Should Christians pursue power? A conversation with David French

David French sits down with Dr. Mark Turman to discuss how Christians should view power, the rise of radicalization and alienation, how to read the news well, and how to be informed without being alarmist.  

 

Show notes: 

 

David French and Dr. Mark Turman begin by discussing the nature of power, why the “will to power” leads to all kinds of sin, whether Christians should pursue influence, and Micah 6:8 (1:06). They discuss apocalyptic language in political commentary, the deepening divide that media encourages, and rising radicalization and alienation (17:24). French worries that the reasonable majority are starting to stay silent and considers why we should start thinking smaller in our communities (30:00). They consider how to be well informed without being alarmist (41:42). Then, they talk about good news outlets, the difference between reporting and opinion, and the value of a free press (49:22). Finally, French closes by commenting on the difference between Christian cultural warriors and cultural missionaries (57:43). 

  

Resources and further reading:

 

• Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, David French
• The Dispatch’s “French Press”, David French 
• “Faith in the public square: A conversation with David French,” Podcast
• Good Faith, Podcast with David French and Curtis Chang
• Respectfully, I Disagree – Jim Denison

 

About the hosts 

 

Mark Turman, DMin, is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church. 

 

About the guest 

 

David French was senior editor for The Dispatch and before that, a senior writer for National Review. He recently accepted a position to write full-time as an opinion columnist for the New York Times. He has written for The Atlantic, as well as many other notable publications. French is a New York Times bestselling author and graduate of Harvard Law School, the past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and a former lecturer at Cornell Law School. 

He has served as a senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom. David is a former major in the United States Army Reserve. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.