Life and Books and Everything is a podcast hosted by Kevin DeYoung where discussions center on, well, life and books and everything. As a church pastor and theology professor, Kevin loves to talk about faith, theology, history, current events, and the occasional hot topic. The format for LBE includes interviews with leading authors and thinkers, recurring conversations with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen, and the occasional solo musing from Kevin. Listen in and we hope you will learn something, laugh a little, and get some good book recommendations along the way.
For many of us, the danger is not that we would explicitly deny the Word of God. The danger is that we nullify the truth in other, more subtle ways. In this article, Kevin reads from a devotional he wrote for "By Faith" for the 50th anniversary of the PCA.
Kevin sits down with John for a return visit to LBE to talk about John’s new book, “Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ” (Crossway). Hear what John Piper thinks about the rapture, the millennium, and why it is essential that we love Christ’s appearing. Kevin and John also talk about the long list of books John has written, what he does for fun, and what very long audiobook he is listening to.
We must never use apologetics—or for that matter, contextualization—as a way to make hard truths less noticeable or the offense of the gospel more palatable. In this article from WORLD Opinions, Kevin encourages Christians to be bold and courageous in the face of cultural accusations.
A Princeton University president, teacher, preacher, politician, Declaration of Independence signatory, and a slave owner. As an early American patriot, John Witherspoon has been the center of some recent controversy as a statue of him may be removed from historic Princeton University library grounds. In this episode, Kevin reads from his article written for “Princetonians for Free Speech” and adds new information to his December 2022 article regarding Witherspoon's estate at the end of his life...
Before we denounce most leaders as Pharisees and large swaths of the church as complicit in the evil deeds of darkness, let’s make sure we are not trafficking in well-meaning, but unhelpful, myths. This article, written for WORLD Opinions, urges Christians to be aware of and address sin, but to abstain from assigning widespread guilt to the church as a whole.
If you want a longer-than-usual discussion about football, you’ve come to the right episode. After ruminating on why Americans like football so much, the three amigos turn their attention to more familiar themes, prognosticating on which Christians around today will still be known 50 years from now. This leads to a subsequent discussion about strategy versus faithfulness, and then a final conversation about the missing piety in our age. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and Sponsor 2:11 Banter and Listene...
In this Episode from an written for Christ Over All, Kevin discusses the moral and economic affects that abortion has on mothers, families, and women.
There are many worthwhile battles to fight in life. The most important, most necessary, and most dangerous is the war we must wage against sin, flesh, and the devil. A new year means new opportunities to grow as Christians. This article written for WORLD Opinions, encourages believers to focus on spiritual development this new year instead of fighting battles outside of themselves.
A Princeton University president, teacher, preacher, politician, Declaration of Independence signatory, and a slave owner. As an early American patriot, John Witherspoon has been the center some recent controversy as a statue of him may be removed from historic Princeton University library grounds. In this episode, Kevin reads from his article written for “Princetonians for Free Speech” and reflects on his life as a whole, including his status as land owner and what his motives were for also own...
In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from his recent article in WORLD opinions about the curse in the garden, the hope and promise of Christ's coming, and our restoration to communion with God.
Kevin reads from his article in The Gospel Coalition to encourage pastors to forego the cliche and cute and stick to preaching "the old, old story" this Christmas.
The gang is back for one last episode in 2022. There is the usual sports banter (very brief), and some good natured ribbing toward Justin, who seems to know nothing about pop culture but still has dreams about Elvis. The three friends share some of their favorite reads from the past year, and they wrap things up discussing an article by Paul House about J.I. Packer and how to renew evangelicalism.
For as much as the CFH talks about inclusion and the free exchange of ideas, it is clear that the present leadership of the historical guild assumes conclusions on the left. In this response to a recent article published by Jay Green, Kevin discusses the pitfalls of using history for activist purposes.
Several months ago, Daniel McCarthy—editor of Modern Age and Editor-at-Large of The American Conservative —published an essay in First Things entitled “The Right Right.” McCarthy’s essay was a review of Yoram Hazony’s Conservatism: A Rediscovery and Matthew Continetti’s The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism . In this episode of LBE, McCarthy talks about what was commendable in both books, and where both works can be fairly critiqued. Kevin asks Daniel about his review, about ...
With what little we know about St. Nicholas, it is safe to say he would not be pleased to know he had eclipsed Christ in the hearts of many as the central figure of Christmas. In this episode, Kevin reads from his article in The Gospel Coalition about the life and legacy of St. Nicholas.
