What causes "Trump-fever"? According to Baptist pastor and Trump cheerleader, Robert Jeffress, it's all about abortion. He calls never-Trump evangelicals "spineless morons" because they won't admit that Trump has been an effective pro-life president. Is he right? Not according to a new book called "Alienated America" by Timothy Carney. His data says cultural pessimism explains why some Republican towns embraced Trump in the primaries while other rejected him. Could that also explain his evangeli...
Feb 27, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Michael Wear has seen the intersection of faith and politics from the inside. Having worked in the White House and for political campaigns, Wear says the current state of politics reveals a crisis of discipleship in the American church. He talks with Skye about the way politics is shaping our faith when it ought to be the other way around. They also discuss the 2020 presidential candidates & their mixed messages about faith. Also this week, Phil and Skye discuss why the Swiss gave up on thei...
Feb 21, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Bob Jones University didn't admit black students until the 1970s and didn't permit interracial dating until 2000. For decades the school was a symbol of white Christian racism, so why did Theon Hill, an African-American who grew up near Chicago, choose to attend BJU? Hill is now a professor at Wheaton College and shares what he learned about faith and racism from his undergraduate years at Bob Jones. Also this week, Phil and Skye discuss the rising popularity of Bible-based diets like the Daniel...
Feb 13, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Does using medicine mean we distrust God? Are all sins really the same? Don't annihilationists and atheists believe the same thing? You asked and we answer in this week's special mailbag show. Plus, a Canadian denomination allows an atheist to be a pastor. Can we solve the abortion battle by going for the Democrat's "Green New Deal? New data says most Christian millennials think evangelism is wrong. Plus, Phil and Skye react to the Super Bowl half-time show and debate who murdered Phil's ukulele...
Feb 06, 2019•1 hr 12 min
An influential pastor has created a controversy by saying the 10 Commandments don't apply to Christians anymore. Our favorite Buckeye Bible guy, Mike Erre, is back to talk with Skye about how the Old Testament relates to the New. Phil and Skye discuss the latest round of megachurch pastor scandals, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard apologizes for being raised Catholic, and Karen Pence, the vice president's wife, ignites moral outrage for teaching at a Christian school that requires...
Jan 30, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Jon Ward is back! He's the senior political correspondent for Yahoo News and the author of the new book Camelot's End about the 1980 primary fight between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy. Ward unpacks the current dynamics within the Republican and Democratic parties, and what to expect as we move toward the 2020 election. Also this week: Christians freak out over "McJesus" in Israel, social media freaks out over Catholic teens with MAGA hats in Washington, and is the 400-year-old white Western Chri...
Jan 23, 2019•1 hr 16 min
Confused about the current standoff in Washington over the president's border wall? Matthew Soerens, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief and National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, is back to help us make sense of it all. He explains how the failure of immigration bills since 2013 got us to this place, and why neither Democrats nor Republicans are pursuing a common sense compromise. He also offers his thoughts on why so many Christians fail to see immigratio...
Jan 16, 2019•1 hr 18 min
How's your new year resolution going? Drew Dyck is back to discuss his new book about self-discipline—which we all need more of. Unlike other books on the subject, his combines biblical wisdom with the latest findings from brain science, and Drew used himself as a guinea pig for research. Also this week, a teenage biohacker injected himself with DNA coded from the Bible. Is the lost Ark in Ethiopia? And more evidence political identity is more important that religious identity for white American...
Jan 09, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Should social media companies be held responsible for the harm users inflict on their platforms? What about pharmaceutical companies marketing opioids? And gun manufacturers? Phil, Skye, and Christian get into a lively discussion about regulation and responsibility. Plus, can evangelical political engagement be explained by the 5 stages of grief? A new article argues white evangelicals will be politically marginalized by 2024, but they may continue to have a disproportionate influence. And a par...
Jan 02, 2019•42 min
Do your church leaders want to use you or equip you? Pastor and cultural architect, Dave Gibbons, joins Skye for a conversation about the future of the church. Having experienced everything from fundamentalism, to the seeker megachurch, and urban multiethnic ministry, Gibbons has an interesting take on where things are heading. Hint—its about launching people not institutions. Phil and Skye also discuss Andrew Sullivan's new article in which he argues that America's new religion of "progress" is...
