 - The Bad Patterns in the Aftermath 28:45 - Bon on...
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649: The Christmas Story Facts & Fiction with Nijay Gupta
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Merry Christmas! In celebrity conversion news, Denzel Washington got baptized at his church in Harlem just days before his 70th birthday and became a licensed minister, and New York Times columnist, David Brooks, has written about his surprising journey from agnosticism to Christianity. What do these stories tell us about our culture’s ongoing hunger for God? On the other side, David French explains why some Christians now think cruelty is acceptable. New Testament scholar, Nijay Gupta, is back to talk about what the Gospels actually say about Jesus’ birth, and what our Christmas pageants...
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648: Hurt & Healed by the Church with Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez
The Holy Post
A Catholic bishop, with a social media following second only to the Pope, is proving that dumbing down the faith is the wrong way to reach young adults. But is his celebrity status getting in the way? A new study finds the most generous people are also the most likely to consistently read the Bible. Kaitlyn talks to Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez about telling the truth to the church out of love. Her new book, “Being a Sanctuary,” is honest about the harms many churches are causing, but also shows how the church is the key to healing. Also this week—rat race cars in Froot Loop land. ...
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647: The Death of Dating & Megachurch Anti-Racism with Hahrie Han
The Holy Post
More Americans than ever are single but they’re not happy about it. A new article in The Atlantic examines how the sexes are drifting apart, why more men are looking for a partner than women, and the side-effects of using an app rather than community to find a date. Then, political scientist Hahrie Han’s new book “Undivided” explores why the racial solidarity program at an evangelical megachurch was more successful than corporate DEI programs, and how that success created unexpected challenges for the predominantly white church. Also this week: the Swiss make an A.I. Jesus, and a...
info_outlineWhether 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 challenges young people and those who care about them are facing. One of those experts is Felicia Song, a professor of Sociology at Westmont who studies the place of digital technologies in contemporary life. She regularly speaks on digital practices, social media, the digital media industry, parenting in the digital age, and spiritual formation at universities and colleges, churches, schools, parent groups, and conferences. Kaitlyn Schiess sat down with Felicia to find out if the kids are going to be alright.
0:00 - Theme Song
0:18 - Intro
1:32 - Digital Natives
13:46 - Managing our Tech Addictions
32:51 - Tenx10 Info - Go to tenx10.org for resources on how to help the younger generation care more about faith
34:02 - Debrief
48:48 - End Credits
Links and Resources
Tenx10 - https://www.tenx10.org/
Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age by Felicia Wu Song - https://amzn.to/3QVahyo
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