The Holy Post

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove was a zealous supporter of the religious Right, but after seeing the movement up close he began to question how a faith that affirms the dignity of all people had become one of division, fear, and dehumanizing enemies. He shares his journey and how a proper reading of the Bible will change the questions we ask. Also this week: Phil, Skye, and Christian discuss what they've learned a month after the Christianity Today / Christian Post / Donald Trump kerfuffle. Plus, a popular theologian defends Trump because of his "good fruit," but are lower taxes and federal judges what Jesus meant?

On December 23, the politics editor at The Christian Post, Napp Nazworth, abruptly announced his resignation after 8 years with CP. The online news site decided to publish an editorial throwing its full support behind Donald Trump, and Nazworth wasn't on board. He shares about the transformation he observed as evangelical leaders went from opposing Trump, to reluctantly supporting him, to absolute loyalty, and what it means for the future of Christian journalism. Also this week, Christian gets rebuked on a French train, the Hallmark Channel angers a million moms, the Salvation Army says it's not anti-LGBT, and a youth pastor running a marathon gets in deep trouble.

What keeps Phil, Christian, and Skye committed to their faith? Is there anything the church is doing really well today? What's up with Christian's WWII documentary and Phil's new TV show? Where are the Christian "Yoda's" today? Is it wrong to not vote? And do pets go to heaven? The Holy Post crew is kicking off the 2020s with listener questions. Buckle up, the conversation goes to some unexpected places.

Christians Believe we were made for community, but what happens when pixels replace people? Stories about how social media has changed us and what some people are doing about it. This episode is in partnership with the Love Thy Neighborhood Podcast.

Merry Christmas! While the Holy Post crew is away for the holidays, we didn't want to leave you without an episode of your favorite podcast. To fill the gap, here's an Advent sermon Skye preached back in 2017 that relates to some themes we've been covering on recent shows.

Christianity Today editor, Mark Galli, has taken a shot at Donald Trump and his evangelical supporters heard around the world. He's called for Trump's removal and for evangelicals who continue to defend the president's immorality and corruption to consider the damage they are doing to the reputation of the church and its mission. Holy Post listeners asked for our perspective and we've heard your cries. Phil, Skye, and Christian are here to discuss the fallout of Galli's editorial, media coverage of the event, and to help put it all in context.

Prolific writer, philosopher, and cultural observer, Os Guinness, is back on the podcast to discuss his latest book, "Carpe Diem Redeemed." Guinness says the modern assumption that history is inevitably moving in a positive, progressive direction is wrong, and we need to have our vision of time challenged by scripture. He talks with Skye about three understandings of time and their implications for life today. Also this week, a freaky/heretical new video game lets you become Jesus. A psychologist instructs atheist parents to lie to their kids about God because religious belief is better for mental health. And why do people in Loma Linda, California, live 10 years longer than most Americans?

Screens are making us into animals rather than creative image-bearers of God, says Wheaton College communication professor Read Schuchardt. Our addiction to our devices and social media means we're losing the ability to self-regulate and reason. Instead, like infants or animals, Schuchardt says we merely react to external stimulation. In a wide-ranging conversation, he talks with Skye about new research about smartphones, the importance of boredom, and the spiritual implications of our social media age. Also this week, N.T. Wright says the solution to the problems facing American Christianity is deeper engagement with the Bible, while Jerry Falwell Jr. says the answer is fighting liberals. Who's right? Plus, American Airlines apologizes to a Satanist.

Over just a few decades, we've seen the acceptance of no-fault divorce, the growth of the gay rights movement, the legalization of same-sex marriage, and now transgenderism. What's next? Scholar and author Preston Sprinkle is back to help us understand the emerging affirmation of polyamory. Also this week, Skye is back from Europe and Phil becomes a grandfather (again). Plus, is Chick-Fil-A still Christian chicken with a pickle? Controversy erupts after the company's decision to stop donations to ministries.

He's one of the most celebrated New Testament scholars of our time, and he's back on the show! N.T. Wright's lifetime of biblical scholarship has been compiled into a new book that covers the history, literature, and theology of the New Testament. He sits down with Skye to explore the ways we commonly misread the Bible, where those errors come from, and why understanding it from the point of view of the first-century is essential for twenty-first-century Christians. Also this week: what the guy who slashed the "Baby Trump" balloon can tell us about our political, cultural, and religious divisions. And, the ACLU doesn't like a new law in Ohio meant to protect the religious expression of students.