Digital Public Square

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Travis Dickinson to talk about his new book Logic and the Way of Jesus from B&H Academic. Today, we talk about embracing the life of the mind and role of logic in the Christian life.Meet Dr. DickinsonDr. Dickinson is a professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University. He is the author of three books: Wandering Toward God, Logic and the Way of Jesus and Everyday Apologetics, and the coauthor of Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel. He holds an MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Iowa, an MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology, and an MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University.Resources:Logic and the Way of Jesus by Travis DickinsonWandering Toward God: Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions by Travis DickinsonLove Your God with All Your Mind by J.P. MorelandSimply Trinity by Matthew Barret and Scott SwainThe Same God Who Works All Things by Adonis ViduAs a gift to Digital Public Square listeners, use discount code: wander22 for 30% Wandering Toward God at IVPpress.com.The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Tyler Wittman and Dr. Bobby Jamieson to talk about their new book Biblical Reasoning and how to read the Bible accuratelyMeet Drs. Wittman and JamiesonDr. Wittman received an M.Div. in Christian Ministry and a Th.M in Systematic Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Divinity from the University of St. Andrews. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and is the author of God and Creation in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth which explores the nature of God’s relation to creation.Dr. Jamieson received his M.Div and Th.M. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and received his Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. He currently serves as an associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. and has authored several books including Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God and Going Public: Why Baptism Is Required for Church Membership among others.Resources:Biblical Reasoning: Christological and Trinitarian Rules for Exegesis by R.B. Jamieson and Tyler WittmanOn the Incarnation by AthanasiusOn God and Christ by St. Gregory of NazianzusThe Catechetical Lectures of Saint Cyril by Saint CyrilCommentary on the Gospel of John by St Thomas AquinasThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Michael Niebauer, pastor and author of a new book entitled Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission. Today, we talk about virtue ethics and Christian missions.Meet Dr. Niebauer:Dr. Niebauer is pastor of Incarnation Church in State College, Pennsylvania and serves as a teaching fellow at Trinity School for Ministry. He is also an ecclesial fellow in the Center for Pastor Theologians and hosts the Christian catechesis podcast This We Believe.Resources:Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission by Dr. Michael NiebauerChristianity Rediscovered by Vincent DonovanAfter Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyreAn Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry NewmanThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Gavin Ortlund, pastor and author of a recent book titled Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t. Today, we talk about Christian theism and the nature of apologetics.Meet Dr. Ortlund: Gavin Ortlund earned his PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary and serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai in Ojai, California. He is the author of several books, including Anselm's Pursuit of Joy and Retrieving Augustine's Doctrine of Creation. Gavin and his wife, Esther, have five children.Resources:Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn't by Gavin OrtlundThe Reason for God by Timothy KellerMaking Sense of God by Timothy KellerConfronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlinPensees (Thoughts) by Blaise Pascal

Today is the official release of my new book, Following Jesus in a Digital Age, with B&H Publishing. On this special episode of the Digital Public Square, I talk about the book and some of the reasons I wanted to write it. You can learn more at jasonthacker.com/digitalage or purchase a copy wherever books are sold.One of the most common questions I receive is what does the Bible actually say about technology. This question can’t really be addressed by looking up social media, algorithms, or the internet in your concordance. It can be easy for the Church to believe that technology might be an issue we will need to address at some point but that it isn’t a pressing concern for people today. Part of this apathy may stem from the belief that the Bible really doesn’t address the questions we are asking today in our digital society such as the formative nature of social media, questions of content moderation and privacy, how truth is being redefined, or how many of us seek to craft our identities online through these tools.Following Jesus in a Digital Age was written for the everyday believer, not specifically for academics or even ministry leaders. It was written for the Church to aid all believers in thinking wisely about technology through the lens of Scripture and to expose how these tools are shaping how we perceive the world around us. The book is designed to help us understand the deeply formative nature of technology that is not just simply a tool we choose to use in whatever way we want. In reality, we don’t use technology as much as it uses us.Purchase a copy of Following Jesus in a Digital Age at Lifeway, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook, Audible, and other major booksellers.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. W. Ross Hastings, an ethicist and theologian who is the recent author of a new book titled Pastoral Ethics: Moral Formation as Life in the Trinity. Today, we talk about pastoral ethics and moral formation.Meet Dr. Hastings: Dr. Hastings received his first PhD in Chemistry from Queen's University in Kingston and his second PdD in Theology from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology and Pastoral Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. and is author of several books including Missional Church and Theological Ethics. Resources:Pastoral Ethics: Moral Formation as Life in the Trinity by Dr. Ross HastingsBetrayal of Trust by Stanley Grenz and Roy BellChoosing the God by Dennis HollingerPure Desire by Gary InrigThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Jay Y. Kim, a pastor and the author of a recent book titled Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. Today, we talk about the nature of Christian discipleship in a digital age. Meet Jay: Jay Y. Kim serves as the lead pastor at WestGate Church in Silicon Valley and on the leadership team of the ReGeneration Project. His writing has been featured in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Missio Alliance, and Relevant Magazine. He is the author of two books with InterVarsity Press titled Analog Church and Analog Christian.Resources:Analog Christian by Jay Y. KimAnalog Church by Jay Y. KimThe Tech-Wise Family by Andy CrouchThe Life We’re Looking For by Andy CrouchThe Shallows by Nicholas CarrDeep Work by Cal NewportThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

This week is a special week for the Digital Public Square podcast as we celebrate the 100th episode with a special mix-tape version highlighting some of my favorite episodes from these past few years.We hope you enjoy, and we are very excited about some of the episodes coming out over the next few months.The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Cameron Hayner. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra who is the editor of a new book from The Gospel Coalition entitled Social Sanity in an Insta World. Today, we talk about cultivating grace and discernment in our age of social media.Meet Sarah: Sarah is senior writer and the faith-and-work editor for The Gospel Coalition. She is also the co-author of Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age. Before that, she wrote for Christianity Today, homeschooled her children, freelanced for a local daily paper, and taught at Trinity Christian College. She earned a BA in English and communication from Dordt University and a masters in from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She lives with her husband and two sons in the suburbs of Chicago, where they are active members of Orland Park Christian Reformed Church.Resources:Social Sanity in an Insta-World edited by Sarak Eekhoff ZylstraSocialSanityBook.comTech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony ReinkeRisen Motherhood Podcast series “Social Media”Recorded by TGC “Scrolling Alone: How Instagram Is Making a Generation of Girls Lonely, Anxious, and Sad”The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Cameron Hayner. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dean Inserra, lead pastor of the City Church and author of a recent book entitled Pure: Why the Bible’s Plan for Sexuality isn’t Outdated, Irrelevant, or Oppressive. Today, we talk about Christian culture and the biblical sexual ethic.Meet Dean: Dean Inserra is the founding and lead pastor of City Church in Tallahassee Floria, where he leads the vision and preaching. He holds a MA in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is pursuing a D.Min from Southern Seminary. He is a member of Baptist 21 and serves in various capacities throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. He is the author of several books including The Unsaved Christian, Getting Over Yourself, and Marks of a Disciple.Resources:Pure by Dean InserraThe Meaning of Marriage by Tim and Kathy KellerWhat Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoungGod and the Transgender Debate by Andrew WalkerStrange New World by Carl TruemanThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Cameron Hayner. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.