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 TodayExecutive Producer: Erik PetrikProducer, Writer, Host and Mix Engineer: Mike CosperEditor: TJ HesterAssociate Producers: Joy Beth Smith and Azurae PhelpsMusic and Sound Design: Kate SiefkerGraphic Design: Bryan ToddSocial Media: Kate LuckyEditor in Chief: Timothy Dalrymple Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Featuring David van Reybrouck, Hélène Landemore, and Roger Berkowitz, this podcast explores revitalizing democracy through sortition and citizen power. They discuss the crisis of democracy, the decline in political party membership, and the importance of sortition in promoting democratic exchange. They also examine issues of accountability, inclusion, and self-monitoring in decision-making processes.

Discussion on revitalizing democracy through citizen assemblies and the Sortition movement. Exploring the potential of lottery elections and advocacy groups. Examples of citizen juries and decision-making power. Broadening the debate with citizen assemblies in Toronto. Steps and approaches to creating citizen assemblies in the US.