Thinking Out Loud

Nathan and Cameron dive deep into the complex relationship between faith-based organizations, the federal government, and religious freedoms. They explore the controversial legal battle involving the Mennonite Church’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over religious rights and sanctuary practices, touching on themes of immigration, sanctuary cities, and the church's role in society. Th...

In this episode, Cameron and Nathan dive into the insights of Jonathan Rauch, a homosexual atheist Jew, who has recently shifted his views on secularism and its impact on society. The discussion touches on Rauch's book Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, where he argues that Christianity plays a crucial role as a "load-bearing wall" for democracy, emphasizing the need for...

In this episode, we dive into why Catholicism still matters—even if you’re not Catholic! We explore the legacy of Pope John Paul II, how he differs from the current Pope, and the Church’s ongoing tensions with the modern world. Plus, we break down Vatican II and its impact. Whether you're religious or just curious, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss! We are a listener supported podc...

A lot of ink has been spilled on the subject of the freemasons in the past, but the subject has gone a bit silent in recent years. Why so? No doubt, part of the reason would be the increasing isolation of our cultural moment. In this episode, we consider both the freemasons, as well as the shrinking clubs and organizations that characterize our North American landscape.

In recent years, Christian apologetics has become a full-fledged academic field. But is this really a good thing? And, in a world so captivated by individualistic conceptions of the good life, is apologetics still relevant? Having spent most of our careers in apologetic circles, we’ve got some thoughts on the matter.

Okay, this title is pure clickbait. But you have to admit that Mariann Edgar Budde’s sermon certainly sparked its share of strong opinions, the most exasperated of which came from President Trump himself. Join us as we dive into the conversation.

A recent Wall Street Journal article has us asking this question. We’ll give you three guesses on where we land. If you’d like to hear why we landed where we did, however, you’ll have to tune in.

Though the revelations concerning popular author Neil Gaiman are horrifying, they hardly constitute an isolated incident. Taking into account recent news items, we can also add Cormac McCarthy to the mix. Artists are one thing, but what about the people who claim to be ministers of the gospel? Do we continue to draw from their work even when they’ve fallen from grace? It goes without saying that t...

What do we do when we’re confronted with people who claim to follow Jesus, but who appear to unrepentantly depart from his commands on a habitual basis? This question is fraught with tension since we want to avoid both legalism and presuming to know the heart of someone else. But doesn’t Scripture itself indicate that there are times when we need to draw lines in the sand? Join us as we dive into...

We’re joined by Stuart McAllister to talk about the seismic cultural shift that’s led us away from self-sacrifice, patriotism, and martyrdom to radical individualism and an addiction to comfort and convenience. Is it really true that dying for a cause has gone the way of the dinosaur? Or are we seeing it emerge once again, albeit in different ways? And how do we as Christians overcome this addicti...

“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wakeup call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.” These are the words of Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Green Beret who took his own life before detonating a Tesla Cybertruck at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. What are we to make of such a philosophi...

While the TOL take on the Christmas holidays might sound like a bit of a bummer, it’s actually more lighthearted than it sounds.

In a provocative lecture for First Things, poet and novelist Paul Kingsnorth argues against Christian civilization, making the case that Christ’s teachings confound our civilizational efforts. The talk has since been expanded into an article if you’d prefer to read it. We do recommend you read the piece as it’s as thought-provoking as it is challenging. Join us as we discuss it.

A string of carjackings linked to a TikTok challenge have raised a number of ethical challenges. Is the manufacturer in any way responsible for the thefts and damages? Is it right to benefit from a class action suite that isn’t necessarily fair? We’re grateful to one of our thoughtful listeners for sending in this question. Join us as we consider what it means to do the right thing in the face of...

With his elite background and dashing looks, the man behind the murder of UnitedHealth C.E.O., Brian Thompson, has become a viral superstar. The public reception of Mangione’s actions paints a chilling picture of our nation. In this episode, we explore some of the implications of lionizing a murderer.

In a provocative new book , sociologist Musa al-Gharbi offers a sweeping theory of wokeness as a recurring social phenomenon—that’s right, we’ve been here before, says al-Gharbi—tied to “elite overproduction.” The book is understandably making waves and we decided to enter the fray of the conversation.

We often talk about the importance of civil disagreement on TOL. In this episode, we do our best to model what it looks like as we both explore a major disagreement with a thinker we deeply admire. We hope it’s helpful to you.

Advent is upon us. For Christians, this is a season centered on Christian hope. But in a world that’s increasingly filled with despair, what does Christian hope actually look like? Though there’s nothing wrong with optimism, it’s a good deal less durable than hope. This becomes especially obvious when the world is falling apart. In this episode, we consider the shape of Christian hope today and we...

It’s Thanksgiving week. We’re supposed to be going through the motions of gratitude—a basic mode of orientation that’s conspicuously absent in our consumer culture. Add to that the increasingly suspicious view of positivity and this particular day becomes more of a challenge. In this episode, we explore the underpinnings of this suspicion and consider how gratitude, far from being a shallow affect...

We recently had the privilege of participating in a symposium at Restoration Presbyterian Church devoted to the topic of understanding our cultural moment. This week’s episodes will be a bit different: we’re going to release both of the talks we gave at the symposium and today you’ll hear from Nathan. We pray that it’s helpful to you.  

We recently had the privilege of participating in a symposium at Restoration Presbyterian Church devoted to the topic of understanding our cultural moment. This week’s episodes will thus be a bit different: we’re going to release both of the talks we gave at the symposium, starting with Cameron’s. We pray that it’s helpful to you. 

There’s been a concerted effort in recent years not only to construe Bonhoeffer as a card-carrying evangelical (he wasn’t), but also as a right-wing culture warrior who would have voted for Donald Trump. Bonhoeffer’s family, along with a number of scholars, have vigorously protested this use of the man’s name and legacy. Join us as we explore the growing temptation to use respected Christian voice...

Join us as we discuss the election and explore some of its outworkings.

Christians recognize that we live in a fallen world. Nevertheless, when we survey the growing levels of despair among believers, it’s clear that many are suffering because of unrealistic expectations. Here, we do our best to balance hope with realism.

Non-traditional forms of media, whether podcasts, YouTube channels, or substack writers, are outpacing mainstream media. In this episode, we consider what this changing media landscape says about the state of our culture.