Mortification Of Spin

Many young (and not-so-young) adults today struggle to figure out what they should do with their lives. Focusing on this significant issue, Todd and Carl talk with William (Bill) Boekestein about his new book, Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling. If people are in the situation of not having a sense of what they ought to do with their life, or people who are highly motivated but maybe are motivated for the wrong reasons, if they could get a glimpse of what God says to us in his Word about how to work for him, and with him in meaningful calling that serves the Lord and blesses others, that's a project well worth spending some time on. – Bill Boekestein Bill shares insights on guiding young people through career decisions, the importance of hard work, and the beauty of vocation. Whether you're a parent, pastor, or young adult, this episode offers wisdom on navigating the complex world of work and purpose. "Vocation is not just about survival; it's about living in God's world and demon

Carl and Todd delve into the evolving complexities of medical ethics in today's world with guest Farr Curlin, the Josiah C. Trent Professor of Medical Humanities at Duke University and co-author of  The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession. Together, they explore the crucial role of pastors in guiding their congregations through ethical medical decisions, the significance of understanding human identity, and the challenges posed by advancements in medical technology. …the field of healthcare, the profession of medicine, is divided by disagreements about what medicine is for, divided by or even completely agnostic regarding what it means to be human, and in the absence of a clear understanding of how medicine fits into a well-lived life, is basically offering to do everything possible to try to keep people alive, or offering to relieve people's suffering, however that's understood, in ways that it seems to me are not really compatible with the Christian story. – Farr Curlin In this enlightening

Carl and Todd sit down with Harrison Perkins, pastor of Oakland Hills Community Church and lecturer at Westminster and Edinburgh Theological Seminaries, to discuss his insightful new book, Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction. Why is the study of covenant theology significant, and how can it shape our understanding of the Bible and the Gospel?  This is a framework for understanding the way that we relate to God – more specifically, the way He relates to us – with clarity, with assurance, with ways to understand how grace can be free. But also, now we are in this ongoing walk with the Lord…how can we bring these things together, and do so well, without undermining one side or the other? – Harrison Perkins Tune in to learn how this theological framework can deepen your faith and understanding of the Bible. Thanks to the generosity of Lexham Press, we are pleased to offer three copies of Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction to give away to our listeners. Register here for the op

In an increasingly secular world, Christians are often pulled in two directions. Some urge us to retreat and build insular communities. Others call upon us to wage a culture war, harnessing the government to shore up Christian cultural power. Is there a better way? Stephen Presley, senior fellow for religion and public life at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy and associate professor of church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, argues that there is.  Today, Carl and Todd talk to Stephen about his new book, Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the Word like the Early Church, in which he points to the first few centuries AD to show us how the first Christians approached cultural engagement. Amid a pagan culture that regarded their faith with suspicion, early Christians founded a religious movement that transformed the ancient world. Though many of the challenges they faced were unique to that time, close comparisons can be drawn between the early church and modern culture. Some of

How do we know if we're making the best choices possible? Todd and Carl discuss this important topic with their guest, T. David Gordon, former professor at Grove City College and the author of Choose Better: Five Biblical Models for Making Ethical Decisions. Over the centuries, Christians in different traditions have distilled scriptural guidance into five models for ethical decision-making: law, imitation, communion, wisdom, and warfare. Today, the discussion centers around the relevance and application of these five models in everyday life and pastoral ministry. "One of the things I really appreciate about the book, David, is with each of the models, you give sort of pluses and minuses in order to bring out the fact that we can't just have one model or even two models. They all complement each other." – Carl Trueman   Biblical, profound, and practical, these models provide clear questions to ask in every situation. They help us improve our choices and better understand the choices of fellow believers—especi

Carl and Todd welcome special guest Harold Senkbeil, executive director of Doxology, the Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care, and the author of the popular book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Together, they discuss the essence of pastoral ministry, the significance of patience, and the importance of the Word and sacraments in pastoral care.  Pastoral work is really the work of Jesus in our time, in any given contemporary moment in history… In the twentieth century, pastoral work kind of took a left turn and reinvented itself in the mold of business perhaps or counseling, and so forth, all of which is helpful, but the essence is really the Word of God and the sacraments. To apply those with the goal of introducing people to Jesus and Jesus to them, is what pastoral work is about. - Harold Senkbeil What are the challenges and expectations pastors face today, and how can they stay true to their calling amidst modern-day complexities? And tune in to discover what part congregations should play in

Maintaining appropriate Christian behavior can be particularly challenging in a world where political discourse often becomes heated and divisive. In today's timely episode, Carl and Todd delve into the complexities of navigating faith and politics, especially during an election year.  "We want to talk today about how Christians can have strong opinions on important issues and express those opinions in a way that does not undermine their broader Christian witness." – Carl Trueman What impact does political discourse have on Christian testimony, and how can we express strong opinions without compromising our witness? Their conversation delves into the rise of neo-Christian nationalism, the infantilism in modern politics, and the need for Christians to engage in the public sphere with integrity and honor. "We are not going to win the culture by aping the culture. Seek influence, push back against the darkness, but do so uniquely as Christians." – Todd Pruitt We are pleased to offer three copies of Carl's book C

