The Holy Post

Back in 2009, a widely read article predicted "the coming evangelical collapse" would occur within ten years. Well, it's 2019 and evangelicals are still here, but where are they heading? Pastor, professor, author, and researcher, Ed Stetzer is back on the show to discuss new data about evangelicalism, the rise of Christian nationalism, and why the growth of secularism may be a good thing for the c...

Skye's in Hong Kong, Christian is interviewing French senior citizens, and Phil is writing scripts and playing with puppets—so, we have a special episode this week. Last month, Skye was part of a panel discussion on politics at Taylor University. We captured the audio to share with you. The other speakers include Nina Barnes (Vice President of Student Life, University of Northwestern), Alan Noble...

Our culture talks a lot about leadership—both inside and outside the church. With so many conferences and resources dedicated to making Christian leaders, why are we seeing so many scandals? Gene Habecker has given a lot of thought to this problem after leading numerous organizations. You'll find his perspective illuminating and surprising. Also this week, researchers discover bees can learn math...

In the past, the transition from childhood to adulthood was just a few awkward years. New research says the transition is now much, much longer. According to Kara Powell and Steve Argue from the Fuller Youth Institute, childhood is ending earlier with 14-year-olds encountering very adult issues, while many 28-year-olds continue to live like teenagers. How do we respond as parents and faith communi...

What causes "Trump-fever"? According to Baptist pastor and Trump cheerleader, Robert Jeffress, it's all about abortion. He calls never-Trump evangelicals "spineless morons" because they won't admit that Trump has been an effective pro-life president. Is he right? Not according to a new book called "Alienated America" by Timothy Carney. His data says cultural pessimism explains why some Republican...

Michael Wear has seen the intersection of faith and politics from the inside. Having worked in the White House and for political campaigns, Wear says the current state of politics reveals a crisis of discipleship in the American church. He talks with Skye about the way politics is shaping our faith when it ought to be the other way around. They also discuss the 2020 presidential candidates & their...

Bob Jones University didn't admit black students until the 1970s and didn't permit interracial dating until 2000. For decades the school was a symbol of white Christian racism, so why did Theon Hill, an African-American who grew up near Chicago, choose to attend BJU? Hill is now a professor at Wheaton College and shares what he learned about faith and racism from his undergraduate years at Bob Jon...

Does using medicine mean we distrust God? Are all sins really the same? Don't annihilationists and atheists believe the same thing? You asked and we answer in this week's special mailbag show. Plus, a Canadian denomination allows an atheist to be a pastor. Can we solve the abortion battle by going for the Democrat's "Green New Deal? New data says most Christian millennials think evangelism is wron...

An influential pastor has created a controversy by saying the 10 Commandments don't apply to Christians anymore. Our favorite Buckeye Bible guy, Mike Erre, is back to talk with Skye about how the Old Testament relates to the New. Phil and Skye discuss the latest round of megachurch pastor scandals, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard apologizes for being raised Catholic, and Karen Penc...

Jon Ward is back! He's the senior political correspondent for Yahoo News and the author of the new book Camelot's End about the 1980 primary fight between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy. Ward unpacks the current dynamics within the Republican and Democratic parties, and what to expect as we move toward the 2020 election. Also this week: Christians freak out over "McJesus" in Israel, social media fre...

Confused about the current standoff in Washington over the president's border wall? Matthew Soerens, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief and National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, is back to help us make sense of it all. He explains how the failure of immigration bills since 2013 got us to this place, and why neither Democrats nor Republicans are pursuing a c...

How's your new year resolution going? Drew Dyck is back to discuss his new book about self-discipline—which we all need more of. Unlike other books on the subject, his combines biblical wisdom with the latest findings from brain science, and Drew used himself as a guinea pig for research. Also this week, a teenage biohacker injected himself with DNA coded from the Bible. Is the lost Ark in Ethiopi...

Should social media companies be held responsible for the harm users inflict on their platforms? What about pharmaceutical companies marketing opioids? And gun manufacturers? Phil, Skye, and Christian get into a lively discussion about regulation and responsibility. Plus, can evangelical political engagement be explained by the 5 stages of grief? A new article argues white evangelicals will be pol...

