The Holy Post

Is it okay for a pastor to wear $5,000 shoes? How about $500 sneakers? What if they were a gift? What if the pastor serves an affluent, brand-savvy community? Phil and Skye engage the "PreachersNSneakers" debate and unpack the cultural nuances. A new survey finds most people believe in God, but church involvement is rapidly declining. The reasons are complex, but Skye says the preaching-focused structure of most churches needs to be rethought in the Internet Age. Also this week, a Florida "saint" wants to destroy the world with his turtle army.

It's been five years since the conservative Christian revenge fantasy film, God's Not Dead, hit theaters. The Holy Post crew reflects on its impact and implications. Historian Mark Noll looks at the new shape of world Christianity (hint: it's a lot less white than it used to be). And Skye talks with songwriter, author, and theologian Michael Card about the inexpressible lovingkindness of God. Oh, and Phil is fascinated by the connection between Earth's magnetic field and dog poop.

Christian's finally back! The podcast trio give updates on their recent travels and projects. Phil's making a new VeggieTales show, Christian's making a WWII documentary, and Skye missed his ship and ate a frog. They also discuss new research that says cultivating awe makes us into better people. So why does modern Christianity work so hard to make God understandable and the world controllable? Then Skye interviews journalist Julie Roys about her reporting that led to James McDonald's firing from Harvest Bible Chapel, and the broader challenges facing an evangelicalism driven by money, celebrity, and poor accountability. And are online whistleblowers really helping, or are they becoming a new expression of the same problem—powerful voices with no accountability?

Old Testament professor and friend of the show, Dr. John Walton is back with his latest book in the "Lost World" series. This time he's tackling common misunderstandings about the Old Testament Law. Walton says modern people incorrectly see the Torah as legislation—laws to be obeyed, but that's not how Ancient Near Eastern cultures saw it. And the traditional division of OT laws into civil, moral, and ceremonial categories is also misguided. So what does that mean for us? Phil and Skye pepper the prof with questions. Also this week—archeologists find King Josiah under a parking lot (maybe), and herpes in space!

Back in 2009, a widely read article predicted "the coming evangelical collapse" would occur within ten years. Well, it's 2019 and evangelicals are still here, but where are they heading? Pastor, professor, author, and researcher, Ed Stetzer is back on the show to discuss new data about evangelicalism, the rise of Christian nationalism, and why the growth of secularism may be a good thing for the church. Phil and Skye also talk to him about his book, "Christians in the Age of Outrage," and what exactly is the difference between Fundamentalists and Evangelicals? Also this week—Azusa Pacific's LGBT stance confuses everyone, Lifeway bookstores are disappearing, and so are jellyfish anuses.

Skye's in Hong Kong, Christian is interviewing French senior citizens, and Phil is writing scripts and playing with puppets—so, we have a special episode this week. Last month, Skye was part of a panel discussion on politics at Taylor University. We captured the audio to share with you. The other speakers include Nina Barnes (Vice President of Student Life, University of Northwestern), Alan Noble (Co-founder of Christ & Pop-Culture), and Michael Wear (Chief Strategist for the AND Campaign). We'll be back next week with a regular episode.

Our culture talks a lot about leadership—both inside and outside the church. With so many conferences and resources dedicated to making Christian leaders, why are we seeing so many scandals? Gene Habecker has given a lot of thought to this problem after leading numerous organizations. You'll find his perspective illuminating and surprising. Also this week, researchers discover bees can learn math leaving reality TV as the final thing separating humans from animals. Plus, Phil asks why women are more religious than men, and why African-Americans engage the Bible more than any other Americans.

In the past, the transition from childhood to adulthood was just a few awkward years. New research says the transition is now much, much longer. According to Kara Powell and Steve Argue from the Fuller Youth Institute, childhood is ending earlier with 14-year-olds encountering very adult issues, while many 28-year-olds continue to live like teenagers. How do we respond as parents and faith communities to this prolonged adolescence? Powell and Argue are here to discuss their new book, "Growing With," and their insightful research on the topic. Also this week: Professional female athletes in the UK are accused of bigotry for objecting to transgender women in sports, and Phil gets excited about glitter-farting trolls.

What causes "Trump-fever"? According to Baptist pastor and Trump cheerleader, Robert Jeffress, it's all about abortion. He calls never-Trump evangelicals "spineless morons" because they won't admit that Trump has been an effective pro-life president. Is he right? Not according to a new book called "Alienated America" by Timothy Carney. His data says cultural pessimism explains why some Republican towns embraced Trump in the primaries while other rejected him. Could that also explain his evangelical support? And Drew Dyck is back to discuss a new book on how we've made a generation of Americans into fragile snowflakes.

Michael Wear has seen the intersection of faith and politics from the inside. Having worked in the White House and for political campaigns, Wear says the current state of politics reveals a crisis of discipleship in the American church. He talks with Skye about the way politics is shaping our faith when it ought to be the other way around. They also discuss the 2020 presidential candidates & their mixed messages about faith. Also this week, Phil and Skye discuss why the Swiss gave up on their plan to send reality TV stars to Mars, cow vigilantes unleash violence in India, and new research indicates religious kids may be nice but dumb.