Thinking Out Loud

In August, eight-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison on drug charges in Russia. Now in a penal colony in Mordovia, Griner’s circumstances have grown more grim as the negotiations for her release continue. Join us as we explore this complex case and consider some of its uneasy parallels in our own nation.

Is it possible to thwart God’s plans? For that matter, is it even possible to “play God”? In a similar vein, does an emphasis on virtue and good works mean that we’re trying to take matters into our own hands, spiritually speaking? Join us as we delve into these matters.

The philosopher John Gray once remarked that we frequently confuse technological progress with moral progress. In this episode, we explore why that’s the case, and consider the fact that novelty in the technological arena doesn’t necessarily translate to novelty in the realm of human nature.

At present, the nation of Haiti is overrun by warring bands of gangs, making for a cultural landscape that's equal parts corrupt and chaotic. The crisis confronts us with a dilemma: How do we respond when we've got a moral obligation to "lost causes"? Whether we're talking about ruthless criminals or their victims, we're talking about human beings, each made in the image of God. In this episode, w...

In which we try to put Election Day into proper perspective. 

Certain religious groups stand out rather conspicuously: Devout muslims, Hasidic Jews, and the Amish, to name a few. But what can we say about most modern Christians in North America? In the past, cultural engagement was possible, but those opportunities are shrinking rapidly in the face of increasing hostility. What do we do when being seen as a social pariah is inevitable? How do we learn to emb...

To Western eyes, I Samuel 28 offers a bracing vision of the spiritual world. Why are we so unnerved by frank accounts of spiritual confrontations? Why is it that people in non-Western settings have a very different response? Could it be that we’re more formed by a materialistic account of reality than we realize? Okay, that last one is a leading question, but you get the point. Join us as we discu...

It’s our annual Halloween episode, in which we disagree on the efficacy of this particular holiday. Anticipating some of Nathan’s scruples, Cameron took it upon himself to dig a bit deeper on the peculiar place of this day in American life. The results are, we hope, humble, challenging, and reflective, but we’ll let you be the judge!

The recent forced resignation of Andrew Thorburn from his role as chief executive of the Essendon Football Club because of his affiliation with a theologically conservative church has once again raised the specter of religious discrimination. Though this incident took place in Australia, many people see striking parallels in the US. As Western nations continue to move in an increasingly post-Chris...

A recent Atlantic article detailed the defacement of a Vincent Van Gough painting at the hands of environmental activists. It turns out, the stunt was carefully planned, taking into account the fact that the painting was encased in glass. Still, the risk of escalation is pronounced and one security official estimates that this little act of protest could come with a major price tag as museums seek...

Since Cameron was recently interviewed on the Imago Dei show on the subject of doubt in the Christian life, we took the opportunity to dive into the subject here. We wanted to explore what doubt is, its place in every human life, and how a proper understanding of faith puts the whole thing into perspective.

Carl Lentz, the disgraced former Hillsong pastor, is in the news once again because of a black and white glamor shot of he and his wife that was posted to his Instagram page. Many are speculating that this signals a return to ministry. By many accounts an all-too-familiar story, Nathan Rittenhouse finds the whole celebrity charade deeply perplexing. In this episode, Cameron does his darndest to he...

Nathan Rittenhouse recently returned from a talk at the University of Virginia. Cameron took this as an opportunity to ask him all about the feel on campus these days, as well as the types of questions being asked. Surprisingly, the interest is deeply biblical, rather than topical. 

Organic chemistry is a notoriously difficult subject. But what happens when modern sensibilities collide with high academic standards? Dr. Maitland Jones, Jr., a celebrated scholar with a wealth of teaching experience, found out firsthand when a petition signed by a number of his students resulted in his termination from New York University. The complaint: his class was too difficult. Join us as w...

Spurred on by a video of a man harassing a Boston Dynamics robot with a hockey stick, we consider the ethical challenges of living in a world filled with machines that blur the line between humans and technology.

The recent slaying of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, at the hands of the nation's notorious "morality police" has led to massive protests around the country. It's also reigniting the conversation about the public consequences of religion. In the face of an increasingly radical progressive agenda in the west, many people find themselves gravitating toward extreme alternatives. In this ep...

Why is it that so many pastors are dejected and ready to jump ship? It’s no secret that being a pastor is a largely thankless job these days, but the difficulties involved with the role are multiplying rapidly as our cultural division grows. In this episode, we talk about the crucial role that pastors play, and some of the features of North American Christianity that diminish that role.

Alright, the title is pure clickbait, but it arises from a troubling new article from Christianity Today that charts the top five heresies among evangelicals. Given today’s cultural climate, is it really that surprising that heresy is widespread in North America? And for that matter, how do we even define the term “evangelical” these days? Tune in to hear us talk heresy and evangelicalism.

In the face of skyrocketing tuition rates and increasing isolation between departments, is traditional college still a viable option? For those of us with kids, should we send them to college, or is there a significant shift taking place in the landscape of higher education? In this episode, we’re joined by Jonathan Brush, President and CEO of Unbound , to discuss the future of learning.

Responses to the death of Elizabeth II range from casual indifference to profound grief. Who was this remarkable lady and why is she so historically and ecclesially significant? We all know that the monarchy sits uneasily in our modern world, but Elizabeth II, more than any other member of the royal family, built some remarkable bridges in her long lifetime. In this episode, we’re joined in our di...

As our cultural moment grows more embattled and contentious, many of us long for alternative forms of community. Perhaps this explains our largely romantic view of the Amish. From romance novels to daydreams of a “simpler form of life,” the notion that most of us could bring our consumerist individualism into the tight knit fold of an Amish community strains credibility. But what happens when comm...

Cameron recently tagged along to a metal concert headlined by a band that flirts with satanic themes. But there's a reason the word "satanic" appears in scare quotes in the title. Is this a sincere conviction on the part of these musicians? Or is this a clever marketing strategy to scare parents and get the attention of their kids? And what does it say about our supposedly secular society that a b...

Megachurch pastor Matt Chandler is the latest church leader to find himself embroiled in controversy over an inappropriate online relationship with a female congregant. Many of us are growing more jaded with these kinds of reports. In the case, the current details seem cryptic at best. In this episode, we talk about the broken trust that hangs over all of these scandals and consider how me might m...

In this episode, we're joined by Wade Bearden, author of Failing Faith and most recently, To My Friend Who Left the Faith: A Letter to a Prodigal from a Prodigal . We sat down to chat with Wade about his latest book, the changing face of apologetics and evangelism in today's landscape, as well as the crucial need for faithful local churches.  In addition to his writing, Wade also works with S...

In the not too recent past, many people were optimistic about the future, confident that it would usher in a time of greater peace and prosperity. It's safe to say that this sense of eager anticipation has now died on the vine. Why are we so afraid of tomorrow's world? For that matter, why are we afraid of tomorrow itself? We talk about it in this week's episode.