It is incredibly heartbreaking to hear someone say that they feel like they are trapped in the wrong body. As Christians, we want to respond in love and guide people in ways that will honor God and contribute to their flourishing. But we often struggle to know what to do or say. In this episode, Dr. Mark Yarhouse defines terms such as gender dysphoria, gender identity, and transgender identity, he presents a series of different frameworks for addressing gender dysphoria concerns, and he offers an integrated model for Christians. This conversation is filled to the brim with thoughtful and actionable advice for pastors and parents, for pediatricians and educators, and for the good friends and colleagues of those struggling with gender identity. Dr. Mark Yarhouse is an author and psychology professor at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, where he runs the Sexual and Gender Identity Institute and the Mental Health Collective. Dr. Yarhouse is a clinical psychologist who specializes in conflicts tied to religious identity and sexual and gender identity. In particular, he assists people who are navigating the complex relationship between their sexual or gender identity and Christian faith.

Many of our most deeply cherished values and strongly held commitments did not arise out of ancient Persia, Sparta, or Rome, but they are uniquely and distinctively Christian. That is the powerful argument that Tom Holland makes in his book “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.” In this episode, we discuss how thoroughly Christianity has shaped Western society — so much so that we tend to take it for granted. With fresh insight and perspective, Tom discusses the radical strangeness of Christianity and the completely unexpected and charismatic figure of Jesus. For those individuals and parts of the world that have grown familiar or bored with the Christian story, Tom makes Christianity an object of curiosity once more. Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, author, translator, and broadcaster. He is co-presenter of the world’s most popular history podcast called “The Rest is History.” Among many other books, Tom is the author of “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.”

According to Jim Davis and Michael Graham, approximately 15% of American adults used to attend church at least once a month, but now they attend less than once a year. At first it might seem like this shift in religious participation supports the argument that traditional religion will wither away as society advances. To the contrary, a more detailed analysis of the research suggests that while the Church is no doubt facing serious challenges, there is also a significant degree of spiritual openness on the part of the “dechurched.” In this episode, Michael Graham offers wise and timely advice regarding how Christians can engage those who have stopped attending church. If we were to embody some of the principles he proposes — with diligence and prayer — we might witness a dramatic shift in the opposite direction. Michael Graham is the program director of the Keller Center for Apologetics and the co-author of “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Where Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?”

You don’t have to be a political scientist to recognize that American democracy is in crisis. It’s easy to see that we are living in a time of significant social upheaval. The problem is that many of the potential solutions we put forward to address the issues do not go deep enough. Most people, including many American Christians, often make the mistake of thinking that we can resolve our issues through political solutions. But James Davison Hunter believes it is naive to narrowly focus our energies on politics, because the root cause of our difficulties is not political or economic, but rather cultural. In this episode, leading sociologist James Davison Hunter discusses his most recent book, “Democracy and Solidarity,” which tells the story of how we arrived at our present cultural moment and how we should respond in an appropriate way, especially as Christians. James provides insightful commentary regarding our post-Christian and increasingly post-liberal society, the destructive emergence of a new common culture of nihilism (which even Christians are tempted to embrace), and the call for the Church to rediscover its true identity and enact a vision of the Kingdom of God with courage, conviction, and imagination. James Davison Hunter is Labrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory at the University of Virginia and the founder and director of the university’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. Hunter is the author of several books and the originator of the term “culture war.” He is the foremost expert on culture and how culture changes.

Two of the most opinionated and emotionally charged cultural arenas are higher education and politics. Campuses of higher education are ripe with fresh minds and strong opinions, but lately they have also been characterized by division, isolation, and loneliness. The strong polarization of the political sphere extends not only to colleges and universities but also to the American church. In this episode, historian and former university president Nathan Hatch reflects on the state of higher education in America and the political captivity that threatens the Christian church. Though there are significant issues plaguing our most important cultural institutions, Nathan suggests that these divisive times provide Christians with a remarkable opportunity to rise above ideological cults and make a positive difference. Nathan Hatch is the former provost of Notre Dame University, the president emeritus of Wake Forest University, and the author of the award-winning book “The Democratization of American Christianity.” An active leader in American higher education and in local and community affairs, he has served on the board of the American Council on Education and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2014.

When we consider the ways scripture can sometimes be mishandled, misinterpreted, and misapplied, it’s understandable why some people may feel put off by the Christian faith. If one is not careful, misreadings of the Bible can often result in an ethic that fosters chauvinism, sexism, or other dehumanizing ideologies — gender-related or otherwise. So how should we address these erroneous views? In this episode, author and speaker Rebecca McLaughlin explains why distancing ourselves from the Christian faith on account of harmful misinterpretations is not the solution; instead, we should seek God’s heart on the hot button topics of our day by stepping closer to the full storyline of the Bible. When we begin with the character of Jesus and his teachings, a very different ethic is uncovered — one that champions the dignity of men and women alike, celebrates the beauty of God’s design for human sexuality, and offers hope to a broken world. Rebecca McLaughlin grew up in the UK and holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Cambridge and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is the author of several books including Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion and Jesus Through the Eyes of Women.

