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 258: Are We Heading For Mueller Malaise?

    March 24th, 2019  |  22 mins 35 secs

    We recorded this episode a half hour before the release of the summary of the Mueller report by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. We talk about it what it might mean for the country. We also talk about how people generally deal with uncertainty.

  • Episode 257: The Person vs The Principle

    March 19th, 2019  |  28 mins 39 secs

    In this episode, inspired by a piece published on the site of our friends over at Mockingbird, we talk about the relationship of the person of Christ to principles that we devise and even cherish.

  • Episode 256: Our Culture of Contempt

    March 16th, 2019  |  34 mins 11 secs

    In this episode, inspired by NY Times op-ed piece, we talk about the problem of contemptuousness in our culture.

  • Episode 255: The Methodist Church Controversy

    March 4th, 2019  |  42 mins 53 secs

    In this episode, after a few minutes talking news, we turn to the recent controversy about sexuality and LGBT inclusion in the United Methodist Church.

  • Episode 254: The Visible and the Invisible

    March 1st, 2019  |  27 mins 42 secs

    In this episode we talk about the visible and invisible church, and our ideals and the church's realities.

  • Episode 253: Facts Don't Change People's Minds

    February 19th, 2019  |  28 mins 30 secs

    In this episode, inspired by something we read online, we talk about the inability of facts to change minds. If facts are stubborn things, are our minds even more stubborn? Why is this the case?

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    Episode 252: The Righteous and The Woke...Flip Sides of the Same Coin?

    February 9th, 2019  |  42 mins 20 secs

    In this episode, inspired by a piece written by Valerie Tarico, we talk about the strange similarities between some types of conservative evangelicals and woke activists. Most people wouldn't see these groups having much in common. But does their particular sort of tribalism make their similarities greater than their differences?

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    Episode 251: Talking Theology, Culture and Counter-Culture with Dave Fitch

    February 5th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 mins

    In this episode we talk with friend and always interesting interlocutor David Fitch. Dave is a theologian, pastor and church planter. He's also a self-described "Neo-Anabaptist." He also identifies as an evangelical Christian. We ask him about his Neo-Anabaptist theological vision and how it relates to the evangelical tradition in North America.

  • Episode 250: 250!

    January 28th, 2019  |  1 hr 5 mins

    In this our 250th episode, we are joined by our friend Matt Milliner. We discuss a host of issues and ideas and do a lot of laughing along the way.

  • Episode 249: Grace is Grace

    January 16th, 2019  |  28 mins 15 secs

    In this episode we talk about grace. Specifically, we talk about the term common grace, and how to us grace always seems particular and special.

  • Episode 248: What We Worry About

    January 6th, 2019  |  32 mins 23 secs

    In this episode we talk about the things that keep us up at night, and the things that don't.

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    Episode 247: Origen, Irenaeus, and The Meaning of Christmas

    December 24th, 2018  |  27 mins 26 secs

    In this episode we consider two different ancient approaches to the meaning of redemption and the role of Jesus in it, and how it shapes our understanding of Christmas.

  • Episode 246: Keep the Christendom in Christmas

    December 10th, 2018  |  27 mins 10 secs

    In this episode we talk about the blessing of Advent and Christmas traditions and the benefits of living in a culture even superficially shaped by the Christian story.

  • Episode 245: Keeping The Faith

    November 23rd, 2018  |  40 mins 35 secs

    In this episode we interact with a recent piece that appeared on the Gospel Coalition website. The author claims that there is slippery slope (or natural progression?) from progressive evangelical Christianity to atheism. We're less than convinced.

  • Episode 244: Talking Politics at Thanksgiving

    November 21st, 2018  |  31 mins 41 secs

    In this episode we talk about how to deal with contentious hot button issues at the holiday dinner table.

  • Episode 243: Why We Need Evil

    November 20th, 2018  |  28 mins 5 secs

    In this episode we talk about what happens in the wake of horrific things when we lose the capacity to call them evil in a meaningful way.