Mortification of Spin

Stephen Presley, a senior fellow for religion and public life and associate professor of church history, discusses his book on cultural sanctification. He explores how early Christians engaged with a suspicious culture, drawing parallels between their challenges and those faced today. Presley argues against retreating from culture or engaging in culture wars, suggesting a more nuanced approach. The conversation highlights the importance of doctrine and ethical living in navigating modern moral dilemmas, ultimately advocating for ancient teachings to inform contemporary cultural engagement.

T. David Gordon, a former professor and PCA minister, discusses ethical decision-making based on his book, 'Choose Better'. He outlines five biblical models—law, imitation, communion, wisdom, and warfare—highlighting their relevance for everyday choices. The conversation emphasizes the need to integrate these models for effective guidance, illustrating the complexity of morality in both personal and pastoral contexts. Gordon’s insights aim to empower listeners to make better ethical decisions, enriching their understanding of biblical teachings.

Carl and Todd welcome special guest Harold Senkbeil, executive director of Doxology, the Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care, and the author of the popular book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Together, they discuss the essence of pastoral ministry, the significance of patience, and the importance of the Word and sacraments in pastoral care.  Pastoral work is really the work of Jesus in our time, in any given contemporary moment in history… In the twentieth century, pastoral work kind of took a left turn and reinvented itself in the mold of business perhaps or counseling, and so forth, all of which is helpful, but the essence is really the Word of God and the sacraments. To apply those with the goal of introducing people to Jesus and Jesus to them, is what pastoral work is about. - Harold Senkbeil What are the challenges and expectations pastors face today, and how can they stay true to their calling amidst modern-day complexities? And tune in to discover what part congregations should play in the life of the Church. We were pleased to award three copies of The Care of Souls to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Lexham Press. Congratulations to Patrick H. from Valencia, CA, Terry C. from Perkasie, PA, and Stephen W. from Naperville, IL!   Show Notes: The Care of Souls series (5 volumes): https://lexhampress.com/product/258922/the-care-of-souls-bundle The Care of Souls (audiobook): https://lexhampress.com/product/254940/the-care-of-souls-cultivating-a-pastors-heart

Maintaining appropriate Christian behavior can be particularly challenging in a world where political discourse often becomes heated and divisive. In today's timely episode, Carl and Todd delve into the complexities of navigating faith and politics, especially during an election year.  "We want to talk today about how Christians can have strong opinions on important issues and express those opinions in a way that does not undermine their broader Christian witness." – Carl Trueman What impact does political discourse have on Christian testimony, and how can we express strong opinions without compromising our witness? Their conversation delves into the rise of neo-Christian nationalism, the infantilism in modern politics, and the need for Christians to engage in the public sphere with integrity and honor. "We are not going to win the culture by aping the culture. Seek influence, push back against the darkness, but do so uniquely as Christians." – Todd Pruitt We were pleased to award three copies of Carl's book Crisis of Confidence to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Crossway Books. Congratulations to Bradley L. from Rock Hill, SC, Brent B. from Longview, WA, and Alex O. from Jenison, MI!

Carl and Todd dive deep into the complex relationship between religion and politics with Miles Smith from Hillsdale College as they discuss his new book, Religion and Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War. Why did he decide to write this book now, and why did he intentionally not use the more commonplace terms “Church and State”? What is the difference between Christian institutionalism and Christian nationalism? And what is the role of the church in addressing political issues?  "I'm actually someone who doesn't want the church to do politics. I think the church is quite frankly, not competent to do politics." – Miles Smith Miles’ book offers profound insights into how Christians can maintain their witness in times of political polarization. Listen as they discuss the historical and contemporary challenges Christians face in navigating their faith within the civic and political spheres,  Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Davenant Institute, we are pleased to award three copies of Miles Smith’s book Religion and Republic to our listeners. Congratulations to Elizabeth B. from Poland, OH, Philip M. from Maidsville, WV, and Doug N. from Clendenin, WV.

Many adults look back fondly on their years in the church youth group or other parachurch ministries like Young Life and understand the impact that those ministries had on their faith. How has youth ministry changed over the years, and what has stayed the same? What qualities are needed to be an effective youth minister, and what challenges do leaders face in today’s culture? To shine some light on this subject, the guys are joined by Carl’s friend and a fellow Grove City College professor, Duffy Robbins, Professor of Youth Ministry and a 45-year veteran in the field. Widely respected as one of the leading voices in youth and family ministry, Duffy talks to Carl and Todd about the history, purpose, and future of youth ministry, as well as some of the issues that he sees. “Another problem is that youth ministry intentionally tries to make sure their ministries and messages and programming are suited to young people, but the problem is we really breed in our young people an appetite for ‘juvenalized’ Christianity, and so when they get into big church, adult church, they still want to have ‘juvenalized’ worship services.” – Duffy Robbins  We are pleased to award three copies of Duffy Robbins’ book Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples: A Small Book About a Big Idea to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of Zondervan Press. Congratulations to Nick H. from Sandy Lake, PA, Tyle G. from Wooster, OH, and Paula B. from Stamford, CT. Show Notes:  The Juvenalization of American Christianity by Thomas Bergler

Physician Ewan Goligher discusses ethical issues of physician-assisted death, highlighting flaws in the logic of assisted death and emphasizing the Christian perspective on death and immortality. The podcast delves into the devaluation of human life, community support for chronic illnesses, and the importance of a solid philosophical and theological foundation in addressing physician-assisted death. Listeners are encouraged to engage with the book 'How Should We Then Die?' and participate in a book giveaway.

Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth-century French philosopher and scientist, is perhaps best known for his "wager," an argument about the existence of God. But there was much more to Pascal and his brilliance, according to today's guest, Douglas Groothuis, a leading Christian thinker and longtime student of Pascal. In his latest book, Beyond the Wager, Doug introduces readers to Pascal's life and the breadth of his intellectual pursuits, including his contributions to mathematics, science, ethics, and theology.  "You really want to read Pascal, and if you write about him, you want to quote him and do justice to what he said because it really was so insightful and profoundly put. Especially his comments about what it means to be a human being and his reflections on the nature of knowing Christ. They're really not just philosophically insightful and compelling, but also devotionally compelling."  – Doug Groothuis Three of our listeners received copies of Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Intervarsity Press. Congratulations to Zane L. from Washington, DC, Sam B. from Deerfield, WI, and Joshua M. from Jonesborough, TN!   Show Notes:  Douglas Groothuis’ original book about Blaise Pascal written 20 years ago: On Pascal Pensées by Blaise Pascal: https://archive.org/details/pascalspenseesor00pasc Christian Apologetics by Douglas Groothuis

Many faithful Christian parents today grieve for their adult children who have left the faith. They ask, "Where did we go wrong? What should we have done differently?" Carl and Todd discuss this important topic in this episode and encourage parents not to give up hope.  "Parents have enormous impact on their kids' lives, even into adulthood. Even when there's been pain, a parent has enormous influence. See how best to leverage that for the soul of your child.  – Todd Pruitt Thanks to P&R Publishing, we awarded copies of Wayward Children: Finding Peace, Keeping Hope to three of our listeners. Congratulations to Renee R. from Little Rock, AR, Karen G. from St. Peters, MO, and Mickie G. from Arab, AL!

Pastor Jon Nielson joins Carl and Todd to discuss the value of systematic theology in understanding God and the Bible. They explore how scripture provides a unity of doctrine, making theology accessible and practical for all, especially new believers and young people. Nielson's new book, Knowing God's Truth, aims to guide readers in applying systematic theology to daily life, offering clarity and meaning in theological study.