Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his Republican presidential campaign yesterday and endorsed former President Donald Trump. His decision leaves Mr. Trump and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley as the last major candidates remaining in the race ahead of tomorrow’s New Hampshire Republican primary. His announcement is making headlines not just because it could change the race for the White House but because that race will change our lives. And yet, in a very real and foundational sense, the ultim...
Jan 22, 2024•6 min
Today marks the 51st annual March for Life in Washington D.C. It’ll be followed later this weekend by the 40th annual National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. These events offer us the chance to remember that, while abortion is a political issue in many ways, nothing is going to change until it becomes a personal one as well. So how can we help that shift happen today? Author: Ryan Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https:/...
Jan 19, 2024•5 min
Why have abortions increased since Roe v. Wade’s overturn in 2022? Why do so many Americans support abortion? What are the broader implications for our culture? When the rights of the unborn are overlooked, the nation's moral fabric is at stake. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/how-can-so-many-americans-be-so-wrong-on-abortion/ For Princeton University’s large collec...
Jan 18, 2024•6 min
Elton John now has an EGOT (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) after having won an Emmy for his Disney+ live performance from Dodger Stadium. But the list of EGOT members continues to lengthen. In other news, the World Economic Forum in Davos will discuss “Disease X,” which could cause twenty times for casualties than COVID-19. When it comes to forecasting the future, “greatness” is available to no one. How can we best prepare for an unknown tomorrow? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elki...
Jan 17, 2024•6 min
While Iowans braved the cold and voted for Donald Trump at the Iowa caucuses last night, the 75th annual Emmy Awards also aired. Succession and The Bear each took home six awards—at least, we think they did. Since we now know that ESPN employed a fraudulent scheme in recent years to acquire more than thirty Emmys for sportscasters who were ineligible to receive them, we’re left to wonder. How fully do you trust our political system, institutions, and leaders? How much do you trust what you see r...
Jan 16, 2024•8 min
At the Iowa Republican Caucus tonight, thousands of Republicans will brave wind chills forecasted at -35 ° to participate in the first contest of the 2024 presidential election. How will their choices dictate our future? More broadly speaking, why is our world so unpredictable and oftentimes chaotic? Why would an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God create such a place? Actually, he didn’t. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read...
Jan 15, 2024•9 min
The Book of Clarence is a movie with Jesus that isn’t really about Jesus. As such, it takes a good deal of creative license with the biblical story. But does that make it blasphemy? And does a story have to be about Jesus to help us know him better? Let’s take a look at what the film teaches about Jesus—and us. Author: Ryan Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/is-the-book-of-clarenc...
Jan 12, 2024•5 min
Israel announced recently that it intends to kill every Hamas leader behind the October 7 massacre, wherever they are in the world. The IDF knows precisely where Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 terror attacks, is hiding in Gaza. Why haven’t they taken him out? Because he is hiding behind a large number of Israeli hostages. What should we think of a God who allows people to suffer for sins they didn’t commit? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.deni...
Jan 11, 2024•4 min
When an Alaska Airlines flight door blew out last Friday, no one was sitting next to it. Was this a miracle? If so, why did God allow the near-disaster? If God did in fact save lives on that plane, couldn’t he have prevented the accident? Because he is omniscient and omnipotent, the answer is clearly yes. So why does God sometimes do what seems best, but not always? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://ww...
Jan 10, 2024•3 min
The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies decisively last night to win this year’s NCAA national football championship. I was discussing the popularity of spectator sports with my son, Dr. Ryan Denison, and he noted, “The best part of sports is the chance to be irrationally hopeful with little consequence for doing so.” He’s right: not much that can happen to an athlete during a game is likely to happen to a fan watching the game. We get to “play” the game with little risk to ourse...
Jan 09, 2024•6 min
Oppenheimer won five Golden Globes last night, including best drama, while Barbie took the award for cinematic and box office achievement. Each movie’s popularity reveals something different and concerning about our culture and our souls. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/oppenheimer-and-barbie-win-golden-globes/ Discover our new and free online course, The Greatest C...
Jan 08, 2024•7 min
With the third anniversary of the US Capitol attack coming up tomorrow, reactions to the event continue to dominate the news. President Biden plans to give a speech on the subject while former president Trump has two campaign events planned for the same day. Rather than attempt to relitigate what happened three years ago, let’s shift our attention to one of the most important and relevant lessons we can learn from it to help guard our witness and walk with the Lord today. Author: Ryan Denison, P...
Jan 05, 2024•6 min
As the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol approaches, attention is being focused on the question: Was it an “insurrection”? The question matters enormously since two states have now barred former President Trump from appearing on their election ballots after claiming that he participated in such an action on January 6. And there’s an even more foundational issue here that speaks to the future of our democracy. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscr...
Jan 04, 2024•8 min
Claudine Gay announced her resignation as Harvard’s president yesterday after a new round of accusations surfaced over plagiarism in her scholarly work. She has been facing mounting criticism over how she responded to antisemitism on campus as well. The story shows that even the president of America’s oldest and most highly endowed institution of higher education is not immune to criticism from the constituents she serves. Theirs is a transactional and symbiotic relationship. Rare is the relatio...
Jan 03, 2024•7 min
We can predict anything except the future. In 2023, would you have guessed Taylor Swift would break a record held by Elvis Presley? Or that Michigan and Washington would play for the NCAA football championship? Or that Israel would be withdrawing troops in a war they didn’t anticipate? But there’s one prediction you can build your life upon in this new year. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.deniso...
