Building an institution on celebrity power, charisma, and a spirit of grandiosity attracts a lot of people, money and a certain kind of cache for everyone involved. It helps them all to feel like they're part of something that's big — a movement providing a sense of meaning and purpose. But too often, these movements crumble, and those inside are crushed by the process.

It's a pattern that extends far beyond Mars Hill, into the realm of politics, academia, media, and more. In this bonus episode of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, host Mike Cosper speaks to Yuval Levin and Roger Berkowitz about the connections between the failure of our cultural institutions and the phenomena of rootlessness and loneliness, exploring how these related phenomena create the preconditions for charismatic leaders and corruption, He also talks to Russell Moore about what change looks like in the ruins, starting small, and the power of remembering our death.

“The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a production of Christianity Today

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Producer, Writer, Host and Mix Engineer: Mike Cosper

Editor: TJ Hester

Associate Producers: Joy Beth Smith and Azurae Phelps

Music and Sound Design: Kate Siefker

Graphic Design: Bryan Todd

Social Media: Kate Lucky

Editor in Chief: Timothy Dalrymple

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ETF of the Week: BNY Mellon Dynamic Value ETF (BKDV)