The Russell Moore Show

Why has there been a rise in antisemitic tropes, speech, and acts in recent years? Why have cultural moments of change in the West often led to the emergence of violence against Jewish people? And how might the Jewish American experience shed light on how all of us can live in tumultuous times? On this episode, Yuval Levin and Russell Moore respond to these complex questions. Levin is the director...

Are events like the National Prayer Breakfast merely displays of civil religion? What does it look like for Christian political leaders to unite during such a divided time in American life? And what is the role of the government when it comes to managing the influence of social media? These are just some of the many questions that Delaware Senator Chris Coons and Russell Moore address during today...

On this episode, New York Times Opinion columnist Ross Douthat tells Russell Moore where he's wrong on Catholicism and American culture. Kind of. Douthat and Moore consider what it looks like for Christians to engage civically without surrendering to the relentless urgency of the political cycle. They discuss the Roman Catholic Church and what's happening at the intersection of religion, American...

What does hope look like for the American church as political polarization sparks division and many evangelicals are leaving the pews? It might be found in the words of the British “Poet for ‘Bruised Evangelicals,’” Malcolm Guite. The poet, priest, singer-songwriter, and professor joined Russell to talk about truth, imagination, and illumination. Guite and Moore discuss how they know the Christian...

“Just wait until you get married, you’ll drive each other crazy.” “Just wait until that baby is a toddler throwing tantrums, you’ll long for the sleepless newborn nights!” “Just wait until your energetic third-grader is a surly teenager, you’ll crave flag football and trampoline parks.” Sound familiar? Sometimes, when we seek advice or empathy around family life, we’re met with a cynical response...

When Paul Pelosi, husband of speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was attacked, social media erupted with jokes. Why? What is at the heart of such a calloused response to violence? On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Moore welcomes Elizabeth Neumann to discuss online radicalization, loneliness, and how Christians can navigate an era of political hatred. Formerly the assistant secretary for co...

“Through reading, I can imagine situations that I ordinarily would never encounter.” So says Russell Moore on this final episode of the year. All about books, the conversation between Russell and producer Ashley Hales covers everything from storytelling and genre to categorizing books and cultivating a love of reading in childhood. Take a peek into Russell’s book clubs, learn more about his readin...

What do parenting, responding to cultural waves, and healing from church hurt have in common? The answer might just be found in Russell Moore’s response to a listener question on this episode of The Russell Moore Show: "The Spirit is going to be walking with you and working within you,” says Moore. “Be patient and let the Spirit work." The topics in this episode range from marriage and family to c...

"In the long run, we're really looking to be enfolded in a durable, relational community in which we are known and loved—loved after we're known, instead of loved because we're not yet known." So says Andy Crouch, author, speaker, and partner at venture-building ecosystem Praxis. As someone who fell in love with computers and technology at a young age, Crouch has spent years considering the ways t...

By the age of 34, Max Lucado was burned out, struggling with insomnia, and begging the Lord to help him “have the wherewithal to preach the next day.” Now, decades later, Lucado is still pastoring—he’s the teaching minister at Oak Hills Christian Church in San Antonio. He’s written dozens of books in the years that have passed since he struggled to find the energy to keep going. Lucado doesn’t att...

What are Christians to do when political or religious differences are harming—or even ending—their relationships? Why are so many modern people so deeply lonely? And what might it look like to live in peaceful community with people we see as enemies? On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Peter Wehner, senior fellow at The Trinity Forum and a writer for The Atlantic and The New York Times, joi...

Does social media make us meaner? How do we stay faithful to Jesus when we’re downright exhausted? Tune in for a discussion between Russell Moore and producer Ashley Hales that covers these questions and more. The topics on this episode of The Russell Moore Show range from the recent mayhem on Twitter to Russell’s favorite Christmas present as a child. The listener questions covered in this episod...

