Christian is back! She updates us on her travels to France and the status of her new film, “The Girl Who Wore Freedom.” A review of the new documentary “American Heretics” reveals that liberals in Hollywood are begging Christians to follow Jesus. Tim Dalrymple, the new president of Christianity Today, says white Christians need to confront Donald Trump when he takes aim at people of color. Has CT rediscovered its prophetic voice? A former missionary asks why white evangelicals are so eager to he...
Jul 26, 2019•59 min
Should the United States compensate the descendants of African slaves? If so, what should that compensation look like? And what does Christian faith have to say about repentance and reparation for wrongs committed by prior generations? Dr. Theon Hill is back on the show to talk about recent congressional hearings on the matter, and his conversation with Skye might surprise you. Also this week, a church in Indiana is paying off medical debts. For the first time ever, Canada has surpassed the U.S....
Jul 18, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Why are fewer people getting married? One study says it’s because weddings have become too expensive. Skye isn’t buying it. Phil explains why dads are responsible for our large brains, and gives ammo to social conservatives in the process. And Christian’s back! (Sort of.) In a special segment of “Christian Asks,” she talks with Skye about his recent devotional series about idols. That leads to a conversation about the right and wrong way to read the Bible, the concept of narrative fallacy, and s...
Jul 11, 2019•43 min
Prepare to be offended. Phil has written a new Bible and Skye’s offended at what passes as a “Bible” these days. Jerry Falwell Jr. is offended that Russell Moore has the audacity to comment about moral issues without being a business owner. Everyone else is offended by Falwell. A Christian lawmaker offended non-Christians with her prayer in the Pennsylvania state legislature, and Christians are offended when a Satanist offers the opening prayer at a government meeting in Alaska. Skye discusses t...
Jul 04, 2019•1 hr 8 min
According to David Fitch, the contemporary church has become an “enemy-making machine” that thrives by identifying and amplifying threats. He talks with Skye about his new book, “The Church of Us vs Them,” how anger has come to dominate our communities, and the practices that can help us break this pattern. Also this week, Phil shares the unlikely movement of non-religious millennials moving into convents with nuns. That leads to a discussion about Disney-themed gay weddings, babies and bath wat...
Jun 26, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Mike Erre is back for the second part of his conversation with Skye on the future of the church in America. This time they talk about the difference between “Cold War” Christianity and “Game of Thrones” Christianity. Plus, why does it feel like everything in the culture—including faith and politics—is being pushed to the extremes? What happened to the middle ground and can it be recovered? Also this week, the Ark Encounter amusement park is suing its insurance provider for not covering flood dam...
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Friend of the show, Mike Erre (aka, the bald Buckeye with a brain), celebrated the 200th episode of his show—the Vox Podcast—by inviting Skye to join him for a conversation about the future of the church in America. Will we lose tax-exempt status? Will progressive social and sexual views win? And how did the Cold War give us modern evangelicalism? Also this week, is Bill Gates flushing away his fortune by trying to reinvent the toilet? An 80-year Harvard study has finally discovered the key to h...
Jun 12, 2019•1 hr 1 min
In a number of recent commencement speeches at Christian colleges, Vice President Mike Pence has been warning graduates about the hostility of our culture toward Christians. Historian John Fea is back to talk about what Pence gets right, and what he gets wrong, about the persecution of evangelicals in the U.S. Plus, Fea shares his theory about why regular church attendees are the most likely to still support Trump. Also this week, an evangelical activist is guilty of “astroturfing” Muslims. Airp...
Jun 06, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Guns kill an average of 105 Americans every day. Shane Claiborne is on a mission to change that with a converted school bus and a forge. He is literally beating guns into gardening tools & challenging our culture’s addiction to violence in the process. He talks with Skye about the legal and spiritual problem we’re facing. Also this week... Experts warned Netflix its series “13 Reasons Why” would cause an increase in teen suicide. That’s exactly what happened but Netflix doesn’t seem to care. Hav...
May 31, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Are yoga pants causing an increase in liposuction? Phil links the popularity of tight-fitting “athleisure” clothing to rising insecurity about one’s physical appearance. Televangelists are selling gold Trump prayer coins featuring the President and King Cyrus. And the crew talks about the new strict abortion laws in Alabama and Georgia. Skye explains why overturning Roe v. Wade won’t solve the issue. And has tribal politics made a common-sense compromise on the issue impossible? Plus, Phil’s Veg...
May 22, 2019•1 hr
Skye often tries to bring economics into the show’s theological discussions. This week his dream comes true with guests Brian Fikkert (an economist) and Kelly Kapic (a theologian), co-authors of “Becoming Whole.” They say our ideas about God’s mission are too entangled with Western materialism on the one hand, and not material enough on the other. This conversation will really challenge your assumptions. Also this week, the IRS says the Satanic Temple is a legitimate religion, The Sports Illustr...
