The Ezra Institute Podcast for Cultural Reformation

As the Ezra Institute looks ahead to 2026, Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Michael Thiessen and Jordan Cecile to share what’s coming next—and how listeners can get involved. In this episode, the team unpacks new Ezra Press projects, the Foundations curriculum for churches, the launch of the Ezra Ambassadors Network, and the continued growth of Ezra Media. They also highlight key in...

As a new year begins, Christians face mounting cultural pressure, constant bad news, and growing anxiety. In this opening episode of 2026, the Podcast for Cultural Reformation takes a pastoral turn—calling believers to lift their eyes from the chaos and fix them firmly on Christ. Ezra Institute Fellow Pastor Aaron Rock joins Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen to discuss fear, time, habits, an...

In this Advent episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen continue the Think Christianly series by asking a world-shaping question: Who is the child in the manger? Marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, they explore the Arian heresy, the church’s defense of Christ’s full divinity, and why the Nicene confession—“b...

In this Advent episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot, Dr. Michael Thiessen, and Pastor Nate Wright continue their discussion of Think Christianly by examining why the divinity of Jesus Christ is essential to the Christian faith and the gospel itself. Drawing on John 1, the early church fathers, and the historic battles against heresies such as Gnosticism and Arianism, the h...

We’re briefly pausing our Advent series to address the urgent news surrounding Canada’s proposed Bill C-9. Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Michael Thiessen break down what this anti-hate legislation really means for free speech, public Christianity, and the future of law in the West. They explain how new “hate propaganda” provisions, vague definitions, and sentence enhancements...

In this first episode of our Advent series, “Think Christianly About Advent,” Nate Wright, Dr. Joe Boot, and Dr. Michael Thiessen explore what it truly means to think Christianly about Christ as we enter the Christmas season. Starting from family and church traditions, they move into the deeper significance of the incarnation as the moment when the eternal God steps into history, confr...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Thiessen, Dr. Joe Boot, and Pastor Nate Wright continue their discussion on Think Christianly, focusing on how the church can recover a truly Christian mind. They examine how secular philosophies, pop psychology, and emotionalism have shaped much of modern Christian thinking, leading to widespread syncretism and cultural confusion. The hosts explore the need for a refo...

In this kickoff to our Think Christianly series, Nate Wright and Dr. Michael Thiessen introduce Joe’s new book, explain what it means to have an undivided Christian mind, and show how cultural assumptions, secular psychology, and unbiblical traditions have quietly reshaped the thinking of many Christians. They call listeners back to Scripture as the controlling authority for how we understan...

A Remembrance Day conversation with Nate Wright, Dr. Michael Thiessen, and Dr. Joe Boot: why Christians have a duty to remember the fallen, what Scripture says about sacrifice and just war, and how a viral clip from 100-year-old veteran Alec Pennstone exposes the West’s moral drift. The guys contrast historic courage with today’s atonement-free guilt culture, trace how critical theorie...

Michael Thiessen, Joe Boot, and Nate Wright unpack how Christians can practice genuine hospitality to immigrants without losing the cultural and legal unity of a nation. Drawing on Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Psalm 2, they argue for care for the sojourner, one law for native and foreigner, and real integration through shared public life—pushing back on church antinomianism and the &l...

Dr. Michael Thiessen and Dr. Joe Boot preview the Ezra East conference (Nov. 1, 2025, Ingersoll, ON) and tackle one of the West’s most urgent questions: How should Christians think about immigration? Joe walks through the major waves of immigration to the US, UK, and Canada and shows why not all immigration is the same—older migration from Christianized nations was far less destabilizi...

Dr. Michael Thiessen and Pastor Nate Wright get practical about what it means to build Christian culture at the national level. Picking up from last week, they argue that freedom is only secure when it’s tethered to Christ—and then work through the “messy details” Christians must think through: covenantal nationhood, immigration and oaths, public worship, courts and penalti...