Jan 02, 2024•7 min
From the Times Square ball drop in New York City to the MoonPie drop in Mobile, Alabama, America has long celebrated the new year in interesting ways. In this new year, how can you resolve to make Jesus your king? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/ringing-in-2024-with-a-moonpie-and-bologna/...
Jan 01, 2024•7 min
Going into 2024, what is the most significant step you can take into “spiritual enlightenment” for the sake of our nation and your soul? An article titled “Our Godless era is dead” by Paul Kingsnorth offers a sobering yet inspiring perspective on the necessity of religion and why rejecting God ultimately doesn’t work. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/our-godless-era-...
Dec 29, 2023•8 min
US officials met yesterday with Mexico’s president, seeking measures to limit a surge of migrants reaching the US southwestern border. Meanwhile, a caravan with an estimated 7,500 members is making its way toward the border this morning. What is causing this crisis? How should we think biblically and act redemptively in response? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/immi...
Dec 28, 2023•7 min
The Urban Dictionary says, “Wyoming is supposedly a state.” If you were to prove that article wrong, how would you do so? Here’s the problem: many in our secularized culture are as skeptical of Jesus’ present-tense reality as the Urban Dictionary seems to be of Wyoming. Author and narrator: Jim Denison, PhD Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/is-wyoming-a-state/...
Dec 27, 2023•6 min
The most notable Christmas decoration in Bethlehem was a large Nativity scene in ruins, with shepherds climbing piles of rubble and Jesus, Mary, and Joseph huddled in the midst of destruction. Nothing humans do can prevent Jesus from “finding room in the world.” To the contrary, he is just as present on this day after Christmas as he was on that first Christmas two millennia ago. Even more so, in fact, in ways that are deeply hopeful and urgent for our world and our souls. Author and narrator: J...
Dec 26, 2023•6 min
It's hard to imagine how Jesus could have come in a more humble and lowly way than he did. So why did he arrive as a baby in Bethlehem when he did? The more I reflect upon such miraculous grace, the less I understand it. But I don’t have to understand God’s love to experience it. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/the-longer-i-live-the-less-i-understand-christmas/...
Dec 25, 2023•7 min
Chick-fil-A stands apart from its competitors for many reasons, but their insistence on staying closed on Sundays is among the most unique. Now a proposed bill in New York seeks to change that, declaring that the policy is not “in the public good.” Let’s take a closer look at how this conflict is likely to play out and what it can teach us about engaging with the culture today. Author: Ryan Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Articl...
Dec 22, 2023•8 min
Before the season began, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy—Mr. Irrelevant—told a reporter, “God has me where he needs me.” He’s also said, “The bottom line, my identity is in Jesus.” If more Americans had the same “bottom line,” our democracy would be secured and empowered in paradoxical ways we urgently need to embrace today. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/brock-purdy...
Dec 21, 2023•7 min
Colorado’s Supreme Court has barred former president Donald Trump from having his name included on their 2024 ballots for the US presidency. Similar cases are have been brought in more than half of the states. What could this mean for the 2024 presidential election? What could it mean for our democracy? And how can Christians respond biblically? Author and narrator: Jim Denison, PhD Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-articl...
Dec 20, 2023•12 min
Holiday movies like Elf offer “feelings of hope and renewal” because of their cheesiness and predictability. In a world where North Korea has fired an ICBM with the range to strike the US and COVID may spike again this Christmas season, we often need the distraction that holiday films provide. But there is only one source for true joy, hope, and renewal. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonfor...
Dec 20, 2023•6 min
With the New York Times headline “Pope Francis allows priests to bless same-sex couples,” many may mistakenly believe that the pope (and, by extension, the Catholic Church) is endorsing homosexual relationships. However, the truth is much more complicated—and a foundational mistake with massive cultural ramifications. Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe Read The Daily Article: https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/pope-blessing-sa...
Dec 19, 2023•9 min
Seven people were arrested in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands last week on suspicion of planning attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe. Four of the seven were suspected Hamas members. If the terrorist group’s hatred of Jews spreads across the West, the October 7 atrocities may be the beginning of a larger genocidal movement against the Jewish people and everyone who supports them. How can we fight antisemitism? Suggested SEO keywords hamas europe Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: ...
Dec 18, 2023•8 min
The satanic display at the Iowa state capitol building was torn down yesterday in a move that, in many ways, epitomizes the varied approaches believers often take to the Christmas culture wars. But that pagan idol was not the only Christmas display to make headlines in recent days. Taken together, they offer an opportunity to have a much-needed conversation about the best way to engage with the culture about Christmas. Suggested SEO keywords satanic display iowa Author: Ryan Denison, PhD Narrato...
Dec 15, 2023•9 min
The latest Godzilla movie is getting rave reviews and shattering box office records after a massive opening weekend. The movie’s themes are a sign of our war-torn times. So too is the fact that some are calling this the “Age of Unhingement.” At the same time, Pew Research Center reports that seven in ten US adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way. If we’re so spiritual, why are we so unhappy? Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subsc...
Dec 14, 2023•7 min
Who are the Houthis? Their attacks have been targeting commercial vessels in the Middle East for several days. Two missiles fired from territory held by Houthi rebels in Yemen missed a commercial tanker loaded with jet fuel today. And US Navy ships have shot down an array of drones headed their way believed to have been launched by the militant group. How much of a threat are the Houthis to Israel and the US? The answers are troubling for the region and are contributing to the growing prospect o...
Dec 13, 2023•8 min