May 15, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Jesus told us to “not judge,” but what does that really mean? In a special segment called “Christian Asks...” normally only available to Holy Post’s Patreon supporters, Skye and Christian discuss what it means to live with discernment but not judgment in a pluralistic culture. While talking about capital punishment, gay marriage, and immigration, they unpack why fundamentalism on both the right and left is so appealing, and why we must avoid both. Also this week—a new parody movie called “Faith-...
May 08, 2019•1 hr 13 min
It’s a potpourri week on the podcast. Phil sees evidence of God in self-sacrificing insects. Former congresswoman Michelle Bachman calls Trump “highly biblical” and “godly.” Skye would like to reverse engineer what Bible she’s reading. Scientists find a link between fundamentalism and brain damage. Plus, Drew Dyck is back to discuss why democracy is failing everywhere and the magical thinking behind multi-level marketing.
May 01, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Is it okay for a pastor to wear $5,000 shoes? How about $500 sneakers? What if they were a gift? What if the pastor serves an affluent, brand-savvy community? Phil and Skye engage the “PreachersNSneakers” debate and unpack the cultural nuances. A new survey finds most people believe in God, but church involvement is rapidly declining. The reasons are complex, but Skye says the preaching-focused structure of most churches needs to be rethought in the Internet Age. Also this week, a Florida “saint...
Apr 24, 2019•57 min
It’s been five years since the conservative Christian revenge fantasy film, God’s Not Dead, hit theaters. The Holy Post crew reflects on its impact and implications. Historian Mark Noll looks at the new shape of world Christianity (hint: it’s a lot less white than it used to be). And Skye talks with songwriter, author, and theologian Michael Card about the inexpressible lovingkindness of God. Oh, and Phil is fascinated by the connection between Earth’s magnetic field and dog poop....
Apr 17, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Christian’s finally back! The podcast trio give updates on their recent travels and projects. Phil’s making a new VeggieTales show, Christian’s making a WWII documentary, and Skye missed his ship and ate a frog. They also discuss new research that says cultivating awe makes us into better people. So why does modern Christianity work so hard to make God understandable and the world controllable? Then Skye interviews journalist Julie Roys about her reporting that led to James McDonald’s firing fro...
Apr 10, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Old Testament professor and friend of the show, Dr. John Walton is back with his latest book in the “Lost World” series. This time he’s tackling common misunderstandings about the Old Testament Law. Walton says modern people incorrectly see the Torah as legislation—laws to be obeyed, but that’s not how Ancient Near Eastern cultures saw it. And the traditional division of OT laws into civil, moral, and ceremonial categories is also misguided. So what does that mean for us? Phil and Skye pepper th...
Apr 03, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Back in 2009, a widely read article predicted “the coming evangelical collapse” would occur within ten years. Well, it’s 2019 and evangelicals are still here, but where are they heading? Pastor, professor, author, and researcher, Ed Stetzer is back on the show to discuss new data about evangelicalism, the rise of Christian nationalism, and why the growth of secularism may be a good thing for the church. Phil and Skye also talk to him about his book, “Christians in the Age of Outrage,” and what e...
Mar 27, 2019•1 hr
Skye’s in Hong Kong, Christian is interviewing French senior citizens, and Phil is writing scripts and playing with puppets—so, we have a special episode this week. Last month, Skye was part of a panel discussion on politics at Taylor University. We captured the audio to share with you. The other speakers include Nina Barnes (Vice President of Student Life, University of Northwestern), Alan Noble (Co-founder of Christ & Pop-Culture), and Michael Wear (Chief Strategist for the AND Campaign). We’l...
Mar 20, 2019•48 min
Our culture talks a lot about leadership—both inside and outside the church. With so many conferences and resources dedicated to making Christian leaders, why are we seeing so many scandals? Gene Habecker has given a lot of thought to this problem after leading numerous organizations. You’ll find his perspective illuminating and surprising. Also this week, researchers discover bees can learn math leaving reality TV as the final thing separating humans from animals. Plus, Phil asks why women are ...
Mar 13, 2019•57 min
In the past, the transition from childhood to adulthood was just a few awkward years. New research says the transition is now much, much longer. According to Kara Powell and Steve Argue from the Fuller Youth Institute, childhood is ending earlier with 14-year-olds encountering very adult issues, while many 28-year-olds continue to live like teenagers. How do we respond as parents and faith communities to this prolonged adolescence? Powell and Argue are here to discuss their new book, “Growing Wi...
Mar 07, 2019•1 hr 11 min
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 their pl...
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
