In this week’s conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the fact that a lot of people today believe magic can play a role in their relationships. A recent survey revealed some interesting beliefs surrounding magic and love. The results were captured in an article written by Emma Patterson titled “64% of Gen Z Have Tried Something Spiritual, Psychic, or ‘Witchy’ for Love. It really is shocking how much thinking like this is invading our culture today.

Episode Links

As Alexis mentioned, this is not the first time that the world of the supernatural has been a topic on the podcast. Here are some past episodes that we suggest you check out if you missed them: CCP180: On Magic, CCP171: On Halloween, CCP151: On Spirits and Ghosts and CCP11: On Wicca.

Dr. White also delivered a message series at Mecklenburg Community Church to help people have a better understanding of our world and the spiritual realm. You can find the installments of the series “Paranormal” HERE. There was another article that Dr. White mentioned that was discussed in today’s episode. Written by Syeda Khaula Saad in Cosmopolitan, it’s titled “An Etsy Witch Talks Love and Devotion Spells.” And finally, Dr. White made reference to the writings of Pitirim A. Sorokin, and particularly his lengthy four-volume work Social and Cultural Dynamics.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we’d love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News. We’d also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you’d like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week’s conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a recent NPR article focusing on the common thread that's present in the midterm campaigns of multiple Democratic candidates. Several office-seekers have made their Christian faith central to their campaign, using it to either explain or justify their positions or postures, or in order to display how important their faith is to their public life. What is causing this rise in the Democratic candidates appealing to their faith, and how does this trend square with the rise of the “nones” in the U.S.?

Episode Links

As both Alexis and Dr. White noted, this is not the first time that our conversation on the podcast has turned to the world of politics. Here are a number of past episodes (some of which were referenced), that you may be interested in going back to listen to if you missed them:

CCP201: On Christian Nationalism (Summer Rerun)

CCP168: On Pastors Promoting Political Candidates

CCP129: On the 2024 Election Results

CCP112: On January 6 and the Fastest Growing Christian Movement in America

CCP83: On Christians and Government

CCP82: On Christians and Politics

Above we mentioned the rise of the “nones.” For those who may not know, Dr. White wrote an entire book on this demographic and their impact on our culture. You can find The Rise of the Nones on Amazon HERE.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we’d love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News. We’d also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you’d like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.