Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Fire in the streets has become commonplace as society appears to be literally and figuratively burning down by revolutionary movements that have made their way into almost every institution, including our Churches. While you might not recognize it, the root beneath much of the chaos is an ideology called Critical Theory—a reductionistic form of cultural Marxism that divides society into the oppressed and the oppressors. Longtime Christian Research Journal contributor Professor Doug Groothuis joins Hanegraaff to discuss why he felt compelled to write Fire in the Streets to equip Christians with a better understanding of what Critical Theory is, how it is infiltrating nearly every sector of society and how to counter it confidently and constructively with an orthodox Christian worldview. For more information see Fire in the Streets: How You Can Confidently Respond to Incendiary Cultural Topics by Douglas R. Groothuis available for your partnering gift. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-fire-in-the-streets-how-you-can-confidently-respond-to-incendiary-cultural-topics/Topics discussed include: What is Critical Theory? What is the connection between Critical Theory and Marxism? (4:45); what is the difference between Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory? (10:30); why is capitalism the best option? (18:15); why are so many young people buying into socialism? (22:35); the Marxist origins of Black Lives Matter (28:35); how can we learn to discern what sources to trust for our news and information? (31:20); the odd phenomenon of woke capitalism (36:15); are we aware of the influence of propaganda and party cliches in our world today? (38:05); the 1619 Project (40:05); should we send our kids to public school? (44:30); is the United States Constitution racist? (47:50); developing a Christian philosophy of citizenship (50:20); reverse racism being promoted by public intellectuals such as Ibram Kendi (53:45); what is the difference between equality and equity? (58:25); affirmative action (1:01:45); how is Critical Race Theory in opposition to freedom of speech? (1:03:50); how should Christians respond to the problems posed by Critical Theory? (1:07:50); the need for Christian education as opposed to public schooling (1:10:20); the theme of fire used by Groothuis in his book Fire in the Streets (1:12:25) Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, is reading Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology (TAN Books, 2021) by Noelle Mering. Scripture tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Never more so than in the woke ideology that has captured the heart of America. The devil’s multifaceted strategy involves “prowling for innocence,” as Mering poignantly puts it, for the innocence of children is a threat to the kingdom of darkness. She points out that media and movies are some of his favorite tools. Think Frozen (2013), Trolls (2016), or the magazine Teen Vogue, which featured “A Guide to Anal Sex.” Far from decrying sodomy, the magazine depicts anal sex as a very natural benefit. In the first generation of cultural demise, it would be difficult to bring up a subject like this. In the second generation, such filth becomes normalized. And in the third generation, we begin to see what we are experiencing today—societal collapse. The only antidote is Christians willing to proclaim truth in a culture where truth is perceived to be little more than hate. See Noelle Mering, Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology https://www.equip.org/donate/ And look for Hank’s forthcoming in-depth interview with Noelle Mering on the Hank Unplugged Podcast.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on a recent news story that turns out to be another example of failure to do due diligence in reporting. Duke University women’s volleyball starter Rachel Richardson sent out a tweet saying that she and her “fellow African American teammates…were targeted and racially heckled throughout the entirety of the match” between Duke and Brigham Young University. Richardson’s Godmother, Lesa Pamplin, tweeted, “My Goddaughter is the only black starter for Dukes volleyball team. While playing yesterday, she was called a [n-word] every time she served. She was threatened by a white male that told her to watch her back going to the team bus. A police officer had to be put by their bench.” LeBron James tweeted, “you tell your Goddaughter to stand tall, be proud and continue to be BLACK!!!....We have her back.” Richardson’s father, Marvin Richardson, conveyed to the New York Times that “as the crowd got more hyped and the epithets kept coming, she wanted to respond back but she told me she was afraid that, if she did, the raucous crowd could very well turn into a mob mentality.” New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Sports Illustrated, NPR published articles without sufficient investigation—only a rush to judgment. Eventually, finally, BYU performed a thorough investigation, concluding, “From our extensive review, we have not found any evidence to corroborate the allegation that fans engaged in racial heckling or uttered racial slurs at the Duke vs. BYU women’s volleyball match on August 26.” See Jesse Singal, “How the Media Fell for A Racism Sham,” Common Sense News, September 15, 2022, https://www.commonsense.news/p/how-the-media-fell-for-a-racism-sham; Luke Hanson and Thomas Stevenson, “Exclusive: Racist Comments at BYU Volleyball Game Never Happened, Sources Suggest,” Cougar Chronicle, August 31, 2022, https://www.byucougarchronicle.org/post/exclusive-racist-comments-at-byu-volleyball-game-never-happened-sources-suggest; and “A Statement from BYU Athletics Regarding the Investigation of the Aug. 26 Volleyball Match,” BYU Athletics, September 12, 2022, https://byucougars.com/story/athletics/1300724/statement-byu-athletics-regarding-investigation-aug-26-volleyball-match.

