New Persuasive Words
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
333 episodes of New Persuasive Words since the first episode, which aired on August 7th, 2015.
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Episode 363: Dying to Live: Death and Resurrection as the Key to Life
June 17th, 2025 | 35 mins 57 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Bill and Scott explore how the pattern of death and resurrection—so central to the Christian story—is also the essential rhythm of a thriving personal and public life. From letting go of ego and outdated identities to embracing new beginnings in our relationships, vocations, and politics, they argue that true transformation always passes through some form of dying. Drawing on theology, personal experience, and cultural analysis, they reflect on how this pattern can help us navigate a time of great institutional and existential upheaval. This isn't about escapism or sentimentality—it's about finding hope and renewal on the far side of surrender.
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Episode 362: Can The Trinity Save Democracy?
June 15th, 2025 | 44 mins
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Bill and Scott explore the deep theological mystery of the Trinity in light of Trinity Sunday. But this isn’t just a church calendar check-in—we argue that the doctrine of the Trinity offers more than abstract metaphysics. It might just be the key to renewing the moral and relational foundations of liberal democratic society. Drawing from both ancient theology and contemporary political concerns, we ask: What does it mean to live in a world shaped by communion, difference, and love? And can the Trinitarian vision help us resist the isolating forces of individualism, authoritarianism, and despair? Tune in for a conversation that’s equal parts creed and critique.
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Episode 361: Come On Spirit, Light My Fire
June 7th, 2025 | 34 mins 50 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill turn their attention to Pentecost—the wild, world-tilting moment when the Spirit descends, tongues ignite, and the Church is born not with decorum, but with fire. We explore what it means to be a Spirit-filled people in an anxious age, how Pentecost upends our tidy categories, and why divine disruption might be the most faithful thing to pray for. Along the way, we ask: is the Spirit more dangerous than we’ve let on? And could the chaos be the point? Come, Holy Spirit—and bring matches.
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Episode 360: Lifted Up: The Meaning of Christ’s Ascension
May 29th, 2025 | 26 mins 44 secs
On this Ascension Day, Scott and Bill turn their attention to one of the most theologically rich and often overlooked events in the Christian calendar: the Ascension of Christ. What does it mean that Jesus was "lifted up" into heaven? Why does it matter that the risen Christ ascends rather than remains? In this episode, the hosts explore the biblical, historical, and spiritual dimensions of the Ascension, reflecting on how this event reorients our understanding of power, presence, and promise. Join us as we consider how the Ascension is not the absence of Christ, but the beginning of his reign—and what that means for the Church today.
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Episode 359: An Augustinian on the Chair of Peter: Further Reflections on Pope Leo XIV
May 21st, 2025 | 33 mins 4 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill explore the historic election of Pope Leo XIV and what it means for the Catholic Church—and the broader Christian imagination—to have an Augustinian pope. Drawing on their theological backgrounds and love of ecclesial history, they unpack the significance of Augustinian thought in shaping Christian identity, politics, and hope. What might Leo XIV's theological grounding signal for the Church’s engagement with modernity, moral complexity, and spiritual formation? Tune in as they consider the possibilities of this new papacy and its potential to reframe conversations across the Christian world.
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Episode 358: The American Pope
May 9th, 2025 | 25 mins 43 secs
n the latest episode of the New Persuasive Words podcast, hosts Scott Jones and Bill Borror delve into the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost. As the first American and first Augustinian to ascend to the papacy, Pope Leo XIV's election marks a significant moment in the Catholic Church's history.
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Episode 357: Grace In Politics
May 5th, 2025 | 47 mins 2 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, we explore the radical implications of grace for the political sphere through the lens of Paul Zahl’s chapter “Grace in Politics” from his book Grace in Practice. What does it mean to bring a theology of one-way love into the often merciless arena of public life? Can grace shape policy, dialogue, and civic engagement in a culture of outrage and polarization? Join us as we consider how Zahl’s vision challenges both left and right, and invites us into a different kind of political imagination—one rooted not in power, but in mercy.
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Episode 356: Paganism, Power, and the Promise of Rehumanization
May 4th, 2025 | 36 mins 22 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Bill Borror and Scott Jones reflect on the cultural and spiritual atmosphere of our time — an era increasingly shaped by power, ego, and domination. Drawing a sharp contrast between ancient pagan ideals and the Judeo-Christian moral tradition, they examine how figures like Donald Trump symbolize more than political authority; they reflect a deeper cultural drift toward spectacle, conquest, and narcissism.