Dec 19, 2018•58 min
Nothing has caused more controversy among Christians in recent years than the advancement of LGBT rights and its implications for religious liberty. Is there a way forward that respects both sides? Gene Robinson, who was elected the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in 2003, and Skye discuss where they find common ground. Also this week, Phil responds to a California university's "whiteness forum" that declared VeggieTales to be racist. And remember the 69-year-old Dutch man trying to legally re...
Dec 12, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Last month American missionary John Chau broke the law by venturing to a remote island to share the gospel with an indigenous tribe who killed him. Phil and Skye unpack reactions to the story and what it says about our culture and how Christians now think about missionaries. Also this week, the "War on Christmas" has come to Idaho where a family is battling their neighbors over a live nativity scene complete with camels. Archeologists say they've found the ruins of an ancient city in Israel dest...
Dec 05, 2018•41 min
Phil is off this week and Skye is traveling, so we have a special episode featuring a sermon Skye preached earlier this year at Mission Hills Church in San Marco, California. In the message, Skye looks at two ways Christians have viewed cultural engagement in the last century, and how both were rooted in fear and self-interest. He then explains a third, more faithful, option for those seeking to embrace the world with God's love in the years ahead.
Nov 28, 2018•47 min
A Dutch man is suing the government to legally lower his age by 20 years. He argues that if we can legally change our gender and our name why not our age? After decades of scandal, the Catholic Church thinks a Pokémon Go style video game is what it needs to reengage young people. Phil and Skye have a few other suggestions. New data says America's youngest generation is less moral, more self-centered, but less self-aware. Plus, Drew Dyck is back with his latest book and media recommendations....
Nov 21, 2018•1 hr
He wasn't a megachurch leader, nor was he a Christian celebrity, but a small church pastor with a love for the Bible managed to impact the faith of millions. This week we're joined by J.R. Briggs to talk about the ministry and legacy of his friend, Eugene Peterson. Plus, Phil and Skye breakdown the midterm elections, why are racists claiming there's a "white genocide," and a Bible professor explains why Trump is not like King Cyrus in the Old Testament.
Nov 15, 2018•1 hr 6 min
In the wake of the terrible mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, more churches are debating whether or not to arm themselves in self-defense. Is armed security a faithful way to protect the flock, or do guns in church create more problems than solutions? Skye answers listener questions about the issue. Also this week, HBO wants to protect its actors from the harm caused by trivialized sex scenes while creating more shows that trivialize sex, new research on what makes for a happy marriage...
Nov 08, 2018•58 min
Christianity teaches that Jesus took our sins upon himself and endured the punishment of death we deserve. Some critics of that view, however, claim a God who pours out his wrath upon his innocent Son is a moral monster. Friend of the show, Mike Erre, is back to set the record straight and explains what the "divine child abuse" critique of the cross gets wrong. Also this week, Christian and Skye try to explain anti-semitism to Phil, new research says evangelicals don't have diverse friends but t...
Oct 31, 2018•1 hr 14 min
Since the 2016 election the statistic that a record-breaking 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump has been widely cited. But is it correct? Katelyn Beaty is back to unpack new research done by Lifeway and the Billy Graham Center on the issue, but does it really "debunk" the 81% stat? And why did so many white evangelicals pick Trump? Hint—it wasn't because of abortion. Plus, Phil and Skye discuss why some Christian prayers are really incantations, and the risk of death by selfie.
Oct 24, 2018•57 min
Much of the Evangelical Industrial Complex has been created to make Christianity relevant, acceptable, and attractive to our consumer culture. Author and missional expert, Michael Frost, says this is a mistake. Instead, we should be emphasizing our faith's weirdness and call more Christians to be eccentric—literally "off center." Also this week: Phil and Skye take on "The Good Place," a TV show about heaven without God or religion, the UK's Supreme Court rules in favor of a Christian baker, and ...
Oct 17, 2018•1 hr 8 min
The gang's all here for a potluck episode. Drug News: A restaurant in Maine has mercy on lobsters by getting them high on marijuana before boiling them alive, and Coca-Cola plans to sell marijuana infused drinks. #MeToo News: Beth Moore confronts the misogyny within evangelicalism and pays the price. Political News: Liberty University produces a film about a "prophet" claiming Trump will launch Nuremberg-style trials in the U.S. against liberal Satanists, and research shows evangelicals who atte...
