The Alisa Childers Podcast

Is Universalism the opiate of the Theologians? Dr. Michael McClymond has written a two volume work on the history of Universalism and joins me to talk about why he believes this doctrine fails from a historical, theological, and philosophical perspective.

Is it possible to find meaning in suffering? This was a question philosopher Doug Groothuis had to grapple with not just from an intellectual standpoint as a seminary professor and author of a respected apologetics textbook. He had to wrestle through this question emotionally when his wife Becky was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia that would take her life. His insights are powerful and profound and ultimately put the goodness and sovereignty of God on display.

On November 18th, 1978, where over 900 men, women, and children were poisoned in a mass murder/suicide in South America under the prompting of cult leader Jim Jones. Jeremiah Roberts and Andrew Soncrant of the Cultish podcast join me to reveal some facts about Jonestown you may not have heard before, and talk about why Christians need to be aware of cults, and what we can learn from Jonestown. 

Krista Bontrager, a theologian with a YouTube ministry, Natasha Crain, an author focused on a biblical worldview, and Monique Duson, co-founder of the Center for Biblical Unity, dive deep into the implications of the Orange Curriculum on children's faith. They discuss the potential creep of progressive ideas into church teachings and emphasize the importance of preserving core Christian beliefs. Engaging insights on navigating secular challenges, racial reconciliation, and the critical need for robust discipleship shape their compelling conversation.

The internet is buzzing about the new movie, Redeeming Love, which is based on the biblical book of Hosea. Due to the steamy scenes in the movie, many Christians are asking whether or not Christians should watch sex scenes if they are necessary to the story, or point to redemption. I have not read the book or watched the movie, so this video is not meant to be a critique of those works. However, when it comes to the question of the redemptive value of sex scenes, watch to see why I think many Christians are missing the point when it comes to Redeeming Love. 

It seems everyone is looking for answers to many of the problems we are facing. Natasha Crain has just written an important book warning Christians that many of the cultural solutions are promoting secular, rather than biblical ideas. She demonstrates how secularism is not neutral, but religious in nature, with the worship of God being exchanged for the worship of self. How can Christians live faithfully different in today's culture? 

Dr. Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries joins me to talk about the biggest faith challenges American youth are facing. We talk about the importance of asking good questions, and talk through the intellectual, cultural, emotional, and theological obstacles that often stand in the way of faith.

Is deconstruction a word to describe experiencing doubt or an insidious movement bent on deconverting evangelical Christians? Tim Barnett of Red Pen Logic joins me to discuss the new book we are writing about the phenomenon of deconstruction. We answer questions like, did Martin Luther deconstruct from the Catholic Church? Was Jesus encouraging deconstruction when he said things like, "You've heard it said...but I say..."? We also discuss the comments of John Cooper (of Skillet) identifying "the deconstruction Christian movement" as a false religion.

Christian Nationalism is a phrase we see everywhere, but what exactly does it mean? Neil Shenvi joins me to define terms, and discuss Christian Nationalism from a biblical perspective. He also shares his review of the book, "Taking America Back for God," which is an analysis of Christian Nationalism in America. 

What do books like "Jesus and John Wayne, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, The Color of Compromise, After Evangelicalism, and White too Long have in common? Neil Shenvi breaks down how the goal of these books is to deconstruct common evangelical understandings of Christianity and the gospel.