The Wednesday Conversation

Episode 481: The Omnicause

In a recent article, Mary Harrington uses the term “omnicause” to describe how progressivism opposes whatever is considered mainstream, institutional, or Western. In this episode, we discuss where Harrington’s analysis has validity, where we might disagree, and how Christians can practice good cultural apologetics in this moment.

Episode 480: TWC Commentary | What Did Harrison Butker Say?

Harrison Butker, the placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, has received a lot of ire from media outlets following a speech he made at the commencement of Benedictine College. In this episode, Bob breaks down the context in which his speech was given, what Butker said and didn’t say, and what it looks like for Christians to live with courageous convictions in their vocations.Speech Transcript: https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-at-benedictine

Episode 479: From the Archives | The Three Phases of Discipleship

What does discipleship to Jesus look like over the course of your life? And how does that change as you move into different seasons of life? In 2018, we used Ronald Rolheiser’s book “Sacred Fire” to discuss the three phases of discipleship and how that helps us to frame discipleship in the local church.

Episode 478: Making Faith Magnetic

How can we have meaningful evangelistic conversations with our non-Christian friends and family? In his book “Making Faith Magnetic,” Dr. Dan Strange develops the work of J.H. Bavinck, proposing 5 "magnetic points" that are present within every human and every culture. In this episode, we analyze these magnetic points, explore their "subversive fulfillment" in Jesus, and consider how they can be useful in talking about faith.Book Link: https://www.thegoodbook.com/making-faith-magnetic

Episode 477: Takeaways from the Keller Center

After gathering in NYC with the other fellows of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, Bob shares some insights he gained and lessons he learned. He also discusses some of the ways the fellows are seeking to apply the intellectual work of the Keller Center to the practices of the local church.

Episode 476: The Need for Competence

Human beings have an inherent desire to be good at something. But becoming competent requires self-awareness and humility. In this episode, we lay the groundwork for how the gospel frees us to admit our strengths & weaknesses, discover our aptitudes, and grow in competence.

Episode 475: From the Archives | Taking Church Membership Seriously

Why does church membership matter? In this episode from 2016, we discuss the importance of being committed to the local church.

Episode 474: An Interview with Johan Verster | Part 2

This episode continues Bob's conversation with special guest Johan Verster, exploring the particulars of Ligpunt Church and the context of growing and planting churches in South Africa.

Episode 473: An Interview with Johan Verster | Part 1

Bob sat down with Pastor Johan Verster during his time in the United States to talk about his story, his journey to faith, and how he came to plant Ligpunt Church in Pretoria, South Africa.

Episode 472: From the Archives | Four Views of Communion

It’s easy for the sacrament of communion to become commonplace, and it can be tempting for Christians to participate mindlessly. Many Christians may not know the answers to questions like, “What is communion?” and “Why do we observe it regularly?” In 2019, we decided to spend some time discussing the sacrament of communion - the four main views surrounding it and how we choose to practice it in our local churches.