New Persuasive Words

Episode 327: The Ecology of Christmas

December 20th, 2024  |  29 mins 58 secs

In this episode we contrast the ecology of the Roman Empire with the ecology of the Christmas story.

Episode 326: The Wind Cries Mary, with special guest Matt Milliner

December 18th, 2024  |  46 mins 45 secs

In this special holiday episode we talk with our good friend Matt Milliner about the Virgin Mary and her significance for the spiritual life.

Episode 325: Bad Religion?

December 10th, 2024  |  30 mins 27 secs

Can we have a truly secular society, or does religion always play some animating role in public life? If this is the case, are all religious cultural foundations created equal? And what does any of this have to do with Christmas?

Episode 324: An Address to some of Christianity's "Cultured Despisers"

December 7th, 2024  |  31 mins 59 secs

In this episode we address a listener's question and concerns. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree and is finding herself consistently confronted with criticisms of her religious faith. We offer some insights into how we might approach some of the criticisms of Christianity that she's regular hearing.

Episode 323: The Rise of Cultural Christianity

December 2nd, 2024  |  37 mins 15 secs

In this episode we talk about the new "cultural Christianity" that's growing in the United States. Is it taking over the conservative movement?

Episode 322: A Manichean Memento

November 29th, 2024  |  17 mins 12 secs

In this episode we talk about the new HBO Max series "The Penguin." We consider what it tells us about the nature of good and evil, the dangers of dualism and the goodness of creation.

Episode 321: The Gospel according to Peterson

November 26th, 2024  |  35 mins 38 secs

In this episode we talk about psychologist and public intellectual Jordan Peterson. He's been interacting with the Bible and the Western religious tradition for years, and now has a new book on the subject.

Episode 320: It's Friday, Sunday's Coming!

November 20th, 2024  |  33 mins 4 secs

In this episode we pa tribute to the recently deceased evangelist, sociologist, and activist Tony Campolo. He was pivotal in the development of late 20th century progressive evangelicalism and served as a spiritual advisor to former President Bill Clinton in the wake of the Monica Lewinski scandal.

Episode 319: Christ the King

November 19th, 2024  |  35 mins 2 secs

In this episode we reflect on the liturgical history and meaning of Christ the King Sunday. But first we banter about the news of the day.

Episode 318: The Real Election Podcast

November 15th, 2024  |  43 mins 15 secs

In this episode, amidst the political tsunami that hit last week, we talk about the election that counts. We look at the doctrine of election in the history of the church and what it means for us today amidst a moment of massive cultural change and anxiety.

Episode 317: Confessing the Faith Today, part 1

November 12th, 2024  |  36 mins 12 secs

barmen, barth, bonhoeffer, confession, theology

In this episode we talk about the nature of Christian confession. Why do we confess the faith? When do we do it and why? We'll talk specifically about the Barmen Declaration today in this ongoing occassional series.

Episode 316: Our Post-Election Autopsy

November 8th, 2024  |  41 mins 41 secs

In this episode we reflect on the results of this week's 2024 Presidential election. How'd we get here? What's next? Where is the country going?

Episode 315: A Requiem for the Evangelical Left

October 4th, 2024  |  35 mins 11 secs

In this episode we discuss the death of a progressive evangelical community in Philadelphia. We also consider what it means for the ongoing legacy of the "evangelical left."

Episode 314: The Promise of Presuppositionalism

September 30th, 2024  |  29 mins 15 secs

In this episode we talk about presuppositional apologetics. It's a 20th century strategy for defending religious faith. We consider what it tells us about the nature of religious faith, and what insights it gives into the process of thinking and making intellectual commitments.

Episode 313: Two Truths Are Better Than None

September 27th, 2024  |  26 mins 45 secs

In this episode we talk about our culture's propensity toward reductionism. We make the case that living with two truths in tension is better than settling for a truth.

Episode 312: Theological Family Trees

September 19th, 2024  |  44 mins 5 secs

In this episode we talk about theological family trees. What influences shape our core religious convictions and make us who we are? We also talk a little about the debate and the near extinction of humanity that almost happened 900,000 years ago.