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Episode 355: Proper Confidence Revisited
May 1st, 2025 | 32 mins 55 secs
In this episode, we’re diving into an essay Scott wrote for Mockingbird Ministries. It's called “A Proper Confidence,” and it's reflection on what it really means to have faith in the modern world. Drawing heavily on the work of theologian Lesslie Newbigin, he hallenges the idea that faith needs to be about absolute certainty. Instead, he argues that Christian confidence should be grounded in a personal, lived commitment to following Christ—not in proving something beyond doubt.
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Episode 354: From Order to Chaos: The Unraveling of the Post-Cold War Dream
April 24th, 2025 | 28 mins 48 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, we trace the dramatic rise and fall of the liberal democratic order that shaped the world after the Cold War. Between 1988 and 2003, liberal democracy flourished, free trade expanded, and a rules-based international order took root. But by 2014, that world was coming apart.
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Episode 353: The Death of the World's Conscience
April 21st, 2025 | 26 mins 51 secs
In this episode of the New Persuasive Words podcast, we reflect on the life, legacy, and passing of Pope Francis. From his unexpected election as the first Jesuit pope and first from the Global South, to his efforts to shift the tone of the Catholic Church toward mercy, justice, and care for the marginalized—Pope Francis was a singular figure in a time of deep cultural and religious change. We discuss what his papacy meant for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, how he navigated the complexities of modernity with humility and courage, and what his death might mean for the future of the Church and the world.
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Episode 352: What's so Holy about this Saturday?
April 19th, 2025 | 33 mins 10 secs
In this episode of New Persuasive Words, we reflect on the meaning of Holy Saturday—the in-between day of waiting, silence, and uncertainty. We explore its theological significance, its emotional resonance in times of personal and collective loss, and what it can teach us about living faithfully in the tension between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Join us as we consider how Holy Saturday might speak to our contemporary moment, inviting us to sit with mystery, grief, and hope.
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Episode 351: Spy Wednesday
April 16th, 2025 | 29 mins 21 secs
In this episode of the podcast, recorded on Holy Wednesday—also known as Spy Wednesday—we turn our attention to one of the most enigmatic and troubling figures in the story of Jesus: Judas Iscariot. Traditionally remembered as the day Judas conspired to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Spy Wednesday invites us to reflect not only on the act of betrayal, but on the deeper questions it raises about loyalty, fate, forgiveness, and the role of evil in a redemptive story. What do we make of Judas? Was he a necessary part of the divine plan, or simply a tragic figure lost to greed and disillusionment? Join us as we explore the complexity of Judas’s role and what it means for how we understand the Passion narrative today.
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Episode 350: Holy Moly, it's Holy Monday!
April 14th, 2025 | 36 mins 2 secs
In this episode of the podcast, we talk a little bit about Holy Monday—the often-overlooked day in Holy Week that nonetheless carries rich theological and spiritual significance. We reflect on the stories and symbols associated with the day, and what they might have to say to us in our own moment. Join us as we explore how the drama of Holy Week continues to speak to faith, justice, and the human condition.
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Episode 349: The Politics of Palm Sunday
April 11th, 2025 | 34 mins 26 secs
In this episode of the podcast, we explore the political implications of Palm Sunday. Far from being a quaint prelude to Easter, Palm Sunday is a dramatic act of public protest—Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a deliberate, provocative counter-procession to the powers of this world. We unpack how this story speaks to the tension between religious hope and political realism, between divine kingship and human authority. What does it mean to follow a king who rides a donkey? And how might Palm Sunday reframe our understanding of power, resistance, and public witness in a time of political uncertainty? Join us as we reflect on the subversive message at the heart of Holy Week.
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Episode 348: Liberation Day!
April 2nd, 2025 | 40 mins 29 secs
In this episode of the podcast, we wrestle with a fundamental question at the heart of American political life: what happens when a society loses its sense of meaning? Inspired by a striking passage from Robert Jenson’s Story and Promise, we explore the creeping influence of nihilism in our political culture—how it erodes trust, hollows out institutions, and leaves us grasping for narratives that can hold us together. Is there a way forward? Can we recover a sense of shared purpose in an era of cynicism and fracture? Join us as we take a thoughtful, clear-eyed look at the challenge ahead and consider what it will take to rebuild faith—not just in politics, but in the very idea of a common good.