Empires of the Future

This is Empires of the Future, conversations to encourage the Church in a time of change.  In this episode we talk about good and evil in what is probably the most popular franchise of the last twenty years, Marvel movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe contains near-endless messages about good and evil, and in this episode we analyze those themes with Christians like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis...

Are our intuitions about good and evil pointing to something real? What kind of reality is it?  In our second podcast on Mere Christianity, we examine Chapters 1-3 of Book 2 entitled "The Rival Conceptions of God", "The Invasion", and "The Shocking Alternative".  

Here we begin our review of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, published in 1952.  This book is a clear summary of Christian doctrine that contains helpful insights not only about Christianity and the nature of humanity but also about communication and even clear thinking itself.  We hope it is helpful to you. 

What's been happening on college campuses since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe vs. Wade?  Denton interviews Kira O'Neal, president of Students for life at the University of Evansville and asks about the purpose of the pro-life movement, opposition on campus, and the future of the pro-life witness. 

How can we become more physically fit?  Are we simply stuck with the metabolism we were born with?  Jackson and Denton look into the work of Dr. Casey Means, founder of "Levels" and consider this article: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-metabolic-health

There is a mental health crisis on college campuses.  What is the origin of this phenomenon, and what is to be done about it?  Is college for everyone after all?  All these questions and more are considered in this podcast based on this article: https://www.commonsense.news/p/the-honest-guide-to-college

Splanka therapy claims to utilize the mind-body connection to heal a variety of physical and emotional ailments.  What is this practice?  What should Christians think about it?  All these questions are dealt with in this episode of Empires of the Future. 

What do we do when our focus on immediate happiness leads to spiritual bankruptcy?  In this episode, we turn toward the future and plot a course toward fulfillment rather than frustration. 

How fundamental is sex to who we are?  Is gender a gift from God?  In this chapter we look at these questions against the backdrop of the LGBTQ movement, the most successful movement in terms of culture change of the last one hundred years. 

What's the difference between a network and a community?  How can we attain real connectedness in a digital world?  We explore all these questions and more on this episode of Empires of the Future. 

What would really make me happy?  Is there more to it than sex and pleasure?  What can the ancients tell us about happiness?  These questions are more are considered as we make our way through "Strange New World" by Carl Trueman. 

To what extent can we really invent ourselves?  What does it mean to be authentic?  This podcast continues exploring the book "Strange New World", by Carl Trueman

Is there more to life than being true to yourself?  Could this itself be a burden that's too much to bear, or one that's not worth giving yourself to?  This podcast is the beginning of an exploration of "Strange New World", a book by Carl Trueman.  

What are the consequences of a stable home-life?  What does social science research tell us about the effect of a two-parent family on the life of a child?  What wisdom does the Bible give us on how to get there?  All these questions are considered as Denton and Jackson discuss this article from Kevin DeYoung at Eikon, a Journal of Biblical Anthropology: https://cbmw.org/2022/05/23/the-power-of-th...

A recent independent investigation by Guidepost Solutions found that Sexual Abuse was ignored by leadership within the Southern Baptist Convention, and not acted upon even while a database was being compiled for fifteen years.  Christianity Today writer Kate Shellnut covers this here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/may/southern-baptist-abuse-investigation-sbc-ec-legal-survivors.html

On Tuesday, March 10, 2022, Apple announced that it will stop producing iPods.  What does this mean for the Future of music?  What's the best way to hear your favorite songs?  All this and more is discussed this week on Empires of the Future. 

Jackson and Denton discuss the recent leak of an upcoming ruling out of the Supreme Court of the United States that indicates two longstanding rulings in Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey may soon be overturned. 

Denton and Jackson discuss another case headed to the Supreme Court concerning Coach Joe Kennedy and whether his post-game 50-yard-line prayers should be allowed under the establishment clause of the US Constitution.   The article this episode is based on can be found at https://www.wsj.com/articles/high-school-football-coach-takes-case-for-prayer-to-supreme-court-11650798000

Since 2019, the number of people who know of a "Third Place" where they can freely interact with people has declined from 2/3rds to 1/2.  What does this mean for us and what should we do about it?  Consider these questions with us in this episode of Empires of the Future. 

Jackson and Denton discuss a recent Supreme Court decision that allows a convicted murderer to receive pastoral care in the closing moments of his life.   For more information on this decision, visit the website of the Supreme Court at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-5592_feah.pdf

New co-host Denton Ice joins Jackson Van Dyke to discuss current challenges within Evangelicalism and what might be done about them.  

Matt and Jackson discuss an important issue that is rarely discussed at the dinner table. The issue is gerrymandering. The state of California is potentially setting the model for other states to follow. Enjoy!

This is the last episode of Empires of the Future featuring Matt and Jackson.  In this episode, they discuss their favorite Christmas movies and reminisce about what makes movies great. 

Matt and Jackson discuss climate change. A recent article in the WSJ by economist Bjorn Lomborg presents a reasonable approach to climate change. The guys discuss the article, and present their thoughts on the topic. Enjoy.

Matt and Jackson discussed Bobby Duffy's article in the WSJ about generations like Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.