Winsome Conviction

Rick and Tim resume the conversation on themes in Tim's newest book, Eyes To See: Recognizing God's Common Grace in an Unsettled World. They look at language, James' words to Christians on how to communicate, the power of gentle words, the danger of negative spirals, and how God's gift of common grace is given throughout creation - to those who profess Jesus as Lord and to those who don't - and why that matters. This is part 2 of a 2-part conversation on common grace.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2022/episode-37-common-grace-in-an-unsettled-world-part-2

Tim's newest book, Eyes To See: Recognizing God's Common Grace in an Unsettled World, is out. Rick and Tim take up the book's theme of common grace and consider how it impacts topics and issues around winsome conviction. What is common grace? How should we think about divine and human action in this gift? They explore how we can develop eyes to see common grace and skills from communication theory to speak with others about common grace as well as an interesting commonality between cash gifts and compliments. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation on common grace.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2022/episode-36-common-grace-in-an-unsettled-world-part-1

Dr. Theon Hill (PhD) joins Tim and Rick to discuss radical rhetoric: What is it? How is it a form of civic engagement? And when should we use it? They also consider whether the Old Testament prophets were radical rhetoricians, the tensions between the prophetic voice and the winsome voice, how radical rhetoric as a form of engagement is similar to and different from conventional rhetorical approaches, and Colin Kapernick taking a knee. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Theon Hill on radical rhetoric.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2022/episode-35-radical-rhetoric-part-2

Dr. Theon Hill (PhD) joins Tim and Rick to discuss radical rhetoric: What is it? How is it a form of civic engagement? And when should we use it? They also consider whether the Old Testament prophets were radical rhetoricians, the tensions between the prophetic voice and the winsome voice, how radical rhetoric as a form of engagement is similar to and different from conventional rhetorical approaches, and Colin Kapernick taking a knee. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Theon Hill on radical rhetoric.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-34-radical-rhetoric-part-1

Tim and Rick resume the conversation with Quentin Schultze (PhD) on listening. Manner matters in communication, and they discuss how the habit of giving thanks affects how we communicate with others. They also discuss "spirit preceding technique" and Quentin's "Ouch Principle" to help de-escalate conversations that get hot. This is Part 2 of a 2-part conversation on grace-filled communication with Dr. Quentin Schultze.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-33-grace-filled-communication-part-2

Why is listening so difficult? In today's argument culture, listening is especially difficult, and it often seems as if we have an incapacity to listen. Moreover, embodying qualities of good listening, such as empathy and humility in order to understand another's perspective, are seen as weak or ignorant of the dangers at hand in the conflicts we face. In this episode, Tim and Rick take up these concerns with communication scholar Quentin Schultze (PhD). Quentin casts a biblical perspective on listening, and the conversation also gets into indicators and traps of poor listening. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation on grace-filled communication with Dr. Quentin Schultze.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-32-grace-filled-communication-part-1

Tim and Rick continue the discussion with Cas Monaco (PhD) on sharing the gospel in modern times. In Part 2 of this discussion, Dr. Monaco shares findings from a 2016 survey on the climate of evangelism in America. Of particular interest, she shares three disheartening findings from this survey on people's perceptions of Christians as being inauthentic, offensive, and unsafe. They then discuss the importance of understanding the landscape in which we share the good news and identify behavioral changes Christians can make to help others listen to the gospel and make evangelism winsome. This is Part 2 of a 2-part conversation on modern evangelism with Dr. Cas Monaco.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-31-sharing-the-good-news-part-2

Tim and Rick speak with Cas Monaco (PhD) on sharing the gospel in modern times. Dr. Monaco's research identifies several behavioral changes Christians can make to help others listen to the gospel and make evangelism winsome. In Part 1 of this discussion, Dr. Monaco shares stories of how the landscape for sharing the gospel has changed; the old approaches aren't working as well as they used to. Yet, people continue to search for meaning and actively seek the sacred, transcendence, and Ultimate Reality in this secular landscape. Jesus' words, "Look and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting," are true today for those who engage the field effectively. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation on modern evangelism with Dr. Cas Monaco.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-30-sharing-the-good-news-part-1

What assumptions do we pass along to young Christians about what the Christian life is like? And how might we pass along the faith to young Christians in ways that help them foster a faith that endures? Tim and Rick resume the discussion with John Marriott (PhD) on the topic of Christian deconversion. They discuss what parents, pastors, and Christian educators can do to help young Christians through doubt, handle differing convictions, and gaining perspective on difficulty, pain, and suffering. They explore the fourth stage of development from Dr. Marriott's book, The Anatomy of Deconversion. This is part 2 of a 2-part series on Christian deconversion with John Marriott.Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-28-losing-my-christian-convictions-part-2

In advance of the upcoming conference, Digital Hope: Reclaiming the Online Public Square, on October 2, 2021 at Biola University, Tim is joined by Dr. Joy Qualls (Associate Dean of Communication Studies at Biola University) to discuss the pains and pressures of online incivility and whether we can be civil in online discourse. Tim and Joy highlights challenges of online discourse and discuss some strategies for online engagement, and they provide a taste of topics and issues that will be covered by speakers at the conference. The Digital Hope conference is free and will be livestreamed. For more details visit winsomeconviction.com and click on the Events tab. Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-28-digital-hope-civility-online