If you feel dissatisfied or disappointed with the state of your romantic relationship—or lack thereof—or if you’re confused by the conflicting messages from our culture and from the Church regarding sex and sexuality, this episode is for you. Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, and speaker, and the author of a number of books including "Is God Anti-Gay?," "Why Bother with Church?," "7 Myths about Singleness" and "What God Has To Say About Our Bodies." In this episode, Sam shares his own personal story of wrestling with the Bible’s instruction on sexuality, and why he believes Jesus is still worth following. We discuss why it’s imperative for the Church to be a place of compassion, clarity, and courage, practical ways to love and care for friends with differing views on sexuality, and how the credibility of a Biblical ethic of sexuality is determined by the way in which the Church values and supports those who are single.

In addition to preaching, teaching, and providing pastoral care, pastors and Christian leaders today are increasingly expected to make pronouncements on the latest events in the news cycle while providing ongoing social and political commentary. But playing the role of a pundit is dangerous territory for a pastor. So what role should Christian leaders and the local church play in the public square? In the first episode of our second season we speak with Michael Wear about what the Christian tradition has to offer to public life and the opportunity Christians have to bring a sense of well being and joy to our political culture. Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer. Michael is the author of "Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America" and "The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life" which will be released on January 23, 2024.

Given the combustible relationship between the two, conventional wisdom suggests that you should never mix religion and politics. But that is an overly simplistic response. If you want to better understand the dynamic relationship between religion and politics—from the standpoint of Christianity as well as the Constitution—there is no one better to ask than Michael McConnell. Michael is a professor of constitutional law and the Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School as well as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a former Circuit Judge for the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. In addition to being a committed Christian, Michael is an expert on the First Amendment. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss religious freedom, the separation of church and state, the politicization of the church, the Capitol riot on January 6th, critical race theory, and the inspiring role that people of religious conviction have played in American history. Michael offers timely advice for how to mix religion and politics in all the right ways.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Princeton professor Eric Gregory about what we can learn from Augustine as we consider our fraught social life and divisive political culture. In true Augustinian fashion, we discuss how Christians should resist the false choices that are often presented to us, for example, between either idolizing America or condemning it, between either fleeing from the secular world of politics or embracing it in a kind of power grab, between either committing oneself to one’s nation or considering oneself a citizen of the world. Eric concludes the episode by offering some practical suggestions for how Christians can take inspiration from the past while creatively addressing problems in the present. Eric Gregory is Professor of Religion at Princeton University and the author of Politics and the Order of Love: An Augustinian Ethic of Democratic Citizenship. In addition to being an expert on Augustine, Eric teaches courses on religion, ethics, and politics.

There’s no question that we are living in a time of cultural upheaval, but it is nothing compared to the fall of Rome in 410 AD. Rome was considered the “eternal city” not only by pagans, but also by Christians who were equally distraught by its collapse. Civilization as they knew it had been shattered. And yet, despite the uncertainty and panic swirling around him, Augustine maintained his sense of balance and began writing The City of God just three years after the sack of Rome. When he completed the book 15 years later, Augustine gifted the church with an instant classic that would prove to be one of the most influential works in all of Western literature. In this episode, we speak with Princeton professor Eric Gregory about his personal faith commitments as a Christian, his concerns about the state of the broader Church in America, and his sense of why Augustine is such an important person for us to know and to read as we grapple with the tumultuous times of our own cultural moment. Eric Gregory is Professor of Religion at Princeton University and the author of Politics and the Order of Love: An Augustinian Ethic of Democratic Citizenship. A graduate of Harvard College, he earned a Master of Philosophy and Diploma in Theology from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and his doctorate in Religious Studies from Yale University. In addition to being an expert on Augustine, Eric teaches courses on religion, ethics, and politics.

Though interest in critical theory may have once been limited to academics, it has become a lightning rod issue among the general public in recent years. Given the complexity of the debate, how exactly should Christians assess critical theory from the standpoint of Scripture? In response to that question, I spoke with Christopher Watkin, whose most recent book is entitled, Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture. Christopher Watkin received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cambridge University and currently serves as a Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Chris Watkin specializes in contemporary French thought, with a special focus on the complex relationship between atheism and theism and its crucial implications for many aspects of thought and life. In this episode, we introduce critical theory in its broadest sense and discuss how any critical theory should be assessed from the standpoint of the Bible without succumbing to the common pitfalls of either naïveté or reductionism. Instead, Chris Watkin suggests that Christians must adopt the framework the Apostle Paul introduces in 1 Corinthians 1. There Paul supplies us with a model for how the wisdom of God, negatively, opposes and challenges every human culture, and yet at the same time, positively, fulfills the aspirations of every human culture by pointing to a greater fullness and richness that can only be found in the cross of Christ.

