Digital Public Square

In this episode, I am joined by Dan Strange, the author of a recent book entitled Making Faith Magnetic: Five Hidden Themes Our Culture Can’t Stop Talking About and How to Connect them to Christ. Today, we talk about evangelism and apologetics in contemporary culture.Meet Dr. Strange: Dan is the director of Crosslands Forum, a center for cultural engagement and missional innovation. He is a contributing editor for Themelios journal and is a member of Hope Community Church in the UK. He is also the vice president of The Southgate Fellowship. His most recent books are Plugged In (The Good Book Company, 2019), and Making Faith Magnetic (The Good Book Company, 2021).Resources:Making Faith Magnetic by Daniel StrangePlugged In by Daniel StrangeThe J.H. Bavinck Reader by John Bolt, James Bratt, and Paul VisserChristian Worldview by Herman BavinckThinking Through Creation by Christopher WatkinCredits:Podcast Coordinator: Cameron HaynerAudio Producer: Mark Owens, Owens Productions

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, research professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of a series of guides through classical works of literature with B&H Books. Today, we talk about the importance of reading older books and the value of literature.Meet Dr. Prior: Karen Swallow Prior is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me, Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More, and On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books. She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, The Gospel Coalition, and numerous other outlets.Resources:Jane Eyre by Charlotte BronteB&H Classics with Karen Swallow PriorAmusing Ourselves to Death by Neil PostmanBooked by Karen Swallow PriorCredits:Podcast Coordinator: Cameron HaynerAudio Producer: Mark Owens, Owens Productions

In this episode, I am joined by Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of the recent book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Today, we talk about the rise and spread of misinformation and falsehood.Meet Jonathan: Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings and the author of eight books and numerous articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer of The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award, the magazine industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.Resources:The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan RauchA Lot of People Are Saying by Russell Muirhead and Nancy RosenblumTruth Decay by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. RichPost-Truth by Lee McIntyreOn Liberty by John Stuart MillBraver Angels

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Alan Noble, professor and author of the recent book, You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World. Today, we talk about false promises of contemporary life and how the gospel reorients our pursuit of identity in the digital age.Meet Dr. Noble: Alan Noble (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, co-founder and editor in chief of Christ and Pop Culture, and an advisor for the AND Campaign. He is also the author of Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age. He has written for numerous outlets, including Atlantic, Vox, BuzzFeed, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and First Things.Resources:You Are Not Your Own by Alan NobleLost in the Cosmos by Walker PercyLeisure by Josef PieperLiquid Modernity by Zygmunt BaumanThe Weariness of the Self by Alain Ehrenberg

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Ray Ortlund, longtime pastor and the author of The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility. Today, we talk about a gospel vision for combating pornography in community.Meet Dr. Ortlund: Ray Ortlund is the President of Renewal Ministries, the Pastor to Pastors at Immanuel Church Nashville, and a Canon Theologian with the Anglican Church in North America. He is the author of several books, including the Preaching the Word commentaries on Isaiah and Proverbs and Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel. He is also a contributor to the ESV Study Bible. Ray and his wife, Jani, have been married for fifty years.Resources:The Death of Porn by Ray OrtlundGentle and Lowly by Dane C. OrtlundThe Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Dru Johnson, professor and author of Biblical Philosophy: A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments. Today, we talk about the Bible and philosophy.Meet Dr. Johnson: Dru Johnson is an associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City,  director of the Center for Hebraic Thought, editor at The Biblical Mind, host of The Biblical Mind podcast, and co-host of the OnScript Podcast.Resources:Biblical Philosophy by Dru JohnsonThe Philosophy of Hebrew Scriptures by Yoram HazonyJesus the Great Philosopher by Jonathan PenningtonLonging to Know by Esther MeekScripture Knowing by Dru JohnsonBiblical Knowing by Dru Johnson“Jesus Cares About Your Conspiracy Theory” by Dru Johnson

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Ayman Ibrahim, professor of Islamic studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of A Concise Guide to the Quran. Today, we talk about the Quran and the Islamic worldview.Meet Dr. Ibrahim: Dr. Ibrahim (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary; PhD, Haifa University) is Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies and director of the Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He was born and raised in Egypt and has taught in various countries in the Muslim world and in the West. His articles on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations have appeared in the Washington Post, Religion News Service, and First Things, among others. Ibrahim is also the author of The Stated Motivations for the Early Islamic Expansion.Resources:A Concise Guide to the Quran by Ayman IbrahimBasics of Arabic by Ayman IbrahimConversion to Islam by Ayman Ibrahim

In this episode, I am joined by Samuel James, an editor and writer who focuses on issues of theology, technology, and society. Today, we talk about a recent article he wrote about pursuing truth in our digital age and the effects of social media on society.Meet Samuel:Samuel serves as associate acquisitions editor at Crossway Books. He is a columnist at World Opinion, a regular contributor to First Things and The Gospel Coalition, and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and National Review. Samuel and his wife Emily live in Louisville, Kentucky with their two children.Resources:The Shallows by Nicholas CarrThe Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan HaidtThe Tech-Wise Family by Andy CrouchCompeting Spectacles by Tony Reinke12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony ReinkeAmusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman"Live not by outrage" by Samuel D. James

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Rhyne Putman, professor of Christian ministries at Williams Baptist University and author of The Method of Christian Theology: A Basic Introduction. Today, we talk about Christian truth and theological method.Meet Dr. Putman: Dr. Putman also serves as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of Worldview Formation at WBU. He also is an associate professor of theology and culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has served since 2010. He has published numerous articles and books, including In Defense of Doctrine and When Doctrine Divides the People of God.Resources:The Method of Christian Theology by Rhyne PutmanThe Drama of Doctrine by Kevin VanhoozerFaith Speaking Understanding by Kevin VanhoozerFinding the Right Hills to Die On by Gavin OrtlundWhen Doctrine Divides the People of God by Rhyne PutmanA Practical Primer on Theological Method by Glenn Kreider and Michael Svigel

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Marc LiVecche, executive editor of Providence and author of a new book The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury and we talk about the morality of war.Meet Dr. LiVecche: Marc LiVecche serves as the just war and global statecraft scholar with the Institute on Religion and Democracy along with his duties at Providence. He also serves as the McDonald Visiting Scholar at the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life at Christ Church College and is a Leadership Research Fellow at the United States Naval Academy. His first book, The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury, was published in the summer of 2021 with Oxford University Press.Resources:The Good Kill by Marc LiVeccheAchilles in Vietnam by Jonathan ShayOdysseus in America by Jonathan ShayIn Defence of War by Nigel BiggarWhat It Is Like To Go Into War by Karl MarlantesMatterhorn by Karl Marlantes