Being the Bad Guys: Doing Church in a Hostile Culture, with Stephen McAlpine

Stephen McAlpine, author of the 2021 Australian Christian book of the year—Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World That Says You Shouldn't—joins Jonathan for a conversation about the fate of the church in a hostile culture. "The church used to be recognised as a force for good, but this is changing rapidly. Christians are now often seen as the bad guys, losing both respect and influence. In our post-Christian culture, how do we offer the gospel to those around us who view it as not only wrong but possibly dangerous? And how do we ensure that the secular worldview does not entice us away with its constant barrage, online and elsewhere, of messages about self-determinism?"—Being the Bad Guys.

Stephen McAlpine is a Perth-based pastor and author with over 30 years experience in Christian ministry. He has a background in journalism and writes on the intersection of church, theology and culture at stephenmcalpine.com. 

The Political Animals is hosted by Jonathan Cole, an academic, writer, speaker and translator who specialises in political theology: the intersetion of religion and politics. He is the author of Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality.  You can follow Jonathan and the show on Twitter and Facebook.