Do your church leaders want to use you or equip you? Pastor and cultural architect, Dave Gibbons, joins Skye for a conversation about the future of the church. Having experienced everything from fundamentalism, to the seeker megachurch, and urban multiethnic ministry, Gibbons has an interesting take on where things are heading. Hint—its about launching people not institutions. Phil and Skye also d...

Nothing has caused more controversy among Christians in recent years than the advancement of LGBT rights and its implications for religious liberty. Is there a way forward that respects both sides? Gene Robinson, who was elected the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in 2003, and Skye discuss where they find common ground. Also this week, Phil responds to a California university's "whiteness forum"...

Last month American missionary John Chau broke the law by venturing to a remote island to share the gospel with an indigenous tribe who killed him. Phil and Skye unpack reactions to the story and what it says about our culture and how Christians now think about missionaries. Also this week, the "War on Christmas" has come to Idaho where a family is battling their neighbors over a live nativity sce...

Phil is off this week and Skye is traveling, so we have a special episode featuring a sermon Skye preached earlier this year at Mission Hills Church in San Marco, California. In the message, Skye looks at two ways Christians have viewed cultural engagement in the last century, and how both were rooted in fear and self-interest. He then explains a third, more faithful, option for those seeking to e...

A Dutch man is suing the government to legally lower his age by 20 years. He argues that if we can legally change our gender and our name why not our age? After decades of scandal, the Catholic Church thinks a Pokémon Go style video game is what it needs to reengage young people. Phil and Skye have a few other suggestions. New data says America's youngest generation is less moral, more self-center...

He wasn't a megachurch leader, nor was he a Christian celebrity, but a small church pastor with a love for the Bible managed to impact the faith of millions. This week we're joined by J.R. Briggs to talk about the ministry and legacy of his friend, Eugene Peterson. Plus, Phil and Skye breakdown the midterm elections, why are racists claiming there's a "white genocide," and a Bible professor explai...

In the wake of the terrible mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, more churches are debating whether or not to arm themselves in self-defense. Is armed security a faithful way to protect the flock, or do guns in church create more problems than solutions? Skye answers listener questions about the issue. Also this week, HBO wants to protect its actors from the harm caused by trivialized sex s...

Christianity teaches that Jesus took our sins upon himself and endured the punishment of death we deserve. Some critics of that view, however, claim a God who pours out his wrath upon his innocent Son is a moral monster. Friend of the show, Mike Erre, is back to set the record straight and explains what the "divine child abuse" critique of the cross gets wrong. Also this week, Christian and Skye t...

Since the 2016 election the statistic that a record-breaking 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump has been widely cited. But is it correct? Katelyn Beaty is back to unpack new research done by Lifeway and the Billy Graham Center on the issue, but does it really "debunk" the 81% stat? And why did so many white evangelicals pick Trump? Hint—it wasn't because of abortion. Plus, Phil and Skye dis...

Much of the Evangelical Industrial Complex has been created to make Christianity relevant, acceptable, and attractive to our consumer culture. Author and missional expert, Michael Frost, says this is a mistake. Instead, we should be emphasizing our faith's weirdness and call more Christians to be eccentric—literally "off center." Also this week: Phil and Skye take on "The Good Place," a TV show ab...

The gang's all here for a potluck episode. Drug News: A restaurant in Maine has mercy on lobsters by getting them high on marijuana before boiling them alive, and Coca-Cola plans to sell marijuana infused drinks. #MeToo News: Beth Moore confronts the misogyny within evangelicalism and pays the price. Political News: Liberty University produces a film about a "prophet" claiming Trump will launch Nu...

Human dignity is one of Christianity's greatest gifts to the world, says author Daniel Darling. His new book pushes Christians to think beyond the "us vs them" tribalism of our culture, and calls us back to a prophetic posture of defending what's right even when it means supporting the other political party. He talks with Skye about why churches have abandoned discipleship to the news media, and h...