It is easy to bemoan the state of the church and the wider world as we consider the reality of racial division and political polarization. It is much more difficult to help pave new pathways for us to walk together, as Tony Lowden has done throughout his life. Tony Lowden is one of the few people who has pastored both black and white churches and has served under two Presidents, one a Democrat and the other a Republican. He was appointed the Executive Director of the Federal Interagency Council on Crime Prevention and Improving Reentry under the Trump Administration. In addition, Tony currently serves as the first black Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, a church that claims President Jimmy Carter as one of its members. In this episode, we discuss Tony’s inspiring rise from poverty in North Philadelphia to his work in government, education, and criminal justice reform, in addition to pastoring churches across the demographic and denominational spectrum. The episode concludes with a moving tribute to President Jimmy Carter’s faith as the 39th President faces his final days.

Though many have attempted to secularize the story, Charles Marsh has documented how the civil rights movement, especially from 1955 to 1964, was a church-centered, Christian movement in pursuit of “beloved community.” In this episode, we discuss why the movement began to fragment after 1964 and how John Perkins became one of the leading voices of biblical reconciliation in the American Church today. The episode concludes with a personal conversation with John Perkins on race and love and the Church’s vital role in our divisive times. Charles Marsh is the Commonwealth Professor of Religious Studies and the Director of the Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia. He is an expert on modern Christian thought with a particular emphasis on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the role of faith within the civil rights movement. Professor Marsh is the author of several award-winning books, including God’s Long Summer: Stories of Faith and Civil Rights and The Beloved Community: How Faith Shapes Social Justice from the Civil Rights Movement to Today. John Perkins is a pastor, leader, and best-selling author who has devoted his life to the pursuit of justice and reconciliation specifically from a Christian perspective. Dr. Perkins is the founder of Voice of Calvary Ministries and co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association. He is the author of several books, including One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love which represents the culmination of his life’s work and calling to biblical reconciliation.

Somewhat surprisingly, a number of people—on both the left and the right—have recently drawn parallels between Germany in the 1930s and America today. As an expert on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Charles Marsh argues that it would be irresponsible to draw too tight of a connection between that time and our own. We are living in a very different world. And yet there are a number of important lessons that must be learned from the past—and especially from Bonhoeffer’s heroic resistance to evil. Charles Marsh is the Commonwealth Professor of Religious Studies and the Director of the Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia. He is an expert on modern Christian thought with a particular emphasis on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the role of faith within the civil rights movement. Professor Marsh is the author of a riveting and insightful biography entitled, Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Some would argue that the term “evangelical” is no longer useful and should be abandoned because of the ways in which it has been politicized in recent years. But David Bebbington makes the alternative case that we owe it to fellow Christians around the globe to retrieve the term and the movement it represents from those who have distorted it. David Bebbington is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Stirling in Scotland and Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at Baylor University. He is a leading expert on the history of the global evangelical movement. Together with Mark Noll and George Marsden, David edited an important and influential book entitled, “Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be.”

David Bebbington famously introduced what many refer to as the “Bebbington Quadrilateral.” These four distinctive and interlocking emphases continue to be the gold standard for characterizing an evangelical, regardless of whether one uses that title to describe oneself—or not. In this episode, we discuss the criteria that should be used to identify an evangelical and why it matters as we consider the contemporary state of the Church. David Bebbington is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Stirling in Scotland and Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at Baylor University. He is a leading expert on the history of the global evangelical movement. Together with Mark Noll and George Marsden, David edited an important and influential book entitled, “Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be.”

More often than not, our attempts to address racial tensions in the United States are ineffective and many Christians are left wondering how they can pursue justice and racial reconciliation from a Biblical point of view. In this episode we speak with Dr. George Yancey, a professor of sociology at Baylor University who specializes in race relations and anti-Christian attitudes in the United States. In his most recent book, Beyond Racial Division, which was published in March 2022, Dr. Yancey critiques the two most dominant approaches to confronting racial issues in America today and offers a unifying alternative.

In this second part of our conversation with Mark Noll, we discuss the term ‘evangelical’—what it meant in the past, how it has been politicized in the present, and what it may mean in the future. Mark also shares advice for those who are seeking ways to decrease political polarization within the Church. Mark Noll is a world-renowned scholar specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States and one of the foremost experts on the evangelical movement in America. Mark’s most recent book, entitled “Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be,” was co-written with leading historians David Bebbington and George Marsden. Together they explore the past, present, and future of a movement in crisis.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the term ‘evangelical.’ Who are they and what exactly do they believe? If you have questions about evangelicals, there is no one better to ask than Mark Noll, a world-renowned scholar specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States and one of the foremost experts on the evangelical movement in America. Mark’s most recent book, entitled “Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be,” was co-written with leading historians David Bebbington and George Marsden. Together they explore the past, present, and future of a movement in crisis. In this first part of our conversation, we discuss the history of the evangelical movements, critical inflection points such as the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy of the early 1900s and the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization which was spearheaded by leading figures such as Billy Graham and John Stott.