New Persuasive Words

_New Persuasive Words _goes live! Recorded at the First Congregational Church of Manchester, Vermont, this special episode dives into one of the most pressing conversations of our time: Christian Nationalism and the Future of the Republic. Hosts Scott Jones and Bill Borror are joined by moderator Rev. D. Mark Blank and respondent Rabbi Michael Cohen for an evening of spirited, thought-provoking dialogue about faith, politics, and the future of American democracy. Engaging, challenging, and full of insight, this live event captures what New Persuasive Words does best—inviting listeners into honest, hopeful conversations about the stories shaping our public life.Special Guests: Rabbi Michael Cohen and Rev. D. Mark Blank.

In this provocative episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill dig into the Reformation — not as a museum piece of church history, but as a radical, world-upending movement that redefined faith, authority, and freedom. Was it a holy revolt or a spiritual jailbreak gone wrong? They explore the passion and peril at the heart of the Reformation: a longing for authenticity that shattered Christendom and still shapes the modern soul. Five hundred years later, are we due for another reformation — or have we forgotten what one even looks like?

In this episode of the show Scott and Bill reflect on how the deepest movements of theological renewal have always begun in places of authentic spirituality rather than positions of power. They trace how the Church’s greatest upheavals often come when authority refuses to listen to the voices calling for reform. In what some have called a new Axial Age—an era marked by technological noise, stress, and spiritual hunger—they explore why so many people, both inside and outside the Church, are seeking a more vital, grounded spirituality for our time.

In this episode, Bill and Scott dig into a recent New York Times piece Something Is Stirring in Christian America, and It’s Making Me Nervous, by David French— a sharp look at how faith, politics, and power are fusing in post-Kirk America. The article argues that what many are calling a spiritual awakening might actually be a political uprising dressed in religious language. The hosts break down the rhetoric, the myth-making, and the media framing — asking what happens when “revival” becomes a rally cry, and belief turns into brand. A fast, provocative conversation about faith, persuasion, and the dangerous seduction of moral certainty in American life.

In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Bill and Scott unpack Chapter 3 of Richard Rohr’s Breathing Under Water, where Rohr draws a powerful contrast between surrender and sacrifice. They explore why authentic transformation begins not in striving or control, but in letting go—and how that truth speaks to more than personal faith. In a culture addicted to performance, outrage, and winning, Rohr’s call to surrender offers a radical alternative. This episode dives deep into what it means to live freely—in our spiritual lives, our politics, and our public culture.

In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill dive into Kevin DeYoung’s review of Stephen Wolfe’s The Case for Christian Nationalism for The Gospel Coalition. They unpack Wolfe’s vision of a distinctly Christian nation—its emphasis on cultural Christianity, civil authority, and national identity—and weigh it against DeYoung’s sharp theological and historical critiques. Is Christian nationalism a faithful response to cultural decline, or a distortion of the gospel’s public implications? With wit and depth, the hosts explore what it really means to seek the common good in a pluralistic society and whether the church’s power should ever be political. You can find the article we reference by Kevin DeYoung.

A new NPR–Marist poll shows rising acceptance of political violence, distrust in institutions, and deep divides over truth itself. In this episode, we confront the cultural, spiritual, and theological stakes of a society where persuasion is breaking down. What happens when violence replaces discourse? And what resources—religious, moral, and communal—can help us reclaim a shared life before it’s too late?

In this episode, Bill and Scott dive deep into the provocative Wall Street Journal opinion piece “Candace Owens Is a Latter-Day Gnostic.” The article argues that today’s conspiratorial “truth seekers” echo the thinking of ancient Gnostics—believing that hidden, malevolent forces control the visible world—and places Candace Owens within that framework. They explore what it means to call someone a “latter-day Gnostic,” whether the analogy holds or stretches too far, and how modern conspiracy theories mirror the dualistic worldview of classical Gnosticism. They also wrestle with the way religion, metaphor, and symbolism shape political commentary. The article discussed on the show can be found here.

In this special live recording from Philadelphia’s Green Line Café, Scott and Bill take the conversation out of the studio and into the heart of the city. Against the backdrop of community and caffeine, they grapple with the shockwaves still reverberating from the assassination of Charlie Kirk. What does this moment mean for our public life? How do we make sense of the anger, polarization, and grief shaping the American imagination right now? With the energy of a live audience and the urgency of the moment, this episode invites listeners into a raw, reflective dialogue about where we go from here.

In the wake of the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk, we take a hard look at the language of our politics. Is it ever right—or wise—to call our opponents Hitler, fascists, or Nazis? In a culture already boiling with suspicion and outrage, does this kind of rhetoric sharpen moral clarity or simply fuel more division? Bill and Scott wrestle with the weight of our words, the dangers of toxic labeling, and the challenge of disagreeing without dehumanizing.