New Persuasive Words

"The revival in religion will be a rhetorical problem - new persuasive words for defaced or degraded ones." - Thornton Wilder

About the show

New Persuasive Words is a sharp and insightful podcast that dissects the intersections of culture, politics, and theology with intellectual rigor and a conversational ease. Hosted by Scott Jones and Bill Borror, the show offers a thoughtful examination of contemporary issues, blending humor, historical perspective, and philosophical depth. With a keen eye for nuance and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, New Persuasive Words invites listeners into a space where ideas are tested, assumptions are questioned, and meaningful dialogue thrives.

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Episodes

  • Episode 294: Our Holiday 2021 Wrap Up

    December 22nd, 2021  |  43 mins 47 secs

    In this episode we give our reflections on 2021 as we head into the New Year.

  • Episode 293: Our Rittenhouse Report

    November 19th, 2021  |  26 mins 36 secs

    In this episode we share our thoughts on the Rittenhouse verdict. It will be an ongoing conversation in public and private life in North America for sure. This is our initial contribution. We offer it with a lot of mixed emotions. We hope it serves the public good.

  • Episode 292: 1776: Should We Have Fought The Revolutionary War?

    July 8th, 2021  |  35 mins 12 secs

    In this episode we pose a historical what if: What if the American colonists didn't fight the Revolutionary War in 1776?

  • Episode 291: Illiberal Liberalism?

    June 30th, 2021  |  50 mins 46 secs

    In this episode we ponder the relationship between classical liberalism and the contemporary left. Is the left illiberal? When does one get cancelled? And we even tell you how you can get us to do a live show in your neighborhood. Happy listening!

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    Episode 290: Should We Fear God?

    June 25th, 2021  |  41 mins 14 secs

    In this episode, after some recap of the news of the week, we ask a question: should we fear God?

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    Episode 289: We're Back!

    June 8th, 2021  |  24 mins 52 secs

    We're back...enough said!

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    Episode 288: To Be Free Or Not To Be

    February 19th, 2020  |  40 mins 41 secs

    We continue talking about the romance of Christian orthodoxy by looking at some of the ideas and figures that challenged it. This episode deals with one of Augustine's most famous opponents: Pelagius. They debated the nature of original sin and the capacity of human beings to choose the ultimate good, God.

  • Episode 287: American Paganism

    February 12th, 2020  |  38 mins 6 secs

    In this episode, our first one in the "new bunker", we discuss an article from Commonweal Magazine. In it David Albertson, a religion professor at USC, argues that many conservative intellectuals justify supporting Trump in the name of defending Christianity and fighting a new kind of American paganism. But what is paganism. What if it's not what we think it is?

  • Episode 286: Infinite Love?

    January 31st, 2020  |  29 mins 41 secs

    In this episode, joined by our friend Adam Morton, we discuss a controversial tweet that Tim Keller posted about the Trinity and the Cross.

  • Episode 285: The Two Popes

    January 30th, 2020  |  28 mins 9 secs

    In this episode we talk about the recently released Netflix film The Two Popes.

  • Episode 284: Merry Christmas

    December 24th, 2019  |  31 mins 6 secs

    This is our annual Christmas episode. Have a great holiday!

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    Episode 283: Iconoclasm

    December 7th, 2019  |  48 mins 52 secs

    In this episode, joined by Matthew Milliner, we talk about iconoclasm. The Iconoclastic Controversy, was a dispute over the use of religious images (icons) in the Byzantine Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries. The Iconoclasts (those who rejected images) objected to icon veneration for several reasons, including the Old Testament prohibition against images in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4) and the possibility of idolatry. The defenders of the use of icons insisted on the symbolic nature of images and on the dignity of created matter.

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    Episode 282: Fully Human, Fully Divine

    November 29th, 2019  |  42 mins 35 secs

    We continue our "Romance of Orthodoxy" series. We've been considering the development of Christian orthodoxy and some of the major challenges and debates that helped formulate the heart of the Christian faith. In this episode we consider the Fourth Century controversies that led to the Chalcedonian Council, which declared that Christ had two natures in one person, and the relationship between the natures.

  • Episode 281: Arianism

    November 13th, 2019  |  35 mins 54 secs

    In this episode we continue talking about the Romance of Christian Orthodoxy, considering what many consider to be the grandest heresy of them all: Arianism.

  • Episode 280: No Gnosis is Good Gnosis...

    October 23rd, 2019  |  36 mins 28 secs

    In this episode we continue our series on the Romance of Orthodoxy. We consider the heresy that seems to have perennial appeal in Christian history: Gnosticism.

  • Episode 279: Modalism: The Clark Kent/Superman Trinity

    October 22nd, 2019  |  32 mins 6 secs

    Continuing our series about the Romance of Orthodoxy, we consider the modalist heresy, which holds that Father, Son, and Spirit are really not persons but more like masks or roles God puts on in relationship to the world.