Mortification of Spin

The gang gathers in the bunker to answer some listener questions. From the holy to the profane, funny to offensive, all kinds of queries drive today’s episode. Will Baptists go to heaven? Who in the world is Nate Diaz? Differences between the PCA and the OPC, the influence of Van Tilian apologetics outside the US, Luther, Jimmy Hendrix, Calvin, and Sinatra--there’s a lot to cover. Listen as Todd shoots himself in the foot by declining a dinner invitation from the rest of the crew—you’ll enjoy every moment!

Versace, Maserati, private jets. What do the lives of “Christian celebrities” look like? Costi Hinn pays a visit to the bunker to chat about the ostentatious lifestyle he experienced growing up around his uncle Benny Hinn.Costi has recently authored God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies where he not only exposes the fallacies of the prosperity gospel and its dangers, but the means God used to open his eyes to the truths of Scripture and the value of a godly wife throughout the process.Do prosperity gospel teachers genuinely believe the message they preach? The answer may surprise you!Show Notes1 Corinthians 12:30John 5:1-17O.I.K.A.2 Timothy 3:132 Peter 2:1-3We’re excited to give away a few copies of God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel by Costi Hinn. Please register for the opportunity to win one!

Some issues in the church are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Unfortunately, reports of spiritual, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse keep surfacing in Christian circles everywhere, so the Spin team examines the scars of emotional abuse in particular and the parameters of the authority that church leadership has over their congregants.What does consist as an abusive behavior? What is the authority given to leaders in the church, and is there a tool or system to curb and restrain abuse of power? How does one to proceed when spiritual or emotional abuse is detected, but there’s no obvious criminality involved? Show Notes· Jonathan Fletcher · Proclamation Trust· Oliver North We’re happy to offer our listeners the opportunity to win a free copy of The Transforming Community: The Practise of the Gospel in Church Discipline by Mark Lauterbach. Sign up!

Among his many qualifications, Neil Shenvi is a critical theory analyst. His broad understanding of the subject allows us to learn about critical theory’s greatest past and present supporters, as well as the danger it can pose for Christianity. Neil warns against uncritically adopting liberation theology and the extreme heterodoxy of some of its proponents. What is the end goal of critical theory? Why have so many Christians been falling for its tenets, and where does the slippery slope start? Is there a connection between critical theory and identity politics? Carl pulls on his pink (OK, salmon-colored) pants to join Todd and Aimee for this engaging episode.Show Notes· Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology by Andersen and Collins· The Frankfurt SchoolWe’re pleased to offer you a great resource on the topic. Register for the opportunity to win a copy of That Hideous Strength: How the West was Lost by Melvin Tinker. The copies are a courtesy of EP Books.

Carl, Todd, and Aimee are sitting on a blanket under a tree, bickering over who’s been reading the best summer books. As it’s hard to point to one book among the stacks and stacks of good stuff out there, the trio decides to compromise, and share some of their recent favorites.From their picks, you’ll get a little flavor of several different genres—Christian and non-Christian alike—both, meant to cause one to think on matters of life and death. Get a pen and paper and start taking note of their recommendations. Tell us what you’ve been reading by tagging us on social media: #MortificationOfSpinWe want to enrich your life with the opportunity to win a free copy of Michael Morales’ book, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus.Register now!UPDATE: Here are the picks discussed on the show!Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? (L.Michael Morales)Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life (William Finnegan)Being Mortal (Atul Gwande)The Lost Vintage (Ann Mah)The Green Mile (Stephen King)Our Bodies Ourselves (Judy Norsigian)Carl's latest book (no title offered)Catch 22, Jane EyreDignity (Chris Arnade)The Professor and the Parson (Adam Sisman)Norco 80 (Peter Houlahan)Against God and Nature (Thomas McCall)Theoretical and Practical Theology (Petrus Van Mastricht)

Emily Zinos visits the bunker. Her Twitter description reads: “Woman, Wife, Mother, Catholic. I've given birth seven times; you don't scare me”. Emily has written an article addressing the latest transgender movement titled "Sex Is Better than Gender"; and the trio wants to dig into the topic a little deeper. Mrs. Zinos tells about how she got involved in the fight against gender identity ideology in the public school system, and why language plays a vital part in forwarding this social issue. The word "gender" is being used in different ways by different groups of people, but Emily breaks down the most frequent uses and offers a much better option to eliminate the gender confusion.You must listen to find out if a woman can still be a woman if she drives a truck and smokes cigars!The Paideia Center for Theological Writing, RTS Orlando, is giving away a number of free registrations for this coming Fall reading groups. Sign up to read the classics along with people all over the country!Show NotesHands Across the AisleWoman Means SomethingGender non-conformingNon-recommended book - My Princess BoyNon-recommended book - I Am JazzDr. John MoneyPrudence AllenSpy cam epidemic in South KoreaEmily has recommended and we’re giving away a book titled The Flesh Made Word by Daniel Moody. Register for the opportunity to win one!

The Spin Squad strikes again! The current mission is to put the kibosh on the latest trend in evangelicalism: the dreaded “personality tests.”What are the origins of the Enneagram? Can people really be defined and perfectly fit into one of its nine categories? Should Christians rely on such tests, like the Myers-Briggs, for direction in life and ministry?  Since all nine Enneagram categories are pretty positive, you’ll discover just how great you really are, and how much awesomeness you can offer to your local church and beyond! Carl swears that this is very much an “American thing;” he’s taken the test, and didn’t fit any of the categories. Even John Paul II has something to say about such fads. Listen in!Show Notes· George GurdjieffWe’re pleased to give away a resource mentioned in this episode. Register for the opportunity to win a copy of The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre.

Kevin Vanhoozer joins the team for a conversation about his latest book Hearers and Doers: A Pastor’s Guide to Making Disciples through Scripture and Doctrine. Kevin is the Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a prolific author. In Hearers and Doers, Kevin draws the connection between doctrine, discipleship and pastoral ministry for spiritual wholeness.Is discipleship an optional part of Christianity? Tune in for this fascinating conversation about the cultural secularization of the idea of wellness (as opposed to the biblical definition), and its relationship to discipleship.Show NotesC.S. Lewis institute - http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/Is There a Meaning in This Text? By Kevin VanhoozerBiblical Authority After Babel by Kevin VanhoozerThanks to our friends of Lexham Press, we’re giving away copies of Hearers and Doers. Register for the opportunity to win one!

While Todd is having some Tex-Mex with friends at the PCA General Assembly, Carl and Aimee take a look at the latest resolutions and issues happening there, and at the Southern Baptist Convention, because—frankly—nothing interesting ever happens in the OPC!The stalwart duo discusses the structure of ecclesiastical bodies, the function of committee reports, and how much binding power they have. C & A also assess the power of parachurch organizations, and all the hubbub among celebrity pastors on Twitter. Who needs reality shows, with all the Christian drama on social media! We’re pleased to give away a few copies of D. G. Hart’s book Between the Times, which is a publication of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Register for the opportunity to win one.

Despite Carl’s incessant prayers, the Lord has not granted the desires of his heart concerning his co-hosts! Nevertheless, he’s learning to be content with Todd and Aimee. Does God always listen to the prayers of His people? If so, why don’t we always get a positive outcome? What, then, is the purpose of praying?Along with their thoughts on prayer, the trio reflects on the spin that death has taken on in these modern days. Are there lessons to be learned as we stand in the presence of a dead or dying loved one?We are giving away a few copies of Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope. Register for an opportunity to win one. The books are a courtesy of our friends at Crossway.