Older episodes

  1. 265Episode 263: Discipling Our Kids and De-Platforming Our Enemies w/Rob RienowWhat do you mean my church can't raise my kids for me??  Family ministry expert Rob Rienow joins Phil and Skye to talk about the importance of discipling kids at home, and gives practical advice for doing just that.  Plus, what do Richard Dawkins and The Bible Answer Man have in common?  They've been DE-PLATFORMED!  And a new theory suggests our increasing political extremism may be caused - at least partly - by the decline of mainline Protestantism??  Crazy!!1 hr 1 min
  2. 266Episode 264: Learning How to See w/James GilmoreDo you know how to see?  Really?  And how does "seeing" affect our faith?  Best-selling author James Gilmore (The Experience Economy) swings by to talk about his new book, Look: A Practical Guide to Improving Your Observational Skills.  Plus, the wedding of the future probably won't be in a church, and may involve more than two people.  And science disproves the Bible yet again!  Or not.  This week on the podcast!1 hr 10 min
  3. 267Episode 265: Movies as Prayer w/Josh LarsenAre movies a form of prayer?  Josh Larsen, film critic and host of NPR's Filmspotting radio show and podcast, joins the gang to talk movies and his new book, Movies Are Prayers, where he looks at movies and finds in them classic forms of Christian prayer.  Also - thoughts about Charlottesville, race, and in the words of one social critic, "What's wrong with white Christians?"  This week on the podcast!58 min
  4. 268Episode 267: Race in AmericaSlavery ended in America with the stroke of a pen in 1865, but the 13th Amendment didn't end institutional racism.  Not even close.  Phil and his law professor brother Rob recently taught a class that touched on the Black Lives Matter movement, asking and attempting to answer the question, "Why so angry?  Isn't racism over?"  Sure, the 19th century was tough. But what's happened since then?  Phil mentioned the class on a recent podcast, and numerous listeners wanted to hear more.  So… here we go!  From Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter, we take a look at the last 125 years of race relations in America!1 hr 8 min
  5. 269Episode 268: Parenting Q&A w/Elizabeth SmithRaising healthy, happy, godly kids isn't easy.  This week we asked you for your parenting questions, and invited family ministry expert Elizabeth Smith to join Phil to come up with answers!49 min
  6. 270Episode 269: Muslims and Christians w/Carl MedearisDo Muslims and Christians worship the same God?  What are our differences?  What do we have in common?  Author Carl Medearis has been working and living among Muslims in some of the most dangerous places on earth for the last 25 years, and joins the podcast to tell us what he's learned.  Plus… white Christians are now a minority in America, and Phil and Skye discuss "The Nashville Statement."  This week on the podcast!59 min
  7. 271Episode 270: Imaginative Prayer w/Jared Patrick BoydDo we spend too much time trying to know about God, and too little time actually getting to know God?  Author, pastor and spiritual director Jared Patrick Boyd joins the show to talk about experiencing God through the practice of "Imaginative Prayer."  Plus, Christian is back from France and Phil's got a bone to pick with an Emmy award-winning show.  This week on the podcast!1 hr 1 min
  8. 272Episode 271: End Times, Football Protests & Toilet MoneyIt's a potluck podcast!  Christians predict the world will end… last Saturday?  Plus, the story of two committed Christians in the NFL, both philanthropically active, both known for taking a knee on the field.  Yet one is a hero and the other a villain.  We're talking about Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick, and it's a fascinating study of what the American Church values today.  Oh yeah… and the Swiss's toilets are full of money.  No really.  Money.  This week on the podcast!53 min
  9. 273Episode 272: Immigration & the Church w/Liz DongLiz Dong is two things that usually don't go together - an undocumented immigrant AND an evangelical Christian.  She's also a immigrant advocate with World Relief, as well as a member of the Evangelical Immigration Table.  Having read a piece she wrote for Time Magazine, we invited Liz to stop by the studio and talk about her life story and the issues involving DACA, immigration and the church.  Plus, we pause for a moment to remember Hugh Hefner.  Okay - that was long enough.56 min
  10. 274Episode 273: Throwback W/Todd KomarnickiPhil interviews film producer Todd Komarnicki of acclaimed Elf fame about his experience as a Christian in Hollywood. This week on the podcast!48 min
  11. 275Episode 274: Shooting the Breeze w/NT WrightPhil and Skye sit down with N.T. Wright for a fun and fascinating conversation with the world-renowned author and theologian.  What does Wright think of the North American church?  Why do modern gender issues remind him of ancient Gnosticism?  Why is Phil singing show tunes to a famous theologian?  What would Wright put on a billboard if he could require everyone to read one message?  What is it he think kids Bibles get wrong that makes him want to write his own?  All this and more!  Plus… Bladerunner 2049 makes Phil think deep thoughts.  And dogs are people too.  Or maybe not.1 hr
  12. 276Episode 275: Christians and Culture w/Miroslav VolfSo… Phil and a Croatian Protestant theologian walk into a bar….  Oh, you've heard that one?  Author/theologian/Yale professor Miroslav Volf sits down with Phil to talk about Christians in culture and his new book Public Faith in Action: How to Engage with Commitment, Conviction, and Courage.  What follows is a fascinating conversation about Volf's arguments for religion in a globalized world, plus what discourages and encourages him about the North American church today.  And how his fountain pen explains his view of God and Creation.  He's a bright guy and it's a lot of fun!  This week on the podcast!51 min