In this article written for Crossway, Kevin discusses the meaning of the term "marriage" and how Christians should view same-sex unions.
With so many sad things in our world, it can be difficult to see any bright spots. This article reminds Christians of the hope of Christmas.
In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his article from The Gospel Coalition and pleads with pastors not to cancel Christmas services this year.
Happy Thanksgiving from Life and Books and Everything! In this episode, Kevin reads from his recent article in WORLD Opinions about the history of an American holiday and the opportunity it presents to Christians to display their thankfulness.
If you love long words like antidisestablishmentarianism and are looking for a deep dive into history, then this episode is for you. Jonathan is a professor at Samford University who specializes in the founding era of American history. He joins Kevin to talk about the 50 years process by which the American states ended their church establishments. Find out how it happened, why it happened, and why it did not happen (hint: it wasn’t because secularism was winning out over Christianity). Timestamp...
In this fun, punchy, and (hopefully) edifying conversation, Kevin interviews his good friend, Mark Dever, about his conversion, his ministry on Capitol Hill, whether you have to be an extrovert to evangelize, and why Kevin likes G.K. Chesterton and Mark doesn’t. Timestamps: Intro, Guest, and Sponsor [0:00-4:21] Does Membership Make Churches Unfriendly? [4:22-8:58] Dever's Youth and Conversion [8:59-15:13] Practicals for Evangelism [15:14-19:14] Dever's Later Education [19:15-25:42] Ministry in D...
Was America founded on purely Christian principles and ideals? Or, were the founding fathers simply trying to prevent corruption and preserve the sanctity of consciousness? In this article for WORLD opinions, Kevin discusses three observable pillars that make up the famous and crucial founding principles of America’s heritage.
The three amigos enter into a meandering conversation about Christian Nationalism and try to discern the level of the world’s hostility to the church in this cultural moment. They also make some political predictions and (most importantly) encourage Christian leaders that, whatever the winds blowing against us, the fundamental realities of ministry have not changed. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:30] Sports Banter [1:31-2:51] Election Predictions [2:52-10:35] Christian Nationalism [10:36-...
Reformation Day may be behind us, but a huge responsibility lies before us. The faith of the Reformation must be kept alive because the ideas Luther combatted are just as much present in our own day. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions on the modern world and its new forms of works righteousness.
Christians don’t just disagree on political principles or on a number of political conclusions. Christians disagree on how Christianity and politics relate to each other in the first place. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his recent article in WORLD opinions, "Does Christianity Transcend All Our Political Disagreements?"
Have you ever wanted to sit down with an older godly pastor and just ask him about life for an hour? Well, that’s what Kevin tries to do with Sinclair in this wide-ranging conversation that talks about Scotland, America, books, preaching, Shetland ponies, Groundskeeper Willie, and the Queen. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:43] Talking about Yourself [1:44-2:47] A Scottish Perspective on the US [2:48-11:22] Where Did Scotland Lose its Christian Heritage? [11:23-21:39] Ministry in Scotland [...
Too often Christian leaders lay impossible burdens on their people, insisting that they solve a host of social ills and become experts in a thousand different areas, forgetting to assure them that to get married, raise children in the church, and stay married is a life well lived. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for First Things where he makes the case that the most significant thing happening in the world may very well be a thing that is n...
Coming out of a consulting background, Aaron Renn is now a regular contributor to many important conversations among Christians and conservatives. In this interview, Kevin asks Aaron about the three worlds of evangelicalism and how we should think about elites. They also discuss where evangelicalism has faltered and where it has been too hard on itself. Intro & Sponsor [0:00-1:37] Guest: Aaron Renn [1:38-7:47] Rose-Colored Rural Areas [7:48-10:29] What Does Western Society Think of the Churc...
With more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, not to mention scores of edited works, Don Carson has written a lot. In this retrospective on life and books and everything, Kevin asks Dr. Carson about his father, how he sees the state of the church, and what books he especially enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) writing. From Bible commentaries to books on current events to a grammar on Greek accents, Kevin explores the why, what, and how of Don’s remarkable writing career. Timestamps: Intro and Sponso...
Evangelicals who set down the path toward LGBTQ acceptance rarely turn around and head back in the other direction. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions about why evangelicals surrender to the LGBTQ agenda.
