Upstream

He's been described like a genie in a bottle, treated like The Force from Star Wars , and is sometimes simply forgotten. But the Holy Spirit is God, and learning to worship Him and recognize His work is central to Christianity. Shane welcomes Costi Hinn to sort truth from error using his new book, Knowing the Spirit.

The world is still reeling from the events of October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and slaughtered over a thousand civilians. As war rages, confusion reigns in academia and politics over who is to blame and what should be done. This week, Shane welcomes David Pileggi, Rector of Christ Church Anglican in Jerusalem, to offer the wisdom of over forty years of pastoring a church in the thi...

The world is filled with tales of ghosts, vampires, sea serpents, and all manner of mythological monsters. The secular mind dismisses these as superstitions, but should Christians? This week Shane welcomes Ben Garrett and Brian Sauvé, hosts of The Haunted Cosmos podcast, to explain how speculation about the spooky can glorify God.

For most of history, nearly everybody has agreed that human beings survive the deaths of our bodies. But somewhere along the way, materialism rose to dominance, and we became  nothing but  bodies. What's the truth? Shane welcomes Dr. Joshua Farris, author of  The Creation of Self , to make a robust case for the soul. Show Notes: The critical theories that dominate our cultural vocabulary aren't "j...

Music has been a favorite theme on Upstream. Guests like Andrew Peterson, Jeremy Begbie, The Arcadian Wild, and David Radford of The Gray Havens have explored the mystery of music from artistic and academic perspectives. This week, we bring you the best of those episodes with Shane's thoughts how they connect, and how God uses music in our lives.

Between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the modern social justice movement, the definition of "justice" changed. But critical social theories are based on important truths, even if they mix them with lies. Shane welcomes Drs. Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer to identify those truths and lies using their new book,  Critical Dilemma. 

We're in the mist of the most significant religious shift in American history. Millions are abandoning organized Christianity, but there is little clarity about why they're leaving, or how to stem the exodus. Shane welcomes Michael Graham, co-author of  The Great Dechurching,  to offer data-driven answers and surprising hope.

Atheists like to tell a story in which religion declined because of scientific evidence and arguments. But what if unbelief became a plausible option because of the way modern people work, live, and relate to the world, and the way these changes make us feel? Shane welcomes Dr. Joseph Minich to discuss his book,  Bulwarks of Unbelief.

Homosexuality, "spirituality," feminism, transgenderism, and more; an alternative creed is making inroads into Christianity and false claims on young lives. Shane welcomes Dr. Rosaria Butterfield, someone who once believed and lived those lies, to explain how God set her free and can do the same for anyone.

Christians often think of technology as morally neutral, but a closer examination shows that assumptions about the world and humanity are built into inventions like the internet. These "liturgies," or repeated patterns of formative behavior, shape us mentally and spiritually in ways that contradict God's design for us. Shane welcomes Samuel James to discuss his new book,  Digital Liturgies: Recove...

A dandelion, a song, a mother's love, even the reality of evil; God has used all of these to pierce the godless worldviews of real men and women. In this Upstream re-air, Shane welcomes Dr. Os Guinness to tell their stories using his book,  Signals of Transcendence.

We're witnessing an unprecedented epidemic of teenage girls who want to change their gender and think transition will make them happy. What's really going on, and how can Christians respond? Shane welcomes Dr. Katie McCoy to answer these hard questions using her new book,  To Be a Woman.

When we hear pastors or theologians refer to "creation," we assume they're talking about the beginning of the world. But what if the whole story of Scripture is about the purpose, function, and glorious destiny of God's handiwork—including us? Shane welcomes Dr. Edward Klink to discuss his book,  The Beginning and End of All Things: A Biblical Theology of Creation and New Creation .

When God created humans in His image, He gave us a mandate: to imitate His work by bringing beauty, order, art, and culture   into the world. This has implications for our relationship with time, space, matter, language, each other, and God. To explain, Shane welcomes Brian Brown, co-editor of an eye-opening new book called  Why We Create.

Christians easily fall into the habit of treating culture as something "out there," distinct from us and potentially corrupting or dangerous. But what if we are a part of that culture, and what if conflict isn't the only or best way to understand our role in shaping culture? Shane welcomes Dr. Justin Bailey to discuss his latest book,  Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses for Engaging Theology and...

A Viking who sailed to America, a prisoner who transformed an African kingdom, the daughter-in-law of Genghis Khan—what do all of these people have in common? Surprisingly, belief in Christ. Shane welcomes Dr. Glenn Sunshine to talk about his new book,  32 Christians Who Changed Their World.

Creation is bursting with Divine symbolism, especially where opposites unite—and nowhere do we find a more profound, sacred, or fruitful symbolism than in sex. Shane welcomes Joshua Butler, author of Beautiful Union , to explore how God's vision for the one flesh relationship displays deep mysteries about creation and its Creator.  

Contrary to secular mythology, the pioneers of modern astronomy believed they were "thinking God's thoughts after Him." In fact, this belief was essential to their discoveries! Shane welcomes Dr. Melissa Cain Travis to explain why Christian convictions led to the scientific revolution and can help us see the stars as they truly are.

Most of us will never have to choose between death and denying Jesus. So what does martyrdom mean for us? Shane welcomes Kasey Leander to reflect on the conversation with Jerry Pattengale about The New Book of Christian Martyrs .

Four-hundred and fifty years ago, John Foxe published his famous Book of Martyrs . But more Christians died for their faith in the last century than in the previous nineteen combined. Shane welcomes Dr. Jerry Pattengale to tell the stories of those who've confessed Christ to the end, using his The New Book of Christian Martyrs.

We're witnessing a groundswell of demand to create viable, Christian alternatives to the American public school system, but is there room for everyone? Shane welcomes Dr. Larry Taylor, president of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to sketch an exciting future for education.

Shane welcomes Tim Padgett to explore the distinctive approach to apologetics and evangelism that set Tim Keller apart and sometimes made him controversial. He subverted expectations, but how do we balance winsomeness toward outsiders with fidelity to our countercultural Christian convictions?

Last month, pastor-theologian Timothy Keller went home to the Lord. His ministry was filled with incredible successes and unexpected controversies, and raises questions about how Christians should engage our post-Christian culture. Shane welcomes Collin Hansen, author of Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation.

In his latest songs, Josh Bales meditates on doubt, deconstruction, and the glory we were created for. Shane welcomes Tim Padgett to discuss how understanding our high calling as humans can direct our search for God and truth.  

Human beings are fallen, sinful, and broken, but that's not where the story began. Shane welcomes singer-songwriter, priest, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Josh Bales to explain the importance of telling the full story of redemption, using his new EP, The Weight of Glory.