  13. 277Episode 276: Media, Mars & Read Schuchardt10 kids, no TV, no cell phone, no internet.  Life with the Amish?  A zombie apocalypse?  Nope - just another day in the life of Read Schuchardt, a professor of media ecology who definitely practices what he preaches!  Plus, Phil and Skye discuss a new "giant sucking sound" in American demographics and Phil, yet again, attempts to convince us we really, REALLY don't want to live on Mars.  This week on the podcast!1 hr 6 min
  14. 278Episode 277: Throwback "Sticky Faith" with Guest Kara Powell!We've all heard the stats about kids leaving the faith when they head for college - but why? And what would have made their faith more "sticky?" Has anyone done any actual research on this? Kara Powell has! Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Kara Powell joins the gang to discuss her research and her book - Sticky Faith!49 min
  15. 279Episode 278: Writing Hymns & Singing Together w/Keith GettyIrish composer Keith Getty has been writing modern hymns like "In Christ Alone" for two decades, and now he's written - wait for it - a BOOK!  About singing!  Keith joins Phil and Skye on the podcast to talk worship music, singing together, and how to stay focused on God when everyone around you wants another HIT worship song.  PLUS - Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K.  Hollywood has been behaving very badly, and Phil and Skye ponder if it's a new thing, or a very, very old thing made visible in a new way.  Come on along for the ride!54 min
  16. 280Episode 279: Mailbag PodcastIt's a pre-Thanksgiving mailbag podcast, as the gang sits down to answer your questions.  From favorite Thanksgiving foods to thoughts about guns in church and the "Mike Pence Rule."  Plus… is Phil ready to give up on the label "evangelical," or is he still holding onto hope??  Grab a turkey leg and listen in!56 min
  17. 281Episode 280: Vampire Churches and Hibernating TurtlesWhat exactly are "vampire churches," and why does Skye believe they're sucking the life out of American Christianity?  How can "effectiveness" and "ambition" be the enemies of ministry?  And why can't Phil stop talking about turtles??  Phil and Skye discuss Skye's new book, Immeasurable.  And turtles.  This week on the podcast! (Due to a technical glitch, there is no video on YouTube this week.  Terribly sorry.  Picture us in your minds.  Phil is wearing dark purple.  Skye is bald.  Christian is missing.  Go.)51 min
  18. 282Episode 282: Telling Stories From the Middle w/Andrew Peterson & Chris WallToo much artistic expression in America lives at the extremes - either completely secular or overwhelmingly, explicitly Christian.  What about stories from the middle? Stories iIlluminated by the Christian narrative without being so, you know, "Christiany?"  Singer/songwriter/author Andrew Peterson and his producing partner Chris Wall join Phil and Skye to talk about Peterson's Wingfeather Saga fantasy books and the effort to bring them to the screen as an animated series.     Plus… Phil and Skye discuss nostalgia for Christian pop culture, and a secret message from the past hidden in a very strange place.  (No video this week - listen to it with your ears!)49 min
  19. 283Episode 283: What's Going On With Evangelicals and Same-Sex Marriage With Jonathan MerrittChristian is back with Phil and Skye to discuss new research that says evangelicals aren't as anti-science as we've been led to believe. Plus, Phil discovers something disturbing about avocados. Skye then interviews journalist Jonathan Merritt about the biggest stories of 2017—including the growing number of evangelical leaders now affirming same-sex marriage and the split between elite and populist Christians over Trump. Will these trends continue in 2018?58 min
  20. 284Episode 284: Pot Churches and the Wall of Separation Between Church & StateShould cannabis churches that claim marijuana is a sacrament be protected by the law? Why are megachurches so white, almost all led by men, and very unclear about their stance on LGBTs? Phil, Skye, and Christian unpack new research. Plus, Skye discusses what the "wall of separation" between church and state really means.1 hr 8 min
  21. 285Episode 285: Why Churches Struggle with #MeToo with Katelyn BeatyHeadlines erupted when an evangelical megachurch gave a standing ovation to a pastor who confessed to sexual misconduct with a teenager. Are evangelicals really that out of touch with the #MeToo movement? Guest Katelyn Beaty brings clarity and wisdom to the conversation. Plus, Botox for camels, the spread of Islam, and a brief history of chain migration.1 hr 3 min
  22. 286Episode 286: Have We Gotten Heaven Wrong?Is heaven really the goal of the Christian life? Did Jesus really come to rescue us from an earth doomed to destruction? Skye and Christian discuss how many popular ideas about heaven are rooted in false beliefs from Greek and medieval mythologies rather than the New Testament. Also, Phil's back to talk about beavers, monkeys, and religious liberty for Satanists. Patreon.com/philvischer https://youtu.be/Zy2AQlK6C5k42 min
  23. 287Episode 287: Theology Mailbag & Christians Say Dumb ThingsIf you don't believe in hell are you guaranteed to go there? Which view of the atonement is right? And can pastors who behave really badly be restored? Skye answers your theology questions this week, plus the gang discusses deadly Amish buggies, lady Doritos, and the latest ridiculous claims made by evangelicalism's crazy uncles (and aunts).55 min
  24. 288Episode 288: Guest Drew Dyck on Billy Graham & Deep WorkIs the passing of Billy Graham symbolic of the passing of American evangelicalism? Skye discusses that with Drew Dyck along with a new book about how social media does more harm than good. Plus, Phil and the gang talk about Christians giving a pass to Donald Trump, and why are so many more teens identifying as LGBT.1 hr 6 min

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