Oct 10, 2018•51 min
Human dignity is one of Christianity's greatest gifts to the world, says author Daniel Darling. His new book pushes Christians to think beyond the "us vs them" tribalism of our culture, and calls us back to a prophetic posture of defending what's right even when it means supporting the other political party. He talks with Skye about why churches have abandoned discipleship to the news media, and how short-term wins for Christians in Washington may lead to long-term losses. Also this week, there ...
Oct 03, 2018•1 hr 4 min
Americans love freedom. We sing about it, demand it, and fight for it. But what exactly is it? Os Guinness says we've become confused about what freedom really means and argues our un-American and unbiblical vision of freedom may be our undoing. Phil and Skye discuss what it means for America to be a "potluck nation," and what happens if someone brings poisoned chicken salad. Plus, how have corporations redefined Americans' understanding of happiness? Get your star-spangled snorkel, it's a deep ...
Sep 26, 2018•53 min
Why did a pastor in Alabama cut up his Nikes during a worship service? Drew Dyck is back with Skye to talk about the controversy over Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad, and why Americans now look to corporations rather than churches for moral guidance. Phil explores the resurgence of Black cinema, kindergarten pole dancers in China, and why sperm counts have plunged 60 percent. Plus, Phil and Skye plot a publicity stunt to become married Catholic priests.
Sep 19, 2018•1 hr 9 min
What is the relationship between the gospel and social justice? Some Christians are stirring controversy with a new statement arguing curing social ills is a distraction from the church's core mission to save souls. Dr. Russell Moore is back to discuss why this topic is rooted in America's history of racism, and why those on the extreme right and the extreme left both get it wrong. Plus, millennial evangelicals are rejecting the Christian nationalism of their parents. And why are churches in Mon...
Sep 12, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Many Christians have elevated knowledge as the key to personal transformation which is why we've made sermons the center of many church gatherings. Aaron Niequist is back to challenge that assumption in favor of a practice-based faith. As a worship leader and liturgist, Niequist has discovered that transformation takes more than knowledge, and worship is more than celebration. Plus, Mike Pence offers NASA a space sermon, Phil found an atheist professor who says religion is good, and Christian sl...
Sep 05, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Our culture is rapidly losing it's spiritual vocabulary. Words like grace, virtue, sin, and righteousness have fallen out of use. Why does it matter? Because language shapes the way our brains work and how we see the world. Author and journalist Jonathan Merritt is back to discuss his new book about learning to use God language again. Plus, why are people getting plastic surgery to resemble Snapchat filters, and Phil is worried the world is running out of Japanese people.
Aug 29, 2018•1 hr 4 min
Did God predestine every individual for eternal paradise or punishment before time began? It's one of the most confusing doctrines of Christianity, but pastor, podcaster, and proud Buckeye Mike Erre is here to help us make sense of predestination. The problem, he says, isn't the doctrine itself or the Bible, but our modern, individualistic way of reading it. Plus, a shark named Helen was stolen in Texas, manna is from Iran not heaven, and a survey by Captain Obvious finds non-religious people do...
Aug 22, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Nestled amid the farms and wind turbines of Iowa, Phil and Skye are in Okoboji—the "Cancun of the North"—for their annual pilgrimage to the Okoboji Bible Conference. Joining them is Phil's brother Rob, Harvard Law School graduate and dean of St. Thomas Law School in Minneapolis, to discuss how Christians should think about the Supreme Court, and what's behind the Pope's decision to oppose the death penalty in all cases? Plus, initial thoughts on the unfolding drama at Willow Creek.
Aug 15, 2018•1 hr 3 min
Phil and Skye are at the Okoboji Bible Conference this week, so we have a special episode featuring a message Skye preached a few weeks ago at Wellspring Alliance Church. Based on John 9, Skye looks at why the most religious, most theologically educated people rejected Jesus. Drawing from research conducted by a psychologist in the 1950s, Skye shows that the more certain we are the more blind we become and why certainty, not doubt, is actually the opposite of faith.
Aug 08, 2018•36 min
The new documentary about Fred Rogers, "Won't You Be My Neighbor," has adults crying in theaters and has sparked a Mr. Rogers revival across the country. Skye is joined by co-host of The Movie Proposal, Josh Lindsay, to discuss the film and why it should be required viewing for everyone in America, and how Mr. Rogers should inspire Christians to worry less about being relevant and more about being kind. Plus, Josh recommends other inspiring and thoughtful films while Skye doesn't. It's a special...
Aug 01, 2018•41 min