What does it mean to forgive? Is it just a matter of forgetting and moving on? How do justice, vengeance, and accountability factor into the equation? On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, pastor and author Tim Keller and Russell discuss the "thorny," as Keller refers to it, topic of forgiveness. They talk about the biblical approach to forgiveness and how to understand the subject theologica...

How should Christians vote when none of the candidates embody a Christian ethic? What is the difference between patriotism and Christian Nationalism? Where is God when we pray on behalf of a loved one's mental health yet they still die by suicide? These are some of the questions that Russell Moore answers on this post-Election Day episode of The Russell Moore Show. Tune in for thoughtful responses...

“We’re learning what she meant to us by having to cope with her absence.” So says Sam Allberry, British author, speaker, pastor, and apologist as he reflects on the death of Queen Elizabeth II during this week’s episode of The Russell Moore Show. Allberry and Moore talk about the role the queen filled in the British and global imaginations, what it means for the Elizabethan age to end, and the typ...

When people think of Bill McKibben, they likely think of issues like environmentalism and climate change. As Russell Moore points out in this episode, it may seem like a surprise that McKibben’s latest book is titled The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. But, as Moore points out, McKibben has long been...

How can pro-life Christians engage in meaningful conversations about abortion with their pro-choice friends? Is attending church online equivalent to sitting in the sanctuary on a Sunday morning? And what is Russell Moore’s new book about? Russell Moore responds to all of these questions and more on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. Listen in for nuanced answers to listener inquiries such as...

On this special episode of The Russell Moore Show, author and professor Stephen Prothero discusses the overturn of Roe v. Wade and what it may mean for the United States. Moore and Prothero talk about potential implications for other legislation like Obergefell. They consider the potential effects of the Roe v. Wade overturn on America’s culture wars. Listeners may appreciate their conversation on...

Author and pastor Scott Sauls knows what it’s like to be his own worst critic. “Even if we’re being unfairly critiqued, there’s usually at least a kernel of truth in there somewhere that gets under our skin and bothers us,” Sauls says on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. Those kernels of truth can lead to guilt and shame. And, as Sauls says, “We have done things that render us guilty.” But w...

Humans are into rituals. Birth rituals, marriage rituals, naming rituals—each of these and more are integral to the lives of most people. One type of ritual, perhaps, is most common of all: death rituals. On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, author and professor Stephen Prothero joins Moore to discuss a sweeping change in death rituals: cremation's rapid rise in popularity. They talk about t...

"Happiness requires a lot of unhappy when you finally confront life in all of its complexities." Dr. Moore and Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard professor and author of the book From Strength to Strength, discuss how if you're spending all of your time and energy trying to avoid unhappy, you will paradoxically avoid your own happiness by cutting the purpose and sacredness out of your life. Addressing lone...

The following episode was recorded on May 13, 2022. “Having grown up just down the road, the son of the senior pastor at another church in town, I’ve spent my life watching evangelicalism morph from a spiritual disposition into a political identity,” Tim Alberta recently wrote at The Atlantic. “It’s heartbreaking.” On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Alberta and Moore discuss the shift in e...

Rachael Denhollander is horrified by the information inside the monumental third-party investigative report into sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). But she’s not surprised. “The most sobering part,” Denhollander tells CT public theologian Russell Moore, “is that we should have known, and in many cases, we did know and did nothing.” The first woman to pursue criminal charges and...

What the heck has been happening since 2014? That’s the question that today’s guest—NYU professor, psychologist, and author Jonathan Haidt—has been trying to answer ever since NYU students started to say that certain speakers shouldn’t be allowed on campus. Then came the arrival of safe spaces, discussions of microaggressions, and trigger warnings. What in the world was going on?  On this episode...

Should parents read books to their children that feature disobedient characters? How can Christians engage in public service when they are concerned about the trajectories of both major political parties? Are Christians called to admit all of their sins to fellow believers or can they just confess to God? Russell Moore addresses all of these listener questions and more on this episode of The Russe...