Faith and Law

The hour is critical. The American republic is suffering its gravest crisis since the Civil War. Conflicts, hostility, and incivility now threaten to tear the country apart. Competing visions have led to a dangerous moment of cultural self-destruction. This is no longer politics as usual, but an era of political warfare where our enemies are not foreign adversaries, but our fellow citizens. Yet the roots of the crisis are deeper than many realize. Os Guinness argues that we face a fundamental crisis of freedom, as America's genius for freedom has become her Achilles' heel. Our society's conflicts are rooted in two rival views of freedom, one embodied in "1776" and the ideals of the American Revolution, and the other in "1789" and the ideals of the French Revolution. Once again America has become a house divided, and Americans must make up their minds as to which freedom to follow. Will the constitutional republic be restored or replaced? This grand treatment of history, civics, and ethics in the Jewish and Christian traditions represents Guinness's definitive exploration of the prospects for human freedom today. He calls for a national conversation on the nature of freedom, and poses key questions for concerned citizens to consider as we face a critical chapter in the American story. In the tradition of Alexis de Tocqueville, Guinness provides a visitor's careful observation of the American experiment. Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.  Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Last Call for Liberty: How America’s Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat, was published in 2018. Support the show

When Kimberly Kuo graduated summa cum laude from Stanford University and studied at the London School of Economics, she never imagined that she would be speaking about assisted suicide and euthanasia. She married the love of her life, David Kuo, who became special assistant to George W. Bush and deputy director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. After David was diagnosed with a large brain tumor, the Kuos began a 10-year battle with cancer. As result of this journey, Kim began advocating for life, both speaking and writing against assisted suicide and euthanasia. Kimberly Kuo has more than 24 years of Communications and Marketing experience in politics, government, corporations and technology start-ups. Ms. Kuo was a top Press Aide for Senate Majority Leader and then presidential candidate Bob Dole, and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp. She was primary spokesperson for Internet giant AOL, and then expanded this role to oversee Investor Relations and Marketing at technology start-ups. After acting as primary Spokesperson and Communications lead for a Washington, DC trade association, she launched its advocacy initiative. In less than four years, the organization grew to the third largest advocacy group in the country. As Chief Marketing Officer of the world’s largest book and entertainment distributor, Ms. Kuo transformed her Marketing organization into a profit center, introduced extensive e-Marketing programs, and modernized the company’s brand and market position. Ms. Kuo is passionate about empowering people, developing talent, building effective teams, and strengthening corporate culture. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, with a B.A. in Communications with Honors. After working briefly in Normandy, France, she studied Comparative Government & Economics at the London School of Economics. She enjoys music, theater, creative writing and public speaking. She is actively involved in Forest Hill Church and Charlotte Christian School, and her greatest joy is adventuring with her two children.Support the show

Anne Snyder is the Director of The Character Initiative at The Philanthropy Roundtable, a pilot program that seeks to help foundations and business leaders strengthen “the middle ring” of morally formative institutions in the U.S. She is also a Fellow at the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, a Houston-based think tank that explores how cities can drive opportunity for the bulk of their citizens. From 2014 to 2017 Anne worked for Laity Lodge and the H.E. Butt Family Foundation in Texas, and before that she worked at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, World Affairs Journal and The New York Times. She holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Georgetown University and a B.A. in philosophy and international relations from Wheaton College (IL). Anne is a Contributing Editor to Comment Magazine, an advisor to Sea Dog Theater and serves as a trustee for the Center for Public Justice as well as the Hyde Park Institute at the University of Chicago. She has published in The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, National Journal, City Journal, Philanthropy Magazine, Orange County Register, Houston Business Journal, The Institute for Family Studies, FaithStreet, Comment Magazine, Verily, Humane Pursuits and FareForward, and is currently working on a book about the most effective character forming institutions alive today.Support the show

Donald Larson is the CEO/Founder of Sunshine Nut Company in Mozambique. In 2011, he gave up a successful career in the corporate food industry and moved his family to Mozambique to start Sunshine Nut Co.The road to Mozambique began in 2007 when Don turned down a major career move and left his corporate life for a spiritual journey to discover God’s true purpose for his life. It was in this season of listening and waiting that God spoke to him with clarity that was almost audible – saying, “Go and build food factories in developing nations to bring lasting economic transformation.” Through prayer and solitude, he developed the Sunshine Approach business model, focusing on transforming lives at every level of the business. Not long after, he was led to Mozambique and its abundance of amazing cashews to start this grand adventure. Faced with a calling he had little desire to fulfill, he chose to be obedient. He and his family sold everything they owned and moved to Mozambique.This move transformed their lives. In the past six years, they have built a world-class food factory hiring primarily adult orphans. They developed relationships with orphanages and other community organizations throughout Mozambique where they support and develop projects with 90% of their profits. In 2014, their cashews landed on US shelves and today, they have an all-African staff of 30 producing the best tasting cashews under the sun!As CEO of Sunshine Nut Company, he presses forward relentlessly growing their operations in the US and Mozambique, while sharing their story all over the world. Don's wife, Terri, oversees all our philanthropic work as the Director of Social Impact and spends her days spreading love to the most needy in their community.Support the show