Pastor and detective Mark Hamilton joins Michael and Nate to share his journey from a Word-of-Faith background to a reformed, Scripture-centered ministry in Buffalo, NY. He discusses the challenges of pastoring in the inner city, how his work in law enforcement shapes his ministry, and why the gospel—not programs or politics—is the true power to transform hearts, homes, and cities.

In this episode of The Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Michael Thiessen, Dr. Joe Boot, and Nate Wright explore the Christian concept of freedom. As they think Christianly through today’s headlines, they examine how modern notions of liberty often depart from biblical truth—and why true freedom can only be found when it’s tethered to God. NEW!!! Dr. Boot's latest book, Think Chr...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation,  Drs. Mike Thiessen and Joe Boot debunk the sacred/secular dualism and help Christians think Christianly about a biblical response to The Tyranny of a Totalitarian Technocracy. Episode Resource: "Is Christian Nationalism WEIRD?" | Glen Schrivener (Speak Life via YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzsTVIdZa1k NEW!!! NOW OUT! Get D...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation ,Pastor Nate Wright and Drs. Mike Thiessen and Dr. Joe Boot, discuss the significance of Charlie Kirk's memorial, exploring its implications for the Christian community and the broader cultural landscape. They reflect on the diverse representation of Christianity at the event, the political and spiritual messages conveyed, and the complexitie...

In this podcast episode, Dr. Michael Thiessen, Pastor Nate Wright, and Dr. Joe Boot discuss the implications of Charlie Kirk's death and the church's response to it. They express concern over the reluctance of many church leaders to acknowledge Kirk's martyrdom and the broader cultural implications of this silence. The conversation delves into the truncation of the gospel, the political nature of...

In this SPECIAL EPISODE of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Dr. Joseph Boot is joined by Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Michael Thiessen to discuss the shocking assassination of influential Christian, political activist and organizer, founder of Turning Point USA,  Charlie Kirk.  Our heartfelt prayers go out to all his loved ones and family. May the God of all comfort be your strength...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Dr. Joseph Boot and Pastor Nate Wright discuss the biblical concepts of the doctrine of the lesser magistrate and civil disobedience to tyrannical, ungodly rulers as obedience to God. Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open 00:45 Podcast Intro 04:23 Upcoming Events and Conferences 05:20 The Reform Protestant Position on Resisting Tyranny 05:44&...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Michael Thiessen discuss how recent events show that spiritual warfare manifests itself in political battles and civil chaos. NEW!!! PRE-ORDER Dr. Boot's latest book, Think Christianly: Developing an Undivided Mind , today!: https://ezrapress.ca/products/think-christianly-developing-an-undivided-mind ; Get your co...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Dr. Joe Boot and Pastor Nate Wright discuss the politics of civil war while attending the Ezra Family Camp in Ontario, Canada. They reflect on the social and political conditions in various Western nations, particularly the UK and Canada, which suggest a growing potential for civil unrest. They delve into markers of civil war, including pol...

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Ezra Fellow Rev. Dr. Aaron Rock delve into the contemporary crises facing the Western family structure, focusing on marriage, masculinity, and the impact of feminism on society. They discuss the implications of abandoning biblical principles for family and male leadership, the resulting societal and economic challenges, and...

On today's episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Rev. Nate Wright discusses the corrosive impact of Cultural Marxism, under the euphemistic brand of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I), on social cohesion and the State with sociologist Dr. David M. Haskell. Marxist Revolutions, no matter their subtlety or name, are always horribly destructive! Chapters: 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:19 W...

On today's episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Dr. Joe Boot sits down with Richard Fangrad, the CEO of Creation Ministries International (CMI) in Canada, to discuss the deadly sociopolitical and cultural ramifications of an evolutionary worldview. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:19 Introduction to the Podcast 02:21 CMI - Canada's Work 03:48 Attacks on Genesis 1-11 06:46 Question of Authorit...

On today's episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation , Dr. Michael Thiessen and Dr. Joe Boot are joined by Ezra Fellow Dr. P. Andrew Sandlin for the first episode of our summer series concerning the relationship between Christianity and the State. In this episode, they focus on the concepts of reformation and revolution. They explore historical "revolutions," including the English, American,...