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.
In this fun and frank discussion, Kevin and Carl talk about everything from Billy Graham to Pride Month to Christian Nationalism. Along the way Carl reveals what he hates about America and why he is not a Catholic.
In this episode, Kevin talks with Melissa Kearney, professor of economics at the University of Maryland, about her new book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind (University of Chicago Press, 2023). What is so great about being raised by two parents? When did marriage become a significant cause (and effect) of class distinctions? What can be done to restore the importance of marriage? How can we normalize the two-parent home without stigmatiz...
We've heard the terms before: cultural Marxism, socialism, intersectionality, microaggressions, standpoint epistemology, the Frankfurt School, Critical Race Theory, Queer Theory, and many more. But what do they mean? Where did they come from? And how should Christians respond? Kevin talks to Neil and Pat about their new book, Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology , to try answer these questions and to think carefully about we can understand and engage the do...
Is homosexuality normal? Is transgenderism a sin? Is Christian kindness the same thing as spiritual niceness? What's the difference between acceptance and approval? In this episode, Kevin and Rosaria probe these questions and many others like them. Whether you are struggling with sexual sin, know someone who is, or even if you think Kevin and Rosaria are dead wrong, you won't want to miss this important and provocative episode. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:40 A Little About Rosaria 15:43 Sponsor: Cros...
Was the Protestant Reformation a repudiation of the church's history? Was it a rejection of Medieval theology? Did the Reformation lead to schism in the church? Kevin talks to Matthew Barrett, professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, about these questions and many more in this episode of LBE. Listen in for some big picture analysis on church history as well as some deep nerdery on Reformation theology. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:47 The Reformation as Renew...
The three amigos are back to kick off a new season of LBE. From college football to dropping kids off at college to the rise of mental health issues on college campuses (and everywhere else!), this episode has a back-to-school vibe you won't want to miss. Stick around for one summer book recommendation from each of the fellas at the very end. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:45 College Football 8:40 Kids to College & Other Life Changes 15:33 Collin’s Summer in the UK 19:30 Digital Liturgies 20:55 ...
Don't skip over the preposition. This special episode is an interview with Kevin, instead of an interview by Kevin. Not long ago, Tom Groelsema, one of the pastors at Christ Covenant, took the evening service to interview Kevin. This was not Kevin's idea, but he was grateful for the opportunity to share about life, and books, and everything for his congregation—and now for this podcast as well.
The triumvirate managed to get together one last time before setting sail for summer plans. With little time to spare before Collin needed to run Tom Cruise-style after a plane bound for the UK, the three amigos chat about the legacies of Tim Keller and Harry Reeder, the books they’ve been reading and hope to read this summer, and whether they think we’ve reached Peak Pride in America. Plus, you’ll hear whether Kevin ever plans to drink Bud Light again (and whether he’s ever had that or any beer...
What is feminism? What is intersectionality? Who is Judith Butler? How does childbearing change a woman? Why do Catholic feminist scholars have such interesting Italian last names? These are just some of the questions Kevin explores with Abigail Favale as they talk about her book, The Genesis of Gender (Ignatius Press, 2022). With learning, wit, and great aplomb, Abigail shares her how story of deconversion and reconversion and how she came to see, from the inside, the emptiness of mainstream fe...
Are male and female distinctions rooted in given biological realities or are “man” and “woman” simply designations we choose for ourselves based on our own feelings and sense of identity? In this episode, Kevin reviews an article written by USA Today ’s Nancy Armour about transgender people competing in professional sports.
Though the language sounds similar at times, the beliefs are quite distinct. Mormons do not understand history, God, man, salvation, heaven, hell, the cross, Jesus, or the Trinity as the canonical Scriptures teach, nor do they agree with the conciliar doctrine taught by the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church over the last two thousand years. In this article, Kevin outlines the historical and theological distinctions between Mormonism and Christianity.
With a 30-year career in Washington, D.C. and going on ten years as president of Grove City College, Paul McNulty has had a remarkable career. Recently, Dr. McNulty, a PCA ruling elder, gave the commencement address at Covenant Day School (where Kevin’s kids attend) and then spoke during the Sunday school hour at Christ Covenant Church. This is a “live” recording of Kevin’s conversation with Paul last Sunday. The wide ranging interview covers everything from politics to Christian education to su...
In this article, Kevin discusses how Christians are to honor each other and Christ when critiquing and correcting each other.
