The Holy Post

What kind of God would send people to Hell?  Judge people?  Call for "holy war?"  Portland, OR Pastor/Author Joshua Ryan Butler joins the podcast for a discussion of some of the more perplexing parts of Christian theology and his appropriately titled book,  The Skeletons in God's Closet .

Muslim imams and evangelical pastors camping together on a dude ranch in Texas?? Some kind of bizarre reality show coming to cable this Fall? Nope! It's the real life work of Texas megachurch pastor Bob Roberts - who joins us on the podcast to describe his unlikely and somewhat controversial role as a bridge between conservative Christian leaders and their Muslim counterparts.

Which religious group is the most educated?  Are Americans more divided than ever before?  When did "self-fulfillment" become our new religion?  Leading Christian pollster David Kinnaman joins us for this year-end podcast to talk about trends shaping the culture and the church.  (Plus his new book,  Barna Trends 2017 .)

Most modern worship songs focus on God or me.  (Or God AND me.)  Is there anything else we should be covering when we worship God?  Former Mars Hill and Willow Creek worship pastor Aaron Niequist joins the podcast to talk about his adventures in seeking a bigger vision of what worship can be.

Podcast co-host Skye Jethani and Josh Lindsay are launching a new podcast about movies, so with Skye off in India, Phil and Christian sit down with Josh to talk movies and the new podcast!

Future grandpa Phil had to skedaddle off to Minnesota... So here's a throwback! Way back! All the way to 2014! Phil and the gang are joined in studio by Aussie historian/theologian/apologist/former rocker John Dickson for a discussion of Christian culture in the US vs Australia and how to effectively engage the mainstream press, plus listeners chime in on the precise physiology of transgenderism!...

Evangelical Pastor/Researcher/Commentator Ed Stetzer drops in for a very lively discussion of the impact of the recent election on the church, what we've learned about evangelical values, and whether the term "evangelical" has - or hasn't - outlived its usefulness.  Fun, fun, fun on the podcast!!

Popular author and preacher Francis Chan walked away from his megachurch to try something completely different - a series of tiny house churches in inner city San Francisco.  Why the change?  And what can we learn from his big experiment in going "small?"  This week on the podcast with Francis Chan - is the future of the church tiny??

We're giving everyone access to the live streaming Q&A the gang did recently to discuss the election and other Patreon subscriber questions. These events happen every month, so sign up at www. Patreon.com/PhilVischer and join in live next month!

Currently 1 out of 5 human beings revere a certain religious book, and it isn't the Bible.  Religious scholar and author Mark Robert Anderson talks us through the Qur'an… what is it?  How do Christian approach it, and why does it matter?  Plus Christian has gone crazy for the Cubbies and everyone is sweating the upcoming election!

Jesus had to "die for our sins," right?  But what does that actually mean?  We mess up, God gets mad, so someone needs to pay for our sin or we can't go to heaven when we die?  But what if our ultimate problem isn't sin, and what if our ultimate goal isn't heaven??  Egads!! World-renowned theologian N.T. Wright joins Phil and Skye to talk about his new book - The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsid...

What really birthed the religious right?  Why have black and white Christians swapped political parties over the last 60 years?  Based on a class he's teaching, co-host Skye Jethani takes us deep into the surprising history of 20th century Christian political involvement.  It's a fascinating journey you won't want to miss!

Why are young people leaving the church and what are some churches doing that is helping them stay?  Is it all about "hipping up" our churches with coffee bars and skinny jeans, or is it something deeper?  Fuller Youth Institute director Kara Powell returns to the podcast to discuss her new book,  Growing Young , and the surprising answers to one of our thorniest problems.

Is the church in America obsessed with success?  Do we sacrifice genuine growth to avoid failure?  Pastor/author J.R. Briggs joins Phil and Skye to discuss the idolatry of success and his own journey in learning how to "fail well."

Does the way we do church effectively make disciples? New research says "not so much." So what do we do? Speaker, author,  and theologian Preston Sprinkle is back on the show to talk about new models for church and why we need them. What could church be? What SHOULD church be? This week on the podcast!

A Bible translation is frozen in time. Modern technology unlocks a scroll. Christian media is more popular than you might think. And a new survey shows Christians are bad at guessing which behaviors make our neighbors uncomfortable. This week on the podcast!

Everyone's favorite band-made-up-of-Christians- that-isn't-a-Christian-band U2 turns the big 4-0; an atheist mentalist successfully replicates "faith healing" in a London stage show; British radio host Justin Brierley returns to the podcast to talk news from across the pond. This week on the podcast!

Phil has a bone to pick! A hot new book encouraging Christians to "chase their dreams" drives Phil crazy and he just can't stop talking about it. It's a full-on rant! And all because Benaiah killed a lion (it will make sense after you listen). This week on the podcast!

It's time to slow things down a bit as we're joined by Christian writer, speaker and spiritual director Jan Johnson for a discussion of right brain Christianity, meditation and her new book,  Meeting God in Scripture - A Hands-on Guide to Lectio Divina .

What events would bring the most people back to church? Which celebrity has Rick Warren's book helped now? Are American Christians "persecuted" in their own special way? Are astronauts too boring for reality TV? And what failure of the church might be driving people to Donald Trump? Christianity Today editor Katelyn Beaty joins Skye and Phil to run through a grab bag of issues in this particularly...

What can we learn from this crazy year in American politics? Is it ever appropriate for Christians to vote "none of the above?" How do our various Christian traditions shape our views of church and state? Author and political science professor Amy Black joins the gang for a rousing discussion - this week on the podcast!

Bibles have changed radically in the last 200 years as publishers have added more and more features and launched countless variations. But is this a good thing? Author Glenn Paauw believes our modernistic changes have radically altered the way we engage with Scripture, and not for the better. It's a fascinating conversation inspired by his new book,  Saving the Bible From Ourselves . 

Democrats are talking about God and faith at their convention while the Republican candidate neglects the almighty in his acceptance speech and says absolutely nothing about abortion. What bizarro universe is this?? Plus, tips for surviving the election season, and listener questions for Skye about the nature of church. Today on the podcast!

Do churches put too little emphasis on what we actually do 9-5? Phil and Skye broadcast from a lodge at beautiful Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa in front of a crowd of Iowan pastors! They're joined by Kansas City pastor Tom Nelson, author of Work Matters, for a far-ranging discussion on the Godly call of all work and the damage done by a false sacred/secular divide and the separation of Sunday mor...

Author, speaker and wonderfully-named Christian thinker Preston Sprinkle joins the crew to continue the conversation about what the New Testament does and doesn't say about Hell. Plus we discuss Preston's new book on discipleship in the church and a poll showing stark differences in views of our presidential candidates between white and black Christians in America. Another fun week on the podcast!