Carl and Todd dive deep into the complex relationship between religion and politics with Miles Smith from Hillsdale College as they discuss his new book, Religion and Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War. Why did he decide to write this book now, and why did he intentionally not use the more commonplace terms “Church and State”? What is the difference between Christian institutionalism and Christian nationalism? And what is the role of the church in addressing political issues?  "I'm actually someone who doesn't want the church to do politics. I think the church is quite frankly, not competent to do politics." – Miles Smith Miles’ book offers profound insights into how Christians can maintain their witness in times of political polarization. Listen as they discuss the historical and contemporary challenges Christians face in navigating their faith within the civic and political spheres,  We are pleased to offer three copies of Miles Smith’s book Religion and Republic to our listeners

Many adults look back fondly on their years in the church youth group or other parachurch ministries like Young Life and understand the impact that those ministries had on their faith. How has youth ministry changed over the years, and what has stayed the same? What qualities are needed to be an effective youth minister, and what challenges do leaders face in today’s culture? To shine some light on this subject, the guys are joined by Carl’s friend and a fellow Grove City College professor, Duffy Robbins, Professor of Youth Ministry and a 45-year veteran in the field. Widely respected as one of the leading voices in youth and family ministry, Duffy talks to Carl and Todd about the history, purpose, and future of youth ministry, as well as some of the issues that he sees. “Another problem is that youth ministry intentionally tries to make sure their ministries and messages and programming are suited to young people, but the problem is we really breed in our young people an appetite for ‘juvenalized’ Christiani

Is it ethical for physicians to assist patients in hastening their own death? Should Christians who are facing death accept the offer of an assisted death? Carl and Todd talk to physician Ewan Goligher about these important issues addressed in his book How Should We Then Die? In his book, Ewan draws from general revelation and Scripture to persuade and equip Christians to oppose physician-assisted death.  The logic of assisted death is predicated on the idea that you’re rendering someone better off by ending their life. And [in] the philosophical and ethical literature where people write about this, they represent the logic as a kind of calculus where you weigh up the good of remaining alive and the bad of remaining alive, and you essentially decide that if the bad of remaining alive outweighs the good, then it makes sense to end my life. And the glaring gap in that logic is that it ignores the question of what it is like to be dead. – Ewan Goligher  Proponents of euthanasia presume what it is like to be dead

Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth-century French philosopher and scientist, is perhaps best known for his "wager," an argument about the existence of God. But there was much more to Pascal and his brilliance, according to today's guest, Douglas Groothuis, a leading Christian thinker and longtime student of Pascal. In his latest book, Beyond the Wager, Doug introduces readers to Pascal's life and the breadth of his intellectual pursuits, including his contributions to mathematics, science, ethics, and theology.  "You really want to read Pascal, and if you write about him, you want to quote him and do justice to what he said because it really was so insightful and profoundly put. Especially his comments about what it means to be a human being and his reflections on the nature of knowing Christ. They're really not just philosophically insightful and compelling, but also devotionally compelling."  – Doug Groothuis We are pleased to offer a few copies of Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal to

Many faithful Christian parents today grieve for their adult children who have left the faith. They ask, "Where did we go wrong? What should we have done differently?" Carl and Todd discuss this important topic in this episode and encourage parents not to give up hope.  "Parents have enormous impact on their kids' lives, even into adulthood. Even when there's been pain, a parent has enormous influence. See how best to leverage that for the soul of your child.  – Todd Pruitt We are pleased to offer a few copies of Wayward Children: Finding Peace, Keeping Hope to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of our friends at P&R Publishing. Register here for the opportunity to win.

When considering theology, you may think of confusing, lofty terminology that only concerns scholars and pastors. But really, theology is for anyone who wants to understand God better and learn more about the Bible. Carl and Todd welcome Jon Nielson, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Wheaton, IL, to discuss his new book Knowing God's Truth. Written to make systematic theology clear, meaningful, and practical, Nielson introduces systematic theology in this volume and guides readers through its application in their daily lives. Jon's highly accessible book is a valuable resource for those yearning for a deeper understanding of God and the Bible, including young people and newer believers. "Systematic theology is important… it's recognizing that Scripture actually does give us a system of doctrine; that we're able to do systematic theology because the Bible gives us a unity of theology and so we're able to actually say, here's what the Bible says about God, about sin, about salvation, etc., etc. "  – Todd

For many years, there was a lack of good Protestant literature addressing the transfiguration— a central event in the life of Christ. Thanks to Patrick Schreiner’s new book, The Transfiguration of Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Reading, that is no longer the case. Patrick is an associate professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and writes from a solid conservative Protestant evangelical perspective. So what is it that Protestants miss when we overlook the transfiguration? What is its significance and place in redemptive history, and how can it be applied? “I think the transfiguration is this unique event where the humanity and the deity of Christ come together, where his humanity is transfigured or transformed, but his deity is also revealed. This reality [is] that we have the God-Man in one subject and one person, and both things are made evident at the same time.” – Patrick Schreiner Be sure to tune in for this fascinating conversation on a much-negl

