Gospelbound

In this podcast, Andrew Wilson discusses how the events of 1776 shaped the post-Christian West, exploring topics such as human rights, free trade, liberal democracy, and religious pluralism. He argues that 1776 separates us from the past and that the West is filled with Protestant pagans. The hosts also discuss the decline of church attendance, the need for adaptation, and the challenges of post-Christianity.

Jen Wilkin and J. T. English have given you an invitation—they want you to know and love God well. Sounds good, right? It’s hard to imagine any of us turning down that offer. There’s just one catch. You need to become a theologian.But you can do it. You were built for it! That’s their theme in a new book, You Are a Theologian, published by B&H. They’re bringing theology to the masses, something they’ve been doing together for many years. You know Jen Wilkin as a Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas, and author of many books, including Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds. Like Jen, J. T. is a repeat Gospelbound guest. He’s a pastor in Colorado and author of Deep Discipleship: How the Local Church Can Make Whole Disciples.This paragraph sums up their work in You Are a Theologian:Theology is not done exclusively or even primarily in the classroom. It is done in everyday life, every minute of every day. We are doing theology when we preach, pray, and sing, but we are also doing theology when we go to work, when we take a vacation, as we care for an aging parent, as we fight sin, as we raise kids, as we mourn the loss of a loved one, as we spend our money, and as we grow old. You are a theologian, and you are always doing theology.They deliver on the premise in this book that I think works well in Sunday schools, youth groups, college discipleship, leader training, and more. Jen and J. T. joined me on Gospelbound to talk about misunderstood doctrines, favorite doctrines, favorite theologians, theological training in the church, men and women working together in the church, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peter Williams, advocate for considering Jesus as a genius, discusses the cleverness and wisdom of Jesus in the parable of two sons. They explore themes of acceptance and surrender, authenticity and depth of Jesus' teachings, and the long-term research and a fascinating discovery of an ancient manuscript. The episode also delves into the work and support of Tyndale House Cambridge in enhancing the Greek New Testament.

Former football star Ben Watson discusses the sanctity of life and true justice in regards to abortion. He emphasizes the need for men to make a difference and addresses the racial justice aspect of the pro-life movement. Watson also highlights the importance of churches as safe havens, understanding history to address injustice, and turning a blind eye to the sins of allies. He advocates for open conversations with children about sex and teaches about good and grace. Throughout the podcast, various ministries and pro-life activists are highlighted.

The podcast explores the disconnect between gender identity and biology, the cultural revolution surrounding gender dysphoria, and the development of biblical anthropology. They also discuss the impact of the internet on gender identity, managing children's technology exposure, and the intersection of gender identity, pronouns, and faith.

J. D. Greear, pastor and author, discusses the relevance of Romans in addressing the human condition, the paradox of God's love and hatred, reaching resistant individuals with the gospel, his future plans for leader development, and different modes of faith engagement.

The podcast discusses the delusional advice given to millennials, the widening generation gaps, the influence of family environment and culture on behavior, the impact of technology on generational differences, the pushback on therapeutic changes in mental health, the trend towards extrinsic goals among younger generations, and the decline in religiosity and changing religious beliefs.

“For as much as I'll miss, [Tim Keller] gave so much more—by God's grace—that no one or nothing can ever take away from us.” – Collin HansenMelissa Kruger hosts a special edition of Gospelbound where Collin Hansen reflects on the life and ministry of Tim Keller. Hansen talks about the first time he met Keller, his experience writing a book on Keller's spiritual formation, discovering how important prayer was in the latter part of Keller's spiritual journey, and more. Through Hansen's reflections, we gain insight into the profound impact Tim Keller has left behind. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For 20 years, I’ve felt like Molly Worthen and I have lived parallel lives. We graduated college the same year. We wrote for some of the same publications, on some of the same subjects. But I chose to head into church ministry, while she settled into the academy and earned her PhD from Yale.Molly is associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You may have read her work in The New York Times, Slate, or Christianity Today.She is perhaps best known for her award-winning book, Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2014.) In that book, Molly wrote that evangelicals “craved an intellectual authority that would quiet disagreement and dictate and plan for fixing everything that seemed broken with the world. They did not find it, and are still looking.”In his critical review for The Gospel Coalition, Al Mohler wrote, “This is a book to be reckoned with. In terms of its comprehensive grasp of the evangelical movement, its detailed research, and its serious approach to understanding the evangelical mind, Apostles of Reason stands nearly alone in the larger world of academic publishing. Any serious-minded evangelical should read it.” He also described the book as infuriating and described Molly’s work as sometimes snarky toward evangelicals.Well, much has changed in a decade. Molly joined me on Gospelbound to discuss her scholarship, as well as her experience in the church and academy.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Gospel Coalition’s Foundation Documents include a “theological vision for ministry,” originally drafted by Tim Keller. I had never heard of theological vision before I read this statement in 2007. Soon I learned that the concept originated by Richard Lints in his book The Fabric of Theology. Theological vision is the space between your doctrinal beliefs and your ministry programs. Theological vision helps you adapt your ministry to changing conditions while keeping centered on the unchanging gospel.Richard Lints has published a new book, Uncommon Unity: Wisdom for the Church in an Age of Division, which includes a foreword from Keller. In this book Lints exposes problems with the inclusion narrative of democracy and offers a better way forward to find unity amid unprecedented cultural diversity in our day.He writes, “The main thing I want to do in this book is to view the gospel story as the interpretive lens through which we best understand the telos of creation as a rich, deep, and complex unity-in-difference.”In this special season of Gospelbound, we’re exploring in depth several key influences that appear in my book Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Lints is himself one of those influences. He is senior consulting theologian at Redeemer City to City in New York City. Previously, he served as Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, alma mater of Tim and Kathy Keller. I was grateful for this chance on Gospelbound to talk with him about unity, diversity, theological vision, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.