Ministry in a Secular Age featuring Dr. Andrew Root

We're back from a hiatus with more new episodes to come! Andy attends a graduation ceremony held in a church where the school papered over God's name on the wall.  What does this say about the secular age we live in?  What's the deeper meaning for those of us in minisry? Andy's **brand new** book "WHEN CHURCH STOPS WORKING" is out now.  Grab it on Amazon or, better yet, your local bookstore. Speci...

Aliens have been in the news a bit, and Derek wants to know what Andy thinks would happen to the Church if aliens are real. Andy's **brand new** book "WHEN CHURCH STOPS WORKING" is out now.  Grab it on Amazon or, better yet, your local bookstore. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.

Churches are obsessed with mission statements, but Andy thinks that watch words are even more important. Andy's **brand new** book "WHEN CHURCH STOPS WORKING" is out now.  Grab it on Amazon or, better yet, your local bookstore. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.

Andy thinks there's something deeply wrong with having "bucket lists". Andy's **brand new** book "WHEN CHURCH STOPS WORKING" is out now.  Grab it on Amazon or, better yet, your local bookstore. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.

Andy sent Derek a text at 1:00am about our modern desire to look backward at life.  It led them to talk about the Holy Land, cathedrals, whiskey, and the tension in modern youth ministry. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.  ...

Andy likes a streaming TV show about Jesus and says it's good.  Derek is skeptical.  This leads to a conversation about art, faith, beauty, truth, and the Church. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.

The robots are coming for us all.  Andy is worried it has the potential to take away the meaning from artistic expression and end the Age of Authenticity.  Derek, on the other hand, uses it to enhance his sermons.  Only time can tell who is right. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books. Spec...

Everyone talks about how "different" these times are for culture and for the Church.  Andy doesn't think so.  In fact, Andy doesn't think much has changed since the 1960s, and this insight has some big implications for ministry today. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books. Special thanks to...

Andy doesn't think that you should say you're "proud of yourself".  It's a throwaway phrase that we use all the time, but Andy thinks there's something more going on there. It turns out there's a lot in this simple phrase about how we see our lives, how we engage with church and spirituality, and how we get sucked into the toxic positivity of self help. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The...

It's cold outside which makes it a perfect time for Andy's TV recommendations. This time Andy discusses a new show on HBO which leads to a larger conversation about how to embrace the uncontrollable.  It turns out that sometimes trying to control everything squeezes the life out of us and our ministries. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy...

We're excited for another listener question episode - this time from Matthew Codd. Fundamentalism is rampant on both sides of modern politics, social media, and even the Church.  Andy has thoughts on this and what it means for those of us in ministry. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books....

Andy has a big problem with saying "you're fine" after someone apologizes.  And it all has to do with our culture's desire for singular uniqueness and the constant state of judging each other.  It turns out this little phrase reveals big implications for the Church and our society. Be sure to grab Andy's brand new book - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along w...

This week Pastor Andrew Esqueda has a great question for the pod about the tension church leaders feel balancing relevance & resonance. Andy also has a *brand new book* - The Church After Innovation - out now.  Get your copy on Amazon today along with all of Andy's other books. Special thanks to Baker Publishing for sponsoring our podcast.  

Ministry is hard in a world of black-and-white divisive issues, political polarization, and different opinions.  How can leaders make sense of it all? Andy thinks that Karl Barth might have some clues - especially when we take a step back to let "God be God". Special thanks to our sponsor Baker Publishing.  New episodes drop every other week.  Thanks for listening.

We're back with a new name, a new schedule, and a new sponsor! This week we're digging into the new name question with Andy.   What does it mean when the Church "stops working"?   Is that even possible?  And what does that mean for those in ministry?   Special thanks to our new sponsor Baker Publishing.  New episodes drop every other week.  Thanks for listening!

Andy's brand new book - Churches and the Crisis of Decline - is out now! Derek took some time to sit down with Andy to talk about the book, the real "crisis" the church is facing (hint - it's not decline), and the importance for church leaders to simply wait for God to act. Grab your copy of the book here - https://tinyurl.com/4pnbkdre www.newtimereligion.org www.twitter.com/newtimereligion www.fa...

Everyone loves Ted Lasso.  But Andy thinks that this points to a bigger issue in our culture & church. When we're always trying to be positive and smooth, life becomes an exhausting performance where we hide our jagged edges.  And this isn't always healthy, and it's definitely not the point of the Gospel. Andy's book The Congregation in a Secular Age is out now.  Be sure to grab your copy today: h...

We've talked about "resonance" a lot on the podcast, but what does it look like in the real world? This week Andy shares a personal story from a family trip to Hawaii featuring messy dolphins and finding beauty in the midst of it all. Andy's book The Congregation in a Secular Age is out now.  Be sure to grab your copy today: https://tinyurl.com/yxu2mcx2 www.newtimereligion.org www.twitter.com/newt...

We're back from summer break with a new batch of episodes and it's....been....quite the year. There's a lot going on with the global COVID pandemic, political turmoil, issues of equality and justice, and more.  And so to kick things off, Andy talks about the perspective thinkers like Taylor and Rosa can give us during historic times like these. Also - did you know that dogs tell time through smell...

It's the middle of summer and who knows if we'll ever watch movies in the theater again.  But...we DO have another episode of Andy's Movie Club featuring a movie that you can stream at-home and watch along with us! This time we're watching the Amazon original movie "Brad's Status" starring Ben Stiller.  If you're old like us you'll love it and identify with Brad and his mid-life crisis.  If you're...

We're excited to introduce Andy's Movie Club - a new type of episode that gives you the chance to stay inside on a screen.  Because who hasn't been doing that lately!? Join us as we explore Hulu's new documentary WeWork and look at what insights it has for the Church and for building community. Andy's new book The Congregation in a Secular Age is out now.  Be sure to grab your copy today: https://...

How does sin work in the Age of Authenticity?  And why are both grace and sin eclipsed in a secular age?  We dig into the listener mailbag this week to explore all that and more.  Huge shout-out to Zoe for the great question this week. The Congregation in a Secular Age is out now.  Be sure to grab your copy today: https://tinyurl.com/yxu2mcx2 And, as always, the listener hotline is still open.  Gi...

The trilogy is complete.  Andy's *brand new* book - the Congregation in a Secular Age - is out now.  It's book #3 in his Secular Age trilogy and, unlike other third installments of trilogies, features no Ewoks whatsoever. Some of the themes are familiar to listeners of the pod, but we took a turn and got into some fascinating talk about ministry & the pandemic. The Congregation in a Secular Age is...

Andy saw Pixar's Soul over Christmas break and can't wait to talk about it. It's a beautiful film with wonderful reflections on life, love, and ministry.  Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch the movie before diving in! Andy's *brand new* book, the Congregation in a Secular Age just launched.  Be sure to grab your copy today: https://tinyurl.com/yxu2mcx2 And, as always, the listener hotline is sti...

It's a karate episode for Christmas! Dr. Andrew Root has been watching Cobra Kai lately and sees a big connection between the evil dojo & Charles Taylor's triangle of Humanism vs. Neo-Nietzscheanism vs. Transcendance.  And, truth be told, this Taylor's triangle reaches far beyond Netflix 80s revival shows.  Join Andy & Derek as they hop on zoom for a socially distanced new episode. As always the l...