Many of the best and brightest Protestant thinkers have converted to Roman Catholicism in recent decades. Some have found Protestantism shallow in doctrine, history, ethics, and worship. Chris Castaldo, co-author of Why Do Protestants Convert? sits down with Carl and Todd to discuss the psychological, theological, and sociological factors behind these conversions.  As someone who has had conversations with those who have converted from Protestantism to Catholicism or, in some cases, Eastern Orthodoxy as well, very often in my conversations with them, theology is not the first thing. Oftentimes [there are] other issues that they will name first, like the historical rootedness or the reverence that they found or the beauty that they found in the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox traditions.  – Todd Pruitt Although many converts’ criticisms of contemporary Protestantism may be warranted, Chris points out that historic Protestantism contains the answers to these objections and the resources for a Protestant rene

Critical theory and its expression in fields like critical race theory, critical pedagogy, and queer theory are having a profound impact on our culture. Carl and Todd sit down with Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, authors of Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology, to discuss how contemporary critical theory’s ideas about race, class, gender, identity, and justice have dramatically shaped how people think, act, and view one another—in Christian and secular spheres alike. As a robust meta-narrative worldview, critical social theory and its expansive expressions are categorically against biblical Christianity. – Pat Sawyer While Neil and Pat acknowledge that critical theory can provide some legitimate insights into issues impacting our culture today and urge Christians to condemn racism and seek justice, racial healing, and unity, they argue that the false assumptions at the heart of critical theory pose a serious threat to both the church and society at large.  We are pleased to

Back in 2013, Carl and Todd launched Mortification of Spin with their first episode, "Rock Star Pastors in Las Vegas," sharing a microphone in a small underground bunker. All these years later, they no longer share a mic, but they're still going strong, celebrating their 500th first-run episode. Joining them for this momentous occasion are their good friends, Kevin DeYoung and Matt Eusey. After reminiscing about the early days, the conversation turns toward the importance of meaningful friendships. The guys consider the benefits of friendship and the current challenges we face as these most vital relationships have undergone a dramatic transformation.  It really is important to have friends. It's not a sufficient condition for being faithful in ministry, but I do think it is a necessary condition, and it's really important to have people to know who you really are and [to] joke with, but also be challenged by, and know that they are looking over your shoulder in a good way. – Kevin DeYoung For best results, e

Mark Jones is back on the podcast today, chatting with Carl and Todd about his latest book, The Pilgrim's Regress: Guarding against Backsliding and Apostasy in the Christian Life. Vowing not to write another book for a long time because of the toll it takes on his life expectancy, Mark explains why he chose to address the uncomfortable topic of backsliding believers—and, to a lesser extent, apostasy—in his latest work.  After Covid and all that it did to the church, there's a very serious need to confront what is an obvious pastoral issue for many pastors, and that is a lot of people have fallen away or become extremely lazy in their Christian living. - Mark Jones An important topic infrequently discussed in many Reformed churches, Mark addresses backsliding in this serious, hopeful, and pastoral work informed by wise theologians of the past and present.  P&R Publishing has provided a few giveaway copies of The Pilgrim's Regress: Guarding against Backsliding and Apostasy in the Christian Life for our list

The Deconstruction of Christianity What exactly is deconstruction? The movement has been defined in many different ways. Today’s guests co-authored a book to clear up the confusion. Alisa Childers, author of Another Gospel?, and Tim Barnett, creator of Red Pen Logic, sit down with Todd and Carl to discuss the true nature of faith deconstruction, which is sweeping through our churches and is disrupting, dismantling, and destroying the faith of so many. “Sadly, because of the Biblical illiteracy in our culture, because we live in a mic-drop world where someone just makes a claim and then they drop the mic and walk away as if they won an argument…that’s why these things are so persuasive, and they get so many likes and so many shares and such a following.” – Tim Barnett Alisa and Tim will help you understand what deconstruction is, where it comes from, why it is compelling to some, and how it disorients the lives of so many, as well as how to think through the main issues and explore wise and loving ways to resp

Originating as lectures delivered at the University of Durham over 80 years ago, The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis is a classic and one of the most debated of his extraordinary works. Lewis sets out to persuade his audience of the importance and relevance of universal values such as courage and honor in contemporary society.  Listen in as Carl and Todd discuss why Christians today have much to learn from reading Lewis’ astonishingly prophetic and insightful lectures. “I think what Lewis was doing, and probably was not fully aware he was doing, was putting his finger on what would manifest itself as the underlying problem of the modern world, which is the complete collapse of the notion of human nature: what it means to be a man, what it means to be human.”  – Carl Trueman Intervarsity Press has provided a few giveaway copies of The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis by Jason Baxter for our listeners. Register here for the opportunity to win. Intervarsity has also provided a discount code for our listeners. Enter IV