Church & Culture Podcast

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss how recent studies have revealed the steady rise within culture of everything from depression to drug use, mental health issues to suicide and more. To help people cope, there's been an increased emphasis on the need for “self care,” with apps and services designed to help you eat better, sleep more, find new hobbies, etc. With all of these self-help tricks at our disposal, shouldn't we be feeling better? This episode will take a look at what the Bible has to say about the idea of selflessness, and what Christians can be doing to care for themselves. Episode Links There are several series that Dr. White has taught at Mecklenburg Community Church that can help you to explore more about the ideas netted out in this episode. A series called “Fit for Life” looks at the Bible's wisdom to be spiritually fit, emotionally fit, physically fit and financially fit, with all installments demonstrating how God-based self care is what is needed the most. A series called “Ordering Your Private World” addresses how to bring order to the substance of your life, with installments on motivation, use of time, wisdom and knowledge, spiritual strength and restoration. And finally, the series “Simplifying Your Life” explores the Bible's practical insights and guidelines for escaping the sometimes overwhelming demands in terms of activities and relationships, family and faith. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they explore two American-born religions, both started in the 1800s. Using similar language as Christians but under different names, they have left a lot of Christians wondering what, exactly, they are. In this episode, you'll learn a bit about their history and some compelling evidence to help you determine whether they are Christian, cult or counterfeit. Episode Links For a deeper dive into understanding what separates Christianity from the religions of the world, you may find of interest a series delivered by Dr. White at Mecklenburg Community Church called “So What's the Difference?” The topic of salvation by faith vs. salvation by works was discussed throughout this episode, particularly how they both relate to grace. You may also want to explore a series called “Getting Grace Right” that really helps shed light on the importance of the true meaning of grace. Both Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses challenge the Bible's authority. Check out Dr. White's blog “Does It Matter Which Bible We Use?” to understand the various translations of the Bible. And finally, we encourage you to go back and listen to CCP15: On Denominational Decline. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the vast educational landscape (particularly in the U.S.) and whether all school options can be considered equally valid in terms of their value or mission. Parents can find themselves overwhelmed when deciding between public school, private school (both Christian and non-Christian), charter schools, university-model schools, magnet programs, homeschooling and more. Too often, however, the parents have their own needs in mind more than their child's when considering these options. Episode Links There are two previous podcasts that came up in this week's discussion that would be helpful for you to go back and listen to if you missed those episodes. Alexis mentioned how the idea for this school choice podcast actually came up during CCP14: On Gun Violence. During today's episode, Dr. White said that whatever happens educationally must not undermine the home, and that schools are increasingly trying to indoctrinate our children. This was discussed in deeper detail in CCP5: On the “Don't Say Gay” Bill. Dr. White has long been an advocate for homeschooling. While obviously not saying that it's the only option, you can read more about his rationale in a blog titled, “Seven Reasons to Homeschool.” More recently, he wrote a blog titled, “The Real Risk of Homeschooling” in response to an article in Harvard Magazine trying to outline the perceived risks of homeschooling children. In another blog, Dr. White shares the sentiments of Neil Postman's book The Disappearance of Childhood in a blog titled, “The Real Varsity Blues.” For any parents listening who are interested in learning more about homeschooling, the Meck Institute at Mecklenburg Community Church has an online class coming up on Wednesday, June 29 from 8 - 9:30 p.m. called “Exploring Homeschooling.” You can get class details and register HERE. Toward the end of the discussion, Dr. White discussed how critical it is for parents to have open conversations with their kids before sending them off to college where they may find themselves in the hands of intellectual predators. Having your children read books like “Christianity for People Who Aren't Christians” can help give them a solid apologetic for their faith - to understand why they believe what they believe. And reading “A Mind for God” will show them the importance of looking at things with a Christian worldview. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they take a deeper dive into the 2022 Summer Reading List - an annual Church & Culture blog tradition. Every summer, Dr. White shares the top 10 books that he either has read over the past year or that are at the top of his list to read over the summer. This summer's list was a curveball from the norm, based on questions coming in from the staff at Mecklenburg Community Church about recommended reading for their souls. So this year's list covers some of the classics of Christian devotion, of spiritual formation. Episode Links As reading is a passion of Dr. White, he often blogs about books and reading. “Books We Lie About Reading” discusses a BBC survey about the top books people lie to say they have read. In this blog, Dr. White explains the importance of cultivating A Mind for God - the title of a book he wrote that has in the appendix three helpful book lists: 10 books to begin cultivating a mind for God, 25 books for a Christian worldview and a lengthy list of the “great books.” He also wrote a blog titled “Ten Books for Spiritual Growth,” a short entry listing the top 10 books that he recommends for spiritual growth and development. Toward the end of the discussion, Dr. White mentioned how important he feels it is for churches to develop their own bookstores. He blogged about this topic as well in a blog titled, “The Need for Church Bookstores.” 