Church & Culture Podcast

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the rising popularity of “pickleball.” Invented in 1965, this sport combines tennis, table tennis and badminton and is attracting people of all ages and backgrounds. Capitalizing on its popularity are plenty of businesses, athletic associations and even churches. This discussion delves into the uniqueness of pickleball but then goes further to discuss the broader relationship between churches and sports. Dr. White riffs on sports ministries and how churches can and must navigate the increasingly demanding world of youth sports. He also dives into the individual Christian's relationship to sports and the priority we give them in our lives. Episode Links Today's conversation was sparked by an article by Religion News titled, “Churches hope to tap the power of pickleball”, but as mentioned in the podcast, the church's relationship with sports dates back much further. You can read more about the history of sports ministry, provided by GameDay Sports Ministries HERE, or by The Christian Athlete HERE. Alexis mentioned a handful of past podcast discussions she and Dr. White had on a few aspects of modern culture that provide some helpful cultural context, such as the current pandemic of loneliness (CCP76: On the Never Marrieds), the desire for religious experiences (CCP145: On Whether Churches Should be Churchy), and why men are looking for “manly” churches (CCP135: On Women Leaving the Church). Pertinent to today's conversation is an exploration of the role of athletics in the lives of families. For more on that topic, here are some links you might be interested in checking out: Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, “Youth Sports, Healthy Families, and the Future of the Church,” The Gospel Coalition. Melissa Steffan, “The Main Reason for Declining Church Attendance: Children's Sports?,” Christianity Today. More broadly, Dr. White discussed the way in which sports have become somewhat of a modern religion, with many attributing religious-like experiences to sports highlights or god-like statuses to athletes. To read more about that, here are some suggested resources: Kurt Streeter, “In Troubled Times, the Sports World Offers a Necessary Salve,” The New York Times. David Briggs, “The Final Four, travel teams and empty pews: Research on sports and religion,” The Association of Religion Data Archives. Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly, All Things Shining. David Brooks, “The Arena Culture,” The New York Times. While sports may seem to provide echoes of something truly transcendent, the real source can be found in the God of the Christian faith. Dr. White shares about C.S. Lewis' journey to God as captured in his autobiography, Surprised by Joy. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the rise of the “romantasy” genre of literature, as well as the definition and implications of pornography. Is porn only that which you watch visually? What's the difference between reading a sex scene and seeing one? The discussion also explores the increasing consumption of pornography among women, the intersection of literature and pornography, and the reasons behind the popularity of romance novels. Finally, it offers a Christian perspective on navigating romance literature and its potential impact on personal relationships. Episode Links Today's conversation was sparked by a recent podcast conversation on Christianity Today titled “The Rise of Women's Porn with Phylicia Masonheimer.” The truth is, porn is a topic that the Church must be more open about discussing as it's so harmful to those who consume it - maybe without them even realizing it. While romantasy books are growing in popularity, this is not the first time that books have been written that could be labeled as “mommy porn.” There is a series that Dr. White delivered at Mecklenburg Community Church that we'd encourage you to check out. Titled “Fifty Shades,” it takes a very candid look at the book Fifty Shades of Grey and the implications for those who read it. For the statistics on porn addiction, we'd suggest you visit the addictionhelp.com page specifically devoted to porn stats HERE. And then regarding some of the other articles and data mentioned in today's episode, here are some links that you may be interested in checking out: Keiran Southern, “Watching Pornography Destroyed My Brain, Says Pop Star Billie Eilish,” The Times UK. Nicola Woolcock, “Young Girls Are ‘Bombarded' With Sexual Images Online,” The Times UK. India Knight, “Porn Survey 2019: How Internet Pornography Is Changing the Way We Have Sex,” The Times UK. Josh Pieters, “I Slept With 100 Men in One Day | Documentary,” YouTube. Charles Trepany, “An OnlyFans Model's Viral Documentary and Why It Sparked a Major Conversation About Sex,” USA Today. Helen Lewis, “The Outrage Over 100 Men Only Goes So Far,” The Atlantic. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

A recent Pew Research study reveals widespread belief in spirits and life after death across various cultures. The hosts discuss the critical distinction between spirits and souls, diving into their theological implications. They analyze the occult’s ties to ghosts while advocating for discernment in spiritual matters. The conversation also examines the rise of individualized spirituality among younger generations, contrasting fleeting trends with the deeper roots of Christianity. It's a fascinating exploration of how modern beliefs are shaped in a secular age.