In this lecture, Os Guinness discussed the questions, "What does it say of us as human beings that we  see ourselves as 'post-Auschwitz,' 'post-Hiroshima' and now 'pre-Singularity'? What does the Bible have to say to humanity on the verge of transhumanism, and those who claim that through science and technology we are now 'the gods of planet earth'?"Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Last Call for Liberty: How America’s genius for freedom has become its greatest threat was published in 2018.Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter in 1988, a bicentennial celebration of the bicentennial of the US Constitution, and later of “The Global Charter of Conscience,” which was published at the European Union Parliament in 2012. Os has spoken at many of the world’s major universities, and spoken widely to political and business conferences across the world. He lives with his wife Jenny in the Washington DC area.Support the show

Trillia Newbell is the author of  Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God’s Good Gifts (2016),  Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015) and United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (2014). Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, True Woman, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She has spoken at numerous conferences, churches, women’s retreats, colleges and seminaries, including True Woman, The Gospel Coalition Women’s conference, Southeastern Theological Seminary, and more. She currently is the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention.Her greatest love besides God is her family. She is married to her best friend and love, Thern. They reside with their two children near Nashville, TN.Support the show

The story of humanity (thus far) is a complex narrative that cycles through riveting victories while also plagued with the vicious wounds of sin. From the days of the Old Testament into the New Testament and beyond, humanity has challenged itself with racism and ethnic division. This talk will challenge the audience to explore the history and theology of race with an eye towards the historical, theological, cultural, sociological and spiritual necessity for reconciliation.   Emmett G. Price III is Professor of Worship, Church and Culture; Dean of the Chapel; and founding Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience (ISBCE) at the Hamilton Campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He also serves as founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, MA.Support the show

Vision, leadership, patience, strategic thinking - each is key to maximizing long-term success in our work and in our daily lives. But what is the best way to think about these often nebulous concepts, and how are they best practiced? Further, how do we persevere in the face of inevitable obstacles? Alan Sears, founder of Alliance Defending Freedom, presented the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in World War II and the 34th President of the United States, and how Eisenhower's faithfulness and perseverance is a model for us all to follow if we want to be used by God to make a difference in the world."[Ike's] story has many important lessons that we can apply to our lives today as we seek to shape our futures to please God and to be all that we can be.  And few things provide context better than understanding our collective past, learning from those that persevered and kept the faith often through circumstances that made no sense at all to enable us to live in freedom." - Alan SearsAs the first president, CEO, and general counsel of ADF, Alan Sears led all strategic initiatives from 1993-2017, strengthening alliances, forging new relationships, and developing the resources needed to ensure the ministry's capacity to respond to opportunities. Realizing the need for conservative lawyers, Sears created the world-class Blackstone Legal Fellowship leadership-training program which has since graduated more than 1,960 outstanding law students. At the same time, ADF has trained more than 2,000 lawyers to defend religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family. Under Sears' leadership, ADF attorneys won more than three out of four cases and ADF has played various important roles in 52 victories at the United States Supreme Court.Support the show

Holly J. Burkhalter serves as Senior Advisor for Global Partnerships at IJM. She stewards IJM’s relationships in the global policy, human rights and development communities and speaks and publishes regularly on IJM’s behalf.Before joining IJM, Holly spent nine years serving as the U.S. Policy Director for Physicians for Human Rights and fourteen years as the Advocacy Director and Director of the Washington office for Human Rights Watch. Holly also staffed the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations from 1981 to 1983. From 1977 to 1981, she worked for Representative (later Senator) Tom Harkin, D-IA.She is the author of Good God, Lousy World & Me, the Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith.Holly graduated from Iowa State University (Phi Beta Kappa).Support the show

At a time when there are more forcibly displaced persons than at any other time since World War II, the international community has struggled with how to tangibly and practically respond to the refugees arriving at their borders. The U.S. has traditionally welcomed more refugees than any other country in the world while also leading the world in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees overseas. How should the international community and the United States continue to respond to the global refugee crisis? Also, how can the church think Biblically and respond holistically to refugees and displaced persons, overseas or right in their own back yards?Jenny Yang provides oversight for all advocacy initiatives and policy positions at World Relief. She has worked in the Resettlement section of World Relief as the Senior Case Manager and East Asia Program Officer, where she focused on advocacy for refugees in the East Asia region and managed the entire refugee caseload for World Relief. Prior to World Relief, she worked at one of the largest political fundraising firms in Maryland managing fundraising and campaigning for local politicians. She is co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, serves as Chair of the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) Africa Work Group, and was named one of the “50 Women to Watch” by Christianity Today. Support the show