Faith & Culture

In our Reel Talk series, we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. In this week's "Reel Talk" episode, the Faith & Culture guys attempt the impossible: a meaningful discussion about Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" in under 12 hours! At some point, we will probably d...

We all live in a world shaped by stories. These stories try to win us over to believe their view of the world. But not all stories are created equal. Some stories point beyond the subjective to the permanent things, such as truth, beauty, goodness, justice, and virtue. Join us as we explore Christmas as practicing the moral imagination. Christmas is more than just another holiday on our calendar....

Each month we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. In this series, we explore one small corner of the world of cinema and ask, “why are some movies good and other movies… false?” We also hope to model how to get more out of your movies and see more clearly the messages Hollywood is sending us all...

We all live in a world shaped by stories. These stories try to win us over to believe their view of the world. But not all stories are created equal. Some stories point beyond the subjective to the permanent things, such as truth, beauty, goodness, justice, and virtue. Join us as we explore the importance of the family in forming the moral imagination. How do the stories that a family tells shape...

Reel Talk - Each month we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. In this series, we explore one small corner of the world of cinema and ask, “why are some movies good and other movies… false?” We also hope to model how to get more out of your movies and see more clearly the messages Hollywood is sen...

We all live in a world shaped by stories. These stories try to win us over to believe their view of the world. But not all stories are created equal. Some stories point beyond the subjective to the permanent things, such as truth, beauty, goodness, justice, and virtue. Join us as we explore the importance of the villains in our stories. How do villains shape our moral imagination? What's up wi...

Each month we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. In this series, we explore one small corner of the world of cinema and ask, “why are some movies good and other movies… false?” We also hope to model how to get more out of your movies and see more clearly the messages Hollywood is sending us all...

We all live in a world shaped by stories. These stories try to win us over to believe their view of the world. But not all stories are created equal. Some stories point beyond the subjective to the permanent things, such as truth, beauty, goodness, justice, and virtue. Join us as we explore the contexts and institutions that create false narratives in our culture. Where are all these bad stories c...

Each month we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. In this series, we explore one small corner of the world of cinema and ask, “why are some movies good and other movies… false?” We also hope to model how to get more out of your movies and see more clearly the messages Hollywood is sending us all...

We all live in a world shaped by stories. But these stories are constantly trying to win over our minds and hearts to see the world according to the view of reality presented in their characters, plot, and perspective. But not all stories are created equal. Some stories point beyond the subjective to the permanent things, such as truth, beauty, goodness, justice, and virtue. Join us as we explore...

In August, we are taking a break from the Book Nook to embark on a journey through movies for the rest of 2023 we call Reel Talk! Each month we will be watching (and encouraging our listening audience to watch) a film that we think captures an important conversation in our culture. We go to the movies for the thrills, the laughs, the drama, the romance. We go for these things but what if we walk a...

This month we finish the Thrive series discussing our core cultural belief in "the pursuit of happiness" enshrined in our Declaration of Independence. What did our ancestors mean by "happiness," and would "human flourishing" be closer to the point there? What can churches do to foster the pursuit of human flourishing? What might need to change in our own households as...

This month on The Book Nook, we discuss a short but powerful rebuke of the way we have allowed technology to distort our life experiences. This book, which can easily be found on amazon, claims to address "how digital technology affects our children and disconnects us from reality and from each other". With plenty of scientific data and no shortage of insights, this brief 100 page book f...

This month in the Thrive series, we tackle those areas of our culture that fight against human flourishing. How have we allowed our institutions: our governments, our schools, and even our churches to become engines of upheaval? What needs to change in order for the biblical vision of human life to take hold? Join us for the conversation.

This month on The Book Nook, we discuss a classic of American literature, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Imagine if in the future, books were banned and anyone caught with one would have their house burned down...by firefighters! This haunting vision of the future pictures a world where not only are we numbed by screens and empty of ideas, but we have forgotten the hunger for truth and freedom. I...

*Due to the mature nature of this topic, parental discretion is advised.* Where have we gone wrong in our thinking about sex today? Does freedom mean that we can treat sex like a game and people as means to an end? If Christians are right, and Humans are spiritual beings, how does that shape our view of sex and its spiritual consequences? How should Christians treat sex and how does it lead toward...

This month on The Book Nook, we discuss a short, easy to read, and powerful book called "The Household and the War for the Cosmos" by C.R. Wiley. This book is all about "Recovering a Christian Vision for the Family". It takes a look at how our society's views on marriage, family, and piety have changed over time. He dissects what happens to a culture that has lost a taste f...

Thrive: In Search of Human Flourishing What does it take for humans to thrive and what would it look like in practice? The guys discuss, What is human flourishing? How could we know if we're thriving or not? Is that a purely individual question or is there an objective definition of human flourishing? What does God really want for us and how can we find it? Join us for the conversation.

This month on The Book Nook, we discuss discuss a gem of science fiction, "That Hideous Strength" by C.S. Lewis. That's right, the author of Narnia fame also wrote a trilogy of novels about a professor who has adventures in space! This book has all the excitement and insight you expect from the maker of Aslan and Screwtape! This book tackles questions of human purpose and reveals the toxic beliefs...

Man vs. Machine is a three part series on the effects of our interactions with technology. Are we managing our relationship with our machines, or have the machines become our masters?  In the third and final episode, May I Be  Excused , we report on our own digital media fasts. Each member made a different attempt to shrink the role of screens and the internet in their lives, and it brou...

This month on The Book Nook, we discuss the social effects of the internet on our behavior, and how our movement from a text culture to a digital culture has physically changed the structure and functions of our brains! When we change the technology that shapes how we see the world, it turns out to reshape us in the process. What if the things we watch and the way we use our time ar...

Man vs. Machine is a three part series on the effects of our interactions with technology. Are we managing our relationship with our machines, or have the machines become our masters? In this second episode, Modern Monsters , we discuss the technologies that scare us! What do we do as Christians in a world of A.I., deep fakes, nuclear power, social media brainwashing tools, and other potentia...

The Book Nook: Frankenstein This month on The Book Nook, we discuss a classic of the monster and science fiction genres, "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley. Forget everything you think you know! This monster is not a bumbling green oaf, but a terrifying creature of strength, speed, and intelligence. This is a tragic tale of ambition gone wrong and progress leading to death and destruction. This classi...

Man vs. Machine is a three part series on the effects of our interactions with technology. Are we managing our relationship with our machines, or have the machines become our masters? In this first episode, we discuss the difference between TV Trays and Dining Tables. Our tech tends to drive us toward comfort and convenience rather than meaning, quality, and purpose. How can we as Christians evalu...

The Book Nook series is dedicated to discussing books that matter. We think Christians have some reading to do if they want to stay informed and effective. The books we talk about, both fact and fiction, are important for helping us all think better and inspire our imaginations. In this month's episode we discuss a scarily accurate piece of cultural analysis called "Amusing Ourselves To Death...