The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

In this episode Matt sits down with former Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl to talk about Faith & Politics. ABOUT Chuck Strahl was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 and was re-elected in 6 consecutive elections before retiring from Parliament. He filled a number of Parliamentary roles while in Opposition from 1993 to 2006, including House Leader and Deputy Speaker. Upon Stephen Harper’s Conservatives winning the election, he served in several senior roles including Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. Chuck is a man of deep conviction and faith, resides in Chilliwack (where Matt lives & Pastor) and is an elder in his church. *Disclaimer: There is no partisan agenda here. While Chuck was a Conservative Party MP, his experience as a politician and man of faith is what makes him the ideal guest for this subject matter.

Matt gets Russ Ramsey on the line to talk about art and faith. What is the role of art in the world? In other words, what’s the point of being creative and why is beauty itself important? Russ’s new book, Rembrandt Is In The Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith, helps us explore all of this while focusing on some of the most famous artists and pieces of art throughout history. Not only does Russ describe the work of Rembrandt, for example, but the faith of Rembrandt as well. Christians, especially in the Protestant (and more specifically, the evangelical tradition) would do well to wrap our minds and hearts around the place of art in life and faith. ABOUT Russ is a pastor and author living in Nashville, Tennessee. His books include Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death, and the Retelling the Story Series. His personal mission is to communicate the truths of Scripture in accessible ways to people in process. Aside from his books, Russ has written for The Rabbit Room, She Reads Truth, The Gospel Coalition, Crossway, The Art House, Lifeway, Parenting Teens, Dec 2015, The Blazing Center, among others. Follow Russ on Twitter @russramsey or Instagram @russramsey1 to fill your timeline with beautiful works of art, which will be a nice change from what usually clogs our timelines! You can access his weekly Art Wednesday column by going to artwednesday.fathomcolumns.com.

Matt gets Australia’s sweetheart—John Dickson—on the line to talk primarily about his book, Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Host of the Undeceptions podcast and professor of ancient history, John does not shy away from the blemishes in Christian history, nor the beauty in it. Matt also asks what we can learn from church history in our modern moment. ABOUT Dr John Dickson works as an author, academic, and media presenter. In 2007 he co-founded (with Dr Greg Clarke) the Centre for Public Christianity, and has published 18 books and three TV documentaries. He teaches ‘Historical Jesus’ at the University of Sydney, and is a Visiting Academic (2016-2021) in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Oxford. In 2019 he was appointed Distinguished Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Public Christianity at Ridley College, Melbourne. In all that he does, whether in the media or the church, creative or academic, he strives to be a public advocate for the Christian faith. His podcast Undeceptions seeks to promote clarity about Christianity in doubting times.

Recent Barna research reveals that 38% of Protestant Pastors (51% of Mainline Pastors) thought about quitting full-time ministry this past year. Tensions over politics, race, and covid have caused enormous divisions in society and have seemed to ramp up the discouragement of pastors in the process. That’s why Jonathan Dodson’s new book—and this conversation—are such a timely word and breath of fresh air. If you are a pastor or want a window into recent challenges in pastoral ministry or simply relate to all the tensions and divisions of the past two years, you’ll love this conversation. ABOUT Jonathan Dodson is the founding pastor of City Life Church in Austin, TX and is also the founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, which produces resources to help make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus. He is author of a number of books including Here in Spirit; The Unbelievable Gospel; and the brand new book that is the focus of this episode, The Unwavering Pastor. Just about any week you can catch Jonathan listening to M. Ward, watching sci-fi, and going for walks.

A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Christianity and the ‘isms — you know — like universalism, polytheism, and deism. This episode focuses on comparing and contrasting Christianity with materialism, secularism, individualism, and pluralism.

A Deep Thought is a “concise” episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on  Israelite Conquest of Canaan. More specifically, Matt aims to help our listeners to make sense of the passages of Scripture where God instructs the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You know, some light summer listening.

In this episode Matt chats with Heather Thompson Day, a passionate advocate for women and young adults. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. This conversation was a ton of fun and really insightful. If you’re a young adult I hope you feel seen and loved in this episode and if you’re desiring to make an impact in young peoples’ lives, you’ll find this episode super helpful. ABOUT Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 200k followers. She is also a speaker and has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group, and hosts a podcast with Christianity Today called Viral Jesus. Her writing has been featured on outlets like the Today Show and has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and been featured in Forbes. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people and is the author of 7 books; including two that we get into a bit in this episode: It’s Not Your Turn, and Confessions of a Christian Wife.

Matt answers listener submitted questions on all sorts of topics: 1. Can Christians play the lottery? 2. Has the Church been built or is it being built? 3. How do we know what God’s will is when making decisions? 4. How can Christians help fellow believers turn from sin to truth? 5. How can I trust God’s plan for me and live in the waiting of singleness? 6. What are we to make of “weird takes” people have regarding Covid and the Ukraine/Russia war? 7. What should Christians think about the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court? 8. What is the best way to study the end times? Keep your eye out on the Deep Thoughts instagram for future opportunities to submit a question. In the meantime, thank you for listening to deep thoughts. We hope it helps you in fostering deep faith.

Matt Shantz interviews Mark Vroegop about prayers of lament in the Christian life, emphasizing the importance of honesty and trust in expressing grief. They discuss the power of lament in personal struggles, racial reconciliation, and fostering empathy within the Christian community.

Matt chats with tweed aficionado and Oklahoma’s finest, O. Alan Noble about his two books, Disruptive Witness and You Are Not Your Own. How can we be a disruptive witness to a distracted, secular culture? In a society that tells us that you are your own and belong to your self, how is the Christian paradigm that you are not your own but belong to Christ actually incredibly freeing and comforting? ABOUT Dr. O. Alan Noble is assistant professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and cofounder of Christ and Pop Culture. He has written for The Atlantic, Vox, BuzzFeed, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and First Things. He is also an advisor for the AND Campaign. Plus, the simple pleasure of dressing nicely gives him sense of order in a disordered world.