He kept the main thing the main thing. He wasn’t a jerk. He wasn’t a prima donna. He was enjoyable to be around. He was full of the fruit of the Spirit.That’s a good life; that’s a Christian life.
In many ways, Harry was a man’s man: strong, athletic, and confident. But he was also a family man. We should pray for his wife, Cindy, along with their three children—Jennifer, Ike, and Abby—and their many grandchildren. Harry will be greatly missed by thousands, but especially by his family. I’ll miss him as a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) founding father, as a ministerial example, and as a friend.
It’s a special day at LBE as Kevin interviews his first returning guest, the esteemed historian Dr. Allen Guelzo of Princeton University. Find out how Dr. Guelzo moved from being an Edwards scholar to being a Lincoln scholar (and how Edward’s treatise on the will still permeates much of what Guelzo has written about Lincoln). Listen in as Kevin and Allen talk about whether Lincoln was a Christian, what made Lincoln great, and what Lincoln has to teach us today. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro and Sponsor...
Kevin reflects on the current cultural climate of gender expression and offers the explicit opinion of scripture as a rebuttal.
How should the Christian think about technology? How should we use technology? Are we better off as Luddites who avoid new technologies? In this episode—ironically, interrupted by many technological glitches!—Kevin talks with two of our leading writers when it comes to God, technology, and culture. Although Tony is a techno-optimist and Samuel is more of a techno-pessimist (or “realist” might be better), they both agree that technology can be a gift from God and also has the potential to reshape...
In this Episode, Kevin reads from his recent article for First Things, a response Collin Hansen's article about the life and ministry of Tim Keller.
The charge of “just your interpretation” short-circuits the interpretative process altogether.In this article for WORLD Opinions, Kevin argues for scriptural inerrancy and the importance of “right” interpretation.
In the wake of tragedy, we need the whole Bible with all the depth of Christ’s sympathy and all of God’s providential and loving care.
With a heart of gold, H.B. got up early in the morning from a hotel room in L.A. to talk to Kevin about preaching. If you want to know what H.B. stands for, or what he preached for his first sermon as an 11-year-old boy, or what the hardest in his life was, you won’t want to miss this episode. Get to know H.B. and learn from one of the great preachers of our day. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and Sponsor 1:40 H.B. Charles' Early Life and Ministry 26:11 Sponsor 2: Scriptura 26:52 Sermon Preparation 33:...
St. Patrick was more than the Americanized way of celebrating him. His life’s work is marked by faithfulness to evangelism and the gospel.
Often lampooned as boring, bland, and less important than other regions in the country, might it be that the Midwest actually has its own regional identity and a story worth telling? Jon Lauck, a professor at the University of South Dakota thinks so. In this episode Kevin talks to Jon about his excellent new book The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest 1800-1900. They explore what made the region from Ohio to the Dakotas different from New England and from the South and why the old v...
Many of the most virulent critics seemed to object to any asymmetry between men and women in sexual intimacy. In this episode, Kevin offers six reflections amid the firestorm surrounding an article by Joshua Butler for The Gospel Coalition.
Church attendance is declining. In this episode, Kevin reads from his recent article for WORLD Opinions where he argues for including additional data for analysis and offers a word of hope.
True revival is marked by a rediscovery of the word of God, a restored sense of the fear of God, a return to God through confession and repentance, a renewed spiritual commitment as God’s people, and, finally, a reformation if true piety. What are Christians to make of the Asbury Revival? This episode outlines biblical examples of spiritual renewal through the ages.
Dear brother pastor, In a spirit of prayerful expectation, I want to invite you to the Coram Deo Pastors Conference. This new event is hosted by Clearly Reformed (a new ministry I help to lead) and Christ Covenant Church (where I have the privilege of serving as senior pastor). We look forward to filling our sanctuary with nearly 2,000 pastors and church leaders at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina on March 12-14, 2024.
As long as there is sin and suffering in the world, the gospel will be relevant. In the wake of the tragic MSU shooting, Christians must remember that the hope of healing lies in the truth of the gospel.
In this episode, Kevin is joined by his friend and RTS colleague, Derek Thomas as the two of them talk about pastoring, preaching, and why Derek loves Columbia, South Carolina. Derek shares about his conversion (through reading John Stott), some terrible advice from his vicar, and the differences between pastoring at a small church and at a big church. You’ll also hear the story of how Derek and Ligon Duncan were finalists for the same ministerial position (which went to Ligon!). As Derek nears ...
