Mortification of Spin

Carl and Todd welcome special guest Melissa Dougherty to the podcast, a Christian apologist best known for her YouTube channel, where she covers a variety of theological topics. Melissa is also the author of the thought-provoking book Happy Lies: How a Movement You Probably Never Heard of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World, in which she shares her insights on the New Thought movement, exploring its se...

Carl and Todd welcome Reverend David McKay to discuss his new book, A Spiritual Checkup for a Healthy Life with Christ. With over four decades of pastoral experience, David shares insights on spiritual health, the importance of living out our faith, and the role of the church in our spiritual journeys. But why does David advocate a spiritual checkup for believers? Because Christ has done everythin...

In this episode, Carl and Todd are joined by Francis Maier, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, to discuss the influential works of Neil Postman. They explore Postman's critiques of technology, particularly in relation to culture and education, and how these ideas resonate with contemporary issues.  Until people understand that they have the personal responsibility of reform an...

As technology increasingly blurs the distinction between man and machine, new questions emerge about the future of religion, education, work, politics, and family life. Today, Todd and Carl engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Joshua Pauling, co-author of the book Are We All Cyborgs Now? Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine. Together, they explore the implications of technology on hum...

In this episode of Mortification of Spin, Carl and Todd discuss the pressing issues facing young men today, exploring the need for role models and the church's potential to fill this void.  The church is a community, and if we're living in a world where young men really lack good role models, there is a tremendous opportunity for the church to speak to that. -- Carl Trueman They discuss the cultur...

In this episode of Mortification of Spin, Carl and Todd are joined by their friend, Michael Morales, professor of biblical studies at Greenville Theological Seminary. Together, they discuss Michael's much-anticipated 2-volume commentary on the Book of Numbers, an often-overlooked by preachers and students of the Bible. According to Carl, "If Michael Morales writes it, you need to read it." Discuss...

In this episode, Todd Pruitt and Carl Truman welcome back Lydia Brownback, the director for women's resources at Crossway and a well-known author. They dive into Lydia's journey from seminary to writing and teaching, and how the Lord wove all of these experiences together in her life to prepare her for the work she is now doing.  Isn't it true that what He is doing in our lives is always preparato...

Todd and Carl, now officially an American citizen, dive into the challenging subject of immigration. Together, they explore the theological concept of the "order of love," its implications for prioritizing our obligations to others, and how this intersects with the responsibilities of the State versus the Church.  The situation is complicated. How do we navigate? How do we develop a hierarchy of l...

In this episode of Mortification of Spin, Carl and Todd engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Brad Littlejohn, director of Programs and Education at American Compass, about Brad's newly published book, Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License.   Christians in the modern West hear a lot about—and talk a lot about—"freedom." The word has taken on so many meanings th...

In this poignant episode, Todd and Carl welcome author Whitney Pipkin to discuss her book, We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us. Drawing from her own experience, Whitney sheds light and hope, reminding us that we are not alone in our grief. And she reveals the mysterious way God ministers to and transforms us through death and suffering. "The places you are most...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10 Today, Todd and Carl are joined by Chris Ansberry, associate professor at Grove City College, and a colleague of Carl's who refuses to wear socks, much to Carl's chagrin. Wardrobe choices aside, Chris recently wrote a commentary on the Book of Proverbs, published by Zondervan Academ...

Join Carl and Todd as they tackle the pressing issues of gender ideology and pastoral practice with special guests Mary Rice Hasson and Theresa Farnan from the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Mary and Theresa have worked on a book titled Gender Ideology and Pastoral Practice: A Handbook for Catholic Clergy, Counselors, and Ministerial Leaders, which Carl believes to be immensely valuable for Prot...

Todd and Carl, the self-proclaimed Hall and Oates of podcasting, spend a few minutes reflecting on the longevity of Mortification of Spin – "We've been doing this for over a decade now. Easily we must be one of the longest-standing podcast partnerships in history." They then turn their attention to today's returning guest and their friend, Kevin DeYoung, to discuss his latest book, Daily Doctrine:...

Todd is pretty excited to have today’s guest on “his podcast,” who is none other than his Mortification of Spin co-host, Carl Trueman. Together, they discuss Carl’s latest book, To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse, where Carl examines the historical roots of critical theory, its evolution, and its impact on contemporary culture.  I wanted to produce a book that was not a kin...

Carl and Todd welcome Yannick Imbert and Iain Wright to discuss their new book, Reclaiming the Dark Ages: How the Gospel Light Shone from 500 to 1500. An often overlooked period, Yannick and Iain challenge the notion of the "Dark Ages" by highlighting key Christian figures and their contributions to church history including Leo the Great, Anselm of Canterbury, and Jan Hus.  We wanted to take a sel...

Join us in this enlightening episode as Todd and Carl welcome Thomas Bergler, a distinguished professor of ministry and missions at Huntingdon University, to discuss his insightful book, The Juvenilization of American Christianity. What exactly is “juvenalization?” Juvenilization is the process by which the beliefs, traits, developmental characteristics of adolescence become normative or celebrate...

Todd and Carl explore Christianity as a supernatural religion, diving deep into the Gospel of John and its portrayal of miracles as signs of Jesus' divine authority. Together they discuss the historical and philosophical shifts in belief systems from the Enlightenment to modern-day skepticism, and reflect on the modern quest for meaning and morality.  "We are creatures who crave meaning, and any i...

Many young (and not-so-young) adults today struggle to figure out what they should do with their lives. Focusing on this significant issue, Todd and Carl talk with William (Bill) Boekestein about his new book, Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling. If people are in the situation of not having a sense of what they ought to do with their life, or people who are highly motiv...

Carl and Todd delve into the evolving complexities of medical ethics in today's world with guest Farr Curlin, the Josiah C. Trent Professor of Medical Humanities at Duke University and co-author of  The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession. Together, they explore the crucial role of pastors in guiding their congregations through ethical medical decisions, the significance of understa...

Carl and Todd sit down with Harrison Perkins, pastor of Oakland Hills Community Church and lecturer at Westminster and Edinburgh Theological Seminaries, to discuss his insightful new book, Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction. Why is the study of covenant theology significant, and how can it shape our understanding of the Bible and the Gospel?  This is a framework for understandin...

In an increasingly secular world, Christians are often pulled in two directions. Some urge us to retreat and build insular communities. Others call upon us to wage a culture war, harnessing the government to shore up Christian cultural power. Is there a better way? Stephen Presley, senior fellow for religion and public life at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy and associate professor...

How do we know if we're making the best choices possible? Todd and Carl discuss this important topic with their guest, T. David Gordon, former professor at Grove City College and the author of Choose Better: Five Biblical Models for Making Ethical Decisions. Over the centuries, Christians in different traditions have distilled scriptural guidance into five models for ethical decision-making: law,...

Carl and Todd welcome special guest Harold Senkbeil, executive director of Doxology, the Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care, and the author of the popular book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Together, they discuss the essence of pastoral ministry, the significance of patience, and the importance of the Word and sacraments in pastoral care.  Pastoral work is really the work of Jes...

Maintaining appropriate Christian behavior can be particularly challenging in a world where political discourse often becomes heated and divisive. In today's timely episode, Carl and Todd delve into the complexities of navigating faith and politics, especially during an election year.  "We want to talk today about how Christians can have strong opinions on important issues and express those opinio...

Carl and Todd dive deep into the complex relationship between religion and politics with Miles Smith from Hillsdale College as they discuss his new book, Religion and Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War. Why did he decide to write this book now, and why did he intentionally not use the more commonplace terms “Church and State”? What is the difference between Christian in...