Prominent theologian Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing joins us to discuss her new book, Forgiveness: Reclaiming its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear. We discuss the true, Biblical meaning of forgiveness and its relationship to justice. Is forgiveness conditional on repentance? Does forgiveness look different for those in a covenantal relationship such as marriage? How do we deal with a culture that often places the burden for forgiveness on the victim, and how do we forgive without excusing harm? We openly discuss sins plaguing the church and the impact of trauma on physical and mental health. Join us for a theological and practical discussion of a topic very relevant to our broken and pride-ridden world.

Is it appropriate-- or even relevant-- to bring principles of one's Christian faith into the workplace? We address this question in the field of law with James R. Edwards, Jr., a devout Christian and intellectual property lawyer. His recent book,To Intent Is Divine: Creativity and Ownership, shows how the patent and intellectual property system the American Founders designed became the world’s “gold standard.” Edwards argues that the American IP system, alongside innate human creativity and a right to property ownership, are ultimately rooted in Scripture. We discuss the impact of classical liberalism and Christian worldview on the American founding fathers, and close with a discussion of artificial intelligence as it relates to intellectual property and imago dei.

Join seasoned apologist Greg Koukl and I as we discuss how to defend your faith and artfully communicate truths about Christianity. If you’re a Christian who has ever talked to a nonbeliever about your faith, you know what it’s like to face uncomfortable questions, argumentative opponents, and people with varying degrees of receptivity to the gospel. Greg takes us through his famous book used to train well-known apologists today: Tactics: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions. We discuss the winsomeness model for apologetics and role-play tricky scenarios in real time, teaching you how to respond to moral therapeutic deists, nihilistic hedonists, and many other objectors.

Was Jesus of Nazareth a real, historical figure? Join us in this brief episode where we take a deep yet concise dive into three primary sources from non-Christian Roman historians and writers to assess whether a human named Jesus actually existed, was killed by Pontius Pilate, and founded the Christian religion. We discuss the testimonies of Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Flavius Josephus -- three men who were not sympathetic to Christianity in the slightest (one of them calling it a "depraved superstition"), therefore three sources not biased in Christianity's favor.

Watch this episode online here.

We’ve all heard the charge levelled at Artificial Intelligence (AI) that it is a demonic technology that should never be used. However, AI already underpins many technologies in our lives, from Netflix suggestions to software for clinical decisionmaking. Can AI be stewarded wisely for use by the church to support its mission without denigrating its community? Will AI ever reach the status of human intelligence, and what does it actually mean to be human? Dr. Todd Korpi, author of the acclaimed book AI Goes to Church: Pastoral Wisdom for Artificial Intelligence, joins Dr. Noller, a scientist who uses artificial intelligence for cancer research, to discuss the Christian perspective on AI. We discuss whether AI will ever reach a human-like level of intelligence and what Christian theology teaches us about being human. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities AI poses for pastors, ministry leaders, and laypeople and grapple with the ethical concerns of leveraging AI for Christian missions.

Resources:

• AI Goes to Church: Pastoral Wisdom for Artificial Intelligence
• What is Artificial Intelligence? Introductory article from IBM

You may or may not be aware of the debates surrounding the historicity of the Gospel of John. Many scholars have suggested that John’s Gospel contains unhistorical embellishments or is “metaphorically” but not historically true as are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This accusation has serious implications for our understanding of Jesus and His teachings, as well as for the reliability of the New Testament as a whole. Did John truly alter the facts and put words in Jesus’ mouth to serve his own theological goals? Analytic philosopher Lydia McGrew refutes these claims in The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage, arguing in detail that John never invents material and that he is robustly reliable and honestly historical.

Resources:

• Dr. McGrew’s website
• The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage by Lydia McGrew

Do you want to transmit your faith to the next generation and leave behind a legacy that your children and grandchildren will be proud of? Substack bestseller and strategist Johann Kurtz joins us to discuss how to build a virtuous family dynasty which serves the local community. We discuss the true meaning of Christian charity and how to practically love your neighbor and become a servant leader in your community. We discuss how to help the next generation without breeding entitlement and while instilling a deep sense of Christian and family duty.

Is the archetype of the crucified and resurrected God present in religions other than Christianity— particularly in religions predating Christianity? Apologetics debates often bring up pre-Christian resurrection and crucifixion myths as evidence that the Christian accounts of Jesus' bodily resurrection are at best unremarkable and at worst copied from older accounts. We dive into primary sources in this episode to discuss three pre-Christian examples: the alleged spiritual resurrection of King Thoulis of Egypt, the Osiris myth, and the myth of the Hindu deity Krishna.