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the seemingly constant outpouring of scandals, coverups, sexual abuse and institutional corruption in the news tied to the Church, the latest of which involved the huge scandal tied to the Southern Baptist Convention. It leaves many people wondering just how important Christian denominations are when it comes to exploring God. Because right now, denominational Christianity seems to be in an absolute free fall. Episode Links There are several blogs written by Dr. White that are tied to this conversation and that you will find worth the time to read. He discussed how while all denominations have seen a decline in attendance and membership, there is a place where Christianity seems to be on the rise - the global South. You can read more about this trend in a blog titled “Global Snapshot.” Many people who have walked away from denominational Christianity have landed into an ever-increasing group known as the “nones.” In addition to Dr. White's book “The Rise of the Nones,” you may also find the blog titled “Nones Just Keep Rising” helpful for a recent update. A failure to see the urgency of evangelism is also at the heart of the denominational decline. For more on this you'll find it helpful to read a blog titled, “The Real Reason Churches Are in Decline.” Seminaries tied to denominations made their way into the conversation, and you may be interested in reading Dr. White's perspective in a blog titled “The Ending of Seminaries as We've Known Them.” There were three recent Church & Culture podcasts mentioned during this episode that we suggest you go back and listen to if you missed them: CCP4: On Pastors and Moral Failings, CCP7: On Women in Ministry, and CCP9: On Unchurched Christians. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the distressing rise of gun violence in the United States. This is an issue, like so many others, that is increasingly polarizing in our culture. Regardless of where you stand on gun control, there is no doubt that gun violence is having devastating impacts on everyone. And there seems to be a radicalization of young people that is taking place through the internet and social media that is a very disturbing trend. Episode Links Dr. White wrote a 2012 blog that the Church & Culture Team has (sadly) released over the years as mass shootings have happened in the U.S. It is appropriately titled “The Answer Is Evil”. Dr. White also mentioned that at Mecklenburg Community Church, our MecKidz Children's Ministry sent out resources for parents to help them talk with their children when tragic events occur: “Talking to Kids about Mass School Shootings” from Focus on the Family “8 Suggestions for Talking to Your Kids About Mass Shootings” from FamilyLife “How to Help Your Kids Process Tragic News” from Focus on the Family During their conversation, they discussed how Christians are called to have the same level of concern for the sanctity of life on the matter of gun violence and its victims as they do for abortion. For reference, it would help to listen to CCP10: On Roe v. Wade. Often times, the Christian response to mass shootings is to say “you're in my thoughts and prayers.” Dr. White mentioned a resource that sheds light on the importance of not trivializing this phrase to a mere sound bite: Taylor S. Schumann When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough: A Shooting Survivor's Journey into the Realities of Gun Violence, which you can find on Amazon. 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. In fact, here are two recent stories shared related to this episode's discussion that you may have missed, both from the New York Times: “A Disturbing New Pattern in Mass Shootings: Young Assailants” “A Church, a Gathering Place for Generations, Becomes a Hub for Uvalde's Grief”

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the nature of today's cancel culture. What started in the '80s in the dating realm has taken on a life of its own in the last few years, largely through the platform of social media. On one side, you have those who say that it keeps people accountable and on the other side you have those who say that it violates free speech. Regardless of where you land, cancel culture has become the effort to block someone from their platform and, when possible, to end their career. So what are Christians to think about it all? Episode Links Dr. White has written a few blogs that have touched on this topic that would serve to add to this conversation. “Cancelling Cinderella's Trip to the Ball” looked at the desire some people had to keep Oral Roberts University from playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 due to “the university's deeply bigoted anti-LGBTQ+ policies.” With the increasing frequency of people being “canceled,” it can be tricky for pastors especially to know what topics are considered “safe” to talk about - you can read about that in a blog titled, “Preach the Bible or Talk about Culture? The Answer is…” Much of the issue with cancel culture has to do with society's quick-to-anger temperament. You can read about that in a blog called, “What's Wrong with People?” And read more about how we've become so divided as a society in the blog post “Why Have Christians Suddenly Become So Divided?” 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. In fact, here are two recent stories shared related to this episode's discussion that you may have missed: From the Pew Research Center: “How Americans feel about ‘cancel culture' and offensive speech in 6 charts” From NPR: “Quidditch leagues look to change their name, citing Rowling's anti-trans stances”

