Digital Public Square

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Thaddeus Williams, Associate Professor of Theology at Biola University, and we talk about his recent book, Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, and the role of social media in these divided times.Meet Dr. Williams:Dr. Williams serves as an associate professor of systematic theology at Biola University in California. He has also taught Philosophy and Literature at Saddleback College, Jurisprudence at Trinity Law School, and was a lecturer in Worldview Studies at L’Abri Fellowships in Switzerland and Holland, as well as teaching Ethics for Blackstone Legal Fellowship through the Federalist Society in Washington D.C. He resides in Orange County, CA with his wife and four kids.Resources:Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth by Thaddeus WilliamsReal Christianity by William WilberforceThe Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman (Who we hosted on WeeklyTech earlier this year)

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Geoffrey Fulkerson, the Director of the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Joel Chopp, Project & Communications Manager at the Henry Center, and we talk about a new volume they co-edited, Science and the Doctrine of Creation: The Approaches of Ten Modern Theologians.Meet Dr. Fulkerson:Prior to walking with the Lord and his love for theology, Dr. Fulkerson studied Communications at University of Illinois. He then spent the last decade pursuing theological education, completing a Master of Divinity and PhD in Systematic Theology at TEDS.Meet Joel Chopp:Joel Chopp earned a MA in Systematic Theology from TEDS in 2014 and then enrolled at the University of Toronto to pursue a PhD in Systematic Theology. After finishing coursework, Chopp returned to TEDS in the summer of 2016 to assume the role of Project & Communications manager for the Henry Center.Resources:Science and the Doctrine of Creation edited by Dr. Geoffrey Fulkerson and Joel ChoppRetrieving Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation by Gavin OrtlundScience, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition by James C. UngureanuReading Genesis Well by C. John CollinsThe Triune Creator by Colin E. Gunton

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Alan Noble, who serves as associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, and we talk about his most recent book Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age.Meet Dr. Noble:Dr. Noble also serves as the co-founder and editor in chief of Christ and Pop Culture, and as an advisor for the AND Campaign. He has written for The Atlantic, Vox, BuzzFeed, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and First Things. He is also the author of an upcoming book coming out this year entitled, You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an inhuman worldResources:Disruptive Witness by Alan NobleYou Are Not Your Own by Alan NobleHow (Not) to be Secular by James K.A. SmithAmusing Ourselves to Death by Neil PostmanTechnological Society by Jacques EllulLeisure: The Basics of Culture by Josef Pieper

In this episode, I am joined by my friend Ben Mandrell, President & CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, and we talk about the changes to ministry and publishing in this digital age.Meet Ben Mandrell:Ben came to Lifeway from his role as lead pastor at Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, Colorado. He is a graduate of Anderson University and also holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Mandrell and his wife, Lynley, have been married 18 years, and they have four children.Resources:The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark ComerScrewtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer 

In this episode, I am joined by my ERLC colleague Josh Wester, who serves as the chair of research in Christian Ethics and director of content. We talk to Mary Eberstadt who is an American essayist, novelist, and author of numerous books including How the West Really Lost God and Primal Screams.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Mary Eberstadt: Mary Eberstadt holds the Panula Chair in Christian Culture at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. She is also a senior fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute. She is the author of several books including, most recently, Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics. Her work and updates about her appearances can be found on her website, maryeberstadt.com.Resources:How the West Really Lost God by Mary EberstadtPrimal Screams by Mary EberstadtThe Complete Stories by Flannery O'ConnorThe Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. David VanDrunen, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California, and we talk about his latest book, “Politics After Christendom.”Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. VanDrunen:Dr. VanDrunen, a minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, began teaching at Westminster Seminary California in 2001. He formerly served as a pastor of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Hanover Park, IL, and currently serves on the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s Committee on Christian Education and Subcommittee on Ministerial Training. He does much of his current research and writing at the intersection of systematic theology, biblical studies, ethics, and legal and political theory. He was the recipient of the Acton Institute’s Novak Award for 2004, a visiting fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University in 2009, and a Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology for 2016-17.Resources:Politics after Christendom by David VanDrunenCity of God (Abridged) by Saint Augustine (Book 19)Political Church by Jonathan LeemanPolitics for the Greatest Good by Clark Forsythe

In this episode, I am joined by my friend, Dr. Andrew Walker, associate professor of Christian ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and we talk about his new book “Liberty for All.”Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Walker: Andrew Walker also serves as executive director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement in Louisville, Kentucky. He previously served as senior fellow in Christian ethics at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He is the author of “God and the Transgender Debate,” named the best book in public theology in 2017 by The Gospel Coalition, coauthor of “Marriage Is: How Marriage Transforms Society and Cultivates Human Flourishing,” and coeditor of the “Gospel for Life'' series.Resources:Natural Law and Religious Freedom by J. Daryl CharlesChristianity and Freedom: Volume 1 - Historical Perspectives by Timothy Shah and Allen HertzkeChristianity and Freedom: Volume 2 - Contemporary Perspectives by Timothy Shah and Allen HertzkeLiberty for All by Andrew Walker 

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Jonathan Armstrong, Professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute, and Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, and we talk about their latest book, “Virtual Reality Church.”Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Armstrong:Dr. Armstrong, lectures in New Testament studies and church history. He consults at the intersection of faith and technology and serves as the president of the Aqueduct Project. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife and three children.Meet Dr. Bock:Dr. Bock has earned recognition as a Humboldt Scholar in Germany, and is the author of more than forty books, including well-regarded commentaries on Luke and Acts and studies of the historical Jesus. He previously served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society and is a consulting editor for Christianity Today.Resources:Virtual Reality Church: Pitfalls and Possibilities (Or How to Think Biblically about Church in Your Pajamas, VR Baptisms, Jesus Avatars, and Whatever Else is Coming Next) by Dr. Jonathan Armstrong and Dr. Darrell BockCreating Church Online: Ritual, Community and New Media by Tim HutchingsHabits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age by Quentin J. Schultze

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Matthew Arbo, Associate Professor of Theological Studies and Director of the Center for Faith and Public Life at Oklahoma Baptist University, and we talk about his work in public theology and virtue ethics.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Arbo:Prior to his arrival at OBU, Dr. Arbo served for three years as Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of The Virtues: An Introduction and Outline, Walking Through Infertility: Biblical, Theological, and Moral Counsel for those who are Struggling, and Political Vanity: Adam Ferguson on the Moral Tensions of Early Capitalism. His essays and articles on wide-ranging moral and political questions appear in several edited volumes and top-tier journals.Resources:Major Works on Religion and Politics by Reinhold NiebuhrCost of Discipleship by Dietrich BonhoefferThe Essential Kierkegaard by Søren KierkegaardFerguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society edited by Fania Oz-Salzberge

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Matthew Shadle, Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Marymount University, and we talk about ethics, autonomous weapons, and cyber warfare.Sign up to receive the WeeklyTech newsletter each Monday morning at jasonthacker.com/weeklytech.Meet Dr. Shadle:Dr. Matthew Shaydle joined the Marymount faculty in 2014, and lives in northern Virginia with his wife. His writing focuses on Catholic social ethics, especially the ethics of war and peace, immigration, and economic life. His work has been published in journals such as Horizons, the Journal of Catholic Social Thought, Political Theology, and the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics.Resources:Cyber War versus Cyber Realities: Cyber Conflict in the International System by Brandon Valeriano and Ryan C. ManessThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Powerby Shoshana Zuboff