Hank Hanegraaff believes that the following conversation with Noelle Mering is one of the most important podcasts he has ever recorded. Most people view woke ideology as a political or social movement, but Mering is convinced that it is a demonically motivated movement that takes partial truths and totalizes them while making God the ultimate oppressor. She wrote Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology as an effort to shed clarity on a movement that operates in confusion and like a trojan horse has manipulated many well-meaning Christians with ideological suppositions that are not only incompatible with but completely counter to Christianity. In short, the advocates of this progressive ideology will increasingly demand allegiance to their cause and Christians must be equipped to recognize and counter the claims of woke ideology by deepening their understanding of what is true and leaning on the historic foundations of the Church.For more information see Noelle Mering, Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology, available for your partnering gift. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-awake-not-woke-a-christian-response-to-the-cult-of-progressive-ideology/Topics discussed include: What is the definition of woke? (3:45); the role of language in woke ideology (6:00); Nadia Bolz-Weber and the dangerous future of woke Christianity (8:20); what are the origins of woke ideology? (10:10); critiquing Critical Theory (16:00); the three primary dogmas of wokeism (18:30); how the woke use the weapons of the muzzle and the megaphone (25:00); Intersectionality and the identity crisis that it creates (26:25); the rejection of natural law (28:55); what is the difference between transgender and transracial? (30:35); the basis of woke ideology is despair and destruction (32:50); ESG and the implications of social credit scores (34:10); how the woke are prowling for innocence (36:55); transgenderism and how the medical establishment has capitulated to woke ideology (39:05); is there any hope that we are not witnessing the demise of Western Civilization? (45:40); abortion, anthropology and the eradication of the foundational understanding that we have duties to one another (48:35); Black Lives Matter is ultimately a movement aimed at creating chaos (50:55); why wokeism has a supply and demand problem—the issue with building your identity around being both a victim and an accuser (53:55); how the sloganeering and mantras of woke ideology mimics cultic behavior (57:20); the 1619 Project, idea laundering and why is it so dangerous? (59:20); what is the responsibility of the Church to respond to woke ideology? (1:03:00); the Marxist connection to woke ideology and the historical illiteracy of Marxism today (1:07:45); should Christians pursue utopia on earth? (1:11:45); the deep beauty of fatherhood and the ability of good men practicing healthy masculinity to lead us out of our current situation (1:14:40); why should people read Awake Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology? (1:18:20). Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, has been reading a profound book by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey, Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment (Princeton University Press, 2021). In the midst of his reading, he received notification of an NBC News article titled “How Monkeypox Spoiled Gay Men’s Plans for an Invincible Summer,” by Benjamin Ryan (https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/monkeypox-spoiled-gay-mens-plans-invincible-summer-rcna45326). More than a hundred gay, bisexual, or transgender people talked to NBC News about the “sex they never had” as a result of monkeypox. How monkeypox “upended a summer that was supposed to be a well-earned opportunity” to once again “revel with their gay brothers.” In the article we hear about “resurgent sexual liberation” through “hookup apps,” which “have made meeting sexual partners as convenient as procuring takeout.” That “post-Covid” everyone “went crazy, and there were sex parties all over town”—“free-spirited bacchanalia.” But, alas, the “long-awaited libertine summer” was “sharply curtailed” by monkeypox. The NBC News article is very sympathetic. What all these men have in common, as Storey and Storey make clear, is the acceptance of the notion that fleeting pleasure is a substitute for solid joy. These men have bought the lie that permissiveness will make them happy—that voyeuristic curiosities will make them whole. At the root of all this is a materialistic worldview—a worldview that denies transcendence. A failure to recognize that a thinking being is of necessity more than merely material. Why are we restless? So often we see the world as merely molecules in motion, and if we are mere molecules in motion, everything is permissible. The book, Why We Are Restless, includes a chapter in which the philosophy of Blaise Pascal is unveiled, showing why it is metaphysically and practically bankrupt to consider ourselves merely material beings, and why God veils His presence. God veils Himself because He does not want to force Himself upon those who do not seek Him. Once one seeks after Him, the veil is removed. For further study, see Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey, Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment https://www.equip.org/donate/