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss whether those of us who consider ourselves Christ followers should try to legislate moral issues. Secular culture implies that morals can change, and often, legislative decisions are made on the basis of majority rule. What is certain is that of utmost importance is having a Christian worldview. Episode Links The are several blogs written by Dr. White that will help deepen your understanding of this conversation. To start off with, “Worldview Matters” is a blog that examines the foundational reasons to have a Christian worldview through which we engage culture. In considering our faith as it intersects with politics, two blogs that may serve you are “Is Christian Nationalism True?” and “On Being a Political Christian.” The conversation also touched on the importance of having objective truth, an idea fleshed out in a blog titled, “Abandoning Truth in the Name of Love.” And finally, “Culture's New Vocabulary” is an older blog, but one that's message still rings true diving into the ideas of freedom of religion and tolerance. There are a few series that Dr. White delivered at Mecklenburg Community Church that you may also be interested in exploring. “Hot Topics” was a series on cultural issues and includes two installments on the topic of bioethics. “Where Angels Fear to Tread: Meck Talks Politics” was a very popular series on the Christian's role in the political realm. Finally, because the conversation did touch on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community and the church, you may be interested in reading a four-part blog series beginning with “Gay Marriage: Part One,” or the weekend message series “Holy Matrimony” highlighting the significance of the biblical significance of marriage. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the increasingly popular practice of Wicca, which involves both witchcraft and nature worship. In 2019, there were so many books being written on the topic that Publisher's Weekly declared it “The Season of the Witch.” Wicca has become the new religion of secularity, but its origins date back for millennia. So how do Christians engage with friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers who may embrace its practices and beliefs? Episode Links Dr. White released a blog in 2019 with the same title as the Publisher's Weekly article - “The Season of the Witch” - that you can read at churchandculture.org exploring culture's increased fascination with all things Wicca. To show you how quickly this practice is being embraced by culture, you can also read an earlier blog titled, “More Witches than Presbyterians.” Tied with this trend, the blog “New Age Christians” looks at professing Christians who may be dabbling in the occult without even realizing it. And here's a blog looking at the alarming rise of people using tarot cards - again tapping into the occult: “About Those Tarot Cards.” Along these lines, some Christians believe that reading your horoscope is fine. Find out why that's not the case in this blog titled “About That Horoscope App.” And finally, the conversation even dipped into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - for that you can read Dr. White's blog called “Mad About Harry.” The best series delivered by James Emery White at Mecklenburg Community Church that will serve your research into this topic is called “Paranormal” looking at the world of the occult. Another series that was mentioned during this podcast is a series called “Gender” - one of Meck's most popular series to date. And to help understand why the younger generations are so much more open to allowing things like the practice of Wicca to enter their hearts and minds, we would suggest reading Dr. White's book Meet Generation Z that you can find through your favorite bookseller. 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.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the significance of the leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade and how, as Christians, we can engage this conversation. The Politico story has unleashed very emotional responses on both sides of this issue, and not even those within the Church see eye to eye on this topic. For Christians, the sanctity of life is clearly understood, however determining when life begins is at the heart of this issue. Episode Links There are several news stories of late that have been shared by Dr. White through the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe shared each weekday - that are worth the time to read them to have a full grasp of the weight of this vote. First is the article that broke the story: “Supreme Court Has Voted to Overturn Abortion Rights, Draft Opinion Shows” by Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward at Politico. An article titled “The Roe Leak Spotlights America's Crisis of Credibility” by Russell Moore in Christianity Today calls into question how Americans are to find trust in our governing institutions and the way matters are handled. And finally, it's worth reading “Roe v. Wade: Faith Leaders React to Leaked SCOTUS Opinion” by Emily McFarlan Miller at Religion News Service to see the reaction from faith leaders around the U.S. 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 to read more insights from Dr. White on all matters of Church and culture.