The conversation delves into the historical significance of the papacy, especially following the passing of Pope Francis. It highlights the complex electoral process for selecting a new pope and examines the legacy of Francis, blending progressive reforms with traditional values. The podcast also critiques the recently released film, 'Conclave,' analyzing its portrayal of papal elections. Additionally, it explores the relationship between Catholicism and Protestantism, emphasizing mutual respect and the importance of apostolic authority.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss how just a few weeks ago YouTube celebrated its 20th anniversary. Few could have imagined that a 19-second video of a man looking at elephants at the San Diego Zoo could have led to the creation of a global media powerhouse. With 20 billion videos having been uploaded to date, we thought it was fitting to discuss the countless ways that YouTube has revolutionized media and our culture. Episode Links In today's episode, Dr. White shared a ton of facts and figures on YouTube related to its history, its growth and where it's headed in the future. Here are a collection of articles and blogs that we'd encourage you to take a look at if you're interested in learning more or finding any stats that were shared today: Wendy Lee, “YouTube turns 20 years old. How it changed TV as we know it,” Los Angeles Times. Todd Spangler, “YouTube Says It Now Hosts More Than 20 Billion Videos, Unveils New Features and Easter Eggs in 20th Birthday Celebration,” Variety. Dade Hayes, “YouTube's Revenue Will Top Disney's This Year As It Becomes “The Home For All Things Video”, Analyst Says,” Deadline. James Hardy, “Who Invented YouTube: The Visionaries Behind the Digital Revolution,” History Cooperative. Viraj Mahesh, “20 ways we're celebrating two decades of YouTube,” YouTube Official Blog. “YouTube” 1440. If you're interested in checking out YouTube's first video ever posted, you can click HERE to watch “Me at the Zoo.” And you can click HERE to check out the most-viewed videos of all time on YouTube. And then Dr. White mentioned a recent news article discussing just how much people increasingly trust their peers and the type of content that they release on social media today. You can read “Gen Z increasingly listens to peers over doctors for health advice” found in Axios HERE. Finally, Dr. White turned the conversation to the takeaways for the church, and how we need to meet people where they are at in order to share the message of Jesus with them. He wrote about this in depth in his book, Hybrid Church, which you can order from Amazon HERE. The primary way to meet people where they are in today's culture is through YouTube. If you are interested, here are some of the channels tied to Mecklenburg Community Church that he mentioned in the conversation today, including the link to the Church & Culture Podcast on YouTube if you're interested in checking us out there: Mecklenburg Community Church | @MeckChurch MecKidz Children's Ministry | @MecKidzChurch REALIFE High School Ministry | @REALIFEHSM MAXlife Middle School Ministry | @maxlifemsm7079 Meck Creative | @MeckCreative Church & Culture | @churchandculture For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

The podcast discusses a troubling trend of church closures across the U.S., revealing that fewer Americans are attending church compared to the 1940s. Despite this, 94% of pastors remain hopeful about their congregation's future. The emotional impact of closures on congregants is profound, as they grapple with loss and cherished memories. It also highlights the community ramifications, showcasing how closed churches often provided essential services. The conversation delves into the need for innovative outreach to adapt to changing demographics.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss how for many Americans, Easter is one of the few times in the year they show a willingness to attend a church service. If they do, they'll likely hear about an empty tomb and the significance of the resurrection of Jesus thousands of years later. For many, the hope of new life in Jesus is enough to propel them to faith or to a deeper commitments to Jesus; but for others, they may be left with lingering questions that will serve as stumbling blocks to faith. Questions like: So what? How is this relevant for my life? And can I even believe this happened? So the question for the church is how are we going to answer those questions - what evidence can we offer for the resurrection of Jesus? Episode Links There are several series that Dr. White has given at Mecklenburg Community Church if you want to take a deeper dive into the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection. These include: “The Passion,” “Risen,” “Seven Last Words of Jesus,” and “Why Believe.” And in case you did not know, past messages given by Dr. White are arranged by category at Church & Culture HERE. You'll find series on specific books of the Bible, on evangelism and apologetics, cultural topics and more. When discussing Jesus' death on the cross in today's episode, Dr. White mentioned an article from the Journal of the American Medical Association written by Dr. William D. Edwards and titled “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ.” For those interested in reading this article, you can find it HERE. “The Resurrection of the Son of God” by N.T. Wright was another resource that Dr. White discussed, and you can find his book HERE. And one more book that we'd strongly recommend is written by Dr. White himself: Christianity for People Who Aren't Christians. It offers incredibly helpful explanations of the most common questions that people have when it comes to the Christian faith. You can find it on Amazon HERE. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

The discussion dives into Hooters' decline and its bankruptcy, tied to shifting cultural norms around sexuality. It contrasts this with the rise of OnlyFans, where users seek intimate connections through personalized content. The podcast explores how younger generations prefer private, digital interactions over traditional venues. It also touches on the psychological impacts of parasocial relationships and addresses loneliness, underscoring the need for authentic community in today's society.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss Barna Group teaming up with the Aspen Group design firm to explore possible connections between spiritual formation and the physical spaces that we inhabit. Questions such as: What does it mean to be formed as a follower of Jesus? And can the spaces that we meet in help motivate this growth? Also, how might our physical experiences of a church relate to our worship and understanding of God? In simple terms, they were trying to determine whether it's best for churches to look “churchy.” Episode Links Daniel Silliman wrote an article in Christianity Today which sparked today's conversation. It's titled “Americans Think Church Should Look Churchy,” and Silliman said that the survey found that most people “don't like trendy, modern buildings.” Dr. White would argue that while people do indeed want to attend church in a space that is sacred, spiritual and safe, that doesn't necessarily mean they want it to look overly churchy like some of the medieval churches in Europe. He wrote a blog recently about this topic titled “Churches Looking Churchy” which you can read HERE. There's another recent blog that was written by Dr. White that was referenced in this episode. It's called “This Is Church,” where Dr. White addresses how many businesses and parachurch organizations can try to step in and supplant themselves as the church when they most definitely are not. And if the discussion of the cathedral found in Chartres, France was of interest to you, we'd encourage you to read the Church & Culture blog titled, “Chartres.” For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

Dive into the cultural phenomenon of a certain Apple TV series that has transformed workplace dynamics into a riveting narrative. Explore themes of work/life balance, human identity, and the search for connection in a world of 'innies' and 'outies.' Unpack the psychological implications of choosing to escape emotional pain and the importance of enduring life's hardships for personal growth. The conversation invites thoughtful reflections on our relationships and the struggles of maintaining our authentic selves in an often fragmented world.