Mere Fidelity

Friendly disagreements are one of the best things about Mere Fidelity. In a previous episode, the guys were unable to come to a mutual understanding of the nature of apostasy and assurance. So they asked Reformed theologian Dr. J. Todd Billings to return for his fourth appearance on Mere Fi. Can he straighten things out? Can you *know* that you are saved? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

What is the Bible? What is it for? Does the Bible create the Church or vice versa? As God’s people, how can we receive it for what it is? Dr. Brad East tackles these questions in his book The Doctrine of Scripture. While Derek and Alastair might not see eye to eye with him on Sola Scriptura or which theological monsters they are comfortable hiding under the bed, the spirited disagreement leads to some very healthy places. Big questions, loving argument, fun times. Plus, you get to hear behind the scenes Mere Fi producer Timothy Crouch filling in for Matt. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Andy Crouch brings a much-needed Christian perspective to understanding how humans relate to technology in his new book, The Life We’re Looking For. Do you know the connection between our basic need for recognition and our dependence on screens? What can we do to make our world more humanized? And when will we be able to achieve it? Derek, Alastair, and Matt discuss these questions and more with Andy in this high energy conversation. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Dr. J. Richard Middleton has a unique interpretation of Genesis 22, Abraham's (near-)sacrifice of Isaac, which departs — radically, some might say — from both traditional Christian and Jewish readings of this foundational Old Testament story. And if he's right, it has significant implications for how we do ministry. Matt, Alastair, and Derek leave no stone unturned in this conversation. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Can progress be made on the problem of racial division? Dr. George Yancey, professor of sociology at Baylor University (and thus a colleague of Matt’s), proposes a third way to the controversial solutions of either Colorblindness or Antiracism in his book, Beyond Racial Division. In his conversation with Alastair, Derek, and Matt, Dr. Yancey shows that there is hope for moving beyond racism, using methods that build deep, lasting roots. They also explore how local churches can engage in the solutions that make the most sense for their unique congregations. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Jen Pollock Michel, writer and Mere Fidelity listener, sent in an important and challenging question by email: There are several passages in the Bible that deal with scenarios of sexual violence. What is the best way to preach these texts, without traumatizing or triggering the congregation? We decided to not only address this question on the show but bring her directly on as a guest to talk about it. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

A recent New York Times essay by David Brooks, "The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself," kicked up quite a stir. Possibly missed in the brouhaha was an unusually detailed plan of action for saving evangelicalism, provided by none other than legendary Mere Fidelity guest (and honorary host) Tim Keller. So we invited him back on to talk about it — all of it: the Christian Mind project, the "second-generation" problem, the notion of "diagonalizing," and much, much more. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

For many 21st century Christians in the West it seems that the world is unraveling. There are two questions we must ask: Is this time different than other times? and How can Christians offer hope to a world coming apart? These are the questions that Matt, Alastair, and Derek seek answers for with Jake Meador while discussing Jake’s new book, What Are Christians For? Life Together at the End of the World. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Reading the Psalms individually as we often do, you can miss how they all fit together. Dr. James Hamilton’s new two-volume commentary brings to life the wonder of how intricately the Psalms are linked literarily and structurally. Derek, Alastair, and Matt explore with Dr. Hamilton what the big patterns are, what the superscriptions indicate, and what David was perhaps thinking when he was writing about Christ. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

We humans have a complicated relationship with our limits. We constantly push them; expand them; try to circumvent them. But limits are inherent to Creation. Why would God, who could have made the world in an instant, use a process instead? And what does this mean for our own process of sanctification, which we often want to be instantaneous? Matt, Derek, and Alastair jump into these questions with Dr. Kelly Kapic, the author of You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

A conundrum has been bothering Andrew: If you say that few people are saved, that raises certain theological problems, but if you say that many people are saved, that raises other theological problems. But this is what Mere Fidelity is for: tackling the tough questions that others avoid. Matt doesn’t think this is the right question to be asking, but you’ll be interested to hear where he ends up. And Derek coins a unique word. s Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

The modern mindset instinctively views everything, even texts, as objects to be pulled apart and understood rationally. When we do this to the Bible, we can inadvertently end up bifurcating Biblical studies from ethics. But that’s not what the Bible is doing. When you read the Bible and let it change you, you discover that all of it is Wisdom Literature. That’s what Mere Fidelity guest Dr. Jeff Dryden claims in his book, A Hermeneutic of Wisdom. Matt and Derek love where he goes with it on this episode. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

You may get the impression that shame is always a bad thing. That’s not exactly right. Dr. Gregg TenElshof, author of the book For Shame: Rediscovering the Virtues of a Maligned Emotion, discusses the nuances of bad shame and good shame with the Mere Fidelity crew. When should we feel shame? For what should we feel shame? How does the body and appearance relate to shame? Listen in! (The +1 on this one is particularly good.) Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

On Mere Fidelity it’s not just the guests that are experts. All four of our hosts have projects of their own that will be of great interest to our listeners. Three of our hosts (alas, Derek is not on this episode) open up about what has been taking up their intellectual space this past year: from 1776 to Dante to YouTube to Gossip and more. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss his harrowing experience with Lyme disease as told in his new book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness & Discovery. Alastair and Matt take the conversation in some interesting directions that you’ll probably only find on Mere Fidelity, like how the sociological experience of chronic illness compares with the psychology of witness in the Christian community. That, and more, in this episode. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

The church year begins with Advent. But Advent begins by looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Why would we start with the end? The doctrine of the Last Things sheds some light on this tradition. Matt, Derek, and Alastair examine Advent and the Last Things by taking a close look at Charles Wesley’s classic Advent hymn, “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending.” Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

What is our only comfort in life and in death? It’s that we do not belong to ourselves, but that we belong body and soul to Jesus Christ. Alan Noble thinks that if we will embrace this teaching, the church will be able to weather modernity. How exactly does that play out in our daily lives? That’s what he talks about with Matt, Derek, Alastair, and Andrew(!) on this episode. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

What’s gone wrong in Biblical theology? We’ve turned the Bible into an object to master, instead of letting it master us. Rev. Hans Boersma’s new book, Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew, opens this conversation up very well, reminding us the job of the Biblical scholar is not primarily historical. Matt and Derek talk with Rev. Boersma, and things get a little spicy when the topic of Sola Scriptura comes up. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

A conversation has erupted in Evangelical circles about elites and their willingness to accommodate worldly powers. But who counts as elite? Which worldly powers are they cozying up to? The answers can change depending on who’s doing the accusing. Alastair, Matt, and Derek take up the conversation to pick apart confusing threads and lower the temperature of the argument. Will they succeed or end up disagreeing with each other? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Death is an uncomfortable subject for many people. That makes funerals difficult at the least, and even worse, confusing and traumatic. How does the Christian understanding of death influence the way we do funerals? Dr. Tim Perry, author of Funerals: For the Care of Souls, published by Lexham Press, joins Matt and Derek to liven your understanding of what it means for a Christian to die. Practical considerations are covered as well, like cremation vs. burial, whether to eulogize, and which parts of funerals should be customized and which shouldn’t be. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.