Winsome Conviction

On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Michael Wear, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and author of the book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, on features of Christian faithfulness and civic engagement. Michael talks about his role as a faith advisor in the White House during the Obama administration, and they discuss the influence of Dallas Willard and the role of spiritual formation in the context of political life, with particular interest on the role anger plays in our political aims and discourse. Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, is also a campus moderator for the Veritas Forum, a non-profit organization that seeks to help students on college campuses explore truth in dialogue across religious beliefs. On today's episode, Tim, Rick and Stephen consider: What makes for a good moderator when disagreement pops up? And how do you keep the relationship in tact when a pointed and meaningful disagreement occurs? They discuss the importance of building muscle for inquiry and learning how to use educational environments to challenge and strengthen faith convictions. Tim and Rick also ask Stephen about the perceptions of evangelicals on the campus.Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, a Professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University, shares his journey through religious scholarship, inspired by personal experiences that shaped his understanding of faith. He and the hosts delve into whether God can be truly known, discussing modern skepticism among younger generations. The conversation contrasts simplistic views of God with richer Eastern Orthodox traditions, portraying God as a profound mystery. They emphasize the importance of love and relationship in understanding the divine, urging meaningful dialogues about faith.

Today’s episode is a collaborative effort with the Think Biblically podcast, where Scott and Tim speak with Rev. Chris Brooks on the meaning of Dr. King’s legacy and some of its implications for institutions, churches, and individuals today. Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Preston Sprinkle (Ph.D.), good friend of Biola University and The Winsome Conviction Project, knows that being a public figure comes with a cost. Preston joins today’s episode to reflect with Tim and Rick on the times he has been critiqued and what it is like to be called out as heretic. They discuss the importance of accurately representing someone’s views when offering a critique, the kinds of critiques to take seriously, how good critiques can help us make intellectual progress, and Preston reflects on a lesson learned when he reached out to a critic and the result did not go well.Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Although trends show declines in church attendance, Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin (Ph.D. Cambridge University) believes we are living in an evangelistically pregnant time. Rebecca is back on the podcast to speak with Tim about this cultural moment and the need to learn from Jesus - his manner of living and his teaching, including the parable of the sower, to help cultivate a consistent, Christian ethic.Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Dr. Preston Sprinkle (Ph.D.) joins today’s episode to speak with Tim and Rick on the work he's doing to help foster civil, thoughtful, and faithful disagreements on contentious issues. Preston unpacks some of the motivations with his wildly popular Theology in the Raw podcast, and they also discuss the Theology in the Raw conference - an annual conference where people of differing views come together for 3 days to speak with one another on some of the more polarizing topics affecting the church today.Show notes and a full transcript are available.

Special guest Tim Milosch (Ph.D.) joins today’s podcast to speak with Tim and Rick on the multifaceted phenomenon of Christian Nationalism. They cover questions including: What is Christian Nationalism? Why has it been important and garnered so much attention? Who are the kinds of people who identify with this cultural phenomenon? What are some of the confusions around Christian Nationalism? And what are noteworthy cautions for Christians who are thinking through how to practice political engagement?Show notes and a full transcript are available.

We like to do segments that highlight people who are doing civility right, and it’s pretty special when we see Biola students who are doing it right. On today’s episode, Tim speaks with one of his students, Markus, who is also a film major at Biola. Markus wrote and directed a short film, “Halfway,” that addresses the animosity and reconciliation between two families, Israeli and Palestinian. Tim and Markus also reflect on the role of film in helping to foster perspective-taking, including Markus’s stint as an intern on the set on the wildly popular tv series, The Chosen.Show notes and a full transcript are available.

On today’s episode, Rachel Gilson speaks with Tim about sexuality, same-sex attraction, and living faithfully as a follower of Jesus. The conversation dips into Rachel’s journey in coming to faith, being attracted to the same-sex and yet choosing to follow the Bible’s teaching on sexuality, considerations of sexuality for discipleship, and what the Church is doing well and not doing well with transgender and LGBTQ communities. Show notes and a full transcript are available.