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, offers some thoughts on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In New York City, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum hosted an annual ceremony commemorating and honoring the nearly 3,000 lives lost twenty-one years ago. A reminder that the oil-rich Middle East is full of fantastically wealthy Muslims prepared to employ their resources for the sake of jihad. According to former Democratic senator Bob Graham, Saudi Arabia had direct ties to the massacres of September 11, 2001. But this is whitewashed in the Western world, where sharia-subservient states, including Saudi Arabia, are consistently portrayed as peace-loving allies in the fight against terrorism. Little wonder then that when the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia declared it necessary to destroy every church in the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, Western governments did not so much as blink. Worse yet, Western governments, along with academic institutions and media outlets have proven themselves to be cobelligerents with the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia in exporting a false narrative on Islam. However, the rebuilding of the Saint Nicholas Shrine at Ground Zero provides a glimmer of hope that Christians in the West may once again take the only true and transformational faith as seriously as the Saudi’s do the Islamic counterfeit.For documentation and further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, MUSLIM: What You Need to Know about the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-muslim-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religion/. See also Hank Hanegraaff, Truth Matters, Life Matters More: The Unexpected Beauty of an Authentic Christian Life https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-truth-matters-life-matters-more/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, offers an update on his sister Jobje, who is battling pancreatic cancer—and undergoing an astonishing 40th cycle of chemotherapy. She writes that she is sustained and blessed by God’s ongoing grace. In her recent letter she mentions meeting with the palliative care oncologist, engaging end of life and quality of life questions. She says discussing these quality of life questions makes her uncomfortable. “How do you define ‘quality of life’ as a Christian?” she writes. “My faith rests squarely in a sovereign God and a loving Heavenly Father who knows my end of life date. I told the palliative care doctor of my faith and my perspective as a Christian; that I am not trying to be a hero, but simply as His child wanting to trust my Lord. I am fully aware this doctor wants to help to prepare me and ease me through the more difficult days yet to come. I appreciate that a lot. I also realize that I am learning from him in those visits as well. Before we left, he told us he is ‘always refreshed by our visits.’ I told him I continue to pray for him because his role is difficult, trying to help people cope, and to prepare to die, is emotionally exhausting and painfully difficult to witness. As we left his office I saw tears well up in his eyes.” Reflecting on verses from Psalm 119—“words that strike a chord,” she explains, “I have been rereading them, enjoying their comfort. ‘Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Thy commandments. Those who fear Thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in Thy word. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me. Let Thy steadfast love be ready to comfort me, according to Thy promise to Thy servant. Let Thy mercy come to me, that I MAY LIVE! For Thy law is my delight!’ How precious are these words to me in this very difficult exhausting journey as I now have to live life in two week increments! Nonetheless I am continually being blessed in this experience, and learning so much from my Savior as I walk toward Jerusalem, my final destination.” Jobje concludes her letter with these now familiar words, “I look forward to that day! Jobje 🦋”

In this podcast Hank Hanegraaff wants to highlight one of the most dangerous cults in the world. And we should know. The Christian Research Institute began as a counter-cult equipping ministry and has invested decades in monitoring the deceptions and distortions of cults. But Western Civilization has never known a cult like this one. Why? Because no other cult has come remotely close to the peril this one represents to civilization as we have known it. If this were a cult like Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism, it wouldn’t have made it past the front door. But since this is a secular cult, our now secularized culture has given it a green light. The cult is Wokeism. A cult that threatens our most basic values and freedoms; a cult that can literally destroy the world if it remains unchecked. For more information, see our current letter https://www.equip.org/letter-from-hank/ to supporters and the resource Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology, available for your partnering gift.https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-awake-not-woke-a-christian-response-to-the-cult-of-progressive-ideology/ Also be on the lookout for a forthcoming full length podcast interview with Noelle Mering on this resource.Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, offers thoughts upon hearing of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Queen of the United Kingdom for 70 years, she maintained that the teachings of Jesus Christ served as her guide throughout the entirety of her very long life—indeed, that Christ is the King she serves. In the foreword to The Servant Queen and the King She Serves (Bible Society, 2016), Queen Elizabeth expressed profound gratitude “to God for his steadfast love” throughout the duration of her life. She was also keenly aware of the reality that death is the great equalizer—as the Orthodox funeral service states, in the grave “kings and beggars dwell together.” In Money and Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way, Andrew Geleris writes, “From the perspective of eternity, only during the relatively brief interval between birth and death does anyone have any control over money. And even this control is somewhat illusory. When, for example, we purchase a home or a plot of land, we claim that we ‘own’ it. However, the land has already seen many owners come and go over the preceding centuries, and one would expect that many more would claim such ‘ownership’ over the land in the future. Therefore, any claim of land ‘ownership’ requires a preposterous suspension of historical awareness.” The land, the wealth, and the honors of this world are all temporary. The Lord Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21 NIV 1984). Queen Elizabeth possessed extraordinary wealth as monarch. The question today for her is not, Did I have wealth on Earth? But, How did I use that wealth to store up treasure in heaven? For further study, see Andrew Geleris, Money and Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way (https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-money-and-salvation-an-invitation-to-the-good-way-and-on-wealth-and-poverty-by-st-john-chrysostom-foreword-by-hank-hanegraaff/

What happens to our souls when we learn to give in accord with the words of our Lord? The answer is the central focus Money & Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way, the much anticipated book by Dr. Andrew Geleris that is now available. Hank had a discussion with Dr. Geleris late last year that he would like to re-release in honor of the release of this book of which Hank could not give a higher recommendation. Do you give with a joyful heart? According to Dr. Geleris, “An utterly breathtaking divergence has developed between the joy of giving that God intends his people to experience and the way many Christians view giving as an unpleasant but necessary obligation of church membership.” Simply put, for many of us money has an unhealthy hold on our hearts. This conversation will challenge you to make a change in your life and view your finances from an eternal perspective. The Lord spoke more frequently and forcefully about almsgiving than he did about prayer, yet most Church leaders are reluctant to discuss money simply because it is often uncomfortable. “Dr. Geleris is passionate about challenging the Church to develop disciples with a biblical “theology of money” that promotes a Godly view on giving with all your heart that will leave Christians “refreshed—indeed, delighted—by recognizing the unfathomably great blessing God hopes to pour out on us through generosity.” “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2.9). For more information on receiving Money & Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way and or On Wealth and Poverty by St. John Chrysostom with a Foreword by Hank Hanegraaff for your partnering gift please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-money-and-salvation-an-invitation-to-the-good-way-and-on-wealth-and-poverty-by-st-john-chrysostom-foreword-by-hank-hanegraaff/Topics discussed include: Hank Hanegraaff discusses why he is so excited that the book Money & Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way is now available (0:00) relationship between money and salvation (7:40); how generous giving transforms our souls (11:00); The Parable of the Farmer (15:30); the relationship between repentance and finances (18:50); what almsgiving actually means and why it is so important (24:30); should we tithe? (27:10); the dangers of the prosperity gospel and the commodification of Christ (31:10); what can we learn from Mary washing the feet of Jesus? (37:25); what are whole burnt offerings and what is the equivalent today? (39:05); the “ovarian lottery” and God’s providence (45:00); how the parable of the soils inspired Alan Barnhart to create a financial finish line (47:25); what we can learn from St. Basil the Great about giving (55:45); what is sacrificial giving? (56:10); misconceptions about what tithing is for (1:00:35); how should we tithe? (1:03:25); we don’t truly own anything, in the grave “kings and beggars dwell together” (1:06:10); is there a problem with receiving public recognition for giving? (1:07:20); the spiritual growth we experience through giving (1:12:05); should we tithe on our gross or net income? (1:14:10); scriptural examples of giving (1:15:10); should we give to panhandlers? (1:17:10); are Christians fundraising the right way? (1:18:50); God’s financial priority is the care of the poor (1:121:55); the powerful lesson of the widow who gave all she had [Mark 12:41-44] (1:23:40); the rewards for almsgiving according to scripture (1:26:30); giving is more beneficial spiritually than financially (1:28:40). Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.